Hungarian Conservative

A bipartisan US Senate delegation visited Budapest over the weekend to exert pressure on the Hungarian parliament to advance the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership. The senators also held consultations with opposition politicians and NGO representatives, and are planning to propose a resolution condemning Hungary.

At the event, visitors will have a chance to acquaint themselves with various dances across different age groups, engage in dance houses, enjoy stage performances, browse through the folk art fair, and participate in handicraft workshops.

One hundred programmes are being organized this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Türkiye. The programmes of the 2024 Hungarian–Turkish cultural season will run concurrently in the two countries for one year.

Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky of Hungary participated in the commemorative run celebrating the anniversary of the foundation of the International Military Sports Council (CISM).

On Saturday, 17 February, Viktor Orbán delivered his 25th State of the Nation address, which was centred around topics such as the scandal surrounding President Katalin Novák, the reinforcement of the child protection system, Hungary’s relationship with the European Union, and the forthcoming EU and US elections.

Among other programmes, between 20 and 23 February the museum’s historians will hold presentations for secondary school students interested in history. During these sessions, students will be able to learn about the Sovietization in the Hungarian countryside after 1945, Communist propaganda posters, and the terror of the ÁVO (the State Protection Authority) between 1945 and 1956.

Applications for the CSS programme are accepted on the Harvard Medical School website, requiring a professional CV, a cover letter, and a letter of recommendation. Early applications and submissions for the supportive scholarship are open until 12 May, with the final application deadline on 26 May.

‘When we put on the costume and the mask, we are busós, not men. A busó without a mask, even if he is wearing a cowbell, traditional trousers, or a haversack, is not a real busó, but a clown showing himself off to tourists.’ A Magyar Krónika report about four masks, four characters, and four different stories, linked forever by the same city and passion!

The renovated heritage buildings, evoking the golden age of Nagyvárad in the early 20th century, remind visitors that after Budapest, Nagyvárad used to be the second most important economic and cultural centre in the region.

MP Fekete-Győr was convicted of assault on a public official, for throwing a smoke grenade at police officers at a 2018 protest. István Hollik of the ruling Fidesz party has called on him to resign, which he is refusing to do.

Balog’s resignation was prompted by a recent scandal that caused public outrage where former President Katalin Novák granted clemency to an accomplice of a convicted paedophile. Novák resigned on 10 February after the events, closely followed by the resignation of former Minister of Justice Judit Varga.

The exhibition, which features Pál Kepenyes’s small sculptures, life-size statues, and large-format photographs of his works, will be open until 9 March at the Aba-Novák Agora Cultural Center.

The exhibition of the two artists, both born in historical Greater Hungary, will be on display for four weeks at the Art and Art History Department of the University of Szeged.

On Saturday, 17 February, Viktor Orbán will deliver his 25th annual State of the Nation Address. This year’s speech holds particular significance as the European Parliament elections draw near.

According to a recent analysis by the Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation, Hungary leads the EU in terms of marriage rate. The government’s family support system and targeted measures play a significant role in this achievement.

The Prime Minister’s political director Balázs Orbán held a book launch at the Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest. The new book, now also available in English, looks at the changing geopolitical world order as well as Hungary’s role and place in it.

The Hungarian women’s water polo team secured a 13–11 victory over Greece in the semi-finals of the Doha World Championships on Wednesday, 14 February. They will face the Olympic champion United States in the final.

According to recently released data, the Hungarian economy has surpassed the EU average in 2023, and is poised to be among the leading countries in 2024 as well.

Despite concessions from the European Commission, farmer protests across Europe show no signs of abating. On 22 February, farmers from the Visegrád Group countries will hold a joint demonstration to protest against EU agricultural policies.

Hungary and Czechia have been the only members of the EU that have consistently declared support for the Israeli government, both before and since the 7 October massacres. Last December, they were among the ten nations that voted against a resolution at the UN General Assembly calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Deputy State Secretary Miklós Dukai led the event honouring the around 38,000 civilian victims who perished during the Siege of Budapest in 1944.

According to a recent survey, Europeans express greater apprehension towards migration and radical Islamist terrorism than towards the threat posed by Russia. The findings of the poll suggest a significant disconnect between the issues European elites focus on and the genuine concerns of the general populace.

According to MCC Brussels Director Frank Füredi, it is crucial to intellectually empower children, and if the quality of teaching does not improve in classrooms, the future of education itself is at risk.

According to Dr Samuel Noble, countries with a predominantly Orthodox Christian population have been able and willing to preserve their traditions. Contrary to the proposition put forth by Samuel Huntington, Dr Noble highlights the primacy of national identity in countries professing Orthodox Christianity, as a result of which, he contends, there has never been a truly unified Orthodox bloc.

The two will be starring in Nuremberg, a historical drama directed by James Vanderbilt about American psychiatrist Douglas M. Kelley’s series of interviews with incarcerated Nazi leader Hermann Göring ahead of the Nuremberg trials.

US foreign policy is set ‘to remain volatile and subject to disruption with changes of government and the whims of the political class. For a country like Hungary—arguably lacking the same geopolitical leverage vis-à-vis Washington—the Salvadoran reality might not offer a blueprint, but it does present a lesson’, our contributor Michael O’Shea argues.

In Hungary, people traditionally think in terms of owning their own homes, which not only provides predictability but also financial security for the next generation.

Fears of a potential second presidential term of Donald Trump have allegedly prompted NATO to devise a plan to assume the coordination of arms deliveries to Ukraine, replacing the United States.

The contract extension for the Hungarian Grand Prix Formula 1 race will cover the comprehensive renovation of the Hungaroring, currently underway and scheduled to be completed by 2026.

The MCC University Programme is unique in Europe, offering small-group, personalized training covering multiple disciplines, complementing traditional higher education in Hungary. Many young people participating in the programme enrol in MCC training already in primary school, becoming part of a cohesive community.