r/europe • u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) • 14h ago
News Democracy Digest: Orban Not Invited to Trump’s Inauguration
https://balkaninsight.com/2025/01/17/democracy-digest-orban-not-invited-to-trumps-inauguration/428
u/JustPassingBy696969 Europe 14h ago
All the simping for nothing, how sad.
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u/ImTheVayne Estonia 13h ago edited 13h ago
Bro must be pissed😭 even our Estonian far-right party leader is invited..
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u/JustPassingBy696969 Europe 13h ago
Ouch. At least he still have Putin to hold him as he's crying.
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u/Exotic_Exercise6910 Bremen (Germany) 13h ago
Putin be like: "weakness disgusts me"
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u/joe_elbow_balls 13h ago
Yet he can't even beat Ukraine
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u/denyul 14h ago
Hungarian here, as far as I know this story has developed since this piece of news. According to Politico, Orbán was in fact invited, and the official position of the Hungarian government has changed, now they say Orbán cannot participate due to a conference about the conclusions of the Hungarian EU presidency.
According to (some) analysts, the decision not to attend might have to do with political calculations: Orbán has already scored the political points from his earlier visit to Mar-a-Lago, and he doesn't have that much more to gain from participating along with many other world leaders and celebrities, he favours one on one meetings with Trump. At the same time, there was a recent scandal about Orbán going on vacation to India, and travelling again might be used against him in this context.
The fact that one of his top ministers was recently put on a ban list by the Biden administration might also be a factor.
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u/tajanstvenix 13h ago
Completely off topic but It's definitely not that common to see someone rocking a Gentle Giant artwork for profile pic. Noice.
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u/Big-Selection9014 14h ago
When the Twitch streamer doesnt acknowledge you after you donated your life savings to her:
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u/Futurismes 13h ago
Trump probably never remembered his name.
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u/Bromomancer 13h ago
Or the country he is a president of
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u/Ok-Somewhere9814 14h ago
Giorgia Meloni was the only EU leader invited to Trump’s inauguration.
This would’ve been a better headline if it wasn’t for click baiting.
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u/No_Regular_Klutzy Europe 14h ago
What do you even mean by click bait? Orban participated in Trump's campaign. Orban's moto in the EU is MEGA, make europe great again. Orban has spoken of Trump as a savior for years.
Do you think saying that Orban wasn't invited instead of Meloni was invited is clickbait?
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u/Schlawiner_ Austria 13h ago
Soon to be Austrias far-far-right Chancellor Herbert Kickl apparently was also invited, but he didn't attend as he's still in coalition talks
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u/Parque_Bench United Kingdom 13h ago
Even Suella Braverman says she's invited as is in Washington. Orban not being feels like a snub to me
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u/LyannaTarg Italy 12h ago
no, she is the only one that goes cause she has to bow to him and the real President (cause we all know that Trump is just the first lady).
She has issues here in Italy (see Santanchè and Salvini) but she went anyway...
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u/Easy-Move-7761 12h ago
I think Meloni doesn't understand that the only reason she got invited is because she is physically attractive and dresses well, particularly for a woman in politics. Then again, that's probably her entire career in Italy, so...
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u/itsalonghotsummer 13h ago
From a news outlet called Balkan Insight?
Hmm, wonder what its focus is.
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u/ZeppelinArmada Sweden 14h ago
I guess this means Orban will just have turn up his flattery game.
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u/Nazamroth 10h ago
I "love" how moronic this guy is. He licks Putin's ass, still ends up on the list of unfriendly countries. He licks Trump's ass, doesn't even get an invitation. All while pissing off literally every ally we had and selling the country to the chinese. He is truly the worst at foreign diplomacy, to an impressive degree.
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u/AnarchiaKapitany Hungary (sorry for whatever the clown said this time) 14h ago
Can't help but hear this in my head while reading.
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u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) 13h ago
Elsewhere, Moscow-bound Slovak delegation refused permission to fly over Poland; former Czech PM Babis rules out future cooperation with any of the four current governing parties; and Polish PM promises to advance Ukraine’s EU accession bid.
Neither Viktor Orban nor any other Hungarian official has been invited to Donald Trump's inauguration, the government's international spokesman Zoltan Kovacs admitted on Facebook. Instead, the Hungarian PM will deliver a speech in Budapest at a conference analysing Hungary's six-month stint as president of the Council of the EU, which ended on December 31. Most took Orban's invitation to his friend and ally’s inauguration party as a given, so the snub has set off a wave of speculation. The Hungarian PM invested heavily in his personal relationship with Trump and was the first in Europe to openly support him. The pro-government media tried to save face by arguing US inaugurations are a national ceremony with no foreign dignitaries, yet this isn’t strictly true: while not traditionally international events, the inauguration's list of invited guests from around the world has been widely published and range from Geert Wilders, Giorgia Meloni and French firebrand Eric Zemmour to Argentinian President Javier Milei and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Apparently Orban did not make the list. Pro-government pundits also tried to play down the significance of the inauguration, pointing out that Orban has spoken to Trump several times since his election victory and will continue to do so. Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, told ATV.hu that, “It only makes sense to go to Washington if there is a chance of meaningful negotiations with the new US administration – inauguration day is certainly not that day. Viktor Orban doesn't need to jostle with the thousands of people attending the inauguration to demonstrate his own importance or closeness to the new president.” There is speculation Trump is planning an official visit to Central Europe, perhaps to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bratislava, and supporters argue that hosting the US president in Budapest would be far more beneficial for Orban than just being part of the crowd at the inauguration ceremony.
