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 universities have achieved higher positions in the latest global rankings, with Semmelweis University now among the world’s top 1 per cent. Minister Balázs Hankó praised the results and emphasized deepening US academic ties amid EU-related disputes.

As Hungary’s parliamentary elections approach, polls are becoming increasingly important. Beyond overall support rates, we can expect more heated debates about which social groups politicians have managed to reach and which they have not. In this context, we ask the question: What is the situation with young people?

‘Beyond the fence on the Serbian side…the AK-47-wielding people smugglers have established military-style camps for the migrants; is it compassionate to support a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise? Many illegal migrants who successfully break through are forced to continue paying the smugglers under duress; is it compassionate to support a modern form of indentured labour?’

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.

‘When political parties on opposite sides of the parliamentary spectrum voice sharp criticism…against a politician belonging to the centrist party family, it is easy to conclude that “extremist” groups are fighting against…balanced policies. This may be true in some cases, but a closer look reveals a much more complex picture, especially in the European political arena.’

‘Whereas Augustine’s inner self pointed beyond itself to God, Rousseau’s pointed only inward. Conscience, no longer an echo of divine law, became the voice of the self. Politics, in turn, had to be remade in its image: the true will of the people was nothing less than the collective expression of each individual’s inner authenticity.’