Hungarian government

Hungarian finance minister: AI opens new era in taxation

Artificial intelligence will usher in a new era in taxation, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said at the Tax Administration European Union Summit (TADEUS) in Budapest on Thursday.

AI opens new era in taxation

Varga told the heads of the tax administrations in the EU that the Hungarian government had established one of the most competitive tax systems in the world over the past decade. The National Tax and Customs Authority (NAV) is at the forefront in terms of digitalisation, he added, pointing to electronic systems for invoicing and monitoring flow of goods, and its preparation of several million tax returns each year.

Since 2010, government measures to crack down on tax evasion have reduced the VAT gap from 22pc close to 4pc, while the tax-to-GDP ratio has fallen from 40pc to 35pc, the third-biggest decline in the EU, Varga said.

He said Hungary was in 7th place in the latest annual ranking by the Tax Foundation of OECD countries’ tax competitiveness.

Varga said the meeting, held in the framework of Hungary’s six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, was a good occasion to summarise results and plans, and exchange information.

Mihály Varga AI opens new era in taxation — Photo: Facebook / Varga Mihály

European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra welcomed the participants in a video message.

Gerassimos Thomas, the director-general of the European Commission‘s DG for taxation and Customs Union, said the new EC was tasked with boosting the efficiency of taxation and fostering closer cooperation and more exchanges of information between tax authorities.

NAV president Ferenc Vagújhelyi said the two-day forum was an opportunity to share best practices.

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December 12, 2024

Orbán cabinet: Fake news on Syrian president’s arrival in Budapest could be coordinated secret services operation

Fake news lacking any factual basis about the ousted Syrian president landing in Budapest resulted in a dangerous situation, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday, adding it was possible that a “coordinated secret services operation” was behind the reports.

What’s behind the fake news about the Syrian president’s arrival in Budapest?

Gergely Gulyás told a regular press briefing that it could not be ruled out that the reports did not just result from human error but a “coordinated secret services operation”.

A national security investigation is under way which is expected to reveal whether those that spread the fake news were also part of the secret services operation or they were “merely useful idiots who could be used by other states for their own purposes,” Gulyás said.

He added that the Hungarian services had to make great efforts as early as on Sunday to refute the fake news.

Gulyás said that as a result of the fake news, employees of the Hungarian foreign representative office and Hungarians living in the country had come under threat, protection had to be provided for the Syrian embassy in Budapest, and an increased risk of terrorist activity had to be calculated with.

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December 12, 2024

Hungarian FM Szijjártó: Hungary to veto EU sanctions against Georgia officials if necessary

Hungary’s government believes the European Union’s proposal to impose sanctions on Georgia’s interior minister and two police officials is “nonsensical and uncalled for”, and will veto the motion if necessary, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Tuesday.

Szijjártó meets Georgian FM

Hungary and Georgia are both led by patriotic governments “against which the liberal mainstream has launched serious ideological and political attacks”, Szijjártó said at a joint press conference with Georgian counterpart Maka Botchorishvili, according to a ministry statement.

The minister said Botchorishvili’s first foreign visit was to Hungary, which had come at a time “when both countries constantly have to fight to preserve their sovereignty amid the current extraordinary security challenges”.

Szijjártó, Georgia's FM — Photo: Facebook / Szijjártó Péter

Szijjártó congratulated Georgia’s ruling party on its recent election victory, saying the electorate in the South Caucasus country had “made its will clear”.

“They elected a pro-peace, pro-family, patriotic conservative government, and as it usually happens in a case like this, the liberal mainstream got upset over this,” Szijjártó said. “Because typically, if an election is won by a conservative, patriotic party, the liberal mainstream immediately questions the democratic nature of the political system, and if it’s won by a liberal party, they celebrate the fantastic rule of democracy.”

He said the situation was the same in Georgia, arguing that if the opposition had won “Brussels would be saying that democracy has never been in better shape”. But now, he said, “they’re trying to ignore the will of the people and are questioning the outcome of the election”.

“This is a very repulsive, transparent, and now a very boring game of the liberal mainstream, which we reject,” he said.

Szijjártó expressed his support for Georgia’s European Union aspirations, underlining that Budapest would provide all the help it could to speed up the process, but Brussels’s approach, he added, was alienating the country.

He criticised a recent resolution approved by the European Parliament concerning Georgia, which, he said, took “a humiliating tone towards an entire nation”.

“We reject this… The European Parliament has a pro-war, liberal, left-wing majority which constantly attacks those who speak openly about peace,” Szijjártó said.

He also said that “minutes ago”, Brussels had put forward a proposal to impose sanctions on Georgia’s interior minister and two of its police officials.

“This is nonsensical, outrageous and totally uncalled for,” Szijjártó said. “Hungary firmly opposes placing Georgian government officials on sanctions lists, and if such a proposal is drafted, we will, of course, veto it.”

He encouraged Georgians to continue to stand up for themselves and their national sovereignty.

As regards bilateral relations, he welcomed the progress made on the implementation of a strategic partnership agreement signed two years ago.

Bilateral trade turnover is up 34 percent this year, and Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air remains a market leader in Georgia’s air travel sector, Szijjártó said. Hungarian pharmaceutical exports to Georgia are on the rise, Hungary offers university scholarships to 80 Georgian students each year, and the two countries are working to enable the central European import of green energy, he added.

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December 11, 2024

French newspaper predict Orbán’s downfall: Is Hungary on the brink of change?

An analytical piece in the French conservative daily Le Point offers a fresh perspective on Viktor Orbán’s current challenges, asserting that the Hungarian Prime Minister is navigating one of the most turbulent phases of his political career.

