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Autocracies – governments in which one person possesses unlimited power – are on the rise. Meanwhile, the percentage of electoral democracies – political systems that hold meaningful, free and fair elections with multiple political parties – has gone down. Starting in the 1960s and again in the 1980s, the global share of autocracies decreased dramatically as democracy started to gain more of a foothold around the world, according to V-Dem’s analysis. And despite the relative rise in autocracies in recent years, there were still 58 elected democracies globally compared to 30 closed autocracies in 2022. In 2022 there were also 58 electoral autocracies, which “hold multiparty elections but their quality or conditions around them are not sufficient to be classified as an electoral democracy,” according to V-Dem experts.

Persons: ”, Thomas Carothers, –, “, Barbara Wejnert, Carothers, Viktor Orbán, Recep Tayyip Edrogan, Narendra Modi, Subianto, it’ll, “ It’s, ” Carothers, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Trump’s Organizations: Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, University of Buffalo, Global Democracy, European Union, Brookings Institution, The Washington, New York Times, Reuters Locations: Indonesia, autocracies, China, Russia, Hungary, Turkey, India, Indonesian, U.S

☆ Hungarian president Novak resigns over sex abuse case pardon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned on Saturday after coming under mounting pressure for pardoning a man convicted of helping to cover up sexual abuse in a children's home. Novak, a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, resigned a week after her presidential pardon was first reported by local news site 444.hu. The revelation caused a public uproar and demands from the opposition for her and former Justice Minister Judit Varga to quit. Varga, who has been a rising star in Orban's ruling Fidesz party, resigned as a lawmaker on Saturday. This has been one of several issues over which Orban has clashed with the European Commission.

Persons: Katalin Novak, Novak, Viktor Orban, Judit Varga, Varga, Orban's, Orban Organizations: Fidesz, European Commission

Many worry that a second term for Trump would be an earthquake, but tremors already abound — and concerns are rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesBiden, in contrast, has made support for Ukraine a key priority and moral imperative. But many of America's European NATO allies are worried that with or without Trump, the U.S. is becoming less reliable. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was “currently on the phone a lot with my colleagues and asking them to do more” to support Ukraine. Dalton, a former U.K. ambassador to Iran, said prospects for the Middle East would be “slightly worse” under Trump than Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron’s, Trump, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s Theresa May, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán “, ”, Biden, Richard Dalton, Olaf Scholz, “, Scholz, Macron, ” Macron, Boris Johnson, ” Johnson, Putin, Johnson, ” Bronwen Maddox, ” Trump, hasn't, —, Dalton, implore Biden, Itamar Ben, Israel, Turkey’s Erdogan, Sergey Lavrov, George W, Zhao Minghao, ” “, Jiwon, Kirsten Grieshaber, Dasha, Suzan Fraser, Nomaan Merchant Organizations: U.S, Trump, NATO, Congressional Republicans, Centre, Politics, University College London, Mail, Associated Press, Hamas, White, Russian, CBS, Biden, Fudan University Locations: U.S, gridlock, Congress, Ukraine, Europe, United States, British, German, Germany, ” Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Tehran, Dalton, Israel, Gaza, Turkey, Shanghai, Seoul, South Korea, Berlin, Dasha Litvinova, Tallinn, Estonia, Ankara, Washington

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Antifascist activists gathered in Hungary's capital on Saturday to oppose an annual commemoration held by far-right groups, underscoring diplomatic tensions between Budapest and Rome over the detention of an Italian citizen in a Hungarian jail. Hundreds of activists marched through central Budapest alongside a heavy police presence, and called for “freedom for every antifascist." The demonstration came as an Italian antifascist activist is being held in a Hungarian jail for allegedly being involved in assaults against suspected participants in the Day of Honor commemoration in Budapest last year. Images of the activist, Ilaria Salis, chained and shackled at a Budapest court hearing sparked official protests by the Italian government. The case is delicate for the far-right-led government of Meloni, who has forged friendly ties with the nationalist Orbán.

