An event honouring the life and legacy of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was held at the Danube Institute in Budapest. Institute President John O’Sullivan, who worked closely with Thatcher as a policy advisor and speechwriter, was joined by a number of distinguished guests who shared personal memories and reflections on the enduring impact of the Iron Lady.
‘This is precisely the power of diplomacy. Minsk’s example demonstrates that authoritarian regimes respond to smart diplomacy. The leaders of such countries also react to incentives—be it better trade deals or a bit of international spotlight.’
Hungary has signed its longest-ever liquefied natural gas supply deal with French energy giant ENGIE, securing 4 billion cubic metres of LNG between 2028 and 2038. The government says the agreement strengthens national energy security amid global uncertainty.
Hungary cannot be circumvented with legal manoeuvres to open Ukraine’s EU accession process, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Copenhagen ahead of an informal EU summit, insisting any enlargement must follow the same rules and warning that fast-tracking Kyiv risks drawing the EU into war and draining funds.
From 9–19 October, the Buda Castle District will host the 360 Design Budapest exhibition, presenting nearly 400 works by around 100 Hungarian and regional designers and manufacturers, including a special showcase of Sándor Borz Kováts.
‘It is something we should all stand behind, work toward, and relentlessly pressure our political elites to pursue,’ Eva Vlaardingerbroek told Hungarian Conservative. The Dutch conservative activist and political commentator argued that remigration is the single decisive step European leaders must take to reverse the continent’s trajectory.
Eva Vlaardingerbroek and Gerald Grosz warned in Budapest that mass migration has devastated Western Europe, praising Hungary as a rare bastion of safety and identity. Vlaardingerbroek called it ‘the only country left in Europe that represents what Europe was,’ while Grosz described it as ‘the safe Europe as we knew it.’
Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland called the Russo–Ukrainian war ‘our war’ at the Warsaw Security Forum, prompting a sharp rebuke from his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán, who warned that neither Hungary nor the EU is at war with Russia and accused Tusk of endangering European lives.
On 17 October, Hungary’s Night of Power Plants will return with more than 80 energy and utility facilities nationwide opening their doors to the public. Entry is free but requires registration starting 1 October.
To mark World Music Day, the House of Music Hungary is launching a new online series that brings unique live productions from its concert hall to a wider audience, starting 1 October with Meredith Monk and the Quinteto Astor Piazzolla.
A new poll shows that two-thirds of Hungarians oppose an EU-backed ban on Russian oil and gas, despite the Tisza Party adding it to its programme. While most Tisza supporters back the move, nearly all Fidesz voters reject it.
The American streaming giant Netflix is currently under fire on X for the creator of one of their animated programmes making denigrating comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. As it turned out, the same cartoon also promoted transgenderism to children. Elon Musk has also chimed in, announcing that he is cancelling his Netflix subscription because of the controversy.
From 1 October, mothers with three children in Hungary are exempt from paying personal income tax. The measure could benefit around 250,000 women, leaving families with hundreds of thousands of forints more each year.
The country exemplifies competition between liberal and postliberal forces.
From a cheating scandal in the Naval Academy in 1994, through an insider trading scandal, to a nepotism scandal in 2025—Congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill is really making the Democrats sweat in the once deep blue New Jersey. Can Republican Jack Ciattarelli take advantage of the scandals and win the race in the Garden State?
EU leaders will meet in Copenhagen on Wednesday for an informal European Council meeting, testing how far Brussels is willing to go to sideline Viktor Orbán. Council President António Costa is lobbying to bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s accession talks and on the use of frozen Russian assets—an approach Budapest says violates treaties and destroys institutional balance.
‘According to the cable, the Hungarian–Soviet investigative team was surprised that the Lebanese government had not conducted autopsies on the bodies “to determine whether the plane exploded before the crash”. Finally, the cable cites the French-language press in questioning how it was possible that only the conversation involving this aircraft failed to be recorded.’
While mainstream media screams ‘MAGA lunatic’ after the Michigan Mormon church mass shooting, the truth tells a different story. Thomas Jacob Sanford was not driven by Trump but by animosity toward Mormons. Contrast that with left-linked violence—like the ICE shooting or Charlie Kirk’s assassination—where ideology was scrawled on the very bullets.
‘In recent years, international football has undergone a number of drastic changes. I welcome several of these developments…However, fans should keep in mind that not all change is good change…At some point, fans need to stand up to protect the tradition of the great game.’
The 9th Slovenian Film Days open Thursday in Budapest with Slovenia’s Oscar entry Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić. After the screening at Toldi Cinema, audiences can meet the film’s producer Jožko Rutar.
‘“At LUPS, we educate those who will dedicate their careers to serving the homeland in national security, diplomacy, or public administration,” Rector Dr Gergely Deli emphasized in his opening address. “For this, our students need the broadest possible understanding of the world…The new research centre provides a platform and serves as a bridge between Hungary and the Turkic countries.”’
Hungary’s return to space is not only a possibility but also a duty, said government commissioner Orsolya Ferencz on Space Research Day, stressing that the HUNOR programme is a national mission that must inspire the next generation of scientists.
‘The overall impact of the UAE’s influence in the Western Balkans is indeed multifaceted—its advances and economic involvement in the region have also not been without controversy. Most notably high-level infrastructure projects…prompted transparency concerns, while also challenging compliance with EU norms. Nevertheless, despite those issues…the UAE will likely remain active in the region.’
Hungary may see a double-digit minimum wage increase next year, though the planned 13 per cent rise looks unlikely, Economy Minister Márton Nagy said in Budapest. Talks are ongoing between employers, unions, and the state over the final figure.
Reform UK is emerging as the only political force capable of addressing Britain’s existential crises, says conservative commentator Connor Tomlinson. In an interview with Hungarian Conservative, he predicted the party would eclipse both Labour and the Conservatives by tackling migration head-on and restoring national sovereignty.
Hungary has retaliated against Ukraine’s decision to block foreign outlets by banning access to several Ukrainian sites, including Ukrainska Pravda. Minister Gergely Gulyás called Kyiv’s move censorship, arguing that silencing critical media undermines its EU bid.
Left-wing journalists in Hungary have been trying to smear Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén as someone implicated in the prostitution scandal at the Szőlő Street Juvenile Corrections Centre in Budapest, Hungary, without any basis in reality. Miklós Szánthó, the head of the Center for Fundamental Rights, has responded to the smear campaign in a fiery Facebook video.
‘It isn’t clear what can be done to reverse this dynamic of polarization and derangement. But we are not powerless to resist its grip and we could, if we choose, exercise more decorum in how we respond to the deaths of other people. And if we can’t screen out the most deranged voices online, we can at least try to resist their provocations.’
The World Cat Federation (WCF) is a prestigious pet organization founded in 1988 that gives out its Best Cat award annually based on a point system. Over the weekend, for the first time in ten years, they held a show in Budapest, Hungary, to the delight of Hungarian cat enthusiasts.
Hungary’s automotive sector is set for a major boost as BMW opens its Debrecen plant, producing only fully electric models. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó hailed the launch as a milestone that will strengthen industry and drive economic growth.