Hungary is emerging as a top European tourist destination, with 8.2 million visitors in H1 2025 generating 18.9 million nights, as reported by the tourism industry news site Travel and Tour World. Budapest draws crowds with its baths and nightlife, while rural areas and wine regions grow.
‘According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, the conflict is a religious war against radical Islamist ideology, not a territorial one. Western leaders like Macron, she said, fail to grasp this. In her view, Hamas fights against universal Western values, leaving Israel with no choice but to defend itself.’
As peace talks gain momentum, Russia demands Ukrainian neutrality and security guarantees from global powers, including UN Security Council members. China, despite denying plans for peacekeepers, remains open to diplomatic involvement, aligning with Xi Jinping’s earlier principles for ending the war.
Hungary’s growing electricity demand and the need for stable, round-the-clock energy production make nuclear power indispensable, argued former President János Áder in his latest podcast, joined by energy expert Attila Aszódi.
A young American was stabbed in the face early Sunday in Dresden after intervening during harassment on a tram. Police briefly held a Syrian man before releasing him for lack of evidence, while the attacker remains at large. The case fuels controversy amid Germany’s migrant crime debate and AfD’s rise.
Hungary is not in a dead end, but outdated foreign policy thinking has reached one, Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political advisor, argued. He rejected claims that opposing Brussels has left Hungary isolated within the EU.
Tensions escalated after Zelenskyy warned that the ‘fate of the Druzhba pipeline’ hinges on Hungary’s stance toward Ukraine’s EU bid. FM Szijjártó hit back on X, urging Kyiv to stop ‘threatening Hungary,’ while Ukrainian FM Sybiha told Budapest to ‘diversify’ and not lecture the president.
‘A diplomatic solution is necessary to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. While the specifics are not yet fully developed, some plans are already publicly known.’
Budapest’s Keleti Railway Station will undergo a four-week renovation starting Monday, described as this year’s largest maintenance project. The works will cause major traffic changes, with trains rerouted to other stations.
‘Hungary, too, was forced to be part of the Soviet bloc when Soviet troops entered the country in 1945. Three years later, the future Cardinal and Primate of Hungary, József Mindszenty, opened the Marian Year to entrust, like King St. Stephen, the fate of Hungary to the intercession of the Blessed Mother…’
On 23 August, Europe observes the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarian Regimes. The European Network Remembrance and Solidarity’s (ENRS) campaign ‘Remember. 23 August’ highlights intergenerational trauma and courage in the face of oppression, offering expert insights, short films, and educational resources.
‘He emphasized that the goal of military operations, however, is not bloodshed, but to eliminate armed threats with as few civilian casualties as possible. Yet, according to the panellists, Western media often distorts this, replacing the complex reality of war with oversimplified narratives.’
A Russian missile strike on Mukachevo (Munkács) on 21 August injured 23 and marked the first hit on Transcarpathia in the war’s three years. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán pledged medical support from Hungarian hospitals and stressed that peace efforts must continue to protect ethnic Hungarians.
Hungary and Slovakia have urged the European Commission to act after repeated Ukrainian strikes hit the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia, a key supply route for both countries. The latest attack has halted deliveries for at least five days.
Hungary’s oil and natural gas production continued to rise in the first half of 2025, easing reliance on imports and marking some of the strongest results in decades, according to the Energy Ministry and the Regulatory Authority.
Bryan Leib, Senior Fellow at the Center for Fundamental Rights, has recently posted to X, advocating that the proposed trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and President Putin of Russia should take place in Budapest, Hungary.
Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday that Hungary is ready to host potential Putin–Zelenskyy talks to end the war in Ukraine. With Trump’s administration eyeing Budapest as a possible location, the city has emerged as a strong contender—but also a divisive one, drawing a sharp rebuke from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who warned against repeating past failures.
On 20 August, Hungary marked its 1025th anniversary as a state, commemorating St Stephen’s foundation of the Christian kingdom. Leaders worldwide—from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU Council President António Costa to Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Gulf partners—extended congratulations.
Fidesz Budapest leader Alexandra Szentkirályi slammed the city’s opposition leadership over bus safety. Her comments came after, remarkably, three buses burst into flames during a recent heatwave in the Hungarian capital.
After 33 years, Hungary once again hosts a MotoGP World Championship round this weekend at Balaton Park in Balatonfőkajár. All eyes will be on Spain’s six-time world champion Marc Márquez, the runaway leader of the season.
Serious safety concerns were uncovered during government inspections of Budapest’s public buses, with nearly four out of five vehicles showing dangerous defects that in some cases could pose fire risks to passengers.
‘Just days after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a Zeitenwende—a historic turning point—in the Bundestag, pledging greater support for Ukraine and a significant strengthening of Germany’s armed forces…Yet, despite ambitious plans and ongoing modernization efforts, the proclaimed turning point fell short of delivering the sweeping, immediate changes…’
After the European Council meeting on the Alaska summit, Viktor Orbán argued that Brussels’ Ukraine strategy had collapsed—its isolation policy, battlefield expectations, and membership promises as security guarantee all failed. With Trump’s team eyeing Budapest as the venue for a potential Putin–Zelenskyy summit, Hungary’s influence in Europe could be significantly bolstered.
Charge’ d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Budapest Robert Palladino and Director General for the Center for Fundamental Rights Miklós Szánthó spoke at the ceremonial opening of the The Martians — Hungarian Scientists and Nobel Laureates exhibition at Vörösmarty Square in Budapest, Hungary, which is dedicated to the great Hungarian scientific minds in history.
A historic Putin–Zelenskyy summit may soon take place in Hungary, US officials confirmed after Trump’s White House meeting with Zelenskyy and EU leaders. The summit, to be followed by a trilateral session with Trump, could mark a breakthrough in efforts to end the war.
Hungary will host a new United Nations University institute in Kőszeg, focusing on peace, security, transformative technologies, and future-shaping social and economic processes, strengthening the country’s role in international research.
Tensions flared between Budapest and Kyiv after Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of striking the Druzhba oil pipeline, vital for Hungary’s energy supply. His Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha shot back, blaming Hungary’s reliance on Russia and telling Budapest to address its ‘friends in Moscow’.
Tibor Kapu spent 18 days on the International Space Station as part of the Hungarian Government’s HUNOR space programme. He then spent an additional two days on board his spaceship before returning to Earth, bringing the total number of days he was outside the atmosphere to 20.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó spoke with both Washington and Moscow after the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska, stressing Hungary’s consistent call for peace. As the only EU state briefed by both sides, Budapest now holds a unique insight into Russia’s real intentions regarding a potential ceasefire agreement.
‘Closing the press conference, President Putin addressed Donald Trump in English and invited the American leader to meet “next time in Moscow”. It is an extremely rare occasion to hear the Russian President speaking in English.’