Hungarian Conservative

The latest print issue of Hungarian Conservative features a full section dedicated to the demographic crisis and family policies which aim to solve it; as well as a posthumously published article by the late great Dr David Martin Jones, and an exclusive interview with Lord David Frost, the Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union in the United Kingdom. Pick up your copy now!

Visitors to the palace garden can expect a relaxing, popcorn-filled movie night on 5 June. Before the screening, those with a combined ticket can tour the palace’s thematic exhibition, which offers an interactive experience exploring the history of Freemasonry, its Hungarian connections, and the life of the Festetics family.

MCC Feszt will be returning to Esztergom for the fourth time this year. The event will feature distinguished speakers tackling world events, such as Minister of EU Affairs János Bóka of Hungary and American political strategist Chris Rufo, and some of the most popular Hungarian musical acts as well.

Barnabás Varga, who sustained a scary head injury against Scotland in the last group game, is currently recovering in his hometown of Szentpéterfa in Western Hungary, where he was visited by his club’s in-house media team for an update on his condition. Meanwhile, Martin Ádám has not returned to his club Ulsan HD in South Korea, and his manager is reportedly in talks to terminate his contract with the club.

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.

Among the performers over the four days of the festival are Marshmello, Paul Kalkbrenner, Timmy Trumpet, James Hype, Purple Disco Machine, and from the underground scene, Amelie Lens, Adam Beyer, Marceo Plex, Stephan Bodzin, and Nico Moreno.

According to the citation, the music of Transylvania-born acclaimed Hungarian composer György Kurtág (98) delves into the existential questions of the human soul, focusing on fundamental emotions such as love, sorrow, fear, anxiety, despair, and the desire for harmony and reconciliation. From short piano works to large-scale cantatas and operas, Kurtág’s art reflects the entire history of Western music, past and present. His influence on numerous musicians is remarkable, and his dedication to music and structural thinking serves as a beacon of humanity in the world of contemporary classical music.

The WHO found in a recent survey that physical activity done by adults has decreased by five per cent worldwide between 2010 and 2022. Meanwhile, in Hungary, the number of recreational athletes has nearly quadrupled in the last decade.

80 years after Native Americans became US citizens thanks to the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, the debate about the past treatment of native tribes by the US government is still ongoing, with some—typically on the left—going as far as characterizing it as ‘genocide’. With the 4th of July holiday coming up, these discussions may be flaring up on social media again.

‘The Bukele model is turning the neoliberal approach on its head. It advocates for a strong state, with the leader—in this case, the president of El Salvador—as the all-important controller of decisions in determining the country’s future. The budget of the state has ballooned, starting with the heavy funding of security services while simultaneously investing in social services, from the creation of neighbourhood social centres to the augmenting of pensions and investing into getting the Bitcoin into circulation.’

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution initiated by Hungary by full consensus to declare 19 May World Fair Play Day. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó called the negotiation process a huge success, resulting in a global coalition.

While speaking at a public administration conference in Tata, Hungary, Minister for Regional Development and Public Administration Tibor Navracsics spoke of the ‘paradigm shift’ digitalization is bringing to Hungarian public administration. However, he also stressed that digital administration does not mean replacing government offices or the physical presence of public administrations, but rather expanding services.

More than 20 cyclists will represent Hungary, for whom the event is important to accumulate international ranking points. The slow start of the Hungarian stage will take place on Saturday at Carl Lutz quay, in front of the Vogue event ship, and after a sharp start in Budakeszi, the peloton will cover 138.5 kilometres to the finish line set up at the Pannonhalma Abbey.

With the 1960 US presidential race between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon being so close, many scholars and commentators believed at the time that it was the first ever televised presidential debate that decided the outcome of the election. As a result, most campaign strategists deemed debating too risky for the candidates, thus no presidential debate took place in the US until 1976, when incumbent Gerald Ford debated Jimmy Carter.

