The dismantling of Viktor Orban’s Hungary
Péter Magyar’s landslide victory has triggered a rapid dismantling of Orbán’s power structure, but the scale of change carries risks of its own
Hungary
Hungary’s president steps down after new government passes constitutional amendment
Tamás Sulyok was elected by lawmakers from former prime minister Viktor Orban’s party
What caused the Lorcan Murphy I knew to become a killer?
Describing what they believe to be part of normal sex, boys name slapping, whipping, strangulation and gagging - all acts they report seeing in pornography
What Hungarian police found on the laptop of Dublin murderer Lorcan Murphy
Notes about his sexual exploits were discovered on devices of Murphy (38), the Irishman convicted of murdering US nurse Mackenzie Michalski
The ‘rough sex’ defence didn’t work for Lorcan Murphy. He wasn’t the first to try it
Murphy, jailed for murder this week in Budapest, is clearly a dangerous, determined predator, but the kind of violence he used is normalised in mainstream pornography
Air strikes on Iran; Dublin man sentenced for murder in Hungary
Plus: What The Irish Times archive tells us about the perfect picnic
In court as Dublin man is found guilty of American nurse’s murder in Budapest
In the News podcast: Irishman sentenced to 14 years for killing Mackenzie Michalski in Hungary
Closed doors do not resolve contradictory Nations League fixtures against Israel
Agreeing to play the games risks normalising a situation the Irish State has repeatedly condemned
Dublin man who murdered American nurse is jailed for 14 years in Hungary
Judge rejects Irish man’s claim he accidentally killed US tourist Mackenzie Michalski during consensual sex
‘I didn’t want to take her life,’ Dublin man says in Hungarian trial over killing of American nurse
Irishman will be sentenced on Thursday over killing of Mackenzie Michalski, whom he met at a bar in Budapest
Hungary and Serbia can hardly be called neutral venues for Ireland-Israel fixtures
Both central European countries have been strong supporters of the Tel Aviv administration
Irish in Europe: ‘I love how affordable it is. There’s none of your €8 pints’
Irish people living on the Continent talk about the cost of living, weather, language, proximity to war and what they would change about Ireland
Dangerously high temperatures forecast to return to western Europe next week
Parts of central, eastern and southern Europe are sweltering this week with Budapest forecast to exceed 40 degrees today
Hungarians turn out in thousands for first Pride march since Viktor Orbán was voted out
Far-right former prime minister had sought to outlaw event among other anti-LGBTQ+ policies
Blue Heron review: Precise, poignant portrayal of how families mythologise pain away
Remarkably assured debut recalls a childhood shaped by the increasingly troubling behaviour of an older sibling
Prosecutor disputes Dubliner’s claim death of American nurse in Budapest could have been accidental
Man (38) previously admitted to killing Mackenzie Michalski (31) in November 2024 and later hiding her body
EU leaders gather for talks set to cover Ukraine, Israel and China
Agenda for two-day summit in Brussels offers pointers on key matters that will also dominate Ireland’s EU presidency
Brussels blame game masks member states’ role in Gaza inaction
A coalition of hesitant governments has repeatedly derailed efforts to impose trade or diplomatic costs on Israel
All EU members agree to open accession talks for Ukraine and Moldova
Both are pressing for membership of 27-nation bloc amid Russia’s four-year invasion of Ukraine
Hungary’s new prime minister to remove president and other ‘Orbán puppets’ from office
Péter Magyar pledges to use parliamentary majority to change constitution and ‘restore the rule of law’
EU agrees plan to unblock €16bn in frozen funds to Hungary
New Hungarian government commits to rush through structural and anti-corruption reforms before end of August
How Europe is preparing for potential Ukraine talks with Putin
Before deciding on the name of any envoy to do the talking, European governments are weighing up what they want from Ukraine settlement
Ukraine hit by second day of large-scale Russian missile and drone strikes
Widespread nature of attacks prompts warnings that Moscow is trying to overwhelm air defence systems
Russia fires 800 drones into Ukraine killing at least six and injuring dozens
Zelenskiy says 14 regions came under fire with residential, energy and railway infrastructure targeted
‘My father thought my grandfather died in the Holocaust. It was all a lie’
Director László Nemes’s traumatic family history has informed his twisty drama set in Budapest after the second World War
Polish ex-minister flees from Hungary to US after Orbán is ousted
Development may add thorn in relations between Poland and the US
Sonia O’Sullivan: Ireland’s future relay prospects will be put to the test in Botswana
Rhasidat Adeleke’s absence affords younger athletes the chance to shine, but it also makes qualification that bit more difficult
Kneecap: ‘These topics have been out of bounds for many years’
The controversial group have had a year of a kind that few artists will ever experience. They’re determined to stand their ground as they release their album Fenian
Breakthrough on EU’s €90bn Kyiv loan gives Zelenskiy a ‘great day’ in Cyprus sun
Removal of Viktor Orbán might mean Paris and Berlin have to play the bad guy on Ukraine’s membership
How the EU’s €90bn loan to Ukraine will work
Financial support for Kyiv to be revived following removal of Hungarian block
EU provisionally approves €90bn loan to Ukraine and new Moscow sanctions
Hungary lifts aid veto after Russian oil flows resume through Druzhba pipeline
Irish man could have spent hours in bed with body of woman he killed in Hungary, court told
Dubliner (38) claims Mackenzie Michalski’s death in Budapest was an accident during consensual sex
Orbán was defeated by a vote ‘too big to rig’. Could Trump follow?
