Viktor Orbán has a very long record in public life, from his early days as a strong anti-communist freedom fighter, through to his first stint in government, and now to this long and successful tenure as a prime minister. He’s been able to articulate a brand of conservatism that is both economically sensible and culturally conservative and traditionalist.

‘Hopefully, under a second Trump administration, we’re going to see a new high in Hungarian⁠–⁠American relations that we haven’t seen since Kossuth visited America back in the 1850s,’ Republican Congressional Aide Johnny Szani pointed out in an interview with Hungarian Conservative.

‘Now, the only remaining fortresses of conservatives are small media outlets, and they strongly need international cooperation, not only for the credibility, but also to protect them against the attacks of the government,’ President of the Board and co-founder of Ordo Iuris Institute, Jerzy Kwaśniewski pointed out in an interview with Hungarian Conservative.

‘When a country achieves success like Hungary, it’s crucial to ensure that less successful countries also thrive by promoting the blueprint, pushing the strategy, and supporting one another,’ Mexican conservative film producer Eduardo Verástegui stressed in an interview with Hungarian Conservative on the sidelines of CPAC Hungary 2024.

‘I wish there were more Hungary in the European Union. if centre-right and conservative parties win elections all over Europe and come into government, then there will be a chance to change something in Europe. You can’t change anything in Brussels. Brussels is unchangeable.’ 

‘Viktor Orbán is the one standing up for the average European people, not their government,’ Republican Congressman Andy Harris pointed out in an interview with Hungarian Conservative on the sidelines of CPAC Hungary 2024.

Denisa Bott-Varga has been an active member of the 110-year-old Hungarian American Athletic Club in New Brunswick and leader of the local Csűrdöngölő Folk Dance Ensemble since the early 2000s, when she arrived to the US from Slovakia. In 2023, she received an Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic for her work in Hungarian diaspora culture and folk dance. In the interview she talks about her passion for folk dance and her efforts to build and preserve the Hungarian community in New Brunswick.

‘Hungary has the ability to initiate some proposals to its neighbours regarding what steps to take to reduce the harmful effects of the war. The region needs to agree on what the long-term interests of its countries in the region are in the shadow of the war in Ukraine,’ China’s foremost political scientist holds.

Conservatism is different in every nation, and so is approach to energy solutions. In this interview, Arvid Hallén, the founder of the only Swedish conservative think tank, Oikos, addresses these topics and also provides some background on Sweden’s NATO accession.

NATO accession, defending the countries of Central Europe, success in academia and standing up for one’s heritage. These topics interest many these days, and Joanna Siekiera is an expert on them. In this interview she discusses the ‘blocking’ of Swedish NATO accession, the influence of smaller EU countries globally, academia and cybersecurity.

‘For our children, the mother tongue is a means and an opportunity for fulfilment and self-fulfilment. In the words of György Bessenyei: “Every nation becomes a scholar in its own language, but never in a foreign one.”’ Read Luke Larson’s interview with Hungarian-language school principal Berta Katona-Mironova on the situation of Hungarian-language education in Ukraine.

The 95-year-old 56er Tibor Weinzierl (Várnay) talks about his adventurous life in Hungary, Canada and the US: his experiences as a prisoner of war, his musical career, his emigration, and his work ethic. Still very fit and active, Tibor Weinzierl worked until he was 87, then started compiling his book at the age of 90.

‘The gains of the conservative and patriotic renaissance are clear. We are making unthinkable progress. We are advancing in Italy, Hungary, France, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.’

‘People in Europe want change, and they will certainly voice this in the elections, which will result in a shift in the political balance of the European Parliament. However, I don’t think this is a revolutionary change. It will hardly change the balance of power in the board too much, but there is at least a chance that the atmosphere will change. We’ll see where all this could lead us.’

