Researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs Julianna Ármás has told Magyar Nemzet that the European Union’s expansion into the Western Balkans is a ‘top priority’ of the Hungarian EU presidency, adding that while ‘the EU has an interest in the accession of the six Western Balkan countries,’ the issue has taken a backseat since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

As part of the New Economic Action Plan, the government has begun consultations on stricter Airbnb regulations in Budapest to address the city’s housing crisis, the Ministry for National Economy announced on Monday. The measures aim to curb rising rental prices and ensure affordable housing for residents.

By December, an additional 125,000 Hungarian students in grades 5 and 9 will receive laptops as part of a government programme aimed at enhancing digital education and reducing social inequalities, with a total budget of 32 billion forints, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Bence Rétvári announced in Budapest on Monday.

After partnering with the company VANNET Telekommunikációs Ltd based in Pécs, Hungary, our country became the 40th nation in the world to have Starlink’s satellite internet service available to its citizens. Starlink is owned by SpaceX, which, in turn, is owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk, the richest person on Earth.

The Brazil-based polling firm AtlasIntel, which got the popular vote margins right by 0.3 points in the last two election cycles in the United States, has released its latest national vote prediction for the 2024 US presidential election. It shows President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris by 2.7 points, a slight shift towards Harris since their last release in mid-September.

The Hungarian government has tripled research and development funding over the past decade, while launching programmes like the John von Neumann Programme and the Bring the Champions Home initiative to strengthen innovation and attract top researchers back to Hungary, State Secretary for Families at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation Zsófia Koncz stated at a Youth Innovaton Forum on Saturday.

A new exhibition featuring contemporary works from the Hungarian National Bank’s art collection opened in New York’s Fridman Gallery. Titled Abstract Narratives, the display opened on 19 October and will run until 16 November, showcasing a selection of artwork from several generations of renowned Hungarian artists.

Minister of Justice Bence Tuzson of Hungary was at a commemoration ceremony to mark the 221st anniversary of the birth of 19th-century Hungarian statesman Ferenc Deák in Kehidakustány, Hungary on Friday. Deák, one of the chief architects behind the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, ‘set an example for those who are active in public life,’ Minister Tuzson stated at the event.

The Israeli Defense Forces have killed the last surviving senior Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, in a firefight. While this is a significant step forward for Israel in its war against the terrorist organization, it is far from the end of the conflict, as both Israeli and Palestinian reactions have indicated.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticized the EU’s war posture in a recent radio interview on public Kossuth Radio, reaffirming Hungary’s stance against participating in the Ukrainian war efforts. He also called for peace negotiations and discussed Hungary’s distinct approach to migration, economic policies, and EU relations.

Hungary and Romania’s Ministers of Economy inaugurated Aeroplex Central Europe’s aircraft maintenance base in Bucharest, marking a major step in bilateral aviation industry cooperation and the expansion of Aeroplex’s services across Eastern and Central Europe.

According to on-site reporting by Euronews.com, the abandoned farm house that used to be occupied by migrants near Horgos (Horgoš), Serbia, just 1.5 miles from the Hungarian border, has been completely cleared by local law enforcement. A local resident recalled that there had been an increase in crime in the area while the migrants were present.

The Patriots for Europe EP group held their first summit on Thursday in Brussels. The meeting was attended by all the leaders of the PfE parties and took place ahead of the European Council summit scheduled to discuss the war in Ukraine, migration, as well as key economic policies, all of which Hungary differs on with most member states.

Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced a historic agreement with Sweden to jointly develop the Gripen fighter jet. This cooperation elevates Hungarian–Swedish relations to a strategic level, the minister stated.

128 Orthodox Jewish men were not allowed to board their connecting flight to Budapest, Hungary in Frankfurt, Germany by the German commercial airline Lufthansa in May 2022. Only some of these passengers disregarded COVID-19 rules at the time, but they were all penalized as a group. For this incident, Lufthansa has agreed to pay $4 million in penalties.

