London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

EU determined to uphold rule of law following Orban's re-election

EU determined to uphold rule of law following Orban's re-election

Hungary's Justice Minister had urged the bloc not to create division amid the war in Ukraine.
The European Union has said it is determined to uphold the rule of law principle in a dispute with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said the bloc must still "protect minorities" in Hungary following this month's election.

Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga had earlier said that Orban's "overwhelming" victory proved that voters, "do not share the EU's concerns" about the rule of law.

Varga had also urged the EU not to "create divisions" amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But the EU Commissioner reiterated that Brussels would support Hungarian minorities even if a democratically-elected government "acts against our values".

"The rule of law also means limiting the possibility for the authorities of a Member State, even if supported by a large majority in Parliament [and] a large majority among the population," Reynders said.

The European Commission launched infringement proceedings against Budapest last July over a controversial law that bans the discussion of "gender reassignment and homosexuality" among children.

Brussels has also expressed concern over the independence of the judiciary and media freedoms in Hungary.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced earlier this month that EU funds to Hungary could be suspended due to rule of law violations.

On Tuesday, Hungary's justice minister said the EU should avoid dividing itself on the rule of law while war rages on its doorstep.

"In these very difficult times we must show solidarity," Varga told reporters before a meeting in Luxembourg.

"We should focus on the issues that unite us rather than on those that create divisions," she added.

"[Hungary] is always open to any kind of European dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect and without partisan approaches".

Following his electoral victory on 3 April, Orbán stated that he wants to put an end to the EU split over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Hungary, alone among Ukraine’s EU neighbours, has refused to supply the embattled country with weapons and has not allowed their transfer across the Hungarian-Ukrainian border.

Orbán — who has condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine but avoided mentioning Putin by name — has also lobbied strongly against spreading EU sanctions against Moscow to Russian energy imports, on which Hungary is heavily reliant.

His stance has led to strong criticism from the EU, including from a strong ally in Poland.

Jaroslaw Kaczyński -- the leader of Poland's ruling conservative party -- surprised journalists by stating that Orbán's attitude toward the war in Ukraine was “very sad” and a “disappointment.”

In an address to EU leaders at the end of March, Zelenskyy told Orbán that “you must decide for yourself who you are with.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×