Robert Bosch Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia

Halbzeit in Budapest. Vor zwei Jahren übernahm Viktor Orbán, gestützt auf eine Zweidrittelmehrheit seiner Fidesz-Partei, die Regierungsgeschäfte. Was sind seine Ziele? Wie sieht die Zwischenbilanz aus? Über Ungarns Politikkurs und die Perspektiven des Landes diskutierten Ágoston Sámuel Mráz, Direktor des ungarischen Think Tanks Nézőpont-Institut, und Daniel Hegedűs, politischer Analyst und Assistenzprofessor an der Budapester Eötvös Loránd Universität, in der DGAP.

Since the conservative Fidesz alliance received a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian parliamentary elections of 2010, Hungary has regularly attracted negative headlines. Is Hungarian democracy at risk? On March 12, this question was addressed by Prof. Dr. Ellen Bos, political scientist at the Andrássy University in Budapest, Gergely Prőhle, deputy state secretary at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and historian Dr. Krisztián Ungváry during a panel discussion at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

Much has happened since the 2003 Rose Revolution: Georgia has implemented administrative reforms, stimulated its economy, and taken up the fight against corruption. The Georgian government’s stated goal is integration with the EU, and negotiations on an association agreement are underway. But there are still unresolved issues such as the conflicts in the provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In a seven-point comprehensive position paper, eight high-level political figures called for stronger German engagement in Eastern Europe and the Caucuses. “The Eastern Partnership is of central importance” for German and EU foreign policy. The German government should appoint a special representative to bring forward the German position. On February 6, the task force met at the DGAP to present their report, which is now available as a DGAPstandpunkt.