Category: Current

“Just as Australia has shown the world how to protect a maritime border, Hungary has shown the world how to protect a land border – so between our two countries, there is no end of a lesson for Europe which has now been subject to what amounts to a peaceful

“In the Hungarian political calendar today is the day of national independence. It won this title by beating a strong field: there are many other outstanding days. This fact bears witness to the honour derived from Hungarians having repeatedly and bravely fought for their independence.” Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to

“Democracy is a slow and cautious beast that sometimes acts decisively to change direction, but more often moves hesitantly to test a new course, then pauses for reflection, and finally decides whether to continue or stay put. It could hardly be otherwise since democracy is, among other things, a way

“The 2019 EP elections resulted in a strengthening of the main governing parties in all the Visegrád countries except Slovakia. The parties of the Czech, Hungarian and Polish prime ministers all came first with a clear lead. In the Visegrád countries, a marked right-wing dominance is observable, with the majority

“Let us honour – and remember – Cardinal József Mindszenty for his fidelity to truth, faith and country during the age of ideology. The Church in its wisdom (and it is not yet bereft of wisdom) has deemed this great man worthy of veneration. Many of us – students of

The British Honours system is puzzling. A German might wonder why make Dahrendorf (a now forgotten Anglo-Hamburger left-liberal) a Baron, and Popper only a knight? But at least Karl Popper got something. And speaking of Dahrendorf, what of other distinguished Central European emigrants, like Sir Arthur Koestler, Sir Leszek Kołakowski,

“In private Norman was kind and generous and prepared to help students who showed promise. His asides entertained many of them: the man in the flesh was less of an activist throwing verbal bricks (many of them well deserved) through fashionable windows and more of an erudite overturner of applecarts.

“Borderlessness has become – without its proponents realising it – an ideology, one that not only has its contradictions but also its very illiberal consequences, though those who adhere to it pride themselves on being the most liberal of the liberal. It is the ideology in which to an increasing

THE HUNGARIAN BORDER FENCE The East–West dichotomy within the EU has become very marked in relation to the European migration crisis of 2014–2015 and its aftermath. In my view the distinct migration-related experiences on the two sides of the Iron Curtain do contribute to the current marked differences in pro-

Let me begin by saying that I am not an academic lawyer. I was asked by a think tank in London called Policy Exchange to write a pamphlet on human rights law and the concept of human rights, and I agreed to do this because the concept was something I