The upcoming celebrations on 20 August centre around one of the most magnificent buildings in Budapest: Saint Stephen’s Basilica. That is also where The Holy Dexter, the right hand of Saint Stephen, the first king of the Kingdom of Hungary, is kept.

‘The American left is seeking what they call ‘Social democracy’ and claim it is not ‘democratic socialism’, but everyone knows it is indeed the same ideology. This socialist ideology reflects that of Rousseau’s, who had an abstract idea of society’s restoration towards man’s ‘natural equality,’ but this idea is fundamentally flawed. As Edmund Burke, the prominent British political thinker, wrote in response: “their abstract perfection is their practical defect”.’

Lajos Ódor, who was appointed Prime Minister by the President of Slovakia in May in the midst of a political crisis, made some statements in a public discussion at a festival which suggested that Viktor Orbán is isolated on the world stage in his views. Fidesz MP Tamás Menczer reacted in a poignant Facebook post.

The rhetoric of spiritual mobilization, of Russia’s responsibility for the fate of the world, and of the ‘burden of the Russian people’ is becoming dominant once again as it was many times before during tragic periods in Russian history. Economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation as the punishment for the annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine are interpreted by the Russian regime and the majority of Russians as confirmation of progressing Anomia in the West, and will strengthen the Katechonic argument.

‘Hungary’s support for Georgia makes sense in a number of ways. With both nations having brutal histories of Russian domination, Hungary understands the struggles Georgia has had in coming out of Moscow’s shadow after so many years behind the Iron Curtain. While Hungary offers support to a fellow former communist satellite state to realise a future better than its past, Georgia offers Hungary and Europe the resources needed to maintain that future.’

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Hungary has been conducting regular surveys to gain valuable insights into the evolving needs of Ukrainian refugees returning to their homeland. The organisation’s quarterly Crossing to Ukraine reports shed light on crucial aspects of this complex situation.

In terms of spectators, the championship will be the largest sports event in Hungary of all time. Also, in the history of world championships in the sport, never before have so many athletes participated in a single event as they will now.

The Sziget Festival will last six days, until 15 August, on the Óbuda Island in Budapest. Performers from sixty-two countries will arrive at approximately forty venues, and the audience will come from over a hundred countries.

A total of 328 metric tonnes of litter has been picked throughout the 11 competitions held so far, 6.1 tonnes this year alone. Floating down the Tisza River in rafts made out of plastic bottles, a tradition since the event’s inception, was also held once again.

An article published by the Spanish online news portal ABC reveals that the influx of German retirees relocating to Hungary has surged by a remarkable 25 per cent. The article, referring to an undisclosed German newspaper, characterises Lake Balaton and its vicinity as a ‘fresh safe haven for conservative retirees.’

Spread across 76 hectares, this year’s festival was set up in three weeks. The maximum daily capacity is 90,000 people, including both festival staff and attendees, making Sziget the country’s tenth largest city for the six days of the festival. The main stage was constructed in ten days, with a floor area of over a thousand square metres and a six hundred square metre LED wall serving as its backdrop.

As every year, the Cake of Hungary is selected ahead of August 20, with those attending the holiday events being the first to taste the creations of Hungary’s best pastry chefs. The competition this year was won by the torte named Tipsy Fig Respectus of the Levendula és Kert (Lavender and Garden) cake shop from Szigetszentmiklós, located on Csepel Island. Essential ingredients of the cake include Aszú wine, figs and honey.

The former Arizona gubernatorial candidate shared her views on social media about the US State Department’s decision to reduce the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) validity period for Hungarian citizens on Twitter, calling it ‘despicable’.

According to Professor Durodié, the EU is a fundamentally anti-democratic set of institutions that excludes the voice of the people. It is a project that lost its sense of history and therefore does no longer know where it is going to.

Transcribing and captioning audio and video files becomes virtually effortless with Alrite, including for those wishing to transcribe and understand Hungarian speech. The revolutionary Hungarian-developed technology offers an array of features that no other similar system does.

One of the main highlights of the evening will be starting the 1900 horsepower engine of the 66-year-old Il-14 passenger aircraft. In addition, visitors will have multiple opportunities to witness up close the operation of a small-sized jet engine, and the museum experts will turn on the engine of a legendary Kamov 26 helicopter as well.

