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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán highlighted Hungary’s diplomatic rise after hosting two landmark summits, marking Budapest as a key player in European diplomacy. Orbán shared insights into Hungary’s renewed ties with the United States under President Trump, Hungary’s economic agenda, and the bold policy goals embedded in the recent Budapest Declaration.