Martial artist Luana Márton and swimmer Hubert Kós were named Hungary’s Athletes of the Year at the Nemzeti Sport gala in Budapest. Márton won world championship gold in taekwondo in Wuxi, while Kós defended his men’s title with another victory in the 200-metre backstroke at the World Aquatics World Championships, this time in Singapore.
Remote work has settled into a stable but highly uneven pattern in Hungary, with just over a quarter of companies offering home office options and most employers planning no major changes in the coming years, according to a new survey.
Voter preferences in Hungary remained largely unchanged over the Christmas break, with the governing Fidesz–KDNP alliance maintaining a clear lead over the opposition, according to a new poll that suggests the political balance has stabilized.
Marine Le Pen returns to court on 13 January as her appeal trial gets under way, challenging a conviction that bars her from holding public office for five years. At the centre of the case is whether the sanction is proportionate to the offence she was found guilty of.
In a short video uploaded to YouTube, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy of Hungary argues against the free trade agreement with Mercosur countries proposed by the EU, as he fears it would lead to gene-modified agricultural products flooding the European market. He also criticized Brussels for cutting funding to European farmers.
Hungary’s economy is often labelled small, yet new analysis suggests this perception is misleading. A study by the Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation shows that Hungary’s total economic output matches the combined GDP of several sovereign states, highlighting the country’s real economic weight in a global context.
‘The first “great truth” of the matter is that the vast majority of people who share very passionate opinions on the issue have not spent any significant amount of time learning about self-defence laws and cases in the United States. If they did, they would clearly see that this shooting is not a clear-cut case that would be easily dismissed or adjudicated with a guilty verdict at trial…’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has unveiled a generational renewal within the governing Fidesz–KDNP alliance ahead of the 2026 parliamentary election, announcing that 41 new candidates will join 65 returning MPs. Speaking at the party’s congress, Orbán framed the upcoming election as decisive for the future of Hungary.
GameStop has begun closing hundreds of stores just days into 2026, underscoring the steady decline of brick-and-mortar game retail as digital distribution grows, even as the company ties its future to an ambitious, high-stakes executive incentive plan.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has received public backing from a dozen foreign leaders, political figures, and celebrities ahead of the parliamentary election in April. Prominent figures from across Europe, Israel, and Latin America have voiced their support, framing the vote as a decisive moment for national sovereignty, migration policy, and Europe’s broader political future.
Argentina has repaid the full $2.5 billion drawn under its currency swap agreement with the United States, a move praised by Washington as proof of Buenos Aires’ improved financial stability. Hungary is negotiating a similar arrangement with Washington ahead of the parliamentary election in 2026, positioning an American swap line as insurance against market turbulence and political risk.
As Portugal prepares for its seventh election in just three years, the presidential contest is shaping up as a defining test for the country’s political future. With polls showing a near-certain run-off, Chega leader André Ventura has emerged as the frontrunner, signalling a further collapse of the traditional parties’ grip on power.
Hungary has emerged as a regional exception in Central and Eastern Europe, retaining access to Russian gas via TurkStream. While Austria and Slovakia face soaring transit tariffs due to under-utilized pipelines, Hungary’s network remains busy, with 2025 deliveries up 17 per cent and domestic consumption rising by 4.7 per cent.
Researchers from HUN-REN and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics are taking part in preparing the European Space Agency’s Plasma Observatory mission, aimed at delivering the most detailed picture yet of space weather and geomagnetic storms.
Abu Dhabi has imposed restrictions on scholarships to UK universities, warning of the risk of Islamist radicalization among Emirati students studying in Britain. The United Kingdom was deliberately omitted from the UAE’s revised list of approved foreign universities, underscoring deepening concern over Muslim Brotherhood influence on campuses.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary has shared a letter from US President Trump in which he compliments his leadership, wishes him luck in this year’s election, and—more importantly—hints at a potential presidential visit to Hungary in the near future.
Budapest has placed its 26th new CAF tram into passenger service after successful test runs and official approval. The modern, low-floor vehicle will mainly operate on tram line 3, further improving comfort and accessibility in the capital.
Two cute polar bear cubs were caught on camera enjoying their first snow at the Sóstó Zoo in Nyíregyháza, Hungary. A brief clip of the two of them playing has received over 109,000 likes on X within a day.
Hungary signed a record 108 new investment agreements last year, with projects worth more than €7 billion set to create over 18,000 jobs nationwide, according to government commissioner István Joó. The figures mark the strongest investment performance in Hungary’s history, despite global crises and the economic fallout of the Ukraine war.
The United States is withdrawing from 66 international organizations and bodies after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting American support for institutions deemed wasteful, mismanaged or hostile to US interests. The decision deepens Washington’s turn away from global governance frameworks and delivers another blow to the diminishing liberal world order.
As elections approach, voters increasingly link their security to political outcomes. The right strengthened its lead in December, as the Tisza Party failed to gain ground amid growing awareness of its leaked tax plans aligned with Brussels, which many see as a direct threat to household finances and national stability, a new report by the Center for Fundamental Rights claims.
Severe winter weather led to an unusually high number of emergency callouts in Hungary, with firefighters handling more than 400 incidents in a 24-hour period as snow, strong winds and icy roads caused disruptions nationwide.
The US military has seized a second sanctions-hit oil tanker at sea, detaining the vessel Sophia in the Caribbean as part of an expanded crackdown on ‘shadow fleet’ ships accused of transporting illicit oil. A previous capture in the Atlantic involved the Russian-flagged Marinera.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says the financial support Ukraine is seeking from the EU would come at the expense of Hungarian pensions and family benefits, warning that Brussels’ plans would place an unfair burden on taxpayers.
Hungary has seen unusually heavy snowfall in recent days, but no settlements have been cut off and public utilities are operating normally nationwide, disaster management officials said. Hundreds of machines and emergency personnel remain deployed as freezing temperatures and further snowfall are forecast.
In an uncovered tweet, socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Director of the Office to Protect Tenants called private property and homeownership a ‘weapon of white supremacy’. In a resurfaced clip, she also claimed that the idea of homeownership is rooted in ‘deep racism and deep classism’.
The death of Hungarian world champion sprint canoeist Miklós Dudás has taken a disturbing turn after Budapest police opened a criminal investigation into suspected bodily harm resulting in death. New autopsy findings have raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the 34-year-old athlete’s sudden passing.
Mercedes will begin producing the A-Class in Hungary from this year, expanding its manufacturing footprint in Kecskemét. The move further strengthens Hungary’s role in the company’s European production network, according to Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
AfD has entered 2026 as Germany’s most popular party, widening its advantage over the CDU in the first poll of the New Year. As the party surges ahead of all governing parties, the results reflect a growing rejection of establishment politics ahead of decisive state elections.
Viktor Orbán has once again turned political controversy into country branding, using a provocative social media post to promote Hungary to right-wing foreign tourists. Claiming democracy is in decline across Europe but thriving in Hungary, the prime minister invited followers to ‘come and see’ under the hashtag #VisitHungary.