What will be the main topics of Viktor Orbán’s 7 November White House meeting with Donald Trump? Can he secure an opt-out on energy, and how will Hungary’s connectivity strategy hold up if global powers clash? We spoke with the Deputy State Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office about the potential new deals between Trump and Orbán.
‘It is hard to distinguish between the phases of the Soviet takeover and the start of the Communist vengeance.’
‘It’s not easy to define, to experience, and to decide why we live in the present rather than the future…It’s hard to attract new members when families have so many other options for the weekend…Still, in four months, we’ve gained back several old friends and some new families. That’s why the scripture “hold on to what you have” echoes in me.’
Was the China–Russia–India meeting a geopolitical shift? Who will be the new ‘axis of evil’? Is China unpredictable? We asked the former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore about everything you always wanted to know about the geopolitics of the Pacific, but were afraid to ask.
‘This peace comes with a heavy price so far. You know, we paid the price of more than a thousand soldiers who were killed during this war. As President Trump said: “peace through strength”, so what keeps the peace is strength and deterrence—and the bad guys losing the war.’
What has changed in America since the murder of Charlie Kirk? What are the historical roots of political violence in the country? We discussed the political and social changes in America under Trump and the impact of Charlie Kirk’s murder with the right-wing influencer.
‘Olivia wanted to ride horses, which…is very expensive…I had to come up with a solution. I started by making pancakes once, with a donation-based system. Neighbors were incredibly generous…Similarly, when Emma left for Texas, a friend left $200 in an envelope for her—just slipped it through the door…It showed me that human kindness and helping young people aren’t determined by nationality.’
‘There was a circus nearby, and I got a job shoveling after the elephants…My mother was hardworking and resourceful. She always pushed me to go see things. We saw Rome, Pompeii, and the Vatican—we traveled all over Italy, which made time pass faster. Meanwhile, we waited every day for our names to appear on the list—to get a sponsor so we could leave the camp.’
‘A horseman cannot consider their occupation to be work. It is a service, a vocation that we are happy to perform, and we are fortunate to be able to do so…It requires constant readiness and dedication, day after day, so anyone who doesn’t really love it would find it difficult. We have to feel the weight of what we do. In the long chain of the stud farm’s history, we cannot be weak links.’
How did the Iron Lady fix the struggling British economy? What was her role in the collapse of the Soviet Union? For what reasons was she a convinced Eurosceptic? We asked her former Political Secretary about Margaret Thatcher’s living political legacy at the Danube Institute’s conference on the 100th anniversary of her birth.
What was Margaret Thatcher like in her private and professional life? What went wrong in the last year of her premiership? And what is her enduring political legacy in British politics? We spoke with a former special adviser to Prime Minister Thatcher about the Iron Lady’s personal and political character at the Danube Institute’s Thatcher Conference.
‘Réka and I work together to achieve our goals. To me, one plus one equals three, not two. When we combine our skills, we create something greater—the best possible outcome we could achieve together.’
‘Hungary, and Ludovika in particular, can become a regional leader in building these connections and advancing joint research, education, and development projects with our Turkic partners,’ Director General for International Relations at Ludovika University Liliana Śmiech told Hungarian Conservative.
What could be Europe’s future: a decline, or a new golden age? How imminent is the Russian threat to Europe? How does Sweden view Hungary’s fight for sovereignty? We asked former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt about Europe’s bright or dark future at Brain Bar 2025 in Budapest.
‘[Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s] 1984 visit was more significant than anyone might imagine today…suddenly, we had this very well-known, very characteristic Western leader visiting Hungary—specifically Budapest—and walking around like a normal human being. That had a real impact. And of course, the Great Market Hall visit was key to these memories.’
What were the main characteristics of Margaret Thatcher’s personality? What was the greatest hardship she had to face in government? What was the most important political achievement she was proud of? We asked the Iron Lady’s former chief policy adviser about the nature of Thatcherism at the Danube Institute’s Thatcher conference.
‘She had a huge belief in the sense of independence…which your Prime Minister has as well: national identity, determination to secure your borders, and the right to govern yourselves. You have a dilemma, which is the one that she had at the time before she left Parliament—she was in a European community, just as your Prime Minister is now in a European Union.’
‘I believe that anyone who comes here values Hungarian identity, including young people present here, and we should appreciate that…The children’s program started because parents wanted to attend the lectures. That’s why it’s so important that it continues, and that’s why I committed to it for so long. But a person must also know when to stop.’
What tools of pressure does Trump have to deploy against Russia if diplomacy fails? Is the United States’ support for Israel infinite? Could Hungary switch from Russian energy to American? What is the future of Europe? We asked former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie about Trump’s three unresolved geopolitical games.
‘Politically-involved people in the West will encounter different problems in their own national landscapes, but they may find they have a lot to learn from the failures, successes and general proceedings in other countries.’
‘It is something we should all stand behind, work toward, and relentlessly pressure our political elites to pursue,’ Eva Vlaardingerbroek told Hungarian Conservative. The Dutch conservative activist and political commentator argued that remigration is the single decisive step European leaders must take to reverse the continent’s trajectory.
Reform UK is emerging as the only political force capable of addressing Britain’s existential crises, says conservative commentator Connor Tomlinson. In an interview with Hungarian Conservative, he predicted the party would eclipse both Labour and the Conservatives by tackling migration head-on and restoring national sovereignty.
‘Countries like Hungary, Italy, and Poland must lead the way, highlight good practices, and demonstrate how to stop mass and irregular migration,’ Juan Soto Gómez told Hungarian Conservative. The Spanish conservative activist spoke about the chances for the emergence of a broader right-wing movement in Europe and the prospects for a migration reset across the continent.
Women in Spain, and in Europe more broadly, are experiencing fear and hostility due to mass migration from cultures that reject women,’ Vox MP Rocío de Meer Méndez told Hungarian Conservative. She also expressed hope in Generation Remigration, stating that the mainstream has turned neighbourhoods into places that ‘no longer feel like our homeland.’
Zé Fördős, one of Hungary’s most recognizable culinary influencers and founder of Street Kitchen, talks about risk-taking, failure, and resilience—from paragliding lessons to business setbacks—and how hitting rock bottom set the stage for success.
‘While some of our American school friends spent Friday nights socializing, we preferred to dedicate our time to our Hungarian community. Later, my enthusiasm for scouting leadership only grew. I never felt burnt out because I truly loved every task. This was possible because I was surrounded by supportive people who shared my passion.’
‘The big prize is Azerbaijan, not Armenia,’ Damjan Krnjević Mišković told Hungarian Conservative, describing how the US-brokered peace deal has given Washington unprecedented influence in the South Caucasus.
What is Israel planning to do after the Western recognition of Palestine? Will there be a point when Washington doesn’t back Israel further? Why has the Hungarian government become a pro-Israeli government? We spoke with the former Political Director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the fragile situation of the Jewish state at the Danube Institute’s Geopolitical Summit in Budapest.
‘I fear we are very close to the point of no return—and that at some point we will have to reconquer our own territory by force,’ Chega Vice President Pedro Dos Santos Frazão told Hungarian Conservative. He urged for remigration and sectoral admission quotas as urgent, pragmatic defences against parallel societies and the erosion of public order.
Is India capable of disconnecting from Russian resources? Is India giving up its neutrality to side with China and Russia instead of the US? Is India competing with or complementing China? We asked a prominent Indian economics researcher about the perspectives of their giant economy.