A recent AFP articles titled ‘Orban’s soft power shines as Hungary hosts Israeli match’ apparently praised the Hungarian leadership for welcoming many Israeli football teams in the midst of the ongoing Hamas–Israel war. However, as expected, the piece also insinuates that the Hungarian government at times ‘veers into’ antisemitism, citing as an example the anti-Soros billboard campaign of 2017.
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.
Last Friday an explosion occurred at a canal near the town of Zubin Potok in Kosovo, a key component of the country’s energy supply. While Pristina blames Belgrade for the incident, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called for an independent investigation.
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.
The new Budapest-based airline Hungary Airlines has acquired 100 aircraft from the American manufacturer Boeing and is reportedly planning to make its first cargo flight from Budapest, Hungary to Hong Kong, China this month. It is unclear for now whether or not the company will expand to passenger flights as well.
‘Last year, Pope Francis met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through the war. His use of terminology such as “terrorism”, and, according to the Palestinians, “genocide”, set off a firestorm. In any case, the Pontiff now says in his book: “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”’
In whichever way we observe Advent, and whatever the colours of our candles are, now that the merry days of Christmas are near, let us stop for a moment and think of those who cannot celebrate in peace this holiday season. Let’s not forget about those who live in countries and regions torn by war, violence and persecution: let’s all try to find ways to contribute, even in the smallest ways, to helping them, and let’s pray that there be peace.
‘Ortega’s image of what members of his ideal elite should be like derives from his wider philosophy. His spells at German universities made him initially a fervent neo-Kantian who, seeing the world through the lens of transcendental idealism, believed in the objective reality of the Platonic triad of truth, goodness, and beauty, and that this should form the basis of one’s life and education…’
‘Knowledge is yours, but if you keep it to yourself, that’s the end of it. On the other hand, if you pass it on to others, you’ll not have less, while others will have more,’ says Judit Kerekes, professor of mathematics and founder of the first Hungarian summer university in the United States.