Tamás Orbán

Tamás Orbán is a political journalist for europeanconservative.com, based in Brussels. Born in Transylvania, he studied history and international relations in Kolozsvár, and worked for several political research institutes in Budapest. His interests include current affairs, social movements, geopolitics, and Central European security. On Twitter, he is @TamasOrbanEC.
Austria and Hungary Clash Over Released Human Smugglers

Austria and Hungary Clash Over Released Human Smugglers

Despite the outrage in Vienna, Budapest thinks it’s unfair that Hungarian taxpayers pay for the prison costs of foreign human traffickers, who make up 13% of the entire prison population.

May 23, 2023
Romanian PM Suggests Reintroducing Mandatory Military Service

Romanian PM Suggests Reintroducing Mandatory Military Service

The era of “small, technologically sophisticated armies” is gone, and we must return to mass conscription “to cope with large-scale, high-intensity warfare,” PM Ciucă, an ex-military general, said.

May 23, 2023
UN Chief: Global Financial System Needs Overhaul

UN Chief: Global Financial System Needs Overhaul

The Bretton Woods System is “outdated, dysfunctional, and unfair,” the UN Secretary-General said at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. Could this be the moment for CBDCs?

May 22, 2023
Moldova Pushes for EU Membership Ahead of EPC Summit

Moldova Pushes for EU Membership Ahead of EPC Summit

President Sandu will lobby for speeding up its EU accession process at the upcoming Chișinău Summit, even if it would normally take decades and the country is far from fulfilling the required criteria.

May 20, 2023
U.S. Won’t Oppose Third-Party Fighter Jet Transfers to Ukraine

U.S. Won’t Oppose Third-Party Fighter Jet Transfers to Ukraine

Biden remains reluctant to transfer F-16s to Kyiv, but would allow other allies to do so. The problem seems to be that not a single one has requested them so far.

May 19, 2023
Border Walls to Deliver Conservative Victory in Greece

Border Walls to Deliver Conservative Victory in Greece

While a clear parliamentary majority seems unlikely, the center-right New Democracy is set to win Sunday’s election, and in large part due to the promise of building a wall and having the EU pay for it.

May 19, 2023
Done Deal: EU Makes Crypto Traceable

Done Deal: EU Makes Crypto Traceable

No more tax evasion with crypto, as service providers now need licenses to operate and are required to collect and share data on all transactions with the relevant authorities.

May 18, 2023
Western Coalition To Lobby for Fighter Jets on Behalf of Ukraine

Western Coalition To Lobby for Fighter Jets on Behalf of Ukraine

The UK and the Netherlands have vowed to create an international “fighter jet coalition” to help Kyiv procure F-16s and other aircraft. France and Belgium have promised to train Ukrainian pilots, however, no aircraft has been pledged so far.

May 18, 2023
EP ‘Fact-Finding’ Mission to Hungary: No Place for Bias

EP ‘Fact-Finding’ Mission to Hungary: No Place for Bias

EU funds must be disbursed without political bias, the delegation stressed, but as Minister Navracsics noted, the MEPs themselves were prone to partiality, inevitable since they hadn’t read the document’s contents.

May 18, 2023
Still No Agreement on EU Sanctions Package

Still No Agreement on EU Sanctions Package

More concessions from the Commission are to be expected as EU members remain divided on shutting down gas pipelines, barring deceitful vessels, and slapping third countries who help Russia with separate sanctions in fear of economic blowback.

May 17, 2023
Hungary To Block €500 Million For Weapons to Ukraine

Hungary To Block €500 Million For Weapons to Ukraine

Officially, Hungary wants clarifications on the future role of the EU’s peace fund, but local sources claim the move is also a response to Kyiv’s unfair decision to sanction a Hungarian bank.

May 16, 2023
EU To Slap Tariffs on Small Goods

EU To Slap Tariffs on Small Goods

The proposal seeks to eliminate the existing €150 limit on importing small goods free of charges, so European customers would have to pay both sales tax and customs duties on every item in the future.

May 16, 2023