EPP is stronger than ever. The biggest group under the leadership of Manfred Weber is ready to break taboos and amend legislation together with the far-right #omnibus nepszava.hu/3301348_euro...

Former Renew MEP @katalincseh.bsky.social announced that she joins a new political movement "Humanists", which is founded by one of the leaders of Párbeszéd. That Green party has never polled above 1%, even though Budapest mayor comes from them. telex.hu/belfold/2025...

Reparation loan is still the most likely way to support Ukraine. As a side effect, Orbán might lose one of his options to blackmail the EU nepszava.hu/3300057_euro...

Hungarian and Spanish fighter jets are policing the Baltic airspace. They have to fly close to armed Russian planes too. I report from the NATO airbase next to Šiauliai, Lithuania #gripen #eurofighter #NATO #airforce nepszava.hu/3298729_nato...

The European Commission presented the new LGBTQI+ strategy. It remains unclear what will happen if a MS completely ignores it (looking at you, Hungary). @remybonny.bsky.social said "it's too little too late" nepszava.hu/3297298_euro...

My guest post on Chasing the Rainbow about Pécs Pride. Another banned Hungarian pride event, another record turnout chasingtherainbow.substack.com/p/pecs-pride...

Ilaria Salis's immunity was not waived. It was decided by ONE vote. She's the Italian MEP who was in a Hungarian prison before elected as to the EP, she was charged with three counts of attempted battery causing life-threatening bodily harm in the framework of a criminal organisation

HU will receive €163.5M from the frozen funds within 60 days. The cohesion mid-term review allowed them to regroup €545M to STEP priorities. While they are officially frozen, there is a 30% pre-financing in that envelope. nepszava.hu/3296226_befa...

HU can regroup €550m cohesion funds to new priorities, but there is still no cash to Hungary until they address the issues of freedom of universities. DG Regio said answering @danielfreund.bsky.social's question in the EP nepszava.hu/3295754_orba...

Dóra Dávid, Tisza/EPP MEP said that protecting our digital laws is the question of sovereignty. My background piece about DMA/DSA and Trump nepszava.hu/3295292_trum...

JURI Committee doesn't support lifting the immunity of Ilaria Salis & Péter Magyar & Klára Dobrev In case of Salis, it's against the suggestion of the rapporteur. Plenary votes in early October nepszava.hu/3295448_euro...

The European Commission denied that they would buy Orbán's vote by unfreezing some money. Spox said that whether the Commission approves HU's request to regroup a few hundred million € in the framework of cohesion mid-term review will be based on "objective criteria" nepszava.hu/3295372_euro...

The Commission presented its proposal for the 19th sanctions package against Russia. Now it's time for the MSs to adopt the proposal which includes LNG ban as of January 2027, listing of banks, refineries & vessels in RU, China and beyond nepszava.hu/3295093_oros...

Swedish EU minister: Viktor Orbán's video is a desperate distraction. nepszava.hu/3294693_sved...

EU Minister Bóka said that Hungary won't support any sanctions against Israel. HU wants to "maintain a constructive dialogue." "otherwise our word will not count"- he explained to Hungarian press after the General Affairs Council

Many are fed up with Serbia's authoritarian leadership in the EU, but without the EPP moving, nothing will change. I talked to @dobricaveselinovic.bsky.social and Ivan Djurić from @crta.bsky.social about Serbia- EU relations nepszava.hu/3294270_euro...

HU police banned the Pride in Pécs, which would take place in early October. The Commission said some empty words, but zero action nepszava.hu/3294126_euro...

Orbán shows full solidarity with Poland regarding """the drone incident""". He forgets to mention where these drones were coming from. 🧐 Meanwhile MFA Szijjártó is in Minsk today.

"Hungary understood the threat" said Commissioner Kubilius when presenting the allocations for SAFE instrument. up to €16.2bn can go for Hungary nepszava.hu/3293809_orba...

Hungary can receive up to €16.2bn loan from the SAFE programme, a common EU loan to boost defence spending. One of the biggest allocations, only PL & RO receive more,+ FR gets the same amount as Orbán. HU Parliament even adopted a resolution against a common loan in March, quite a change

I talked to Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin from @rusi.bsky.social about the Russian shadow fleet and the problem of flags of convenience nepszava.hu/3293375_harc...

HU sued the Council for giving financial support to Ukraine, but it seems their argument is on shaky legal grounds nepszava.hu/3293675_euro...

The mid-term review of the cohesion fund failed to close a loophole that could give Orbán access to hundreds of millions in otherwise frozen funds. Instead, Commissioner Fitto made a pinky promise that he cares about upholding the rule of law🤞 nepszava.hu/3293233_euro...

Every morning, 37-year-old journalist Mohamed Abu Shahma puts on his battered press jacket and leaves a note for his family — so they’ll know where to find his body if he doesn’t return. This is the life of a journalist in Gaza: www.occrp.org/en/feature/r...

I talked to @martinkonecny.bsky.social about the Israel- EU Association Agreement and the divided EU, which is unable to pressure the Israeli government ‪via its trade and research connections. nepszava.hu/3292930_mego...

@ec.europa.eu refutes the allegations of the Russian Foreign Service about von der Leyen's plot to overthrow Orbán's government. "I don’t even know why we are entertaining this discussion in this press room" nepszava.hu/3292178_euro...

