Two major NATO innovative bodies, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) and the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), are holding their conferences in Budapest, Hungary this week. To mark the occasion, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence announced the hosting of the ‘NATO Innovation Week’.

2RK, the newly established centrist political party, is headed by the former president of the once radical right-wing Jobbik, Gábor Vona.

After the Polish government decided to extend their ban on Ukrainian grain imports on Wednesday, the Hungarian agricultural minister also announced that Hungary will continue to keep Ukrainian grain and several other agricultural products out of the country to protect local farmers. UPDATE: The prohibition of the import of the Ukrainian products in question was published in the Hungarian Gazette after Brussels lifted the grain ban last night.

Speaking about both past and future efforts, the Hungarian prime minister identified five key targets in Hungary’s family policy: incentivizing childbirth; aiding home ownership; prioritizing mothers in family policy; promoting family-friendliness nationwide; and ensuring legal protection for families.

According to Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary and Georgia’s cultural similarities make the bilateral dialogue easier. Both nations speak a unique language, have a ‘closed culture’, and are committed to the values of Christianity, he stressed.

According to Viktor Orbán, EU institutions have been unwilling to side with the member states of the Union, and instead, have followed US interests with regard to the issue of Ukrainian grain.

On the first day of the summit, President Katalin Novák presented ‘the 12 points of the freedom fight of families’, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that family matters and increasing low birth rates lie at the heart of the programme of her government. She also praised Hungary as a great example of effective family policies.

At an extraordinary government press briefing on Wednesday, chief of the PM’s Office Gergely Gulyás said the government may impose a ban on Ukrainian grain imports after 15 September within its own competence if the EC fails to act.

Mazsihisz head Andor Grósz expressed his view to Minister Gulyás that some of the recent remarks about Regent Miklós Horthy made by Fidesz officials at the 30th anniversary of Horthy’s reburial do not fall in line with the government’s principle of zero tolerance of antisemitism.

After meeting with his Bulgarian, Slovak and Romanian counterparts to coordinate their joint stance on the extension of the ban on Ukrainian grain imports, István Nagy stated in a video that Hungarian farmers can count on the government to defend their interests.

György Szöllősi, who serves as both the chief editor for the Hungarian sports daily Nemzeti Sport and Vice President of the International Sports Press Association Europe was invited to give the keynote address at a football cup organized by the Hungarian diaspora living in North America in Chicago, Illinois. However, despite his high prestige in his profession, his visa application was inexplicably denied by the US Embassy in Hungary.

In a radio interview, President Katalin Novák spoke about the upcoming Budapest International Demographic Summit and the importance of family-centric thinking, as well as the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war and her roles as Hungary’s Head of State.

The tragedy occurred at the 28th annual Börgönd Aeroplane Day, claiming the lives of the 67-year-old pilot and his 37-year-old son also on board. A criminal investigation has been launched to find out what caused the incident.

In the Eastern Hungarian city of Debrecen, Jobbik parliamentary group leader László Lukács criticized the Orbán administration for the number of foreign workers being allowed in the country.

The Foreign Minister stressed the importance of Azeri-Hungarian cooperation, which he claims has greatly helped Hungary in energy security in the past decade, and called on Brussels to ‘do more than nudging’ to help member states diversify their energy sources.

In a statement issued today, the Fidesz EP group has announced its support for the new common procurement act (EDIRPA) proposed in the European Parliament. The act would allocate €300 million in funds to ‘incentivise the joint procurement of urgent and critical defence products needed in the context of the response to Russia’s war on Ukraine.’

The unidentified woman from Africa has been living in Hungary since 2003, after receiving legal refugee status from the government. However, suspicions of a false identity led to an investigation, during which her cell phone was also seized—and illegal images of children were found in her device.

‘During his presentation at the media authority’s conference on the regulatory challenges of child protection, Levente Nyakas highlighted the importance of shared interpretations of media content and the world in a parent-child relationship. It is essential that parents understand and are aware of the content their children consume.’

During the inauguration of the British-owned GKN Automotive Hungary Ltd. factory, the minister highlighted that the company, specializing in manufacturing automotive components, will serve BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki, and Volkswagen through the newly built facility within the framework of the approximately 52-billion-forint greenfield investment.

It is important that consumers who become victims of fraud receive assistance promptly, she said, stressing that if someone falls prey to a scam they should report the incident immediately, so that the circumstances can be investigated as soon as possible.

’From now on, we don’t want to hear from the Americans about how democracy works here, how institutions function, or what the rule of law entails,’ Péter Szijjártó stated in Budapest on Thursday, commenting on the most recent developments in the United States aimed at excluding Donald Trump from the presidential race.

Szijjártó urged the start of genuine European Union accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia. He emphasized that Europe is facing extraordinary economic and security challenges, making the stability and peace of the Western Balkans more crucial than ever.

Iliana Ivanova remarked on the unfortunate situation where young people are missing out on opportunities, emphasizing, however, that ‘rules are rules and must be adhered to.’

Previously, there were discussions of buying out the airport with the participation of Hungarian private investors and major corporations, but despite reportedly advanced negotiations, the transaction was postponed in 2021 citing unfavourable Hungarian and international financial conditions.

This is not the first instance of the ambassador offering an unsolicited opinion about Hungary’s past. Last year, he published a message regarding the 1956 revolution, drawing parallels with the Russo-Ukrainian war, and this spring he lauded the Soviet Red Army that occupied Hungary in 1945.

Addressing the conference of Hungarian chiefs of mission, President of the Republic Katalin Novák also spoke about Hungary’s commitment to the rights and language use of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, emphasizing that Hungary will continue to adhere to this in the future. She stated that nobody can expect Hungary to make concessions or compromises concerning the rights of the Hungarian population in Transcarpathia.

At the opening of the academic year of the University of Public Service, Balázs Orbán highlighted the importance of the state gaining the trust of its citizens and foreign partners, and its task to facilitate the building of relationships in the fields of economy and culture.

‘Since the European Union currently refuses to contribute to the financing, Brussels has lost any right to intervene in where Central European countries, including Hungary, source their natural gas from,’ Péter Szijjártó stated.

Szijjártó emphasized that Hungary wants a strong EU, but this is only possible if member states are strong enough. However, for this to happen, nations need to stick to their traditions, their history, and have the freedom to live their religion.

The robust recovery of inbound tourism greatly contributed to the positive tourism results in July. Compared to the same month last year, nearly a fifth more foreign guests, totalling 900,000, overnighted in Hungary.