Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to the defenders of Ukraine and all modern civilization!
- The results of the elections in Hungary – a heavy defeat for Trump and the MAGA movement in the USA
- War with Iran: what’s next
- Two congressmen leave Congress under pressure of sexual crime accusations
▶ Of course, the most significant event of recent days affecting what happens in the world and in the USA was the elections in Hungary.
The elections in which the opposition party TISZA led by Peter Magyar achieved a landslide victory over the far-right party FIDESZ of Viktor Orbán are of great significance.
The collapse of the corrupt regime that ruled Hungary for 16 years, supported simultaneously by Putin and Trump, is a very symbolic event. The collapse of a regime that has consistently turned Hungary from a young liberal democracy into an authoritarian state of a “leader”, without freedom of the press (since 85% of the media is controlled by Orbán), without an independent judiciary (since the judicial power – the constitutional court – is completely controlled by Orbán), without the possibility of real free enterprise (as all big business is controlled by Orbán). A state where blatant, unabashed corruption prevails. In which some of the richest people in the country become Orbán’s son-in-law and his closest friend.
The story with the son-in-law is interesting. He has already moved to the USA. I think his father-in-law is not planning to go to “Rostov” or Rublevskoye Highway. If he sees that he is facing criminal charges and prison, he will follow his son-in-law and, obviously, his daughter. As long as Trump is in the White House, the door is open for him.
I was in Hungary on the way to Ukraine in 2008. I hadn’t been there for many years after that. I visited Ukraine, of course, more than once after 2008, but before the full-scale war, I flew to Kyiv. Or to Kharkiv. Or to Lviv. And in 2024, I traveled to Ukraine via Hungary again after 14 years of Orbán’s rule at that time.
In 2008, Budapest was a beautiful city—clean, tidy, with flowers everywhere. It didn’t differ in this from other large European cities. The Hungarian border station Záhony on the border with Ukraine was also clean and tidy back then. Flowers grew there too. You could enjoy a tasty espresso or grab a snack while waiting for a train. In 2024, Budapest struck me with its neglect and rundown state. The Záhony station resembled a Soviet semi-stop from the stagnant Brezhnev era—dirt, weeds instead of flowers in former flowerbeds, and you couldn’t even buy a bottle of water, let alone have coffee. The toilet was broken and, forgive me, not cleaned since perhaps Orbán came to power.
This always happens where the government is corrupt. Because such a government, all its representatives, think only of their own pockets and nothing else except maintaining their power.
By the way, Uzhhorod in 2024 looked like a truly European city compared to Budapest—clean, tidy, with flowers growing everywhere (just like during my elementary school years in the late ’60s).
Orbán overlooked one thing. He thought he had finally transformed Hungary into an electoral autocracy—a country where the election procedure is decorative, and the winner of any election is always known in advance. He thought and miscalculated. Because it turned out he could be defeated in elections. Even if he controls most of the media. Even if he controls the judiciary. You can win if you strive to reach every person. Quite literally, in fact. Péter Magyar and his associates did a huge job, campaigning against Orbán in most of the Hungarian provinces, literally knocking on every door, calmly and reasonably talking to people, explaining that their future is in their hands, that Orbán is leading them back to a past that they themselves and their ancestors have already experienced, where corruption reigns and where there will be no future for them or their children.
The defeat of Orbán and his party in Hungary’s elections is a serious blow to Trump, his ego, and the entire ultra-right MAGA movement in the USA. The 47th president throughout his political career positioned Orbán as his friend, closest ally, and as a model politician for all European countries to emulate. Trump practically literally called on European politicians: if you want to be friends with me, be like Orbán. And he sent messages to European citizens: vote for the Orbáns, and you will have my support.
In the case of Orbán and the elections in Hungary, Trump had a lot at stake. He received Orbán with great pomp at the White House. He demonstratively allowed Orbán to buy Russian oil. In February, he sent Secretary of State Rubio to Budapest, where Rubio declared that thanks to Trump and Orbán, a “golden age” in US-Hungary friendship had begun. Just before the elections, he sent Vice President Vance to Budapest, who spoke at Orbán’s campaign rallies. He promised to gift money to Hungarians on election day if they kept Orbán in power.
The Hungarian model of electoral autocracy has largely become a template for the autocratic model embedded in the Republican program “Project-2025.” The omnipotence of the executive branch led by the “leader.” Parliament as a rubber-stamping machine for endorsing any decisions of the executive power. Complete subordination of the prosecutor’s office to the “leader.” Appointment of loyal judges (more on this in the next review). Essentially, a hostile takeover of the media (in the US, this is currently the CBS channel, but Trump still has plenty of time ahead, and clouds are gathering, for example, over CNN). And the declared goal: we have come to rule for no less than 50 years.
