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☆ As Greece Votes, Leader Says Blocking Migrants Built ‘Good Will’ With Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece has been accused of illegally pushing asylum seekers back at sea. He has acknowledged that the state’s intelligence service wiretapped an opposition leader. He has consolidated media control as press freedom in Greece has dropped to the lowest in Europe. It is the sort of thing that the guardians of European Union values often scorn in right-wing populist leaders, whether it be Giorgia Meloni of Italy or Viktor Orban of Hungary. “I’m helping Europe on numerous fronts,” Mr. Mitsotakis said in a brief interview on Tuesday in the port city of Piraeus, where, in his trademark blue dress shirt and slacks, the 55-year-old rallied adoring voters on crowded streets.

☆ Hungarians protest against new teachers' law, police violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Boldizsar Gyori | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Friday's protest came after a series of rallies and strikes for higher salaries and better working conditions for teachers. Protesters on Friday marched against the new so-called Status Law that would also significantly increase teachers' workload. Critics refer to the legislation as the "Revenge Law," perceived as punishment for teachers' year-long resistance. Almost 5,000 teachers have already said they will leave their profession if the Status Law comes into force. Reporting by Boldizsar Gyori, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Will The U.S. Economy Pull Off a 'Soft Landing'? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

Will The U.S. Economy Pull Off a ‘Soft Landing’? The soft, the hard and the grayThere isn’t any standard definition of an economic soft landing. But what’s an acceptable inflation rate? On the other side, policymakers used to believe that an unemployment rate below 4 percent was basically unattainable without runaway inflation. Unless we have a really, really hard landing, the overall story of the postpandemic economy will be one of remarkable resilience.

☆ Elon Musk claims George Soros ‘hates humanity.’ The ADL says Musk’s attacks ‘will embolden extremists’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While Musk’s remarks don’t mention the billionaire philanthropist’s ethnicity, Musk was criticized for dangerous rhetoric that could potentially fuel further attacks on Soros. When a Twitter user defended Soros as having good intentions which are criticized by those who disagree with his politics, Musk responded, “You assume they are good intentions. Attacks on Soros have increased in recent years alongside a broader increase in incidents of antisemitic attacks. Studies by the ADL and the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that the volume of hate speech on Twitter has grown dramatically under Musk’s stewardship. He most recently sold 22 million shares in December.

☆ Hungary blocks next tranche of EU off-budget military support for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, May 16 (Reuters) - Hungary did not approve the disbursement of the next tranche of military support for Ukraine provided under the EU's European Peace Facility (EPF), a government spokesman's office said on Tuesday. The EPF, created in 2021, is an off-budget instrument aimed at enhancing the EU's ability to prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security. The EU has provided a total of about 3.6 billion euros for military support for Ukraine so far under the EPF. Hungary, which is member of the EU and also NATO, has refused to provide any military equipment to its neighbour Ukraine, which was invaded by Russian forces in February 2022. Hungary has also repeatedly criticised EU sanctions against Russia, which all 27 EU countries must also unanimously approve, but eventually supported all the agreed measures so far.

☆ US Declining Population, Worker Shortage Will Cause Economic Crisis Without a Fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Gadel Valle | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

That means that unless people start having a lot more kids, the US population could eventually start to shrink — just like China's population has. While the US population has managed to avoid an outright drop, population growth reached an unprecedented low of 0.12% in 2021. One way the US could encourage more immigration is by focusing on temporary visas for specific industries that need workers. And the treatment of workers in the country on temporary visas has been a problem for decades. After all, the US is running out of options, and soon its growing people shortage is going to spell economic disaster.

☆ Teenagers tear-gassed at protest against Orban's education reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Boldizsar Gyori | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] Police officers spray people, as protesters take part in a protest against Hungarian government's 'Status Law? which may increase teachers' workloads and restrict their independence in Budapest, Hungary, May 3, 2023. The police action follows a thousands-strong rally in central Budapest earlier on Wednesday against legislation that would significantly increase teachers' workload. The protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations over the past year for better working conditions for teachers. Hungary is facing a growing shortage of teachers mainly due to low wages and the unpredictability in the regulatory environment.

