Left-wing journalists in Hungary have been trying to smear Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén as someone implicated in the prostitution scandal at the Szőlő Street Juvenile Corrections Centre in Budapest, Hungary, without any basis in reality. Miklós Szánthó, the head of the Center for Fundamental Rights, has responded to the smear campaign in a fiery Facebook video.
‘It isn’t clear what can be done to reverse this dynamic of polarization and derangement. But we are not powerless to resist its grip and we could, if we choose, exercise more decorum in how we respond to the deaths of other people. And if we can’t screen out the most deranged voices online, we can at least try to resist their provocations.’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Hungary of flying reconnaissance drones across the border, warning Budapest it was engaging in a ‘dangerous’ game. Hungary firmly rejected the claim, calling it fabricated and politically motivated. The row adds to a long list of clashes between the two uneasy neighbours.
The governing PAS party has claimed victory in Moldova’s election, with the campaign overshadowed by raids, bans on opposition candidates, and accusations of meddling from both Russia and the EU. Moldovan authorities once again restricted access for voters from Transnistria, while Telegram’s CEO accused French intelligence of censorship attempts and meddling.
In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. This part will be about a recidivist conman, George Robert Gabor, who has been deported from the country several times and even sentenced to prison.
‘Ultimately, the story of the “big tree gang” illustrates how social anxieties, political agendas, and propaganda intersected in late-1960s Hungary. The files, reports, and novels documenting their lives offer a fascinating glimpse into a vanished world where surveillance and Marxist ideology shaped even the smallest acts of everyday life.’
Zé Fördős, one of Hungary’s most recognizable culinary influencers and founder of Street Kitchen, talks about risk-taking, failure, and resilience—from paragliding lessons to business setbacks—and how hitting rock bottom set the stage for success.
‘While some of our American school friends spent Friday nights socializing, we preferred to dedicate our time to our Hungarian community. Later, my enthusiasm for scouting leadership only grew. I never felt burnt out because I truly loved every task. This was possible because I was surrounded by supportive people who shared my passion.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán dismissed allegations of paedophilia linked to a correctional facility in Szőlő Street as a foreign-backed disinformation campaign, while warning of legal consequences and defending his government’s policies on energy, taxes, and family support.
What is Israel planning to do after the Western recognition of Palestine? Will there be a point when Washington doesn’t back Israel further? Why has the Hungarian government become a pro-Israeli government? We spoke with the former Political Director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the fragile situation of the Jewish state at the Danube Institute’s Geopolitical Summit in Budapest.