Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán speaking at the 32nd Bálványos Free Summer University and Student Camp, 2023

Hungary Is about to Deliver a Long-Awaited, Meaningful EU Presidency

‘Hungary is set to take over the rotating EU Presidency in July 2024, a development that has provoked mixed feelings among certain political factions…Nonetheless, Hungary has proven to be a formidable participant in these disputes, fully aware of its rights within the EU legal framework and prepared to advocate for them vigorously.’

European Parliament Elections 2024 — Predictions and Guesses

The European Parliament (EP) elections to be held from 6 to 9 June 2024 will be the tenth opportunity in the history of the integration for EU citizens to come to the polls. Whether Ursula von der Leyen remains President of the European Commission is still uncertain, with several other possible candidates emerging.

‘I have a deep faith in cooperations’ — An Interview with Emese Varga, Co-Founder of the Bartók Béla Boston Hungarian School and Kindergarten (Boskola)

‘Many people have asked me why I don’t devote my time to myself and my family instead of volunteering. The answer is simple: I care about Hungarian families and the community. My mission is to preserve, nurture and pass on our Hungarian identity, our rich language and culture to the next generation. Fortunately, many of us feel the same way and many of us are working for the same goals.’

The Japanese-type sword created by Hungarian smith Thomas Kapustran in 1674, according to the design of a real samurai weapon. SOURCE: Vikingsword.com

A Mysterious Hungarian Samurai Sword from Transylvania

While except for a few known pieces of the puzzle the story of the sword and its origins remain obscure, the Transylvanian Samurai sword of Thomas Kapustran is certainly a manifestation of the complexity and richness of Hungarian history. Despite being torn apart by two empires and enduring a century of wars, Transylvania still held a remarkable position in the world. So significant was its influence, grandeur, and civilizational level that it could procure luxury goods from distant and isolated lands like Japan.  

Carpets are laid on the streets of the historical Icerisehir within the scope of the National Carpet Festival organized for the first time by the Icerisehir State Grove Administration in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 04, 2024.

Enhanced Strategic Partnership in Energy and Beyond: Hungary and Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has the potential to become one of the major natural gas suppliers to Hungary if the current determination to increase import volumes continues. However, the bilateral relations between the two countries extend beyond natural gas exports and are characterized by an enhanced strategic partnership. Given the commitment to construct an undersea high-voltage power line through the Black Sea, Azerbaijan could also become a key exporter of renewable energy to Hungary. On 1 May 2024 Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, ahead of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, reached an agreement to construct a similar high-voltage undersea power line through the Caspian Sea.

La Paz skyline (Wikimedia)

Frontiers of Our Diaspora: Hungarian Emigrants in Bolivia

Refugee groups started trickling in after the catastrophic defeat of the Austro–Hungarian empire in the First World War and the dismembering of the historical Hungarian Kingdom, resulting in the loss of many ethnically Hungarian territories for Hungary. The destruction of the war and the discriminative policies of the new states prompted many Hungarians to seek a better life beyond the sea. Latin America soon became an important emigration target, as the United States started to severely restrict immigration from Eastern Europe in the 1920s.