Persons: —, ”, Ilaria Salis, Luca Kruczynski, “, Salis, ’, Giorgia Meloni, Viktor Orbán, Salis ’, Antonio Tajani, Carlo Nordio, Nordio, Tajani, Elly Schlein, Giorgia Meloni’s, Schlein, Colleen Barry Organizations: Nazi, Prosecutors, Hungarian, Meloni, Italy's, Democratic Party, Associated Press Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Budapest, Rome, Hungarian, Italian, Berlin, Europe, Milan, Salis, Italy, Hungary’s, Salis ’ Hungarian

☆ Hungary’s president resigns amid uproar over child sex abuse case pardon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Heather Chen | Pierre Meilhan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hungarian President Katalin Novak has announced that she is resigning from office following mounting public criticism over her decision to pardon a man implicated in a child sexual abuse case. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the country’s capital Budapest on Friday, calling for Novak to step down. Protesters took to the streets in Hungary this week. Bernadett Szabo/ReutersNovak is a close ally of Hungary’s hardline nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán and was the former family minister. Saturday’s address was her final one as president, less than two years after she took office.

Persons: Katalin Novak, “, ” Novak, ”, Novak, Pope Francis –, Protesters, Bernadett Szabo, Viktor Orbán Organizations: CNN, Reuters Locations: Budapest, Doha, Hungarian, Hungary

☆ Why the Age Issue Is Hurting Biden So Much More Than Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Donald J. Trump has praised Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, for his leadership of Turkey, and confused Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi. President Biden has named dead former European leaders when describing his contemporary peers, and referred to Egypt as Mexico. The episodes might have raised parallel concerns about age and mental acuity. Instead, while Mr. Biden, 81, has been increasingly dogged by doubts and concerns about his advancing years from voters, Mr. Trump, who is 77, has not felt the same political blowback. Fewer than half of voters have expressed similar misgivings about Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Viktor Orban, Nikki Haley, Nancy Pelosi, Biden Organizations: New York Times, Siena College Locations: Turkey, Egypt, Mexico

☆ Putin references Russian hitman in German jail as he suggests ‘agreement can be reached’ on detained US reporter Gershkovich
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested “an agreement can be reached” with the United States to release detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich, as he brought up the conviction of a “patriotic” Russian hitman in Germany. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested last March while on a reporting trip in the country. When Putin said Gershkovich was working with US special services, Carlson did push the Russian president, saying: “This guy is obviously not a spy, he’s a kid. In fact, journalists have repeatedly been requesting interviews with Putin, but the Russian President had declined to grant access. The Russian President suggested that the path to ending the war in Ukraine was through direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Evan Gershkovich, Tucker Carlson, Putin’s, Carlson, Putin, “, ” Putin, ”, Natalia Kolesnikova, Gershkovich’s, “ He’s, Evan, ” Danielle Gershkovich, Biden, Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, He’s, Vadim Krasikov, Krasikov, Viktor Bout, Brittney Griner, Whelan, “ Evan, ” “ Evan, “ We’re, Viktor Orbán, Javier Milei, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ Putin, railroaded Tucker Carlson, Jill Dougherty, Dougherty, Armin Wolf, Joe Biden, Dmitry Medvedev Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Street Journal, Federal Security Service, Novosti, US State Department, Getty, White, Russian, Street, Big Tech, International Criminal Court, Rights Watch, Russia’s, Kremlin, NATO, Republicans Locations: United States, American, Russian, Germany, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, Russia, US, AFP, Berlin, Chechen, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Austrian, Washington, Poland, Belarus, Israel

☆ Hungary's President Under Pressure to Quit Over Pardon in Sex Abuse Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian opposition parties have demanded the resignation of the president over her decision to pardon a man convicted as an accomplice in helping cover up a case in a children's home whose director sexually abused children. She added that the reasoning behind her decision was not public and all pardons were divisive by their nature. The former director was sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually abusing several under-age boys in 2004-2016. "I am baffled by Katalin Novak's decision as a human being and as a mother," Momentum chair Anna Donath said in a statement on Wednesday, adding she believed the decision was "morally incomprehensible". Some of the opposition and civilians called a protest in front of Novak's presidential office for Friday.

