“The Prime Minister is helping to save the club,” ran the headline of Viktor Orbán’s favorite state-run sports daily the other day. I had to glance at it twice to ensure we had not returned to the 1950s when Communist Party leaders and commissars made every sports decision. Well, the only real difference is that during the 50s, Hungarian football was really at its peak.
The much-anticipated debate in the European Parliament took place yesterday. It offered an opportunity for everyone to voice their own narrative, to offer ideas, a vision, and perhaps a solution for Europe. Unfortunately, no one took this opportunity.
In late March, the Hungarian parliament ratified Finland’s NATO membership, which led to joining it as a member a week later. At the time, some Hungarian officials “spent months telling counterparts that they had no objections, and their parliament was simply busy with other business,” as reported by Politico. “Budapest changed its narrative… with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán… arguing the point that some of his legislators had qualms regarding criticism of the state of Hungarian democracy.” While taking longer than perhaps hoped, the Hungarian parliament ultimately voted to ratify it by a margin of 182 to 6 on March 27.
The past three months have seen a surge in legislation regarding the Chinese app TikTok, mainly for security reasons; that is, the app is partly owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Starting with the United States and continuing with Canada, the European Union finally realized the apparent cybersecurity threat. From March 20, the Chinese app has been suspended from all corporate devices of the EU’s leading institutions.
The past three months have seen a surge in legislation regarding the Chinese app TikTok, mainly for security reasons; that is, the app is partly owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Starting with the United States and continuing with Canada, the European Union finally realized the apparent cybersecurity threat. From March 20, the Chinese app has been suspended from all corporate devices of the EU’s leading institutions.
CEA Talks host Zoltán Kész interviews the ambassador of the Netherlands to Hungary, Désirée Bonis. The topics include the two countries’ business, cultural and historical connections, and some politics. Ms Bonis talks about the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland and how she imagines the war ending. From the EU point of view, corruption is a big problem in Hungary, and populism is threatening democracy worldwide. But after all, the EU is still a unique society of liberty and freedom, which we should all be proud of.
Author: Zoltán Kész Not a day goes by without someone asking the legitimate question about the legacy of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution which was brutally put down by the Soviets and present-day Hungary. How is it possible that a country that suffered so much under the yoke of communist Soviet Union has become the biggest […]
Central European Affairs Magazine
All rights reserved © 2026 Central European Affairs Magazine