Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday said it was a mistake for the European Commission to be pushing for EU leaders to put Ukraine’s European Union accession on the agenda, opining that the bloc should first sign a five to ten-year strategic partnership agreement with the country.

Kissinger served as US Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1973 and 1977. In 1973, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Known for his realist approach to foreign policy, he had considerable impact on many major world events during his century in this world.

Speaking at the National Tax Consultation event organized by the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV), Finance Minister Mihály Varga stated that with the change in the tax authority’s mindset, NAV has succeeded in becoming a customer-friendly office. He highlighted that NAV has fulfilled the task of renewal, evident in the significant improvement in its public perception since 2010.

‘I asked my colleague to assist us in ensuring that the two [remaining] Hungarian nationals who hold dual citizenship can be released from captivity as soon as possible,’ Péter Szijjártó shared, adding that it is excellent news that one of the affected individuals is demonstrably alive and stressed the importance of locating the other person. He expressed the hope that both can return home as soon as possible.

The Hungarian state acquired the former Ministry of Finance building for 10 million euros in 2021, below the appraised value according to the valuation. Due to its location and high prestige, the actual value of the property is practically priceless.

The participants of the conference agreed to hold regular meetings to assess migration processes, said President of the Visegrád Four and Interior Minister of the Czech Republic Vít Rakušan in Budapest on Monday.

The two countries celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey and the initiation of Hungarian-Turkish diplomatic relations with a Hungarian-Turkish cultural season starting on 18 December. On the occasion of the anniversary, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will also visit Budapest.

This year, Hungary is set to break both investment and export records, with incoming foreign direct investment doubling from the previous year to €13 billion and Hungarian exports increasing from €142 billion in 2022 to €150 billion.

Allowing alternative sources of fuel to Paks is a step closer to diversifying Hungary’s energy resources. Meanwhile, the French company Framatome is the expected winner of the proposal to develop the control hardware of the power plant.

In March, the second phase of wage adjustment for healthcare professionals, including specialized nurses, will follow, as stated by Minister of the Interior Sándor Pintér during Tuesday’s session of the Welfare Committee of the National Assembly.

Earlier this year, the EU reached a preliminary agreement with Hungary regarding judicial reforms, outlining specific milestones that the Orbán government must fulfil to access funds.

In an interview with a Bács-Kiskun County newspaper, Katalin Novák stressed the importance of making starting a family appealing to young people, the importance of border protection, and her mission to build stronger ties with Hungarian diaspora communities.

The editorial staff believes this is an expression of political bias, and was motivated by the upcoming European Parliamentary elections next year. The last piece of their content flagged by Facebook was of a topic covered by all major news outlets in Hungary.

According to the Commissioner for Human Rights, both the draft legislative package submitted to parliament and the government’s parallel proposal, which seeks to integrate the new office into the Fundamental Law, are ‘so ambiguous that the proposed office could be used as a weapon against anyone considered an adversary.

All three Hungarian hostages, a woman and two girls, who have been held by Hamas since 7 October have regained their freedom.

State Secretary Bence Rétvári highlighted several measures, including the reform of school catering, the expansion of sports opportunities, the introduction of the so-called ‘chips tax,’ and restrictions on the availability of tobacco products, which led to better public health statistics in the country.

The researchers affiliated with the applied chemistry department of the University of Debrecen have been engaged in a prolonged exploration of the usability of renewable energy and its storage possibilities.

Musk alleges the left-wing activist group maliciously manipulated his social media site X to show advertisements for major brands next to racist, fringe content, which resulted in significant loss in ad revenue for him. The Texas Attorney General has also announced an investigation of his own into the activities of Media Matters.

The payment would come as part of the Union’s RepowerEU plan, aimed to help Member States transition to green energy, thus would not come from the €36 billion of COVID recovery and cohesion funds suspended over supposed rule of law concerns.

The Hungarian 4iG Group and German Rheinmetall will contribute to the digitalization of the defence forces by developing digital soldier, simulation and training systems in Hungary and in certain NATO member countries in the Central and Eastern European region. In this segment, the 4iG Group and Rheinmetall expect to generate revenues of €200-300 million over five years.

Balázs Hidvéghi, MEP for the ruling Fidesz party in Hungary, pointed out how the European Union treats rule of law concerns completely differently in the case of the left-wing Socialist party in Spain than it does in the case of the right-wing conservative Fidesz party in Hungary.

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated the Hungarian government’s position remains clear: migration must be curbed and the problem must be dealt with locally. Migration and terrorism go hand in hand, which is why Hungary will continue to contribute to NATO’s collective defence tasks and joint action against terrorism as a valued member of the alliance.

A four-day humanitarian ceasefire has been agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, as confirmed by both parties and the mediator Qatar as well. The Palestinians agreed to the release of 50 Israeli hostages, mostly women and children, while Israel agreed to set free 150 Palestinian prisoners. However, PM Netanyahu of Israel insists his country is still at war.

After Hamas brutally attacked Israel on 7 October, the refugee camp on the shore of Lake Balaton in Hungary was converted into a safe haven for Israeli Jews who wanted to escape with their families from the horrors of war. The camp now houses around 250 people, including 100 children, most of whom have fled from Israel since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Two major British publications have alleged that the Hungarian government’s new billboard campaign promoting its national consultation, which depicts EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen along with Alex Soros, is actually antisemitic. That is despite the fact the Hungary has been one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in the Palestinian conflict, while antisemitic demonstrations are on the rise in the West.

During a debate in the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Szijjártó of Hungary argued that the international community should focus on trying to improve the conditions in the migrants’ countries of origin instead of hosting them in more developed foreign countries. He also suggested that migration should be examined from a security, not a humanitarian perspective.

Fidesz’s communications director István Hollik announced the campaign aiming to promote the government’s national consultation initiative on his social media on 20 November.

Hazavaro.gov.hu, online since last Thursday, provides useful information and digital assistance in administrative tasks for those looking to resettle in Hungary after living abroad.

According to the Hungarian government, ‘preserving the ethnic foundations is our joint responsibility’, and as long as that exists, the politics based on ethnic groups also has a future, the Hungarian prime minister said.

As Budapest commemorates its 150th birthday this year, a grand celebration awaits all who join in the festivities.