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Heated debates expected by Orbán cabinet at NATO foreign ministers’ informal meeting on Friday

ukraine nato

Heated debates can be expected at Friday’s meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Brussels on Thursday. “We can expect war psychosis to peak and [participants] to support crazier ideas than ever,” he said.

Szijjártó said he did not expect “a friendly atmosphere”, and he warned of “a very dangerous situation”, the ministry quoted him as saying.

“Apparently, our European colleagues have plunged themselves with great vigour into the deepening pits of war psychosis on Monday, and I believe that the presence of the Americans and the British will even stimulate this hysterical state,” he said.

“And I expect the meeting of NATO foreign ministers to be surrounded by an even greater pro-war atmosphere than before…” he said.

Regarding a proposal to allow Ukrainian forces to use Western weapons to fire into Russian territory, he said the Russians far from lacked equipment and were bound to retaliate, leading to “many, many more casualties”.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine would increase the number of weapons on both sides of the front, causing more deaths.

“Even the NATO decision to cross the red line that we drew ourselves two years ago in February is very dangerous. NATO crossed this red line by increasing its own role in coordinating weapons deliveries and the training of Ukrainian soldiers,” he said.

He noted that preparations for NATO’s Ukraine mission had been progressing at full tilt in recent weeks, which was “extremely dangerous” and contrary to the alliance’s original mission, as the organisation was not under attack.

“There is no need to use war rhetoric or create war tension,” the minister said. “This is a defence alliance, not one designed to attack.”

He said the government had made it clear in recent weeks that “no Hungarian soldiers can take part in such operations, no Hungarian territories can be used for such operations and no Hungarian taxpayers funds can be used either.” Yet Hungary was being “put under pressure to join this”, he added.

“Naturally, I will continue to resist tomorrow, and make it clear that there is no way Hungary can be forced to join this operation. And it is still unclear how the mission can go ahead without Hungarian taxpayers’ money being used. So heated debates can be expected tomorrow,” Szijjarto said.

Hello HuGo, a useful app that collects Hungarian-related places in America and builds community

HuGoUSA

The Hello HuGo application was launched in 2021 as a social platform, aiming to collect Hungarian-related places and locations in America. It continuously builds a network of historical, cultural and gastronomic “Hungarian traces” from the War of Independence to the present day.

As we previously reported, the application collects Hungarian-related places in the USA in a user-friendly way. Three years after its launch, the app’s community has collected 1,500 places. It is now used by more than ten thousand people from the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Belgium, France, Mexico, Jamaica and many other countries.

Hello HuGo already has over ten thousand users

According to Anna Smith Lacey, head of the Washington-based Hungary Foundation, which developed the application, it is also a community app. Users can continuously upload places they discover that are related to Hungary. It strengthens the community of Hungarians living in America and is already used by more than ten thousand people worldwide, reports Turizmus.com.

There are downloaders from every continent, with most users from the USA and Hungary. However, users from Australia, Canada, India, Belgium, France, Mexico, Jamaica and many other countries are also interested in Hello HuGo.

The number of places presented is constantly growing, with hundreds of uploads from various states across America. Most of these mention Hungarian-related historical and gastronomical places, such as museums and restaurants. The app also keeps a record of Hungarian communities living in the USA, whose numbers have been increasing in the application’s database. According to Lacey, information about Hungarian events, festivals and camps is also uploaded here.

Hello HuGo is also important for local Hungarians who wish to introduce their culture to their American friends and family members. Additionally, it helps users discover new and interesting places they were previously unfamiliar with.

Hello HuGo app
Photo: FB/ HuGo

Why do they recommend downloading Hello HuGo?

The app provides great help to tourists and visitors travelling to the USA in organising their trips, as well as to students and researchers visiting the USA, by mapping Hungarian-related places and communities. American diplomats often use the application to prepare for their visits to Budapest.

Hello HuGo application
Photo: FB/ HuGo

Lacey notes that it is not surprising that Kossuth is the most popular Hungarian in America, as evidenced by the many statues erected in his honour. Additionally, Hello HuGo’s database includes artists of Hungarian origin who have received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Users can also find information on various topics, such as which restaurants in Alaska serve Hungarian mushroom soup and where to get Hungarian sausage in Las Vegas.