Persons: Katalin, Pope Francis, Novak, Viktor Orban, paedophiles, MTI, Anna Donath, Orban's, Judit Varga, Krisztina, Alison Williams Organizations: Democratic Coalition, Socialists Locations: BUDAPEST

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that he and his NATO counterparts cautioned Hungary on Wednesday against further delaying Sweden’s membership in the military alliance, and he warned that patience in Washington has its limits. The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in Hungary's parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the state of Hungarian democracy. The party insists that Sweden’s prime minister must come to Hungary first. The country, along with the other 30 allies, must all agree that Sweden should stand among NATO’s ranks. Hungary is the only member standing in its way.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s, “, ” Sullivan, Sullivan, ”, Orbán, Ulf Kristersson Organizations: —, NATO, Wednesday, Fidesz, Sweden’s, Kremlin, Swedish Locations: BRUSSELS, Hungary, Washington, Hungarian, Hungary's, Sweden, Brussels, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Budapest

☆ EU tells Hungary its 'sovereignty' law violates EU law
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hungary's new law on "protecting national sovereignty", which the ruling Fidesz party said was necessary to protect against foreign political interference, violates European Union law, the European Commission said on Wednesday. The Hungarian legislation violates EU laws on democracy and the equal rights of EU citizens, the data protection law and several rules applicable to the internal market, the Commission said. The legislation came as nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has clashed repeatedly with the European Union over democratic rights in Hungary, stepped up his party's campaign ahead of European Parliament elections next June. Under the law, a separate authority to explore and monitor risks of political interference will be set up. If it does not address the grievances stated in the letter, the Commission may decide to send a reasoned opinion - a formal request to comply with EU law - as a next step in the procedure.

Persons: Viktor Orban Organizations: Union, European Commission, European Union Locations: Hungary, Hungarian

☆ Hungary and E.U. Lock Horns, This Time Over Foreign-Interference Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Monika Pronczuk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just days after a major showdown between the European Union and Hungary over aid to Ukraine, the European Commission on Wednesday announced it was opening a new disciplinary procedure against the Hungarian government over a recently passed piece of legislation that focuses on activities by foreigners deemed subversive. The move comes on top of several other open disciplinary procedures against Hungary that the European Commission, the E.U. executive branch, has been pursuing against the government of the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban. Mr. Orban has long denounced the battles with Brussels, which he says pits a “woke globalist Goliath” against Hungary’s “David.” He has maintained that the European Union is out to punish him for pursuing a Christian conservative agenda, which he says is in line with the wishes of the Hungarian people. The action by the commission centers on recently passed legislation in Hungary that seeks to punish interactions between Hungarian individuals or organizations, and foreigners or foreign groups that a newly created Office for the Defense of Sovereignty deems subversive.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Mr, Orban, globalist Goliath, Hungary’s “ David, ” Organizations: European Union, European Commission, Wednesday, European, Defense, Sovereignty Locations: Hungary, Ukraine, Hungarian, Brussels

☆ Giorgia Meloni Solidifies Her Credentials in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, was isolated, the sole holdout to a landmark European Union fund for Ukraine worth billions. Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, who had long shared his antagonism to the E.U, was that sympathetic ear. Over drinks for an hour, Mr. Orban complained about being treated unfairly by the E.U. A hard-right leader herself, Ms. Meloni told him that she too had felt the prejudice. But it was also a big moment for Ms. Meloni — who sealed her credibility as someone who could play an influential role in the top tier of European leaders.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Giorgia, Orban, Meloni Organizations: European Union Locations: Italy, Ukraine, Europe

☆ Tucker Carlson is in Russia to interview Putin. He’s already doing the bidding of the Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin hasn’t been posted online yet, but he is already doing the Russian authoritarian’s bidding. In a video posted to X announcing the sit-down Tuesday — the first interview Putin has granted with a Western media figure since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago — Carlson predictably and dishonestly villainized the press. “Does Tucker really think we journalists haven’t been trying to interview President Putin every day since his full scale invasion of Ukraine?” CNN’s Christiane Amanpour rhetorically remarked upon seeing Carlson’s claim. Which is to say, don’t hold your breath if you think Carlson will bring the heat to Putin. “Bear in mind that Putin wants to stir and widen divisions within the United States as much as possible.”That may just be a goal both Putin and Carlson share.

