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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics In The News Israel Israel-Palestine War LGBTQ Plus Society Trump And The World War in Ukraine

Israel Says Iranian Commander Dead, Russian Strikes Kill 14, Ibiza Fright

👋 Salü bisàmme!* Welcome to Tuesday, where Israel and Iran trade more strikes as Trump says he is “looking at better than a ceasefire,” Russian airstrikes kill at least 14 in Kyiv, and tourists in Ibiza are scared to answer today’s quiz question. Meanwhile, Pauline Castellani in French daily Le Figaro takes a deep whiff […]

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Facing Trump And Putin, Europe Requires True Unity — And Courage

Europe’s back is against the wall — Putin’s wall. The meeting in Paris of European leaders who are ready to defend Ukraine in the face of U.S. withdrawal was an opportunity for Europe to rebuild itself to preserve its interests and its honor.

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This Happened

This Happened — October 23: Hungarian Revolution Begins

Updated Oct. 23, 2024 at 11:25 a.m. The Hungarian Revolution started on this day in 1956. What was the Hungarian Revolution of 1956? The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide uprising against the Soviet-backed government of Hungary that began on October 23, 1956, and lasted until November 10, 1956. It was a pivotal […]

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climate change Future Green Society

Can Extreme Weather Flip Views On Climate Change? Fear And Hope From Flooded Poland

Along with much of central Europe, Poland has experienced large scale flooding that has impacted the country’s infrastructure, budget, and sense of safety. Will this tragedy change the way Poles view climate change?

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Geopolitics Ideas

The Rise Of Viktor Orbán, From Europe’s “Weird Uncle” To Trump’s BFF

The Hungarian prime minister has long been known for his conflictual relationship with the European Union. But Viktor Orbán’s recent diplomatic world tour, together with his proximity to Donald Trump, shows that he should not be underestimated.

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Geopolitics

A Far-Right Victory In France Is Simply Europe’s Worst-Case Scenario

France’s European partners fear the outcome of the upcoming snap legislative elections and its consequences for the EU. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for the victory of a party “other than Marine Le Pen’s,” a sign of this growing concern.

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Geopolitics

A Bridge To Russia — And More Railroads? Why Xi Jinping Chose Hungary And Serbia

By visiting Serbia and Hungary, two countries that will soon be linked by a railroad built and financed by China, Xi Jinping is showing that he has not given up on cultivating special friendships on the continent, even if it undermines relations with Europe’s more influential leaders.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

Orbán-Trump: A Fresh Warning From Hungary On The Risk Of Authoritarianism

A former member of the Hungarian Parliament warns the U.S. about the potential re-election of Donald Trump, which could mirror Hungary’s slide toward authoritarianism under strongman Viktor Orbán, as the two meet in Florida.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Why The “Orban Question” Runs Far Beyond His Negotiating Tricks

The future of Ukraine may be at stake as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban plays hardball with his European counterparts. But the stakes go beyond aid to the war effort, it’s the very status of Europe that is on the line.

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Geopolitics

After Pro-Democracy Surge In Poland, Is Viktor Orban’s Hungary Next?

In its latest parliamentary elections, Poland opted to oust the ruling party, PiS, from power. Now will Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, a victim of democratic backsliding, be able to do the same. Political scientist and economist Bálint Madlovics and sociologist and former Hungarian Parliamentarian Bálint Magyar investigate.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Pride Or Politics? Why Poland Suddenly Turned Its Back On Ukraine

Poland has taken President Zelensky’s criticism at the UN very badly, and has decided to not supply new arms to Ukraine. One man in the Kremlin couldn’t be more pleased.

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Russia-Ukraine War

No Compromise: What’s Driving Poland’s New Hard Line On Russia

“We are realists, and therefore we do not believe in the possibility of a compromise between freedom and slavery…” Poland’s foreign minister has outlined what the country’s foreign strategy will look like in the coming years, built on support of Ukraine and steadfast resistance to the Russian aggressors.

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Food / Travel Society

A Female Winemaking Revolution Breathes New Life Into Hungary’s Historic Vineyards

For centuries, the region of Tokaj in Hungary was known for its intensely sweet dessert wines. Now female winemakers are making waves in what was formerly a man’s world, producing more elegant wines that appeal to a European palate.

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Economy Russia-Ukraine War

Poland’s Ban On Ukrainian Agriculture Must Not Stand

Poland’s unilateral decision to ban imports of Ukraine’s agricultural products, in violation of EU agreements, has caused shock among Ukrainians. Nazar Bobytsky, head of the Ukrainian office of the Polish Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers, says Brussels must show Kyiv it is serious about Ukraine joining the EU.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

How Viktor Orban Weighs On Ethnic Hungarians In Ukraine

A visit to the Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia, which borders Hungary and is home to about 150,000 Hungarian-Ukrainians, where the pro-Russian stance of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is wreaking havoc.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

What The West Gets Wrong About Orbán’s Stance On Russia

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán appears to be courting Vladimir Putin, and turning his back on the EU. There is a clear strategy behind his rhetoric — but it is not any personal affinity for Russia.

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In The News

Viktor Orbán May Be Far More Vulnerable Than You Think

Orbán’s Fidesz party won an unprecedented fourth term last April. However, even as the prime minister consolidates his power, he faces growing opposition at home. Teachers are protesting, inflation is rising, and Orbán’s blaming his favorite target, the EU, is wearing thin.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Bulgaria And Hungary: Risks Of A Pro-Russian Alliance Inside The EU

Bulgaria had sworn off Russian gas imports, but then its government collapsed. Now pro-Russian politicians are in power, which for the European Union means there is much more at stake than just energy supply.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Poland Renews Alliance With Orban — Putin May Be Next

After having announced Poland’s rupture with Hungary, Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki has reversed course. It is a sign that Poland’s ruling conservative government may be ready to bet on an alliance with Moscow.