‘There is a lot of interest from universities, professors, and students in studying in Europe, because we can offer an affordable degree and high-quality education in a world-class city. After half a year of training or education, students and teachers develop a commitment to Hungary that is a huge asset for the future.’

‘There was a period in American history when elite financial interests were aligned with the national interest. Now, those are diverging. I’m calling for cultivating a contemporary sense of noblesse oblige and a solidarity with everyday people, while still maintaining a class of people [who can govern] through merit and who care about culture, art, and serious liberal arts education.’

Discussing philosophy in general and whether it should be incorporated in education is an everyday topic. In this interview, Cornell University professor Barry Strauss delves into the issue, explaining why philosophy is essential in universities, and also shares his take on AI being used in the classroom.

‘As a PhD student, I was very shocked to see that Harvard has had chairs of all sorts of relatively small nationalities (Slovak, Greek, Ukrainian, and so on), except Hungarian. These departments and chairs can only be created through international cooperation and the involvement of the business world, that is would need advocacy and money. We would need Hungarian academic departments and Hungarian professors in North America again.’

‘An optimistic scenario is that the coming years in opposition would be used by conservative forces in Poland similarly to what Viktor Orbán and his camp did during the years 2002–2010 spent in opposition.’

‘I am a qualified admirer of what has been done in Hungary over the last decade and a half. We can learn a lot from the fairly uncompromising attitude of the Hungarian government on issues such as state authority and the nation. I would also mention the handling of migration and the fact that the Hungarian government just didn’t care what others think in this matter: they just focused on protecting their borders.’

According to Martin Robinson, the essential question about the use of AI in general is whether it is humans who remain in charge of and part of the process, or not.

‘The way PM Orbán has redefined Hungarian identity and sought to maintain, develop and foster relationships with Hungarians who were dispossessed of their homeland in the Treaty of Trianon is something I personally have tremendous respect for. ’

The question whether parents should be involved in what goes on in the school comes up frequently. In this interview Anthony O’Hear shares his opinion on the topic, while also discussing the issue of examinations and the inclusion of AI into education.

‘It’s just unarguably the case that whatever it is they accuse someone like Viktor Orbán of doing, the progressive left in America, it is quite clear that these conditions apply in immeasurably more effect to the American system.’

Political activism in schools, the introduction of politics into the curriculum and the regulation of AI in education are all important questions today. In this interview, Stuart Waiton offers insight into the controversies surrounding these topics.

‘I was outraged to learn that the Erasmus opportunity is being denied to Hungarian students and researchers. As a former Erasmus student, this particularly upsets me. In the meantime, it turns out that the EU has awarded funds of almost two million euros to the Islamic University of Gaza, which is connected to the terrorist organization Hamas. This is absolutely insane,’ philosopher and political scientist Leonardo Orlando told Hungarian Conservative.

‘Having a child is a vulnerability, especially for women, and particularly in today’s world, where there is no guarantee that a marriage will last. So you might find yourself on your own, and you may find yourself dependent on the state in some way. So a state putting general policies together to make it possible to have that loan towards a house, such policies in Hungary, I think are actually a potential template for other nations around the world.’

‘A double standard is to be expected. It is what we, conservatives always have to live with, because the left controls all these institutions and communication channels, and the left will do everything it can to help their favoured candidate win.’

‘The public mood has been turbulent since 2021. From a campaign perspective, it’s astonishing the current administration is actually trying to prosecute the main political rival of the sitting president. They’re doing that while also implementing policies that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of people flooding over the border illegally each month and doubling or tripling the cost of food and fuel. People see and feel all of this, and they’re frustrated. As a result, they’re going to vote for change and I expect Conservatives will see success in 2024,’ Troup Hemenway, Heritage Foundation senior consultant and one of the leaders of Project 2025 Troup Hemenway opines.

In essence, Europe needs Poland and Hungary, Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki argues. An interview about double standards, rule of law concerns about the Tusk administration, and the key role of conservative journalists and experts in the conservative European realignment.