Persons: CNN — Tucker Carlson’s, Vladimir Putin hasn’t, Putin, — Carlson, Carlson, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Carlson, “, Vladimir Putin, Tucker, haven’t, ”, Christiane Amanpour, Evan Gershkovich, —, ” Susan Glasser, ” Glasser, “ Will, Donald Trump, Viktor Orbán, Javier Milei, ” Steven Pifer, ” Pifer Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Big Tech, New Yorker, Washington, “, Putin, Brookings Institution, Foreign, Department, Soviet Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Putin’s Russia, Moscow, Russian, Soviet Union, American, United States

The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. “The prime minister pledged to convene parliament to urge parliament to act at its earliest opportunity. Kristersson has said that he will make the trip, but only after Hungary approves his country's NATO membership. But Vadai, the lawmaker, said that there was no guarantee that Orbán's party would commit to a swift approval. “I’m not sure whether the opening session will start with the Swedish ratification, unfortunately,” she said.

Persons: Viktor Orbán, Hungary's, Orbán, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, didn't, David Pressman, Pressman, expeditiously, Sen, Ben Cardin, Agnes Vadai, “, it’s, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, “ I’m Organizations: — Lawmakers, NATO, Fidesz, U.S, Maryland Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, ”, Democratic Coalition, Associated Press, Swedish Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, NATO, U.S, Maryland, Budapest, Swedish, Hungary's

It's the kind of obstruction of key policy objectives for which Orbán has become notorious within the European Union. “We are the sand in the machinery, the stick between the spokes, the splinter under the fingernail,” Orbán said in a speech to tens of thousands of supporters in 2021. Now, frustrated EU officials are trying to determine what Orbán seeks to achieve with his obstructionist strategy, and how they might overcome it. But with his veto power, the nationalist leader will have plenty of further opportunities to sow discord within the EU. Widely considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the EU, Orbán has been accused by his critics of promoting Moscow’s interests over those of his EU and NATO allies, and of preparing to lead his country out of the EU entirely.

Persons: —, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, ” Orbán, Donald Tusk, “, ”, Péter Krekó, ” Krekó, “ Orbán, Daniel Freund, Freund, it’s, he's, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “ He’s, he’s, Krekó, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: NATO, European Union, EU, Conservative Political, Green, United, U.S, Trump, Germany, Political Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Brussels, Polish, Ukraine, Budapest, Germany, France, Italy, Europe, United States, Washington, Netherlands, Union

☆ Opinion | The World Has Caught Up to Frantz Fanon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Adam Shatz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The shock of the new, in political life, often sends us back to the past, in search of an intellectual compass. ), which he joined while working as a psychiatrist in Blida, on the outskirts of Algiers. He captured, as no other writer of his time did, the fury engendered by colonial humiliation in the hearts of the colonized. Fanon wrote at the height of the Cold War, but, with no less prescience, he regarded the East-West struggle as a passing sideshow, of far less consequence than the divisions between North and South, of the rich world and the poor world. If the colonial world was, in his words, “a world cut in two,” our post-colonial world seems scarcely less so.

Persons: Donald Trump, Viktor Orban, Jair Bolsanaro, Hannah Arendt’s “, ”, Arendt, Frantz Fanon, Fanon, —, haven’t, It’s Organizations: National Liberation, Israel, Black Panthers, Palestinian Locations: East, Africa, Martinique, Blida, Algiers, North, Ukraine, Gaza

☆ 'I Went to the Wall', Hungary's Orban Says After Agreeing to EU Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's Viktor Orban said on Friday that he "went to the wall" for his country before agreeing to an EU deal on Thursday to extend new aid to Ukraine and that he averted the risk of losing EU funds earmarked for Budapest from the bloc's joint coffers. In a regular interview on state radio on Friday, where he addresses his domestic audience, Orban said the agreement reached on Thursday was a good one. "I went to the wall," Orban said. "We are not sending weapons (to Ukraine), we get our money from Brussels, and we will contribute to the civil financing of Ukraine." Orban reiterated that peace talks should start between Ukraine and Russia as two years have now passed since the start of the war, and "time was on the Russians' side."

