Second Pro-Israel Summit in Budapest: Hungary Recommits to Supporting Israel

Minister of Transportation Miri Regev of Israel thanked the Hungarian government on behalf of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for its unwavering support for Israel since the 7 October Hamas attack at the second International Pro-Israel Summit, hosted by the Center for Fundamental Rights in Budapest, Hungary. Witnesses of the attack also took the stage at the event.

Most Accurate US Pollster Has Donald Trump Winning the Election

Atlas Intel has gotten the popular vote margins correct within 0.3 percentage points in the US in the last two election cycles. Their most recent polling data has Donald Trump leading Kamala Harris by 2.9 points in the popular vote; while their swing state polling data has him winning the election with 290 electoral votes. However, other public opinion firms have published different results.

‘Friends of Peace’ Group Formed at UN on Hungary’s Initiative

The ‘Friends of Peace’ group was established at the United Nations last Friday on Hungary’s initiative. Led by China and Brazil, the 15-member group aims to facilitate the initiation of peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine and promote the implementation of the key points of the Sino–Brazilian peace plan.

Orestes Pursued by the Furies (1862) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Hawkish Gasbags in the Fog of War

‘Ukraine is losing this war, indeed has likely lost it, and Washington is looking for a scapegoat for its colossal strategic failure. Viktor Orbán, who was right about this war from the beginning, is that scapegoat. If Harris wins in November, we can expect a narrative coming out of Washington saying that Ukraine and its allies would have prevailed if it had not been for Hungary stabbing Ukraine in the back.’

MCC Book Launch Cancelled, Raising Further Free Speech Concerns in Brussels

The launch of MCC Brussels Director Frank Füredi’s latest book was cancelled at a Brussels bookshop on the day of the event, presumably due to left-wing political pressure. The situation closely mirrors the controversy surrounding the National Conservatism Conference in April, when a Brussels district mayor attempted to use police force to suppress right-wing voices.

Government Introduces New Benefits to Support Families

To support families who are raising or planning to have children, the government will introduce a new measure from 1 October to make it easier for self-employed people who opt for special taxation as well as for primary agricultural producers to claim the CSOK Plus and the Rural CSOK loans, and the baby expecting subsidy. The aim is to make these benefits more accessible to self-employed people. In their case, banks used to take only 10 to 20 per cent of their income into account when assessing their loan applications but will now be obliged to recognize at least 50 per cent of their earnings.

Budapest Flood Photos Spread on X

Users on X (formerly Twitter), corporate and private alike, were captivated by the images of the recent flooding of the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary. Photos of the flooded capital city spread across the social media site. Thankfully, the water levels have come down to normal since, and the flooding passed with no loss of human life.

State Secretary Bence Rétvári holds a press conference on 6 September 2024 to present the buses ready to take illegal immigrants entering Hungary to Brussels.

Who Wins in the End? The Asylum Tug of War Between Hungary and Brussels

As Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka also emphasized on 24 September, the Hungarian government is aware that the Commission has other tools at its disposal to deduct the sum. Despite not being willing to pay the fine, Budapest aims to engage in a ‘constructive way’ with Brussels to ensure compliance with the ECJ ruling. Minister Bóka also said Hungary was looking into ‘legal possibilities on how certain expenses incurred in the protection of the border could be offset’ against the penalty.

Supporters of China hold Chinese and Hungarian flags in the Buda Castle close to the route of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s motorcade prior to his meeting with Viktor Orbán on 9 May 2024 in Budapest.

Hungary’s Place in the Global Order

‘Hungary may well find, as Australia has, that trade and investment with China can create long-term vulnerabilities as well as immediate economic benefits. After Australia called for a transparent international enquiry into the origins of the Wuhan virus, the Beijing government imposed bogus safety bans on some $20 billion worth of our exports. Despite the Australian government’s attempts to “normalise” relations, there’s now routine harassment of Australian ships and planes exercising freedom of navigation in the areas Beijing wants to dominate.’