And lastly a bit of fact: the hussar’s figure on the logo refers to a real historical figure. During the War of Independence, a Hungarian hussar named Mihály Kováts played a major role in the formation of the American cavalry and later lost his life in the battles.

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New application allows you to browse all Hungarian sites in the USA – Video

Hungarian food-saving app aims to conquer Europe – Read here

Trump: ‘Orbán doesn’t want war; I don’t want war either’

trump orbán 2024

“If you look at Viktor Orbán, ’cause we don’t want to see wars, I don’t want to see wars,” Donald Trump, the former US president, said in an interview with the podcast Timcast.

Miklos Szantho, the head of the Centre for Fundamental Rights, published the interview on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

The Republican presidential candidate said the US had not taken part in wars besides the conflict with the Islamic State terrorist organisation, “but we completed it one hundred percent”.

“I don’t want wars. I think it’s so horrible, so unnecessary, and so costly in terms of lives and money — in that order — and it destroys these countries,” the former US president said.

Trump said that had he been president at the time the war in Ukraine and the October 7 attack on Israel would never have happened.

Trump called Orbán “a very powerful guy” and quoted the Hungarian prime minister as saying that “the problem with the world today is that Donald Trump is no longer president.”

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VIDEO, PHOTOS: boxing legend Holyfield shadowboxes in Hungarian Parliament, meets with Orbán

Holyfield in Budapest, Hungary

Boxing legend Evander Holyfield bid farewell to Budapest in his own unique way. He performed shadowboxing in the hall of one of Hungary’s most beautiful buildings and made a video to commemorate the occasion.

Holyfield attended the Vasas Jégcentrum for Friday night’s professional gala, which featured a farewell bout for the famous Hungarian boxer Balázs Bacskai. The event was a success, with Bacskai triumphing over Denmark’s Kim Poulsen in the main event of the evening and securing the WBO European middleweight title belt from star guest Evander Holyfield.

Holyfield, the American boxing legend, also met Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who hosted him and his wife at the Karmelita.

 

Holyfield, who competed from 1984 to 2011, first became the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s. He remains the only boxer in history to win undisputed titles in two weight classes during the three-belt era. Nicknamed “The Real Deal”, Holyfield is the only four-time heavyweight world champion, holding the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles from 1993 to 1994, a third WBA title from 1996 to 1999, the IBF title for a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.

One of his most memorable fights was the legendary Las Vegas bout where Mike Tyson infamously bit his ear.

Holyfield participated in several events while in Budapest:

 

Holyfield has now also bid goodbye to the Hungarian capital on his Instagram. The description of his post suggests that Holyfield plans to return to Hungary. He also posted a video showcasing his shadowboxing moves on his social media platform.

 

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It’s official: the next Hungarian astronaut has been selected

Hungarian astronaut

In line with the final decision of an expert committee, Tibor Kapu has been selected as the Hungarian astronaut to be sent to space and his backup will be Gyula Cserényi, the foreign minister said on Monday.

The ministry cited Péter Szijjártó as saying before setting off for a European Union foreign ministers’ meeting in Brusssels that Kapu and Cserényi will undergo the last phase of training.

240 people applied for the mission, from which, through a very complex process, experts finally selected four candidates who underwent extensive training ranging from space dynamics to light aircraft pilot training, various physical tests and scientific work.

Kapu is a 32-year-old mechanical engineer with a background in battery development in the automotive industry, and Cserényi is a 35-year-old electrical engineer, he added.

The two men were among four candidates in the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) programme.

Hungary will send an astronaut to the International Space Station, with the cooperation of US-based Axiom Space, for a 30-day research mission at the end of 2024 or early in 2025. They will have to perform very serious tasks, both in terms of physical and mental endurance, as the next Hungarian astronaut will have to endure, for example, a 48-hour journey in a capsule, almost in one place, until they reach the International Space Station. They will both undergo the same training, so if for some reason a replacement is needed, they will not lose any of the work they have done so far.

