Once upon a time, there was a coffee house called Belvárosi Café, one of the largest and most prestigious cafés in Pest, which was the first to reopen its doors after the siege of Budapest. Its manager, Egon Rónay, was the scion of a famous hospitality dynasty and the initiator of the English gastronomic revolution.
‘I conducted my first interview with the Hungarian parish priest of Passaic, NJ. For me, that interview offered a first glimpse into a very interesting kind of Hungarian world that had been completely unknown to me until then…It seemed to be a professionally fascinating, distinctive hidden world that deserved to be explored in depth.’
‘Although the Commission’s aim is for the new fund to be the flagship for strengthening European industry, the division among Member States clearly shows that competitiveness is now not just an economic issue, but also a political one.’
‘Brussels officials will insist the meeting was about trade. True, Hungary left Washington with a US exemption allowing it to keep buying Russian oil despite new energy sanctions. But the more consequential development was political,’ Professor Frank Füredi of MCC Brussels wrote in his piece for Euractiv.
‘Pokrovsk’s encirclement emerged from these dynamics not as a sudden catastrophe but as the predictable outcome of long-developing trends.’
The Trump–Orbán summit seems to have shifted political perceptions at home: 50 per cent of Hungarians now believe Viktor Orbán will win the 2026 election, according to Nézőpont. His main challenger, Péter Magyar, trails at 32 per cent—a gap analysts link to the prime minister’s high-profile successes in Washington.
Hungary has been buzzing since Monday over the mysterious doodles Prime Minister Viktor Orbán created during his long-awaited ATV interview. What began as chaotic circles and arrows sparked claims of instability from critics—until Orbán revealed they were his personal coded system for structuring complex answers, turning the controversy into a national talking point.
Under what conditions can the Ukrainian war end? Can there be a military confrontation between the US and China over Taiwan? What could be the future of the Gaza Strip? We asked for an analysis from the renowned scholar of international relations on the three major geopolitical conflict areas: the Ukrainian war, the Middle East, and the Pacific Region conflict.
‘Why are there still some people…who stand in defence of the BBC? Because, in their view, the BBC…forms part of the institutional network they can appeal to for condemnation and a justification for contempt of Trump even after—despite their insistence that it could not happen—the people of the United States chose to vote him into power again.’
Hungarian folk tales, traditional dance and the legacy of a Hungarian architect who helped shape Shanghai are at the center of the Hungarian Cultural Week, opened Friday at the historic Park Hotel by Hungary’s Consulate General in Shanghai.
‘The paradox, if not hypocrisy, on the part of the EU is that its so-called enforcement of the rule of law or founding values, whatever those are supposed to be, is in direct violation of the principle of subsidiarity…’
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in his regular Friday morning radio interview that the US president ‘likes Hungarians and hates war,’ adding that Hungary’s exemption from energy sanctions will remain secure for as long as Donald Trump is in office. He also highlighted recent government measures, including the 14th-month pension and increased child-protection funding.
Hungary’s government says it is standing with citizens rather than ‘profit-driven multinationals’, extending its price-margin reduction measures until 28 February 2026 and expanding them to 14 additional food products from 1 December to protect families and pensioners.
In a case opposing a nun to her former community, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is considering the legal nature of a monastic cell: should it be regarded as a private home?
Hungary beat Armenia 1–0 away from home in Yerevan, Armenia. Barnabás Varga scored the winner with another header, his fourth goal in four games in the campaign. If Portugal beat Ireland later tonight, Hungary are guaranteed to make it to their first FIFA World Cup qualifier play-offs since 1997.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies have launched a sweeping investigation into a $100 million kickback scheme tied to the state energy sector and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle. The scandal, centred on businessman Timur Mindich, comes as the EU considers whether to open membership talks with Kyiv.
‘The education system [Count Kunó Klebelsberg] established shaped the educational policies of future generations, laying the groundwork for ideas that continue to have an impact today. The reforms he enacted contributed to the emergence of a more educated, aware, and independent Hungarian society.’
Mercedes-Benz is establishing its first research and development centre in Hungary with an investment worth tens of billions of forints, further strengthening the country’s role in the global automotive transformation, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced in Kecskemét.
Hungarian–Turkish relations took centre stage at the ‘Media Bridges’ conference in Budapest, hosted by the Foundation for a Civic Hungary. Top officials and experts from both countries discussed expanding cooperation in media, energy, and security, underscoring a partnership grounded in trust, technology, and a shared commitment to peace.
British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay visited Budapest, Hungary, for his birthday weekend. There, he visited a restaurant with a name that is very special to him, so he decided to share a short video of the experience on his social media.
Elon Musk has publicly humiliated Ursula von der Leyen over the EU’s democratic deficit, replying to her post about the ‘European Democracy Shield’ by asking: ‘If democracy is the foundation of freedom, shouldn’t your position be elected by the people?’ The viral exchange reignited debate over the Commission’s legitimacy and growing centralization of power in Brussels.
‘Orbán’s multi-vector commercial policy, which balances energy cooperation with Russia, selective investment from China, and strategic alignment with Washington, allows Hungary to act as a stabilizing bridge between great powers.’
Hungarian Air Force Gripen fighters have conducted 20 real NATO air alerts in the past three and a half months as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission, which safeguards the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the mission commander said in Lithuania.
Online anxiety has become one of today’s most pressing mental health issues, experts warned at the ‘Under Pressure – Our Anxieties in the Real and Virtual World’ conference held on Wednesday in Budapest, Hungary.
‘Spain’s cultural diplomacy in Chengdú and Beijing may win headlines, but its deeper strength lies in its ties to the Ibero-American world.’
At an event, singer Tish Hyman confronted California State Senator Scott Wiener about biological men identifying as women being allowed in women’s locker rooms by local state laws. Hyman claims to have been assaulted by a trans woman at a gym.
More than 82 million forints have been collected through Hungary’s bottle return donation system. Until 31 December, those using REpont machines can choose to donate their refunds to support disadvantaged children and families.
‘The renovation of the Hijaz railway is not an independent project but part of broader Turkish foreign policy, which aims to elevate Türkiye’s position in the Middle East hierarchy. Through neo-Ottomanism, Ankara is not only striving to be a strong actor in the region but also to be indispensable to the local states.’
Momentum co-founder and MEP Katalin Cseh has announced that she is joining the newly founded Hungarian Humanists’ Party. The pink-themed progressive movement, established by Richárd Barabás, promises ‘more EU and Pride flags’ and ‘less machismo and hatred’ in politics—prioritizing the advancement of a woke agenda above all else.
Hungary has secured a ‘financial shield’ from the United States to guard against external financial or political attacks, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after meeting US President Donald Trump. The mechanism, a currency swap agreement, strengthens Hungary’s economic resilience—contrary to opposition claims that it represents a loan or bailout.