Persons: Hungary's Viktor Orban, Orban, Krisztina, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Union, European Commission Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Budapest, United States, Hungary, Brussels, Russia

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are urging Hungary to immediately ratify Sweden's application to join NATO, saying patience with the Central European country is “wearing thin” as it continues to delay its approval for the Nordic nation. “Despite its numerous prior public commitments, Hungary is the last remaining NATO member to have not ratified Sweden’s bid and both time and patience are wearing thin. Hungary’s inaction risks irrevocably damaging its relationship with the United States and with NATO,” the senators wrote. Orbán, a staunch nationalist that has led Hungary since 2010, has long promised that his country wouldn't be the last NATO member to approve Sweden's application. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesA vote on the protocols for Sweden’s NATO accession hasn’t yet appeared on the Hungarian parliament’s agenda, and the matter is unlikely to go before lawmakers until at least late February when the parliament reconvenes.

Persons: Jeanne Shaheen, Thom Tillis, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Sen, Ben Cardin, ” Cardin, Biden, Cardin, ”, “ Organizations: NATO, Central, New, New Hampshire Democrat, North Carolina Republican, Hungarian, Maryland Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, U.S, Visa, Global, European Union Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, U.S, Nordic, Budapest, Sens, New Hampshire, United States, Ukraine, Maryland, Washington

☆ Italy's Meloni Urges Swift Trial for Italian Activist Held in Hungary
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Italian anti-fascist activist held in Hungary for assaulting far-right militants should be granted a quick trial, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday, wading into a controversy that is souring relations between Rome and Budapest. The case is politically sensitive due to the long-standing ties between Meloni and her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, who met in Brussels as part of a summit of European Union leaders. "What I talked about with the Hungarian prime minister is ensuring that our compatriots are treated with dignity, respect, and (given) a fair trial, and I would also say a speedy one," Meloni told reporters. Prosecutors are seeking an 11-year sentence for Salis, who is next due in court on May 24. Meloni told reporters she hoped Salis could prove her innocence, and said that while in Italy prisoners are never put in chains and shackles, this was normal in Hungary.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Ilaria Salis, Viktor Orban, Meloni, Salis, Prosecutors, Angelo Amante, Alvise Armellini, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Italian, Union Locations: BRUSSELS, Italian, Hungary, Rome, Budapest, Italy, Meloni, Brussels, Milan

☆ For Orban, Ukraine Is a Pawn in a Longer Game
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After months of bluster against financial aid for Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary on Thursday yielded to intense pressure from fellow European leaders, but not before he tried to change the topic in Brussels by meeting with angry Belgian farmers beside a convoy of tractors and voicing support for the protests roiling Europe. In what amounted to a campaign stop ahead of European elections in June that he hopes will shift Europe’s balance of power in his direction, Mr. Orban skipped a dinner with European leaders on Wednesday evening and went to talk to the farmers who had gathered outside the Brussels venue for Thursday’s make-or-break summit meeting on Ukraine. “We need to find new leaders who truly represent the interests of the people,” Mr. Orban told the farmers, leaving little doubt that he includes himself in what he sees as an inevitable changing of the guard in Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union. For Mr. Orban, whether to send billions of dollars to Ukraine has never been a question of immovable principle, and he folded Thursday when told that some member states were serious about isolating him, even stripping him of his vote, if he continued to block the aid. Rather, it is just one of many issues on which he has sought to establish himself as the leader of a pan-European movement in defense of national sovereignty and traditional values against what he scorns as out-of-touch urban elites.