☆ Pope meets Moscow Church official after puzzling peace 'mission' comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Pope Francis greets Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, May 3, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSVATICAN CITY, May 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke to a top member of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) days after the pontiff made an intriguing but puzzling comment about the Vatican being involved in a mission to try to end the war in Ukraine. Francis added that he had spoken about Ukraine with Orban and with Metropolitan Hilarion, the chief representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest and Anthony's predecessor as head of the ROC's external relations. Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit Kyiv but also Moscow on a peace mission. He also said he had repeated a standing invitation for the pope to visit Kyiv.

☆ Pope says the Vatican is involved in a peace mission to end the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Antonia Mortensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Vatican is part of a peace mission to end the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis said Sunday. “The mission is in the course now, but it is not yet public. When it is public, I will reveal it,” Francis told reporters. Francis also heard testimony from refugees – many from Ukraine – and appealed to the importance of charity during his Budapest visit. On Sunday, the pontiff also told reporters that he was feeling better after being hospitalized in late March with a respiratory infection.

☆ Pope says Vatican involved in secret Ukraine peace mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Pope Francis holds a news conference as he returns to the Vatican following his apostolic journey to Hungary, aboard the plane, April 30, 2023. Vincenzo Pinto/Pool via REUTERSABOARD PAPAL PLANE, April 30 (Reuters) - The Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said on Sunday, declining to give further details. When it is public, I will reveal it," the pope told reporters during a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary. Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met the pope at the Vatican on Thursday and said he had discussed a "peace formula" put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Pope Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit Kyiv but also Moscow on a peace mission.

[1/5] Pope Francis greets the crowd ahead of a holy mass at the Kossuth Lajos Square during his apostolic journey in Budapest, Hungary, April 30, 2023. Francis believes migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed and integrated because they can culturally enrich host countries and boost Europe's dwindling populations. He believes that while countries have a right to protect their borders, migrants should be distributed throughout the European Union. In his homily, Francis also spoke against doors "closed to the world". On Friday, he quoted what St Stephen, the 11th century founder of Christian Hungary, had written about welcoming strangers.

☆ Pope Reveals He’s Working on Secret ‘Mission’ of Peace in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST — Pope Francis said on Sunday that the Vatican was involved in a secret “mission” to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine and that it would do “all that is humanly possible” to return children taken from Ukraine to Russia and reunite families. The pope’s remarks to reporters aboard the papal plane returning from a three-day trip to Budapest did not specify what the “not yet public” mission entailed. But Francis said he had privately discussed the situation with both Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary and with the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest, Metropolitan Hilarion. “In these meetings we did not just talk about Little Red Riding Hood,” Francis said. He has opposed sending military aid to Ukraine and imposing international sanctions against Russia.

☆ Pope Francis Tells Hungary’s Orban to Be Open to Migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pope Francis talks to Hungary’s President Katalin Novák at the Sandor Palace in Budapest. Photo: VATICAN MEDIA/via REUTERSPope Francis on a visit to Hungary told Prime Minister Viktor Orbán , an anti-immigration hard-liner, that the country should welcome foreigners and that European nations should together facilitate the reception of refugees and other migrants. The pope, who has made the defense of migrants a signature issue of his reign, made his remarks on Friday at the start of a three-day visit to Hungary.

☆ Pope Returns to Hungary, to Delight of Viktor Orban
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Jason Horowitz | Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST — Pope Francis, who has made welcoming migrants, embracing minorities and warning against nationalism central tenets of his pontificate, visited Budapest for the second time in less than two years on Friday. The trip gives Prime Minister Viktor Orban, perhaps Europe’s chief opponent of migrants, closest ally of Russia and most vocal critic of gay rights, a political gift he is sure not to waste. During a 10-year pontificate in which Francis has met with multiple strongmen and dictators to both protect his flock and push for the protection of human rights and peace, he has rarely confronted his hosts, looking instead for areas of agreement, even if it risks legitimizing policies he finds abhorrent. In Hungary, a dressing down is even less likely, as some analysts see the pope and Mr. Orban as having a similar desire for the war in Ukraine to end, and with Francis defining the trip in terms of Christian unity. He has called it an opportunity to “re-embrace” the Hungarian church in a visit to “the center of Europe, over which icy winds of war continue to blow, while the movements of so many people place urgent humanitarian issues on the agenda.”

