This year’s Highlights of Hungary Awards celebrated three outstanding Hungarian achievements: the preservation efforts of Levente and Tímea Gáll, the compassionate work of the Hungarian Hospice Foundation, and the artisanal excellence of Szabi the Baker. The winners each received 2 million forints and national acclaim for their dedication to community, tradition, and humanity.
The Netflix series Mary, set to be released on 6 December, has come under fire following antisemitic attacks on social media after the unveiling of its first trailer this week. Users have expressed outrage because Mary, who was Jewish, is portrayed by an Israeli actress, and several cast members are Israeli.
Political director to Hungary’s Prime Minister Balázs Orbán highlighted the potential economic benefits of a Trump-led US administration, emphasized EU reforms, and detailed Hungary’s vision for boosting competitiveness and fostering global partnerships.
Prosecutors have initiated proceedings against another leader of the right-wing political group Patriots for Europe; this time Herbert Kickl, leader of the Austrian Freedom Party, who is facing the potential waiver of his immunity. The news comes just one day after the prosecutors requested prison sentence for RN’s Marine Le Pen.
‘This is not a West–East conflict, but a West–West conflict. It is the traditional West versus the liberal, and even increasingly left-wing, self-eliminating West. The conflict is strong because we want the West that they want to abolish. They think it was hell worth to be eliminated, but we think it was a pretty good little world, and we want to remain an extended part of it.’
Prosecutors have demanded prison and a ban from public office for Marine Le Pen, a key figure in the French National Rally party. Viktor Orbán responded to the accusations against his ally, stating: ‘Marine, please remember we are with you in this battle!’
On 28 October, despite international opposition, Israeli lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to approve two bills that essentially ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East from operating in Israel and severely restrict its activities in Gaza and the West Bank, due to certain staff members’ direct ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups.
Hungarian Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy visited Shenzhen for the China Hi-Tech Fair, spotlighting Hungary’s AI and supercomputing advancements and emphasizing AI regulation. In his keynote address he reiterated Hungary’s commitment to international tech cooperation and regulation.
Reflecting the way the mainstream in the EU confronts the ongoing Gaza crisis, its outgoing foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has once again taken a hard line on Israel, proposing a suspension of EU–Israel political dialogue over humanitarian concerns. Known for his blunt criticisms of Israel, Borrell’s latest move aligns with his stance that the EU must hold Israel accountable, yet it may also be his last major act on the issue as he prepares to step down, making way for Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
A recent content analysis by the Center for Fundamental Rights reveals that in the year leading up to the US presidential election, Donald Trump cited Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán 109 times, which far surpasses mentions of other European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On 20–23 November Budapest will once again host the World Science Forum (WSF), organized by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. This year’s theme centres on the connection between science and policy during global transformations, gathering leaders from around the world.
‘On our part, we doubt that “history of ideas” as a methodologically coherent discipline existed in Hungary between the two world wars…Nevertheless, their work is undoubtedly a prime example of an attempt at the creation of a conservative-oriented social science. The history of ideas is, in fact, a philosophy of history that takes into account factors that transcend matter, and through a specific research methodology is able to grasp and evaluate the processes that take place “behind” the surface of purely material social phenomena.’
Protesting antifa crowds attempted to block the entrance to the Hungarian House in Brussels to stop the event launching Jordan Bardella’s new book. According to Balázs Orbán’s post on X, the mob threw bottles and fireworks at the police, marking another attempt to silence right-wing voices in the capital of Europe.
‘Progress towards the 2030 and 2025 targets shows steady improvement in most areas at the Community level, with a benchmark already achieved by Member States. Most work remains to be done in the area of primary education, where the gap between results and intentions is still widening.’
With Donald Trump’s victory, it is highly likely that David Pressman’s career as US ambassador in Budapest, during which he has consistently attacked the Hungarian government, will come to an end soon. In this article we have compiled a list of his potential successors.
