Marine Le Pen returns to court on 13 January as her appeal trial gets under way, challenging a conviction that bars her from holding public office for five years. At the centre of the case is whether the sanction is proportionate to the offence she was found guilty of.
Hungary’s economy is often labelled small, yet new analysis suggests this perception is misleading. A study by the Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation shows that Hungary’s total economic output matches the combined GDP of several sovereign states, highlighting the country’s real economic weight in a global context.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has unveiled a generational renewal within the governing Fidesz–KDNP alliance ahead of the 2026 parliamentary election, announcing that 41 new candidates will join 65 returning MPs. Speaking at the party’s congress, Orbán framed the upcoming election as decisive for the future of Hungary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has received public backing from a dozen foreign leaders, political figures, and celebrities ahead of the parliamentary election in April. Prominent figures from across Europe, Israel, and Latin America have voiced their support, framing the vote as a decisive moment for national sovereignty, migration policy, and Europe’s broader political future.
Argentina has repaid the full $2.5 billion drawn under its currency swap agreement with the United States, a move praised by Washington as proof of Buenos Aires’ improved financial stability. Hungary is negotiating a similar arrangement with Washington ahead of the parliamentary election in 2026, positioning an American swap line as insurance against market turbulence and political risk.
As Portugal prepares for its seventh election in just three years, the presidential contest is shaping up as a defining test for the country’s political future. With polls showing a near-certain run-off, Chega leader André Ventura has emerged as the frontrunner, signalling a further collapse of the traditional parties’ grip on power.
Abu Dhabi has imposed restrictions on scholarships to UK universities, warning of the risk of Islamist radicalization among Emirati students studying in Britain. The United Kingdom was deliberately omitted from the UAE’s revised list of approved foreign universities, underscoring deepening concern over Muslim Brotherhood influence on campuses.
Humanity may have gained a few extra years. The AI Futures Project, led by former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo, has revised its forecast for superintelligent AI, concluding that the technological breakthroughs once expected by 2027 are now more likely to arrive in the early 2030s.
Hungary signed a record 108 new investment agreements last year, with projects worth more than €7 billion set to create over 18,000 jobs nationwide, according to government commissioner István Joó. The figures mark the strongest investment performance in Hungary’s history, despite global crises and the economic fallout of the Ukraine war.
The United States is withdrawing from 66 international organizations and bodies after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting American support for institutions deemed wasteful, mismanaged or hostile to US interests. The decision deepens Washington’s turn away from global governance frameworks and delivers another blow to the diminishing liberal world order.
The world that emerged after the Cold War is fading fast. As 2026 begins, a less ideological, more power-driven international order is taking shape—what Viktor Orbán has described as the ‘age of nations’. Recent US actions, shifting alliances and the decline of liberal norms reveal the defining features of this new global reality.
The death of Hungarian world champion sprint canoeist Miklós Dudás has taken a disturbing turn after Budapest police opened a criminal investigation into suspected bodily harm resulting in death. New autopsy findings have raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the 34-year-old athlete’s sudden passing.
AfD has entered 2026 as Germany’s most popular party, widening its advantage over the CDU in the first poll of the New Year. As the party surges ahead of all governing parties, the results reflect a growing rejection of establishment politics ahead of decisive state elections.
Viktor Orbán has once again turned political controversy into country branding, using a provocative social media post to promote Hungary to right-wing foreign tourists. Claiming democracy is in decline across Europe but thriving in Hungary, the prime minister invited followers to ‘come and see’ under the hashtag #VisitHungary.
The US Embassy in Budapest has commemorated the 48th anniversary of the return of the Holy Crown of King St Stephen, calling the 1978 transfer an important milestone in American–Hungarian relations. The gesture highlighted a moment when diplomacy, history and symbolism intersected at the height of the Cold War.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vowed to conclude talks with Slovakia over a new law criminalizing criticism of the Beneš decrees, warning that it revives the principle of collective guilt. The legislation has strained bilateral relations and reignited long-standing disputes over the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.
