Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, on Wednesday to discuss preparations for the planned Trump–Putin peace summit in Budapest. Despite reports of a cancellation, Szijjártó said the US ‘has not given up’ on the summit, stressing that the question is one of timing, not intention.
Hungary will send another astronaut, Gyula Cserényi, to the International Space Station, continuing its HUNOR programme with Axiom Space. The new mission will make Hungary one of just a dozen nations worldwide to have sent three astronauts to orbit, placing it alongside Australia and Saudi Arabia in the global space ranking.
The European Court of Auditors found €6 billion of EU spending in 2024—nearly four times Hungary’s contribution—was wasted, misused, or potentially fraudulent. Frank Füredi of MCC Brussels warns Hungarian taxpayers are footing the bill for failed projects, disappearing subsidies, and unchecked financial mismanagement.
Hungary will allocate an additional 2 billion forints this year to continue joint forestry and climate programmes, bringing total investment to 12 billion forints over five years. The funds aim to expand forest cover and enhance the country’s natural carbon sinks.
‘Taxpayers want European public funds to be used wisely. Supporting maternity and the family would be the most beneficial possible investment for Europe and its future.’
‘Székely suggests the presence of these “fake” obsersvers is evidence that Georgia is following “the example of countries such as Russia”.’
‘Large-scale projects are being implemented to develop digital infrastructure, introduce e-government, and digitalize education and healthcare systems.’
The MCC Leadership Academy’s ‘Sailing in Storm’ conference explored leadership in times of crisis, with speakers discussing resilience, adaptability, and the impact of the rising AI technology. The distinguished speakers included, among others, Balázs Orbán, Mark Khater, Gábor Csepregi, and Katalin Erdei.
During a press conference on 21 October, KINCS presented their new publication, created together with the SZTFH, on the link between families and workplaces, and how the two should function hand-in-hand, with workplaces focusing on creating family-friendly environments for their workers.
‘One major reason this story is suspect is because of how pointless such a spy ring would be. Getting gossip, including incredibly sensitive info on the internal workings of the Commission and other bodies, is extremely easy. Each week, my messaging apps are drowning in document leaks and the latest stories of who is sleeping with whom and which EP aide is buying drugs off the guy in Strasbourg.’
Hungary must urgently protect its water reserves and improve water retention to safeguard future drinking supplies, experts warned in János Áder’s Blue Planet podcast. Persistent droughts and falling groundwater levels are pushing the country toward a water crisis.
Two Russian-linked oil refineries—Lukoil’s Petrotel plant in Romania and MOL’s Százhalombatta facility in Hungary—were rocked by explosions on Monday, halting operations. Authorities have yet to identify an official cause, but the near-simultaneous incidents have fuelled speculation of Ukrainian sabotage amid Kyiv’s ongoing drone and pipeline attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Hungary’s leading agricultural organizations, NAK and Magosz, strongly oppose the EU’s proposed free trade deal with Ukraine, warning that it threatens Europe’s food production, drives down prices, and poses serious food safety risks.
‘Omri was freed from Hamas captivity along with 18 other living hostages on 13 October. Since then, Omri had been hospitalized at Ichilov Hospital, where he met his daughters for the first time since his return.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hosted Alice Weidel, co-chair of Germany’s AfD, in Budapest on Monday. Weidel praised Hungary for hosting the upcoming Trump–Putin peace summit, calling Budapest ‘the best place in the world’ and commending Orbán’s leadership in promoting dialogue and stability in Europe.
Miklós Szánthó of the Budapest-based Center for Fundamental Rights hailed the upcoming Budapest Peace Summit between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia as a chance to end the Ukraine war and showcase Hungary’s global relevance. He argued the event disproves claims of PM Orbán’s isolation and highlights the importance of defending Hungary’s sovereignty.
Only three out of the 45 Presidents of the United States have visited Hungary during their time in office, with two more coming to our country after they served. President Trump will soon become the fourth incumbent POTUS to come to Budapest, to have important peace talks with President Putin of Russia.
The National Ambulance Service will receive 101 new vehicles by the end of the year, further modernizing Hungary’s emergency fleet. Since 2010, 1,160 ambulances have been replaced, reducing the average vehicle age to under six years.
Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ) has surged to an unprecedented 38 per cent in a new Market Institut poll—the highest level in its history—cementing its lead ahead of the governing coalition parties. The result underscores a broader rightward shift across Europe, as patriotic forces from Germany to the UK continue to gain ground.
Hungary’s used car market is expected to see a surge in electric vehicles between 2026 and 2027, as fleet cars reach the end of their lifecycle, according to Das WeltAuto, one of the country’s leading used car dealership networks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalled his willingness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Budapest, saying he is ‘ready’ to join the summit if it aims for a just and lasting peace. ‘We need both sides of this tragedy,’ he said.
US President Donald Trump has explained why Budapest was chosen as the venue for his upcoming peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, praising Hungary as strong, stable, and safe. Trump said that both he and Putin ‘like Viktor’, describing him as ‘a very good host’.
During a press conference organized by the Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation, Hungarian Deputy State Secretary for Strategic Affairs and experts on the topic discussed the niche effect of the new Otthon Start loan scheme, emphasizing recent data and future predictions.
‘The crisis has made Hungary’s relationship with Israel stronger than ever before.’
Hungary’s Rural Development Programme, launched in the previous EU budget cycle, has supported nearly 400,000 projects with over 2,942 billion forints in EU and domestic funding, marking the largest rural investment initiative since the country’s democratic transition.
Budapest may soon join the ranks of historic diplomatic cities as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to meet there for peace talks on Ukraine. Analyst Anton Bendarjevskiy says the summit could become Hungary’s most significant foreign policy milestone in decades.
The Mathias Corvinus Collegium is launching a new philosophy journal titled European Journal of Political Philosophy. On that occasion, Chief Editor William Wood and Managing Editor Titus Techera spoke at an event on MCC’s Budapest campus. Joined by András Lánczi and Professor Tilo Schabert, they discussed the bodies of work of such thinkers as Eric Voegelin, Leo Strauss, and Alexandre Kojève.
Hungary’s capital will host the next Trump–Putin summit on Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán confirmed on Thursday. The talks aim to revive negotiations stalled since August and come just as Zelenskyy pushes Washington for long-range Tomahawk missiles to strike deep inside Russia.
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has achieved a historic breakthrough, polling 40 per cent in Saxony-Anhalt and becoming Germany’s largest party nationwide with up to 26.5 per cent, according to Insa and Ipsos surveys—cementing its dominance across both regional and federal levels.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sharply rebuked Brussels ahead of next week’s European Council summit, accusing EU leaders of using Ukraine to ‘cover up their inability’ to solve the bloc’s real problems—namely soaring energy costs and a crisis in the automotive industry.