Hungarian Conservative

The KINCS survey conducted in May clearly shows that Hungarians understand and take seriously the demographic challenges of our time. 78 per cent of respondents believe that the EU faces serious demographic problems that 73 per cent think threaten Europe’s future.

This year’s horse racing season kicks off on Easter Sunday at Kincsem Park with eight races, starting with galloping. Besides horse races, various themed events also await visitors throughout spring and summer.

Kincsem won all 54 races she ran, a record that holds to this day. However, as a filly, she was never sold because of her plain looks—which ended up greatly benefitting her owner Ernő Blaskovich.

The Kopp Mária Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS) held a conference to mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, unveiling a survey that found that the happiest individuals in Hungary are those living in a marriage or raising children.

Nearly half a million prospective parents across the country have benefited from the baby-expecting loan so far: since the programme’s inception, 246,000 families have applied for the support, resulting in the birth of a total of 211,000 children.

The majority of the EU tries to alleviate the demographic and labour market challenges by promoting digitalization, increasing the activity of the over-65 age group and pushing back the retirement age, as well as employing foreign workers. Hungary, however, chose another path that aims to strengthen the families.

‘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.’

There are 3.13 million mothers in Hungary who have given birth to a total of 6.22 million children during their lifetime, meaning that Hungarian mothers have two children on average. Since the early 2000s, about three-quarters of adult women are mothers. Compared to 2011, the average number of children in the 20–35 age group has increased slightly (from 1.67 to 1.72), while among mothers aged 45–49 there are now 10,000 more large families, i.e. those with three or more children, than in 2011.

In 2020 and 2021 both the number of births and the fertility rate increased in Hungary during the COVID-19 pandemic because the poverty and disadvantage of those with children relative to childless people decreased to such an extent that having children was no longer a financial disadvantage in 2019 and 2021.

The launch of the book titled Fate Shapers – Stories of Successful Roma Men was held at the Mária Kopp Institute on Wednesday. The book presents the life stories of twelve successful Hungarian Roma men, serving as an inspiring example for the younger Roma generation.

Hungary’s comprehensive family support system has garnered international attention; in order to become acquainted with the policies of Hungary, family-friendly countries frequently consult with government organizations, including the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families.

The film is a valuable contribution to keeping the spirit and memory of the 1848 revolution and freedom fight alive by transforming distant historical figures into flesh and blood people in a credible and compelling way. It deserves merit also because, in a brave move, it attributes a prominent role in the events to Júlia Szendrey, Petőfi’s wife, paying tribute to this tragic-fated woman who became a renowned poet, writer and translator in her later life.

‘Having a child is a vulnerability, especially for women, and particularly in today’s world, where there is no guarantee that a marriage will last. So you might find yourself on your own, and you may find yourself dependent on the state in some way. So a state putting general policies together to make it possible to have that loan towards a house, such policies in Hungary, I think are actually a potential template for other nations around the world.’

The average twenty per cent salary increase applies to approximately 84,000 healthcare specialists working in outpatient clinics and hospitals, as well as around ten thousand professionals working in primary healthcare, including general practitioners, paediatricians, and dentists.

The figures clearly show that over the past decade the economic and employment boom in Hungary has been accompanied by a marked improvement in the demographic situation.  

On the last day of Carnival, we share the thoughts of education scientist Mária Bajzáth, founder of a pedagogical storytelling workshop, on the role of masks, the magic of tales, and the community-building and community-preserving power of the festival.

This year’s motto for Marriage Week is ‘constant renewal.’ Throughout the series of events, the organizers will explore how couples can, in today’s rapidly changing environment, focus on each other, grow together, renew their marriage, find new common goals, and adapt together to new life situations.

‘Family is not the cause, but the solution to climate change. A European study conducted in 2021 by the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS) found that large families live more environmentally conscious and pay more attention to protecting the environment than others, precisely because thus they protect the future of their children.’

Building on the hard-earned trust of our readers, we are planning on introducing even more interactive and focused content in 2024—from evolving regional and global geopolitical dynamics to the European parliamentary and US elections, there’s much to explore in the coming year. 

When aiming for lower emissions, it is easier for EU politicians to shut down farms than shut down industries, because farming has a smaller impact and is less visible, which makes it an easy target, governance expert Richard J. Schenk argues.

According to information provided by Ágnes Hornung, state secretary responsible for families, this addition will bring the total number of main pillars supporting the Hungarian family support system to four, alongside home creation, financial security, and freedom of choice.

The event will be taking place from 9–11 November at the Budapest Congress Center. The latest innovations will be discussed by experts in all fields of oncology, from surgical, medicinal, and radiation therapy to the all-important prevention and screening.

Katalin Novák stressed that the roundtable is not a government agency. Its members will make recommendations to the government and ‘encourage people to contribute to the dialogue,’ she explained. The roundtable comprises representatives of the private and public spheres, as well as the scientific community.

The history of the palace in Dég, Hungary is not only intertwined with that of the Festetics family, but also with Freemasonry in Hungary, as the palace’s builder, Antal Festetics, was the right-hand man of the movement’s Master Chief in the country. Magyar Krónika paid a visit to the newly renovated Festetics Palace in Dég.

The data demonstrates an increase in both marriages and the proportion of those with children among people under 30, while at the same time shows an overall aging trend in Hungarian society.

Hungarian cinemagoers have been craving enjoyable historical films for a long time. Finally, Hadik arrived, which, although not faultless, is a great example of the genre well done.

National anniversaries, especially 15 March, were regularly celebrated in the Dohány Street synagogue. Mourning services were also held on the occasion of the passing of great Hungarian statesmen. In addition to the regular services, the synagogue also hosted a number of special events. On 20 December 1860, a ‘Jewish–Hungarian brotherhood’ ceremony was held, attended by statesmen, scholars, writers and artists, and for the first time, the Szózat was sung in a Jewish synagogue. On 8 April 1861, a memorial service was held for István Széchenyi, and in 1894 for Lajos Kossuth.

The Codex Aureus, the oldest medieval manuscript in Romania, located at the Gyulafehérvár branch of the Romanian National Library in the Batthyáneum Library, has been inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

According to Valerie Huber, the EU ‘has strayed beyond’ its original mandate and is ‘majoring on ideology’. Ms Huber also argues that the United Nations is prioritizing abortion access when giving aid to developing countries, rather than focusing on more acute, genuine women’s health issues.

The liberal faction of the Hungarian Psychiatric Association engaged in a power game against editor-in-chief at Psychiatria Hungarica Tamás Tényi, who wanted to publish an essay critical of gender theory written by a right-wing author. The piece was never published, and the chief editor resigned in protest.