The following is Part I of a three-part analysis that sets out to illustrate the three fault lines that are about to redraw the geostrategic map of the Old World.

At the launch event, Finance Minister Mihály Varga highlighted that the combined market share of MBH and OTP, Hungary’s two largest banks, now far exceeds the share of foreign banks operating in the country.

The Hungarian Prime Minister and his team are clearly in a creative mood: they have published a funnily irreverent Star Wars-themed TikTok video, built on some key sentences in Viktor Orbán’s 23 October speech.

Pelosi recently gave an interview to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. When asked about Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, she replied that ‘she is doing ok,’ but then contrasted that with Hungary, who she believes should not even be in the EU for its lack of support for Ukraine.

Duda justified his decision to entrust Morawiecki with forming the government by stating that he is following the good parliamentary tradition, which gives the winning party the first opportunity to do so. He also mentioned that in accordance with the constitution, if the first attempt at forming a government fails, a second round will involve an absolute majority vote in the lower house of the parliament.

Katalin Novák stressed that the roundtable is not a government agency. Its members will make recommendations to the government and ‘encourage people to contribute to the dialogue,’ she explained. The roundtable comprises representatives of the private and public spheres, as well as the scientific community.

‘On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump made many promises to the Jewish and pro-Israel community. Promises that many politicians have made to us for decades but never had the guts to follow through on; but not Trump, he followed through. He made promises and he kept them.’

In the mid-2010s, the Hungarian defence industry was declared a key national economic area with the goal of providing Hungarian-made state-of-the-art defence equipment to the renewed Hungarian armed forces and make Hungary an arms exporter. Since then several major international companies have announced plans to bring their manufacturing and development capacity to the country.

Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák terminated the employment of National Museum Director General László L. Simon on Monday. The director general’s downfall was caused by his inadequate addressing of the LGBTQ-related controversy around the World Press Photo exhibit the museum hosted.

In his presentation titled ‘Digitalization in Service of Sustainable Development,’ Áder pointed out that the National Digitalization Strategy set the goal for the widespread adoption of technologies and the expansion of capabilities by the government. According to the strategy, by 2030, 95 per cent of households will be covered by a gigabit-capable network.

Hungary has long been committed to supporting Serbia’s accession to the EU, but given the protracted migration and energy crises, it is also in Budapest’s vital interest to have a stable Belgrade government that is friendly towards Hungary and Hungarians. The SNS alliance has shown a strong willingness to maintain good relations, which is a promising sign for the future.

Speaking at a conference on defence industry supplier development held at the Bálna Defence Centre, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky pointed out that in pursuit of advancing the defence industry, strategic agreements have been concluded with several major international players, including German, Norwegian, French and Turkish companies.

On the margins of the sixth China International Import Expo, Economic Development Minister Márton Nagy held talks with the leaders of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world’s largest commercial lender, emphasizing Hungary’s aim of becoming a regional financial hub in addition to being the meeting point for Eastern and Western capital and cutting-edge technology.

According to the ministry’s statement, Foreign Minister Szijjártó minister reported on the progress of the Paks project during a hearing of the Sustainable Development Committee of the National Assembly, welcoming the fact that the visible phase of the project is now underway.

Katalin Novák met with her Israeli counterpart, President Isaac Herzog, to show her moral support to the recently attacked Israel, as well as for the Hungarian community living in Israel. She also called for the immediate release of hostages, some of whom are of Hungarian ancestry, taken by the Islamist terror group Hamas.

Varga, who the Sunday Telegraph notes is set to run in the European Parliament election next year as ruling Fidesz’s lead candidate, said the difference between asylum and migration must be carefully considered. ‘Asylum is a human right, but migration is not,’ she said.

The equipping of the Gidrán combat vehicle already started in Hungary years ago, but from now on, the vehicle itself will be manufactured in the country.

In the interview, President of the Republic Katalin Novák underscored Hungary’s key role in protecting the EU’s Schengen border, highlighted the Hungarian government’s unique family policy, stressed the importance of starting peace talks to end the war on Ukraine, and reiterated Hungary’s support for Israel.

Moscow has failed to condemn the 7 October Hamas attack as terrorism, and Putin has likened the Gaza blockade by Israel to the siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany, effectively poisoning the previously amicable Russia–Israel relations.

One of the recurring topics of Agustine of Hippo’s City of God, a foundational work of Western philosophy, is his critique of Roman religion as having no moral teachings to offer.

The 1956ers were mostly young and eager to prove their worth…A child immigrant, George Szirtes is now a well-known British poet, winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize. A young medical student who was offered a place in Oxford’s famous Merton College after his arrival, later became one of the world’s leading molecular cardiologists. György Radda went on to head the British Medical Research Council, and on his retirement in 2000 the Queen made him a Knight of the British Empire.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó of Hungary took part in the inaugural ceremony for Astana’s newly renamed Petőfi Street, calling the gesture a profound sign of respect from the Kazakh people towards Hungary.

‘While establishing the Coalition in the early 1990s, I often tried to look at issues through the “other lens”. If something works in the US, why not try it in Hungary? And if it works in Hungary, why not try it in the US?’

On 4 November 1956, the fate of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was sealed as Soviet troops entered the country to crush the uprising.

The two men were trying to get the group of migrants to Germany through Hungary. One man attempted to flee, but was later captured in Budapest’s 8th district.

President Novák emphasized that the Hungarian diaspora in Australia serves as a good example of it an immigrant group contributing to the development of the host country while preserving its roots and heritage. The Hungarians who settled in Australia became loyal Australians while holding onto their Hungarian identity, the President underscored.

Gloomy Sunday, which became to be known as the ‘Hungarian Suicide Song’ was originally released in 1933. The words were written by poet László Jávor, while the music was composed by Rezső Seress, born 124 years ago today. Seress ended up taking his own life himself, at age 68.

In his speech at the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, Viktor Orbán stated that Europe is facing difficult dilemmas, and the answers provided will have a strong impact on the relationship between the Turkic world and the continent. The PM emphasized that from a European perspective, global security is currently in the worst condition since the end of the Cold War.

The state secretary articulated the vital goal that the number of university graduates among the Hungarian diaspora should exceed their representation within their respective countries, with universities becoming cultural hubs for Hungarian communities abroad. He called the opening of the Márton Áron College’s renovated building a defining moment in infrastructure development.

The statement quoted Wizz Air CEO József Váradi as commenting that receiving the CAPA international sustainability award for the second consecutive year is a great honour. The recognition confirms the company’s commitment to reducing their carbon intensity by an additional 25 per cent by 2030.