The Free Market Road Show was held in Budapest for the ninth time. At the ceremonial opening of the event, John O’Sullivan, president of the Danube Institute, presented the condensed Hungarian version of world-famous economist Friedrich A. Hayek’s (1899–1992) book The Road to Serfdom. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the publication of the Nobel Prize-winning economist’s work, the Danube Institute, under the auspices of the Austrian Economics Center, published the booklet in Hungarian with the aim of making Hayek’s most important teachings easily accessible to Hungarian students.
After months of negotiations, the Netherlands now has its most right-wing government in the country’s history. The coalition, including Geert Wilders’ PVV, has committed to implementing the strictest asylum policy ever, according to the coalition agreement presented on Thursday.
The district mayor of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode in Brussels, Emir Kir, issued an administrative order to prohibit the National Conservatism Conference (NatCon) scheduled for 16–17 April, citing ‘ensuring public safety’ as the reason. MCC, a co-organizer of the event, has now launched legal proceedings against Kir, claiming that the order violated the right of free speech.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a stable but very serious condition after he was shot at point-blank range by a 71-year-old perpetrator, described as a poet and political activist in media reports, on Wednesday afternoon. The international community responded with shock to the news of the attempted assassination, as world leaders expressed their support for Slovakia.
According to the findings of the Project Europe research by Századvég, public attitudes towards combat readiness in Europe significantly differ regarding armed conflict within or beyond national borders. According to the survey, 59 per cent of EU respondents would fight for their country within their own borders, while 27 per cent would not be willing to do so.
Speaking to the Hungarian media after the meeting, János Bóka evaluated that the past five-year institutional cycle has been fundamentally marked by failures in the European Union, which faced numerous historical challenges to which it failed to provide adequate responses.
Head Coach Marco Rossi has named his 26-player squad for Euro 2024, where his team Hungary will be facing hosts Germany, Switzerland, and Scotland in the group stage.
The North Carolina University’s board of trustees unanimously voted to dismantle their DEI programme, and instead use those funds for added campus police and security needed due to the pro-Palestine protests by students. Similar developments have come out of the state of Florida as well.
According to Slovak media, the assailant of Prime Minister Robert Fico is a 71-year-old man from Levice who kept a gun legally. PM Fico is currently undergoing life-saving surgery according to Slovak reports. Not long after the assassination attempt, Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán tweeted on X the following: ‘I was deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico. We pray for his health and quick recovery! God bless him and his country!’
After months of negotiations, it appears that a right-wing government may soon be established in the Netherlands. Although Geert Wilders will not serve as the head of government, Viktor Orbán’s ally will still have a significant influence on the Dutch administration, given that he leads the largest party in parliament.
Russian President Vladimir Putin supports Beijing’s four-point peace plan for Ukraine, presented in April. However, peace seems further away than ever since the war’s outbreak, as Western leaders have adopted an increasingly aggressive stance ahead of the European elections.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni believes that the only viable path which takes everyone’s interests into account is to have a debate on how to stop illegal immigration into Europe. ‘The only serious approach involves cooperation with the origin and transit countries,’ she emphasized at a press event in Milan on Tuesday.
According to EBRD’s forecast, Hungary’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to expand by 2.2 per cent this year and by 3.5 per cent next year.
President Trump is leading President Biden by double digits in Nevada, a state President Biden won by 2.4 points in 2020. The Republican challenger was also shown to have the advantage in Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania as well; with the only exception being Michigan, where President Biden leads by a single point.
The European Commission has introduced an unprecedented proposal for sanctions: punitive measures targeting Russian liquefied natural gas. Hungary opposes the new sanctions package for fear that it may risk destabilizing the European energy market and drive up prices.
CEO of MTVA Dániel Papp expressed that during the most challenging times, it was sport that Hungarian society could cling to, as it provided a sense of freedom.
In his remarks at the inauguration of MOL’s new plant in Tiszaújváros, the Prime Minister emphasized that an important element of the Hungarian industrial strategy is to incentivize Hungarian companies to enter foreign markets using state resources.
Currently, the greatest challenge lies in the infrastructure associated with electric vehicles, particularly the lack of charging networks. In this regard, it was noted that Europe lacks a cohesive, long-term, fast, and hassle-free continental network, which should be developed through both public and private investments.
Hungary is the most attractive investment location in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region according to Site Selection Magazine’s Global Best To Invest. In recent years, Hungary has experienced a significant surge in investment from Eastern countries, particularly China, while Germany continues to be one of the top investors in the country.
As part of the Europe Day celebrations, EU Member States opened their embassies to the public last weekend. Hungary’s Embassy in Washington DC was visited by around 3,000 people, who could take part in miscellaneous programmes celebrating Hungarian culture and history.
The Hungarian Post aims to draw attention to the importance of voluntary blood donation through the issuance of a new commemorative stamp designed by graphic artist Nóra Horváth and produced in 40,000 copies. The Blood Donation stamps are available from Monday at Filaposta, philatelic service points, select post offices, and the Hungarian Post’s webshop.
The Hampton, New Hampshire-based gym company was forced to lower its annual financial forecasts, both for revenue and profit, admittedly due to the March 2024 controversy when a biological man was photographed shaving his face in the women’s local room at one of their locations in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The European Commission has accused Eurovision organizers of ‘handing a gift to Eurosceptics and enemies of Europe’ by prohibiting fans from bringing the EU flag to Saturday’s final. This is just one of the many signs of tension felt among the progressive liberal elite, linked to the forthcoming European elections, where right-wing parties dominate the polls across the EU.
Schaeffler Savaria Ltd, a manufacturer of automotive components, has expanded its site in Szombathely with a logistics hall covering an area of 6,200 square metres and an office building of 2,200 square metres. The new facility includes meeting rooms, changing rooms, and a conference centre suitable for hosting international events.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade described the Chinese President’s three-day visit with a 400-member delegation as historically significant. He explained that it has been twenty years since a Chinese President last visited Hungary; moreover, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Hungarian government stated in a mass email sent to citizens that it is not willing to take part in NATO’s reportedly planned mission in Ukraine, which would encompass military training and the coordination of arms shipments.
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is keen on starting accession negotiations with Ukraine before the Hungarian presidency for fear that Hungary might impede the process. However, considering the upcoming European Parliament elections, it is unlikely that talks will begin in the next month and a half.
The minister recalled that the world has been facing direct threats of war for the past two years, and the renewed global competition among major powers has fundamentally changed the relationship between governments and citizens regarding security.
Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test, replied to a clip of a press conference shared by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in which he discusses his state being ranked #1 in education by U.S. News for the second year in a row.
Among other agreements, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced preparations for the joint development of a high-speed railway connection, aimed at enabling swift and comfortable travel from the Liszt Ferenc Airport to the centre of Budapest. In addition, the possibility of building an oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia will be explored with Chinese and Serbian partners, as well as the expanding of Sino-Hungarian cooperation to nuclear energy initiatives.