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MEPs grill Commissioners over 'background deal' with Viktor Orbán

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MEPs grill Commissioners over 'background deal' with Viktor Orbán

Members of the European Parliament spent Wednesday afternoon grilling three Commissioners over what they described as a “background deal” with Viktor Orbán to release frozen EU funds.

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Commissioners Didier Reynders (Justice), Nicolas Schmit (Jobs) and Johannes Hahn (Budget) were questioned over the decision to unblock cash for Hungary, which the European Commission had previously paralysed over persistent rule-of-law concerns.

The main point of contention was the particular timing of the mid-December decision to release €10.2 billion in reaction to the judicial reform to decrease political interference that Budapest adopted,which was taken one day before a high-stakes summit of EU leaders.

The overhaul was designed to satisfy four “super milestones” that Brussels had imposed as a condition to resume payments and ensure proper oversight over taxpayers’ money.

The move infuriated the Parliament, who saw it as a capitulation to Orbán’s demands, a neglect of duty and an affront to fundamental rights. The hemicycle has threatened to launch legal action against the Commission if further funds are unblocked.

Prior to the summit, Orbán had spent weeks openly saying he would veto the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and a €50-billion special facility to provide Kyiv with reliable financial support until 2027. The belligerent tone raised the alarm in Brussels and fuelled speculation the meeting would turn into an embarrassing fiasco for the bloc. In the end, Orbán agreed to the accession talks but derailed the €50-billion plan.

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In their interventions, MEPs argued the Commission had rushed to green-light the €10.2 billion just mere hours after Hungary published the remaining piece of the judicial reform in its official journal. The extremely tight timeline, they said, made it all but impossible to properly examine the new law and its compliance with the “super milestones.”

“Coincidentally, it was right before the summit,” said Eider Gardiazábal, from the socialists. “Normally, coincidences are not that coincidental.”

“Of course it was political,” Moritz Körner, from the liberal group, argued. “Orbán had to be won over.”

“In politics, everything is always as it seems to be,” Finnish MEP Petri Sarvamaa said.

Katalin Cseh, a Hungarian politician whose party Momentum is in the opposition, delivered a stinging rebuke, accusing the Commission of ignoring the “warning signals” that Hungarian and international experts had sent about the shortcomings and loopholes of the judicial reform.

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“The time necessary to scrutinise the law was just simply not there,” Cseh said. “This was all part of a background deal. Obviously, the Commission could not properly monitor the implementation, which was also a requirement.”

Facing an onslaught of criticism, the three Commissioners stuck to the line that Hungary had provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate compliance with the four “super milestones,” which included measures to strengthen the National Judicial Council, a self-governing supervisory board, and crack down on political meddling inside the Supreme Court.

“The Commission was under legal obligation to take a decision,” Reynders said.

Schmit noted that the December decision did not “automatically” trigger a €10.2-billion payment to Budapest but only the possibility to request reimbursements for development projects carried out on the ground. So far, only €485 million has been wired, he added.

The trio reminded the room that, as of today, the Commission is still withholding nearly €12 billion from Hungary’s allocated share of cohesion funds and most of its €10.4-billion recovery and resilience plan, as Budapest has failed to meet the other milestones related to issues such as conflicts of interests, LGBTQ+ rights and academic freedom.

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But according to MEPs’ estimations, under the regulation that governs cohesion funds, the Commission could have waited an additional nine days to approve the release of funds. Doing so, they said, would have allowed a longer time to examine the legislation and avoid the eyebrow-raising coincidence with the summit.

Lawmakers also complained the executive fast-tracked its rubberstamp on the judicial reform without waiting to see its practical effects on the courts and magistrates.

“The big question here is: has there been an actual assessment of progress on the independence of the judiciary in Hungary? Or was there a political deal to get rid of Orbán’s veto?” said Daniel Freund, from the Greens.

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“You wanted this out the door before leaders met,” he added.

Dimitrios Papadimoulis, from the Left, criticised the Commission for creating the impression of “succumbing” to Orbán, who has repeatedly asked for the entire pot of cash to be unfrozen, and gaining nothing in return, given the €50-billion facility for Ukraine remains stuck in negotiations, despite Kyiv’s urgent need for support.

“Issues of the rule of law are far too important to be involved in such bargaining,” Papadimoulis told the room.

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Reynders fought back, saying all the elements of the judicial reform had been thoroughly negotiated between Brussels and Budapest, meaning the Commission knew “very well” the content of the laws before their publication in the official journal.

“Your answers seem like Teflon,” Monika Hohlmeier, the conservative who chairs the parliament’s budget control committee, said. “What I’m missing here is actual facts.”

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2 people killed in collision between jet and vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, source says

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2 people killed in collision between jet and vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, source says

NEW YORK (AP) — An Air Canada regional jet struck a fire truck on the runway after landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, crushing the nose of the plane, according to authorities and photos of the wreckage.

Two people were killed, according to a person familiar with the investigation into the crash. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an active investigation.

Two Port Authority employees who were traveling in the fire truck also were injured, the person said.

There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the aircraft, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to a statement from the airline. The flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement that the jet had struck a rescue and firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident at about 11:45 p.m. The airport was closed as of 3 a.m. to facilitate the investigation, officials said.

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Photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the aircraft, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit. Nearby, a damaged emergency vehicle lay on its side.

