‘A little-known Hungarian photographer, Balthazar Korab…was the one who perceived and conveyed the symbolic meaning in the World Trade Center, as he did in other iconic works of American modernist architecture. He captured a kind of capitalistic grandeur—if one may call it that—that today, when we view these images and cannot help but think of the terrible outcome, feels ominous and oppressive.’
The 25 nominees for the Highlights of Hungary 2025 have been announced. The nominees were hand-picked by five esteemed ambassadors. Public voting will be taking place between 1 October and 24 October, and the three candidates with the most votes will be awarded at the ceremony on 30 October.
At talks in Budapest with Ukraine’s Deputy PM Taras Kachka, Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó placed full blame on Kyiv for deteriorating relations, citing curtailed minority rights and strikes on the Druzhba pipeline. He declared Hungary opposes Ukraine’s EU accession, offering only a strategic partnership as a realistic path.
‘The Patriots for Europe have called the allegations and the investigation a politically motivated attempt to discredit their political community. “The use of bureaucratic instruments to discredit or dismantle political opponents is reminiscent of practices common in totalitarian regimes. We will not remain silent,” the Patriots stated in their X post.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán paid tribute to slain US conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, blaming his death on the ‘hate-mongering left’. Orbán described Kirk as a ‘defender of faith and freedom’, joining Donald Trump and other conservatives in mourning the 31-year-old Turning Point founder.
Budapest and Toronto will be reconnected by direct flights from June 2026, as Air Canada relaunches its popular service with a 787-9 Dreamliner. Running until late October with four weekly flights, the route is set to serve nearly 48,000 passengers and strengthen ties with Canada’s large Hungarian diaspora.
The brutal murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has ignited a political storm in the US, with President Donald Trump demanding the death penalty for her killer. Outrage over judicial negligence has spurred both memorial campaigns and Republican calls for systemic reform.
‘A trauma whose effects would trickle down and have devastating repercussions, especially for those who were in the formative years of their childhood when it happened. A trauma that would transform the way an entire generation would socialize and interact with the world for decades to come.’
Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, a prolific surrogate of President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and co-founder of Turning Point USA, has been shot dead at age 31 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The suspect is still at large and their identity is not known, but the killing seems to be an act of far-left extremist violence.
Ukraine’s issues with systemic corruption in its government and the deficiencies of its public administration prevent it from meeting the criteria for EU accession, and this will likely remain the case in the foreseeable future, a new study from the Center for Fundamental Rights finds. Ukraine’s premature accession hurts both Hungarian and European interests, the paper also warns.
Just after Ursula von der Leyen vowed in Strasbourg that ‘Europe is in a fight’, she now faces no-confidence motions from both flanks: Patriots for Europe will table one at midnight, citing EU weakness and escalation in Ukraine, while the Left files separately, denouncing her Gaza inaction and trade agenda.
Polish authorities say drones allegedly tied to Russia entered their airspace during strikes on Ukraine, prompting NATO talks. The timing is notable: days earlier, former president Andrzej Duda revealed Kyiv had pushed Poland to pin the 2022 Przewodów strike on Moscow. Hungary’s Orbán pledged solidarity but highlighted the need for peace, not escalation.
Hungary has signed its largest-ever gas contract with a Western supplier, securing two billion cubic metres from Shell over ten years starting 2026. Péter Szijjártó hailed the Milan deal as true diversification—adding a new route and partner to Hungary’s energy mix, which still relies on gas for one-third of its supply.
‘Bulgarian courts, relying also on constitutional jurisprudence, have rightly held that “sex” in the Constitution means biological sex. The Advocate General effectively dismisses this constitutional boundary as irrelevant, subordinating it to freedom of movement and asserting that the “authenticity” of a document lies in its consistency with subjective self-perception.’
Fidesz’s 2026 campaign chief Balázs Orbán opened his new Substack with a blunt message: Hungary is misrepresented for daring to defy liberal dogmas, yet offers answers to crises the West cannot solve. Warning that Brussels and Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party endanger Hungary, he said Ukraine’s accession would mean Europe’s collapse, not its salvation.
Despite Hungary taking the lead, and two great headers from Barnabás Varga, Hungary have lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 3–2 at home. However, with Ireland also losing in Armenia, Hungary are still well positioned to take second place, and have their chance in the play-offs to win World Cup qualification for the first time in 40 years.
What is at stake in the upcoming Hungarian parliamentary election? What is the importance of Hungary in Europe? Why do European institutions continuously criticize the policies of Fidesz? We asked the Head of the Media School at Mathias Corvinus Collegium about the tense political landscape in Hungary.
With President Trump’s executive order last week, the United States officially has a Department of War again, for the first time since 1947. On that occasion, let’s take a look at the most famous men to serve in the office of Secretary of War before the incumbent Pete Hegseth.
‘We are Generation Remigration and we claim our countries back!’—a slogan turned viral by Eva Vlaardingerboek—is giving Europe’s anti-migration youth a new rallying cry. Backed by influencers across the continent, the movement reflects mounting anger at rising assaults, failed EU border policies, and the political elite’s betrayal.
‘Discussions about returning to a gold-based currency system have become even more pertinent as the BRICS nations are admittedly trying to end their reliance on the US dollar as the global reserve currency.’
‘In [Ige-mige], readers are confronted with cultural and religious tensions, party strife, infrastructure that can hardly be called rudimentary at all, and the fatal combination of Mediterranean laxity, which then leads to the capricious despotism of bus drivers and endless queues.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán condemned the sexual assault of two Hungarian women in Sicily by three Moroccan migrants, calling it a result of Brussels’ failed migration policy. Orbán thanked Italy’s Matteo Salvini for siding with the victims, while Italian authorities confirmed the suspects—illegal migrants—had been arrested and placed in pre-trial detention.
Eurojust confirmed that Romanian, Hungarian, and Czech authorities arrested a Moldovan Romanian ex-intelligence chief accused of treason for passing secrets to Belarus. Identified by a Hungarian outlet as Alexandru Balan, he allegedly met Belarusian officers in Budapest in 2024 and 2025.
‘Antisemitic hatred, both online and offline, impacts not only Jewish communities abroad but also Israel’s security. The drastic rise in hate crimes requires comprehensive institutional protection.’
‘Given the sexual curiosity of people today, especially among the youth, there is a pressing need for the Church’s shepherds to speak with clarity on such matters. Regrettably, what we often witness is the ostrich effect at the very best—or rather, the application of the legal maxim: “Qui tacet consentire,” that is: “In their silence, they give consent.”’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has demanded financial compensation from the European Commission for Hungary’s border protection efforts, telling Ursula von der Leyen that Budapest has blocked over a million illegal migrants since 2015 but has been fined instead of supported by Brussels.
Prime Minister François Bayrou of France has lost the vote of no confidence he called on himself, with the motion passing 364–194, triggering the collapse of the government. He served for less than a year in office. The leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise party has also called on President Emmanuel Macron to resign.
Democrats and the mainstream press face mounting criticism after 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a Charlotte train. While shocking footage of the attack emerged, national media coverage remained scarce—prompting Elon Musk, Piers Morgan, and Republicans to denounce the silence as politically motivated.
‘Archbishop Béla Witz visited me and asked me to bring the Holy Right Hand back to Hungary when we travelled to Salzburg. At first, fulfilling this request seemed impossible. But since I am well aware of what St Stephen’s Day means to Hungary, and how closely the presence of the holy relic is tied to its intimacy, I decided to help.’
‘When asked which three areas the European Union should focus on most in the future in order to increase its global political influence, respondents highlighted security and defence policy cooperation, increasing European competitiveness, and achieving energy independence.’