Hungary created a special authority to protect EU funds, now this Integrity Authority is a crucial point in the negotiations between the Commission and the government nepszava.hu/3323796_unio...

I talked to @eulaliarubio.bsky.social about RRF and how other countries struggle to use all funds, whereas Hungary will only have a few months to finalise everything nepszava.hu/3321888_nem-...

There is a temptation to go beyond rule of law questions when it comes to releasing the frozen EU funds for Hungary @ericmaurice.bsky.social of @epc-official.bsky.social told me in an interview nepszava.hu/3320774_magy...

A Member State coordinating with Russia is "actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and all its citizens" said the European Commission reacting to the latest revelations about the Lavrov-Szijjártó connections nepszava.hu/3318171_szij...

Péter Magyar promises to unfreeze the blocked EU funds. But it won't be easy. I talked to @ericmaurice.bsky.social and @juliapocze.bsky.social for @contexte.com about the future www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...

On Szijjártó: The @consilium.europa.eu confirmed that Council meetings are covered by the obligation of professional secrecy. Officials are required, even after their duties have ceased, not to disclose information covered by the obligation of professional secrecy. nepszava.hu/3316617_eu-t...

Many are frustrated with Orbán blocking the EU's help for Ukraine. @terryreintke.bsky.social calls for sanctions against Hungary and using the Article 7 procedure nepszava.hu/3316057_orba...

The Commission offers help to repair the Druzhba pipeline. Orbán keeps up his veto so far. nepszava.hu/3315716_orba...

The Rapid Response System was activated by platforms and civil society to help defend the online space from illegal campaign activities, such as disinformation campaigns and illegal political advertisements. nepszava.hu/3315545_gyor...

Hungary is already complaining that there's no decision on the SAFE loan. 16 out of the 19 MSs are on track to get the loan to boost their defence industries nepszava.hu/3315069_safe...

What does Visegrád cooperation mean today? Does it still matter? Or is there an illiberal V3 emerging? I wrote about these questions for @contexte.com www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...

Orbán sent a new letter to Costa: He wants a fact finding mission to Druzhba pipeline and will accept the findings This can be the first step to withdraw his veto of the €90bn help for Ukraine. "My initiative also aims at facilitating the timely resolution of the issue" nepszava.hu/3313328_bara...

In Kyiv @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu & @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu promised to help Ukraine, the EU'll find a way, even if Hungary broke its promise and now blocks the €90bn loan nepszava.hu/3313096_ukra...

Member States're reluctant to go forward with ETS2, even if this might undermine EU's climate goals. I talked to Energiaklub and @phuc-vinh.bsky.social of @delorsinstitute.bsky.social nepszava.hu/3311806_elha...

@piotrserafin.bsky.social said in the EP CONT/BUDG meeting that audit and control mechanisms and procurement rules will be part of the evaluation of the Hungarian safe plan nepszava.hu/3309635_safe...

Tisza party announced their future minister of foreign affairs: Anita Orbán (yes, common name).After her PhD in the US she wrote a book (2008) "Power, Energy& the New Russian Imperialism". Worked (early 2010s) to diversify energy supply in gov, then corporate leadership jobs 444.hu/2026/01/24/m...

Corrosive capital is not business as usual, but not corruption either. Explains @tenaprelec.bsky.social to Népszava. @carnegieeurope.bsky.social study examines some typical projects from the Western Balkans nepszava.hu/3308849_korr...

Hungarian opposition party is going against the EPP majority, Péter Magyar is against Mercosur, he says to protect farmers nepszava.hu/3308937_euro...

Péter Magyar, the leader of HU opposition (in EPP) says that Tisza party is against the Mercosur deal, they will vote against the EPP group line. Magyar is having a press conference together with farmers in Strasbourg, some of them are Tisza candidates for April elections

Orbán talks about the reparation loan as if it was already off the table. The reality is different. nepszava.hu/3305488_euro...

Due to the N+2 rule HU is losing around €1bn from the frozen cohesion funds at the end of the year, as the gov has failed to address the EC's concerns nepszava.hu/3305205_400-...

HU rewrites its RRF plan. €4bn would go for capital injection to the HU Development Bank. Education, transport, energy& social projects would be scrapped. However, HU first needs to fulfil the anti-corruption/transparency super milestones & now there's no change in sight nepszava.hu/3304441_hely...

Orbán: we will not implement the migration pact @magnusbrunner.bsky.social: Yes, you will I also talked to @cartasilvia.bsky.social of @picumofficial.bsky.social about the new EU rules on migration and what it means nepszava.hu/3304321_euro...

The @ec.europa.eu presented its 2 plans to support Ukraine. Opening up the MFF is impossible due to Hungary, and the reparation loan guarantees don't seem to satisfy Belgium's concerns nepszava.hu/3303782_euro...

SAFE loan pre-financing and project announcements can come in Q1 2026, ahead of Hungary's election. HU is eligible for up to €16.2bn with almost no strings attached. No super milestones, just common procurement rules nepszava.hu/3303540_euro...

The EP adopted its report on the rule of law situation in Hungary. @tinekestrik.bsky.social rapporteur said that Council inaction emboldening autocrats nepszava.hu/3302775_euro...

CEO of @anticorruption.bsky.social @mairamartini.bsky.social told me how to improve incentives for law enforcement and how shrinking civic space threatens anti-corruption work. Read my interview 👇 nepszava.hu/3302338_mair...

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...