Katalin Halmai

Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich US secretary of state cancels attendance at last minute in move that EU official calls ‘insane’

A senior state department official said Rubio’s Hungarian visit was aimed at further “strengthening” ties with a European country that, in contrast with the EU mainstream, shared the Trump administration’s vision for peace in Ukraine

💶💶💶 In December 2023, the Commission lifted the suspension on the disbursement of approximately € 10.2 billion to Hungary after the country had, in his opinion, completed the required judicial reform. The EP has brought the case before the ECJ which today published its Advocate General’s opinion 👇

The leader of the largest Hungarian opposition party, Péter Magyar, will attend the @munsecconf.bsky.social on Saturday. According to his Facebook post, he will hold bilateral talks with European politicians, accompanied by the party's de facto foreign minister candidate, Anita Orbán
#MSC2026

Meanwhile, a register filing last year showed that MCC Brussels had received more than €6 million to “acquaint and influence European policy makers,” with more than 99% of those funds given as part of a grant from a Budapest-based educational institution controlled by political allies of Orbán 2/2

Viktor Orbán’s EU-based think tank, MCC Brussels, is launching a “democracy interference observatory” that will kick off with a “detailed investigation” into Hungary’s election in April, @politico.eu writes.
Hopefully, they will scrutinize Russian and American influence with the same zeal 👮‍♂️👮2/1

Photo: László Varga/FB

Hungary.
Fidesz.
Smear campaign.
State propaganda.
Lies.
Fear.
Hate.
Dehumanization.
Scapegoating.
Manipulation.
Brainwashing.
#ENOUGH

A major 🇭🇺 news outlet has published an investigative report alleging serious environmental violations at a Samsung battery plant, reportedly with authorities’ knowledge. The journalist contacted Samsung & 6 government agencies; none responded. This is how independent journalism operates under Fidesz

Marty Baron, editor-in-chief when Bezos bought the Post for $250mn in 2013, blamed the Amazon founder for much of the paper’s recent trouble. Bezos’s behaviour and “cosying up to Trump” had “damaged the brand of the Washington Post”, he said in an interview.

It is not about financing political parties, rather think-tanks and NGOs.

US government to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities in Europe State department grants to spread ‘American values’ are part of Washington’s 250th anniversary celebrations

The U.S. State Department is set to fund MAGA-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe to spread the Trump administration’s policy positions.
We eagerly await the patriots'/sovereignists' strong indignation and their demands for investigations to be carried out! 🕵️

“I tend to talk to patients about counting back from 1,000 in sevens. It sounds horrendous but I guarantee you can’t think about your mortgage at the same time, which means it’s doing its job.”

In addition to this being an extremely sad event, it is particularly striking that it is happening at the same time as the premiere of the film Melania, which was heavily sponsored by WaPo’s owner Bezos.
Was it intentional? Then this is the height of impudence and arrogance.

In Hungary, the government has cited the Ukraine war emergency to issue a decree halting lawsuits against it. This means that ongoing court cases can now be shut down by decree.
Elections are coming.
Judge for yourself.
#ruleoflaw 👋

🇩🇪⚖️🇺🇸🇭🇺 Some news from my workplace - @democracyreporting.bsky.social is once again suing Company Formerly Known as Twitter, this time regarding access to data ahead of the Hungarian parliamentary elections.

A journalist asks about justice for Epstein survivors.
He responds by attacking her; her face, her demeanor, her smile.

When the question is dangerous, he goes after the woman asking it. Not her facts. Not her reporting. Her existence.

And survivors are watching.

So are our daughters.

Imagine taking off your sunglasses after three weeks of darkness and the first thing you see is Robert Fico

😂

Charlie Hebdo's cover

A new level of mafia statehood: if you do not give money to this person, his praetorian guard will come and terrorize you.

Yes, it would.

Hopefully 😊 But the main opposition party is not a keen LGBTIQ rights supporter either

🖕Two district prosecutors have brought charges against the mayor of Budapest for holding Budapest Pride in June. Gergely Karácsony could face a fine.
“I have gone from being a proud suspect to a proud defendant," he wrote in response to the prosecutors’ statement 🏳️‍🌈

Belgian court says Brussels mayor acted unlawfully in trying to ban the 2024 NatCon conference of far-right politicians, co-organised by a 🇭🇺 think tank in Brussels, linked to Fidesz. Partial legal win, but no penalties: the court rejected a €10k damages claim, citing no proven harm. @euractiv.com

🗣️ Sweden is reviving talks on triggering Article 7 against Hungary, @politico.eu reports. The goal isn’t to act before April’s elections, but to test support among member states for using the mechanism if Orbán wins again and keeps blocking EU decisions

Passengers to start riding De Lijn's self-driving buses in Leuven Starting on Thursday, passengers can travel on self-driving buses of operated by public transport company De Lijn in Leuven. A new bus line, 16...

Since last Thursday, residents of Leuven can travel on driverless buses on public transport. For now, only on one line. Not many European cities can boast this 💪

Another brilliant analysis from @ranaforoohar.bsky.social

Death in Minnesota The significance of the reaction to the killing of Renee Nicole Good

As @davidallengreen.bsky.social put it earlier this month: "we are in a situation where the US government can kill people on the high seas, in other lands and on its own streets—and nothing will be done to stop it. The US is now a gangster state at home and a rogue state abroad"

Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 according to local police officials. DHS told Fox News that the man was “armed with a gun”. A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man before the first shot was fired. x.com/BillMelugin_...

Now is the time to stop this man, who is using the power, prestige, and greatness of his country to satisfy his own base instincts and desire for revenge. Let's at least start, as Carney suggested in Davos.