Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vetoed an EU joint statement on the upcoming Trump–Putin summit in Alaska, breaking with the bloc’s 26 other members. While they welcomed Trump’s peace efforts, Orbán argued the EU should not set conditions for talks it was not invited to, urging instead an EU–Russia summit to ensure Europe’s voice in the process.

During an 11 August press conference at the White House, Donald Trump said he had sought advice from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on whether Ukraine can defeat Russia, calling the insight ‘very interesting’. Trump is set to meet Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss a potential peace framework for the war in Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on France and Germany to take a leading role in engaging Russia ahead of the Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska on 15 August. Orbán stressed that Paris and Berlin, as key EU powers, must initiate an EU–Russian summit to ensure Europe is not sidelined in critical negotiations.

In an interview with Le Figaro, political director of the Hungarian prime minister Balázs Orbán discussed Hungary’s approach to Europe’s challenges, including the war in Ukraine and migration, while defending what is often labelled as ‘Orbánism’.

As CEO of Aletihad News Centre, Hamad Al-Kaabi is a key figure in shaping public discourse in the United Arab Emirates. During MCC Feszt in Esztergom, he spoke to Hungarian Conservative about the deepening Hungary–UAE partnership, the role of AI in bilateral ties, and why the two countries are closer in values than geography suggests.

Kyiv dismissed claims by Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó that it refused to investigate the violent death of a Transcarpathian Hungarian man at the hands of conscription officers. The Ukrainian DBR insists a criminal case is ongoing, and forensic examination did not reveal any signs of external physical abuse.

In a major boost to US–Hungarian ties, American Airlines will relaunch its daily direct flight between Budapest and Philadelphia in May 2026. With over 3,000 weekly seats and onward connections across North America, the route’s return signals renewed interest in deepening transatlantic tourism, commerce, and cultural exchange.

The European Union’s top court has issued a ruling that could halt deportations of illegal migrants to most non-European countries, prompting outrage in Budapest. Chief Security Advisor György Bakondi called the judgment ‘pro-migration’, warning it places virtually all repatriations in legal limbo. Prime Minister Orbán’s government says it will resist such judicial activism.

As the deadline for sweeping sanctions on Russian oil buyers looms, President Trump is preparing to meet Vladimir Putin face-to-face. The summit is widely viewed as a final diplomatic window to prevent further escalation and avert a global economic shock. For Trump, the meeting may also serve as a moment of redemption—an opportunity to rewrite the legacy of the ill-fated Helsinki Summit in 2018.

Germany’s CDU has distanced itself from MP Saskia Ludwig after she briefly greeted AfD co-chair Alice Weidel at MCC Feszt in Hungary. The party reaffirmed its strict ban on cooperating with the right-wing AfD, saying Ludwig’s actions were unauthorized and incompatible with CDU policy.

Ukrainian authorities have refused to investigate the death of József Sebestyén, a Hungarian man beaten by conscription officers, prompting outrage from Budapest. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó says the decision reveals Ukraine’s forced conscription as a state-organized practice incompatible with EU values.

Despite a Bosnian court upholding his conviction and political ban, Milorad Dodik received strong backing from Hungarian leaders during a visit to Budapest on Tuesday. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called for respect for Republika Srpska’s voters and condemned what he described as a ‘legal witch-hunt’ against Dodik.

Poland’s new president Karol Nawrocki will be inaugurated on 6 August, dealing a major blow to Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s ability to govern. With Nawrocki poised to wield the veto, hopes for sweeping liberal reforms are fading—and early election speculation is growing.

The Hungarian government is providing HUF 100,000 in school support to over 227,000 students from Hungarian communities beyond the borders—the highest number ever recorded. The initiative, under the Hungarian in the Homeland programme, reflects renewed commitment to national identity and Hungarian-language education.

A panel on post-liberalism at MCC Feszt 2025 featuring Patrick Deneen, Gladden Pappin, and Chad Pecknold has drawn sharp criticism from liberal thinkers on X, who condemned the speakers’ praise for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his model of illiberal democracy.

‘The biggest obstacle facing Donald Trump may not be the other party. It’s that his time is almost up,’ Patrick Deneen explained in an interview with Hungarian Conservative. The Notre Dame professor discussed how Trump’s second presidency has initiated a potential elite transformation in the US, the challenges ahead, and why he sees JD Vance as the ideal figure to carry on Trump’s legacy.

Sydney Sweeney has found herself at the centre of a woke outrage after critics accused her American Eagle advert of racism and sexism. Dutch right-wing political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek defended Sweeney, arguing that the backlash reflects a deeper cultural hostility toward white women—something she knows from personal experience.

At the closing day of the fifth MCC Feszt, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned of a new migratory threat while criticizing the EU’s war footing and leadership failings. From youth engagement to digital strategy, Orbán outlined Hungary’s key challenges ahead of the 2026 election—while calling for national resilience.

The UK’s two-party system is crumbling, argued panellists at MCC Feszt 2025, where Dominic Cummings declared that the Conservatives are ‘finished’. Joined by Mick Hume and Jacob Reynolds, he explored how Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, might upend the old order and take control of the state from entrenched bureaucracies.

Hungary’s Hubert Kós claimed gold in the 200-metre backstroke on Friday at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, setting a new European record of 1:53.19. The 22-year-old outpaced a stacked field in a dramatic finish, adding a second medal to his tally at this year’s championships.

During the opening panel of MCC Feszt 2025 on Thursday, Balázs Orbán declared that the European Commission had betrayed European citizens by accepting the humiliating terms of the US–EU trade deal and that Ursula von der Leyen should resign. Joined by Patrick Deneen and James Orr, the panellists explored the prospects of a world beyond liberalism.

Hungary will begin preparatory work to introduce American small modular nuclear technology into the country, FM Péter Szijjártó announced on Wednesday. Through a partnership between Poland’s Synthos Green Energy and Hungary’s Hunatom, the project will utilize GE Vernova’s BWRX-300 reactors to deliver reliable, emission-free power as industrial demand and household energy needs continue to grow.

After the US–EU trade deal, it is impossible to ignore the striking similarities between late Qing‑era China and Europe’s current predicament. The period marking the downfall of the Qing dynasty is known as China’s Century of Humiliation—a process that, in many respects, is already well underway in today’s Europe. Yet our humiliation must not be allowed to last a century.

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.

Péter Szijjártó didn’t mince words in criticizing Ursula von der Leyen, calling her a diplomatic embarrassment and slamming the US–EU trade deal as a humiliating defeat for Europe. Speaking on the Warriors’ Hour podcast, he said the EU would now pay the price for eight years of insulting Trump.

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.

The US fast-food chain Wendy’s is reportedly seeking Hungarian franchise partners as it plans to return to the country after a 23-year absence. Wendy’s first entered the Hungarian market in 1994, operating up to seven restaurants at its peak, but exited in 2002 due to financial difficulties.

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.

A wave of backlash followed Zelenskyy’s move to strip Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies of independence—prompting former Trump adviser Steve Cortes to argue that Kyiv is no longer a trustworthy partner. With public discontent rising in both Ukraine and the US, Americans’ sentiment of disengagement may strengthen.

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.