‘As Francis’s tenure nears its close, we stand at a crossroads—what lies ahead? I pray for his renewed health, while recognizing the time has come—for Catholics, Christians of other traditions, non-believers, indeed all who cherish our shared Western civilization—to ponder and pray for the next pontiff. For the Church and the world now face trials that demand a steady hand to guide this succession’s course.’
Senior US diplomat Robert Palladino will assume leadership of the US Embassy in Budapest as Chargé d’Affaires from 7 March. However, as stated in the embassy’s announcement, Palladino’s mandate is temporary, leaving the race open for the successor to former US Ambassador David Pressman—who will face the enormous task of repairing US–Hungary relations, which were severely damaged by Joe Biden’s envoy.
According to AtlasIntel, the most accurate pollster in the last three national US elections, President Trump is more popular among Americans than President Obama. Trump’s favourability stands at 50 per cent, while President Obama’s stands at 47 per cent.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry’s plane was denied landing in Sarajevo following a decision by Bosnian Defence Minister Zukan Helez. Helez cited Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s continued support for Milorad Dodik, leader of Republika Srpska. Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison last week on politically motivated grounds.
In 2025 the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hungarian National Gallery will present a rich programme of exhibitions, including world-famous artefacts and works by renowned artists. The Director General of the Museum of Fine Arts stressed that the museum continues to be among the 100 most visited institutions in the world, with around 800,000 visitors in 2024.
‘It was from Plymouth in 1588 that Sir Francis Drake set out to defeat another invading force, that of the Spanish Armada…Perhaps it is too much to hope that it will be from Plymouth once again that a wind of change blows through our land, blasting to smithereens the remnant of any idea that multicultural society has succeeded and that vast numbers of immigrants are an unalloyed good.’
‘The emerging sovereigntist era unleashes nationalist energies that must be tempered and channelled constructively. Currently, Trump’s “America First” is swinging like a wrecking ball through the West’s liberal order. Also, a new zeitgeist is unfolding, upending our conceptual world and even shifting how we imagine space and time.’
‘Hungarian Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy recently visited Bulgaria and met with President Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov, Minister of Economy and Industry Peter Dilov, and Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh. The meeting marks a significant step forward in bilateral relations.’
Erasmus+ was designed to bring European students closer together and strengthen academic cooperation; it was to be a vector of unity and a means of transmitting the fundamental values of our civilization. Yet the current management of the programme betrays these founding principles.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine travelled to Washington, DC to sign the agreement that would create a co-owned fund between the US and Ukraine that would manage Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. However, the meeting came to a premature end, as President Trump asked Zelenskyy to leave after a tense discussion in front of the media, cancelling their scheduled lunch and joint press conference.