Inside the Orbán–Trump ‘Financial Shield’: Currency Swap Deals Explained

Hungary has secured a ‘financial shield’ from the United States to guard against external financial or political attacks, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after meeting US President Donald Trump. The mechanism, a currency swap agreement, strengthens Hungary’s economic resilience—contrary to opposition claims that it represents a loan or bailout.

Photo taken by Gokturk-1 observation satellite showing the stuck container ship Ever Given in the Suez Canal in Egypt on 27 March 2021

The Need to Recalibrate European Foreign Policy Thinking

‘By being responsive to changes at the system level, multilateralism can contribute to maintaining peace during the shifts in the balance of power that we are currently living through. Europe’s peoples would benefit from it, as would their governments’ reputation and diplomatic standing in the world.’

Márton Ugrósdy  PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative

Now We Have President Trump on Our Side — An Interview with Márton Ugrósdy

What will be the main topics of Viktor Orbán’s 7 November White House meeting with Donald Trump? Can he secure an opt-out on energy, and how will Hungary’s connectivity strategy hold up if global powers clash? We spoke with the Deputy State Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office about the potential new deals between Trump and Orbán.

Taiwan's popularly elected president resides in the Presidential Office Building, Taipei, originally built in the Japanese era for colonial governors.

The Taiwan Conundrum

‘The conundrum, as stated above, is that Taiwan is treated by a great part of the international community as if it were a country of its own.’

From an Australian Dream to an American Reality — An Interview with György Kovács

‘There was a circus nearby, and I got a job shoveling after the elephants…My mother was hardworking and resourceful. She always pushed me to go see things. We saw Rome, Pompeii, and the Vatican—we traveled all over Italy, which made time pass faster. Meanwhile, we waited every day for our names to appear on the list—to get a sponsor so we could leave the camp.’

Szoboszlai Secures Sensational Draw for Hungary Against Portugal

Hungary drew 2–2 against their highest-ranked opponent in their qualification group, Portugal, in Lisbon, Portugal. Captain Dominik Szoboszlai scored the equalizer in additional time. Hungary are very likely to finish second in the group, and going into the play-offs as they continue their quest to reach their first World Cup since 1986.