OTP Bank made several commitments regarding its future plans in the Russian market in an agreement concluded with the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention, mediated by the European External Action Service. The Ukrainian authorities have removed the bank from the list of international sponsors of the war, and stated that now they expect OTP Bank ‘to promptly adhere to the agreement.’
In response to a query by Breitbart, the US State Department has confirmed that Gonzalo Lira is still detained in a Ukrainian prison. Lira is a Chilean–American citizen journalist who was arrested in May for allegedly spreading Russian propaganda in Ukraine, and tried to flee to Hungary in August while out on bond.
The director of the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) András Balatoni explained that the strict monetary policy, decreasing global commodity prices compared to last year, restrained consumption, and market-boosting measures by the government are increasingly exerting a disinflationary effect.
‘The clashes are ongoing, there is no harmony, they were sent here to carry out the school’s death sentence’, Pál Popovics, an informatics teacher at the school said.
Hungary and Slovakia recently signed a cooperation agreement on nuclear energy with the goal of coordinating research between the two countries and making joint efforts to apply the latest technologies.
The data demonstrates an increase in both marriages and the proportion of those with children among people under 30, while at the same time shows an overall aging trend in Hungarian society.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó praised the Trump era initiatives at the Southern border of the United States, likening it to the fence between Hungary and Serbia; he also stated that without physical infrastructure protecting the border a country is ‘defenceless’.
Viktor Orbán discussed the recently announced pension raise on public radio today. As for the broader topic of inflation, he expressed his conviction that his government will curb it by the end of the year, down to single digits, opining that it could be as low as 4–6 per cent next year.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Marine Le Pen at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest on Wednesday, to discuss, among other issues, the need for ‘a united and robust response’ of European right-wing parties to the misguided policies of Brussels ahead of the upcoming European parliamentary elections.
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.