The other two candidates will support the mission as senior staff in the ground support unit.

As we wrote in March, Hungary has signed a framework agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) on cooperation in its national research astronaut programme, details HERE.

As we wrote earlier, first Hungarian mass-produced satellite could be in orbit in a few years, details HERE.

Hungarian National Defence Day held in Washington

national defence day washington

Hungary supports all international initiatives aimed at bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine, Szabolcs Takács, Hungary’s Ambassador to the United States, told a ceremony in Washington on Tuesday, marking National Defence Day.

In his address to officials and diplomats, Takács pointed out the need for peace and a ceasefire in the interests of Ukraine and its people, and called for urgent peace talks.

The ambassador said it was especially important that NATO remain a defence alliance focused on deterrence, which meant that it had to stay out of the conflict in Ukraine. He said Hungary was doing its part in upholding Euro-Atlantic security, noting that it was now spending 2.43 percent of its GDP on defence, and had tripled its defence budget in less than a decade.

Takács hailed the “success story” of NATO’s first 75 years and noted that 2024 also marks the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to the alliance. He underscored Hungary’s commitment and expressed its intention to expand military cooperation with the Ohio National Guard.

Tuesday’s ceremony at the Hungarian embassy was attended by Major General John C. Harris, Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard. Harris told MTI that the strength of the cooperation between the Hungarian Armed Forces and the National Guard stemmed from its continuity over 31 years. He said there were currently several members of the Ohio National Guard taking part in a joint exercise in Hungary.

The ceremony was also attended by Sonata Coulter, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and Brigadier General Timothy M. Brower, the National Guard Bureau’s Vice Director for Strategy, Policy, Plans and International Affairs.

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Orbán’s party: Joe Biden and his man in Budapest want to squeeze Hungary into the war

President Joe Biden.

Tamás Menczer, the communications director of Fidesz, has pointed out on his social media page that Joe Biden and David Pressman want to squeeze Hungary into the war.

Here is the full text of the post:

“The situation is known and clear: the Hungarian government wants peace, Joe Biden and his man in Budapest, David Pressman, want the war to continue.
They want to squeeze Hungary into the war.
Joe Biden’s chief of staff has made it clear: they want to send troops to Ukraine. Let there be no doubt, they would take Hungarian soldiers to Ukraine to die.
For us, the peace of Hungary is the most important thing, and we want to protect the peace of our country!
We need an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and peace negotiations.
We are sure that Donald Trump would be able to bring peace, and if he had led America, this war might not have broken out.”

Foreign Minister Szijjártó also said a few days before, War can end if right wing dominates EP and Trump is re-elected

A few days ago Ambassador Pressman’s remarks at the McCain Institute‘s #SedonaForum2024, the US embassy highlighted a few statements: 

“Hungary continues to deepen its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party without regard for the risks Beijing presents to the security of Hungary and its NATO and EU partners.”

“I wouldn’t overstate the partisan nature of the relationship… I think there is a surprising amount of bipartisanship with respect to concern with what we’re seeing in Hungary.”

“The clarity with which we are speaking is an outstretched hand. Hungary is not a country we are trying to push away; this is a country we are trying to pull closer.”

“Hungary is our friend. We want Hungary close to us. We do not want Hungary alone.”

Washington Post: US conservatives should not ally with China-friendly Orbán – details HERE

Hungary’s government rejects pressure on energy policy

szijjártó

Hungary’s government rejects all attempts at political pressure on where it buys its energy, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Tokyo on Tuesday, adding that national interests would always determine the government’s energy policy.

The three major crises faced by the world over the last five years all had a negative impact on energy markets, putting countries without a coastline or an abundance of gas or oil fields in an especially difficult situation, Szijjártó said at the Global Energy Security Talks conference, according to a ministry statement.

In his address, Szijjártó warned of mounting ideological and political pressure on energy markets, saying the recent period had demonstrated the importance of carrying out a responsible energy policy. He said this involved the government ensuring a country’s uninterrupted energy supply while also taking into consideration environmental protection aspects.

