EUobserver monitors Hungary’s 2026 elections, analyzing Viktor Orbán, Fidesz, and the opposition landscape. Our reporting covers rule of law challenges, EU funding disputes, and the impact of Hungarian politics on European Union stability.
The announcement on Friday follows the publication of reports that attempt to decrypt rule-of-law issues in each of the 27 member states. It will include a boost to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The Tisza government is poised to topple Orbán-era power brokers but a messy battle over Hungary’s presidency now risks dragging the Constitutional Court into a full-blown legitimacy crisis.
From Trojan Horse in Brussels to executive for China’s BYD – Hungary’s Szijjártó makes classic ‘revolving doors’ moveWith Chinese electric car giant BYD already under fire over allegations of forced labour and huge state subsidy that is destroying Europe’s domestic car industry, Hungarian former foreign minister Péter Szijjártó’s latest move exposes just how easily powerful insiders can cross the line between public office and private corporate interests.
Extending the EU’s recovery and resilience funds (RRF) would add flexibility to the 2028–2034 EU budget negotiations, raise the chances of agreement before year’s end, and preserve EU leverage over reforms in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania at a sensitive moment.
As Brussels welcomes Magyar’s moves on Ukraine aid and frozen EU funds, the real battle is shifting to whether he can lock in rule-of-law reforms before entrenched Orbán loyalists regroup. Is the new prime minister delivering on his promises?
A sudden blackout of Hungary’s main state TV channel, mass sackings of loyalist editors and an emergency legal overhaul reveal how fast Viktor Orbán’s propaganda and power network is being dismantled.
With hundreds of pro-Fidesz journalists laid off and state propaganda cash drying up, Hungarians could soon see a radically different media landscape—if independent outlets survive the coming financial squeeze.
In a political week that saw a Budapest Pride march without bans, a speaker cutting off her own prime minister mid-rant and Fidesz influencers mocked over air-con memes, the real drama is whether a single botched raid on a cash truck could finally topple Viktor Orbán’s myth of untouchability.
Bulgaria’s threat to block the bloc’s 21st Russia sanctions package shows that the Union’s weakness was never Viktor Orbán alone. It is a rule under which one capital’s refusal binds the other 26 and owes them no reason.
As Peter Magyar rams through his ‘Purgatory’ reforms to sideline Orbán’s old guard, he has also triggered warnings against his bid to eject the president.
Large trucks equipped with biometric cameras were stationed around last year’s Budapest Pride march to discourage participation. The objective was not only punishment, but deterrence. Despite the new government, this logic remains embedded in Hungarian law today.
Among many other changes, Hungarians are about to find out which newsrooms can actually survive without state money – as a massive change within the public broadcast system is now underway.
Hungary’s new anti-corruption drive could not only unfreeze billions in EU funds but also expose how much public money was funnelled into loyalist foundations, private equity funds and friendly business empires over the past decade.
Hungary remains the only EU country whose plan for SAFE rearmament loans hasn’t been approved. The new government now faces a mountain of challenges to access the €16bn, crucial for its armed forces.
As Péter Magyar distances himself from Orbán’s hard line by backing Ukraine’s EU bid and courting Western leaders, he is betting that minority guarantees and a softer tone can restore Hungary’s clout in the EU’s power game.
The European Commission is ready to unlock €10bn of funds for Hungary. But the country must meet deadlines that are closing in fast, and any funds are unlikely to be released until the end of this year. With a looming 31 August deadline, Hungary essentially has only shot to get everything right.
Hungary’s new prime minister is halving the job’s sky-high pay, pushing quasi-judicial inquiry committees and racing to clinch an EU cash deal – all while discovering he is no longer even his own party’s most popular face.
Péter Magyar is hoping to unblock over €10.4bn in frozen EU post-pandemic Covid funds following a planned meeting on Friday with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar is expected in Brussels this week, seeking to reach an agreement with the EU Commission on unlocking €10.4bn in frozen funds. To achieve that, Magyar needs to present reforms that are acceptable to the EU. What would these reforms mean for Hungarians?
THIS WEEK: Magyar heads to Brussels to unlock Hungary’s frozen EU recovery money by 31 August Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is expected in Brussels to negotiate the release of €10.4bn in frozen EU recovery funds. In Cyprus, foreign affairs ministers meet informally to discuss Iran and Russia. A new strategy on humanitarian aid will be unveiled by the EU Commission on Wednesday.
