I cherished David most for his humanity and intellectual vibrancy. His optimistic smile and encouraging thumbs-up after our conversations were always a source of comfort.

Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Fabrice Leggeri, former head of the EU border agency Frontex and current lead candidate for the right-wing National Rally (RN) party participated in a public discussion held in the European Parliament on Tuesday. They shared their concerns regarding migration and the newly adopted Migration Pact, agriculture, and green policies.

Even liberals did not take kindly to the decision by Brussels district mayor Emir Kir to use police force to try and shut down a right-wing conference featuring Viktor Orbán among the speakers. Kir faced severe criticism from Belgium’s left-wing prime minister, and the Conseil d’État, Belgium’s highest court, subsequently annulled his order.

Hungary has the most hot springs in the European Union. The municipal government of Szeged is making a unique effort to try to utilize geothermal energy for its district heating system.

‘The lessons of human history suggest that the future is rarely bright and happy where the state is unable, or worse, unwilling, to contain the hypersensitivity of certain political camps. The precedent of the terrible terrorist attacks in Brussels or the common immigrant riots show that Belgium has already lost the battle against the hypersensitivity of radical Islam. It does not seem to want to take a firmer stand against the left either.’

The John von Neumann Computer Society’s HCC Retro Microcomputer Division’s competition yielded a series of intriguing submissions, including games and demos. The aim was to resurrect the legendary Hungarian Homelab-3 microcomputer, entirely developed in Hungary.

General Amir Avivi, the founder of the Israel Defence and Security Forum, also highlighted in his briefing following the IRI attack that the fact that Israel and its allies intercepted 99 per cent of the rockets ‘showed that Israel could cope with a direct attack from Iran, and can coordinate efficiently with its allies to defend itself.’

Former President Trump’s criminal trial has begun in Manhattan, which some polling data suggests could cost him his victory in the presidential election in November. However, President Biden is not in a great position either as the economy and the state of foreign affairs have recently worsened, and he was already struggling with a low approval rating on these issues. How will all this end?

We have moved from our absolute fertility low in 2011, last in the EU, to sixth in 2022, with the highest growth in 2022. According to the latest Eurostat data, we moved up five places in 2022, the first year of the Russian-Ukrainian war, even though we had fewer children that year than in 2021. This fall was much smaller than in other EU countries.

Whether Budapest will remain a stronghold of the left is at stake in the municipal elections to be held on 9 June 2024. Mayor of Budapest is practically the highest political office directly elected by citizens in Hungary, but the outcome of the June election is exciting not only because of that but also because the capital has been the scene of daily party political battles ever since the last election in 2019.

Brussels police has attempted to shut down the National Conservatism Conference that began this morning in Brussels. The gathering features, among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The left has been striving to obstruct the right-wing event for days, seemingly resorting to extreme measures to suppress dissent.

Among the twenty winners of this year’s New European Bauhaus Prizes the Hungarian project titled Cooperative Ownership of Communities won the New European Bauhaus Rising Stars prize in the ‘Regaining a sense of belonging’ category. The aim of the project is to promote ‘affordable housing and inclusivity through circular renovation and sustainable practices’.

The financial software developer Taxually, the manufacturing company Continest, and the logistics and transportation company United Shipping Hungaria have even made the top 100 on the Financial Times’ list. Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy hosted the top executives of the thirteen Hungarian companies included on the list for a congratulatory meeting.

The unique exhibition presents the memory of witnesses, with most of the works created between 1944 and 1947.

‘Protecting the innocence of children against efforts to sexualize them, upholding the legality of borders and asylum procedures, safekeeping the right of states to exercise national sovereignty in areas where it remains their legal prerogative: pursuing these aims isn’t a bed of roses. It exposes one to media disinformation, financial blackmail, and attacks on personal honor.’

In this year’s first call for applications, the European Union is giving out 35,500 free passes, with an initial quota of 779 passes for young Hungarians aged 18.