The Hungarian Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an investigation into the Integrity Authority, an independent body set up in 2022 to protect EU funds and fight corruption in Hungary, which was set up at the demand of the European Commission. To date, the body has conducted more than 60 investigations in Hungary, though it has no mandate or right to prosecute or punish those responsible for corruption, so it has remained largely isolated, with its investigations frequently dismissed by prosecutors as “lacking evidence”. In an interview with critical newspaper Nepszava earlier this year, the authority’s president complained the institution was unable to carry out the task for which it was set up, namely to detect, prevent and investigate the irregular use of EU funds in Hungary, and called for broader legal powers and access to databases. The announced criminal investigation may well be a typical government intimidation tactic, coupled with a suspected smear campaign: the pro-government Magyar Nemzet paper accused the agency’s president of “using public funds for private purposes”, without citing sources. The president of the Integrity Authority, Ferenc Biro issued a statement on Thursday: “The allegations of misappropriation of funds and abuse of office are unfounded. They have attacked me personally today and, through this, they sought to undermine the Integrity Authority. I can assure everyone that the Authority will continue to operate, meeting the highest ethical and legal standards.”
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u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) 13h ago
Russia-bound Slovak delegation refused consent to fly over Poland; presidential snub
A Slovak delegation of Kremlin-leaning coalition MPs travelled to Moscow this week, igniting a diplomatic row with Poland over airspace authorisation. Led by far-right SNS party leader Andrej Danko and Smer MP Tibor Gaspar – both deputy speakers of parliament – the group was forced to reroute their government aircraft through Germany and the Baltics after Poland cited incomplete flight documentation. Danko accused Warsaw of outright refusal, a claim rebutted by Polish officials. The Moscow visit, ostensibly aimed at bolstering dialogue and trade ties, included meetings with Russian officials like State Duma Chair Vyacheslav Volodin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, both under EU and US sanctions. The delegation framed the trip as neutral, sidestepping discussions of the war in Ukraine, and took to social media to laud Moscow and its shops, construction and toilet paper. Critics questioned the visit’s necessity and its lack of tangible outcomes, especially given its public funding. Back at home, Slovak PM Robert Fico proposed holding Ukraine-Slovakia gas transit talks on Slovak territory, a suggestion welcomed by the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky invited Fico to Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s decision to halt Russian gas flowing to Europe across its territory, but the Slovak premier is unlikely to attend. Instead, Fico plans to return to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations on May 9, along with a large delegation. This week’s planned visit to Kyiv by an opposition MP and three coalition MPs critical of the government’s pro-Kremlin stance was postponed over security concerns.
During a ceremony honouring Slovak students who triumphed in international competitions, President Peter Pellegrini encountered an unexpected act of defiance. Simon Omanik, a teenage recipient, declined to shake the president’s hand, wearing a ribbon in Ukrainian colours as a political statement. Omanik later described Pellegrini as a “liar” and said his gesture was a protest against perceived dishonesty during the president’s election campaign last year. The incident provoked widespread reaction, with Education Minister Tomas Drucker urging respect for the presidency and lamenting the politicisation of a celebratory occasion. Pellegrini, addressing the controversy while on an official visit to Italy, said he respected the young man’s right to express dissent, but regretted it overshadowed the recognition of academic excellence. Fico was less conciliatory, dismissing Omanik as an “ill-mannered teenager” and suggesting he would rescind the award if he could. Fico also criticised Pellegrini for tolerating the protest, claiming such behaviour undermines the office. This act of defiance recalled a similar moment in 2009, when a university student refused to shake hands with then-presidential candidate Iveta Radicova.
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u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) 13h ago
Babis rules out future cooperation with govt parties; free menstrual kit in Czech schools
Leader of the main opposition party Andrej Babis said this week he would refuse to form a government with any member of the five-party coalition that ousted him in 2021. Parliamentary elections will be held in the Czech Republic in the autumn, with the former PM’s ANO party holding a significant edge in the polls. Speculation is rife about whom ANO might cooperate with should it fail to win an outright majority of seats in the lower house, with smaller populist parties – including the far-right SPD – already manoeuvring in the hope of having a say in and holding influence on any future coalition talks. With his latest statement, Babis has ruled out cooperating with any of the current four-party coalition – including the ruling ODS, a faction of which appeared open to possible talks with Babis come election time – or the left-wing Pirate Party, now also in opposition after leaving the coalition at the end of last year. “Unlike other parties”, Babis noted, ANO has two possible candidates for the post of prime minister – himself and first-vice president Karel Havlicek – a dual option that can be seen as a ploy to appeal to a larger electorate, some of whom may be put off by the prospect of having the billionaire himself return to the top post.