‘The Ukrainian Puzzle: Hungary’s Perspective on a Changing Neighbour’ is a book that intends to present the Hungarian perspective on Ukraine to the Ukrainian and international public, arguing that this perspective has not changed ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1991. While it is hard to disagree with the main idea of the book, the methodology employed to convey it leaves something to be desired.

The central figure on one side of the medals is the emblem of the championships, Budapest’s renowned landmark, the Liberty Statue on Gellért Hill. The female figure is holding a palm frond aloft, symbolising determination, glory, and victory. In the foreground of the back of the medals is the brand-new National Athletics Centre, reminiscent of a crown for the queen of sports, with the track where the athletes will be competing visible in the background.

More than a hundred 12- to 16-year-old students and adult volunteers from the Zaporizhzhia region were hosted by the Körmend Law Enforcement Technical Institute last week. The Ukrainian guests ‘took part in unforgettable programmes,’ the school shared on their social media page.

Remote sales of vaping products are not permitted by Hungarian law, yet Bensons Europe suggested otherwise on their website. As a result, Hungary’s Competition Office (GVH) imposed the highest possible fine on them, a penalty close to 39 million HUF ($110,000).

After days of relentless rain, leading to severe flooding and landslides caused by the downpour, emergency services were mobilised in multiple regions of Austria and Slovenia. Hungarian military aid is on its way.

In her address marking Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, Fidesz MEP Livia Járóka said: ‘Almost 80 years later, it is still clear that what happened at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp was genocide and a series of crimes against humanity in which innocent European citizens were exterminated on the basis of an exclusionary ideology whose only purpose was organised destruction.’

The World Championships are scheduled to take place at the National Athletics Centre from 19 to 27 August, with the road running and racewalking events hosted at Heroes’ Square. The international interest in the Budapest Athletics World Championships, starting on 19 August, is immense, with fans of the sport having purchased tickets from nearly a hundred countries.

The recent military coup in the West African nation of Niger has thrown the country into turmoil. The forcefully ousted President Bazoum is currently under ‘house arrest’, but he managed to publish an opinion piece in The Washington Post. One Hungarian citizen was successfully evacuated last week through a rescue mission organised by the Italian military.

Based on the latest data, nearly 4.8 million people are employed in Hungary, and the unemployment rate stands at 3.8 per cent, well below the EU average. The data reflects that the Hungarian labour market remains tight, and employment is in good condition, State Secretary Sándor Czomba stated.

It could be rightly expected that the interpretation of law in the EU be guided by the foundations of European civilisation, namely morality embedded in Judeo-Christian culture. This morality is summed up in the Cain–Abel paradigm, which can inform the understanding of European justice systems when deciding how European laws should be applied or modified in the interest of Europe.

After a lengthy period of uncertainty, it was decided that the final traffic arrangement for the bridge would be determined through a consultation process involving residents with a Budapest address. Among the questions posed, the most significant one concerned the future traffic arrangement for the bridge: whether to continue with buses, taxis, and cyclists, or to allow the return of private cars as well. In late June, Karácsony announced the results of the consultation, with 79 per cent of those who voted supporting the car-free option.

According to the ministry’s statement issued on 4 August, in July the average prices of products in 62 product categories decreased by an average of 7.7 per cent. This reduction was a result of price decreases in 53 product categories within one month. The decrease in food prices had a 0.7 percentage point impact on reducing inflation and a two percentage point impact on reducing food inflation according to the weighting of the shopping basket used by the Central Statistical Office.

‘The kuruc were never mindless rabble-rousers, just like the labanc were never simply unpatriotic traitors. While the merits and good practices of kuruc and 49ist politicians have been been amply publicised and celebrated, the labanc side was often sidelined, and as a result, their perspectives and values are still missing from contemporary politics. It would be worth devoting more attention to the ideas of the Young Conservatives from the Era of Reform. They understood that while our interests must be unwaveringly represented and fought for, Hungary cannot stand alone in turbulent times.’

‘Tusványos advertises itself saying “the participant coexists peacefully with the organiser, the politician with the politician, the speaker with the singer, the cotton candy with the anklet, the loudspeaker with the bright lights, the bear with the forest…” And this is precisely what I saw as I talked with locals, ranging from the elderly to young mothers with children, all enjoying this festival, some happy to attend the lectures while others openly opposing the the politics of Fidesz, but none unfriendly.’