Six months ago, many questioned whether Hungary could fulfil the role of ‘honest broker’ required for the EU Presidency. Now, as the semester concludes, it is evident that Budapest has delivered one of the most successful and memorable presidencies in the history of the European Union.

‘No, Mr Pressman, you never truly believed that Hungary matters. What you and President Biden thought was that ousting Viktor Orbán’s government mattered—to impose a progressive globalist agenda on one of the few European countries that prioritizes its own interests and sovereignty. And ultimately, you failed.’

After rejecting his Christmas ceasefire proposal, Volodymyr Zelenskyy harshly criticized Viktor Orbán for his mediation efforts between Kyiv and Moscow. The Hungarian prime minister responded firmly: ‘We won’t respond to any provocation.’

The European Commission remains dissatisfied with Hungary’s legal amendments and continues to exclude Hungarian students and researchers from Erasmus+ and Horizon programmes. Hungary’s Minister for Culture and Innovation condemned the decision, while six universities have filed legal action against Brussels, alleging discrimination.

A video analysis by TLDR News EU suggests Viktor Orbán’s long tenure as Prime Minister of Hungary may be coming to an end in 2026 at last. However, our own, rebuttal analysis of polling and election data, as well as the cultural issues for Hungarian voters, purport that that is an unlikely outcome.

The Hungarian National Assembly has approved changes to electoral laws, including the redistribution of constituencies, optional ballot envelopes, and revised candidate withdrawal deadlines. These measures aim to align with demographic trends and streamline voting procedures.

‘Because this process will be so difficult, the sad but unavoidable truth may be that if Ukraine takes part in the talks from the start, progress towards a settlement will become completely impossible,’ British journalist and author Anatol Lieven writes in his recent opinion piece published on Foreign Policy.

‘I believe that small countries have a big role to play in the current situation…In this kind of environment, I think that smaller countries that can maintain their neutrality are the ones that will win. But the ones that don’t have the willpower and the political autonomy to be neutral—the ones that are actually forced to take a stand—, well, I think, are going to lose the most.’

In the span of just two weeks, both the German and French parliaments have withdrawn their confidence in their respective governments. These developments signal a profound crisis among the mainstream liberal-progressive forces in the West, which are striving to prevent anti-establishment parties from gaining power. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that they cannot hold off this shift for much longer.

Pollster Ann Selzer, who had been remarkably accurate in the state prior, showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading President Trump by three points in Iowa in the 2024 presidential election. President Trump ended up winning by 13.2 points, meaning a 16-point miss for Selzer. Her subsequent retirement left many to speculate about a case of bribery, and Trump has now launched a civil suit against her, alleging fraud.

A recent Századvég poll reveals that 77 per cent of Hungarians believe Donald Trump, upon assuming office in 2025, could end the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. The findings highlight strong public support for peace initiatives, aligning with Hungary’s diplomatic efforts.

‘We knew that if Donald Trump won the US presidential election, the most influential man in Europe—the politician whose phone calls would be answered by Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping—would be Viktor Orbán,’ Ciprian Rus, senator of the progressive Save Romania Union highlighted in a recent interview.

Lithuanian athlete Kornelija Dūdaitė was disqualified from the Super Worlds 2024 – Functional Fitness Championships in Budapest for wearing a shirt mocking Russia. Her case has reignited the debate over whether politics should have a place in the world of sports.

According to Századvég’s December survey, Hungary’s ruling coalition, Fidesz–KDNP, continues to lead confidently in party preferences, while Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar’s approval ratings have suffered a significant decline amidst recent controversies.

This week’s Orbán interview on public radio showcased Hungary’s proactive approach to fostering peace, navigating global changes, and ensuring domestic stability. As the government looks to implement the 2025 budget, its commitment to supporting Hungarian families and maintaining sovereignty remains unwavering, the PM declared.

On the morning of 12 December, in a true Christmas spirit, the US Embassy in Budapest posted a video on X and YouTube criticizing the Budapest–Belgrade railway project, insinuating that Viktor Orbán is making secret deals with China. Our reaction.

