European leaders are in Hungary as France braces for fresh protests. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are visiting Budapest to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 uprising against Soviet control. Prime Minister Péter Magyar hosted the visit, which suggests a potential thaw in relations between Hungary and the European Union, following years of tension with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government.
Meanwhile, Estelle Nilsson-Julien reports live from Paris, where the French government is implementing heightened security measures ahead of mass demonstrations planned for Saturday. This follows a week of violence and looting during previous protests, and protesters are determined to continue their actions despite the government’s response.
Alice de Brito, vice president of France’s leading student union UNEF, discussed the motivations behind student protests and the obstacles they face. She expressed concerns about whether the forthcoming presidential election might provide an opportunity for meaningful change.
In related developments, Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk addressed the divisions among EU leaders concerning migration, which have intensified following the unrest in France. Emmanuel Macron has expressed frustration about foreign leaders commenting on France’s domestic issues, as Poland has called for stricter migration policies. Conflicts have also arisen between Donald Tusk and Pedro Sánchez over the EU’s Migration Pact.
Analyst Berta López Domènech from the European Policy Centre highlighted the impending snap parliamentary election in Serbia, where a student-led movement is striving to challenge President Aleksandar Vučić’s leadership, following two years of protests. Concerns regarding electoral integrity and the direction of democracy in Serbia have prompted questions about the oppositional capacity to effect political change.
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