The Big Scheme – the Hungarian National Bank scandal and the Matolcsy Clan's Rise to Wealth

Telex’s documentary shows how public funds were used for the enrichment of the circles close to György Matolcsy’s family while he served as governor of the country‘s top financial institution.

#videó #english

I've had a wonderful year and a half – former justice minister Judit Varga says

Former Justice Minister Judit Varga appeared in public for the first time since she resigned after the clemency scandal, to testify in the Schadl–Völner trial. We asked her about her ex husband, Péter Magyar, and her involvement in the clemency scandal.

#english #judit varga #peter magyar #clemency scandal #schadl völner #justice minister #schadl–völner trial

Ukraine summons Hungarian ambassador

They are not pleased that the Hungarian government has been portraying Ukraine as an enemy in its domestic communications.

#english #hungarian ambassador #ukrainian relations #government portrayal #domestic communications

EU taxpayers may have supported 13 leading oligarchs of Orbán regime with up to EUR 5.5 billion

According to the analysis of the Corruption Research Center, business circles close to the government skimmed an even bigger portion from Hungarian public tenders than they did from EU bids.

#english #hungarian public #orbán regime #eu taxpayers #corruption research

US Chargé d'Affaires: This is a new chapter in US-Hungarian relations

Robert Palladino stressed that the era of public scoldings and moralising from podiums was over. The diplomat took over from the previous ambassador, David Pressman, who had been appointed by the Biden administration.

#english #diplomatic relations #biden administration #robert palladino #us-hungarian relations

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry: The Hungarian government is drawing cartoons of Zelensky instead of explaining how they ruined the economy

The Ukrainian government reacted to a recent billboard and video campaign depicting Volodymyr Zelensky and Péter Magyar as two newly hatched chicks.

#english #hungarian government #ukrainian government #zelensky caricatures #economic issues #ukrainian foreign ministry #zelensky caricature #billboard campaign

Nearly two-thirds of population believes Hungary would no longer be democracy if transparency law were passed, survey finds

Even among Fidesz-KDNP voters, seventeen percent agreed that the real objective with the bill was to muzzle the voices critical of the government.

#english #fidesz-kdnp #transparency law #hungary democracy #government criticism

Arte: What should Europe do about Shein and Temu?

Chinese e-commerce platforms have taken Europe by storm in the last few years, offering a huge range of products at very low prices.

#arte #english #e-commerce #shein temu #chinese platforms

If this was the master plan, then Orbán even deceived his own

There are multiple flaws in Fidesz's narrative that the record-breaking attendance of Budapest Pride was actually part of Orbán's master plan, and that the unsuspecting masses walked into a brilliantly set trap.

#english #budapest pride #orbán's plan #fidesz narrative #political deception

Despite ban, Budapest Pride bigger than ever

Prime Minister Orbán said that "this was not pride, but shame", while the mayor of Budapest said that the event showed what Hungary would be like if Fidesz was not in charge: it would be "a community that cares for and supports each other and exhibits solidarity”.

#english #budapest pride #community support #fidesz government #solidarity event

One-third of voters cast their votes in the government's advisory poll, 95 per cent against Ukraine's EU accession

Orbán summed up his performance at the EU summit by saying that today's was the worst job ever, as he sought to justify his policy of rejecting Ukraine's membership, armed with the results of his public consultation on Ukraine, which he called a “public opinion vote”.

#english #eu accession #public consultation #voter turnout #orbán performance

Arte: Should we ban social media for children?

Studies have shown a link between extreme social media use and poor mental health. Now some EU countries are proposing a total ban for under 15s.

#arte #english #social media #mental health #eu countries

Transparency bill may not go before parliament, state secretary says

Levente Magyar told Reuters that there has been a lot of internal debate and tension over the bill, so it is by no means certain that it will ever be brought up again.

#english #state secretary #transparency bill #internal debate #parliament tension

Tisza ahead of Fidesz by 15 percentage points among decided voters, poll shows

Monthly polls have consistently been showing the strengthening of Hungary's biggest opposition party.

