‘China’s engagement in the Western Balkans is evidently part of a comprehensive global strategy aimed first at expanding its economic presence and second at increasing its geopolitical influence. Its interest in the region offers medium-term economic opportunities for Western Balkan countries, while also posing significant long-term challenges for the EU.’
Head of the Center for Fundamental Rights Miklós Szánthó has published a lengthy Facebook post mocking radical leftist law professor Zoltán Fleck for suggesting that the rule of law should be suspended to change the constitution if the opposition only wins a simple majority in parliament in Hungary in next year’s election.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on France and Germany to take a leading role in engaging Russia ahead of the Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska on 15 August. Orbán stressed that Paris and Berlin, as key EU powers, must initiate an EU–Russian summit to ensure Europe is not sidelined in critical negotiations.
In an interview with Le Figaro, political director of the Hungarian prime minister Balázs Orbán discussed Hungary’s approach to Europe’s challenges, including the war in Ukraine and migration, while defending what is often labelled as ‘Orbánism’.
In his latest Blue Planet podcast, former Hungarian President János Áder spoke with energy expert Attila Aszódi about rising summer electricity demand, the shift toward electrification, and why nuclear energy may be essential for meeting climate targets.
‘British citizens are now unable to access content online, relating to their own country, unless they’re willing to hand over their data to large tech firms….The more the government tries to shut down any critique of its management of issues which the public deeply care about, the more backlash there will be.’
A high-tech traffic monitoring system near Budaörs creates a real-time digital twin of an 800-metre highway section, aiming to improve road safety, prevent accidents, and even reduce phantom traffic jams through 3D visualization and driver alerts.
Hungary has launched a 12-billion-forint grant programme to promote the creation of geothermal-based electricity and heat production systems. The second geothermal call for proposals is open for public feedback until 18 August, the Ministry of Energy announced.
‘UNESCO’s programming in the areas of education and the social and human sciences, combined with the work of the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and international human rights treaty body committees, transformed the aspirational UDHR into a “living” instrument for realizing Huxley’s progressive vision.’
In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. This part will look at the life of Joseph Pulitzer, who originally left for Mexico to become a soldier but ended up staying in America and becoming a journalist.
‘It can no longer be said that the individual manqué is merely a “shadow”; it appears, rather, to be the norm. Today, it is worth reflecting on the extent to which, since Oakeshott’s death, the European experience has shifted from Societas to Universitas—and on the current condition of both the individual and the “mass man”.’
‘[T]he…West…has finally reached the Baudrillardian singularity, and become completely absorbed by a self-referential simulation that its own leaders have created. This simulation continues to insulate the leaders of the West, but as rays of underlying reality start to shine through the cracks in the edifice, most people conclude that our political systems are becoming increasingly “fake”.’
‘It’s a place that can be filled with life and possibility. I’d like the Hungarian House to welcome even those who may have visited before, but didn’t feel it was for them. I don’t just want to celebrate Hungarian heritage in America; I want to somewhat shape its present and future.’
‘The recurring motif of [Farkas Molnár’s] paintings, reminiscent of his childhood games with his siblings and the Bauhaus kite festivals, is a—what a beautiful term—“flying toy”, a flying model, a symbol of longing, separation, and at the same time a Promethean innovation that revolutionizes everyday life.’
As CEO of Aletihad News Centre, Hamad Al-Kaabi is a key figure in shaping public discourse in the United Arab Emirates. During MCC Feszt in Esztergom, he spoke to Hungarian Conservative about the deepening Hungary–UAE partnership, the role of AI in bilateral ties, and why the two countries are closer in values than geography suggests.
Rezső Erdélyi, analyst for the Hungarian Nézőpont Institute, has stated during his appearance on Hungarian public radio that the proposed meeting between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia is a great sign of progress in peace negotiations, and that ‘the US President has achieved more in ending the Russo–Ukrainian war than the European Union has done in many years.’
Hungary’s public finances remain stable as the government pursues Europe’s largest tax reduction programme while staying committed to fiscal discipline, debt reduction, and keeping the budget deficit within its revised target.
The Trump administration is planning on ceasing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement payments to hospitals that perform sex change treatments on minors, the National Review has learnt from an anonymous source inside the Department of Health and Human Services. However, the official announcement is yet to be made.
Kyiv dismissed claims by Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó that it refused to investigate the violent death of a Transcarpathian Hungarian man at the hands of conscription officers. The Ukrainian DBR insists a criminal case is ongoing, and forensic examination did not reveal any signs of external physical abuse.
‘Europe has sent a clear signal: it will not defend its regulatory model when seriously challenged. The message has not been lost in Washington—or in Beijing. Already, the narrative of a weakened Europe is gaining traction among analysts and investors. The idea that the EU could act as a third pole in a global competition between powers has taken a direct hit.’
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reaffirmed that the essence of the ‘Hungarian dream’ lies in owning a home, not renting, while outlining the government’s family-friendly policies, the Home Start housing programme, and Hungary’s firm stance against migration in a wide-ranging radio interview.
The Museum of Ethnography in Budapest has won three Red Dot Awards in the Brands & Communication Design category, honoring its permanent collection exhibition, multimedia solutions, and the catalouge of the ZOOM exhibition.
In a major boost to US–Hungarian ties, American Airlines will relaunch its daily direct flight between Budapest and Philadelphia in May 2026. With over 3,000 weekly seats and onward connections across North America, the route’s return signals renewed interest in deepening transatlantic tourism, commerce, and cultural exchange.
The European Union’s top court has issued a ruling that could halt deportations of illegal migrants to most non-European countries, prompting outrage in Budapest. Chief Security Advisor György Bakondi called the judgment ‘pro-migration’, warning it places virtually all repatriations in legal limbo. Prime Minister Orbán’s government says it will resist such judicial activism.
The Hungarian government has launched the Invented in Hungary grant programme to support local R&D projects. While foreign investment remains key to economic growth, experts warn it can sideline domestic firms. The new scheme aims to ensure innovation funding benefits the national economy more directly.
As the deadline for sweeping sanctions on Russian oil buyers looms, President Trump is preparing to meet Vladimir Putin face-to-face. The summit is widely viewed as a final diplomatic window to prevent further escalation and avert a global economic shock. For Trump, the meeting may also serve as a moment of redemption—an opportunity to rewrite the legacy of the ill-fated Helsinki Summit in 2018.
Hungary’s AI commissioner László Palkovics says artificial intelligence is unlikely to become self-aware under its current structure and stresses that Hungary has all the key components needed to develop sector-specific AI systems powered by local data.
Writer Michael O’Shea has recently visited the Serbian–Hungarian border near Bácsalmás, Hungary, and wrote a piece about his experience for The American Conservative. One of the migrants he encountered there told him he was coming for ‘blonde women and money from the wall’.
Budapest hotels reached over 86 per cent occupancy during the 40th Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, hosting nearly 100,000 guests, mostly from abroad, as Formula 1 boosted tourism and accommodation demand across the capital and nearby towns.
Budapest moviegoers will have one last chance to see all eight Harry Potter films on the big screen in restored 4K before they are pulled from cinemas due to the upcoming TV remake, with screenings running from 7 August to 1 October.