Hungarian Conservative

Tamás Deutsch, the leading candidate of Fidesz–KDNP in the 2024 European Parliament elections, declared that the list of candidates of the Hungarian governing parties has been finalized. Alongside numerous familiar figures, the list also includes several newcomers who will champion Hungary’s sovereignty in the forthcoming term.

As of the end of 2023, Hungary’s national debt stood at 55.134 trillion HUF, 73.5 per cent of its GDP. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is considerably lower than that of the Eurozone countries, the collective debt of which amounts to 90.3 per cent of their combined GDP.

A Ministry of National Economy statement released on Wednesday confirmed that the repurchase of the Ferenc Liszt International Airport continues to progress as scheduled, as opposed to press rumours.

For the first time since the end of January, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sat down for talks. Recently, significant steps have been taken to restore mutual trust between the two countries.

The politician thanked his predecessor, István Hollik, for his work. ‘We will fight with our heads held high and our backs straight, and thanks to the strength of our community, we will win!’, he said in a message shared on social media.

Another, earlier-than-ever date has emerged regarding the completion of the Hungarian section of the Budapest–Belgrade railway line. As before, the source of the information on the new date is the Serbian President.

‘Green energy production, storage, utilization, and recycling: this is how the green economy is built, of which Hungary is a leader in the world, not a follower’, Government Commissioner László György stated in Debrecen, encouraging citizens to fill in the green energy consultation questionnaire.

Lőrinc Nacsa and István Hollik, politicians of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), submitted a bill to the National Assembly on Tuesday proposing to ban the sale of energy drinks to minors. In the justification of the bill they stated that the consumption of energy drinks among young people in Hungary has reached alarming levels.

The signed contract consists of a basic order for nine vehicles and options for up to four additional vehicles. GYSEV has three months from the contract’s start to decide how many option trains to order from Stadler.

According to the Hungarian Ministry of Energy, Hungarian gas consumption, similarly to the previous cycle, decreased by a fifth in the last period observed, outperforming the compulsory target prescribed for EU member states.

The Milan appellate court also denied the Hungarian authorities’ extradition request, citing that it would damage the alleged violent perp’s ‘mental health’ as one of the reasons for their controversial decision.

Out of the 1,041 projects granted funding, 974 have already been completed, State Secretary for Public Education in the Ministry of Interior Zoltán Maruzsa announced in Dusnok, Bács-Kiskun County, Hungary, where the elementary school has just inaugurated its newly renovated building, funded by the Programme to the tune of 50 million HUF.

According to the statement by the National Media and Infocommunications Authority, prompted by a citizen’s report, the Media Council examined the second episode of the first season of the series Locke & Key, available on the streaming service of Netflix, in terms of compliance with classification regulations. Following the investigation, Netflix changed the age rating of the programme to 16+ in its Hungarian media service.

According to press reports, an Israeli ELM-2084 multi-mission radar, also utilized as part of the renowned Israeli Iron Dome air defence system, has been sighted near a Hungarian settlement. The Hungarian Defence Forces have procured eleven of these modern systems.

House Speaker László Kövér spoke at the opening of an exhibition in Budapest on International Francophonie Day, where he praised the French culture’s effect on European cultural life.

According to the joint statement of the two companies released on Tuesday, Hungarian Cerbona has acquired the trademarks of Boci, Melba, and Párizsi kocka. The transaction will be finalized on 22 May 2024; until then, Nestlé will continue to manufacture the products to ensure the continuity of supply.

Head of Rheinmetall Power Systems division Christoph Müller noted at the ceremony that Szeged will be the group’s first hybrid site, where the civil business and defence technology activities will operate under one roof. The initial step will be the construction of a 15,000 square metre plant on the 85,000 square metre area adjacent to the ELI ALPS laser research centre, providing jobs for three hundred highly skilled professionals.

Tamás Sulyok visited Poland on the Day of Polish⁠–⁠Hungarian Friendship, marking the extraordinary and long-standing relationship between the two Central European nations.

The idea to involve community police in the organized detection and elimination of illegal waste dumps arose because they are constantly present in the settlements, perform various tasks, such as patrolling urban and rural areas, including with mounted patrols, and use dogs, bicycles, and motorcycles to carry out their tasks, thus making their work more effective.

According to State Secretary for Assisting Persecuted Christians and Implementing the Hungary Helps Program Tristan Azbej the purpose of the meeting was for the Hungarian government to share its knowledge and experience regarding Hungary’s policy of aiding persecuted Christians.

Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy presented the new competitiveness strategy for 2024⁠–⁠2030 adopted by the government at a press conference held in Budapest on Monday. According to him, economic growth between 2 to ⁠3 per cent is expected this year.

After vetoing the call for a ceasefire in Gaza in February, Hungary ultimately subscribed to a joint statement on 21 March for the first time since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. Thus, EU leaders have unanimously called for ‘an immediate humanitarian halt leading to a sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza.

Both Viktor Orbán and Péter Szijjártó have extended their condolences to Russia over the tragic events that occurred last Friday at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The circumstances surrounding one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in decades remain unclear.

A driver drifted off the road and into a crowd of spectators at the Esztergom–Nyerges rally near Lábatlan, Hungary. The tragic accident killed four and injured eight.

A woman at a Planet Fitness gym in Fairbanks, Alaska took photos of a biological man shaving in the women’s dressing room. The company has a policy which allows customers to choose the dressing room which best aligns with ‘self-reported gender identity’. A similar case in California in 2021 ended up with criminal charges for a man in the women’s locker room.

The Hungarian NGO Menedék is behind the project to give reliable and up-to-date information for foreign workers and refugees currently located in Hungary. According to the website, there are 70,000 foreign workers employed in the country today.

With increasing international pressure, Ukraine is set to abandon its list of ‘international sponsors of the war’. For a significant period, this list featured the largest Hungarian bank, OTP, leading to considerable tension between Hungary and Ukraine.

In his regular Friday morning interview with public Kossuth radio, Viktor Orbán stated that in terms of European political struggles, traditional categories have been used so far, such as right-wing, left-wing, globalist, or sovereigntist forces, but now a new dimension has opened up: the decisive question will not be about party affiliation, but about who is for peace and who is for war.

According to Nicola Procaccini, those who attempt to demonize Viktor Orbán are seeking to impose their minority political perspectives onto others. The remarks made by the co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists signify another indication that Fidesz may indeed join the conservative political group following the European elections in the summer.

The major polling firm Századvég found that 88 per cent of Hungarians oppose sending NATO troops to Ukraine like President Emmanuel Macron of France suggested. Also, 80 per cent of responders believe it is unlikely that Russia would attack Hungary if they were to be successful in Ukraine.