The panellists at the first discussion of the Our Europe series at the Sapientia College of Theology of Religious orders on 8 September 2023.

György Hölvényi: Europe Needs to Rediscover its Values

In his introduction, Hölvényi emphasized that in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic and wars have weakened people’s faith and religiosity. Rebuilding and strengthening faith will take many years of work, but change must always start from within, he noted.

Hungarian Higher Education Rising in Competitiveness

At the academic year opening of Milton Friedman University, State Secretary in charge of higher education Balázs Hankó underscored that Hungarian universities are performing increasingly well amidst intensifying international competition. While four years ago, Hungary had seven institutions in the top five per cent of the world’s universities, and two years ago, there were nine, today there are already eleven.

A Survey on the New Country and County Pass System in Public Transportation

According to the survey, conducted both during peak and off-peak hours, 93 per cent of passengers automatically validate their passes upon boarding, indicating that most are well-informed about the use of the new system. Passengers who did not validate their passes were, in the vast majority of cases, reminded by the bus drivers to do so.

Hungarian State Opera House Boasts Over Fifty Thousand Summer Visitors

The high attendance rates of the plays and the frequent standing ovations confirmed the State Opera House’s expectations that it is worthwhile to stage popular pieces from the operatic literature in classic performances with an air-conditioned auditorium in the summer. The July–August performances of the the first full summer season of the Opera were favoured by both tourists and locals from the capital city and the countryside.

Majority of Hungarians under 40 Want to Live in Hungary in the Future

The research indicates that as age increases, the proportion of those considering the likelihood of owning their own property, being married, and living in Hungary also increases. Conversely, in terms of working in a foreign language environment, having a better financial situation than currently, and having children, the relationship with age is reversed.

Óbuda University Could Become a Driving Force in Hungary’s Economic Development

Speaking at the EU-PED Day of the university, on which all educators working in Hungarian-language tertiary education are celebrated, Mihály Varga reminded that the goal of the government with the transformation of higher education and the introduction of dual education was for universities to become ‘intellectual centres that define and broaden the country’s development opportunities.’

Hungary EU Funds: Commissioner for Budget Predicts Long Wait

At his recent hearing in the EP, the Budget Commissioner stated that it is not true that the Commission is hindering negotiations with the Hungarian government over the rule of law concerns. The Commission is interested in finding a solution, but it must be a solution that serves the interests of Hungarian citizens, Hahn said.

Tibor Navracsics ‘Moderately Optimistic’ After Meeting the EP’s Budgetary Control Committee

According to the minister, representatives presented the delegation with the regulations and fundamental aspects of the spending of EU funds, followed by questions from the committee members. However, Navracsics noted that it was apparent the delegation had not read the background materials sent to them in advance for more detailed information. Also, in some cases, the opinion of certain representatives was heavily influenced by political biases, resulting in occasional factual errors during their questioning.