School of Public Service Professor Ross Burkhart was interviewed for Atameken Business News, a news outlet based in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The subject of the interview was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent controversial speech to the European Parliament in his capacity as leader of the country that has assumed the presidency of the European Union during the latter half of 2024.
Burkhart discussed the prospects of Hungary’s relations with the European Union given Orbán’s speech and his other recent actions, such as his visits to President Putin and President Xi, as well as stating that Ukraine must negotiate an end to the war with Russia. These actions contradict its position on these matters, and they suggest that Hungary will struggle to exert a leadership role in the European Union. Burkhart also examined Orbán’s likely divisive effect on European Union’s policy-making regarding immigration, and how it could take action to address Hungary’s democratic backsliding.