As of today bottles, PET bottles, and aluminium cans can no longer be placed on the market in Hungary without a return deposit logo. Also from today three thousand REpont machines are becoming operational, mostly in the largest retail stores, while in a thousand smaller shops or kiosks consumers will be able to return the bottles manually.

Although no Hungarian films have been selected for the competition, there will still be Hungarian connections. According to the festival programme, Slovak–Czech co-production Emma and the Death’s-Head Hawkmoth directed by Bratislava-based Iveta Grófová, will compete for the main prize. One of the lead roles is played by Hungarian actress Alexandra Borbély, who was born in Nyitra (Nitra), Slovakia.

During the Kádár era, it was forbidden to drink alcohol on the streets and sometimes people were even searched and checked in pubs. In contrast, at house parties, young people had the opportunity to meet and flirt, and they only had to worry that their parents would come home earlier or that annoying neighbours would call the police on them on the landline phone.

Conservative visions of the future of Europe after the European elections; the cultural crisis in the Western world as influenced by far-left movements including the ‘Woke’; and international security and geopolithical challenges—these were the main topics of the Free Speech and Freedom of Thought: British and European Conservative Visions of the Future of Europe conference held at the Danube Institute on 18 June. The all-day event aimed to bring together British, European, and American scholars and public figures to discuss how conservative political strategies can shape a world in flux.

The SpaceBuzz-HU, which allows for virtual space travel, is part of an educational programme demonstrating the fragility of our planet and will be made available to Hungarian schools free of charge.

Given the uncontrollable nature of AI and its potential to shape social perception, legislative action in this area has been long awaited. The European Union, recognizing the urgency and importance of this issue, has been at the forefront with its recently adopted Artificial Intelligence Act.

Hungary was able to launch its national astronaut programme, Hunor, thanks to the cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (KKM) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Under this programme, the Hungarian astronaut will carry out national projects on the International Space Station.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2024, Budapest is in the top five in the category of cities that have improved the most over the past twelve months. The Hungarian capital scored 92.0 out of 100 points, moving up seven places to rank 32nd.

Despite being heavy favourites going into the game, Portugal ended up having been beaten by Georgia in the final round of the group stage at Euro 2024. This resulted in Hungary falling out of the top four third-place finishers in the groups, thus failing to advance to the round of 16.

The description of the Thucydides Trap is more a description of a spontaneous escalation rather than a well-calculated move towards changing the international order. Applied to the case of the US and China, the ‘Thucydides Trap’ is far removed from the reality and complexity of such power relations, beyond being a useful rhetorical tool.

The 110th anniversary of Hungarian animation is the featured theme of this year’s Budapest Classic Film Marathon, taking place from 17 September to 2 October for the seventh time. Besides animated works, the marathon will feature over a hundred restored classics and long-unseen film treasures across ten programme blocks.

The Ratha-yātrā Chariot Festival will be held for the 28th time in Budapest this Saturday; it will later merge with the India Festival held in City Park on the same day. The programmes are free to attend.

Mattia Zaccagni’s last-minute banger gave the Hungarian national team a better chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the European Championship in Germany. If England beat Slovenia tonight, the Hungarian team will advance to the last 16 of the continental tournament.

On 21 June a joint press conference was held by UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó. During the conference, an agreement to deepen bilateral relations through agricultural cooperation was announced. The ministers also highlighted the significance of the New Millennium Centre construction project in Budapest, which is backed by a substantial investment of 5 billion EUR from the UAE.

Alan Walker’s newly announced European tour will include a stop in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The 26-year-old Norwegian DJ-producer, known for partially covering his face on stage, will perform at the László Papp Budapest Sports Arena on 12 March 2025.

Kriszta Mwajas, a woman of Kenyan origin, defeated the long-reigning incumbent Miklós Németh by just one vote. She told the Hungarian tabloid Blikk that she thinks there is no need for party politics in a small town like hers. Instead, she wants to involve everyone who has something to offer to better the lives of those living in Pócsmegyer.