London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Hungary sick of West’s criticism: Foreign minister

Hungary sick of West’s criticism: Foreign minister

Hungary is sick of Western critique, the country’s foreign minister has said.
In an interview with the AP, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the West’s criticism of democratic and cultural issues in Hungary hampers cooperation, especially on NATO and Russia.

Budapest and Brussels have crossed swords on several issues in recent years, with the ruling far-right Fidesz party accused of taking an authoritarian turn, misusing EU funds and subverting the bloc’s policy towards the Ukraine war.

On Friday, Szijjarto said Hungary has not voted on whether to allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO because Hungarian lawmakers are fed up with their comments about its domestic affairs.

Hungarian MPs plan to vote in favor of Finland’s request to join the Western military alliance next week, despite “serious concerns” about the “very disrespectful behavior of the political elites” in Helsinki and Stockholm, he said.

“You know, when Finnish and Swedish politicians question the democratic nature of our political system, that’s really unacceptable.”

The foreign minister said it was hard to predict when Sweden’s membership would be approved.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Nordic pair launched bids to join NATO. They have so far struggled to be accepted, with all 30 members having to first agree.

Only Hungary and Turkey have resisted letting them in.

The EU, which includes 21 NATO countries, has frozen billions in funds to Budapest, accusing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban of eroding media freedom and rights.

Meanwhile, his government been condemned for allowing rampant corruption and coopting state institutions.

In a resolution, MEPs said Hungary had become “a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” under Orban, which was undermining the EU’s fundamental values.

Criticism like this made it hard for Hungary to support Finland and Sweden’s bids to join NATO, Szijjarto said. Skeptics insist Hungary has simply been trying to win lucrative concessions.

Amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Szijjártó said his country’s advocacy of peace does not mean allowing Russia to keep territory it currently controls.

“You know, stopping the war and sitting around the table does not mean that you accept the status quo,” he said.

“When the war stops and the peace talks start, it’s not necessary that the borders would be where the front lines are. We know this from our own history as well ... Cease-fire has to come now.”

In March, Orban said his country would stay out of the Russia-Ukraine war and continue to veto sanctions that harm Budapest’s interests.

Hungary, bordering Ukraine, has taken a different approach towards the war than the EU.

It has blocked arms shipments to Ukraine from its territory, struck energy deals with Moscow, though Budapest and given humanitarian aid to Kyiv and accepted a large number of refugees.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×