Supporters of China hold Chinese and Hungarian flags in the Buda Castle close to the route of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s motorcade prior to his meeting with Viktor Orbán on 9 May 2024 in Budapest.

Hungary’s Place in the Global Order

‘Hungary may well find, as Australia has, that trade and investment with China can create long-term vulnerabilities as well as immediate economic benefits. After Australia called for a transparent international enquiry into the origins of the Wuhan virus, the Beijing government imposed bogus safety bans on some $20 billion worth of our exports. Despite the Australian government’s attempts to “normalise” relations, there’s now routine harassment of Australian ships and planes exercising freedom of navigation in the areas Beijing wants to dominate.’

Viktor Orbán speaks at the Ludovika University of Public Service on 25 September 2024.

Orbán Highlights Economic Neutrality and Competitiveness at Ludovika University

In his speech at the Ludovika University campus in Budapest Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary has taken over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in uniquely hard times. He warned about Europe’s decreasing level of competitiveness, and stressed Hungary’s need to remain economically neutral. He nailed down that Hungary needs to conduct itself on the new bipolar global economic stage based on its own national interests.

Migrant Fine to Be Deducted from Hungary EU Funds?

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.

Hungary Becomes Refuge for Germans Opposed to Liberal Policies, German Broadcaster Suggests

A recent report by Germany’s Tagesschau highlighted a growing trend of Germans relocating to Hungary due to dissatisfaction with their homeland’s liberal policies, particularly concerning immigration. Germans moving to Lake Balaton cite increased safety and alignment with Hungary’s conservative values, praising Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s stance on foreign and domestic policies.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt greets the delegation of the Polish American Congress on 11 October 1944.

Is There Really a Polish American Vote?

‘For those whose hearts beat on both sides of the Atlantic, the more productive consideration is what this election signifies for U.S.–Poland relations. Poland, like the United States, is bitterly divided between cosmopolitan urban areas and more conservative and religious exurbs and rural areas. After eight years of single-party Law & Justice rule, Polish conservatives are momentarily weak and banking heavily on a second Trump administration.’

The city centre of Belgrade viewed from the Danube (Pixabay)

EU Enlargement and Energy Security — The Hungary–Serbia Relationship

Prior to the start of Hungary’s current presidency of the Council of the EU, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated that the country plans to initiate the opening of a new chapter in accession negotiations with Serbia. This intention was also extended to the entire region, as the Hungarian foreign minister highlighted the country’s aim to hold intergovernmental talks with all five Western Balkan countries.

Matteo Salvini Meets with Viktor Orbán in Budapest

While in Budapest, Matteo Salvini also met with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary on Friday. Salvini is currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy. He is the leader of the Lega party, which joined Fidesz’s new group Patriots for Europe in the European Parliament earlier this year.

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.

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.’