The Third Danube Institute Geopolitical Summit took place last week in the Castle District of Budapest, with such illustrious guests sharing their insights as former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, former Czech President Václav Klaus, Head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Hungarians Abroad Zsolt Németh, and Lewis Libby, researcher at the Hudson Institute and advisor to former US President George W. Bush.

Csaba Lantos stated that to aid families, the government continues to provide reduced utility prices, making Hungary home to the cheapest household natural gas and electricity prices in Europe.

An innovative continuous authentication solution of Cursor Insight, a Hungarian-founded cybersecurity firm, has been recognized as the Cyber Defence Product of the Year at the British National Cyber Awards 2023.

This positive trajectory in Hungary’s financial landscape had an impact on the nation’s global ranking in terms of wealth. Hungary has advanced two positions, now sitting at 30th place among the world’s nations, demonstrating the country’s progress despite the challenging economic conditions.

Multiple reports have confirmed that there were a number of incidents at the Serbian-Hungarian border in the past weeks with automatic weapons being fired and brandished by human smugglers.

Barna Pál Zsigmond emphasized during his press conference in Kossuth Square held on the occasion of European Languages Day that more than 700 million European citizens in forty-six countries mark the day each year, drawing attention to one of the continent’s defining values: linguistic diversity.

In his remarks Minister Szijjártó highlighted the extensive border shared by Hungary and Slovakia, spanning 654 kilometres. He noted that this border facilitated a record-breaking 17 billion euros in trade last year. Consequently, both governments consider it a strategic imperative to further increase the number of border crossings between the two countries.

According to the Center for Fundamental Rights, while Orbán argued for the defence of Hungary’s political, economic, and cultural sovereignty in his remarks, it became apparent from the words of the former prime minister, Ferenc Gyurcsány that defending the nation’s self-determination is not a political goal for him—which was his downfall after 2006 as well.

During her meeting with Musk, the Hungarian President observed that while addressing climate change is necessary, ‘if there are no future generations, there is no point in caring for the Earth.’ Novák emphasized her commitment to families and addressing demographic issues, recalling that family policy has been a priority in Hungary in the past decade, leading to tangible improvements in demographic figures.

Currently, there is ongoing correspondence between the government and the European Commission regarding the remaining contentious issues related to the frozen EU funds. The dialogue is a follow-up of Minister for Regional Development Tibor Navracsics and Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka’s talks in Brussels in early September on the release of EU funds and the resolution of the Erasmus dispute.

Tristan Azbej emphasized that Hungarian research and rescue personnel have undertaken a difficult and heroic mission in recent days. Due to the challenging accessibility, only a few international groups arrived in Libya, where Hungarians primarily searched for deceased individuals and discovered more than a hundred bodies.

Speaking at Brain Bar 2023, Hungarian Defence Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky argued that as long as there is an open armed conflict in Ukraine, the chances of an escalation of the war are extremely high.

Mihály Varga pointed out during the introductory economic policy roundtable discussion that the government has taken measures to reduce inflation risks, which have yielded results. This is confirmed by the analyses of major credit rating agencies, which are ‘filled with positive findings,’ he said.

In an interview with Hungarian political daily Magyar Nemzet, Chief of the General Staff Gábor Böröndi highlighted the new capabilities Hungary is contributing to NATO’s collective defence, and the extent to which the experience of the Russo-Ukrainian war has changed procurement plans and objectives.

The Hungarian foreign minister emphasized that despite all efforts, global terrorism remains more severe than ever, claiming 6,700 lives last year due to various attacks. He opined that one of the reasons for that is that terrorism and illegal migration create a kind of ‘vicious circle’.

Orbán began his speech by asserting that ‘this year has enormous amounts at stake because the Soros empire, in collaboration with the governing American Democrats, is launching an attack on right-wing media and enthusiastic national parties in many European countries, portraying themselves as Goliaths’.

The European Commission President was invited by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy to assess the dire situation on the island, brought on by the thousands of migrants coming just in the last few days. The Italian government decided to enact strict new measures to curb illegal immigration.

House Speaker László Kövér of Hungary has claimed that while the administration and President Novák support Sweden’s NATO bid, there is division between Fidesz MPs in parliament on the issue. Meanwhile, President Erdoğan of Turkey, the other holdout country, is also walking back on his commitment to the ratification.

As reported on motogp.com, under the previously signed and now updated agreement, Dorna and HUMDA aim to have the Balaton Park Circuit included as a venue in the 2024 Superbike World Championship calendar, where it would serve as a reserve venue in the MotoGP programme. Starting from 2025, MotoGP races would be held at the Hungaroring.

The ambitious space expedition will involve a Hungarian astronaut as part of a four-member international team, representing a collaborative effort between Hungary and its international partners. As per the contract with Axiom Space, the launch window is scheduled from October 2024 to the beginning of 2025.

Hungarian defence industrial company Pro Patria will provide situational awareness for those on the front line with some of the best radar technology available.

In her remarks at the UN, the Hungarian President noted: ‘We know that peace can only become a real possibility when at least one party realized that the time for negotiations has come.’ She added: ‘We cannot decide on behalf of the Ukrainians how much sacrifice they are willing to make, but it is our duty to represent our nation’s desire for peace.’

Two Christian teachers in Escondido, California sued their school district for forcing them to withhold form the parents if their child was identifying as of another gender at school. The US District Court for the Southern District of California ruled in their favour in the first phases of the civil case, granting preliminary injunction prohibiting the enforcement of the school directive, and rejecting the defendants’ motion to dismiss the case.

The new Hungarian owners aim to protect their users by already having local customer service in place for the Jófogás, Vatera.hu, Használtautó.hu, and Ingatlan.com marketplaces. They plan to compete with global players with world-class operations driven by a local touch and understanding of the market. The Ingatlan.com portfolio also includes Money.hu, a site that compares banking, financial, and insurance products, which complements the marketplaces.

In her remarks at the UN, the Hungarian President emphasized her intention to amplify the voices of those who endure war, recalling her recent visit to Ukraine. As her second message, Novák drew attention to the dangers threatening societies when families are broken, schools neglected, and churches discredited.

In a radio interview, Minister István Nagy alleged that the European Commission was serving the interest of ‘US, Saudi, and Dutch companies and investors’ with their controversial decision, and not the small Ukrainian farmer’s as they claim.

Two major NATO innovative bodies, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) and the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), are holding their conferences in Budapest, Hungary this week. To mark the occasion, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence announced the hosting of the ‘NATO Innovation Week’.

2RK, the newly established centrist political party, is headed by the former president of the once radical right-wing Jobbik, Gábor Vona.

After the Polish government decided to extend their ban on Ukrainian grain imports on Wednesday, the Hungarian agricultural minister also announced that Hungary will continue to keep Ukrainian grain and several other agricultural products out of the country to protect local farmers. UPDATE: The prohibition of the import of the Ukrainian products in question was published in the Hungarian Gazette after Brussels lifted the grain ban last night.

Speaking about both past and future efforts, the Hungarian prime minister identified five key targets in Hungary’s family policy: incentivizing childbirth; aiding home ownership; prioritizing mothers in family policy; promoting family-friendliness nationwide; and ensuring legal protection for families.