Hungary
China
Xi challenges a divided Europe
After the May 5-9 visit of President Xi Jinping to Europe most of the political analysts in Brussels who argued that the Chinese President's...
Democracy & Human Rights
Intellexa Commercial Spyware Consortium sanctioned
The U.S. Government announced on March 5 a new set of sanctions on the members of the Intellexa Commercial Spyware Consortium based across Europe....
Hungary
No money for thieves
For the governments of Hungary and Poland, it was a slap in the face. On February 16, the European Court of Justice rejected the...
Austria
A growing number of politicians run afoul of strict COVID regulations
The pandemic is claiming more and more victims among politicians, not by getting infected, but by coming into conflict with the strict rules to...
Energy
First plant in Europe to produce copper foil for EV batteries gets EBRD funding
Eager to reduce Europe's reliance on China for materials for batteries, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on January 10 the...
Belgium
Hungarian aid to Volta Energy Solutions’ battery copper foil plant gets EU nod
Hungary's €24 million investment aid to Volta Energy Solutions for the extension of a battery copper foil plant in the Hungarian region of Kozep-Dunantul...
Archive
EBRD facilitates renewable energy investment in Central and Eastern Europe
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the transition of Photon Energy NV (Photon Energy), a renewable energy developer and independent...
Afghanistan
Enough of the Durban depravity
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the so-called “World Conference Against Racism”, otherwise known as Durban I. The 2001 conference was to be...
Archive
Ukraine’s president is using the ‘Kremlin excuse’ to ban media that doesn’t always agree with him
On the eve of his meeting with US President Joe Biden on September 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pulled the plug on the opposition...
Analysis
Is the EU learning any lessons from the pandemic?
The European Union - a powerful force for good or a self-serving bureaucratic oligarchy? Whatever your view, the EU is certainly a catalyst for...
Analysis
If Europe is serious about fighting antisemitism, it must skip Durban 20
Countries are lining up to declare they will not attend the20th anniversary of the UN’s notorious 2001 World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban,...
Afghanistan
Making sense of the Italy-UAE rift
Earlier this month the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered the withdrawal of all Italian aircraft and personnel from its Al Minhad Air Force Base...
Archive
Hungary’s MOL Group to acquire OMV Slovenia
Austrian energy major OMV and Hungary’s MOL Group have announced the agreement for MOL Group to acquire OMV Slovenia.According to OMV, the agreement encompasses...
Archive
Sanctions have to hurt
Can the EU topple Alexander Lukashenko, the dictator of Belarus, with new sanctions? Probably not, but after the forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978,...
Archive
European weakness and the rise of authoritarians
A diverted plane is nothing new, bomb threats may be rare but are no longer a novelty, but an armed interceptor fighter jet “escorting”...
Albania
Ukraine’s chances to join NATO are slim to none, despite Zelensky’s claims
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict was once again back in the headlines in April when people across the world followed massive troop build-ups in and around...
Analysis
The soft power of big business in a former Soviet republic
The increasing isolation of Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko’s regime on the international stage raises important questions about the future of the country’s economy. As...
Afghanistan
With GSP+ beneficiary status, Uzbekistan takes major step towards closer relations with Europe
A decision by the European Union to include Uzbekistan as the ninth beneficiary of its Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance,...
Archive
INTERVIEW with Matteo Salvini: The European Union needs to reinvent itself and find a new soul
On two separate occasions prior to the Easter holiday, New Europe had the opportunity to meet with Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy's Lega...
Archive
Hungary approves two more vaccines not authorised by EU regulator
Hungary has issued initial approval to two more COVID-19 vaccines not authorised by Europe's medicines regulator, the country's officials said on Monday.The Hungarian medicines...
Archive
Brussels warns six EU countries against travel restrictions
Ιn a letter sent to Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary and Sweden, the European Commission has urged the countries to respect the travel restrictions...
Austria
Troubled anniversary
The Visegrad 4 of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland has been a tremendous success. Together we joined the EU and NATO bringing...
Archive
Hungary greenlights Sputnik V vaccine
Hungary's National Center for Public Health on Sunday greenlighted the Russian-produced Coronavirus vaccine, namely Sputnik V, for use in the country.Hungarian Human Resources Minister Kasler...
Archive
Frontex suspends operations in Hungary over human rights abuses
Europe's Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) announced on Wednesday it had suspended all operations in Hungary over the government's treatment of asylum seekers. The...
Archive
Sanofi to help produce over 125 million doses of Pfizer COVID vaccine
French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has signed an agreement with US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech to help produce more than 125 million...
