Hungarian Conservative

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced in a video on his Facebook page that the Hungarian government is partnering with the German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall in a deal to develop ‘state-of-the-art, latest-generation’ tanks for the defence industry.

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated the Hungarian government’s position remains clear: migration must be curbed and the problem must be dealt with locally. Migration and terrorism go hand in hand, which is why Hungary will continue to contribute to NATO’s collective defence tasks and joint action against terrorism as a valued member of the alliance.

The objective of the exercise is to test the military’s readiness for and response to an imagined situation threatening Hungary’s security. Another goal is to test the capabilities of the civilian public administration when it comes to troop movements and logistics, the Hungarian Defence Minister noted.

Turkey is an extremely important regional player in terms of security policy, and its voice is indispensable in international conflicts that risk the security of all of us, the Hungarian defence minister said after meeting his Turkish counterpart in Budapest.

In the mid-2010s, the Hungarian defence industry was declared a key national economic area with the goal of providing Hungarian-made state-of-the-art defence equipment to the renewed Hungarian armed forces and make Hungary an arms exporter. Since then several major international companies have announced plans to bring their manufacturing and development capacity to the country.

Speaking at a conference on defence industry supplier development held at the Bálna Defence Centre, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky pointed out that in pursuit of advancing the defence industry, strategic agreements have been concluded with several major international players, including German, Norwegian, French and Turkish companies.

The equipping of the Gidrán combat vehicle already started in Hungary years ago, but from now on, the vehicle itself will be manufactured in the country.

In order to achieve the objectives set by the Chief of General Staff, including mental renewal and combat readiness, the Hungarian Defence Forces will hold a broader spectrum exercise, where the HDF will not only carry out military manoeuvres in eight locations across the country, but the cooperation between the Hungarian Defence Forces and the civil administration will also be assessed.

During the nominee’s parliamentary committee hearing, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated that the leadership of the armed forces has been significantly and fundamentally renewed over the past one and a half to two years; practically the entire leadership of the HDF has changed, and all unit commanders are excellent young officers.

At the handover ceremony, Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky highlighted that the greatest strength of the system, also used in 12 other countries, is its ability to establish a network based on control stations. It operates with excellent US-made AMRAAM missiles widely used in NATO member states and also installed on HDF Gripen fighter aircraft.

The government resolution to continue the development at Hungary’s most famous racing track, Hungaroring has been adopted. The next phase of the upgrade will bring the quality of the Mogyoród track to the expected level of Formula 1.

Speaking in the National Assemblyabout the possibility of a military mission being launched, Hungarian Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky explained that such a mission would only take place at the invitation of the Chadian president, and within this framework, a maximum of 200 soldiers would serve from the spring of 2024.

In his regular Friday morning radio interview, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán noted that sympathy protests for terrorists are taking place throughout Europe. By contrast, he declared, Hungary will not allow such demonstrations.

In a recent op-ed published on NewsMax, CASEPAC Executive Director Bryan Leib expressed his conviction that support for Israel and the Jewish people ‘starts at the top,’ reminding that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán tweeted his condemnation of the brutal attack by Hamas as soon as news of it broke. Orbán also stood up for Israel’s right to self-defence, he noted, stressing that all of this is refreshing, especially when he sees antisemitism growing in America, and thousands of Americans taking to the streets to support Hamas.

The Italian-born sportsman received his Certificate of Citizenship from President Katalin Novák at the Sándor Palace. With Rossi’s leadership, the National Team has achieved outstanding results, such as beating England 4–0 in the Nations League.

Hungary’s commitment to national security remains unwavering in the face of 21st-century challenges, Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated at the inauguration of the new Cyberspace Operations Centre of the Military National Security Service.

In addition to the Hungarian leadership, from 2024, the Hungarian Defence Forces will contribute with additional forces to Operation Althea including helicopter airlift and bomb disposal capabilities.

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.

Two major NATO innovative bodies, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) and the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), are holding their conferences in Budapest, Hungary this week. To mark the occasion, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence announced the hosting of the ‘NATO Innovation Week’.

According to Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary and Georgia’s cultural similarities make the bilateral dialogue easier. Both nations speak a unique language, have a ‘closed culture’, and are committed to the values of Christianity, he stressed.

‘The time has come when the Hungarian Defence Forces are once again embracing this intellectual legacy, taking charge of preserving the Hussar tradition, allowing the Hungarian Hussar to finally find his way back to where the heroes’ memory is honoured with respect and appreciation,’ the Hungarian defence minister said at the biannual Hussar Gathering in Nyíregyháza.

‘Big companies are coming to Hungary with R&D budgets that are significant in themselves. Rheinmetall, for one, is the twenty-fourth largest company in the world’, Hungarian Ministerial Commissioner Imre Porkoláb underlined in a recent interview.

‘If I heard about a country that produces and develops military technology together with Germany and Israel, I would think twice before I would mess with it. And this is good news for all Hungarians,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán underlined at the opening ceremony.

After days of relentless rain, leading to severe flooding and landslides caused by the downpour, emergency services were mobilised in multiple regions of Austria and Slovenia. Hungarian military aid is on its way.

More than 100,000 spectators witnessed the 70-lap race of the 38th Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. This marks a revenue record for the facility in its new era, Hungaroring CEO Zsolt Gyulay stated, adding that during the four-day race weekend, including the Thursday fan walk with the participation of 5,000 spectators, a total of 303,000 people visited the racetrack in Mogyoród, making it a record-breaking event in every aspect.

The third day of Tusványos remained as eventful as the previous one, with many prominent Hungarian government officials taking the opportunity to share their thoughts on stage. What follows is a brief recap of the most important points they made.

Erdoğan spoke about the issue of Sweden’s NATO membership during a press conference held at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport before travelling to the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. He stated that Turkey would approve Sweden’s NATO membership if the European Union resumes accession negotiations with his country.

With the recent large-scale build-up of the national defence industry, Hungary is not only ensuring its own military equipment supply, but also contributing to the development of European defence industrial capabilities and thus enhancing the EU’s security.

Hungary believes that the problems should be solved not at Europe’s borders but at their places of origin, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said. He emphasised that under the changed circumstances, the development of the Hungarian armed forces is progressing dynamically, confidently, and systematically.

In addition to the French initiative, Hungary has also joined the German-initiated Sky Shield programme, which will further enhance its capabilities through joint procurement.