Worldview: Democratic standards have retreated globally, but there is nothing inevitable about this
Fuel protests: ‘Ireland seems determined to head down the same route as Hungary’
‘At times like this, it behoves politicians and civic leaders not to add fuel to the flames’
Hungary’s €10bn use-it-or-lose it EU challenge
Fast approaching deadline to tap EU cash will be an early test of Péter Magyar’s incoming administration
Fact check: Has Ireland really introduced the ‘largest fuel assistance package in Europe’?
Britain introduced no measures for the current fuel crisis but has not reversed the 6 cent cut in excise from 2022
Hungary after Orbán: the daunting work of dismantling a captured state
The country has become beholden to former premier’s oligarchs and Russian interests, experts warn
Orbán’s defeat is a ‘dunt in the snot’ for Trump - and a lesson for Ireland
Peter Magyar’s win strengthens the hands of EU members who regard the union as a partnership of sovereign states
Hungary’s prime minister-elect accuses foreign minister of shredding confidential EU files
Péter Magyar said he would rebuild relations with Europe and end the country’s ties to Russia
Assessing the value of JD Vance’s support in light of the Hungarian election
The US vice-president’s influence might not be what he thinks it was
Viktor Orbán stifled the press at home and cultivated media friends abroad
He showed how the international illiberal right could survive inside a liberal democratic alliance
The Irish Times view on Hungary’s election result: end of a dark era
The Viktor Orbán experiment celebrated by strongmen and populists has failed
Peter Magyar vows to pursue those who ‘plundered’ Hungary, after election win
Prime minister-elect promises ‘new era’ for country after defeating far-right Viktor Orban
Viktor Orbán’s veto power paralysed the EU. His election loss is good news in Brussels
Election defeat ends year of paralysis, where Hungary blocked EU support for Ukraine and other key foreign‑policy decisions
Echoes of 1989 as Hungarians deliver crushing defeat to Orbán
Budapest erupted into celebration after a landslide vote, with scenes recalling the last heady moment when Hungary felt history turning.
Orbán’s defeat a blow to nationalist parties in advance of key European votes
Momentum of hard right falters before elections in France, Italy, Slovakia and Serbia
Who is Peter Magyar, the man set to take over from Viktor Orbán in Hungary?
Once part of Orbán’s inner circle, Magyar is set to succeed him as prime minister after a landslide election victory
EU needs to rein in Hungary expectations after Viktor Orbán’s election defeat
Election victor Peter Magyar opposes accelerating Kyiv’s EU admission and rejects the migration and asylum pact
Viktor Orban concedes defeat in Hungarian election as opposition heads for landslide win
Peter Magyar’s Tisza party projected to win 138 out of 199 seats, a two-thirds majority that would enable it to change the constitution
Why did Trump choose Vance to negotiate difficult peace talks with Iran?
JD Vance, a vocal opponent of US wars in the Middle East, has gone quiet since the beginning of the current military campaign
Czech prime minister Babis backs Hungary’s Orban ahead of vote
Billionaire businessman has turned from liberal to Orban ally in Patriots for Europe EU parliament faction
Elections in Hungary: Putin’s poodle Viktor Orbán is a disgrace
If Orbán wins and continues to act as he has been doing, EU membership should be suspended
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices