By UME
Hungary
- On the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reiterated that Hungary’s anti-pedophile law is not about homosexuality in general. He recalled that under the Communist regime, which he fought against as a teenager, “homosexuality was punished and I fought for the freedom and rights” of homosexuals. So I defend the rights of homosexuals, but that’s not what this law is about […] It is a law for the protection of children and parents […] the law protecting the right of parents to decide on the sexual upbringing of their children […] And the task of the state is to create the conditions for parents to exercise these rights. “
- According to a poll by the Nézőpont Institute published this Monday 28 by Mandiner magazine, 50% of Hungarians want Viktor Orbán to remain prime minister after the next parliamentary elections, compared with 18% who want the Hungarian government from the current one Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony. These numbers have remained stable for several weeks, despite an intense campaign by the capital’s mayor seeking to become the opposition’s only candidate.
- After the passing of the Hungarian anti-pedophilia law, which further irritated Brussels circles, MEPs from the liberal group Renew Europa sent a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, calling on them not to approve the economic stimulus plan for Hungary, which, according to the figures adopted by the Commission, would be entitled to EUR 8.1 billion in grants and EUR 7.1 billion in loans.
- In a letter to the director of government affairs at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, reported by the Jerusalem Post on Sunday June 27, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced that Hungary would not participate in the World Conference on Racism Durban, South Africa, will attend, a meeting that usually leads to anti-Semitic demonstrations : “The Hungarian government has a policy of zero tolerance against anti-Semitism and is fully committed to ensuring the safety of the Jewish people, a position we have in international forums defend consistently […] In this sense, Hungary does not support the Durban Process. “
- On Tuesday, June 29th, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received his Slovakian counterpart Eduard Heger in the Carmelite monastery in the Buda Castle District, a meeting which provided the opportunity to highlight the excellent relations between Budapest and Bratislava.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó received the President of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Sahiba Gafarova, on June 29th. Szijjártó emphasized the important role that Azerbaijan will play in the near future for Europe’s energy supply.
- In a letter to its students, the Loránd Eötvös University of Budapest announced that they must be vaccinated against Covid in order to attend classes in September: “Dear students! The Faculty of Social Sciences of Loránd Eötvös University will try to resume classroom teaching as much as possible in the autumn semester of the academic year 2021/22. This requires our students to be protected from Covid-19. I therefore call for covid-19 vaccination to be carried out as soon as possible if this has not already happened. ” “Since the safety of students and staff is an important concern for Loránd Eötvös University, the Epidemiological Operative Coordination Unit (JOKT) strongly recommends all professors and students to register for vaccination.” [… ] A lack of vaccination protection alone does not entitle students to an exceptional course of study that offers the possibility of distance learning and university employees to work from home. In other words, unvaccinated teachers would no longer be able to do their job, unvaccinated students would not be able to continue their studies.
Poland
- The passage by the Polish Parliament on Thursday 24 June of a law restricting claims for the restitution of property resulting from expropriations during the Second World War has helped to rekindle the controversy between Poland and Israel on this issue. The Israeli Embassy in Warsaw reacted quickly: “The current amendment to the bill will essentially prevent the restitution of Jewish property or the assertion of financial compensation by Holocaust survivors, their descendants and the Jewish community for which Poland has been home for centuries. It is incomprehensible […] This immoral law will undermine relations between our countries. An unfounded polemic for Krzysztof Bosak (Konfederacja), who reminds us that “in the absence of heirs of a particular Polish citizen, the property belongs to the State and not to you “[Israel, ed. ] Polish Deputy Justice Minister Sebastian Kaleta put it in a nutshell in an interview with the conservative magazine wPolityce: “The draft law aims to shorten the deadline for filing compensation claims. […] For millions of Poles, this will put an end to the period of eternal uncertainty as to whether an heir or an estate administrator will lay claim to their house, school or property “, and believes that” Israel is pursuing a policy of forcing Poland to pay for the property of Polish citizens who have left no descendants and have died as a result of the Holocaust “. , for which Poland is responsible in no way. On this occasion, the President of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), Ronald Lauder, said: ” Jewish applicants have been waiting for decades for justice for their property confiscated or nationalized during the Holocaust or by the Communist government. The current proposal, if adopted, would further harm the Polish Holocaust survivors, who have already suffered greatly. For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (of the centrist yesh Atid party) said: “This law is terribly unfair and shameful, it violates the rights of Holocaust survivors, their heirs and the members of the Jewish communities that have existed in Poland for hundreds of years … This is an unacceptable step, this ‘immoral’ law seriously damages relations between our countries. ” if adopted, would further harm the Polish Holocaust survivors, who have already suffered greatly. For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (of the centrist yesh Atid party) said: “This law is terribly unfair and shameful, it violates the rights of Holocaust survivors, their heirs and the members of the Jewish communities that have existed in Poland for hundreds of years … This is an unacceptable step, this ‘immoral’ law seriously damages relations between our countries. ” if adopted, would further harm the Polish Holocaust survivors, who have already suffered greatly. For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (of the centrist yesh Atid party) said: “This law is terribly unfair and shameful, it violates the rights of Holocaust survivors, their heirs and the members of the Jewish communities that have existed in Poland for hundreds of years … This is an unacceptable step, this ‘immoral’ law seriously damages relations between our countries. “
- The Hungarian anti-pedophile law is not only criticized by its European partners, it is also being imitated. Polish Education Minister Przemyslaw Czarnek, for example, wants a similar law in Poland: “This law states that schooling dealing with sexual issues may not promote sex reassignment surgery or homosexuality […] We should copy these regulations in Poland in their entirety. […] While we respect the rights of people with a different sexual orientation … we must always remember the most important value that must be the best interest of the child in any society “.
- Today, Tuesday 29 June, the European Court of Human Rights sentenced Poland for violating Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights by dismissing judges Alina Bojara and Mariusz Broda at the District Court in Kielce (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship / Holy Cross, in the south of the country) in 2017. The Polish Ministry of Justice responded with a statement stating: “The judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, which calls into question the decision on the dismissal of the Vice-Presidents of the Kielce District Court, issued under Polish law in January 2018, has no substance and is not based on international law and conventions, but is an expression of an unacceptable politicization of the Court. “
- In view of the repeated failure of the candidates proposed by the Sejm for the vacant post of Ombudsman in the Senate, the chairman of the PiS group, Ryszard Terlecki, proposed on Friday 2 July to support the candidacy of Marcin Wiącek, who is close to the opposition, which was endorsed by Jarosław Gowin (Porozumienie), who had previously supported Wiącek’s candidacy.
- In an interview published on Thursday, 1 July, by the magazine wPolityce, MEP Ryszard Legutko (PiS) sharply criticized the behavior of the American chargé d’affaires Bix Aliu: “For some time now we have been able to observe how ambassadors of Western European countries and the United States behave reprehensiblely in Poland. The conduct of the CHARGÉ D’Affaires of the US Embassy confirms the worst anti-American stereotypes, such as arrogance, total disregard for the sensitivities of the country in which one is located, and disregards the rules “, and reminds us in passing that” Poland is a country with one of the lowest number of incidents related to the assault on homosexuals in Europe – there have been 16 such cases [in 2019] , compared to almost 600 in the Netherlands or almost 200 in Germany. “
- On Saturday, July 3, a meeting of the National Council of Civic Platform (OP) took place in Warsaw, which was also attended by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk. According to rumors that have persisted for several weeks, this meeting could herald the imminent return of Donald Tusk to the head of the PO, a prospect that does not seem to suit the mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, the unsuccessful candidate of the PO in the last presidential elections, who is also vying for the leadership of a party that has been in a tailspin since the leadership of Borys Budka. Mr Trzaskowski would even consider leaving the surgery if he loses to Donald Tusk. Nevertheless, the return of Donald Tusk to the top of the PO is not to the liking of the poles. According to a survey conducted by Kantar for TVN on June 24 and 25, 60% of Poles would not be in favor,
- A court in Katowice (Upper Silesia, southern Poland) has acquired restaurant owners who had flouted health regulations imposed on them to close their premises. “The court fully agreed with [our] argument that the prohibition of doing business introduced by the ordinance is unconstitutional,” said one of the restaurant owners involved.
- The Polish government’s vaccination commissioner, Michał Dworczyk, said on Friday (July 2) that more than a million people have registered in less than two days for the lottery related to the anti-Covid vaccination program to win prices ranging from 200 zlotys (€ 44 ) to 300,000 zlotys (€ 66,000) as well as cars.
Slovakia
- On Monday, June 27, the Slovak engineer and university professor Stefan Klein completed a first test flight with his AirCar. He covered the 80 km between Nitra and Bratislava in 25 minutes, at an average speed of 170 km / h. “With today’s flight, we wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of this experimental prototype and prove that the idea behind this means of transport is realistic,” he told the press.
- The Slovak authorities have just launched a lottery to encourage people to get vaccinated against Covid. The concept envisages that among the vaccinated, a prize of two million euros will be drawn every week. In addition, there should be a bonus for people who persuade a relative to vaccinate.
Czech Republic
- When asked by the American television station CNN about the Hungarian anti-pedophile law, Czech President Miloš Zeman replied bluntly: “Viktor Orbán said he was not against homosexuality, but he was also against the manipulation of sexual awakening not only by parents, but also by children. I see no reason to contradict him … When someone undergoes immutable surgery, he is basically committing the sin of self-harm. Every operation is a risk, and these transgender people disgust me.
- After the tornado that devastated several communities in south-eastern Moravia on Thursday 24 June, killing three people and injuring several hundred, the Czech Republic immediately received emergency aid from its Slovak, Austrian and Polish neighbors. “Our fire department will help eliminate the catastrophic consequences of the tornado […] In times like these, we are always there for our neighbors,” said Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš asked for help from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF): “I have asked the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission for help from the European Union’s special funds for the affected communities in South Moravia.”
- Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek announced on Tuesday 29 June the opening of an official representative office of the Belarusian opposition in Prague, which has similar representations in Vilnius and Warsaw: “The Belarusian opposition receives and will continue to receive clear support from the Czech Republic, “Kulhánek said.
- On Tuesday 29 June, Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolek presented Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Zmeyevsky, on behalf of his government, with an official note informing him that the Czech Republic is demanding 650 million crowns (about 26 million euros) from the Russian Federation in reparations for the bomb attack in Vrbětice, which Czech authorities consider to be paid by agents of the Russian secret ienstes was perpetrated. The spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, firmly rejected the Czech Republic’s demand, which she described as “blackmail”. “Usually, those who behave in this way and without trial or evidence, but demand money with the help of threats and insults, are called blackmailers,” she said.
Slovenia
- 3.7 In accordance with the tradition of the countries holding the Presidency of the Council, Slovenia is accepting accredited Brussels correspondents to the EU institutions at the beginning of its PRESIDENCY of the Council of the Eu. They discussed the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency with the highest representatives of the government and got to know Slovenia as a sustainable and safe destination. The 48 foreign journalists were in Slovenia from Wednesday, June 30, to Saturday, July 3, and informed themselves about the program and priorities of the Presidency. They met the Prime Minister and the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Public Administration, Health, Finance and the Economy, as well as the Secretaries of State for Infrastructure and the Environment. In an almost two-hour conversation with journalists, Prime Minister Janez Janša answered all the questions they asked. Among other things, they were informed of the Presidency’s plans for the conference on the future of Europe, for guaranteeing the security of the Union and for integrating the Western Balkans into various European policies.
- 2.7 Former President Danilo Türk once again demonstrated his political duplicity. In Slovenia, he accuses the current government of violating human rights, abusing the rule of law and ‘attacking’ the media, while he himself expresses his support for the Chinese Communist Party, the last major totalitarian political organization, and praises its economic strength. China is known for denying human rights to minorities, censoring the media and exploiting child labor. For example, a few years ago RTV Slovenia reported on Chinese children who earned one cent per toy produced for the production of children’s toys.
- 1.7 Despite the coronavirus epidemic, the Slovenian economy is recovering well from the downturn caused by the closures, as is the case in Europe, with the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia being the most successful countries. The latter currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates and is comparable to that of 2019, when the global economic climate was exceptionally good. In addition, unemployment is approaching a record low in Slovenia’s history, which was lower only in June and September 2019. In May 2021, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 7.9 percent, 0.2 percentage points lower than in the previous month and 0.4 percentage points higher than in May 2020. At 7.3 percent, the unemployment rate in the European Union was slightly lower than in the euro area.
- 1.7. “The beginning of the Presidency coincides with the 30th anniversary of independence. 30 years ago today, we fought for Slovenia’s independence, freedom and European future. It is with great pleasure that we are starting our second EU Presidency,” said acting Prime Minister Janez Janša at a press conference on the first day of slovenia’s EU Presidency.
- 1.7. Today Slovenia takes over the EU Presidency. The six-month presidency, which it will take over from Portugal, will focus on combating and managing the Covid-19 pandemic, strengthening the Union’s resilience to crises and EU enlargement. The presidency will kick off with a European political summit in Slovenia. The European Commission team, led by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has arrived in Slovenia. “I am delighted that we are having the European Commission as our guest in Slovenia today. The opening up of public life throughout Europe is the beginning of physical encounters at European level and we look forward to it,” said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attended the meeting in Brdo and visited the Children ‘ s Hospital in Ljubljana. She praised Slovenia’s recovery plan and assured that the EC supports it. Ursula von den Leyen said at a press conference at the end of the Brdo meeting that it was important that the Janša-led government supports the EC-led recovery plan. Slovenia was also wished a successful presidency by its predecessor, the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. Mr Janša also thanks the German and Portuguese Presidencies for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. He assured: “Recovery, resilience and the strategic autonomy of the EU are also part of our priorities for the next six months.” Ursula von den Leyen said at a press conference at the end of the Brdo meeting that it was important that the Janša-led government supports the EC-led recovery plan. Slovenia was also wished a successful presidency by its predecessor, the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. Mr Janša also thanks the German and Portuguese Presidencies for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. He assured: “Recovery, resilience and the strategic autonomy of the EU are also part of our priorities for the next six months.” Ursula von den Leyen said at a press conference at the end of the Brdo meeting that it was important that the Janša-led government supports the EC-led recovery plan. Slovenia was also wished a successful presidency by its predecessor, the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. Mr Janša also thanks the German and Portuguese Presidencies for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. He assured: “Recovery, resilience and the strategic autonomy of the EU are also part of our priorities for the next six months.”