by fnfeurope

Orbán’s Move Towards Putin 

For the seventh time since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

 

Hungary’s national conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is one of the most vocal critics of Western sanctions against Russia. The relationship between the two countries has a strong economic foundation, especially in the form of a gas supply contract. On the 30th of October Hungary and Russia signed several agreements on social security, sport and the economy during a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Budapest. According to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, the consultations with Moscow did not jeopardise Hungary’s loyalty to its NATO and EU partners. How is the EU dealing with these split tendencies? Continue reading →

by fnfeurope

Why Brexit Will Not Happen and How the EP Might Help 

As seen on The Parliament Magazine 19th October

 

As the results of the UK’s 2016 referendum came in, my strong sense was – and remains – that Brexit will not happen. To confirm such a sentiment in a week in which Boris Johnson may triumph at the European Council might appear to invite ridicule. Yet the fundamentals remain unchanged. Continue reading →

by fnfeurope

A Government that Stays 

The Law and Justice Party won the elections in Poland. The opposition is in crisis.

Most observers had expected it: The national-conservative government of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice, or PiS for short) has been clearly confirmed in office. According to the latest projections, PiS’s share of the vote rose from 37.6 per cent in 2015 to 44.57 per cent. It owes this not only to its extremely rude but very skilful election campaign strategy, but above all to the weakness of the opposition. Continue reading →

by fnfeurope

[Update] Team Lineup in Brussels – Ursula von der Leyen Presents New Commission 

“Nothing is decided until everything is decided”, is a common motto in European Brussels. The new Commission is already casting its shadows, even if the handover of the Commission baton will not officially take place until the end of October. That is how long the old EU Commission under Jean-Claude Juncker will remain in office. Nevertheless, the new team is already in the starting blocks, led by the designated Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Will she be able to keep her promise of parity and who was nominated by Europe’s Liberals? Continue reading →

by fnfeurope

Call for Papers: “Europe: Liberalism vs. Authoritarianism”

 

 

Download the pdf version here.

 

Authoritarian inspired public policies and legislation stand in contradiction to values and norms adhering to strong rule of law institutions, protected individual rights and freedoms, and limited government. However, sympathies and support for the authoritarianism among both public figures and public across Europe are spreading and growing. The next issue of The Visio Journal shall explore the question of whether liberalism is able to stand its ground against the backdrop of increasingly present authoritarianism in Europe. Continue reading →