Over the weekend, the Israeli Defense Forces found the bodies of six Israeli hostages killed by the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip town of Rafah. In their initial reports major international media outlets were reluctant to spell out Hamas’s responsibility in their headlines, unsurprisingly for those who have been following the conflict and the media coverage attentively from the beginning of the war. This most recent example highlights the mainstream media’s growing tendency to deny or distort reality when it suits them.

The case of the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was undoubtedly one of the biggest scandals of the summer, dominating headlines in major media outlets for weeks. Hungarian Conservative sat down with former Olympian Zsuzsa Csisztu to examine the controversial athlete’s rise and its impact on women’s sports from the perspective of a female athlete.

According to Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, Kyiv plans to shut down the Druzhba oil pipeline starting from 1 January 2025. This pipeline is a key route through which Russian oil reaches Europe, including Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Hungarian oil and gas company MOL stated that it has not been informed of this decision and that transport is currently running smoothly. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has assured that Hungary’s energy supply remains secure.

The informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council took place amid heightened tensions in Brussels on 29 August. The mood was set by Josep Borrell’s decision to relocate the meeting from Budapest to the Belgian capital as a signal of disapproval of Viktor Orbán’s peace mission. Ahead of the meeting, pro-war ministers issued statements criticizing the Hungarian government, and the tense atmosphere carried over into the discussions in the meeting room.

Ukraine’s decision not to renew its contract with Gazprom has raised concerns in many about how Russian gas will reach Europe in the future. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that Russia could still meet European customers’ needs through the Turkish Stream pipeline, but at a higher cost than before. This latest move by Ukraine poses yet another threat to Hungary’s energy security.

US Ambassador David Pressman has once again criticized the Hungarian government, this time targeting Viktor Orbán’s peace mission. According to Pressman, no one is truly following the Hungarian Prime Minister’s efforts for peace, which he characterized as ‘appeasement’.

Hungarian Minister of Agriculture István Nagy will open this year’s international non-GMO summit in Frankfurt. The focus of this year’s conference will be on the political debate surrounding new genomic techniques (NGTs).

In 2022 Swiss-based ACORE discovered a rich lithium deposit near Lopare, a town in the northeast of Republika Srpska. Although the entity led by Milorad Dodik has not yet issued a tender for the extraction of the ‘white gold’, excellent diplomatic relations and statements from Hungarian and Bosnian Serbian leaders suggest that the project could potentially be undertaken in cooperation with Hungary.

The expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant has reached an important milestone, with ground consolidation for the nuclear island of Unit 6 now underway. According to Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, only countries capable of managing their own energy supply can be successful, and the Paks power plant plays a crucial role in ensuring this for Hungary.

From time to time, the left-wing media circulate rumours that the Hungarian government is planning to create single-member constituencies in areas inhabited by Hungarians living beyond the border, such as Transylvania or Carpathia. This time, it was Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party, who initiated the spread of these false rumours, which the government has repeatedly denied. The left has consistently looked down upon Hungarians living beyond the borders, continually blaming them for their own political failures.

One of Hungary’s largest political festivals, Tranzit, took place again in Tihany over the weekend. Now in its seventh year, the event featured speeches by prominent government politicians such as Péter Szijjártó, Balázs Orbán, and Antal Rogán. While the festival primarily focused on the Hungarian economy, it also addressed crucial issues such as sovereignty, migration, and foreign policy.

‘Without a sovereign economic policy, Hungary would not be successful,’ Antal Rogán pointed out on the opening day of the Tranzit Festival. The Head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office discussed the Hungarian family support system, digital citizenship, and the resilience of the Hungarian economy even in times of crisis.

Hungary’s first smart kindergarten has opened its doors, providing children with the opportunity to learn the skills they need to start school in the most modern conditions. However, the kindergarten is not just smart in terms of its equipment; the education offered is also digitally focused and tailored to meet the demands of the digital age.

Puskás Akadémia achieved an amazing 3–3 draw away to Fiorentina in the Conference League qualifying round on Thursday. The Hungarian side, relatively new to the European stage, is now in a promising position for next week’s return leg.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary upon the recommendation of Viktor Orbán. Under Vučić’s presidency, relations between the two countries have significantly advanced, as evidenced by the improved situation of Hungarians in Vojvodina, substantial infrastructural developments, and close cooperation in the areas of migration and energy.

In 2015 Dániel Balogh followed his dream and moved to Iceland to work. The Hungarian restaurateur, who began his journey in the Northern country as a chef, has now opened his own food truck. Together with his Icelandic partner, he sells lángos in a fairytale setting at the foot of the Sólheimajökull glacier.