Archive
Hungary approves Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine
Hungary has become the first country in the European Union to give preliminary approval to the Russian coronavirus vaccine "Sputnik V", in a bid...
Archive
Senior Orban aide says Hungary will not use Russia’s Sputnik vaccine
A senior aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said the country will not use Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine, and will focus on the...
Archive
Europe turns the tables on Russian gas
As we move into 2021, Southeast Europe’s concern about security and diversity of energy supply and over-reliance on Russia gas is now history, a...
Albania
The Bulgarian hammer comes down
Firmly refusing to approve the negotiating framework for the “Intergovernmental Conference” required to launch North Macedonia’s EU accession process, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva...
Albania
Varhelyi refocuses on enlargement for Southeast Europe
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi visited North Macedonia and Albania on October 6-7, meeting leaders in both countries as well as addressing parliaments....
Armenia
Elections in Nagorno-Karabakh don't dismiss democracy
Normally, a free and fair election is a welcome exercise of democracy and freedom. But in the case of the unrecognised Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh,...
Archive
Centre-right leaders urge Tusk to expel Orbán's Fidesz from EPP
In a letter sent to Donald Tusk, thirteen leaders of Europe's centre-right parties asked the European People's Party (EPP) chief to expel Viktor Orbán's...
Archive
Sassoli wants Commission to ensure that Hungary's new law complies with EU treaty
European Parliament President David Sassoli asked the European Commission to assess whether the new laws introduced in Hungary comply with the Treaty on the...
Analysis
Europe's masked corona ball
Response from the Cabinet of Commissioner Lenarčič:
At the end of January, as the outbreak intensified in Wuhan coronavirus epicentre, President von der Leyen triggered...
Archive
CoE head warns Orban about democratic principles of Hungary's emergency measures
In a letter sent on Tuesday to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, has...
Archive
Hungary to consider bill that would allow Orbán to rule by decree
The Hungarian parliament is due to consider a draft law that would give Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán extraordinary powers to rule by decree...
Asia & Pacific
The Coronavirus II
This article originally referred to the Coronavirus Covid-19 as Chinese Flu, not as a political statement but as a geographic indication of origin. The...
Archive
Hungary broke EU rules with education law, court says
Hungary’s conservative government is breaking EU law with rules that led to the closure of a liberal university founded by billionaire George Soros, an...
Archive
Hungary's Orbán questions EPP ideology and leader
Viktor Orbán, Hungary's Prime Minister, in a memorandum sent to European People's Party (EPP) leadership called for an internal debate on the future mission...
Archive
Cyprus, Portugal among states rebuked by EU over delays in money-laundering reforms
Legal warnings have been sent to Cyprus, Portugal, the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain over delays in turning anti-money laundering rules into national laws, the...
Archive
EPP extends suspension of Hungary’s Fidesz
The leaders of the European People's Party (EPP) agreed on Monday with EPP President Donald Tusk’s decision to extend the suspension of the Hungarian...
Archive
Putin, Erdogan launch TurkStream to Turkey, Southern Europe
Russia and Turkey launched the TurkStream gas pipeline on 8 January in a ceremony attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip...
Albania
Tusk makes final push in support of Western Balkans enlargement
Outgoing European Council President Donald Tusk devoted his time on 16 September to make a final push in support of the EU accession aspirations...
Analysis
The mother of all hearings
As soon as the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, revealed on 10 September that Hungary’s former Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi...
Analysis
Hungary grants former Macedonia/FYROM PM Gruevski asylum
The flight of former Macedonia/FYROM Prime Minister Hungary Nikola Gruevski to Hungary took on wider implications as Budapest reportedly granted Gruevski’s asylum request. In...
Albania
FYROM's nationalist former prime minister on the run
By far the most interesting development related to the Name Dispute between Greece and Macedonia/FYROM this week was the departure in stealth mode of...
Archive
Merkel’s new coalition likely won’t sideline Nord Stream-2
Despite the outcome of the hard political negotiations to form a coalition government following the re-election of Germany’s Angela Merkel to a fourth-term in...
Archive
Gazprom and the European Commission: What’s next?
After lengthy negotiations, the European Commission and Russian gas monopoly Gazprom have agreed on a list of commitments, which the Commission expects will most...
Albania
And The Azeri Gas Goes To… The Envelope, Please!
ANAVYSSOS, Greece – After intense preparation, Nabucco West and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) are waiting for Azerbaijan to announce its decision about the pipeline...