Is there any element of the Hungarian regulations on family that can be incorporated into American law? What damage has the erosion of family values caused to the mentality of young Americans? We spoke with the former Deputy Assistant to President Trump about ‘family lives matter’ and the new right generation at the Danube Institute’s Family Formation conference in Budapest.
‘Hazel Erskine…published a series of polls in The Public Opinion Quarterly in 1969 based on previously classified reports from the USIA’s Research and Reference Service. While many of the issues surveyed are no longer politically relevant, they remain of historical interest. Most questions originate from the 1960s, with some earlier data included to examine trends related to NATO and defence.’
The Danube Institute’s two-day conference on family formation and demographic decline continued with a panel discussion comparing Hungarian and American policies and perspectives on the issue. Participants agreed that the West faces a civilizational crisis but expressed hope in the Trump administration’s shift—led by Vice President JD Vance—toward a pro-family approach.
‘It’s high time we tell our stories: paint them, etch them, carve them, and turn them into stained glass. The Palace of Culture in Marosvásárhely is a signal of triumph—a beautiful window into the culture of Transylvania and of Hungary. We need a shot of that cultural self-awareness and self-confidence on our side of the pond. We need some stained-glass ballads of our own…’
‘The size and distribution of the economies of the US and the EU, with economies of USD 29 trillion and USD 19 trillion respectively, have an impact on everything, so it is worth bearing these facts in mind at all times, including when the EU and its member states are negotiating more and more disputes with the US.’
Óbuda University has launched a groundbreaking medical robotics project in collaboration with Stanford University and the National University of Singapore (NUS). With support from Hungary’s National Research, Development, and Innovation Office, the initiative aims to revolutionize surgical robotics and lab automation through cutting-edge AI-driven technology.
Hungarian and American leaders commemorated 15 March at the US Capitol, honouring Lajos Kossuth as a symbol of shared values between the two nations. The event highlighted common commitments to family, peace, national values, and Christian culture.
‘Since 1945 America has been the one country that’s been the readiest to stand sentinel to others’ freedom, to do as much for others as they were prepared to do for themselves; often without the honour it deserved for being the policeman that a freer and fairer world will always need.’
‘Even if Count László Széchenyi had done nothing for his country but win the heart of Gladys Vanderbilt for the Hungarian cause, he would have done enough because Gladys Vanderbilt achieved much, and the fruits of her achievements were enjoyed by Hungarian families in need.’
‘The names of the Kárász girls, Ilonka and Mariska, are little known here in Hungary, even though both were significant figures in American visual culture and are widely respected overseas. Ilonka drew two hundred covers for the legendary The New Yorker magazine and designed furniture, interiors, and fabrics, and her work, like that of her sister, is held in the most important American collections to this day.’