The Hungarian Ministry of Energy has confirmed that the reduced utility prices will remain in effect during the final quarter of 2024, ensuring that Hungarian households continue to enjoy the cheapest gas in Europe. By updating the relevant regulations, the ministry aims to secure affordable and uninterrupted heating throughout the upcoming winter season.
Péter Magyar of the Hungarian TISZA Party is trying to hand the Fidesz-KDNP coalition its first electoral defeat in twenty years while carrying unprecedented personal baggage with him. After his ex-wife, his recent ex-girlfriend has also come public with allegations of domestic abuse against him. This all comes following leaked footage showing him in a nightclub, dancing with girls much younger than him.
Former President of Hungary Katalin Novák announced in early September that she will take on new responsibilities, continuing to address global demographic challenges as co-founder and co-CEO of the non-profit organization XY Worldwide. Novák recently met with Elon Musk and Giorgia Meloni, where they discussed the possibility of the American billionaire supporting her new initiative.
The Night of Modern Factories returns for its eighth edition on 8 November 2024, offering both personal and online experiences. Organized by a nonprofit organization in collaboration with the Ministry of National Economy, the event highlights how modern technology is reshaping production processes, allowing visitors to explore cutting-edge innovations in automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0 across Hungarian factories.
To support families who are raising or planning to have children, the government will introduce a new measure from 1 October to make it easier for self-employed people who opt for special taxation as well as for primary agricultural producers to claim the CSOK Plus and the Rural CSOK loans, and the baby expecting subsidy. The aim is to make these benefits more accessible to self-employed people. In their case, banks used to take only 10 to 20 per cent of their income into account when assessing their loan applications but will now be obliged to recognize at least 50 per cent of their earnings.
As Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka also emphasized on 24 September, the Hungarian government is aware that the Commission has other tools at its disposal to deduct the sum. Despite not being willing to pay the fine, Budapest aims to engage in a ‘constructive way’ with Brussels to ensure compliance with the ECJ ruling. Minister Bóka also said Hungary was looking into ‘legal possibilities on how certain expenses incurred in the protection of the border could be offset’ against the penalty.
The European Commission is allocating approximately €10 billion in aid to flood-affected countries in Central and Eastern Europe, but Hungary is notably absent from the list. The reason is somewhat paradoxical: Hungary has been so effective in its protective measures that the resulting damage is expected to fall below the threshold required to qualify for the EU Solidarity Fund.
The European Court of Justice issued a €200 million fine, as well as additional fines of €1 million per day to Hungary for failing to comply with migrant quotas in June. Hungary has failed to pay up by the first deadline, so now the European Commission is looking to deduct the penalties from the EU funds due to Budapest.
While the 2024 travel season continues, Liszt Ferenc International Airport is already preparing for 2025, when it will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a series of special cultural events. The celebrations will not only commemorate the airport’s history but also honour the life and work of composer Franz Liszt, whose name the airport proudly bears since 2011.
At the InnoTrans 2024 International Transport Exhibition in Berlin Hungarian state railways MÁV, MÁV-START, and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) signed a cooperation agreement to enhance passenger and freight services. The agreement aims to reduce travel times on the Budapest–Vienna route and improve collaboration in technical areas, promising a faster, more efficient rail network by 2028.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.