Szijjártó said this was only possible “if we get rid of the ideological approach and . if we get rid of hypocrisy”. Hungary, he added, stood by its position that energy supply was not a matter of ideology or politics, but one of physics and mathematics.

He noted that the sanctions imposed in response to the war in Ukraine had resulted in an energy crisis, while western Europeans “are proud of themselves that they got rid of Russian energy sources”. He added, however, that in reality, they were instead importing oil through third countries like India, and Russia also had the biggest share of western European LNG imports.

The minister also discussed the problem of pressure to diversify energy sources when the European Union did not want to contribute to infrastructure developments and spoke out against discrimination against nuclear energy.

Szijjártó said the Hungarian government rejected all forms of political pressure on where it chooses to buy its energy from and would always choose the best solution according to national interests.

He said decisions concerning the energy mix must remain within the EU’s national competence, and they should also consider a member state’s circumstances.

Hungary, he said, viewed the green transition as a means to preserving the planet rather as a political ideology or a monopoly. He added that Hungary was one of 21 countries that had managed to increase its GDP while reducing its harmful emissions.

Szijjártó underlined the need to find a balance between boosting competitiveness and environmental protection.

He highlighted three prerequisites for a responsible, carbon-neutral global energy policy of the future. The first, he said, was to ensure the role of nuclear energy, arguing that industrial growth would double the demand for electricity by the end of the decade, and nuclear reactors were the cheapest, safest and most sustainable energy sources for satisfying it.

He noted that the ongoing upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant involved a Russian general contractor in addition to American, German and French companies, adding that this could offer hope for a return to peaceful international cooperation.

Szijjártó said the second requirement was the transport sector’s transition to electric vehicles, on which a political decision has already been made in Europe. He added that this was also impossible without global cooperation, highlighting Hungary as a key meeting point for the sector’s Eastern and Western players.

Thirdly, Szijjártó underlined the need infrastructure developments related to energy supply, saying there was “no unnecessary infrastructure”.

He said the Hungarian government understood “diversification” of its energy supply to mean tapping new sources rather than replacing existing ones. He said this process was under way despite the EU not financing infrastructure developments in southeast Europe, arguing that gas would no longer be part of the energy mix in 15 years’ time.

“They might be right . but there are 14 winters to go, for which we have to ensure the safe supply of energy,” he said, adding that it was important to “avoid any kind of aggressive, artificially quick phase-out of gas from the national energy mixes”.

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Orbán’s foreign ministry accuses US President Biden with prolonging the war

Orbán cabinet says the United State puts constant pressure onto Hungary

US President Joe Biden and David Pressman, the American ambassador to Budapest, want a prolonged war in Ukraine, the communications director of the Fidesz party said on Facebook on Sunday.

Menczer wrote that Biden “and his man in Budapest” also wanted to force Hungary into participating in the war.

“Let there be no doubt: they would take Hungarian soldiers to Ukraine to die,” he said, adding that for Hungary peace and safeguarding peace in the country was of paramount importance.

“We’re sure that Donald Trump would manage to establish peace,” Menczer said. “Indeed, had he been leading America, this war might not even have broken out in the first place.”

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FM Szijjártó: War can end if right wing dominates EP and Trump is re-elected

trump szijjártó us hungary foreign minister

The best chance of ending the war in Ukraine is if the European Parliament take a turn rightwards and if Donald Trump is re-elected as US president, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said at a campaign event near Budapest on Monday.

Szijjártó talks about war, EP and Trump

Chances of ending the war in short order appeared slim for now, partly because the majority of European political leaders were in a state of “war psychosis”, he said.

No one had attacked the European Union, any European country or NATO, he said, warning that Western responses may end up risking escalation and a third world war.

It was “appalling”, he added, that some European leaders had even brought up the use of nuclear weapons.

No solution on the battlefield existed, the minister said, adding that a settlement could only be reached through diplomacy.

“If Donald Trump wins and there is a right-wing turn in the European Parliament elections on June 9, nothing right now offers a better chance of ending the war,” he said.

trump szijjártó us hungary foreign minister
Photo: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter

Meanwhile, he said Hungary’s media were “the freest in Europe” as well as the most diverse.

