Former president Janos Ader criticised the proposed amendment, describing the Tisza Party's initiative as unprecedented.

"After this constitutional amendment, anything can happen to anyone at any time in Hungary. And this leads not to legal certainty but to anarchy," Ader said.

Protesters accused Prime Minister Peter Magyar's government of undermining the constitution and the rule of law. "This is a trampling of the Constitution, the trampling of the rule of law and the death of democracy . If this remains the case and they remove the president of the Republic, then we must stand by them," said influencer Istvan Szakacs, who was previously arrested after posting a Facebook video stating that "If Viktor Orban gets to jail, 500,000 people will march and set him free."

Another demonstrator, identified only as Eszter, criticised Magyar's treatment of the president.

"The way he spoke to the president of the Republic is simply outrageous, shocking, and you cannot do such a thing. They didn't do that to the previous president of the Republic either," she said.

The protest was held in response to the proposed 17th Amendment to Hungary's Fundamental Law, introduced by the Tisza Party. The amendment would make changes affecting several public offices, including that of President Tamas Sulyok, and would also impose a 12-year term limit on Members of Parliament.

“The V4 is back. The cooperation of the Visegrad Four has returned,” he said.

Magyar presented the summit as a sign of Hungary’s renewed commitment to regional cooperation following years of strained relations with several European Union partners under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“The Visegrad countries continue to support the European integration of the Western Balkan countries,” he said.

He argued that the stability, development and European aspirations of the Western Balkans are closely linked to Europe’s long-term security and competitiveness.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country is set to assume the V4 presidency from Hungary, said the group was returning at a challenging moment for Europe and the wider world.

“On behalf of the Visegrad Four, I want to say that we do not just want to be objects or subjects of decisions, which they adopt on the grounds of the European Union or other organisations, but we want to be co-creators of these decisions and maximally active participants,” Fico said.

He identified European Union enlargement as a priority for Slovakia’s presidency while stressing that candidate countries must meet the bloc’s accession requirements.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledged that the four governments continue to hold differing views on several issues but said the V4 could regain influence if cooperation is rebuilt on mutual trust.

“I cannot cooperate with Viktor Orban for the reasons the Hungarians no longer tolerate his leadership,” Tusk said, linking the group's previous difficulties to Hungary’s former leader.

Asked about the absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, Tusk suggested the decision could help avoid “unnecessary tensions” and “escalation”.

The Ukraine Recovery Conference is scheduled to take place on June 25 and 26 and will be jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

“I never back down," Orban told supporters. “I have a good biography, and you can be sure that I will not ruin it at the end.”

According to party officials, 729 of 737 delegates voted in favour of Orban’s re-election, giving him a one-year mandate as party leader.

During his speech, Orban also criticised the migration policies of Hungary’s new government led by the Tisza Party.

“The liberals who have come to power will open the gates, foreigners will come, and they will fleece Hungary,” he warned.

Orban’s Fidesz-KDNP alliance lost power in April after Peter Magyar’s Tisza Party won a parliamentary majority with more than 53% of the vote. Fidesz-KDNP secured just over 38%, ending Orban’s 16-year period in government .

The election campaign was marked by competing allegations of foreign interference. Orban’s government accused the European Union and Ukraine of attempting to influence the vote, claims rejected by Kyiv and opposition figures.

“We will present regulatory and constitutional solutions to the parliament that will restore trust in the independence of state institutions and the rule of law, and ensure that the Hungarian republic elects a fallen regime’s single important public law officeholder into the extended shadow of a failed leader,” he said.

“The transition will be complete, my esteemed fellow representatives, when the state institutions also return to their role, which constitutional democracy assigns to them: overseeing the current government, enforcing the laws, and serving the Hungarian nation. This is what we are undertaking,” he added.

Magyar had called for Sulyok’s resignation immediately after winning the April election . At the time, he said: “This process will take about a month, we are trying to adopt the necessary legislation as quickly as possible, and yes, there will be talk of removing all puppets.”