‘In the world of Salis and her associates, you can go to Hungary, and commit any crime you want, if you later pretend to be an anti-fascist in order to ask for immunity,’ Italian newspaper Il Giornale writes in a recent piece. Ilaria Salis and her comrades attacked and seriously injured innocent people in Budapest in 2023, yet they have not been held accountable for their crimes.

‘Despite his mild demeanour and centrist credentials, what Christophe Hansen offers is a distinctly more pro-farmer outlook than that of the previous quinquennium. The Luxembourgish was adamant in his defence of the CAP during his hearing.’

In his remarks at the University of Nyíregyháza on Friday Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó noted: ‘The West seems willing to fight until the last Ukrainian youth with the possibility of lowering the conscription age’, adding that the Ukrainian nations’ future is at risk.

‘Republicans should be especially concerned about their ability in the post-Trump era to retain gains in the Rust Belt, where the president-elect is uniquely popular among white working-class voters. Trump has twice carried Michigan and Pennsylvania, which hadn’t voted for a Republican candidate since 1988, and Wisconsin, which a Republican hadn’t won since 1984.’

According to a compilation of polls by EuropeElects.eu, Hungarians would have backed Republican candidate Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election over Democrat Kamala Harris by a massive 24-point margin. Meanwhile, the new President-elect is the least popular in Denmark, where only 4 per cent of voters would have supported him.

After meeting Fidesz MEPs in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary uploaded a short video to his Facebook page, in which he explains that despite the ‘lie campaign’ by Brussels, the Migration Pact does mandate Hungary to take in illegal migrants, which is why he opposes it; and that Hungary deserves ‘accolades, not punishment’ from the EU concerning border protection.

On Wednesday, after barely three months in power, the French National Assembly voted no confidence in the government of Michel Barnier, toppling it—a scenario not seen since 1962. What is certain is that the largest EU member state will face months of political paralysis, but it remains unclear who will ultimately benefit. If an early presidential election were to occur, Marine Le Pen would likely emerge as the fortunate beneficiary.

Former European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders is under investigation by Belgian police for money laundering. Over the past five years, Reynders has been a leading figure in the EU’s efforts to uphold the rule of law and combat corruption. He also played a key role in the decision to withhold EU funds due to Hungary.

Despite pervasive attacks from progressive networks and opposition media Balázs Orbán has successfully defended his doctoral thesis. The events surrounding the Hungarian prime minister’s political director highlight a networked effort aimed at marginalizing those who challenge progressive leftist ideologies in academia.

Following their historic success in Sunday’s Romanian parliamentary elections, Hunor Kelemen, President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, expressed optimism about the party’s chances of joining the next Romanian government. This marks a significant step in ensuring strong representation for Hungarians in Romania.

Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Hamas: if all hostages are not released by 20 January, they will face consequences unprecedented in American history. During his first term, Trump’s peace through strength diplomacy proved highly effective, and there is every indication that he will continue to achieve significant foreign policy successes as President.

Despite insisting for months that he would not, US President Joe Biden issued a pardon to his son Hunter Biden on Sunday, 1 December. Hunter Biden was convicted on three felony counts of making false statements on a federal firearm purchase form and three felony counts of tax evasion earlier this year. However, peculiarly, his pardon covers any other potential crimes he may have committed in the last decade as wel.

With 6.4 per cent of the total vote, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) has achieved its best result in Romanian parliamentary elections since 2000. RMDSZ President Hunor Kelemen highlighted that Hungarian voters in Transylvania recognized the danger posed by the rise of extremist parties threatening their community.

Călin Georgescu, the independent candidate who garnered the most votes in the first round of the Romanian presidential election, is not unknown to the public. He has held important positions in the state bureaucracy and was the candidate for prime minister of AUR, the party that became notorious for its anti-Hungarian rhetoric. In the past years, however, Georgescu has become marginalized both in influential political circles and within AUR, after having referred to the founder of the Romanian fascist movement as a national hero.