Trump Allegedly Calls Putin, Warns Against Escalating the Conflict in Ukraine

Although less than a week has passed since the US presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump has already spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine, at least according to American media reports. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the news as ‘pure fiction’ and stressed that Putin has no specific plans to speak with Trump at present.

A beech forest in winter in the Mátra Mountains, a popular domestic tourist destination

Visit Hungary Launches Nationwide Winter Tourism Campaign

Visit Hungary has launched a nationwide winter tourism campaign offering 20 per cent discounts at over 300 locations for guests paying with SZÉP cards. Running from January through February, the campaign promotes winter travel across Hungary, highlighting the country’s natural beauty, wellness spas, culinary offerings, and winter activities, reaching audiences through television, social media, and online platforms.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Viktor Orbán and President of the European Council Charles Michel (L-R) in Budapest at the conclusion of the informal summit of EU leaders on 8 November 2024.

The Budapest Declaration on Competitiveness — New Opportunities for the European Defence Sector

One of the most pressing issues in enhancing the competitiveness of Europe is the need to optimize defence spending. Europeans now spend much more on defence in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with ten European NATO members set to reach the 2 per cent of GDP spending threshold by the end of 2024. However, developing and acquiring modern weapon systems of cutting-edge technology demand an exponential level of spending for development and production, which can hamstring the capabilities of nation-states if they want to fit out their armies fully with domestically produced equipment, from building tools to jet fighters.

Ambassador Yacov Hadas-Handelsman speaks at the March of the Living in Budapest on 5 May 2024.

‘To say that Hungary is not a democracy is nonsense’, Israeli Ambassador Declares in Interview

In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Yacov Hadas-Handelsman argued that as opposed to its frequent portrayal as an anti-democratic and antisemitic country, the reality about Hungary is quite different. He highlighted the Orbán government’s steadfast support of Israel at international forums and the fact that Hungary is one of the safest countries in the world for Jewish people.

Manon Aubry, Co-President of the Left Group in the European Parliament, GUE NGL, Member of the European Parliament La France Insoumise.

Populism without Popularity? — The Left Group in the European Parliament

‘It is a strange tale to trace how the first communist group was dominated by Italian communists who cut their teeth in the partisan resistance forces whilst the largest Italian delegation in its present-day incarnation is mostly made up of MEPs from a party which until recently could not decide whether they were right-wing populist Eurosceptics or liberal Eurofederalists.’

EU Leaders Agree on Budapest Declaration to Boost Competitiveness

At the informal European Council meeting in Hungary, the leaders of the member states adopted the Budapest Declaration, which focuses on measures to boos the EU’s competitiveness. The decision was announced by Viktor Orbán, who highlighted that there is a strong consensus on the need to ‘make Europe great again’.