The founding of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences marked the beginning of one of the most inspiring chapters in our national history—the Reform Era. The Hungarian National Museum’s new exhibition, Magic Power — Knowledge. Community. Academy., is rooted in this period, yet it presents the past in a way that gives the greatest weight to the future.
Donald Trump’s legacy split the stage at Brain Bar 2025, where Zoltán Pogátsa slammed him as an opportunist ‘populist clown’, while Jacob Reynolds hailed him as a disruptor who exposed the failures of globalization and elite complacency. The fiery debate showed why Trump remains the most divisive figure in global politics.
Balázs Orbán and Carl Bildt clashed at Budapest’s Brain Bar festival, offering starkly different visions for Europe’s future. While Bildt urged deeper EU integration to confront crises from migration to war, Orbán accused Brussels of centralizing power and undermining sovereignty—echoing Hungary’s longstanding call for new leadership.
Hungary’s Center for Fundamental Rights launched the Just One Bad Choice campaign, warning that migration could undo the nation’s security. Marking the 10th anniversary of the Röszke border clash, leaders stressed that Western Europe’s experience shows how one wrong decision can transform society forever.
‘The sad truth is that most liberal democracies have had it so good for so long that we’ve forgotten that almost nothing worthwhile comes without effort, that freedom has to be defended, and that often enough the alternative to fighting is surrender. Something that Israel has always known; that the Ukrainians have more recently discovered; that the Taiwanese might belatedly be waking up to…’
From 17 to 19 October, Budapest will host the Cinemira Film Festival with screenings, creative workshops, and special programmes for children, teens, and families at the Marczibányi Cultural Center and Cinema City Mammut.
‘Within just 14 months, the US has witnessed both the attempted assassination of a former president and presidential candidate, and the actual assassination of one of the most prominent figures supporting the party in power…Both attacks unfolded before crowds of thousands…No wonder two incidents like those have prompted a change in perspective towards free speech on the right.’
The 5th Danube Institute Geopolitical Summit has concluded with a discussion about the economies and geopolitical significance of Turkic states, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Türkiye. Balázs Hendrich, Ian Proud, and Yulduzkhon Imomova have shared their expert opinions on the subject.
Hungary’s first drive-through postal service has opened in Nyíregyháza, allowing customers to handle transactions such as bill payments, letter posting, and parcel collection without leaving their cars, offering added convenience and accessibility.
Global trade was in focus for the first panel discussion at Day 2 of the Danube Institute’s Geopolitical Summit. Whether or not these times are ‘the end of globalization’ sparked a fierce debate even among the distinguished speakers. The list of speakers featured Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia, Former Prime Minister and President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, Managing Director for the Janus Forum Darren Spinck, and more.
Hungarian musicians dominated Spotify and YouTube in 2024, with Azahriah and DESH leading both platforms, while global stars barely appeared on local charts, according to a new NMHH study on Hungary’s music streaming habits.
The 5th Danube Institute Geopolitical Summit is currently taking place in Budapest, Hungary. Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky of Hungary has delivered the keynote address, speaking about such crucial issues of the time as the Russo–Ukrainian war, the Israel–Hamas war, common European defence, and EU enlargement.
Hungary scored a record victory at EuroSkills Herning 2025, winning four gold, two silver, and five bronze medals. With informatics leading the way, the results mark the nation’s strongest performance yet at Europe’s top vocational competition.
‘From that moment onward, Catholics who remained faithful to Rome went underground…To this day, they continue to survive as an “underground” Church, which the Vatican…no longer supports. Numerous priests, nuns, and faithful continue to be imprisoned, tortured, and, in certain cases, even put to death for their refusal to submit to the CCP’s institutional church.’
The Star-Spangled Banner, originally titled ‘Defence of Fort M’Henry’ was written on this day, 14 September, in 1814 by Francis Scott Key during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. It became the official US national anthem in 1931.
‘Even in December 1989, with the dictatorship collapsing, state television aired rallies staged in Ceaușescu’s support—only to have them interrupted by live images of his downfall. Journalists, tightly bound to the Party, had no autonomy; their function was transmission, not inquiry. The very system designed to preserve his rule ended up revealing…the fragility of a regime built on spectacle.’
In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. In this section, let us go on with the story of Joseph Pulitzer, whose newspaper played a leading role in stirring up readers in the run-up to the Spanish–American War.
The University of Pécs will host nearly 250 free programmes on 26 September for Researchers’ Night, offering spectacular experiments, interactive activities, and access to normally closed research sites, highlighting science’s role in everyday life.
Hungarian schools can apply by 30 September for the 4iG Foundation’s Digital Opportunity Programme, which offers 220 high-performance laptops and teacher training to strengthen digital skills, coding clubs, and student-led projects nationwide.
‘A little-known Hungarian photographer, Balthazar Korab…was the one who perceived and conveyed the symbolic meaning in the World Trade Center, as he did in other iconic works of American modernist architecture. He captured a kind of capitalistic grandeur—if one may call it that—that today, when we view these images and cannot help but think of the terrible outcome, feels ominous and oppressive.’
The 25 nominees for the Highlights of Hungary 2025 have been announced. The nominees were hand-picked by five esteemed ambassadors. Public voting will be taking place between 1 October and 24 October, and the three candidates with the most votes will be awarded at the ceremony on 30 October.
‘A trauma whose effects would trickle down and have devastating repercussions, especially for those who were in the formative years of their childhood when it happened. A trauma that would transform the way an entire generation would socialize and interact with the world for decades to come.’
‘Bulgarian courts, relying also on constitutional jurisprudence, have rightly held that “sex” in the Constitution means biological sex. The Advocate General effectively dismisses this constitutional boundary as irrelevant, subordinating it to freedom of movement and asserting that the “authenticity” of a document lies in its consistency with subjective self-perception.’
Despite Hungary taking the lead, and two great headers from Barnabás Varga, Hungary have lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 3–2 at home. However, with Ireland also losing in Armenia, Hungary are still well positioned to take second place, and have their chance in the play-offs to win World Cup qualification for the first time in 40 years.
With President Trump’s executive order last week, the United States officially has a Department of War again, for the first time since 1947. On that occasion, let’s take a look at the most famous men to serve in the office of Secretary of War before the incumbent Pete Hegseth.
‘Discussions about returning to a gold-based currency system have become even more pertinent as the BRICS nations are admittedly trying to end their reliance on the US dollar as the global reserve currency.’
‘In [Ige-mige], readers are confronted with cultural and religious tensions, party strife, infrastructure that can hardly be called rudimentary at all, and the fatal combination of Mediterranean laxity, which then leads to the capricious despotism of bus drivers and endless queues.’
‘Given the sexual curiosity of people today, especially among the youth, there is a pressing need for the Church’s shepherds to speak with clarity on such matters. Regrettably, what we often witness is the ostrich effect at the very best—or rather, the application of the legal maxim: “Qui tacet consentire,” that is: “In their silence, they give consent.”’
‘Archbishop Béla Witz visited me and asked me to bring the Holy Right Hand back to Hungary when we travelled to Salzburg. At first, fulfilling this request seemed impossible. But since I am well aware of what St Stephen’s Day means to Hungary, and how closely the presence of the holy relic is tied to its intimacy, I decided to help.’
Krisztián ‘Krúbi’ Horváth has told his audience: ‘After we hang him, I’ll give a healing kiss to his belly’ at his concert in Budapest, Hungary, referring to PM Orbán. Previously, another Hungarian hip hop artist staged a mock assassination at one of his concerts, while opposition candidate Péter Magyar had sung about imprisoning Fidesz politicians instead of answering a reporter’s questions.