Recent statements by Hungarian government officials suggest that the threat to Hungary’s energy supply is being addressed. In July, Kyiv decided to cut off supplies from Russia’s Lukoil to Hungary. Since then, intensive negotiations have commenced, and Hungarian oil giant MOL now appears to be in a position to guarantee the security of Hungary’s oil supply.

Alongside students from 14 other countries, a Hungarian student is participating in a scientific expedition to the Arctic, sponsored by Russia’s Rosatom. The expedition aims to equip participants with a broad range of knowledge about the northernmost region of our planet. On 17 August Levente Varga raised the Hungarian national flag at the North Pole, which he described as the experience of a lifetime.

Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pintér has addressed the European Commission’s concerns regarding the extension of the Hungarian National Cards programme to Russia and Belarus. In a letter sent to Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, Pintér emphasized that Belarusian and Russian guest workers arriving in Hungary would undergo thorough screening to ensure compliance with EU regulations and would not pose a threat to the national security of Schengen member states.

The Hungarian economy could grow by 2 per cent this year, a downward revision from the 4 per cent forecast at the end of last year. This adjustment is attributed to the population’s caution in spending, which is only gradually diminishing after last year’s high inflation. Nevertheless, consumption growth is driving the Hungarian economy this year, even though the savings rate remains at a historically high 15 per cent. Márton Nagy noted that while investment and exports are exerting a negative impact on growth, sectors such as retail sales, tourism, and services are contributing positively.

‘We have to create a cultural environment where wokeness is marginalized as the lunacy that it is,’ Russian-British satirist Konstantin Kisin stated in an interview with Hungarian Conservative.

‘If we try to rewrite history, we’re going to get a wrong idea of why things went wrong and why things happened the way they happened,’ former Bild editor-in-chief Kai Diekmann remarked in an interview with Hungarian Conservative. In the discussion, Diekmann delved into the dangers of cancel culture, the state of media freedom in the Western world, and the importance of Viktor Orbán’s peace mission.

The iconic McDonald’s at Budapest’s Nyugati Railway Station has reopened after over six months of renovation work that cost 1.8 billion HUF. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful McDonald’s outlets in the world, the renovation was carefully designed to preserve its unique and historic features.

Hungary’s first Hilton hotel outside Budapest has opened in Debrecen. According to the city’s mayor, László Papp, the new hotel was created in appreciation of the touristic appeal of the city. In fact, tourism figures for the first half of 2024 have already surpassed those of last year’s record-breaking year, giving cause for optimism. Interestingly, Hilton Budapest, which opened in 1977, was the first Hilton on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain.

Donald Trump’s campaign team has accused EU Commissioner Thierry Breton of election meddling after he sent a letter to Elon Musk, stating that Musk had a duty to censor potentially ‘harmful content’ on X ahead of Musk’s interview with the former US president. To make matters more embarrassing, it has emerged that Breton did not even inform Ursula von der Leyen of his actions.

The project, known as the ‘Icebreaker of Knowledge,’ aims to promote science and nuclear energy technologies, identify and support talented young individuals, develop their skills, and provide career guidance. The participants of the expedition, coming from 14 different countries, will engage in a variety of activities, including scientific lectures, experiments, and master classes. They will also learn about the unique flora and fauna of the Arctic and the infrastructural developments along the Northern Sea Route.

As expected, the ‘chat’ between former US President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Elon Musk has gone viral. The interview, broadcast live on X on Monday evening, US time, has garnered over 168 million views by the time of writing. The discussion spanned a wide range of topics, including inflation, the border crisis, and the Democrats’ foreign policy. Trump, of course, did not hold back in his criticism of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

The ninth Kurultaj traditional tribal assembly took place in Bugacpuszta amidst great interest over the weekend. ‘These traditions are not merely entertainment; they form the basis of our identity. They provide an opportunity for both present and future generations to learn about and respect the lifestyle, culture, and values of our ancestors,’ State Secretary for Bilateral Relations Boglárka Illés emphasized in her opening speech at the event.

Hungary has increased its contribution to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) programmes fivefold over the past six years and will contribute €32 million to European space research next year. Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner Responsible for Space Research, emphasized the important role of youth in Hungarian space activities on the closing day of a rocket-building student camp on Sunday.

The cancellation of American singer Taylor Swift’s three concerts in Vienna due to a terror threat has once again highlighted the serious consequences of Brussels’ flawed migration policy. Balázs Orbán, the political director of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, emphasized the need for a fundamental change in the Western attitude towards the future of our society and culture to protect our children.