The ‘Friends of Peace’ group was established at the United Nations last Friday on Hungary’s initiative. Led by China and Brazil, the 15-member group aims to facilitate the initiation of peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine and promote the implementation of the key points of the Sino–Brazilian peace plan.
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence and the HDF’s joint initiative Szeretem, megvédem! (I love it, I protect it!) started in June, looking to recruit new people into the Army’s territorial reserve units. Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky has informed the public that since the start of the programme, over 2,000 people have joined.
Viktor Orbán paid an official visit to North Macedonia, where he also attended a joint meeting of the Hungarian and North Macedonian governments. Discussions focused on the Balkan country’s EU accession and the fight against illegal migration. The Hungarian PM stated that it is in the EU’s vital interest to complete the integration of the Balkan region as swiftly as possible.
Hungary and China are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2024. To mark the occasion a reception was held in Budapest, where House Speaker László Kövér stated that the deepening of Sino–Hungarian cooperation is not a threat, but an opportunity.
The world-famous American soft drink company Coca-Cola has received a lot of backlash from its Christian customers in the United States after it was discovered that the word ‘Jesus’ was not allowed to be put on the cans in their personalized can campaign, but the names of other religious figures, such as Allah. Buddha, and even Satan, were allowed.
In a recent podcast, Balázs Orbán drew a comparison between the 1956 Revolution and the war in Ukraine. His remarks, taken out of context and misinterpreted, were swiftly exploited to smear the government of Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán responded by stressing that the war in Ukraine must not be allowed to overshadow the memory of the heroes of 1956, and that Hungary’s position must always be articulated accurately and unambiguously.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to mediate a dialogue between the United States and Russia. Following talks in New York, Szijjártó emphasized the pressing global security risks posed by the lack of communication between major powers, warning of the danger of a new Cold War and urging a return to the UN’s founding mission of fostering international dialogue.
The Hungarian Ministry of Energy has confirmed that the reduced utility prices will remain in effect during the final quarter of 2024, ensuring that Hungarian households continue to enjoy the cheapest gas in Europe. By updating the relevant regulations, the ministry aims to secure affordable and uninterrupted heating throughout the upcoming winter season.
In a recent interview with the Jewish News Syndicate outlet conducted in New York, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó underlined that Israel is ‘a strategic partner, a strategic ally’ to Hungary, while Budapest has a ‘pragmatic, practical relationship’ with Iran, based on economic cooperation. However, ‘it is obvious that on many issues, we see the world in a totally different way,’ he clarified.
The launch of MCC Brussels Director Frank Füredi’s latest book was cancelled at a Brussels bookshop on the day of the event, presumably due to left-wing political pressure. The situation closely mirrors the controversy surrounding the National Conservatism Conference in April, when a Brussels district mayor attempted to use police force to suppress right-wing voices.
Former President of Hungary Katalin Novák announced in early September that she will take on new responsibilities, continuing to address global demographic challenges as co-founder and co-CEO of the non-profit organization XY Worldwide. Novák recently met with Elon Musk and Giorgia Meloni, where they discussed the possibility of the American billionaire supporting her new initiative.
To support families who are raising or planning to have children, the government will introduce a new measure from 1 October to make it easier for self-employed people who opt for special taxation as well as for primary agricultural producers to claim the CSOK Plus and the Rural CSOK loans, and the baby expecting subsidy. The aim is to make these benefits more accessible to self-employed people. In their case, banks used to take only 10 to 20 per cent of their income into account when assessing their loan applications but will now be obliged to recognize at least 50 per cent of their earnings.
Users on X (formerly Twitter), corporate and private alike, were captivated by the images of the recent flooding of the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary. Photos of the flooded capital city spread across the social media site. Thankfully, the water levels have come down to normal since, and the flooding passed with no loss of human life.
The European Commission is allocating approximately €10 billion in aid to flood-affected countries in Central and Eastern Europe, but Hungary is notably absent from the list. The reason is somewhat paradoxical: Hungary has been so effective in its protective measures that the resulting damage is expected to fall below the threshold required to qualify for the EU Solidarity Fund.
In his speech at the Ludovika University campus in Budapest Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary has taken over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in uniquely hard times. He warned about Europe’s decreasing level of competitiveness, and stressed Hungary’s need to remain economically neutral. He nailed down that Hungary needs to conduct itself on the new bipolar global economic stage based on its own national interests.