Sulyok, who is considered an ally of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has rejected calls to step down and has said he intends to remain in office until the end of his term in 2029.

Magyar’s government holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, giving it the ability to amend Hungary’s constitution without support from opposition parties.

The prime minister took office in May after defeating Orban and ending the nationalist leader’s 16-year period in power. Since assuming office, Magyar has repeatedly accused his predecessor of leaving Hungary politically isolated and economically weakened.

“Hungary’s economic growth is now the second highest in the European Union ,” Orbán said. “Thanks to a work-based economic policy, one million more Hungarians are employed today than in 2010.”

He said the minimum wage had risen more than fourfold since 2010, while average salaries had also increased significantly.

Orbán also pointed to the repurchase of key assets, including the airport and energy companies, as well as an increase in Hungary’s gold reserves from three tonnes to more than 100 tonnes.

“This is the point from which the liberal government begins,” he said. “Let’s hope they do not ruin it.”

Orbán also defended his government’s energy policy, saying reduced utility prices and energy security were among its major achievements.

His remarks came days after Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule. Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party won a landslide victory in April, securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

In his inauguration speech, Magyar accused the former ruling elite of leaving Hungary politically and economically weakened, and pledged democratic and institutional reforms.

Hegedus later danced on the grand staircase of the parliament building, repeating moves that previously gained attention during a rally at Batthyany Square on April 12. The performance earned him the nickname “Dancing Politician.”

Several senior figures linked to Magyar’s incoming administration and potential cabinet members also joined the celebrations, interacting with supporters and sharing the stage.

Earlier in the day, Magyar was officially sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister, ending 16 years of rule under Viktor Orban after the opposition secured a landslide election victory in April.

According to reports, Magyar used his first speech as prime minister to call for the resignation of President Tamas Sulyok and other senior officials by May 31.

Orban and several senior members of his Fidesz party did not attend the inaugural parliamentary session and are reportedly not taking up seats in the new legislature.

In the April election, Magyar and his Tisza Party won a parliamentary majority with more than 53 percent of the vote, while the Fidesz–KDNP alliance received just over 38 percent.

The election campaign was marked by allegations of foreign interference. Orban’s government accused the European Union and Ukraine of attempting to influence the outcome, claims denied by both Kiev and opposition figures.

“In the coming weeks we will reorganise ourselves, visit every constituency, and convene our volunteers, activists, representatives, and candidates,” Orbán said. “On April 28, we will hold a national assembly meeting. Today, the work has begun.”

Orbán noted that more than 2.25 million voters had backed the ruling alliance of Fidesz and KDNP in the vote.

A summary of the average monthly pensions across Europe highlights just how wide that gap has become. At the top sits Iceland, where retirees receive more than €3,100 ($3,645) a month on average. At the lower end of the high-income bracket, countries like Ireland and Belgium hover just above €2,000 ($2,351).

According to OECD and Eurostat data, Northern and Western European countries consistently rank highest in pension payouts.

Iceland leads with roughly €3,169 per month per beneficiary, followed by Luxembourg (€2,868) and Denmark (€2,545). Norway and Switzerland also sit comfortably above €2,300.

These countries share a common model, and that is a strong public pension system combined with occupational and private schemes. OECD analysis shows that multi-pillar pension systems, where state support is supplemented by employer-backed and private savings, tend to deliver higher retirement incomes.

There is also a broader economic context where higher wages during working life translate into larger contributions and, ultimately, higher pensions.

Countries such as Austria (€2,156), the Netherlands (€2,118) and Belgium (€2,021) fall slightly behind the Nordic leaders but remain above the €2,000 mark.

Eurostat data indicate that these countries benefit from mature social security systems with wide coverage, though replacement rates, the share of income maintained after retirement, vary depending on career length and contribution history.

