Former US President Barack Obama invited two critics of the Orbán administration in Hungary, Sándor Léderer and Stefánia Kapronczay, to talk about ‘fighting authoritarianism’ in a video he posted on his social media. Reactions to the video have been mostly negative on X, with users accusing President Obama of trying to pressure Hungary and Poland to open their borders.
Standard & Poor’s has reaffirmed Hungary’s sovereign credit rating, keeping the country in the investment-grade category. With all three major agencies maintaining positive ratings, investor confidence in Hungary remains strong.
With Dániel Lukács of Puskás Akadémia and Zsombor Gruber of Ferencváros scoring their first ever national team goals, Hungary beat Armenia 2–0 in a crucial game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign at home in Budapest. The red-white-and-greens have four points after three games in their group.
Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado credited Donald Trump as a key ally in Venezuela’s struggle for democracy, dedicating her award to both the Venezuelan people and the US president. The opposition leader said Venezuela was ‘on the threshold of victory’, thanks to Trump’s decisive backing and global leadership.
The US Supreme Court is set to hear a second round of oral arguments in the case Louisiana v Callais, which might decide that drawing congressional districts based on race is unconstitutional. If so, solid Republican states in the South would have the ability to create a handful of new districts favourable to the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms.
‘Had Trump been a Democrat, he would have won the Nobel Peace Prize. It is nothing short of a scandal that he did not win it this year.’
Miklós Szánthó accused Péter Magyar and his allies of ‘fleecing Hungarian families’ even without being in power by supporting EU migration policies. At a campaign event in front of the EU Commission’s office in Budapest, he linked the EU fines imposed on Hungary for border protection to Magyar’s party and warned against following Western Europe’s migration path.
‘The road to peace is still long…But for now, the most important thing is that the first phase of Trump’s peace plan has proven acceptable to both parties. For 48 Israeli families, their nightmare of the past two years may finally be coming to an end.’
‘The debate on the motions took place on Monday, followed by the vote on Thursday. The Patriots criticized the Commission’s trade deals: not only the EU–US deal, which introduced high tariffs on European exports, but also the Mercosur agreement, which opens European markets to cheap agricultural products from Latin America.’
Talking to Bloomberg Screentime, late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel has stated that he’d ‘love to have’ President Trump on his show. This is a surprising remark, given that he has spent the last nine years ridiculing the President, and was recently suspended for his statements about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assasination.
Budapest will host the next European Geothermal Congress in 2028, a recognition of Hungary’s growing leadership in renewable energy. The decision highlights the country’s achievements and commitment to sustainable geothermal development.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed Hungary’s neighbourhood policy, economic reforms, and political tensions in an interview with Kossuth Radio broadcast from Cluj-Napoca. He warned of foreign influence in Hungarian politics and hailed writer László Krasznahorkai’s Nobel win.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen survived two separate censure motions in the European Parliament on Thursday, as mainstream factions once again shielded her from calls to resign. The right-wing Patriots for Europe and the Left had accused her of failures on trade, transparency and leadership, but both votes fell well short.
Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the second Hungarian to receive the prestigious honour. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated him, calling Krasznahorkai a ‘pride of Hungary’.
The European Commission has presented a new strategy to speed up the adoption of artificial intelligence in key industries and the public sector, aiming to make Europe a global leader in AI-driven science, research, and innovation.
The Mathias Corvinus Collegium Foundation and the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have signed a cooperation agreement to promote talent development and practical training through joint programmes, mentorships, and research initiatives.
Israel and Hamas have accepted the first phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan, agreeing to a ceasefire, hostage releases, and Israeli troop pullback. The breakthrough, hailed by Benjamin Netanyahu as a ‘turning point’, comes just days before the Nobel Peace Prize announcement, with Trump emerging as a leading contender.
In a podcast appearance on 6 October, House Speaker László Kövér accused Hungary’s opposition of trying to incite mass hysteria and destabilize elections, drawing parallels to past political unrest and sharply criticizing them for perpetuating the Szőlő Street affair.
At Ludovika University, experts including former Ambassador Réka Szemerkényi and former US Assistant Secretary Philip T Reeker discussed the present and future of US–Hungary relations. Topics included strong historical ties, NATO cooperation, economic partnerships, and shared values. Panels also addressed investment, the war in Ukraine, and cultural exchange programmes.
Hungary’s finances remain stable and well-managed, according to the Ministry for National Economy, which reported a better-than-expected deficit and rising tax revenues, allowing the government to continue supporting families, pensioners, and businesses.
‘The best approach for Hungarian politicians is to try to help Romania find a new path. The globalist path that the country has been on for the past two decades is coming to an end. Romania needs to figure out new ways to engage with a new world. The country can no longer rely on external alliances or foreign financial inflows. It must fight for its future and its prosperity.’
Hungary seeks to transform from a manufacturing base into a European innovation hub, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest, highlighting Siemens Mobility’s new research project and the country’s growing focus on technology and R&D investment.
‘Beyond the automotive and electrical component manufacturing it offers, Hungary may hold the key to one of the most significant problems threatening Japan’s survival: its rapidly declining birthrate and aging population. It’s no secret that Japan is facing a demographic crisis of epic proportions…Hungary may offer Japan the guidance it needs to turn its ship around.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hit back at Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian leader vowed his country would join the EU ‘with Orbán or without him.’ Orbán accused Zelenskyy of ‘moral blackmail’, stressing that accession requires unanimous approval by member states and recalling Hungarians’ overwhelming rejection of Ukraine’s bid.
‘They joined the Nova Festival to celebrate. When the Hamas assault began, they narrowly escaped tragedy: they ignored police instructions to head toward the Re’im base—one of the first sites overrun by terrorists…they instead drove in the opposite direction. Their car came under heavy fire, bullets striking the vehicle repeatedly, but miraculously, they reached another army base…’
Hungary’s Ministry for National Economy announced new measures to strengthen domestic industry and SMEs, expanding the 100 New Factories Programme to 150 and launching 3 per cent fixed-rate loans under the Széchenyi Card initiative from 6 October.
The 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Consular Rights between Hungary and the United States was marked with a commemorative event at the Ludovika University of Public Service. Speakers included Rector Gergely Deli, US Chargé d’Affaires Robert Palladino, and State Secretary for Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Boglárka Illés.
‘With the raging war in Ukraine, Russia’s recent incursions into NATO airspace in Poland, Estonia, and Denmark, and the rising worries of war in the Pacific, one would probably imagine that the tone of the conference would be somber and serious. However, it was anything but.’
Leader of the far-right Hungarian opposition party Our Homeland, László Toroczkai has announced in parliament that he will challenge the result of the 2026 parliamentary election regardless of outcome. Since Facebook deleted his page in 2019 and hasn’t reinstated it despite a Hungarian ruling, he feels his party is being unfairly disadvantaged.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that low taxes are the best economic policy in an interview with the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressing tax cuts as key to wage growth and competitiveness while rejecting EU-driven tax hikes.