Hungary will not support the EU’s new Erasmus strategy until Hungarian students and researchers regain access to Erasmus and Horizon programmes, Minister Balázs Hankó said, calling their exclusion unlawful and politically motivated.

Hungarians would not normally follow a French political debate, but the recent exchange between Éric Zemmour and Raphaël Glucksmann went far beyond routine campaign rhetoric. Glucksmann levelled extreme and factually baseless accusations against Hungary, prompting the need for clarification.

‘“Within half a year, our bilateral relations gained new momentum, and the unsuccessful, troubled period may be replaced by a new American–Hungarian golden age,” wrote Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page after meeting Chargé d’Affaires Robert J Palladino of the US Embassy in Budapest, who is leaving the capital upon the expiration of his interim mandate.’

Budapest celebrated the 120th anniversary of the consecration of St Stephen’s Basilica with a light show, a festive mass, and a concert. Cardinal Péter Erdő highlighted that the basilica’s history reflects a path shaped by divine providence.

Hungary can still stop the spread of the drug trade if it sharply reduces access to narcotics, government commissioner László Horváth said on public radio, warning that Western Europe’s liberal policies have failed and that zero tolerance remains necessary.

‘While Hungary called for more oversight and transparency, the European Parliament’s majority actively undermined these attempts.’