Ireland, at around €2,005, rounds out the group. While its public pension is relatively modest, it is often supplemented by private retirement savings, which OECD reports say are increasingly important across Europe.

Why the gap exists

The variation in pension levels comes down to a few key factors:

Eurostat has repeatedly warned that Europe’s ageing population will intensify these pressures in the coming decades, with the ratio of working-age people to retirees continuing to shrink.

However, Higher pensions do not automatically mean better living standards.

Countries like Switzerland and Norway, while offering higher monthly payouts, also have significantly higher costs of living. OECD comparisons show that purchasing power can vary widely, meaning €2,000 in one country may stretch further than €3,000 in another.

Poland is expected to allocate around 4.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to defence in 2025, the highest share among NATO allies, according to recent estimates compiled by defence analysts and data platforms, including Atlas Institute and reported by Euronews.

The surge reflects a broader shift across the alliance, where governments are under growing pressure to meet or exceed NATO’s benchmark of spending at least 2% of GDP on defence.

Countries on NATO’s eastern flank, closest to Russia , dominate the top of the spending rankings. Lithuania (4.0%), Latvia (3.7%) and Estonia (3.4%) are all projected to significantly exceed the alliance’s 2% target.

What this signals is a strategic recalibration. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, frontline states have moved rapidly to strengthen military readiness, expand troop numbers and modernise equipment.

Euronews reports that defence budgets across Europe have seen sustained increases, with many governments committing to multi-year spending plans focused on air defence systems, artillery and ammunition stockpiles.

The United States , NATO’s largest military power, is expected to spend about 3.2% of GDP on defence in 2025—lower than several Eastern European allies in proportional terms but still far higher in absolute spending.

Northern European countries are also stepping up. Norway (3.3%) and Denmark (3.2%) are among the top contributors, reflecting growing concerns over Arctic security and regional stability.

Meanwhile, major Western European economies such as the United Kingdom and Germany are projected to spend around 2.4% of GDP, signalling progress after years of criticism for underinvestment.

Germany, in particular, has pledged a long-term shift in defence policy following its €100 billion special fund announced after the Ukraine invasion, a move widely covered by Euronews as a turning point in European security policy.

A notable development is that nearly all NATO members reached the 2% GDP benchmark in 2025. Countries including France, Italy, Canada and Spain hit that threshold, marking a significant change from just a few years ago when many allies fell short.

According to Britannica, one method of releasing nuclear energy is by controlled nuclear fission in devices called reactors, which now operate in many parts of the world for electricity.

As of May 2024, the  World Nuclear Association  reported that Nuclear power supplies roughly 10% of global electricity via approximately 440 operational power reactors. It also contributes to nearly a quarter of the world's electricity with low carbon emissions.

However, there are several countries where nuclear energy is not just a part of the energy mix but a dominant force. Here is a list of countries based on  data  provided by Ember and Energy Institute:

France

France has the highest dependence on nuclear energy, with 65% of its electricity coming from nuclear power plants. It has a large nuclear power programme and is home to some of the oldest and most prominent nuclear power plants worldwide.

Slovakia

Slovakia relies heavily on nuclear energy, with 62% of its electricity generated from nuclear power plants. The country has four operational nuclear reactors, with two more under construction.

Ukraine

Ukraine relies heavily on nuclear energy, with 55% of its electricity generated from nuclear power plants. The country has 15 operational nuclear reactors, with more under construction.

Hungary

Hungary's dependence on nuclear energy stands at 44%. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is the country's only nuclear power plant but is being expanded to increase its capacity.

Finland

Finland's dependence on nuclear energy stands at 42%. The country has four operational nuclear reactors, with a fifth under construction.

Belgium

Belgium's dependence on nuclear energy stands at 41%. The country has three operational nuclear power plants, which are scheduled to be shut down by 2025 to  diminish  dependency levels.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic's dependence on nuclear energy stands at 40%. The country has six operational nuclear reactors, with two more under construction.