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Budapest Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Budapest Times
2026 elections to be expected at earliest possible date
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, 'the earliest possible date should be expected concerning next year's election' in the Fight Hour online programme. Under the constitution, the elections should be held in April or May 'in line with a decision by the president of the republic', PM Orbán said, adding that 'nobody can strip the president of that right or restrict that right, but we must also make preparations.' Political parties are getting ready 'to be in full armour by the earliest date,' PM Orbán said. He said that next year offers the second weekend of April as the earliest date, but suggested that the president would make the final decision. Meanwhile, PM Orbán said his Fidesz party had selected the election candidates for all 106 constituencies with the exception of 3 or 4.
The Diplomat
2 days ago
- Business
- The Diplomat
Polling Shows Central Europeans Remain Skeptical of China
A look into public opinion results provides an interesting complement to government-level dynamics in four nations' respective bilateral relations with Beijing. The countries of the Visegrad Four (V4) – Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – have had divergent trajectories in their relations with Beijing over the past decade. In Czechia, the honeymoon period of relations under the leadership of Czech Social Democrats and President Milos Zeman in the mid-2010s gave way to a rift in the relationship, marked by scandals related to China's interference, unmet economic promises and Czech active engagement in developing ties with Taiwan. Meanwhile, Hungary has doubled down on the China-friendly course under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, making Hungary the leading recipient of Chinese investment in Europe for the past two consecutive years. Slovakia, under Prime Minister Robert Fico since 2023, seems to have tried to emulate Orbán's apparent success in courting Chinese investment by leaning closer to China on political issues, inking a strategic partnership with Beijing last year. Poland has charted a largely pragmatic course on China, irrespective of the government in power. A look into public opinion results, based on the recent large-scale polling by Central European Institute of Asian Studies, provides an interesting complement to government-level dynamics in the respective bilateral relations with Beijing. Overall, Central Europeans remain skeptical of China. The Czechs are the most negative, with 59.3 percent of respondents viewing China unfavorably and only 20.8 percent favorably. Hungarians, despite the cozy relationship of the Orban government with Beijing, are also largely negative toward China, together with the Poles. While Slovaks are overall also negative toward China, they have the highest proportion of positive views of China in the V4, at 33.6 percent, and the lowest share of negative views, at 39.3 percent. A deeper dive into perceptions of China by political preference provides another layer to the picture. In Hungary, there is a large gulf in perceptions of China between the supporters of the governing Fidesz party and its leading opponent, Tisza. Among supporters of Fidesz, China is viewed positively by 47.5 percent respondents and negatively by 27.8 percent, while for Tisza, it is 24.6 percent and 58.1 percent percent, respectively (the rest expressed neutral views). Similarly polarized views can be seen in Slovakia, with striking differences in perceptions of China between the supporters of the ruling Smer-SD party and the leading Progressive Slovakia opposition party. Meanwhile, while China is seen relatively more positively by the voters of ANO in Czechia – as opposed to the voters of the current China-skeptical coalition led by Spolu since 2021 – negative views of China still dominate even among ANO voters. Finally, in Poland, views of China are comparatively less polarized between KO, the leading party of the current coalition, and PiS, the major opposition party, which is mirrored in the relative continuity of Warsaw's China policy. The overall picture shows that conservative voters tend to view China more positively than liberals in Central Europe – an interesting difference when compared to the United States. Meanwhile, negative views of China are more prevalent among the more educated groups of the population. Among the different age groups, the picture is not homogeneous across the V4. While in Czechia and Hungary, the youngest people, aged 18-24, have the most negative view of China, it is the opposite in Slovakia and Poland. While we cannot assume a direct relationship between the views of the voter base and political parties' actual policies, the results do offer some hints about what we could expect should the governments change. Czechia is going into elections this October and Andrej Babis' ANO looks poised to form a new government. The negative perception of China among ANO voters does not imply that the new government would have the political capital to return to the honeymoon era of relations a decade ago. This does not preclude, however, a more 'pragmatic' approach to China, which ANO has been talking about in the opposition. Hungary will hold elections next year, and Orban's power seems to be, for the first time, in real jeopardy. Tisza has been outperforming Fidesz in the polls, threatening Orban's hold on power. If there is indeed a change in the government, Budapest's alignment with China may be under threat. Fidesz's association with China, and the related issues that have sparked local controversy, might be partly to blame. The polling shows that Hungarians have the most negative perceptions of Chinese investments in the V4, despite, or perhaps because Hungary hosts the largest amount of Chinese capital in the region. Moreover, 58.4 percent of Hungarians agree that Chinese investment brings environmental problems to the country, while 56.3 percent see Chinese investment as increasing corruption in Hungary. The polling thus shows the need to look beyond official policies to understand the dynamics of relations with China and anticipate potential recalibrations on the horizon.
