Hungarian Conservative

In 2016 the Hungarian government embarked on a military development programme driven by the need for a strong military capable of protecting the lives, property, and culture of Hungarian citizens, as well as fulfilling the country’s NATO obligations. The setting up of the Territorial Defence Forces Command was part of this effort.

‘Most wishing to migrate to the U.S. are seeking a better life, contrary to the regional violence, corruption, and economic devastation in their home countries. If U.S. and Central American governments are able to institutionalize a ‘Marshall Plan’ as Washington had done for Europe after World War II, then perhaps a workable solution is possible. However, the U.S. needs to take the lead in this, though it would be unable to do so long as members of both Democratic and Republican Parties continue to childishly bicker with one another.’

‘Just as liberalism did not succeed in transforming people after socialism, neither did the competing anti-liberal, post-Christian, nihilistic trends. The solution is certainly not political or movement-based: those had already failed by the middle of the twentieth century.’

The informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council took place amid heightened tensions in Brussels on 29 August. The mood was set by Josep Borrell’s decision to relocate the meeting from Budapest to the Belgian capital as a signal of disapproval of Viktor Orbán’s peace mission. Ahead of the meeting, pro-war ministers issued statements criticizing the Hungarian government, and the tense atmosphere carried over into the discussions in the meeting room.

There are a number of conventional weapons whose appearance in US adversaries’ hands can cause serious damage to American interests all around the world. It is not difficult to imagine the threat of hypersonic anti-ship weapons, barely interceptable by contemporary air defence weaponry, on commercial ships, not only on the Red Sea. Arming let’s say Mexican drug cartels with modern anti-tank equipment could also seriously hamper US efforts to block the flow of drugs into the country.

Germany has some of the most stringent export control laws in the world, especially concerning dual-use technologies that can be utilized for both civilian and military purposes. But the discovery of German-manufactured parts in Hezbollah’s arsenal raises troubling questions about the effectiveness of these regulations.

‘The influence of Mao’s Cultural Revolution can indeed be seen as haunting Western universities today. In some respects, Western universities are now experiencing what Eastern European institutions endured under communism.’

‘The demographic shift also suggests a move towards an increasingly multipolar world order. Not bipolar, but multipolar. While the West’s demographic weight is rapidly declining, so is that of its main opponent, China, and to such an extent that its aspirations to take over the role of global hegemon from the United States no longer seem feasible, and its economy may even slide into stagnation.’

At the enlistment event Sergeant Ádám Boncz, a recruitment NCO, recalled to the media that the Defence Forces’ campaign titled ‘I Love It, I Protect It!’ was launched on 17 June and has since attracted continuous interest, with more and more citizens opting to join the reserve service of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

The escalation has raised concerns of a broader conflict in the region, as Israel declared a 48-hour state of emergency and placed restrictions on public gatherings and transport across the northern regions. Both sides have signalled that further actions may be taken, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to protect the nation at all costs, while Hezbollah indicated that their response to ‘Israel’s provocations’ was only beginning.

Although it must be acknowledged that King Rudolf of Germany owed his victory primarily to his perseverance and strategic talent, there is no doubt that the Hungarian auxiliaries compensated for the small size of his army and seriously confused the Bohemian King Ottokar II. It is highly probable that without the thousands of Hungarian auxiliaries, the German King would not have undertaken the clash at the time and place he did.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto’s recent remarks voicing concern about the Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory have drawn ire from Italian commentators. Under Giorgia Meloni’s leadership Italy has consistently backed Ukraine in both rhetoric and material support. However, her public position also reflects the constraints imposed by her governing coalition, which includes pro-Russia politicians. Meloni’s balancing act requires deft political manoeuvring as she seeks to maintain support for Ukraine while navigating a divided public opinion at home.

Since some data indicated that a storm was inbound, a task force gathered to assess whether or not the fireworks show could be safely held. Albeit with an hour delay, it was eventually allowed to move forward, with over 45,000 individual pyrotechnical effects and 1,300 drones entertaining the crowd.

In 1824 Andrew Jackson received both the most popular votes and the most electoral votes in the presidential election. However, since he failed to win a majority of the latter, the decision went to Congress. There, his nemesis, House Speaker Henry Clay used his influence to get John Quincy Adams elected instead of Jackson, for which President Adams rewarded him with the Secretary of State position in a ‘corrupt bargain’. The furious Jackson came back to defeat Adams in the 1828 election, then founded the Democratic Party in 1832, the party that occupies the White House today.

István Horthy, the son of Miklós Horthy, lost his life in a plane crash on the Russian front barely six months after he was elected Vice Regent of Hungary.