Gábor Deutsch, the staunchly anti-communist Chief Rabbi of Devecser, wrote a study on Judaism and Bolshevism published in 1937 in which his aim was ‘to prove, point by point, that the classical revelations of the Jewish religious ethos, the Scriptures and the Talmud are opposed sharply to the basic doctrines of Bolshevism’. On 4 July 1944 he was transported to Auschwitz, from where he never returned.

According to Csaba Lantos, over 28,000 people have already pre-registered for the Solar Energy Plus programme, with over 15,000 subsidy applications received so far for the installation of solar panels and accompanying green energy storage units.

The authors examined the resolutions, annual fundamental rights and human rights reports adopted by the European Parliament between 2019 and 2024 to analyse and document the emergence of a ‘new language’ that serves to prioritize specific aspects in the protection of fundamental and human rights.

Iran launched an unprecedented air strike against Israel on Saturday night. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reacted by convening the Defence Council on Sunday. The PM reassured Hungarian families that the government is committed to protecting them should the conflict escalate.

The Hungarian women’s handball team concluded the qualifying tournament with a flawless record, defeating Japan 37–28 on Sunday and securing their spot in the Olympic Games in Paris. This marks the first time since 2004 that both the Hungarian men’s and women’s national handball teams will compete at the Olympics.

Three Romanian boys have been expelled from the Romanian Gymnastics National Team in response to the horrific incident. They have been named in the press as well: Mihai Iustin, Andrei Titi, and Flavius Borca. The Resicabánya (Rešica) police are also reportedly investigating the matter.

The new aircraft acquired by the HDF will also represent a niche development for NATO forces in the region, as Hungary is the second European country and NATO member state after Portugal to opt for the KC-390.

The rising number of mental illness diagnoses is a concerning trend in Western societies, particularly among younger generations. This surge is attributed to the tendency to interpret even mundane life situations through psychological diagnoses, posing a significant threat to our societies. In a conversation with Hungarian Conservative Frank Füredi, Executive Director of MCC Brussels, discussed the possibilities of reversing this trend.

‘Why did the left-wing oligarchy (a political-administrative and academic-media apparatus) mobilize its militant wing against a conference of a few hundred conservatives? Did it fear that its political opponents would win too many hearts, minds, and Euros? No. Canceling the original, sought-after venue was a naked exercise of its power. Réseau Ades warned that the agitation efforts will persist until NatCon Brussels 2024 is entirely aborted.’

Albeit it is difficult to predict outcomes in advance, what seems very promising in terms of the Paris Olympics is that Kristóf Milák was faster than his chief international counterparts last week in Budapest. One great rival of his, Léon Marchand swam the 200m butterfly, Milák’s number one stroke, seven milliseconds more slowly than Milák (with a result of 1:54.97 compared to 1:54.90). Marchand recently swam a time of 48.40 seconds in the 100m freestyle, and so did Caeleb Dressel in San Antonio, US. During the national swimming championship, Milák was two milliseconds faster than both of his rivals.

Today every secondary school student is familiar with the concept of sustainability. In recent years, the common concern for climate change, resource scarcity, and ecological crisis has prompted youth to seek ways to take action.

Hungary can play a key role in potentially warming EU–Türkiye relations. This can be achieved through agenda-setting during Hungary’s presidency of the Council. One such topic could be the modification of the illegal migration prevention deal to tighten regulations and increase financial support to Türkiye.

‘Picture writer’ is the old name for a painter, a term used by Benczúr to describe himself, even officially, for example when signing a contract of sale of an estate. ‘By choosing Gyula Benczúr’s self-definition as the main title of the exhibition, we want to draw visitors’ attention to the fact that the exhibition offers new approaches to his oeuvre through a “re-reading” of the works of art and primary written and pictorial sources,’ says curator Evelin Páll.

‘The Visegrad Group has reached a tipping point in the face of growing geopolitical and security challenges. The external and internal dynamics of the regional alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have encountered obstacles where the need for unity clashes with competing views, aims, and pressures.’