An election night in Budapest: Hungarian conservatives gathered in anticipation of a Trump victory at an event hosted by MCC and the Center for Fundamental Rights on 5 November. There were serious panel discussions with experts, but also plenty of fun, chatting, drinks and food, with attendees keeping their fingers crossed for the candidate on the right side of history.
While President George W Bush enjoyed a record-high 90 per cent approval rating in the wake of the tragic 9/11 attack in 2001, his support dropped to just 25 per cent by October 2008. This was due to the eventual unpopularity of the Iraq war, but mostly, due to the 2008 financial crisis. Illinois Senator Barack Obama narrowly defeated former First Lady Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, then handily won the 2008 election to become the first black President in US history.
Budapest continues to dominate the list this year, with only one school outside the capital—Lovassy László Gymnasium in Veszprém—breaking into the top ten at tenth place, consistent with previous years. Schools excelling in foreign language instruction, especially bilingual institutions, tend to hold an advantage in the rankings, though other criteria like exam performance remain key.
‘When it comes to family policy, I know that many Canadian conservatives view Hungary as a leader, particularly in its various incentive programmes and structures that place families at the centre of government policy,’ senior Canadian conservative advisor Samuel Duncan highlighted in an interview with Hungarian Conservative.
‘In sum, the report reflects the political views and values of the EU elite and can be seen as a tool to turn a problem into a crisis—an ‘existential challenge’—to justify the extension of EU powers at the expense of national sovereignty and decision-making.’
Nearly two-thirds of young Hungarians aged 15-29 do not consider it important to find out what political views an influencer represents. Those who follow several content creators typically feel this to be less important (10 per cent) than those who only follow one influencer (25 per cent), but even among them there are almost twice as many who do not consider it important to be aware of an influencer’s political views.
The Hungarian company Proofminder has been named one of the winners of the AgVenture 2024 competition, hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The programme aims to support the development of green technologies in the agricultural and food production sectors. Proofminder’s AI-based platform and drone technology help farmers increase yields, reduce chemical use, and protect biodiversity.
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence and the HDF’s joint initiative Szeretem, megvédem! (I love it, I protect it!) started in June, looking to recruit new people into the Army’s territorial reserve units. Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky has informed the public that since the start of the programme, over 2,000 people have joined.
Despite spending a significant amount of time online, young people, particularly Generation Z, feel the absence of real communities, according to Zsófia Nagy-Vargha, Deputy State Secretary for Youth Affairs. Addressing the Digital Child Welfare Conference in Budapest, she emphasised the need to reduce digital dependency and promote more meaningful, in-person interactions among the youth.
‘Ukraine is losing this war, indeed has likely lost it, and Washington is looking for a scapegoat for its colossal strategic failure. Viktor Orbán, who was right about this war from the beginning, is that scapegoat. If Harris wins in November, we can expect a narrative coming out of Washington saying that Ukraine and its allies would have prevailed if it had not been for Hungary stabbing Ukraine in the back.’