Hungarian defence firm 4iG Space and Defence Technologies has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with TATRA Trucks, granting it representation and sales rights for the Czech manufacturer’s military vehicles in Hungary. The deal supports Budapest’s ambition to strengthen domestic defence production and NATO-compatible capabilities.
Viktor Orbán opened the year with a two-hour international press conference, declaring that 2025 marked the definitive end of the liberal world order and the dawn of an ‘age of nations’. Promoting Hungary’s ‘peace economy’, opposition to war-driven policies and EU migration plans, he framed the coming election as a decisive civilizational choice.
New Year’s Eve riots in several Western European cities have once again exposed the direct link between illegal migration and the erosion of public security. Citing attacks on emergency services and widespread vandalism, Viktor Orbán’s chief security adviser warned that Europe is repeating a failed model.
From Hungary to the United States, and from Sweden to Slovenia, 2026 will be a defining election year with consequences far beyond national borders. As conservative and populist forces challenge entrenched elites, several key votes are set to reshape Europe’s political balance and test the durability of the global right’s recent momentum.
2025 is likely to be remembered as the year the post–Cold War order finally collapsed. From Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his America First diplomacy to the erosion of liberal institutions, trade realignment and the retreat of woke ideology, the foundations of a multipolar world have decisively taken shape.
Russia’s claim that Ukraine attempted a drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence has cast a shadow over fragile peace talks just as negotiations appeared to be nearing a breakthrough. While Kyiv denies the allegation and Washington urges caution, the incident risks hardening positions in Moscow and derailing momentum towards a settlement.
Viktor Orbán says Hungary helped derail Brussels’s plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine, crediting behind-the-scenes diplomacy and Belgium’s leadership in forming a blocking minority. He warned that asset seizure would provoke Russian retaliation and argued the decision spared Hungary heavy costs at a critical political moment.
France is lobbying Berlin to approve a Russian-linked nuclear fuel project in Germany, with Macron himself applying diplomatic pressure behind the scenes. The initiative cuts against the EU’s REPowerEU strategy and signals that key member states are quietly planning for economic normalization once the war ends.
Spain’s regional election in Extremadura has delivered a major breakthrough for Vox, which doubled its seats and entrenched itself as a decisive force in a former Socialist stronghold. The surge benefits a close political ally of Viktor Orbán and underscores the expanding reach of the Patriots for Europe alliance within national and regional politics.
A shocking assault on a 75-year-old Jeanette Marken in Seattle has reignited accusations of selective silence in Western mainstream media. Footage shows a known career criminal brutally attacking the victim, yet major outlets have largely avoided coverage, prompting comparisons to earlier cases where politically inconvenient crimes were downplayed or ignored.
Once symbols of festive calm and Christian heritage, Western Europe’s Christmas markets have increasingly become targets of Islamist terror since the early 2000s. From Strasbourg to Berlin and Magdeburg, repeated attacks and foiled plots have reshaped how Europe celebrates Christmas—forcing heavy security, cancellations and a growing sense of fear.
Italy has joined Belgium, Bulgaria and Malta in resisting the European Commission’s plan to use frozen Russian assets as collateral for a €210 billion loan to Ukraine, warning of profound legal and financial risks. The pushback intensifies scrutiny of Brussels’s decision to invoke emergency powers to sidestep expected vetoes from Hungary and Slovakia.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is riding an extraordinary wave, securing its first Scottish council seat and overtaking Labour to become Britain’s largest party by membership. The developments, both hailed as historic moments, underscores the accelerating collapse of the UK’s traditional two-party system.
Ursula von der Leyen claims only voters decide a nation’s leaders—yet recent EU actions tell a very different story. From Romania’s annulled election to Germany’s institutional crackdown on AfD and France’s judicial assault on Marine Le Pen, the Union shows an increasingly authoritarian instinct that undermines democratic choice.