Hungarys

A high-stakes push by European Union leaders at a Brussels summit fell short, leaving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s veto on a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine firmly in place, officials said. "They tried. They failed," one European official said of the efforts by other EU leaders to convince Mr Orban at a summit in Brussels. The loan was signed off by EU leaders in December, but Mr Orban — who keeps cordial ties with Russia and has clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — has stalled its rollout, citing…

Hungary’s opposition leader Peter Magyar vowed at a Budapest rally to end corruption, restore civil liberties and revive a stalled economy, sharpening his challenge to Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of the April 12 parliamentary election. Magyar, head of the Tisza party, has emerged as the most potent threat to Orban since the nationalist leader returned to power in 2010. Tisza has led Orban’s Fidesz party in opinion polls for months, turning the race into the most competitive contest in more than a decade. “Not only has…

This morning, prominent European Union officials launched a fierce critique of Hungary's Viktor Orban, denouncing his erosion of democratic principles and his pro-Russian stance regarding the Ukraine crisis. Orban’s address in the European Parliament took center stage, prompting sharp responses from across the political spectrum. As Vladimir Putin’s staunchest ally in the EU, Orban’s regime remains at odds with fellow member states on several pressing matters—ranging from delaying assistance for Ukraine to undermining the…