Hungarian EU presidency, under the slogan ‘Make Europe Great Again’, offered real solutions to the challenges the European Union faces. Nearly three months into 2025, Danube Institute and the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs organized a conference to analyse the impact of these fundamental initiatives and address the challenges that lie ahead.
A team of international researchers has identified two new dinosaur species from Romania’s Hațeg Basin, challenging long-held assumptions about insular dwarfism in Transylvanian dinosaurs. One of the newly described species was unexpectedly large, raising fresh questions about the region’s prehistoric ecosystems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia is ready to cooperate with American companies regarding the country’s vast reserves of rare earth metals and minerals. The move weakened Ukraine’s negotiating position, as a similar deal is reportedly in the making between Washington and Kyiv, with only the final details left to be finalized.
Hungarian researchers have developed new space weather data products to enhance the accuracy of forecasting solar-driven phenomena that impact satellites and Earth-based technology. The innovation, led by the HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, will help mitigate risks posed by extreme space weather events.
The first Hungarian Animation Pitch Forum, set to take place on 28 March at Budapest’s Toldi Cinema, has received 53 submissions across various categories. Organized with support from the National Film Institute, the event will offer Hungarian creators a pathway to present their work at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Festival.
‘At that time, there was no Hungarian scouting in San Francisco, but when the idea of founding a local scout troop came up a few years later, I joined them as a patrol leader up front, even though I had never been a scout before. I thus became a founding member of the local troops, together with Tamás Csoboth and a few others.’
‘For the women, Women’s Carnival was a special occasion: a break from their strictly fixed lives to enjoy themselves. They drank beer and pálinka, had fun, danced, swore, and sang obscene songs—all things that were outside the norm of behaviour that was typically expected of women in the closed community of villages.’
‘As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the world faces an entirely new reality. A reality where Russia and Putin are no longer portrayed as the greatest evil. A reality where diplomacy is once again regarded as the primary tool for resolving disputes between nations. A reality where the end of the conflict could be within arm’s reach. And a reality where, unfortunately, Ukraine and Europe appear increasingly irrelevant.’
Bryan Leib has praised Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary’s newly announced policy of giving income tax exemptions to mothers of two or more children. He has also suggested that the United States should implement a similar policy and even tagged Elon Musk in his reply.
Batteries currently offer the most cost-effective, space-efficient, and practical solution for storing excess energy, according to physicist Ádám Vida of the Bay Zoltán Research Institute. Speaking on the Blue Planet podcast, he discussed energy storage challenges and ongoing technological advancements.
Liverpool, with Hungary National Team Captain Dominik Szoboszlai in their starting line-up, beat defending champions Manchester City 2–0 away from home, thus increasing their lead on the table to 11 points over Arsenal. Szoboszlai, who scored a goal and gave an assist in the crucial game, is getting closer to becoming the first Hungarian player to win the English Premier League trophy.
Friedrich Merz’s CDU was declared the winner of Germany’s early elections on Sunday, securing 28.5 per cent of the vote. However, the true victor of the election is undeniably the AfD, which nearly doubled its support and reshaped the long-standing political landscape of the EU powerhouse.
Hungary is on the brink of an economic breakthrough, with at least eight key indicators pointing to a positive shift, according to Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy. Speaking at the Companies for the Future Award gala in Budapest, he highlighted rising employment, real wage growth, and surging industrial activity as critical factors.
Hungary is set to implement Europe’s most extensive tax reduction programme, benefiting nearly one million families. The initiative expands personal income tax exemptions and doubles child tax allowances, ensuring substantial financial support for parents.
Hungarian Magnitsky Act, the appointment of a special envoy to Washington to collect evidence of USAID’s meddling in Hungary, and Europe’s largest tax cut—these are just a few of the vast initiatives Viktor Orbán announced in his annual State of the Nation speech. Highlighting Hungary’s political resilience, the Hungarian PM declared that 2025 would mark not just survival but victory, describing it as a ‘breakthrough year’.
‘Without culture, Eliot argues, there is no point at all in being human, and it is culture that justifies the content of our existence on Earth for the generations that follow us. “Culture may even be described simply as that which makes life worth living. And it is what justifies other peoples and other generations in saying…that it was worth while for that civilisation to have existed.”’
‘Whether through Scripture, the teachings of the Church, or life experience, Christians learn that no relationship or physical place makes them truly at home. For Christians, it has always been challenging to find the right balance between our hope in Jesus Christ and His coming kingdom and our vocations as citizens, spouses…In their articles in The European Conservative, Audrey Unverferth and Rod Dreher highlight important points about family, community and home.’
On 12 September 1949 Eduard Landauer, a well-known figure of the Budapest elite for decades, was arrested. At the trial of the lawyer, who had been accused several times before, his accusers did everything they could to find him guilty. His petition for clemency was rejected and the death sentence was carried out on 27 May 1950.
‘According to the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the year of the snake, which symbolizes change and transformation. It thus may not be a coincidence that Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to bring about drastic changes in Washington, commenced his second term as President of the United States in this epochal year.’
‘As Christoph Heusgen said, under the Biden regime, Washington and Brussels shared a “common value base”—apart from all those many continental voters and nations who did not share this same identikit set of leftist moral values, who had to be made to do so by means perhaps best described as “meddling in European democracy”.’
Zsuzsa has lived most of her life in Hungary, while Gyula grew up in the United States. They have known each other for only about 15 years, but since their first meeting in Budapest they have been driven by common social goals: strengthening cultural and economic ties between America and Hungary.
‘By rediscovering fundamental needs and values, we will eventually rediscover the need and motivation for having more children. This is a collective project that involves, first of all, ordinary people, philosophers, the church, artists, psychologists, and the government.’
Germany is set to hold parliamentary elections on Sunday, 23 February, which, given the country’s role in Europe, could redefine the future of the entire continent. After an extremely intensive campaign, Germans have two choices: punish the mainstream for years of flawed governance that has resulted in an unprecedented internal security crisis, or continue down a destructive path.
Political Director for the Prime Minister of Hungary Balázs Orbán has appeared on the show Mornings with Maria hosted by Maria Bartiromo, where he shared his optimism about the recently started diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Russia regarding the potential end to the Russo–Ukrainian war.
The Library Challenge programme has successfully promoted reading, library usage, and community engagement across Hungary, as seen in towns like Kétpó and Tomajmonostora. With rising membership and book borrowing figures, local libraries are becoming key cultural hubs.
Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 has just become the highest-grossing animated movie in history, aiming to surpass James Cameron’s Avatar as the most successful film of all time. With stunning visuals and a narrative deeply rooted in Chinese mythology and philosophy, Ne Zha 2 has also emerged as a symbol of patriotism and national pride—at the expense of Captain America.
Reigning Hungarian champions Ferencváros won the first leg of their tie against Viktoria Plzeň 1–0 at home. However, they lost the rematch 3–0 on the road, thus it was the Czech side Plzeň who got to qualify to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.
Kunsthalle’s latest exhibition, ‘Vision, Gesture, Experiment — 111 Years of Hungarian Animation’, offers an in-depth exploration of the nation’s animation history, showcasing its most influential creators and films. Open from Friday, the exhibition highlights the genre’s artistic evolution and interdisciplinary significance.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in a radio interview on public Kossuth Radio that his government’s budget strategy depended on the outcome of the US presidential election. He criticized foreign influence in European politics and reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to economic stability and national sovereignty.
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2025 has just kicked off, with US Vice President JD Vance headlining the first full day of the event. Besides Vance, political director of the Hungarian prime minister Balázs Orbán also took to the stage on Thursday. The conference will conclude with US President Donald Trump’s speech on Saturday.