BUDAPEST, April 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, starting a trip to Hungary, on Friday pointedly warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe and told the Budapest government that accepting migrants along with the rest of the continent would be a true sign of Christianity. He called for a return to the "European spirit" envisioned by the founders of modern Europe after World War Two, saying nations had to "look beyond national boundaries" . Orban 59, and the pope have differing views on handling migration from the Middle East and Africa to Europe, with Francis believing migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed. He asked Francis in 2021, during the pope's last visit, "not to let Christian Hungary perish". In his speech in the presidential palace overlooking the River Danube, Francis quoted St Stephen, the 11th century founder of Christian Hungary.

☆ Russia-Ukraine War News: Pope Francis Discusses Peace Efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Gaia Pianigiani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

A photo provided by the Vatican shows Pope Francis, center left, with the prime minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, center right, during a private audience in the Vatican on Thursday. Pope Francis discussed peace efforts in Ukraine with the country’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, during a private audience at the Vatican on Thursday, their first known meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The relationship between Ukraine and Francis, who has long called for peace and decried what he called barbaric acts of war, was troubled in the early months of the conflict. Mr. Shmyhal also asked the pope for help in “returning home Ukrainian children” who have been deported to Russia. Early in the war Ukrainian officials criticized the pope’s decision not to name Russia or its president, Vladimir V. Putin, as the aggressor in the conflict.

☆ ECB says Hungary government decree has impaired central bank independence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, April 26 (Reuters) - Hungary's government has infringed the National Bank of Hungary's (NBH) independence with a decree restricting access to the bank's discount bill and by extending a cap on large commercial bank deposits until end-June, the European Central Bank said on Wednesday. Hungary's government last month extended a cap on large commercial bank deposits until the end of June and imposed restrictions on the transfer of central bank discount bills to curb "unjust" income earned on central bank facilities. "The decree, including the interest rate cap, interferes with the independence of the (NBH), since it impedes the (NBH) from independently choosing the necessary means and instruments to conduct an efficient monetary policy," the ECB said. "Therefore, the decree infringes the independence of the (NBH) under Article 130 of the Treaty." Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government announced a cap on large commercial bank deposits after the NBH launched a quick deposit facility with an 18% interest rate last October to stem falls in the forint.

☆ Opinion | Why Kamala Harris Matters So Much in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A few weeks ago, one of France’s most famous public intellectuals, Bernard-Henri Lévy, gave an interview to The Times on his new documentary, “Slava Ukraini,” and he said something that helped me understand why, as I approach my 70th birthday, I still want to be a journalist. Asked why, at age 74, he dodged rockets in Ukraine to bring home the savagery of the Russian invasion, Lévy said, “In Ukraine, I had the feeling for the first time that the world I knew, the world in which I grew up, the world that I want to leave to my children and grandchildren, might collapse.”I have that exact same fear. Which is why the focus of my columns these days has been very tight. There are three things that absolutely cannot be allowed to happen: Israel cannot be allowed to turn into an autocracy like Viktor Orban’s Hungary; Ukraine cannot be allowed to fall to Vladimir Putin; and Donald Trump cannot be allowed to occupy the White House ever again. If all three were to happen, the world that I want to leave my children and grandchildren could completely collapse.

☆ Giorgia Meloni: Will Italy's PM stop the boats or will the boats stop her?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Rome CNN —The key campaign promise that brought Giorgia Meloni and her far-right coalition to power in a landslide victory in last September’s election was a vow to do what no one else had done before: stop migrant boats using Italy as a gateway into Europe. On the campaign trail she promised to halt all migrant boats from landing on Italian shores, no matter who was on them and what drove them to risk their lives. Liberal European leaders stood to gain from the prospect of Meloni’s promise to stop the boats, and many hoped she could pull it off. He says to most Italians, the migrant crisis is still something they hear about, not something that impacts them directly. Meloni has taken tough action over migrant boats since taking power but faces fierce opposition.