Budapest Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
Orbán: Here are the 5 pillars of our strategy to stay out of wars to come
In front of a large audience, he outlined a five-pillar strategy to ensure Hungary avoids being drawn into what he called the emerging threat of a global conflict. 'We must prepare to stay out of the war—and we can,' the prime minister declared. The five pillars, he explained, form the foundation of Hungary's policy of neutrality in an increasingly divided world. First is maintaining balanced international relations. 'Out of the six global power centers, we have good relations with five,' PM Orbán said. 'Only Brussels remains hostile.' He described Hungary's foreign policy as one of strategic autonomy, refusing to align blindly with blocs. 'This is the only way we can survive as a nation,' he added. The second pillar is national defense. 'We must have the strength to protect ourselves,' PM Orbán said, emphasizing the ongoing development of a precision-based Hungarian army. 'A country that cannot defend itself is at the mercy of others,' he warned, adding that military reform and investment remain top priorities. Third is technological independence. The prime minister said Hungary cannot rely on the European Union to remain competitive in areas such as artificial intelligence. 'The EU is worthless in this race,' he stated, adding that 'we must create our own national algorithm.' He announced plans for digital innovation partnerships across Central Europe and introduced the formation of new 'Digital Civic Circles,' meant to mobilize conservative voices in online spaces. The fourth pillar concerns education and talent. 'We spend more on higher education per capita than any other EU country,' he said. 'This is our strategic reserve.' PM Orbán praised Hungary's youth and stressed the importance of intellectual preparedness in a time of global crisis. The fifth and final pillar is geopolitical non-alignment. 'We must not lock ourselves into any bloc,' PM Orbán said. 'We need to strike a balance between East and West.' He criticized the European Union's current trajectory, describing it as a 'war project' and rejecting its proposed multiannual budget. 'The budget sends 20 percent of its money to Ukraine. We will not support this,' he said. Turning to the war in Ukraine, PM Orbán reiterated that Hungary supports peace and dialogue. 'Ukraine cannot join the EU while the war continues,' he said. He argued that escalating military aid only prolongs the conflict, adding, 'We need peace alliances in the region.' He also addressed domestic issues. With internal polling showing Fidesz leading in 80 out of 106 constituencies, PM Orbán called for vigilance. 'That's not enough—we won 87 in 2022,' he said. He underlined the importance of defending national sovereignty at the ballot box, warning that a government aligned with Brussels would lead Hungary into war. On cultural matters, he defended the decision to exclude the controversial band Kneecap from Hungarian festivals, criticizing event organizers: 'You should have known better.' He warned against the politicization of entertainment, referencing recent controversies involving Hungarian artists: 'Voters don't want artists telling them what to think.' The prime minister also addressed migration and identity, linking the issue to national survival. 'Western cities will soon have Muslim majorities,' he said, calling for stronger protections on Hungary's western borders. 'The last time the West linked national survival to Christianity was in 732 at the Battle of Poitiers. Since then, it's been silence.' Reaffirming Hungary's family policy, he said, 'Nowhere else do mothers with two children pay no income tax,' and promised continued support for young people. 'A Hungarian youth of 18 can now become a homeowner—that's a breakthrough,' he said. In a closing message to young people, PM Orbán said: 'It is no accident that we were born Hungarian. Stand your ground.'
