Viktor Orbán

The interior ministers of EU member states agreed on Thursday in Luxembourg on a common position to revamp the bloc's migration and asylum policy, although staunchly anti-migration countries Hungary and Poland voiced strong opposition.

One year after the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine, almost a third (32%) of Bulgarians have a positive attitude towards Vladimir Putin.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said today that Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia, calling for negotiations with Moscow to end the conflict, "AFP" reported.

The Hungarian leader, who is at odds with other members of the European Union on the issue of that war and refuses to provide military aid to his Ukrainian neighbor, repeated his calls for a ceasefire.

The delegation's findings are unlikely to speed up Hungary's access to the frozen EU funds, with Freund tweeting: "Question: When will Hungary get full access to EU funding again?

PM Viktor Orban delivers keynote speech at the opening session of CPAC Hungary, in Budapest, 04 May 2023. EPA-EFE/Szilard Koszticsak

In other news, former Slovak PM Igor Matovic fights with LGBT activists outside parliament; speculation mounts in Poland about mystery 'rocket'; and Czech President Pavel can't keep still.

The Hungarian parliament adopted on Wednesday a legal amendment aimed at strengthening the independence of the judicial system, at the suggestion of the right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, DPA reported.

Pope Francis urged Hungarians to open their doors to others on Sunday, as he wrapped up a weekend visit with a plea for Europe to welcome migrants and the poor and for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.

President Novak, a former family affairs minister, is seen as a loyal ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, but also someone who cleverly navigates European diplomatic circles.

Orban's foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, the most vocal critic of the EU, is also full of praise. He sees the Turkic states, whose energy ministers he recently hosted in Budapest, as offering "more than a pure energy friendship".

Upon his return to Budapest, Szijjarto welcomed another international pariah, this time in the form of Sergey Aleinik, the Belarusian foreign minister.