At Ludovika University, experts including former Ambassador Réka Szemerkényi and former US Assistant Secretary Philip T Reeker discussed the present and future of US–Hungary relations. Topics included strong historical ties, NATO cooperation, economic partnerships, and shared values. Panels also addressed investment, the war in Ukraine, and cultural exchange programmes.
The 110th anniversary of Franz Josef Strauss’s birth was commemorated in Budapest with a conference organized by the National University of Public Service and the Otto von Habsburg Foundation. Speakers stressed the Bavarian leader’s vision of subsidiarity and his relevance for today’s debates on sovereignty and European cooperation.
Hungarian teachers are increasingly satisfied with their working conditions and enjoy growing professional autonomy, according to the 2024 OECD TALIS survey. The study highlights fewer disciplinary problems, stronger mentorship programmes, and improved teacher evaluation.
Eric Clapton, one of rock’s greatest guitarists, is heading back to Budapest after 20 years. The 80-year-old music icon will play the MVM Dome on 2 May 2026, his first Hungarian concert since 2006, as part of a European tour following his successful US run.
‘They joined the Nova Festival to celebrate. When the Hamas assault began, they narrowly escaped tragedy: they ignored police instructions to head toward the Re’im base—one of the first sites overrun by terrorists…they instead drove in the opposite direction. Their car came under heavy fire, bullets striking the vehicle repeatedly, but miraculously, they reached another army base…’
A new survey by Hungary’s National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) shows that communication and media studies remain among the most popular university majors, with half of students planning careers in PR or marketing and only a quarter eyeing online journalism.
The 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Consular Rights between Hungary and the United States was marked with a commemorative event at the Ludovika University of Public Service. Speakers included Rector Gergely Deli, US Chargé d’Affaires Robert Palladino, and State Secretary for Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Boglárka Illés.
Nóra Lakos’s family film I Accidentally Wrote a Book collected seven international awards over the weekend in Germany, Poland, and Denmark, further cementing its status as Hungary’s most successful live-action family movie in decades.
Hungary has launched a landmark tax exemption for mothers of three children, ending their personal income tax burden permanently. The government hails it as a family policy revolution, while critics dismiss it as electioneering—State Secretary Zsófia Koncz shared details about the measure at a press conference on 6 October.
A new survey by the Nézőpont Institute shows strong trust in Hungarian universities, with nearly 80 per cent of students saying they would choose the same institution again and three-quarters ready to recommend their university to others.
‘In the name of both myself and all the residents of the house, I lodge this complaint against unknown Romanian soldiers who, after becoming intoxicated day after day in the tavern located on the ground floor of the building, come out into the courtyard and recklessly fire their weapons with live ammunition, constantly endangering the bodily integrity and lives of the residents.’
In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. In this part, let us present the story of Dr Arthur Wadgymar, who had a quite unbelievable life…
‘It is worth reading Hungarian historian Péter Hahner’s intriguing book, published 12 years ago, which deals with the most well-known conspiracy theories related to the Kennedy assassination on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, if only because President Trump signed an executive order on the release of secret files related to the assassination earlier this year.’
Hungarian champions Ferencváros beat the Belgian side KRC Genk 1–0 away from home in the UEFA Europa League league phase, and are now sitting on four points in two games. Barnabás Varga scored the winner, which was his 12th goal of the season already. However, he also missed a penalty in the second half.
An event honouring the life and legacy of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was held at the Danube Institute in Budapest. Institute President John O’Sullivan, who worked closely with Thatcher as a policy advisor and speechwriter, was joined by a number of distinguished guests who shared personal memories and reflections on the enduring impact of the Iron Lady.
From 9–19 October, the Buda Castle District will host the 360 Design Budapest exhibition, presenting nearly 400 works by around 100 Hungarian and regional designers and manufacturers, including a special showcase of Sándor Borz Kováts.
Eva Vlaardingerbroek and Gerald Grosz warned in Budapest that mass migration has devastated Western Europe, praising Hungary as a rare bastion of safety and identity. Vlaardingerbroek called it ‘the only country left in Europe that represents what Europe was,’ while Grosz described it as ‘the safe Europe as we knew it.’
On 17 October, Hungary’s Night of Power Plants will return with more than 80 energy and utility facilities nationwide opening their doors to the public. Entry is free but requires registration starting 1 October.
To mark World Music Day, the House of Music Hungary is launching a new online series that brings unique live productions from its concert hall to a wider audience, starting 1 October with Meredith Monk and the Quinteto Astor Piazzolla.
The American streaming giant Netflix is currently under fire on X for the creator of one of their animated programmes making denigrating comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. As it turned out, the same cartoon also promoted transgenderism to children. Elon Musk has also chimed in, announcing that he is cancelling his Netflix subscription because of the controversy.
From 1 October, mothers with three children in Hungary are exempt from paying personal income tax. The measure could benefit around 250,000 women, leaving families with hundreds of thousands of forints more each year.
‘According to the cable, the Hungarian–Soviet investigative team was surprised that the Lebanese government had not conducted autopsies on the bodies “to determine whether the plane exploded before the crash”. Finally, the cable cites the French-language press in questioning how it was possible that only the conversation involving this aircraft failed to be recorded.’
‘In recent years, international football has undergone a number of drastic changes. I welcome several of these developments…However, fans should keep in mind that not all change is good change…At some point, fans need to stand up to protect the tradition of the great game.’
The 9th Slovenian Film Days open Thursday in Budapest with Slovenia’s Oscar entry Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić. After the screening at Toldi Cinema, audiences can meet the film’s producer Jožko Rutar.
Hungary’s return to space is not only a possibility but also a duty, said government commissioner Orsolya Ferencz on Space Research Day, stressing that the HUNOR programme is a national mission that must inspire the next generation of scientists.
‘The overall impact of the UAE’s influence in the Western Balkans is indeed multifaceted—its advances and economic involvement in the region have also not been without controversy. Most notably high-level infrastructure projects…prompted transparency concerns, while also challenging compliance with EU norms. Nevertheless, despite those issues…the UAE will likely remain active in the region.’
‘It isn’t clear what can be done to reverse this dynamic of polarization and derangement. But we are not powerless to resist its grip and we could, if we choose, exercise more decorum in how we respond to the deaths of other people. And if we can’t screen out the most deranged voices online, we can at least try to resist their provocations.’
The World Cat Federation (WCF) is a prestigious pet organization founded in 1988 that gives out its Best Cat award annually based on a point system. Over the weekend, for the first time in ten years, they held a show in Budapest, Hungary, to the delight of Hungarian cat enthusiasts.
In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. This part will be about a recidivist conman, George Robert Gabor, who has been deported from the country several times and even sentenced to prison.
‘Ultimately, the story of the “big tree gang” illustrates how social anxieties, political agendas, and propaganda intersected in late-1960s Hungary. The files, reports, and novels documenting their lives offer a fascinating glimpse into a vanished world where surveillance and Marxist ideology shaped even the smallest acts of everyday life.’