Persons: Viktor Orban of Hungary, Orban, Mr Organizations: European Union Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Europe

☆ Ukraine: EU agrees $50bn funding deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

#Unity All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50 billion support package for Ukraine within the EU budget,” the EU Council’s President Charles Michel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Grateful to @CharlesMichel and EU leaders for establishing the €50 billion Ukraine Facility for 2024-2027,” he tweeted. Orban had held up the deal on the grounds he did not want the funds to come from the EU budget, meaning funds would be taken from EU member states and sent to Ukraine. Critics of Orban were quick to accuse him of blocking the deal because the EU is currently withholding funds for Ukraine due to it breaching rule of law requirements. The diplomat said the deal as outlined by Michel does not unlock EU funds for Hungary, though the summit will continue throughout Thursday.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Charles Michel, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, didn’t, Orban, Critics, Michel, Vladimir Putin, , Josep Borrell, ” Borrell Organizations: CNN, European Union, Hungary’s, Kyiv, EU, “ EU, Ukraine, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Russian, United States, Washington, “, Russia, European, Hungary, Brussels, Europe

☆ Hungary Is Blocking E.U. Money for Ukraine. Here’s What You Need to Know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Monika Pronczuk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The European Union’s leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday to try and strike a deal with Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, who is blocking a multibillion euro fund aimed at securing Ukraine’s financing for the next few years. Talks are gridlocked and the mood toward Mr. Orban is negative, with European leaders, unusually united against one of their peers, fed up with his stance on Ukraine and his anti-E.U. A 50-billion euro ($54 billion) fund to support Ukraine through to the end of 2027. Ukraine is facing one of is most difficult moments since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly two years ago, with U.S. aid held up and virtually no progress on the battlefield. aid, to be dispensed in the form of loans and grants over the next four years, would both cover immediate needs and allow Ukraine to plan its long-term budget.

Persons: Viktor Orban of Hungary, Orban, What’s Organizations: European Locations: Brussels, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Polish PM Says There Is No 'Plan B' on EU Aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday there was no "Plan B" on European Union aid for Ukraine and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who is stalling it must decide if Hungary is "part of our community". "We need to play hard and play fair, but there is no room for compromise. Orban is the only one of the 27 to have voiced disapproval of an EU aid package and to request a yearly vote on the long-term aid. Thursday summit's is seen as a last opportunity to reach agreement on a four-year plan for 50 billion euros ($53.93 billion) of economic aid for Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion since 2022. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 Images($1 = 0.9272 euros)(Reporting by Justyna Pawlak; Writing by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Ros Russell)

Persons: Donald Tusk, Viktor Orban, Tusk, Orban, Justyna Pawlak, Anna Wlodarczak, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Polish, Union, EU Locations: Ukraine, Hungarian, Hungary, Russian, Moscow

☆ E.U.’s Hungary Problem Looms Large Ahead of Crucial Ukraine Summit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Matina Stevis-Gridneff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The only thing standing in their way is Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary. A compromise with Mr. Orban, who has demanded an annual veto on the spending, has remained elusive, meaning that the unanimity required for such a deal among the 27 E.U. If Mr. Orban continues to stand in the way, E.U. Yet even if the remaining 26 leaders are not forced to go ahead without Mr. Orban, a larger problem is now firmly front and center: What will the E.U. For a small country that accounts for just 1 percent of the bloc’s economic output, Hungary has been a big headache.

Persons: Viktor Orban of Hungary, Orban Organizations: Union, U.S Locations: Brussels, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ EU Leaders Seek Deal to Fund Ukraine as Hungary Digs in Heels
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The plan is to help cover Ukraine's 2024-2027 needs with 33 billion euros ($36 billion) in loans and 17 billion euros in grants. The money is to come from the EU budget to give Kyiv more predictable funding as it fights off Russia's invasion. The other 26 EU countries have rejected Hungary's demand, and they and Hungary have been in a stand-off since December. The EU cannot wait any longer because Ukraine is expected to run out of cash to run normal state functions in March. Orban's ambassador to the EU told his counterparts at a preparatory meeting on Wednesday that Budapest still wanted veto power.

Persons: Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, Viktor Orban, Orban, Jan Strupczewski, Tom Hogue Organizations: Union, Hungarian, EU, U.S . Congress, European, Budapest Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Hungary, Moscow, United States, EU

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