‘Stricter AI regulation is needed precisely because of the military use of the technology. Those opposing the legal regulation of artificial intelligence within the European Union have voiced reasonable arguments, such as the fact that overly strict regulations might harm trade within the European Union and can cause economic backlash. But restrictions connected to LAWS do not have such impacts, and their only purpose is to protect civilians and prevent the detrimental possible effects of unregulated attacks.’

‘Hungary’s leaders feel that it is their responsibility to preserve and protect the security and prosperity of the Hungarian nation. And that, surprisingly, is an unusual perspective everywhere else within Western Europe.’

Both Ukraine’s desperate actions to bring the war to the Russian populace and the humiliation inflicted on Russia by demonstrating its inability to push Ukrainians back to behind its 1991 borders might actually signal the war is heading to an end. As neither side seems to be able to decide the outcome of the conflict with military means, the Ukrainian attempt can be interpreted as a last effort to capture more bargaining chips before the inevitable peace talks. 

On 13 August the European Commission disbursed nearly €4.2 billion to Ukraine under the First Pillar of the Ukraine Facility. During the four-year plan, the EU aims to provide up to €50 billion in grants and loans for the country’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernization. Meanwhile, Kyiv has made gains in Kursk, which, according to the Institute for the Study of War, is a pivotal moment in the war with the potential to change its trajectory.

The retraining of twelve personnel is currently underway at the Hungarian Defence Forces (MH) Kiss József 86th Helicopter Brigade, where the pilots are learning the air and ground operation of the new H225 helicopters.

President John Adams from the Federalist Party was defeated by his own Vice President, the Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson in 1800. However, due to the flaws in the original electoral system, this election also became the only one in US history to end in a tie in the Electoral College, and had to be decided by Congress.

The ninth Kurultaj traditional tribal assembly took place in Bugacpuszta amidst great interest over the weekend. ‘These traditions are not merely entertainment; they form the basis of our identity. They provide an opportunity for both present and future generations to learn about and respect the lifestyle, culture, and values of our ancestors,’ State Secretary for Bilateral Relations Boglárka Illés emphasized in her opening speech at the event.

Following a spectacular performance during the last day of the Paris Olympics, 23-year-old Michelle Gulyás won the gold medal in pentathlon. However, many would be surprised if she told them that when she is not competing in the Olympic games, she is chasing criminals.

The award-winning 2018 Hungarian drama Eternal Winter, directed by Attila Szász, based on a screenplay by Norbert Köbli, is a powerful account of the tragic fate of the Swabians in Hungary under the Soviet occupation of the country.

‘Europe finds itself at a critical situation, faced with a fundamental choice between unity in progressivism or sovereignty in diversity…Central to this decision is the recognition of Europe’s intrinsic diversity, rooted in centuries of history, cultural exchange, and shared heritage. This diversity, inherently European, forms the essence of the continent’s identity and should be cherished and preserved. Importantly, efforts to import diversity from external sources often lead to fragmentation and discord, rather than enriching European society.’

‘Today jihadists camouflage themselves as moderate and assimilated Muslims. In their Janus-face approach, they publicly advocate free enterprise and freedom of speech and of religion, while simultaneously being involved in sharia-based subversion, encouraging hatred, segregation, and violence. Just like Jefferson who confronted the conquering nature of Islam, Western leaders must do the same before the situation truly gets out of hand, as it appears to have happened in the UK.’

Two Hungarian American soldiers, both serving in the US Army, have received both the Purple Heart and the highest military award in the US, the Medal of Honor: Corporal Tibor ‘Ted’ Rubin for his service in the Korean War, and Staff Sergeant László Rábel for his service in the Vietnam War.

‘The essence of the grand strategy for Hungary—and now I will use intellectual language—is connectivity. This means that we will not allow ourselves to be locked into only one of either of the two emerging hemispheres in the world economy. The world economy will not be exclusively Western or Eastern. We have to be in both, in the Western and in the Eastern. This will come with consequences. The first. We will not get involved in the war against the East. We will not join in the formation of a technological bloc opposing the East, and we will not join in the formation of a trade bloc opposing the East.’

Levente Magyar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, discussed Ukraine, China, and relations between Budapest and Washington at the White House on Thursday. Relations between the two allies have deteriorated significantly under Joe Biden’s presidency, both parties agreed to halt and improve this decline.

‘At times the only way to make the world safe for democracy, as Wilson envisioned, is to assume an amoral position, which may require a courtship of impure partners, even at the risk of tolerating their immoral policies. Yet notwithstanding the apparent Wilsonian recession in the U.S.-led West, and for that matter, the rest of the world, President Wilson’s vision is so heavily rooted in American political culture that its values shall continue to have a global appeal.’