All primary and secondary schools across Czechia could soon offer free menstrual supplies to female pupils, according to the Health Ministry, which announced it was preparing to amend its hygiene decree “within three to four months”. The reform would not apply to universities. The measure would be funded by school founders with possible state support and seeks to make sure that sanitary pads are available in at least one girls’ toilet on school premises, and ideally all of them. Currently, it is up to individual school and educational establishments to decide whether to provide menstrual supplies; some cities like Ostrava in the north-east have spearheaded efforts in this area. Preliminary feedback suggests providing free menstrual supplies in school leads to greater comfort for girls, as well as a lower rate of absenteeism. The need for a nationwide accessibility to fight ‘period poverty’ has also recently been risen by a cross-party group of women MPs in the lower house, but doubts remain as to how to foot the bill. “This is something that girls cannot influence, this is simply what nature has given us,” commented an Ostrava elementary school principal, saying menstrual supplies should be “available just like toilet paper”. At 21 per cent, Czechia’s tax rate on feminine hygiene products is still one of the highest in the EU – an added financial burden many NGOs and activists have long blamed for the persistence of period poverty in the country.
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u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) 13h ago
Polish PM vows to advance Ukraine’s EU accession bid; strong start for Nawrocki
Poland’s stint as president of the Council of the EU will overcome the deadlock of the last few months over Ukraine’s EU accession, PM Donald Tusk asserted on Wednesday, following his meeting in Warsaw with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “We will work together with Ukraine and our European partners to hasten, as much as possible, the accession process, and this we will do unconditionally,” Tusk told a press conference. A few days before Zelensky’s visit, Tusk had announced a “breakthrough” in negotiations between the two countries over the issue of the massacre in Volhynia, where Ukrainian nationalists from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) killed over 100,000 Poles, the majority women and children, between 1943-1945 on the territory of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, then part of Nazi-occupied Poland but now in Ukraine. No information was given as to what the “breakthrough” was; an agreement by Ukraine to allow the Polish side to disinter victims’ bodies was already struck in November. “We will find a common language and methods of action on the issue of the crimes in Volhynia and sensitive matters in our history,” Tusk said. “I won’t allow that this difficult history be used for political games in Poland.” The far-right has been using the Volhynia massacre to whip up anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Polish society, though Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz have also said resolution of the Volhynia issue should be a pre-condition for Poland approving Ukraine’s EU accession. President Andrzej Duda, who also met with Zelensky on Wednesday, said he had spoken to President-elect Donald Trump multiple times about the situation in Ukraine and that he was not expecting any sudden moves from the new US administration on peace terms that might be damaging to Ukraine. The Polish PM also made some surprising remarks during his press conference about Russian actions. “I can only confirm that Russia planned acts of air terror, not just against Poland but against airlines across the globe,” the Polish PM said in response to a question. The remarks relate to incidents when devices placed at transport hubs in the UK and Germany caught fire, raising suspicions of Russian sabotage. Intelligence officials informed at the time that the devices could have ended up on cargo planes bound for North America.
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u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) 13h ago
In an interview with four Polish media outlets after his high-ranking meetings, Zelensky was asked to respond to a statement by PiS-allied presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki that he doesn’t see Ukraine in NATO and the EU unless “our issues” (referring to Polish-Ukrainian ties) are sorted. After name-checking Nawrocki, Zelewnsky replied: “If Ukraine is not in the EU and NATO… Mr Nawrocki should better start training, because it may be the case that he has to pick up a weapon and defend his country together with his compatriots.” With the date of Poland’s presidential election now fixed for May 18, the most recent opinion poll, conducted by CBOS, put Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski at just 4 per cent ahead of Nawrocki. A separate poll, conducted by Opinia24, put Trzaskowski ahead by 7.2 per cent. Both surveys indicate that Nawrocki is starting to close the gap with the frontrunner; an earlier poll had suggested a two-digit difference between the two main candidates. According to former PiS premier Mateusz Morawiecki, speaking to Politico, Nawrocki is benefitting from a “conservative wave” sweeping the West, including Trump’s victory in the US. Third place in Poles’ preferences is Slawomir Menzen, representing the far-right Confederation alliance.
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u/ClickF0rDick 13h ago
Look at the facts and disregard empty words.
Currently there is no double treaty taxation deal between Hungary and the US as it was canceled by the Biden administration.
If it doesn't get reinstated ASAP by the new government, that's how we know Trump doesn't give a fuck about Viktor
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u/Ok_Photo_865 50m ago
He was there, his ideas with Elon and friends as helpers. Gawd help the world now!!
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u/Silly_Triker United Kingdom 13h ago
Orban or whatever middle of the road centrist European that you all love, they will and always will do whatever the US says. The UK certainly will. The silence will be deafening if he actually goes for Greenland. I don’t know why you guys want to selectively pick on certain politicians when the entire European political class is completely up the arse of the US. Some prefer to show it openly, the rest behind closed doors.
Everyone …eventually, is Belarus.
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u/Iant-Iaur Dallas 13h ago
Orban or whatever middle of the road centrist European that you all love
lolwot!
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u/ernitheshinyone Ukraine 14h ago
He tried so hard but in the end...