The brutal murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has ignited a political storm in the US, with President Donald Trump demanding the death penalty for her killer. Outrage over judicial negligence has spurred both memorial campaigns and Republican calls for systemic reform.
Fidesz’s 2026 campaign chief Balázs Orbán opened his new Substack with a blunt message: Hungary is misrepresented for daring to defy liberal dogmas, yet offers answers to crises the West cannot solve. Warning that Brussels and Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party endanger Hungary, he said Ukraine’s accession would mean Europe’s collapse, not its salvation.
At Fidesz’s annual political season opener in Kötcse, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that Western dominance is collapsing and only a new EU–Russia security deal can bring peace in Europe. He warned that Ukraine’s EU accession would mean war, sketched a vision of ‘circular Europe’, and outlined his party’s victory plan for the 2026 election.
Is Hamas defeatable? What military methods can a regular army use against a guerrilla-style enemy? Could an independent Palestinian state be formed? We spoke at MCC Feszt with former British Army commander Richard Kemp who has been in Israel during all previous wars in Gaza.
What are the ideological roots of this self-hating Western mentality? What did the ancient people understand about the purpose of life that we seem to have lost? And what are the symptoms of the decline of Western civilization? We asked the Swedish American author and philosopher about ‘oikophobia’ at MCC Fest.
‘According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, the conflict is a religious war against radical Islamist ideology, not a territorial one. Western leaders like Macron, she said, fail to grasp this. In her view, Hamas fights against universal Western values, leaving Israel with no choice but to defend itself.’
Hungary is not in a dead end, but outdated foreign policy thinking has reached one, Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political advisor, argued. He rejected claims that opposing Brussels has left Hungary isolated within the EU.
The historic National Casino in Pécs is undergoing full renovation led by Mathias Corvinus Collegium. Vacant for two decades, the 150-year-old landmark will be revived as a cultural hub and talent centre, hosting events, student programmes, and a new dormitory. It is set to reopen in 2027.
‘This is not merely an educational crisis; it is a social crisis. It reflects a deeper malaise: the abandonment of tradition, the medicalization of social problems, and a growing anti-elitism that undermines teachers and trivializes excellence. But let me be clear: this is not a time for despair. It is a time for action.’
‘There’s so much that can be done or can happen even if you don’t speak any Hungarian. If you’re the person in your family who cares about your Hungarian heritage but you don’t share what you know, who is going to? It’s up to you to do it.’