‘We have heard Trump. We have heard Vance. We are taking notes. We are doing the work. But if we are to recover—from this economic dislocation, from cultural disorientation, from moral exhaustion—we will need your help. And if you choose not to offer it, because we are no longer good enough, or because better deals lie elsewhere—so be it.’

A 4.45-kilometre high-speed oval track capable of supporting speeds up to 250 km/h was inaugurated at ZalaZONE in Zalaegerszeg, marking a major step in Hungary’s bid to become a hub for automotive innovation and global industry collaboration.

A recent survey by Századvég Foundation reveals that most Hungarians reject foreign influence in domestic politics and media, supporting new legislation that would restrict foreign-funded organizations seen as threats to national sovereignty.

The MCC Budapest Summit on Technology and Society aims to answer the question of how to find the balance between innovation and traditional values in a rapidly changing world. The MCC Budapest Summit is also part of MCC’s long-term mission: to strengthen international knowledge sharing, community dialogue, and intellectual values in all regions of the Carpathian Basin.

HDF György Klapka 1st Armoured Brigade held its annual open day on 11 April, an event that attracted several thousand visitors. This significant turnout reflected public confidence in the armed forces and underlined their close connection with society.

‘In the past two decades, the European Union has turned from a community of values into a power centre and from an internal market into a proto-state. It has happened without the explicit political authorization of the Member States and European citizens…Today, the main line of division in European politics lies between those who support or condone this process and those who oppose it.’

The agreement is not just a matter for Ukraine and the US. There is a geopolitical realignment of the world’s raw materials markets, in which Europe’s interests are strongly involved. If US companies are, in practice, given priority access to Ukrainian raw materials, this could limit the EU’s room for manoeuvre at a time when the speed of the green transition will determine future competitiveness.

As the proposed meeting in Istanbul between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin remains in limbo, Pope Leo XIV appears to have offered the Holy See’s mediation to the warring parties. The negotiations have gained new momentum as international pressure mounts on Russia to agree on a ceasefire.

Budapest-based Danube Institute and the Israeli SIGNAL Group co-organized a conference on the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC)—an alternative transport route proposed in 2023 by G20 countries to link Asia to Europe while countering China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Experts and policymakers argued that IMEC could represent a new vision of multipolar cooperation, economic resilience, and strategic autonomy.

Hungarian reservists and the Ohio National Guard are conducting joint live-fire exercises in Bakonykúti, Fejér County, under the Valiant Panther 2025 training operation, enhancing combat readiness and deepening three decades of defence cooperation.

A Hungarian Facebook user has shared a video of tanks driving across the streets of Budapest at night over the weekend. Many people picked up the footage, fearing it was a sign of military escalation. However, an expert from the Hungarian tabloid Blikk has cracked the case.

The EU’s General Court has delivered a major blow to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, annulling Brussels’ refusal to release her COVID-era text messages with Pfizer’s CEO. The ruling exposes deep flaws in EU transparency and intensifies scrutiny over the €35 billion vaccine contract central to the Pfizergate scandal.

Center for Fundamental Rights Senior Fellow Bryan Leib has recently attended the Jewish News Syndicate’s conference in Jerusalem, Israel, where he explained to the audience why Hungary is the safest place for Jews in Europe.

Hungary is revising its national AI strategy with a strong emphasis on education, ethics, and social application, government commissioner László Palkovics announced, signing a partnership with ELTE to shape human-centered and trustworthy AI technologies.

Hungary’s car industry remains a driving force of the national economy despite global headwinds, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said, stressing that East–West cooperation is key to success in the age of electromobility.

‘It is no surprise, then, that even Peru, a mountainous country far from the Pacific coast, a subject of many tales about the Incas, was also home to Hungarians throughout history. This is not just a tale of curious travels from Central Europe to Latin America, but a history of our relationship to the great migratory waves that have impacted our region…’

Despite their advocacy for increasingly stringent green policies, EU leaders—including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—took a private jet last week from Brussels to Luxembourg, a journey that would have taken just over two hours by car. The scandal has cast a shadow over von der Leyen’s week, already clouded by an eagerly anticipated EU court ruling concerning the so-called Pfizergate text messages.

István Kovács from Nagykároly (Carei), Romania, will be officiating this year’s UCL final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale. He is the fourth ethnic Hungarian to referee the premier European club competition’s final, after Károly Palotai (twice, in 1976 and 1981), Sándor Puhl (1997), and, most recently, Viktor Kassai (2011).

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned that, although no one dares to say it, the war in Ukraine is essentially lost. He made the statement at the Conference of Presidents of the European Union Parliaments, held in the National Assembly in Budapest.

HungaroControl projects an 8–15 per cent increase in Hungarian air traffic for 2025, with this summer likely to break all-time records. New technologies, staff reinforcements, and safety upgrades aim to ensure a smooth and delay-free travel season.

‘The only true solution [to the Demographic crisis] is to support families and encourage higher birth rates among the domestic population,’ Political Director to the Prime Minister of Hungary Balázs Orbán wrote in his recently published essay for The Telegraph.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony has dismissed BKV CEO Tibor Bolla following media reports linking him to individuals accused of organized tax fraud. The decision comes amid concerns over public trust and corporate integrity.

Hungary is setting its sights on the stars once again with a major national mission: to send a Hungarian astronaut to the International Space Station for scientific research—45 years after the first Hungarian ventured into space.

‘This is the case with respect for human dignity, the “right to life”, and the prohibition of eugenics. After the Second World War, states wanted to give these principles international legal force. They were formulated in particular in response to Aktion T4, the programme of euthanasia of thousands of disabled people under the Nazi regime in Germany.’

The Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) posted the video of the arrest of the Serbian man apprehended at the southern border. He was caught with over five kilograms (11 pounds) of heroin and methamphetamine.

The Hungarian Ministry of Defence has symbolically adopted two lynxes at the Budakeszi Wildlife Park—linking military identity with nature conservation and education, while highlighting parallels between wildlife and the army’s modern Lynx combat vehicles.

The United States and China have reached an agreement described by the White House as a ‘historic trade win’ for the American people, rolling back both tariffs and non-tariff barriers in bilateral trade. The deal, which will take effect on 14 May, will reduce tariffs on US products exported to China to 10 per cent, and on Chinese products entering the US to 30 per cent.

The Washington Post recently ran an article in which it details how LGBT pride march organizers in the United States are facing major gaps in their budgets for this year’s events, as corporate funding has significantly slowed under the second Trump administration.

‘People who come illegally are breaking the law. People who come in very large numbers, illegally or not, are changing the country. And that’s the main issue today: the impact of immigration on the character of Western countries with strong and unique cultures that their peoples have every right to take pride in and preserve…’

The 21st March of Life took place in Budapest on Sunday, with participants walking from the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial to the Várkert Bazaar. This year’s commemoration was marked by a somber reflection on current threats to Jewish communities worldwide.