Despite only needing a tie and even taking an early lead, Hungary lost to Ireland 3–2 at home and thus failed to advance to the World Cup qualifier play-offs. Troy Parrott became a bona fide football hero for his nation with a hat-trick against the Hungarians, after also scoring two against Portugal in the previous round.
‘Pokrovsk’s encirclement emerged from these dynamics not as a sudden catastrophe but as the predictable outcome of long-developing trends.’
The Trump–Orbán summit seems to have shifted political perceptions at home: 50 per cent of Hungarians now believe Viktor Orbán will win the 2026 election, according to Nézőpont. His main challenger, Péter Magyar, trails at 32 per cent—a gap analysts link to the prime minister’s high-profile successes in Washington.
‘The paradox, if not hypocrisy, on the part of the EU is that its so-called enforcement of the rule of law or founding values, whatever those are supposed to be, is in direct violation of the principle of subsidiarity…’
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in his regular Friday morning radio interview that the US president ‘likes Hungarians and hates war,’ adding that Hungary’s exemption from energy sanctions will remain secure for as long as Donald Trump is in office. He also highlighted recent government measures, including the 14th-month pension and increased child-protection funding.
Hungary’s government says it is standing with citizens rather than ‘profit-driven multinationals’, extending its price-margin reduction measures until 28 February 2026 and expanding them to 14 additional food products from 1 December to protect families and pensioners.
In a case opposing a nun to her former community, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is considering the legal nature of a monastic cell: should it be regarded as a private home?
Hungary beat Armenia 1–0 away from home in Yerevan, Armenia. Barnabás Varga scored the winner with another header, his fourth goal in four games in the campaign. If Portugal beat Ireland later tonight, Hungary are guaranteed to make it to their first FIFA World Cup qualifier play-offs since 1997.
Mercedes-Benz is establishing its first research and development centre in Hungary with an investment worth tens of billions of forints, further strengthening the country’s role in the global automotive transformation, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced in Kecskemét.
British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay visited Budapest, Hungary, for his birthday weekend. There, he visited a restaurant with a name that is very special to him, so he decided to share a short video of the experience on his social media.
Elon Musk has publicly humiliated Ursula von der Leyen over the EU’s democratic deficit, replying to her post about the ‘European Democracy Shield’ by asking: ‘If democracy is the foundation of freedom, shouldn’t your position be elected by the people?’ The viral exchange reignited debate over the Commission’s legitimacy and growing centralization of power in Brussels.
Hungarian Air Force Gripen fighters have conducted 20 real NATO air alerts in the past three and a half months as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission, which safeguards the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the mission commander said in Lithuania.
Online anxiety has become one of today’s most pressing mental health issues, experts warned at the ‘Under Pressure – Our Anxieties in the Real and Virtual World’ conference held on Wednesday in Budapest, Hungary.
At an event, singer Tish Hyman confronted California State Senator Scott Wiener about biological men identifying as women being allowed in women’s locker rooms by local state laws. Hyman claims to have been assaulted by a trans woman at a gym.
More than 82 million forints have been collected through Hungary’s bottle return donation system. Until 31 December, those using REpont machines can choose to donate their refunds to support disadvantaged children and families.
‘The renovation of the Hijaz railway is not an independent project but part of broader Turkish foreign policy, which aims to elevate Türkiye’s position in the Middle East hierarchy. Through neo-Ottomanism, Ankara is not only striving to be a strong actor in the region but also to be indispensable to the local states.’
Momentum co-founder and MEP Katalin Cseh has announced that she is joining the newly founded Hungarian Humanists’ Party. The pink-themed progressive movement, established by Richárd Barabás, promises ‘more EU and Pride flags’ and ‘less machismo and hatred’ in politics—prioritizing the advancement of a woke agenda above all else.
Hungary has secured a ‘financial shield’ from the United States to guard against external financial or political attacks, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after meeting US President Donald Trump. The mechanism, a currency swap agreement, strengthens Hungary’s economic resilience—contrary to opposition claims that it represents a loan or bailout.
At a landmark diplomatic event, Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán met US President Donald Trump to secure an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil in exchange for buying US-made nuclear components, including SMRs. Energy expert Máte Tóth said the deal boosts Hungary’s self-sufficiency and cements its role as a regional hub in oil, gas, and soon electricity.
Rental prices in Hungary continued to decline in October 2025, with Budapest rents falling by 1 per cent and the national average by 0.7 per cent, according to the KSH–ingatlan.com Rent Index. This marks the sharpest two-month drop since late 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Shortly after the press conference between the two countries, the mainstream media began to sow doubts about Hungary’s diplomatic achievement. Citing anonymous sources, Reuters and the BBC started to spread rumours that Hungary received its exemption for only one year.’
Key Trump ally Steve Bannon praised Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, saying the country is ‘thriving’ because it has resisted mass migration. Comparing Hungary and Poland to Western Europe, he argued that nations like Germany, France, and England are ‘collapsing’ due to their migration policies.
‘The Trump administration has made it clear that there will be no case closed in Gaza without the complete disarmament of Hamas. Shortly after the agreement came into effect, the President made a plain threat to the Gaza-based terror group: “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them and it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.”’
The European People’s Party (EPP) is blocking a European Parliament inquiry into alleged Hungarian espionage in Brussels, warning that such a move could strengthen Prime Minister Viktor Orbán just months before Hungary’s 2026 election. Progressive groups argue the probe is vital to protect EU institutions’ integrity.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to ban biological males identifying as women from competing against female athletes, according to reports by The Times. IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the first female and first African person to serve in the position, has previously claimed she wants to ‘protect women’.
The multinational reserve exercise Moonstar 2025 has begun in Hungary, bringing together around 150 Hungarian, Polish, and Slovak reservists for live-fire tactical training, with Slovenian and Croatian observers also taking part.
Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky confirmed that Hungary plans to acquire HIMARS rocket artillery systems from the United States, marking a new phase in bilateral defence cooperation. He said talks at the Pentagon followed the Trump–Orbán summit, which removed political obstacles that had stalled military contracts under the previous US administration.
On his way to his meeting with US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary was interviewed by the Center for Fundamental Rights’ Miklós Szánthó. The American and European deep state, the ideological similarities between him and President Trump, and other important topics were discussed.
Democrats have won big in Virginia and New Jersey, and the government shutdown, thank God, is on track to end after a record 41 days. Here are a few important takeaways from the last few eventful weeks in American politics.
Hungarian businesses are rushing to apply for the new fixed 3 per cent loan scheme: over 5,000 applications worth 280 billion forints were filed in just one month under the Széchenyi Card Programme, the Ministry for National Economy announced.