Domestic

Government

Electronic payment option mandatory from January

From January, with some exceptions, merchants will be obliged to offer electronic payments, which may also be effective against the...

Government

Hungary defense spending to reach 1.66% of GDP in 2021

Hungary has allocated HUF 778 billion for defense spending next year, equivalent to 1.66% of GDP, Defense Minister Tibor Benkő...

Government

Parliament approves 2021 budget

Lawmakers approved the governmentʼs 2021 budget today, with a vote of 133 for, 61 against and, 0 abstentions, according to...

Government

Poland plans presidential election on June 28, says PM

The Polish government plans to hold presidential elections on June 28 as a later date is precluded due to the...

Government

Croatia to hold regular general elections on July 5

Croatian President Zoran Milanović has decided to call a general parliamentary election for July 5. Croatian citizens living abroad will...

Government

Poland plans presidential election with mix of postal, in-person voting

Poland’s ruling conservatives have unveiled plans to hold the country’s presidential election with a mix of postal ballot and traditional...

Government

Hungary ʼnot a democracy anymoreʼ, Freedom House claims

In the latest edition of its "Nations in Transit" report, NGO Freedom House claims that Hungary should not be considered...

Government

Tusk wants to expel Fidesz from EPP until end of 2020

Donald Tusk, the leader of the European Peopleʼs Party (EPP), wants to expel Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbánʼs party Fidesz...

Government

‘Partly Free’ – Freedom House downgrades Hungary

According to “Freedom in the World 2019,” the latest annual survey issued by U.S.-based, government-funded watchdog Freedom House, Hungary is...

Government

Coronavirus law giving govʼt extraordinary powers passes

MPs on Monday approved legislation that extends a state of emergency and gives the government extraordinary powers to enact measures...

Government

Central European Media: A Struggle to Shake off old Habits in the Digital Age

Fake news websites, nefarious chain mails, declining press freedom, polarized readers: Central Europe has experienced them all in the past...

Government

Democracy in CEE is under threat from illiberal populists, Freedom House

Democracy and pluralism are under assault around the world, with authoritarianism and illiberal populism remaining key challenges to overcome in...

Government

Romania’s president appoints finance minister to form new government

Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said late on February 26 he has tasked interim Finance Minister Florin Citu with forming a...

Domestic

Hungarian Mother Gets Suspended Sentence for Hiding Daughter From Italian Father

A Hungarian woman who hid her daughter from the girl’s Italian father for more than a decade has received a...

Hungary’s 2027 Budget Combines Tax Relief, Spending Rises and Cost Cuts

Hungary’s 2027 budget will prioritize “fairness” and “development” through tax relief, higher public sector wages and EU-funded investments, Finance Minister...

Former Hungarian Central Bank Governor György Matolcsy Taken Into Custody

Former MNB Governor György Matolcsy was taken into custody this morning. His lawyer said he is suspected of economic fraud...

Hungary Plans 9% Income Tax for Minimum Wage Earners in 2027 Budget

Hungary is set to cut the personal income tax (PIT) rate for minimum wage earners from 15% to 9% next...

British Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Drug Trafficking in Hungary

The Tatabánya Regional Court in Hungary sentenced a British man to nine years in prison for drug trafficking Friday and...

Two Men Detained in Budapest Over Alleged Drug Smuggling From the Netherlands

Police detained two Hungarian men suspected of bringing drugs into Hungary by train from the Netherlands, the National Bureau of...

Péter Magyar Seeks EU Funding for Hungary’s Border Fence and Protection

Hungary will seek dedicated EU funding to strengthen its border fence and border protection during negotiations on the bloc’s next...

Court Upholds Detention of Former Hungarian Minister Hankó in HUF 17 bln Grant Case

The Kecskemét Regional Court has upheld the pretrial detention of former Culture and Innovation Minister Balázs Hankó and former State...

Hungarian Mother Gets Suspended Sentence for Hiding Daughter From Italian Father

A Hungarian woman who hid her daughter from the girl’s Italian father for more than a decade has received a...

Hungary Grants Temporary Diesel Tax Relief to Freight Operators

Hungary will provide temporary diesel excise tax relief of HUF 25 per liter for trucks weighing more than 7.5 metric...

Orbán Urged to Clarify Whether He Ordered Ukrainian Cash and Gold Convoy Stop

Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi has called on former PM Viktor Orbán to clarify whether he ordered Hungarian authorities to stop...

Romanian National Charged With Forcing Hungarian Man Into Servitude

A Romanian man has been charged with forcing a Hungarian man into servitude through violence and threats, the Pest County...

Hungary Targets HUF 800 bln With Wealth Tax on Billionaires

Hungary’s gov't has decided on the details of a wealth tax due to take effect in 2027, an expansion of...

Parties Split Over Security Implications of Szijjártó’s BYD Role

Fidesz and Tisza lawmakers offered contrasting assessments of former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s employment with BYD after a closed-door parliamentary...

Court Orders Detention of Former Hungarian Culture Minister Hankó

A judge at the Kecskemét District Court has ordered the detention of former Culture and Innovation Minister Balázs Hankó for...

Magyar Says Anti-Corruption Drive Has Reached Top ‘Fidesz Mafia’ Circles

Prime Minister Péter Magyar called former minister Miklós Seszták’s arrest a milestone in Operation Cleansing Fire, saying the anti-corruption drive...