Addressing Hungary’s child protection law, he said that in Brussels it was “a capital crime” for anyone to state that a family consists of “a father, mother and children, and that the father is a man and the mother is a woman”. He added that Hungary was not receiving EU funds because of its stance on the matter.

Szijjarto said Brussels was seriously breaking the law. “Someone must take responsibility for the fact that tens of billions of euros have not arrived for the development of Hungary,” he said.

Even so, Hungary had proven its economic viability without EU funds, he said.

Regarding relations with China, the minister said European countries were in fierce competition with each other for investments from China, especially as regards the electric car industry, and Chinese batteries were needed for German electric cars. “This is what the transition of the European green car industry looks like right now,” he said.

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Thousands visit Hungary’s embassy in Washington on EU Open House event

Hungary's embassy in Washington

Hungary’s embassy in Washington, DC, welcomed close to 3,000 visitors at the EU Open House event organised on the weekend to mark Europe Day.

Hungary’s embassy in Washington

The program is organised every year by the embassies of European Union member states in the US capital with the aim to introduce their countries to American visitors.

The event at the embassy on Saturday offered cultural programmes and a gastronomy show as well as film screenings and arts and crafts workshops for children.

Charge d’affaires Pál Péter Schmitt said that a desk had been set up at the event for providing information to Hungarian citizens living in the United States on the voting procedure at the June EP elections.

Several organisations of the Hungarian diaspora presented themselves at the event, including the Kossuth Foundation and the Hungarian American Coalition.

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Washington Post: US conservatives should not ally with China-friendly Orbán

trump orbán 2024

A recent op-ed in The Washington Post expressed harsh criticism of US conservatives who ally themselves with Viktor Orbán. The issue: the latter’s close ties with China.

Marc A. Thiessen, a conservative columnist for The Washington Post, starts his latest opinion piece on US-Hungarian political relations with a punchy title that sets the tone for the rest of his argument. “Hungary’s leader should be radioactive to the right,” he declares, following up with “Why does CPAC love him?”

Thiessen goes on to ask the rhetorical:

“What do the nationalist right and the Chinese Communist Party have in common? They both love Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.”

Conservatives from both sides of the ocean gathered at CPAC Hungary

Indeed, as we reported, Hungary hosted the international Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for the third time between 25 and 26 April. Speakers over the two days included Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia, Simone Billi, MP of the Italian LEGA, and Paul Gosar, Member of Congress from Arizona.

US Senatorial candidate from Arizona Kari Lake declared that Orbán “delivered historic peace and prosperity” to Hungary, while former Republican senator Rick Santorum praised Orbán’s efforts to protect children in their faith. Multiple other US conservatives spoke about issues of illegal migrants, “gender ideology,” wokeism, left-wing politics, globalism, economics, and their vision for the upcoming presidential election in the United States.

hungarian us conservatives cpac 2024
An attendee at CPAC Hungary 2024.
Photo: Andor Elekes / Wikimedia Commons

On the second day of the conference, a video message from Donald Trump was shown in which he lauded the “epic struggle” of Hungarian and US conservatives to liberate the nation from “sinister forces” that want to tarnish their way of life and sovereignty. Trump said that he considers Orbán a great man, who he looks forward to working with once more when he wins the presidency again.

CPAC Hungary’s website summarises the event that attracted 3,000 participants, nearly 500 of whom came from foreign countries this way: “A coalition of pro-peace, anti-globalist forces was formed at the third conservative jamboree, and now the international right from Europe to America is joining forces for the elections.”

Washington Post publicist takes issue with US conservatives partnering with Orbán

Thiessen did not look at the CPAC jamboree favourably, raising multiple issues that he has with the Orbán government. First, he recalls Orbán’s now infamous speech in Tusnádfürdő, declaring that Hungarians do not want to become “peoples of mixed race.” Then, he mentions the recent scandal following the presidential pardoning of a paedophile helper. Finally, he calls attention to Orbán’s open support of Vladimir Putin’s regime.