#fidesz #tisza #english #hungary #opposition party

EU launches infringement proceedings against Hungary over price margin restrictions

Additionally, the proceedings concerning the retail sales tax and the Hungarian government's failure to transpose the provisions of the Child Sexual Abuse Directive have moved into the second phase.

#english #price margin #infringement proceedings #retail sales #child sexual abuse

Budapest receives judicial protection, avoids bankruptcy for now

The court ruled that the 10.2 billion forints previously collected from the capital's account by the State Treasury must be returned to the city, as the withdrawal of these funds would render the capital unable to perform its tasks.

#english #judicial protection #budapest bankruptcy #state treasury #funds return

Sir Minister, please, come down here and see what poverty is

She would definitely bring the high-ups down to the Roma settlement in Monor so they wouldn't just preach from their plush chairs, Jolika Oláh, one of the main characters in Bálint Kenyeres' short film No. 3 (The Spectacle), which was featured at Cannes, told us. We spoke with the director and his amateur actress, who also had a message for Viktor Orbán.

#english #viktor orbán #poverty #short film #roma settlement

Telex most popular Hungarian news website, Reuters Institute survey finds

Another important insight from the annual report of the research institute at Oxford University is that the already low level of trust in public media in Hungary has fallen sharply over the past year.

#english #telex #public media #hungarian news #trust level

Arte: Is Europe pivoting on Israel?

But is this a meaningful turning point, or just too little, too late?

#arte #english #europe #israel #turning point

EU demands Hungary repay millions of euros in subsidies for purchasing Microsoft software

There were irregularities in the way government agencies obtained Microsoft licenses subsidized by the EU, but Hungarian investigators aren't rushing to get to the bottom of it.

#english #eu subsidies #microsoft software #hungarian investigators #government irregularities

They announced the end of the special legal order five years ago, but it's now been in place for 1,700 days

In 2020, the Hungarian government proudly announced that they were the first in Europe to lift the emergency measures. Four months later, they introduced them again, and they've been governing the country by decrees ever since.

#english #hungarian government #special legal order #emergency measures #governing decrees

Pro-Orbán propagandist’s ties to Russian intelligence exposed during national security screening

Georg Spöttle, a regular presence in pro-Orbán media, has come under scrutiny after one of his close acquaintances failed a background check—triggered by concerns over Spöttle’s Russian connections. Information obtained by Direkt36 reveals that Spöttle had a close relationship with an officer from the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.

#english #direkt36 #orbán media #russian intelligence #background check

Hungarian economy in horse-drawn carriage while others driving in cars

The numerous concerns from this year's country report on Hungary were discussed at the conference on the EU's annual economic recommendations, held in Budapest.

#english #hungarian economy #horse-drawn carriage #eu conference #economic recommendations

Arte: The deadly cost of Dieselgate – 10 years on from the scandal

To this day, millions of highly polluting diesel cars remain on EU roads, and a new report has found that 124,000 people have died as a result.

#arte #english #volkswagen #diesel scandal #polluting cars

Biologists at Hungarian Academy of Sciences say it is not true that “a person is either male or female”

The academics' statement was issued in response to a recent amendment to Hungary's Fundamental Law.

#english #fundamental law #hungarian academy #biologists #gender identity

Hungarian parliament adopts law on suspending citizenship on grounds of being a threat to public order or national security

The new law may also affect Hungarian-American businessman George Soros, who is a dual citizen – at least that's what Minister Gergely Gulyás previously hinted at.

#english #hungarian parliament #national security #dual citizenship #public order

"This system presents itself as strong, but it's made of toilet paper"

Although the vote on the transparency bill was postponed, the demonstration planned for the day of the vote was held as scheduled. Several well-known public figures spoke at the event, with the main organizer, Róbert Puzsér saying that the national disaster of Hungary's annexation to the East must be prevented.

#english #transparency bill #public demonstration #róbert puzsér #national disaster