“Neo liberalism is not popular but it is more important than bankruptcy’, that was the stinging theme that ran throughout of Polish Minister for Finance Jacek Rostowski speech on European Governance and the Financial crises at Central European University, Budapest April 7. Rowstowski, in Budapest for a two-day summit to discuss, among other things, the [...]

A report released last month titled ‘’Caught in the middle: Central and Eastern European Journalism at a Crossroads’’ offered a very somber picture of the state of the media in the Central and Eastern European region.  (The report can be accessed here http://www.ellenhume.com/articles/CIMA-Central_and_Eastern_Europe-Report_4.pdf and I’d recommend those with an interest  media in the region to [...]

Tuesday (Jan. 15) marked the 20th anniversary of the Visegrad group’s (VG) founding and the mood at the ‘’ 20 years of former Visegrad Co-operation’ Conference in Budapest was overall very positive as ambassadors and former foreign affairs ministers from all four Visegrad states spoke of an organization that has had its ups and downs [...]

It’s been quite a month but the hullaballoo over Hungary’s controversial media reforms  now seems certain to be entering its appeasement phase after Hungary indicated its willingness to compromise on certain controversial aspects of the law earlier this week. Jonathan Todd a spokesperson for the EU’s Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that Ms. Kroes [...]

This week an editorial featured in the Washington Post speaks about the ‘’Putinization’’ of Hungary. Admittedly while comparing Hungary to Russia is going too far, Hungary is a one party state where the checks and balances of democracy are one by one gradually being dismantled. Thus maybe it is time for Brussels to send a [...]

The Hungarian EU presidency is upon us and the official website launched Monday ( Dec. 20) can be accessed here http://www.eu2011.hu/. Away from the offical business how the International Media looks at the increasing centralisation of power under the Fidesz government is sure to interesting. This week the Economist kicked things off with quite a [...]

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will attend the Eastern partnership (EaP) summit between the European Union and its partners Hungarian Foreign State secretary Zsolt Nemeth confirmed in Brussels on Tuesday. The summit which will be held in Budapest is a follow on to the opening summit that was held in Prague last year during [...]

As the reverberations of the latest Wikileaks release continue around the globe German news agency Der Spiegel revealed that out of the massive 251, 287 diplomatic cables that were sent by the United States embassies, consultants and outposts around the world, they have received 734 documents related to Hungary However the magazine as of yet [...]

As reported in the Prague Post back at the beginning of the month, Fidesz have followed through with their plans to curb the Constitutional Court. Late last week (Nov. 22) President Pal Schmitt signed into law a 98% tax on severance payments in addition to amendments that will curb the power of the Constitutional Court [...]

With Hungary due to take the EU Presidency in almost six weeks preparations are nearing their final countdown. One of the top priorities outlined by the Fidesz government has been given to energy security. Earlier this week it was revealed that a key European Council energy meeting will take place between EU heads of state [...]