“If that is not enough to make Orban radioactive to the American right (and shame on those for whom it is not),” he goes on “how about Orban’s embrace of Chinese dictator Xi Jinping?”

According to Thiessen, US conservatives should all be united in the recognition that China poses an existential threat to America and the free world as a whole. If this recognition exists, US conservatives should have no business with Orbán, who has turned Hungary into the closest European ally of China.

Thiessen lists a wide array of events, all of which we have written about extensively, as signs of the growing Chinese influence in Hungarian politics. Some of these examples include

All of this is part of the Eastern Opening (Keleti Nyitás) plan of the Hungarian government, which aims to reduce the country’s dependence on the West.

Thiessen’s assessment of those US conservatives who, despite all, still favour Viktor Orbán is scathing. Here, we quote his conclusion:

“If Orban wants to embrace a brutal Communist dictator, that is his choice. But why would U.S. conservatives then embrace him? […] So-called national conservatives look past Orban’s love for anti-U.S. tyrants because they see him as a champion of antiglobalist, anti-open-borders, pro-family policies. Well, so are Polish President Andrzej Duda and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. They both manage to fight for strong family policies and defend the importance of the nation-state without simultaneously standing by genocidal dictators.”

“Orban’s blood-and-soil nationalism is inimical to U.S. conservatism, because what we are trying to conserve is not race or ethnicity but an idea: the idea of human freedom and the principles contained in our Declaration of Independence. Orban has embraced the enemies of those principles. By embracing Orban, the Heritage Foundation and CPAC are supporting the spread of Communist China’s malevolent influence in the West and undermining the national security interests of the United States. Sorry, but there is nothing conservative about that.”

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Senior Microsoft executives visits Hungary – UPDATE

microsoft

Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Monday after meeting senior Microsoft executives that Hungary’s economy is ready for a paradigm shift towards broadening research and development and boosting its technological level.

In a post on Facebook, Szijjártó thanked the executives for Microsoft’s activities in Hungary and for providing high-level job opportunities for more than one hundred people.

He referred to the “vast strides” Hungary’s economy had made in the past 14 years, with new records being broken in investment, exports, and employment.

Szijjártó said the next level of development would entail speeding up digitalisation, increasing the workforce in technology-related areas, and improving training, adding that in these endeavours Hungary counted on Microsoft as a strategic partner.

The minister said that at the meeting, the officials assessed the European Union’s competitiveness challenges and agreed that various regulatory changes were needed in Brussels to ensure the bloc’s competitiveness.

read also:

  • NATO to expand innovation network in Hungary – details HERE
  • Submarine data cable from Hungary to Egypt, details HERE

UPDATE

National economy minister meets Microsoft executives

Márton Nagy, the national economy minister, met with Microsoft executives in Budapest on Tuesday, including Robert Ivanschitz, the company’s Associate General Counsel for Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMA).

According to a statement by Nagy’s ministry, the main topics of the meeting were Hungary’s plans when it takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of the year, regulatory issues surrounding artificial intelligence, and the possibilities of using AI in the public sector.

The sides were in agreement that the use of advanced technologies like 5G, Big Data and AI have become the most important “breakout points” for the world’s economies.

Nagy said regarding the regulation of AI that for the government AI is primarily a matter of competitiveness. Regulations that support European businesses and developments and reduce the exposure of SMEs are needed, he added. The minister said the acceptable approach was one that protects individuals and institutions but doesn’t limit technological development or needlessly increase red tape and provides member states enough room for manoeuvre.

That was why, he said, European autonomy and sovereignty needed to be strengthened in the field of AI as well, and called for supporting national language models.

The digital economy accounts for 25 percent of Hungary’s GDP, Nagy said, noting that the government’s goal was for Hungary to be among the EU’s ten most digitally advanced countries by 2030.

By making efficient use of the opportunities offered by new technologies and thereby gaining a competitive advantage on the market, Hungarian economic players contribute in a meaningful way to the government’s endeavour to restart the economy this year and further increase its pace of growth in 2025, the minister said.

