The Danube flooding in Budapest

Flooding in Hungary: Over 4,000 People Mobilized for Defence

Prime Minister Orbán briefed the press on the status of flood defence in Hungary on Wednesday. He shared that intense defence efforts are ongoing at twelve key locations along the Mosonmagyaróvár section of the Danube and Leitha rivers, as well as in Budapest and several settlements at the Danube Bend.

Peter Paul Rubens, Minerva Protects Pax from Mars (between 1629 and 1630). National Gallery, London, UK

Of War and Peace

This study focuses on questions related to the Russia–Ukraine War, one of the most dramatic events in contemporary European history. It seeks to examine the extent to which the citizens of Europe feel that the official positions of Brussels (the EU) and NATO, and the resultant decisions, are their own.

Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium on 9 September 2024.

Will Ursula von der Leyen Be a Strong President?

‘In contrast to five years ago, the legitimacy of the Commission’s former and future President has been weak from the start in 2024. Although she is a Spitzenkandidat now, as she was the leader of the European People’s Party list in the European Parliament elections, the support of the leaders of the Member States is much weaker. In Germany, she is considered an opposition politician, so she is not a favourite but rather a forced choice for the governing coalition.’

Balázs Orbán delivers his opening address at the Danube-Heritage 4th Geopolitical Summit in Budapest on 17 September 2024.

The Age of Sovereignty vs Crusading American Utopianism — Will Ideological Wars End?

‘Today, the Hungarian capital is part of the ongoing political discussion at the highest levels of American political life—for better or for worse. Hungary is either a symbol of all that is bad in the Western world—that’s how progressives, liberals, and neoconservatives see it; or it’s a plucky resister to globalism, social liberalism, and mass migration, a laboratory for a new kind of right-of-center policymaking.’

Day 1 of Danube–Heritage Geopolitical Summit Concludes with Discussions on Energy and Closing Remarks

Distinguished experts gathered at the fourth Danube Institute Geopolitical Summit to talk about the consequences of the green energy transition many leftist politicians are pushing for. Then, Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia; Ambassador Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security of Hungary; and Former US Secretary of Veteran Affairs Robert Wilkie took the floor for closing remarks.