Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today.
The Hungarian parliament has adopted a constitutional amendment that rights campaigners have described as a “significant escalation” in the government’s efforts to crack down on dissent and chip away at human rights, with some of the key changes targeting LGBTQ community and dual nationals (17:32).
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that “It is clear that they are stalling and not wanting peace at all,” (15:28) when commenting on the latest Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, as she called for more ammunition to be sent to help the country fight against the Russian aggression (15:39).
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told Fox Business that the US was “making enormous progress on tariff talks with the EU,” as the bloc’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič continues his visit in Washington DC (14:23).
The Bundestag has confirmed that the formal election of the country’s next chancellor is scheduled for 6 May, assuming that the coalition deal gets approved before then (13:48). A youth organisation associated with the Social Democrats indicated their opposition to the agreement, announced last week, prompting questions about whether it can win the key vote among the SPD members (12:09).
Earlier, the presumed next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, suggested last night that his government could finally deliver on Kyiv’s longstanding request to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, capable of strikes inside Russia (10:48), marking a shift in Germany’s policy after longstanding opposition from current chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
We will be back tomorrow with more updates on Europe Live.
The amendment passed Monday also allows for Hungarians who hold dual citizenship in a non-European Economic Area country to have their citizenship suspended for up to 10 years if they are deemed to pose a threat to public order, public security or national security.
Hungary has taken steps in recent months to protect its national sovereignty from what it claims are foreign efforts to influence its politics or even topple Orban’s government.
The self-described “illiberal” leader has accelerated his longstanding efforts to crack down on critics such as media outlets and groups devoted to civil rights and anti-corruption, which he says have undermined Hungary’s sovereignty by receiving financial assistance from international donors.
In a speech laden with conspiracy theories in March, Orban compared people who work for such groups to insects, and pledged to “eliminate the entire shadow army” of foreign-funded “politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-NGOs and political activists.”