According to a new Real-PR 93 survey, 74 per cent of Hungarians support the government’s target to raise the average salary to one million forints, reflecting broad approval among all demographics and age groups from across the political spectrum.
‘The House of the Nation is a symbol of our independence, sovereignty, and solidarity,’ Kinga Gál, Chair of the Fidesz–KDNP delegation to the EP, emphasized at the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition that presents the Hungarian Parliament building at the European Parliament in Brussels. The exhibition opened as part of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The NGO World Justice Project (WJP) has just published its annual rule of law ranking, which—like in previous years—gives Hungary an extremely low score. However, there is no cause for concern: the methodology of this George Soros-backed organization ranks democracies based on entirely subjective elements, making it a tool for exerting political pressure on Hungary.
Donald Trump has announced that he would appoint Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to jointly lead a new federal department focused on government efficiency. The establishment of the department, promised during the presidential campaign, aims to streamline federal operations, cut excessive regulations, and curb wasteful spending.
The Student City planned to be developed with government funding in Budapest could provide thousands of new student residence places within three years, as the country’s demand for higher education housing grows. Minister Balázs Hankó discussed this ambitious project, the success of Hungarian universities, and the housing needs of young people in a recent television interview.
Addressing COP29 in Baku, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán urged for climate policies guided by ‘common sense’ rather than ‘ideology, panic, or alarm’. Hungary, he argued, must balance its green ambitions with sustainable economic growth.
Press reports indicate that in Donald Trump’s new administration Marco Rubio will be appointed Secretary of State, and Mike Waltz will take on the role of national security advisor. These likely appointments are promising for Hungary, as both politicians hold views on key issues—such as the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East—that align with Budapest’s foreign policy.
The United Nation’s climate change conference began on 11 November, with participants from almost 200 countries. Hungary’s focus during this year’s conference will be to protect farmers from green measures that could harm agriculture.
‘Although almost all of Hungary was covered in noxious and harmful air for the entire weekend, so too was more than half of Central and Northern Europe, with countries such as Denmark, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, as well as Italy also being directly affected by the emanations (wherever they may have come from)….But what is the cause?’
According to press reports, the European Parliament may approve the candidacy of Hungary’s Commissioner-designate, Olivér Várhelyi, on Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, the left-wing groups in the EP turned his first hearing into an ideological battle, refusing to approve his nomination on biased grounds.
As the US prepares for a presidential transition, Ambassador David Pressman may soon depart Budapest in line with protocol for political appointees under a new administration. There has been no career diplomat leading the US mission in Hungary since the 1990s.
Robbie Williams is set to return to Budapest, thrilling fans with a concert at the MVM Dome on 12 September 2025 as part of his ‘Live 2025’ world tour. Williams, no stranger to breaking records, has established himself as a powerhouse in live music. His 2006 world tour achieved a remarkable milestone, selling over 1.6 million tickets in just one day, and his three-night performance at Knebworth attracted 375,000 fans, setting an attendance record.
In a recent meeting with the Hungarian foreign minister, Slovak House Speaker Peter Žiga reiterated his government’s commitment to preserving the status quo on minority rights and stressed that, instead of restrictive policies, the Slovak government plans to enhance the quality of life for the Hungarian community in southern Slovakia. This would involve improvements to transportation infrastructure, including new roads and bridges to support regional development.
In October 1951, Zoltán Vasvári, a.k.a. ‘Zolibá’, a former Hungarian military officer, gathered the sons of many Hungarian families in his New York apartment to introduce them to Hungarian scouting. Viktor Fischer joined the first patrol in the spring of 1952, and, as he puts it, ‘the scout bug has remained’ in him ever since. A conversation about a long and fruitful life, dedicated to teaching and to the Hungarian American community of the New York area.
Hungarian Finance Minister Mihály Varga presented the government’s draft budget for next year to parliament on Monday. ‘The 2025 budget can be a budget for new opportunities, a budget for new economic policy, and a budget for peace,’ he emphasized in his speech.