Deputy General-Director of the World Trade Organization Zhang Xiangchen praised the Hungarian strategy of economic neutrality, stating that it is the way forward. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó highlighted that the Hungarian government is fully committed to the implementation of the strategy.

Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris got herself into an embarrassing scandal, after conservative activist and writer Chris Rufo revealed that she had included virtually unedited passages from uncredited sources, including the open online encyclopaedia Wikipedia. Rufo’s accusations of plagiarism led to the resignation of Harvard president Claudine Gay earlier this year.

The Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) has been elected to the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), in recognition of BME’s achievements in space research and education on a global scale. BME is one of Hungary’s most prestigious higher education institutions, with as many as four Nobel laureates having graduated from it.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will attend the first EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Brussels on Wednesday, co-chaired by European Council President Charles Michel and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The summit aims to strengthen partnerships amidst growing geopolitical challenges. Orbán will also join the European Council meeting later this week.

The Council of the EU adopted a declaration on promoting Jewish life and combating antisemitism during Hungary’s EU Presidency while the country being one of the safest in the EU for Jewish community.

Fidesz has proposed the launching of a national consultation covering topics such as economic neutrality, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, wage increases, worker loans, housing, and family assistance, according to the party’s faction leader, Máté Kocsis. The Fidesz politician stated at the government’s off-site meeting in Esztergom that there is need for new economic tools in light of the changes brought by the pandemic and the war.

With a goal in each half from captain Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0 on the road in the League A group game of the UEFA Nations League. With this victory, the national team will most likely avoid direct relegation this season, and will have the chance to play a play-off at the end of the season to stay in the top division.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Germany for the Berlin Process summit and his meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz happened amidst continuous attacks on the Hungarian government and the Hungarian EU presidency. In an unprecedented move, the EPP has called on the Hungarian prime minister to resign, and proposed that he be replaced by Péter Magyar, the Hungarian opposition leader who has the reputation of a domestic abuser and is accused of theft.

Beside the boosting of the European Union’s competitiveness, fighting climate change is also a key priority of the Hungarian EU Presidency. According to State Secretary Miklós Dukai water management plays a central role in building a sustainable future, where every small step and piece of knowledge gained are of crucial importance.

Thanks to the Hungarian government’s utility cost reduction policy, Hungarian families will once again enjoy the cheapest and most secure energy supply in Europe this winter. According to Németh Szilárd, Government Commissioner in charge of maintaining reduced energy costs, the country’s gas reserves are at 93 per cent capacity, and the government’s successful policies have shielded citizens from the impacts of the energy crisis.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has claimed that an assassination attempt is being planned against Viktor Orbán due to his pro-peace stance regarding Ukraine. If true, it would not be surprising, as it would align with the pattern of assassination attempts targeting pro-peace leaders, beginning with Robert Fico in May and continuing with Donald Trump.

The Russian news agency RIA Novosti distorted Péter Szijjártó’s remarks about NATO’s role in the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, making it appear as though the Hungarian foreign minister blamed NATO for the conflict. The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade strongly rejects these misrepresentations.

The recently established Sovereignty Protection Office of Hungary has concluded its findings on the Berlin-based international NGO Transparency International. It has found that the organization ‘is part of a global lobbying network, which exerts political pressure’; and that it has in part been funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundation.

Hungary have tied the Netherlands, one of the semi-finalist teams at Euro 2024 this summer, 1–1 in their UEFA Nations League group game. They are playing Bosnia and Herzegovina tonight, and that game will most likely determine which of the two teams will have the chance to stay in the top division of the Nations League for another season.

Thanks to comprehensive government measures, the amount of particulate matter (PM10) in Hungary’s air has significantly decreased in recent years, with levels now meeting EU standards nationwide. Data from the Hungarian Meteorological Service reveals clear improvements in air quality, particularly in high-risk regions. The Ministry of Energy attributes this success to extensive emission reduction programmes and ongoing environmental initiatives.