Most pollsters did a lousy job in 2020 in the United States, most often overestimating the popularity of Joe Biden. This year polls have claimed a Kamala Harris surge since Biden withdrew from the race, with many conservatives now fearing that Trump may be defeated after all by the clearly incompetent, but allegedly popular Democratic candidate. But the numbers recorded in the five battleground states that decided the last election seem to suggest otherwise.
An in-depth interview with Erika and József Megyeri, former and current presidents of the Hungarian Communion of Friends, about their families’ emigration to the U.S., their involvement in the life of the local Hungarian community as teenagers, and how and why they decided to play a leading role in community building.
‘Without a sovereign economic policy, Hungary would not be successful,’ Antal Rogán pointed out on the opening day of the Tranzit Festival. The Head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office discussed the Hungarian family support system, digital citizenship, and the resilience of the Hungarian economy even in times of crisis.
‘The current Embassy has been very active in supporting the retention of the culture and also in organizing community events and film screenings, and joining us in National Day celebrations.’
Hungary’s first smart kindergarten has opened its doors, providing children with the opportunity to learn the skills they need to start school in the most modern conditions. However, the kindergarten is not just smart in terms of its equipment; the education offered is also digitally focused and tailored to meet the demands of the digital age.
The audience in Zsámbék will have the opportunity to see János Lackfi’s play Medveles (Bearspotting) for the first time, thanks to the collaboration between Allee Management and the Zsámbék Summer Theatre. The play will be performed on 24 August on the outdoor stage of the Zichy Castle in Zsámbék. Based on Gyöngyi Porkoláb’s podcast series apamondta.hu, the play explores the fascinating aspects of father-son relationships.
Puskás Akadémia achieved an amazing 3–3 draw away to Fiorentina in the Conference League qualifying round on Thursday. The Hungarian side, relatively new to the European stage, is now in a promising position for next week’s return leg.
In July 2024 the average number of employed persons aged 15–74 increased by 20,000 compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH). On the domestic primary labour market, 4.580 million people were employed, 26,000 more than a year earlier.
According to information from the parliament’s press office, Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament László Kövér informed his Indonesian counterpart Puan Maharani about the Hungarian government’s commitment to deepening relations with partners in Southeast Asia with the aim of finding joint answers to global challenges.
According to Eurostat’s August report, Hungary was among the top third of member states in terms of emission reductions in the first quarter of 2024. Hungary managed to reduce its GHG emissions while also increasing its economic performance in the first three months of this year.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary upon the recommendation of Viktor Orbán. Under Vučić’s presidency, relations between the two countries have significantly advanced, as evidenced by the improved situation of Hungarians in Vojvodina, substantial infrastructural developments, and close cooperation in the areas of migration and energy.
The campaign remembers the victims of 20th-century totalitarian regimes in Europe, on the 85th anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on 23 August 1939.
In 2015 Dániel Balogh followed his dream and moved to Iceland to work. The Hungarian restaurateur, who began his journey in the Northern country as a chef, has now opened his own food truck. Together with his Icelandic partner, he sells lángos in a fairytale setting at the foot of the Sólheimajökull glacier.
At a ceremony welcoming the heads of public education institutions run by district centres Education State Secretary Zoltán Maruzsa highlighted that the government’s new measures are expected to eliminate staff shortages and allow teachers to focus more on their professional duties.
Recent statements by Hungarian government officials suggest that the threat to Hungary’s energy supply is being addressed. In July, Kyiv decided to cut off supplies from Russia’s Lukoil to Hungary. Since then, intensive negotiations have commenced, and Hungarian oil giant MOL now appears to be in a position to guarantee the security of Hungary’s oil supply.
The MCC Debate Academy offers a free training programme for those interested in enhancing their critical thinking skills and applying their newly acquired knowledge in various debate settings. Interested participants can apply for the one-year debate leadership training until 22 September.
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.
An awful lot of rare historical events for one election cycle happened this year in the US, most of which do not favour the incumbent party. Nothing is a better testament to that than the fact that this week in Chicago it will be Vice President Kamala Harris who accepts the nomination, and not President Joe Biden. That is despite President Biden, as billionaire Elon Musk pointed out in a post on his own social media platform X, having been very adamant about staying in the race until just a month ago.
In terms of the volume of electronic sales Hungary is performing well, with 23 per cent of companies’ net revenue derived from online sales, surpassing the EU average of 18 per cent.
‘The Democrats, who often accuse Trump of populism, demagoguery, and fascism, are increasingly resorting to demagogic, populist, and fascist tactics themselves by instilling fear and turning Trump into a bogeyman, repeating the tired old tropes about him incessantly (not to mention using other means such as deploying law enforcement and the judiciary for partisan purposes against their political opponent). As posted on Facebook by the GOP, on the night of 19 August alone, the word “Trump” was mentioned 147 times at the DNC meanwhile “inflation” three times, “crime” six times, and “border” only eight times.’
‘Families are the foundation for coherent political communities. Indeed, they are the foundation for nations. Nations are usually tied together by a set of common origins based on history, geography, traditions, and blood ties. A person’s ties to their nation are usually familial ties, primarily shaped by the home they grow up in.’
Alongside students from 14 other countries, a Hungarian student is participating in a scientific expedition to the Arctic, sponsored by Russia’s Rosatom. The expedition aims to equip participants with a broad range of knowledge about the northernmost region of our planet. On 17 August Levente Varga raised the Hungarian national flag at the North Pole, which he described as the experience of a lifetime.
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.
The European Film Academy honours the most significant works of European cinema, with the prestigious European Film Awards being presented in Berlin every odd-numbered year and in another European city every even-numbered year. From the recently announced selection, Academy members will vote for the nominees for the European Film Awards. The 37th awards ceremony will be held in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 7 December.
Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pintér has addressed the European Commission’s concerns regarding the extension of the Hungarian National Cards programme to Russia and Belarus. In a letter sent to Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, Pintér emphasized that Belarusian and Russian guest workers arriving in Hungary would undergo thorough screening to ensure compliance with EU regulations and would not pose a threat to the national security of Schengen member states.
During his lecture at the Rákóczi Association’s All-Hungarian University Students’ Camp, Speaker László Kövér told the audience that even the Coronavirus pandemic did not hinder Hungary’s success in ‘cultural life, in defence policy, and in national policy’ in the years between 2012 and 2022. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 did.
The Hungarian economy could grow by 2 per cent this year, a downward revision from the 4 per cent forecast at the end of last year. This adjustment is attributed to the population’s caution in spending, which is only gradually diminishing after last year’s high inflation. Nevertheless, consumption growth is driving the Hungarian economy this year, even though the savings rate remains at a historically high 15 per cent. Márton Nagy noted that while investment and exports are exerting a negative impact on growth, sectors such as retail sales, tourism, and services are contributing positively.
Hungarian theatres from within the country and beyond its borders, as well as independent troupes were invited to submit their performances for the festival, which will also feature live, freely accessible online roundtables.
Currently, the robots transporting components for the PPE motor production line cover a total of 131 kilometres per day. The software that monitors this robot fleet was developed with new ideas and solutions contributed by company staff.
An in-depth interview with Eva Kazella, a prominent member of the Hungarian American community, about the deportation of her family from Communist Slovakia, the vicissitudes before starting a new life in the United States, her family, and the vibrant community life of Hungarian Americans.