As Hungary holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, it can leverage its influence to set the EU’s agenda in favour of increased imports of Turkmen gas, presenting it as a strategic and cost-effective alternative to Russian energy dependence. This would not only support Hungary’s energy strategy but also align with the broader EU goals of securing diverse and reliable energy sources while enhancing its presence in the geopolitically significant Central Asian region.

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.

Speaking at the festive senate meeting marking the start of the academic year at the University of Pécs on the Day of Hungarian Higher Education, State Secretary Varga-Bajusz noted that higher education serves students, families, teachers, the Hungarian economy, and the Hungarian nation—essentially, it is ‘for us, our present, and our future.’

‘To discover this need to escape the darkness, one must first descend. One of the themes of Kontroll is descent, in both a literal and figurative sense. Another tale featuring this theme is La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy) by Italian writer and poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321). In many ways, Kontroll is a re-telling of The Divine Comedy, with a message of redemption that can be applied to the individual, and to Hungary itself.’

‘The main reason why Africa has barely been affected by the demographic transition is to be found in its historical circumstances. The continent only joined the capitalist world system in the mid-to-late nineteenth century—the latest of all the important global regions. As a result, the typical consequences of adopting this model were significantly delayed in Africa.’

From this year onwards, Hungarian universities and colleges have full discretion in how to award the 100 ‘extra points’ in the admission process. Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó of Hungary lauded the new system, saying it provides ‘flexibility, competitiveness and institutional autonomy’.

The Hungarian central bank, through its Green Programme launched in 2019, has sought solutions that not only serve the goal of achieving climate neutrality but also contribute to mitigating the extreme weather conditions caused by climate change and improving the state of biodiversity.

The reigning Hungarian champions Ferencváros beat out the Bosnian side FK Borac Banja Luka on penalties in the away leg, and thus qualified for the Europa League’s newly established league phase. Meanwhile, Puskás Akadémia also made it to the penalty shootout against the finalists of the last two Conference League campaigns, the Italian Fiorentina, but narrowly fell short this time.

‘The influence of Mao’s Cultural Revolution can indeed be seen as haunting Western universities today. In some respects, Western universities are now experiencing what Eastern European institutions endured under communism.’

Zsófia Kovács, Director of the Brussels Liszt Institute, stated that the exhibition is about identity in today’s diverse world. She emphasized that the prominence of Roma culture in the Institute’s programme serves as a reminder that Hungary was the first country to create a Roma strategy in 2011 and took the initiative to elevate the cause of Roma culture to a European level.

According to the statement issued by the organizer, Zsolnay Heritage Management Nonprofit Ltd (ZSÖK), visitors at the Star Wars day in Pécs can expect to meet around fifty characters during the morning and afternoon costumed parades.

‘The demographic shift also suggests a move towards an increasingly multipolar world order. Not bipolar, but multipolar. While the West’s demographic weight is rapidly declining, so is that of its main opponent, China, and to such an extent that its aspirations to take over the role of global hegemon from the United States no longer seem feasible, and its economy may even slide into stagnation.’

Hungary performed outstandingly well at the last Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, collecting seven gold medals. This year, there are 39 Hungarian para-athletes competing in the French capital at the 17th Summer Paralympic Games.

Abraham Lincoln was the first President ever elected from the Republican Party. He ran on a platform promising to prevent slavery from spreading within the Union. Therefore, his election directly led to the secession of 11 Southern states, which, in turn, led to the American Civil War.

During the summer’s largest music festival in Hungary, approximately 160,000 foreign guests arrived, spending 10 per cent more nights in Budapest than during last year’s event. Considering foreign travellers, the most visitors once again came from the Netherlands, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain, according to the Hungarian Tourism Agency.

At the enlistment event Sergeant Ádám Boncz, a recruitment NCO, recalled to the media that the Defence Forces’ campaign titled ‘I Love It, I Protect It!’ was launched on 17 June and has since attracted continuous interest, with more and more citizens opting to join the reserve service of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

In a podcast conversation with his daughter, Mikhaila Peterson, Dr Peterson reacted to the court’s dismissal by stating: ‘I’ll be sitting down with an expert, whatever that means, and they’re going to do whatever it is they think they can do to make me into an entirely different sort of creature than I am. And so I’m sort of morbidly curious about that. Yeah, Jordan Peterson’s reeducation is coming to the airwaves soon.’

The series, organized through the collaboration of the town’s cultural institutions, artistic associations, and businesses, will feature musical programmes, concerts, ballet and belly dance performances, street salsa, and contemporary dance shows.

Whether Pumi or Kuvasz, Wirehaired Vizsla or Mudi, all Hungarian dog breeds make excellent companions or working dogs. Meet the nine unique Hungarian breeds as we mark International Dog Day!

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.

The Hungarian prime minister has granted an interview to sports daily Nemzeti Sport to discuss the country’s performance at the Paris Olympics this summer. While he believes that the six gold medals won is a ‘respectable showing’, he also thinks that Hungary’s rightful place is in the top ten in the medal table. Also, while he is proud of his country being the best-performing in Eastern Europe, he thinks that it is the interest of Hungary that other countries in the region be successful in sports as well.

András Halbritter, founder of the foundation promoting school gardens in Hungary, recalled that the movement began in Germany after the Chernobyl disaster and started in Hungary following the regime change, accelerating in the early 2010s. The expert listed several goals of the school garden programme, including instilling a love of the land in children, promoting a focus on sustainability, encouraging young people to consider agricultural careers, and practically imparting ecological literacy.

Although it must be acknowledged that King Rudolf of Germany owed his victory primarily to his perseverance and strategic talent, there is no doubt that the Hungarian auxiliaries compensated for the small size of his army and seriously confused the Bohemian King Ottokar II. It is highly probable that without the thousands of Hungarian auxiliaries, the German King would not have undertaken the clash at the time and place he did.

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.

The audience in Zsámbék will have the opportunity to see János Lackfi’s play Medveles (Bearspotting) for the first time, thanks to the collaboration between Allee Management and the Zsámbék Summer Theatre. The play will be performed on 24 August on the outdoor stage of the Zichy Castle in Zsámbék. Based on Gyöngyi Porkoláb’s podcast series apamondta.hu, the play explores the fascinating aspects of father-son relationships.

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.

The campaign remembers the victims of 20th-century totalitarian regimes in Europe, on the 85th anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on 23 August 1939.

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.

The MCC Debate Academy offers a free training programme for those interested in enhancing their critical thinking skills and applying their newly acquired knowledge in various debate settings. Interested participants can apply for the one-year debate leadership training until 22 September.

‘Families are the foundation for coherent political communities. Indeed, they are the foundation for nations. Nations are usually tied together by a set of common origins based on history, geography, traditions, and blood ties. A person’s ties to their nation are usually familial ties, primarily shaped by the home they grow up in.’