The European Court of Justice issued a €200 million fine, as well as additional fines of €1 million per day to Hungary for failing to comply with migrant quotas in June. Hungary has failed to pay up by the first deadline, so now the European Commission is looking to deduct the penalties from the EU funds due to Budapest.
At the InnoTrans 2024 International Transport Exhibition in Berlin Hungarian state railways MÁV, MÁV-START, and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) signed a cooperation agreement to enhance passenger and freight services. The agreement aims to reduce travel times on the Budapest–Vienna route and improve collaboration in technical areas, promising a faster, more efficient rail network by 2028.
Hungary has successfully fended off a significant flood, demonstrating the nation’s resilience and preparedness, the Hungarian prime minister stated yesterday. Speaking on commercial television TV2 Orbán praised the collaborative efforts of the state, local governments, water management experts, and security forces. He also highlighted Hungary’s geographical advantage, which allowed for timely preparations.
A recent report by Germany’s Tagesschau highlighted a growing trend of Germans relocating to Hungary due to dissatisfaction with their homeland’s liberal policies, particularly concerning immigration. Germans moving to Lake Balaton cite increased safety and alignment with Hungary’s conservative values, praising Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s stance on foreign and domestic policies.
Dorottya Baczoni, Rajmud Fekete, Gábor Megadja, and Gábor Csepregi took part in a captivating panel discussion at the Identity as a Political Weapon event hosted by Mathias Corvinus Collegium and XXI. Century Institute, talking about the sexual revolution that took place in the late 1960s in the capitalist West and the communist East.
In an earlier interview in the Hungarian media former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that ‘all issues in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations can be traced back to the Russian aggression’. On the other hand, he also noted the importance of Péter Szijjártó emphasizing his support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what comes out of the planned meeting with Kuleba’s successor.
Prior to the start of Hungary’s current presidency of the Council of the EU, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated that the country plans to initiate the opening of a new chapter in accession negotiations with Serbia. This intention was also extended to the entire region, as the Hungarian foreign minister highlighted the country’s aim to hold intergovernmental talks with all five Western Balkan countries.
After months of negotiations MOL Group has finalized commercial agreements with its joint venture partners, Azerbaijani SOCAR and British BP, for the extraction of natural gas reserves in Azerbaijan. This positions the Hungarian oil and gas company as the third-largest shareholder in one of the biggest gas fields in the South Caucasus, the Azeri–Chirag–Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) field.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on Monday that the country would soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief as the Danube flooding is nearing its end. He added that once the immediate threat has passed, public health measures will begin, and an assessment of the lessons learned from the flood protection efforts will follow; but discipline is still required in the remaining two days.
Olivér Várhelyi will be removed from his position as Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and will, if confirmed by the EP, be serving as Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare instead in the incoming EU Commission. EU Minister János Bóka congratulated him on his new assignment, while Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has criticized Brussels for the decision.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was established in 1988 and is awarded annually by the European Parliament. It is primarily given to individuals or organizations who have made outstanding efforts in the defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The prize is named after Soviet physicist, dissident, and political exile Andrei Sakharov. Thirty-four years ago the first recipient was Nelson Mandela.
While in Budapest, Matteo Salvini also met with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary on Friday. Salvini is currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy. He is the leader of the Lega party, which joined Fidesz’s new group Patriots for Europe in the European Parliament earlier this year.
Deputy Chairman of Mi Hazánk party Előd Novák accuses Hungarian BAC Consulting of aiding and abetting a terrorist act for supposedly manufacturing the pagers that exploded in the hands of Hezbollah operatives. Apart from being based on information debunked by the Hungarian government, Novák’s allegation regurgitates leftist anti-Israel narratives.
Earlier this week several hundred members of Hezbollah were reportedly severely injured in a mysterious series of explosions in Lebanon when bombs hidden inside pagers detonated. The manufacturing of the devices was initially linked to a Hungarian company. It has since been revealed that the company is only Hungarian on paper, and it does not have a manufacturing plant in the country. In fact, the pagers have never been within Hungary’s borders.
Press reports indicated that the pagers were manufactured by a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo. CEO of Gold Apollo Hsu Ching-kuang held a press conference on the matter, where he announced that the AR-924 pagers ordered by Hezbollah were manufactured under licence by a Budapest-based company called BAC Consulting Ltd. Gold Apollo has not presented the specific agreement made with BAC Consulting.