And now the “best friend” Orbán lost. Hungarian opposition members demonstrated how one can and should work directly and meticulously with voters to explain the essence of things. Hungarian voters showed that when the question arises of whether they should vote for the further enrichment of the “leader,” his family, and his friends, and for their own existence within narrow confines marked by the “leader,” without hopes for the future, or whether they can vote for their country to become free again, with power not unchecked and mainly focused on developing the country and leading it into the future rather than filling its own pockets, the choice based on reason is obvious.
For Democratic candidates in Congress during the November elections, this is a good example of how to run a campaign, how to engage and talk to people. Especially in swing districts, where voter sentiments change from election to election. And even, which is equally important today, in red, Republican districts and states where people live worse today than a year and a half ago (as they do in blue states, which, incidentally, have red districts in the “heartland”). Explaining why things are worse, politely, consistently – this is the path that Peter Magyar and his associates have taken in Hungary.
The two remaining right-wing populists in power in Europe—Fico in Slovakia and Babiš in the Czech Republic—have lost their “big brother.” They will need to be more cautious in their relations with Brussels (as they need EU funds), their flirtations with Putin, and in building relationships with Trump. Unlike Orbán, neither Fico nor Babiš have a long history of close ties with Trump.
▶ The halted war with Iran. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Trump is seeking an outcome where he can declare a final victory and shift focus. He must understand that expensive oil, gasoline, and energy lead to inflation, rising prices for everything, economic slowdown, rising unemployment, reduced production, and a direct path for the Republican Party to suffer defeat in the November Congressional elections.
The blockade of Iranian ports announced by Trump is incomplete. Some ships entered Iranian ports; some departed. It’s unlikely the 47th president will take any action against tankers carrying oil from Iran to China or transporting goods to Iran from China. Trump awaits a meeting with Xi and will not risk a conflict with him. Additionally, remembering that if Xi announces a boycott of American soybeans again, the farmers Trump and the Republicans rely on will be very upset, which cannot but affect election results.
Goals of regime change in Iran and the destruction of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs have not been achieved. According to estimates cited in American media, Iran has retained between a third and two-thirds of its ballistic missile arsenal and thousands of drones. It continues to hold nearly 500 kg of enriched uranium.
On Thursday, US-Iran negotiations, which were interrupted on Sunday, will resume. The American delegation will reportedly once again be led by Vice President Vance.
▶ On Tuesday, two members of Congress announced their resignations—Democrat Eric Swalwell from California and Republican Tony Gonzales from Texas.
Gonzales had an affair with a staffer, which ended with the staffer committing suicide.
Two women, former staffers, accused Swalwell of raping them after consuming wine and taking advantage of their intoxicated state. Two other women, also former staffers, accused him of indecent behavior towards them.
Gonzalez was not very prominent in Congress. Swalwell has always been prominent since his first election to Congress in 2012, being a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and often invited by TV channels for interviews. He ran for Governor of California and was obviously a leading candidate.
Now the political career of both Gonzalez and Swalwell is over. They announced their departure from Congress under the threat of the Ethics Committee initiating the process of their expulsion. Swalwell will have to defend himself against possible criminal charges of rape. Since one of the victims says this happened in a hotel during a business trip to New York, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has launched an investigation.
This story has a simple moral. If you decide to engage in politics in an open society, first think about whether you have any skeletons in your closet. Because in an open society, they will inevitably come to light sooner or later. But even more importantly, if you engage in politics in an open society and present yourself as a moral person and even moralize, you must truly be one. Because if you cannot be that, you have no place in politics in an open society—your actions, contradicting morality, will inevitably become known, and you will be ousted from politics in disgrace.
Therefore, the outcome for Gonzalez and Swalwell is absolutely predictable. They are ousted from politics in disgrace.
And for any politician who is not Trump, who presents himself as a deity and is evidently considered as such by millions of his admirers, the outcome will be the same. And that is right.
By the way, the House of Representatives’ regulations prohibit its members from having romances with their staff members.
About Trump’s relations with the Catholic Church in general and Pope Leo XIV next time.
1012 days until the end of the story called “Fear: Trump in the White House” © (title of Bob Woodward’s book, published in 2018).
Thank you to everyone who read this. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Take care of each other, help each other. Health to all.
Ultimately, what happens in the world depends on us. Whether we fight evil, do good, remain just observers, passively wait, and believe that someone, somewhere will decide for us, or we fight evil and do everything possible for good to prevail.
We must not let evil prevail. The victory of evil will mean the end of the world we live in. We cannot allow that. Especially now.
Ukrainian Friends, I hug and love you all. Please take care of each other.
Ukraine is and will always be.
And evil will be defeated and punished. And it surely will.