☆ Allies move to bolster Ukrainian tank forces ahead of counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine has pressed its allies for long-range weapons, jets and ammunition ahead of a counteroffensive to push back Russian troops that is expected in the coming weeks or months. Abrams battle tanks will arrive in Germany in the coming weeks for Ukrainian troops to begin training, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters. NATO member states and their allies have provided Ukraine with weapons and armour, but Ukraine's leadership has repeatedly asked for more powerful weapons and quicker supplies. "The Russians are cautious to come into Ukraine because of the effective use of the Ukrainian air defense system. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban poured cold water on Ukraine's NATO prospects, simply tweeting "What?!"

☆ NATO's chief is talking openly about alliance membership for Ukraine as Putin's war continues to shoot Russia in the foot
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine has long sought NATO membership, something Vladimir Putin deeply opposes. Ukraine has long sought NATO membership. As early as April 2008, NATO said it "welcomed" aspirations from Ukraine and Georgia — the latter was attacked by Russia later that year — to join the military alliance. Finland officially became the 31st member of the military alliance earlier this month, a huge setback for Putin. in a Friday tweet that included a link to a media report about Stoltenberg telling Zelenskyy Ukraine belongs in NATO.

☆ The Pentagon leaks: What documents leaked in the US military's worst intelligence breach in a decade reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The leaked documents revealed US spying on adversaries and allies alike. The leak also offered compromising details on the extent to which the US has infiltrated Russia's military and intelligence apparatus. Insider obtained and reviewed copies of photographs of dozens of the leaked documents. The documents revealed the US is spying on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and showed that he wanted to launch drone strikes against Russian forces in Russia. The US is keeping a watchful eye on ChinaA number of the leaked documents pertained to China, amid historic tensions between the US and Beijing.

☆ International Investment Bank to relocate headquarters from Budapest back to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Russia's International Investment Bank (IIB) will relocate its headquarters from Budapest back to Russia, according to a statement published on the bank's website on Wednesday. The decision was announced a week after the United States imposed sanctions on three top officials of IIB in Budapest: two Russians and a Hungarian. "IIB has exhausted the basis for further operations from its headquarters in Budapest and in the European Union," the IIB statement said. "The Bank has commenced a relocation of its operations and functions of its headquarters from Hungary to Russia." The Hungarian government took no measures against the bank, which moved its operations to Budapest in 2019.

☆ Hungary quit Russian bank as U.S. sanctions 'ruined' it, PM Orban says as relations worsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BUDAPEST, April 14 (Reuters) - Hungary abandoned a Budapest-based Russian bank this week because U.S. sanctions had "ruined" it, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, adding that Hungary would comply with sanctions on Russia but continue to speak out against them. Russia is its largest shareholder, while Hungary was second-largest and senior Hungarian officials had held roles there including board seats. This week, the United States imposed new sanctions on the bank, including on three of its top officials, two Russians and Hungarian. Orban said Hungary would comply with sanctions against Russia, even though it did not support them. "We have never agreed with sanctions but we don't dispute others' rights, including the United States, to impose sanctions," he said.

☆ Analysis: Italian first! Meloni's nationalists defend cultural identity at risk of irking EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] General view of the Colosseum next to a subway's construction sites in Rome, Italy, February 16, 2023. Almost six months after taking office, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government is pushing out bills that promise to promote national identity, defend the traditional family, protect cultural heritage and hold back migrants. Recent proposals include a bill to safeguard the Italian language and a ban on lab-grown food. "Italian mines are made up of culture, gastronomy, language, arts, fashion, history, archaeology and monuments. "Identity messages are meant to tell the electorate that Brothers of Italy will not give up its line," analyst Panarari said.

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