During a roundtable discussion organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) on Thursday in Budapest, experts dissected Hungary’s role and opportunities within the EU. They agreed that one of the key topics during Hungary’s EU presidency should be the integration of the Western Balkans. They also discussed the war in Ukraine, the Eastern opening, and the bureaucracy in Brussels, among other topics.
During the interview, the Prime Minister remarked that Europe is playing with fire, teetering on the brink between peace and war. He criticized European leaders for two years of indecision regarding strategy and sanctions, drifting not from war towards peace but from peace towards war. He expressed deep concern for the future of Europe, stating it is extremely dangerous.
The new oil deposit has been found by MOL in collaboration with another Hungarian company, O&GD Central Ltd. The new site is currently producing around 1,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
‘Rather than an extremist group exploiting a social media platform to recruit vulnerable people, what took place last week appears to be quite the opposite. Decentralized local communities, far from governmental reach, are utilizing social media platforms to hype themselves up into a state where riotous violence becomes a necessary consequence. The ultimate conclusion to this sad series of events is that Egypt, as a centralized authority, is struggling to monitor these autonomous decentralized social media groups, and therefore these “Islamic vigilantism” incidents may continue to occur.’
State Secretary for Innovation Balázs Hankó reiterated that the John von Neumann Programme focuses on three main areas: healthy living, digitalization, and green transition. The tender has been launched, and all universities are encouraged to apply, he noted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the decree expanding the country’s martial law on 23 April, which, in practice, means the derogation from certain obligations undertaken by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The new decree also includes limitations on the consular services that Ukrainians can access abroad if their military registration documents are not updated.
The liberal independent mayor of Ferencváros Krisztina Baranyai unveiled a composition depicting the mythical bird Turul, a symbol of Hungarian nationalism, carrying a Mercedes G SUV in bright, prink-red-yellow colours. However, the sculpture was knocked down just two days after being put on display, most likely by fans of the local football club Ferencvárosi TC.
Ursula von der Leyen, in a video message posted on social media, stated: ‘Twenty years ago, our family finally united in a common home.’ She also reminded that Hungary has always been situated in the heart of Europe.
According to former United States ambassador to Budapest David Cornstein, Donald Trump is the only person in the world who can bring an end to the Russo–Ukrainian war. Cornstein also praised Viktor Orbán and the achievements of the Hungarian government.
Speaking in Szolnok, State Secretary for Education Zoltán Maruzsa noted that notebooks are distributed at more than 3,000 distribution points not only in state institutions but also in church, minority, municipal, and foundation schools. In Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County alone 4,499 laptops of the total 193,000 will be handed out at sixty-two distribution points.
Fabrice Leggeri, the ‘guest of honour’ at the event, who served as the director of Frontex from 2015 to 2022 opined that the European Union as a rule attempts to dissuade member states from defending their own borders.
The global credit rating agency expects Hungary’s ‘fiscal slippage’ in 2023 to be temporary, and projects the country’s GDP to grow by 2.6 per cent in 2024, after it shrank by 0.5 per cent in 2023.
At the height of his popularity, ‘shock jock’ Howard Stern was known for having porn actors perform sex acts on his show and routinely engaged in racial humour, even saying the ‘N-word’ on air. Yet President Joe Biden, who has been criticized even by liberal outlets for being unavailable to the press, chose him to finally give a long-form interview.
Speaking to public Kossuth radio at the World Cup held at Ludovika Campus, President of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) Klaus Schormann stated that there is a good chance that Hungary will host the 2027 World Championships. He also discussed the necessity for change and the renewal of the sport, stating that pentathlon should become as widely accessible as possible.
All three distinguished speakers warned of the perils of mass illegal migration into Europe, and stressed nations’ right to self-determination as well on Day 1 of CPAC Hungary 2024.
Donald Trump emphasized that as President, he ‘proudly worked together’ with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to defend the values and interests of both the Hungarian and the American nation.
The recent signing of a military and defence industry cooperation agreement between Hungary and the United Arab Emirates introduces a new dimension to their bilateral relations. Hungary’s status as a NATO member, combined with the UAE’s robust partnership with the alliance, suggests that this agreement may lead to a more pronounced role for Hungary in security collaborations between NATO and the Gulf region.
Headquartered in Austria, Gebrüder Weiss Holding is a global, full-service logistics company employing approximately 8,600 people and operating 180 facilities. Their new 10 billion HUF investment, a logistics complex equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, was handed over on Thursday in Dunaharaszti.
Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stressed Hungary’s interest in maintaining dialogue and preserving the CEE region’s historically influential role. He noted the necessity of Central Europe’s voice and opinion to be heard, especially now.
At the conference organized by the Center for Fundamental Rights, the Prime Minister stated that the world order built on progressive–liberal hegemony has failed because it brought wars, chaos, unrest, collapsing economies, and turmoil to the world.
President Tamás Sulyok met with Pope Francis in the Vatican City on Thursday. The two ‘discussed communities and the future of our communities,’ the Hungarian President stated to journalists on-site.
A new world order, European security, shifting geopolitics and the nuances of energy security were discussed by renowned experts at a conference at the Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, following over three hours of negotiations, an agreement was reached to include additional Hungarian railway developments on the list of infrastructure projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
At a press conference ahead of Day 1 of CPAC Hungary 2024, Director General Miklós Szánthó of the Center for Fundamental Rights shared that this year’s conference will be bigger than ever before, as the organizers are expecting a record number of 3,000 attendees, including 500 foreign guests. The event will attract 80 speakers from all six continents.
The Ukrainian government is working on blacklisting 14 products by the Hungarian pharmaceutical company Richter. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó believes that this has no professional basis, only political, and spoke up against the planned bannings at the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg.
Six direct flights will connect Hungary and China starting this summer, following Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó’s announcement in Beijing on Tuesday of a new service from Budapest to Xi’an. Direct connectivity plays a vital role in Sino–Hungarian economic and trade relations.
After years of negotiations and legal battles, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill passed on the floor of Parliament, with 240 members voting ‘content’ and 211 voting ‘not content’. Welcoming the passing of the bill, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that planes with migrants on board will be ready to take off and fly to Rwanda in East Africa in 10–12 weeks.
In the first two phases of the nationwide laptop programme launched in 2022, 260,000 portable computers were provided free of charge to upper-grade students, teachers, and educational institutions. From this week until the beginning of the summer break, an additional nearly 194,000 devices will be distributed, while starting from autumn 2024, current fourth and eighth graders will be next in line.
The minister underscored that strengthening ties with the United Arab Emirates, a significant economic and military power in the Gulf region, can complement Hungary’s defence development programme, whether it involves defence-oriented research, innovation, or the manufacturing of military equipment.
Semjén stressed the importance of getting ethnic Hungarian representation in the European Parliament from Romania, and therefore urged everyone to vote for the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania’s (RMDSZ) ticket.