Trump: Hungarians fight to save Western civilisation

trump szijjártó us hungary foreign minister

Former US President Donald Trump praised Hungarians’ efforts to protect Western civilisation, freedom, the family and Judeo-Christian culture in a video message for the Conservative Political Action Conference Hungary (CPAC Hungary) in Budapest on Friday.

Trump: Proud to have worked with Orbán

“I am honoured to address so many patriots in Hungary who are proudly fighting on the frontlines of the battle to rescue Western civilisation. Together we are engaged in an epic struggle to liberate our nations from all the sinister forces who want to destroy them,” Trump said.

Trump said he had been “proud” to work with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as president, to protect the values and interests of Hungarians and Americans.

“We cracked down on illegal immigration, protected our borders, created jobs and defended our traditions and Judeo-Christian values,” he said.

He said he was looking forward to working with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán again, as the next US president.

“As long as we remain united in our vision, true to our principles, and fearless about defending our values, conservatives will win the battle to save our civilisation from the communists, marxists and fascists, and restore the reign of conservatism and common sense to the world,” Trump said.

Orbán, Morawiecki: Hungarians, Poles fighting together in Brussels

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki an old fellow soldier at a meeting in Orbán’s office in Budapest, the PM’s press chief said on Friday.

Bertalan Havasi cited Orbán as saying that Hungarians and Poles were fighting together in Brussels for sovereignty, for stopping migration, and for the protection of families and children.

The two nations will continue to stand for their values “that leftists want to eliminate”, and resist everything they want to force on them, Orbán and Morawiecki said.

Orbán discusses illegal migration with Vox leader

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spain’s Vox party, in his office in Budapest on Friday, to discuss the fight against illegal migration, the PM’s press chief said.

The migration crisis posed serious threats to Spain and Hungary, and those countries should take “the firmest possible action”, Bertalan Havasi cited Orbán and Abascal as saying. Europe must be protected, and no one should be allowed to enter without permission, they said.

Abascal said that Spain’s leftist parties had recently awarded citizenship to migrants, which he called a very dangerous decision. Orbán said Hungary would never vote for such a step.

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Trump: Can’t wait to work with Viktor Orbán again as President! – VIDEO

trump orbán 2024

As usual, the second day of the CPAC Hungary conference started with a video message from Donald Trump today. He talked about having worked with and looking forward to working with Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán.

In a short video, the former US president spoke about the “epic struggle” to liberate our nations from the “sinister forces” that want to take away our culture, our sovereignty and our way of life.

Trump said that he was proud to have worked with Viktor Orbán as President, whom he considers a great man. The former president said that both he and the Hungarian prime minister had successfully tackled illegal immigration, created jobs and protected their country’s culture, Telex writes.

Trump: I look forward to working with Orbán

“I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Orbán once again when I take the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States,” Trump said optimistically.

Watch the video the former President sent to CPAC Hungary below:

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Orbán cabinet: Joe Biden attacks us because we are pro-peace

Biden administration

US President Joe Biden’s “pro-war” Democratic government has again attacked Hungary in its democracy report because of Hungary’s pro-peace position, the communications director of the ruling alliance of Fidesz and the Christian Democrats said on Tuesday.

Joe Biden attacked Hungary?

Tamás Menczer said on Facebook that “the obvious cause of the attack is that we stand on the side of peace and we do not allow them to push us into this war [in Ukraine]”.

Menczer, a former foreign affairs and foreign economy state secretary, said a report prepared by the Hungarian foreign ministry in connection with the state of democracy in the US showed that four million illegal migrants were arriving to the US through the southern border per year and “they almost all disappear on the radar of the authorities”.

He cited Florida Senator Marco Rubio as saying that it was the first time in modern US history that the southern border was being controlled by Mexican drug cartels instead of the US government.

Surveys show that 75 percent of Americans consider the immigrant crisis a serious problem and despite this, Biden was “destroying” border protection measures, Menczer said.

The US has also accused Hungary of anti-Semitism, yet in reality, members of the Jewish community are in the greatest safety in Hungary among all European countries, he said.

“Considering all these facts, our American friends should in fact mind their own business,” Menczer said.