Regrouping/reprogramming can allow HU to access up to €2bn from the frozen funds without reforms.The Commission is currently assessing a request of €605M. Cohesion policy mid-term review can widen or close this loophole. EP is stronger, Council is less so. nepszava.hu/3286755_unio...

Visit the @pridemuseumbxl.bsky.social in Brussels before 15th July or just read my article about @tabagari.bsky.social and his team. Because yes, there is a Pride Museum. And yes, they have a cool exhibit!🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ nepszava.hu/3286611_prid...

The only field where Hungary improved in the rule of law report concerns salaries of judges.That was achieved by the gov. blackmailing judges, they protested against it late last year. Checks and balances deteriorated, media freedom and anti-corruption stays, well, bad nepszava.hu/3286606_magy...

26 MSs didn't submit their national plan for the Social Climate Fund. Incl. HU, though they love talking about high energy prices. The fund would compensate the costs of the green transition for the most vulnerable. I talked to @tagliapietra.bsky.social about ETS2 nepszava.hu/3286055_klim...

Anyone who is against the 2040 climate targets should just hold a two-hour press conference outside during this heatwave, explaining why we have all the time in the world. #heatwave #climate #2040Target

The Hungarian government wants to sue the European Court of Justice, instead of complying with the ruling. @derminepaul.bsky.social explained why this might not work. The chance of winning such a case "is close to zero". Asking for compensation cannot annul a ruling nepszava.hu/3284406_orba...

Soviet tanks and satanists were also discussed on the EP debate about Budapest Pride. And many far right men talked (fantasised? 🤔) about drag queens. Other MEPs called the commission to do more to protect the rights of Hungarians nepszava.hu/3284110_buda...

It's official. The City of Budapest will organise the Budapest Pride March. As an event organised by a municipality, it doesn't require any police approval. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️See you all in Budapest on 28 June 444.hu/2025/06/16/k...

Happy first birthday to the court ruling which makes Hungary pay €1M every single day bc the gov decided not to implement a previous ruling about migration. Meanwhile the gov says they will "sue the Court asking for compensation", but no one knows what that means nepszava.hu/3283423_orba...

We all wondered why on Earth Orbán endorsed Simion, who started his career with anti-Hungarian actions... Válaszonline had some sources saying it was a request from Meloni, Chega and even Maga circles www.valaszonline.hu/2025/06/06/o...

"It's hard to imagine a more serious disagreement" said Renáta Uitz researcher of CEU and ‪@royalholloway.bsky.social who explained the significance of the advocate general's opinion regarding Hu's homophobic "child protection" law‬ nepszava.hu/3282628_gyer...

Advocate general opinion on HU's homophobe law: "Hungary... has negated several of those fundamental values and, thus, has significantly deviated from the model of a constitutional democracy, reflected in Article 2 TEU. "🙌 curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/p1...

THIS IS HUGE! In COM v HU (child protection/homophobe law), the Advocate General asks the Court to establish a self-standing violation of Art 2 TEU. This is unprecedented and is likely to create a new chapter in the saga of Hungary's systemic violations of the rule of law/fundamental rights.

Official: Hungarian parliament will not vote on the so-called Transparency law before the summer break telex.hu/belfold/2025...

The head of the Fidesz Parliamentary group "does not rule out" delay in voting for the russian style censorship law. Apparently they got "substantive comments worth considering" from BAR association, banks and advertisers' association 444.hu/2025/06/04/k...

HU police officially banned Budapest pride. In the official annex they attach photos of previous pride marches with drag queens and men kissing🤦‍♂️ www.police.hu/sites/defaul...

The Hungarian government wants to silence all independent voices. Once the russian style law takes effect, blacklisted organisations will have an incredibly hard time. Here's a list of organisations that are being targeted. Please consider supporting them docs.google.com/document/d/1...

The @ec.europa.eu says they're ready to use all tools to protect Hungarian media, NGOs & the Pride, but even if they acted now, it might be too late. Interim measures take time, new infringement takes...forever I talked to @petrabard.bsky.social about the situation nepszava.hu/3281667_euro...

NEW: 60 MEPs from five political groups say the Commission must be "visibly present" at Budapest Pride Say VdL's 'do not travel' advice shows "weakness and a lack of solidarity" with Europe's LGBTQ community The latest fallout from @thomasmangin.bsky.social's stellar reporting for @euractiv.com

The new Russian-style draft law attacking Hungarian media & civil society abuses anti-money laundering rules and principles. Nigeria and Russia has been suspended from international cooperation when their financial intelligence unit (FIU) was used for political purposes nepszava.hu/3281339_penz...

nepszava.hu/3281376_eu-e... Some MSs are losing patience, but not enough to move forward with the Article 7 procedure. @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social sends supporting message to Hungarian NGOs, """closely following""" the situation but not ready to act either

The Commission is examining every possible option against Hungary, including interim measures. A protest is "not a threat to children" said @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social. as HU police already banned a protest planned for this Sunday nepszava.hu/3281281_prid...

Hungary was the only MS abstaining on the vote about the SAFE proposal. Hungarian Parliament even adopted a resolution in March to oppose "EU loan for defence" nepszava.hu/3281292_euro...

The Commission would not attend a banned Budapest Pride. Euractiv also reports that @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu asked Commissioners not to go to the Pride, which might face a ban, not to "provoke Orbán" nepszava.hu/3281192_buda...