The Global EyeOfficials from Serbia and Hungary on Tuesday hailed the start of construction of a railway line running from Novi Sad to Subotica in Serbia, which is part of the Hungary-Serbia railroad project, as not only a significant progress in the major project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) but also a step forward in cooperation with China.
Work begins on section of Serbia-Hungary railway in major progress for BRI project – Global Times
Following years of steady democratic erosion, opposition-minded Hungarians are already girding for next year’s parliamentary elections—where they hope to finally unseat their populist and self-described illiberal prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
Their chief hope? Péter Márki-Zay, an engineer-turned-politician who won last month’s opposition primary to head a joint multi-party ticket. Márki-Zay, currently a small-town mayor in central Hungary, joined the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center for a discussion Thursday as part of Central Europe Week to outline the situation facing his country.
‘Hungary is not a democracy anymore,’ says opposition leader – Atlantic Council
Prime Minister Viktor Orban and joint opposition leader Peter Marki-Zay both held campaign-style rallies in Budapest on October 23, nearly six months ahead of an election that is expected to be closely contested.
Tens of thousands of Orban supporters marched on their way to hear the prime minister give a speech devoted to the commemoration of the country’s 1956 uprising against Soviet domination.
Orban, Opposition Hold Budapest Rallies To Launch Election Campaign (rferl.org)
Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Brussels and Washington of trying to meddle in Hungarian politics in advance of a parliamentary election in April next year.
Orban told tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in central Budapest on Saturday that Washington and billionaire George Soros were trying to get the left-wing opposition elected using their money, media and networks.
Hungary’s Orban accuses EU, US of meddling in 2022 election | Elections News | Al Jazeera
A Hungarian political outsider with no party affiliation will run against Prime Minister Viktor Orban in next year’s parliamentary election after winning an opposition runoff primary on Sunday.
Small-town conservative Peter Marki-Zay defeated left-wing Klara Dobrev who pledged to support him at the head of an alliance of six opposition parties.
Political outsider to stand against Orban in Hungary’s 2022 vote | Elections News | Al Jazeera
Chinese telecommunications equipment giant Huawei on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement with Hungary’s East-West Intermodal Logistics and British telecommunications operator Vodafone, in a joint effort to build Europe’s first smart railway hub managed by a 5G private network to be empowered by Huawei.
Hungary to build Europe’s first 5G smart railway port together with Huawei – Global Times
Gazprom has initiated natural gas supplies to Hungary and Croatia over the new route using the TurkStream gas pipeline, the Russian gas holding said on Friday.
“Deliveries of Russian natural gas to Hungary and Croatia have started today along the new route – over the TurkStream gas pipeline and downstream using national gas transport systems of Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary,” the company said.
Russia has agreed to give Hungary a five-year delay on payments for the Russian-led expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant south of Budapest, Hungary’s Finance Ministry said on Thursday (29 April).
Hungary wins payment delay on Russian-led nuclear plant project
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced alarm Wednesday (28 April) at a deterioration of press freedom in Hungary and vowed to press Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to respect pluralism.