Stairways used to evacuate passengers from aircraft were pushed up to the emergency exits on the jet, a Bombardier CRJ. The impact left the jet with its crumpled nose tilted upward.

In the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller could be heard on a radio transmission giving clearance to a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac, then trying to stop it.

“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the transmission says. The controller can then be heard frantically diverting incoming aircraft from landing.

Jazz Aviation issued a statement confirming the accident and noting the passenger and crew list was preliminary and subject to confirmation.

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The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the incident.

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Trump, Starmer agree Strait of Hormuz must reopen as Middle East conflict escalates

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Trump, Starmer agree Strait of Hormuz must reopen as Middle East conflict escalates

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President Donald Trump spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East, with a focus on the urgent need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore global shipping.

The leaders discussed the current situation in the Middle East, and in particular, the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to resume global shipping, Downing Street said in a statement.

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Keir Stamer, UK prime minister, during a news conference providing an update on the situation in the Middle East, at Downing Street in London, UK, on Thursday, March 5, 2026.  (Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“They agreed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was essential to ensure stability in the global energy market. They agreed to speak again soon.”

The call came amid a rapidly intensifying conflict in the region, with Iran blocking the strategically vital strait since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets on Feb. 28.

The military action triggered swift retaliation from Tehran and has since escalated into a broader regional war as Iran has sent missiles into numerous neighboring countries not directly involved in the initial conflict.

UK NUCLEAR SUBMARINE DEPLOYED TO ARABIAN SEA BEFORE IRAN TARGETS KEY US-UK BASE: REPORTS

President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office of the White House, on St. Patrick’s Day, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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On March 21, Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran demanding the reopening of the key maritime route, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that failure to comply would result in further U.S. action, including potential strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure.

EU PUSHES FOR END OF IRAN WAR IN A MANNER WHERE ‘EVERYBODY SAVES FACE’

Bulk Carrier, Belray, in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz on March 22, 2026 in northern Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. (Getty Images/Getty Images)

Sunday’s conversation between Trump and Starmer perhaps reflected a thaw in the tense relationship between the two leaders.

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Trump had publicly criticized the U.K. government, stating that Britain “should have acted a lot faster” in allowing the U.S. to use British military bases for strikes targeting Iranian missile sites.

Starmer had also maintained that the use of U.K. bases could only be justified under the principle of “collective self-defense” in the region.

He had initially declined to support the U.S.-Israeli military operation, drawing repeated criticism from the White House.

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Meanwhile, Trump appeared to apply public pressure, sharing a “Saturday Night Live” clip Sunday mocking the British prime minister’s handling of the crisis.

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French elections: Paris stays left as far right makes mixed gains

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French elections: Paris stays left as far right makes mixed gains

France’s municipal runoff delivered a mixed verdict for the country’s main political forces on Sunday: the Left held Paris with Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, the far-right and its allies scored a major symbolic win in Nice, and mainstream parties pointed to resilience in several big and mid-sized cities ahead of the 2027 presidential race.

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Municipal elections in France are local contests to elect mayors and local councils, but they are closely watched because they test party organisation, alliance-building, and grassroots strength before national campaigns begin.

In the capital, Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire defeated conservative rival Rachida Dati, ensuring Paris remains under left-wing control after outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo chose not to seek another term.

The result extends a quarter-century of left-led rule of the capital and hands to the Socialists one of the most visible prizes of the night. Grégoire presented the result as a mandate for a progressive vision of the city.

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Elsewhere, the left also had reasons to celebrate. In Marseille, Socialist incumbent Benoît Payan was re-elected after the far right had hoped to seize France’s second-largest city.

While in Lyon, Green mayor Grégory Doucet held on after a hard-fought race against his conservative rival, which was reshaped by a last-minute merger with the list of hard-left party France Unbowed.

Socialists record strong showing

The Socialists also held or performed strongly in several regional cities, reinforcing the impression of a broader recovery for the traditional left.

For the far right, the picture was more complex. National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella hailed what he called the party’s biggest local breakthrough, and RN kept the southwestern city of Perpignan while also winning smaller municipalities.

But the party fell short in several of the larger cities it had targeted, notably Marseille, Toulon and Nîmes. The exception was Nice, where Éric Ciotti — once a senior figure in the mainstream right and now allied with RN — won the race, giving the far right and its partners control of France’s fifth-largest city.

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The elections also brought clearer signs of fragmentation on the centre-right and in President Emmanuel Macron’s camp.

Former prime minister Édouard Philippe was re-elected in Le Havre, strengthening his standing as a possible 2027 contender, while Macron’s centrist forces could point to a symbolic win in Bordeaux, where Renaissance candidate Thomas Cazenave defeated outgoing Green mayor Pierre Hurmic.

At the same time, the loss of Macron’s former PM, François Bayrou, in southwestern Pau, underlined the vulnerabilities of the broader presidential alliance.

Turnout remained a concern. According to the Interior Ministry, participation in mainland France stood at 48.1% at 5 p.m., higher than the Covid-disrupted 2020 election but still below pre-pandemic levels.

Taken together, the results do not predict who will succeed Macron in 2027. But they do sketch the political landscape from which that contest will emerge: a left that can still win major cities, a mainstream right that remains locally entrenched, a centre searching for durable footholds, and a far right that is growing but may still face limits in the country’s biggest urban battlegrounds.

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