AfD has entered 2026 as Germany’s most popular party, widening its advantage over the CDU in the first poll of the New Year. As the party surges ahead of all governing parties, the results reflect a growing rejection of establishment politics ahead of decisive state elections.
Viktor Orbán has once again turned political controversy into country branding, using a provocative social media post to promote Hungary to right-wing foreign tourists. Claiming democracy is in decline across Europe but thriving in Hungary, the prime minister invited followers to ‘come and see’ under the hashtag #VisitHungary.
‘The Hungarian government’s position remains unchanged…we will not build a refugee camp, we will not change the way we protect our borders, and we will not become an immigrant country. We will not accept Brussels telling us who we can live with,’ Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has declared. For his stance against mass migration, he was praised by famous British activist Tommy Robinson on X.
A new film about a young, ambitious woman suddenly becoming the governor of a state just to be pushed out by the evil scheme of her husband, Ella McCay, grossed just $4.5 million in the box office against a $35 million budget. This prompted Disney to cancel its international premiere in France due to a lack of interest.
The US Embassy in Budapest has commemorated the 48th anniversary of the return of the Holy Crown of King St Stephen, calling the 1978 transfer an important milestone in American–Hungarian relations. The gesture highlighted a moment when diplomacy, history and symbolism intersected at the height of the Cold War.
The northern section of the Corridor 5C motorway crossing Bosnia-Herzegovina, linking Budapest with Croatia’s Adriatic port of Ploče, could be completed by the end of 2026, marking a major step in a long-delayed regional project.
Hungarian defence firm 4iG Space and Defence Technologies has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with TATRA Trucks, granting it representation and sales rights for the Czech manufacturer’s military vehicles in Hungary. The deal supports Budapest’s ambition to strengthen domestic defence production and NATO-compatible capabilities.
Ferencváros striker Barnabás Varga, who has scored five goals in five games in Hungary’s FIFA World Cup qualification campaign and four goals in six games for his club in the UEFA Europa League this season, is set to sign with 13-time Greek champions and current league leaders AEK Athens. Media reports claim AEK will pay Ferencváros €4.5 million for his transfer.
Viktor Orbán opened the year with a two-hour international press conference, declaring that 2025 marked the definitive end of the liberal world order and the dawn of an ‘age of nations’. Promoting Hungary’s ‘peace economy’, opposition to war-driven policies and EU migration plans, he framed the coming election as a decisive civilizational choice.
From 1 January, members of the Hungarian Defence Forces and civilian defence employees are receiving improved non-wage benefits, including higher travel reimbursements, increased housing support and expanded family-related allowances.
New Year’s Eve riots in several Western European cities have once again exposed the direct link between illegal migration and the erosion of public security. Citing attacks on emergency services and widespread vandalism, Viktor Orbán’s chief security adviser warned that Europe is repeating a failed model.
In the early morning hours of 3 January, the special forces of the US Army captured President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who is now transferred to the United States to face justice in his criminal case. But why did the Trump administration choose to take such a drastic measure?
Hungary is launching a new phase of its family-focused tax policy from 1 January, expanding tax allowances, widening income tax exemptions for mothers and raising several family-related benefits.
Hungary’s minimum wage rose by 11 per cent from 1 January under a nationwide agreement, alongside a 7 per cent increase in the guaranteed wage floor. The pay rise also lifts several social benefits, strengthening household incomes.
In 2023, the small Israeli community of Nir Oz, located near the Gaza border, became the scene of one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s recent history.
Hungary’s rearmament is looking to its traditional German suppliers, while also reaching beyond blocs to Türkiye and Brazil.
Director General of the Center for Fundamental Rights Miklós Szánthó warned that Hungary’s Tisza Party is preparing austerity measures ‘Generation Z has only read about in history books,’ including tax hikes and privatization plans. He also argued that Europe is escalating the conflict in Ukraine while the rest of the world is seeking peace.
All three major US stock indices—the Dow Jones, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ Composite—returned more this year, with President Trump back in office, than their respective average annual gains in the four years under President Joe Biden. The primary stock index Dow Jones is up 14.32 per cent year-to-date, with two more trading days left on the calendar.
Russia’s claim that Ukraine attempted a drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence has cast a shadow over fragile peace talks just as negotiations appeared to be nearing a breakthrough. While Kyiv denies the allegation and Washington urges caution, the incident risks hardening positions in Moscow and derailing momentum towards a settlement.
In his first Christmas address, Pope Leo XIV expressed his hope that the parties in the Russo–Ukrainian war would ‘find the courage’ to start engaging in direct and sincere peace negotiations; and reminded all that while peace comes from the Lord, everyone should take on their own share of responsibility in creating it.
Viktor Orbán says Hungary helped derail Brussels’s plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine, crediting behind-the-scenes diplomacy and Belgium’s leadership in forming a blocking minority. He warned that asset seizure would provoke Russian retaliation and argued the decision spared Hungary heavy costs at a critical political moment.
Why does Germany react with moral panic to Washington’s 2025 National Security Strategy, a document clarifying national interests while exposing Europe’s civilizational erosion, strategic weakness, and German political culture that treats realism as illegitimate, borders as taboo, and national interests as extremism, revealing Germany’s inability to act as a nation?
France is lobbying Berlin to approve a Russian-linked nuclear fuel project in Germany, with Macron himself applying diplomatic pressure behind the scenes. The initiative cuts against the EU’s REPowerEU strategy and signals that key member states are quietly planning for economic normalization once the war ends.
Spain’s regional election in Extremadura has delivered a major breakthrough for Vox, which doubled its seats and entrenched itself as a decisive force in a former Socialist stronghold. The surge benefits a close political ally of Viktor Orbán and underscores the expanding reach of the Patriots for Europe alliance within national and regional politics.
Europe stands at a crossroads between a Brussels-led war path and Hungary’s logic of peace, the Center’s Miklós Szánthó wrote in a Facebook post. He warned that sanctions, debt, and prolonged conflict threaten Europe’s economy, arguing that only Viktor Orbán and Hungary’s pro-peace right can keep the country out of war.
A shocking assault on a 75-year-old Jeanette Marken in Seattle has reignited accusations of selective silence in Western mainstream media. Footage shows a known career criminal brutally attacking the victim, yet major outlets have largely avoided coverage, prompting comparisons to earlier cases where politically inconvenient crimes were downplayed or ignored.
The average US gallon of gas costs under $3, the Dow Jones is up 13.5 per cent YTD despite April’s 13 per cent drop amidst the tariff frenzy, and JD Vance seems set for the 2028 Republican nomination. Yet the government shut down for 43 days, letting Democrats win NJ and VA gubernatorial races: here are the second Trump admin’s biggest Ws and Ls for 2025!
‘I do think we’ve got to make it clear that visas will not be issued to people with a history of antisemitism or a history of support for ideologies which are inconsistent with the liberal, pluralist, democratic way of life that we enjoy in this country.’
Hungary has signed a cooperation agreement with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism to strengthen the security of major sports events, aiming to ensure that matches remain free from violence, extremism and security threats.
Budapest has launched the first phase of its Green Panel Programme, offering apartment blocks in Kőbánya access to grants for energy-efficient renovations, with the scheme set to expand to other districts to cut emissions and improve living conditions.