LeMonde
4 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
'In Eastern Europe, it is often mainstream media that spreads false information and promotes illiberal ideas'
In light of growing evidence of democratic backsliding and rising authoritarianism worldwide, digital media are increasingly seen as central drivers of these trends – both for their well-documented role in amplifying illiberal and radical right-wing politics, and for their known susceptibility to foreign manipulation. This perception is arguably reinforced by media coverage of some of the recent elections, from France to the United States to Romania, highlighting the importance of video platforms, influencers and podcasters for electoral mobilization, as well as raising alarms about Russian interference. However, if we step back from the narrow focus on electoral campaigns in countries with relatively pluralistic news markets, and take a look at the broader political information environment shaping citizens' opinions, we can often see that it is the mainstream media and domestic actors – rather than social media and hostile foreign powers – who assume the central role in the dissemination of false information, and in the promotion of illiberal attitudes. Our own research on the rise of illiberalism in Eastern Europe highlights many such examples, while at the same time showing that under certain conditions – namely, wherever the majority of the mainstream media market has been captured by illiberal political actors or their business allies – social media can act as channels of resistance against the forces of illiberalism. Major channels of propaganda In Eastern Europe, some of the most potent manifestations of the crucial role of mainstream media in the illiberal public sphere are currently observed in Hungary and Serbia. In Hungary, Viktor Orban's Fidesz party has effectively colonized the vast majority of the media market, and turned major media brands into channels of government propaganda, starting with the public service broadcaster MTVA. In Serbia, the key outlets upholding the illiberal regime of Aleksandar Vucic have been commercial TV stations such as Pink TV, TV Happy, TV Prva and TV92, as well as the main national tabloids such as Informer, Alo, Kurir and Srpski telegraf, all owned by Serbian companies with close ties with the ruling elites.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Hungary's Orban vows to block EU budget over frozen funds
BUDAPEST: Hungary's government will not support the European Union's new seven-year budget unless Brussels unlocks all suspended EU funds, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday. In the past 15 years, the nationalist leader has clashed with Brussels over his policies on migration, curbing LGBTQ rights and what critics see as eroding democracy in Hungary. The EU has suspended billions of euros in funds earmarked for Hungary while a rule-of-law dispute drags on. 'The approval of the new seven-year budget requires unanimity and until we get the remaining (frozen) funds, there won't be a new EU budget either,' Orban said in a speech at a summer university in the Romanian town of Baile Tusnad. He also criticised the EU for supporting Ukraine and accused Brussels of planning to install a 'pro-Ukraine and pro-Brussels government' in Hungary at next year's national vote. He also said the EU's current leadership has put the bloc on a track that would lead to a trade war that Europe 'cannot win.' 'The current leadership of the EU will always be the last to sign deals with the United States and always the worst deals,' Orban added, urging a change in the bloc's leadership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland after EU officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. The European Commission earlier this month proposed a 2 trillion euro EU budget for 2028 to 2034, with a new emphasis on economic competitiveness and defence. Then Orban said 'globalist bureaucrats' were plotting to 'drain Europe's money into Ukraine' while 'our farmers are rising up to defend their future'. Budget debates are among the most difficult in EU politics, bringing to the fore political and economic divisions among member countries. Orban, who swept the last four elections, faces a tough new opposition challenger in 2026, whose Tisza party has a firm lead over the ruling Fidesz party in most polls, at a time when the economy is stagnating. But Orban looked confident in his speech and said according to his party's internal data Fidesz would win in 80 out of Hungary's 106 constituencies if elections were held on Sunday. - Reuters