“No matter how much they try to push us into the war, no matter what pressure they put on us, we are on the side of peace,” he added.

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Phenomenal success: CNN selects Budapest metro line as the world’s best

Budapest M1 metro line

CNN has selected an iconic Budapest metro line as one of the world’s best, citing it as a revolutionary advancement in metropolitan public transport.

Budapest metro line among the world’s best

According to Mandiner’s report about CNN’s heart-warming choice, CNN has singled out the Budapest Metro Line M1, inaugurated in 1896, as one of the world’s 18 best metro systems.

In their article, the authors noted that London boasted the world’s first subterranean railway lines, with the inaugural British subway carrying passengers in 1863. Presently, it comprises 272 stations, spans 400 kilometres and encompasses 11 lines.

The first underground railway system in London operated with steam trains, while Budapest pioneered the electrified subway system. The iconic Budapest Metro Line M1, opening in 1896, coincided with the millennium year.

Budapest metro line M1
Photo: Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Celebrating the millennium with a metro line

The Kingdom of Hungary was at the height of its power in 1867, marked by the compromise with the Habsburg emperor, propelling Hungary towards rapid economic growth. Among other accomplishments, Budapest, the magnificent capital city, emerged on both banks of the Danube, with its numerous castles, palaces, parks and baths.

In 1896, the nation celebrated the millennium of the Conquest of the Carpathian Basin, with the completion of landmarks like Heroes’ Square, City Park, Andrássy Avenue and other emblematic public spaces and buildings in the capital. Budapest mirrored the capital of a global power, which the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy represented in those days.

Millennium Underground, Budapest metro line, transport
Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Florian Fevre

The world’s first electrified underground line

Thus, it is not surprising that Hungarian politicians conceived something groundbreaking, birthing the idea of the world’s first electrified underground subway system. Electric lighting illuminated both the stations and the train cars, with the pioneering use of an overhead wire system to power the trains.

Metro Line M1 connects the famous Heroes’ Square with the city centre, running mostly underneath Andrássy Avenue.

Its purpose was to divert crowds heading to the City Park from the illustrious Andrássy Street to the subterranean railway.

According to CNN, it still transports 80,000 passengers daily, many of whom are tourists. You can find its timetable HERE.

Is Metro line M1 facing serious problems?

As we reported HERE, it may face closure due to the hazardous state of its carriages. The carriages of Budapest Metro Line M1, designed to operate for 40 years and cover 2.1 million kilometres, have exceeded their intended lifespan, catering to over 40 thousand daily passengers in Budapest, as per Népszava’s report. Endre Bíró, Chairman of the Metróért Egyesület (‘For the Metro Association’), underscored the growing risk of accidents, citing damages incurred during operation and the necessity for replacement due to material fatigue.

However, the new train carriages would cost EUR 5.3 million, and the line would require at least 22. Neither the government nor the municipal council have that money. Everyone awaits financial assistance from the European Union.

Read also:

  • The secrets of Budapest Metro Line 1 – Read more HERE
  • Dubai in Hungary: Budapest’s over 100-year-old metro line may be extended

Think-tank: Trump, Orbán fighting the same fight

Donald Trump Viktor Orbán

Former US President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán are the only ones who can see clearly that the policy of open borders, “woke madness” and the constant escalation of war could come to a very sudden devastating end, the head of the Center for Fundamental Rights said in Tampa Bay, Florida.

In a statement, the think-tank cited Miklós Szánthó as telling the congress of the Young Republican National Federation that this was the reason why 2024 was considered an “election super year”.

He said the US would be holding the “most defining election” of its history, while Europeans would be facing their own “greatest test” in June.

Szánthó said both the US’ and Hungary’s enemy in their respective elections were “the deep state and the swamp”, adding it was “pointless” to look for differences between the two.

Concerning the meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Budapest (CPAC Hungary) later this month, he said “we will drain the swamp in both Brussels and Washington”.

Read also:

  • Would the majority of Hungarians be happy if Trump won? – HERE is the answer
  • Trump ‘guarantee of peace, good Hungary-US relations’, says Hungarian foreign minister in NY