Despite the challenges of wartime conditions, the government has maintained its utility cost reduction programme, successfully protecting Hungarian families against Brussels’ war-supporting and misguided sanctions policy. This has resulted in Hungarian households paying the lowest prices of electricity and gas in Europe, government commissioner Szilárd Németh shared at a press conference on Monday.

The international community has been watching events in the Middle East with bated breath for days, as Iran could attack Israel at any moment. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó reportedly informed his Israeli counterpart of Tehran’s intention to attack on Monday evening.

This year’s presidential election in the United States was a prominent topic at MCC Feszt 2024. A whole panel of speakers, namely Miklós Szánthó, James Carafano, Mark Milosch, and István Stumpf, discussed how they see the contest between Republican Donald J. Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris is shaping up.

Vasif Huseynov, Titus Techera, Amitav Acharya, and Şuay Nilhan Açıkalın gathered for a panel discussion on the last day of MCC Feszt 2024 in Esztergom, Hungary to discuss how major world powers approach international relations in these turbulent times.

One of the most anticipated events of the Paris Olympics concluded in the expected victory of the masculine looking boxer Imane Khelif. Her opponent, Hungarian Luca Hámori stood her ground and fought until the last moment of the bout.

Hungary’s impressive medal haul, including three medals in swimming, three in fencing, one in shooting, and one in athletics, currently places the nation 12th in the Olympic medal table.

As of 1 August 2024 HungaroControl Ltd came under the indirect supervision of the Ministry for National Economy. According to the statement by the ministry, HungaroControl’s priorities include significantly improving the quality of Hungarian air transport, closely cooperating with the European air navigation organization Eurocontrol, and more effectively representing Hungarian interests.

The Khelif controversy has raised broader questions about fairness in sports and the potential impact of gender identity policies on competition. As Hungarian Hámori prepares to face Khelif, the debate over the inclusion of transgender and intersex athletes in sports continues to be a contentious and evolving issue.

To increase employment and mobilize the nearly 300,000 strong domestic labour market reserve, the government is continually working to ensure that everyone who can and wants to work has the opportunity to do so.

Sebastian Kurz, the former chancellor of Austria; Balázs Orbán, the political director of the Prime Minister of Hungary; and Ján Figeľ, former European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth from Slovakia talked about what the results of the 2024 European Parliamentary election mean for the future of Europe at the opening panel discussion of MCC Feszt 2024 in Esztergom, Hungary.

Kós became the second Hungarian male swimmer to win this event at the Olympics, following Sándor Wladár, the current president of the Hungarian Swimming Federation. This victory marked Hungary’s 30th Olympic gold in swimming, and the first Hungarian gold medal in Paris.

Luca Hámori is scheduled to box against Imane Khelif of Algeria next. Khelif had been previously disqualified by the International Boxing Association from competing in women’s events for failure to meet undisclosed eligibility criteria. Khelif was nevertheless allowed to compete in the Paris Olympics, drawing international outrage.

Deif, who orchestrated the 7 October terrorist attack against Israel and served as a military commander during the ongoing Gaza war, was killed in Khan Yunis. His killing preceded that of Ismail Haniyeh, who the day before his death attended the inauguration of the Iranian President in the company of none other than Enrique Mora, the Spanish EU official coordinating nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Mathias Corvinus Collegium Director General Zoltán Szalai highlighted at the opening ceremony that MCC training is not merely based on textbook knowledge but starts where public and higher education end. ‘This training is for those who want a bit more, who feel they have more ambition and talent,’ he explained.

From 1 August 2024, MVM will automatically adjust and record the amount of discounted natural gas at the reduced utility price for each day in the case of temperature-dependent monthly billing.

The situation in the Middle East is becoming increasingly tense, with escalatory developments taking place one after the other. This week, Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in a precision strike. In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered a direct attack on Israel.

State Secretary Barna Pál Zsigmond has shared that despite the continuous political attacks from Brussels, Member States on an expert level have praised the programmes organized so far under the scope of the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council.

An FBI special agent has revealed that Thomas Matthew Crooks had been studying previous assassination attempts, including the one on US President John F. Kennedy and the recent one on Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, leading up to his effort to take the life of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania earlier this month.

The Hungarian economy grew by 1.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2024, remaining above the EU average. The countries of the eurozone are expected to continue weakening, especially the German economy, which is not a good sign for Hungary. Considering the data, there is a more urgent need than ever to boost the EU’s competitiveness, which is a key priority of the Hungarian EU Presidency.

President of the European People’s Party Manfred Weber is urging EU Member States to respond to the Hungarian worker visa changes with the strictest possible measures. Starting 8 July, Belarusian and Russian workers, along with nationals of six other countries, will be able to enter and work in Hungary under relaxed conditions. This move has infuriated the famously anti-Hungarian Weber, who claims it threatens the entire Schengen area. The European Commission has the power to suspend a state’s Schengen membership, although this has never happened before.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated in a recent interview that a point has been reached where starting negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine can no longer be postponed. Stubb’s statement echoes the proposals of Viktor Orbán, which the Hungarian Prime Minister submitted to European Council President Charles Michel following his peace mission in early July.

The new anti-woke initiative will consist of two main pillars: an emergency response information chain alerting the members of the nefarious activity of progressive, woke actors anywhere in the world; and one focused on the organization of conferences and workshops for right-wing activists.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has nominated Olivér Várhelyi, the current Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, as the next Commissioner for Hungary in the new European Commission. Várhelyi’s task will not be easy, as he has experienced numerous conflicts with the European Parliament over the past five years. Additionally, pro-war factions will likely do everything in their power to derail the Hungarian candidate’s nomination process.

The munitions manufacturing facility at the Várpalota Defence Industrial Complex, operated in partnership with German Rheinmetall, will contribute to reducing Hungarian dependence on supply chains, Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated at the inauguration ceremony on Monday.

After Kyiv failed to restore the uninterrupted transit of Russian Lukoil’s oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia via Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that Bratislava might stop diesel supplies to Ukraine. Slovak deliveries account for a tenth of Ukraine’s diesel consumption.

Hungary declared its support for Georgia’s membership efforts comes shortly after the EU’s decision to halt the accession process following the adoption of the foreign agent law by the Tbilisi parliament.

In a short Facebook video, Csaba Dömötör highlighted that the reacquired Budapest Airport will generate revenue for the Hungarian government, and it is the strategically important ‘gate to our country for millions of people’ as well.

The threat of escalation in the Middle East is growing following Saturday’s deadly strike by Hezbollah on an Israeli-controlled settlement in the Golan Heights. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has even gone so far as to threaten Israel with an invasion.

In response to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech at the Tusványos festival, Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski of Poland has called on the Hungarian leadership to leave the EU and NATO if they believe these organizations treat them so badly. Meanwhile, US Ambassador David Pressman has also come out to criticize the same speech by PM Orbán.

Under the new, more favourable conditions, the programme’s aim remains to increase the productivity and added value of domestic micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through support for technological and organizational renewal.