In April, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visited Budapest amid international controversy over an ICC arrest warrant. Hungary, rejecting the court’s legitimacy, announced its withdrawal from the ICC, later formalized in May. The ICC has since launched non-compliance proceedings, while Hungary claims the court is politically biased and vows not to cooperate.
Esztergom will once again host MCC Feszt, one of Hungary’s most prominent intellectual festivals, kicking off Thursday with a diverse mix of public debates, lectures, and concerts. Headliners include Peter Thiel, Sebastian Kurz, and Dominic Cummings, with nearly 50,000 visitors expected, according to MCC Director General Zoltán Szalai.
The euro plunged to $1.1565 on 29 July, down 1.6 per cent since the US–EU trade deal was announced—despite Ursula von der Leyen calling it a ‘huge deal’. Markets, however, delivered their verdict: the agreement heavily favours Washington, leaving Europe with rising energy dependence and economic uncertainty.
After months of negotiations between Brussels and Washington, Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump announced a new EU-US trade deal. Though hailed as a success by the Commission President, the agreement disproportionately favours the United States, risking Europe’s strategic overdependence on Washington. Additionally, the deal delivers a serious blow to Hungary’s economy.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán appeared as the first guest of a new political podcast, sharing insights on digital activism, the youth vote, internal polling, the EU, and migration, declaring the internet a battleground that must not be surrendered.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in his annual address at the Bálványos Summer Free University, known as Tusványos, warned of the growing threat of a potential world war. He also outlined Hungary’s neutrality doctrine, comprising five key pillars aimed at keeping the country out of armed conflict.
A united European army remains an illusion, argued Hungarian and regional experts at Tusványos. Citing historical, political, and structural obstacles, panellists instead urged member states to focus on NATO, develop national defence industries, and prepare for a shifting global security landscape.
Hungary and France are expanding their cooperation across nuclear energy, defence, and agricultural policy, with strong alignment on national sovereignty and opposition to EU budget plans that would reduce support for European farmers.
At a panel discussion at Tusványos 2025, Hungarian MP Zsolt Németh shared his hopes on how the second Trump administration could bring about ‘Pax Americana 2.0’. This and other important questions were discussed by him, Carlos Roa, Botond Csoma, and Zsolt Szilágyi.
At Tusványos 2025, global thinkers from all around the world, from Lebanon, the UK, and Hungary, discussed the decline of liberalism and rise of post-liberal democracy. Speakers like Balázs Orbán, Lord Frost, and Philip Pilkington argued that Western liberalism failed to deliver its promises, while others stressed the need to protect traditional values.