April 12, 2026 UPDATE
BREAKING NEWS: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has conceded defeat in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
Newsroom, 12.04.2026, 18:35
BREAKING NEWS: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has conceded defeat in Sunday’s parliamentary elections. In a speech delivered at Fidesz headquarters, he has said: “The election result is not final yet, but it is understandable and clear. The result is painful for us, but clear. The responsibility and the opportunity to govern were not given to us. I congratulated the winner.”
In turn, Tisza leader, Peter Magyar, has posted a message on Facebook, just minutes before the speech: “Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated us on the victory by phone”.
Peter Magyar has promised major changes in Hungary, laying emphasis on democratic values, the fight against corruption, efforts to improve public services, education and healthcare.
The results of the Hungarian elections are also crucial for the future of the European Union, as Viktor Orban has become a strong voice of Euroscepticism in the last decade as well as an ally of Vladimir Putin, after the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. Actually, last month, Hungary blocked the adoption of a 20th package of sanctions against Russia and a vote for a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine.
Easter. Orthodox Christians, who are the majority in Romania, as well as Greek-Catholics, on Sunday celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the greatest holiday of Christianity. Believers attended the midnight Resurrection Service, gathering in front of churches, and lit candles, in a symbolic gesture expressing the confession of faith in the Resurrection of the Lord. The Holy Light for Orthodox Easter was flown from Jerusalem on Saturday evening and distributed to each parish. The Holy Light is considered a miracle of Orthodoxy, which takes place every year, at Easter, in Jerusalem, during the service on Holy Saturday. The Resurrection of Christ or Holy Easter is the Feast of all feasts that illuminates and guides the entire life of the Church, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel told the faithful attending the Resurrection Service in the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. The Patriarch emphasised that the Resurrection of Christ “is not a return to transient biological life, but the abolition of death and the inauguration of eternal heavenly life”.
Easter message. In his Easter message, president Nicuşor Dan urged Romanians to show “solidarity not only in the spirit of traditions, but also in deeds, based on the conviction that good has the power to change communities and heal society”, and added: “Christ is Risen! This certainty reminds us every year of the triumph of hope and the power of rebirth and it is a time when we return to the values that define us – the confidence that we can do more, love and kindness towards our peers”. The president also said this year’s Easter holiday comes at a time marked by uncertainties and severe crises, with many concerned about tomorrow. “May the Light of Resurrection bring us the peace of mind we need to move forward, no matter how difficult the path may sometimes seem”, president Nicuşor Dan posted on Facebook.
Public order. Over 24,000 employees of the Romanian interior ministry have been mobilised every day for the duration of the Easter holiday. They are present on the main roads and highways, in tourist resorts, in places attracting large crowds and in other areas of operational interest. Public order patrols, fire fighters and emergency crews pay special attention to places of worship where religious events take place. Also, 3,500 border police are on the job every day daily during the Easter holidays, the General Inspectorate of Border Police has said. At Romania’s external borders with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Serbia emphasis is placed on streamlining border check by adapting the number of police officers at checkpoints, as well as by making maximum use of the existing infrastructure, including for freight traffic, in order to avoid queues. Travel to and from Hungary and Bulgaria takes place without stops at the former border check points.
Economy. Senior financial officials from around the world will gather in Washington in the next few days as the Middle East war deals a third major shock to the global economy after the COVID pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Reuters reports. In recent days, several officials from the IMF and the World Bank have warned that they will revise their global growth forecasts downwards but raise their inflation forecasts as a result of the war, warning that emerging markets and developing countries will be hit hardest by rising energy prices and supply disruptions. The World Bank’s base case now points to emerging and developing economies growing by 3.65% in 2026, down from 4% in October, but warns that this figure will fall to 2.6% if the war drags on. (CM)
