Hungarian forint hit its best level since December 2023 on Wednesday, strengthening to HUF 380.2 per euro. Markets continue to reward the Hungarian Central Bank’s disciplined approach and the Trump–Orbán currency-swap deal, which signalled that the forint is well-protected from external shocks.
‘Following an embarrassing spectacle in Ireland that saw nearly 13 per cent of voters cast “spoilt” ballots while an unapologetic leftist cruised to victory in the Irish presidential race, establishment-liberal politicians like Tánaiste [Deputy Prime Minister] Simon Harris exhibited timid initial signs of policy reversal on the immigration issue.’
Elon Musk has praised Viktor Orbán’s hard line on migration by sharing a viral clip in which the prime minister warns that progressive elites seek to reshape Europe demographically. As US conservatives rallied behind Orbán, Donald Trump reportedly intensified pressure on EU governments to abandon pro-migration policies and confront the crisis honestly.
‘The Commission’s initiative…is more than just stigmatizing content deemed “false” by Brussels’s fact-checkers. It is also about setting up a closely aligned network in Europe that can coordinate to spread “correct” and “truthful” information—while being paid by Brussels.’
The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline has fallen to $2.998 in the United States, according to AAA. The last time the average gas price was below $3 was on 11 May 2021; and it even climbed up to as high as $5.016 in the summer of 2022 during the Biden administration.
‘The Russian–Western relationship is basically about geography.’
‘…without intellectual and political leaders who are able and daring enough to go beyond the surface-level symptoms of the infocracy, our capacity to reform society and adapt to a post-infocratic world becomes increasingly limited. It would be like fighting the weather: we might cool our houses with air conditioning, but we cannot stop the heat from entering in the first place.’
‘In the era of modern migration, the situation of individuals and communities living beyond a country’s borders has growing importance from both national strategy and national policy perspectives. It is considered unique even in an international context that the totality of the Hungarian nation consists of three distinct components…’
Viktor Orbán flew to Moscow early Friday, saying Hungary must guarantee affordable Russian gas and oil for the coming winter and beyond. Speaking at Budapest Airport, he stressed that Hungary’s energy security depends on pipeline deliveries from Russia—and noted that peace efforts would almost certainly feature in his meeting with Vladimir Putin.
What is the nature of the relationship between Hungary, Japan, and the US? Is ‘woke’ a significant issue in Japan? What does Japan do to counterbalance the influence of China in the Pacific? We spoke to a former Special Advisor to PM Shinzo Abe about the geopolitical turbulence surrounding Japan.