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Geopolitics

In The Balkans, Russia Is Already Busy Rekindling The Ugly Past

Even with no end in sight to the war in Ukraine, Russia may be plotting to destabilize the Balkans by the end of this year. The target? Bosnia and Herzegovina, which may be already close to splitting.

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In The News

Viktor Orbán, Putin’s Trojan Horse In Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is trying to keep the EU and NATO happy without upsetting Vladimir Putin. The war in Ukraine has upped the stakes in Hungary, where tense elections are just a few weeks away.

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In The News

How Europe Can Avoid Viktor Orbán’s Trap, And Save Its Soul

If Europe is to stand firm against Viktor Orbán’s illiberal and anti-establishment policies, scapegoating him or excluding him from the EU risks consolidating his hold over his fellow citizens

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Geopolitics Ideas

The Hate And Cynicism Of Orban’s Anti-LGBT Law

The EU parliament has passed a resolution that condemns Hungary’s anti-LGBT law and could allow them to initiate legal action against the Hungarian government. The potentially life-threatening consequences of the law are already clear.

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In The News

Budapest or Bucharest? A Tale Of Very Lost French Soccer Fans

Let’s be honest, as European capital names go, Budapest (Hungary) and Bucharest (Romania) are pretty similar. It’s even slightly closer in French: Budapest and Bucarest. Still, for six French football fans who wanted to watch last week’s France v. Hungary match live, we can only wonder how this geographic blooper could have gone this far. […]

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Geopolitics Society

Viktor Orban, Xi Jinping And A Simple Question For The West

The basic precepts of democracy, recently on the line in Washington, have long been discarded by Europe Union member country Hungary. But is anyone pure on such questions these days?

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Geopolitics

George Soros’ 20th Century History Lessons For Viktor Orban

The European Court of Justice has squashed the law that forced George Soros and his Central European University (CEU) to leave Budapest. It brought up ghosts from near and distant pasts.

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In The News

The Latest: AMLO & COVID, Rescued Miners, Godzilla v. Kong

Welcome to Monday, where AMLO gets COVID, Chinese miners are rescued, and King Kong finds a worthy opponent. Les Echos also takes us to Syria, where coronavirus and a crumbling economy are wreaking havoc in a country already devastated by 10 years of civil war. Viktor Orban, Xi Jinping and a simple question for the […]

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In The News

Salvini v. Macron: A Battle For The Soul Of Europe

The French president is the populist Italian Interior Minister’s favorite target. But is Salvini attacking Macron to mask his own failure to unite Europe’s nationalists?

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In The News

Viktor From The East: Beware The Orbanization Of Europe

-OpEd- Viktor Orban was beaming on the evening of his victory this past weekend, which brought him his fourth term as Prime Minister. The Hungarian loves the taste of success. But what he loves, even more, is to triumph over those whom he believes feel superior to him. This says much about a Hungarian inferiority […]

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In The News

Steppe Into The Spotlight

In the puszta grassland valley of eastern Hungary, this csikós wrangler was just warming up before performing an incredible stunt show on galloping horses.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Austria-Hungary And Far-Right Echoes Of History

-Analysis- Is this the “return of Austria-Hungary”? Following the formation of the new right-wing government in Vienna, acknowledging the like-minded leadership next door in Budapest is a legitimate point — even if imagining the Austro-Hungarian empire rising from the ashes seems far-fetched. It’s also worth noting that this provocative historical analogy, as reported by Berlin-based […]

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In The News

Goodbye, Hungarian Plague

The twisted Trinity Column in Sopron, northwestern Hungary, is what they call a “plague pillar.” It was erected to give thanks, in the late 17th century, for the end of one of the various recurrences of the Black Death that struck central Europe over the years.

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In The News

Reverse Migration? Germans Move To Orban’s Hungary To Flee Immigrants

Up close with some of the growing numbers of Germans settling in Hungary, a country that has shut out refugees from the Middle East.

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In The News

Liberty v. Nation, Anatomy Of Europe’s Democratic Recession

-OpEd- PARIS — “The era of multiculturalism is over …” This was the proud declaration of Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, back in the summer of 2015. One year later, Theresa May, the new British prime minister, took it one step further: “If you believe you are a citizen of the world, you’re […]

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Geopolitics Ideas

How Orban Is Trying To Take Europe Away From Merkel

Viktor Orban is the only leader in the European Union who has benefited from the refugees crisis. But his ambitions know no boundaries.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Orban’s Law: When National Identity Is Warped By Fear Of The Other

Who are we? A referendum in Hungary raises fundamental questions in the West about how the fear of otherness turns culture into a weapon in the hands of populists.

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blog

Orban’s Law, National Identity As Fear

That disturbingly flexible phrase “fear of the other” appears to be driving electoral politics around the world right now. Perhaps the intellectual center can be found in central Europe, specifically Viktor Orban’s Hungary. Since taking office in 2010, the smooth-talking right-wing prime minister has been a singular voice for those who see the West as […]

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blog

August 20

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blog

Portugal Celebrates Soccer Victory On Front Page

Jornal de Notícias, July 11th “IT’S OURS!” reads Monday’s front page of Lisbon daily Jornal de Notícias, featuring Portugal’s national soccer team celebrating their victory at the Euro 2016 tournament, with coach Fernando Santos lifting the cup. Claiming its first ever European title, Portugal beat host country France 1-0 at Paris’s Stade de France, on […]

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blog

June 27

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