The Death of an Anglo–Hungarian Painting
Nine months after a savage act of vandalism at Trinity College Cambridge, anger is growing at its lacklustre response.
Nine months after a savage act of vandalism at Trinity College Cambridge, anger is growing at its lacklustre response.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó met with Donald Trump’s pick for National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (PST). The discussion centred on promoting peace in Ukraine, on which Hungary and the incoming Trump administration share a common stance.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on an official visit on 4 December, Wednesday. The two leaders discussed the achievements of Hungary’s EU Presidency, bilateral relations, and the challenges currently facing the European Union.
Viktor Orbán has met with His Holiness the Pope for the fourth time, once every year since their initial meeting in 2021. The Prime Minister stated that this meeting in Vatican City was part of his ‘peace mission,’ and news reports confirm that the Russo-Ukrainian war was the main topic of discussion between the two world leaders.
‘In the East, the communist worldview largely rejected the nuclear family unit, seeing it rather as an economic unit that ideologically furthered capitalist interests. In the West, a notion emerged in the latter twentieth century that largely views prioritizing family as limiting individual autonomy and self-fulfillment. We are the inheritors of societies that have been profoundly shaped by one or both worldviews.’
A recent AFP articles titled ‘Orban’s soft power shines as Hungary hosts Israeli match’ apparently praised the Hungarian leadership for welcoming many Israeli football teams in the midst of the ongoing Hamas–Israel war. However, as expected, the piece also insinuates that the Hungarian government at times ‘veers into’ antisemitism, citing as an example the anti-Soros billboard campaign of 2017.
‘Last year, Pope Francis met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through the war. His use of terminology such as “terrorism”, and, according to the Palestinians, “genocide”, set off a firestorm. In any case, the Pontiff now says in his book: “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed pressing issues in his latest radio interview, including the precarious state of the Russia–Ukraine war, the potential of a peace-focused budget, and the government’s unwavering commitment to wage increases and economic stability. He praised exiting National Bank Governor György Matolcsy, and announced that he is nominating Finance Minister Mihály Varga for the post.
In a recent analysis former Hungarian ambassador to Israel Levente Benkő highlights that for Israel, Hamas’s brutal attack necessitated a forceful response in order to restore deterrence. He points out that Israel has no choice but to confront its enemies decisively, even with or without the help of the US, starting with Hamas in Gaza. By doing so, while not eliminating resistance to Israel as such, at least prevents it from taking the form of an organized insurgency.
With the lowest level of support in the EU’s history, the European Parliament has approved Ursula von der Leyen’s second Commission, set to begin work in December. The largest conservative EP group, Patriots for Europe unanimously voted against the new Commission, stating that it goes against the will of the electorate.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.