According to the article, opinion polls, economic difficulties and domestic and foreign policy challenges are all contributing to Orbán’s sharp decline in popularity. The article draws data from a recent survey by Medián, which shows that the opposition Tisza Party led by Péter Magyar, has gained a significant lead over Fidesz.

Orbán German carmaking industry — Photo: depositphotos.com

Public opininon: A change brewing?

According to Index, the French newspaper cited Medián’s survey, which showed that the Tisza party already leads Fidesz by 11 percentage points among voters who are sure of their vote. In recent weeks, Fidesz’s support has plummeted from 32% to 27%, a significant drop. At the same time, the opposition party has consolidated its lead, which could pose a serious challenge to Orbán’s fourteen-year rule. The paper emphasised that the scale of the change increasingly suggests that Hungarian voters are ready to turn away from the current government.

Orban’s government is also under pressure in its relations with the EU. The newspaper speculates that Hungary could lose up to EUR 1 billion in EU funds by the end of the year if it fails to implement reforms demanded by Brussels. The article details that these reforms concern transparency in public procurement, the fight against corruption and compliance with conflict-of-interest rules. The freezing of EU funds, which currently stand at around EUR 16 billion, could put Hungary under severe financial pressure.

The French newspaper also pointed out that Hungarian voters’ political choices are currently heavily influenced by the economic difficulties they face in their daily lives. Following the record 17% inflation in 2023, figures dropped to 4% in 2024, against an EU average of 2.3%. The European Commission forecasts that Hungary’s public debt could reach 74.3% of GDP this year, driven by low GDP growth and a high budget deficit. These indicators paint a negative picture of the state of the economy and undermine the government’s economic performance.

A new opposition: Péter Magyar and the Tisza Party

Le Point has a special focus on Péter Magyar, the leader of the Tisza Party, who was once a close ally of Viktor Orbán but has now become one of his main political opponents. Péter Magyar’s strategy differs from previous opposition approaches: rather than focusing on rule of law issues, he is drawing attention to the decline in Hungarian living standards and public services. In his speech to the European Parliament, for instance, Magyar compared Hungary’s minimum wages with those of other countries in the region, highlighting the weaknesses of the government’s economic policies.

PM Orbán and Péter Magyar Tisza party — Photo: FB/Magyar

The state of the Hungarian health sector emerges as a pressing concern in Le Point’s analysis. Péter Magyar delivered a scathing critique of the system’s deficiencies, highlighting that one in three Hungarians under the age of 65 faces significant challenges due to a shortfall of 40,000 nurses. Hospitals often lack essential supplies such as disinfectants and cleaning agents, underscoring the sector’s critical condition. Furthermore, the emigration of young people—central to Péter Magyar’s broader critique—has profound implications not only for Hungary but also for several countries across the region. However, the potential social and economic repercussions are particularly acute for Hungary.

In response to these challenges, Viktor Orbán may increasingly pivot away from negotiating with the European Union and instead seek alliances with the United States, notably with Donald Trump. According to Le Point, this strategic shift could gain momentum as the next general election approaches, driven both by mounting domestic political pressure and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding EU funding.

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December 10, 2024

Government county commissioner tells Budapest Mayor Karácsony to ‘comply with law’

The government commissioner of Budapest has told the city’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, to comply with the law and desist from pushing through an “unlawful budget”.

Government commissioner calls on Karácsony

Botond Sára said in a video uploaded to Facebook that Karácsony should refrain from pressing ahead with his “next unlawful measure”, accusing him of working to push an “unlawful budget” through the city assembly, saying “he doesn’t want to pay the 50 billion forints” [EUR 121.3m] in solidarity tax “that poorer localities are entitled to”.

“This is no solution to the municipality’s plight, which is close to insolvency,” Sára said. He said Karácsony was “playing for time” and this would worsen the city’s already difficult situation. “Of course, we will challenge [any] unlawful decision.”

In response, Karácsony said in a post on Facebook that a government office challenge against the Budapest budget would put the municipality’s operations at risk.

“This means, no less, that the government wants to force the city into insolvency,” he said.

He said the government office was running afoul of a municipal court decision that said “over-taxing Budapest is tantamount to confiscation”. “The government insists on taxes which the Constitutional Court has said are contrary to the right of local authorities to financial autonomy enshrined in Hungary’s Fundamental Law,” he said.

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December 10, 2024

Hungarian defence minister: ‘Blackmailers’ failed to thwart operation of Defence Purchase Agency

“Blackmailers” have failed to obstruct the work of the Defence Procurement Agency (VBU), the defence minister told parliament’s defence and law enforcement committee on Tuesday, adding press reports suggesting that procurements had faltered as a result were wrong.

Hungarian defence minister talks about ‘blackmailers’

Socialist lawmaker Tamás Harangozó and Jobbik MP László György Lukács initiated the hearing of defence minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Norbert Tajti, the director-general of the Military National Security Service, pointing to press reports that the VBU had suffered an “unprecedented attack constituting a severe risk to national security”. Harangozó complained that the committee had not been briefed on the attack.

Fidesz MP Lajos Kósa noted that the national security committee has been briefed on the case.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that cyberattacks were a frequent occurrence, and the group that attacked VBU had recently obtained similar data from the authority’s Czech counterpart. As an independent company, VBU is responsible for the security of its own IT system, which was not connected to that of the Armed Forces, the Defence Ministry or the Military National Security Service, he said.

This, the defence minister added, was a guarantee that no data pertaining to military capacity or national security had been divulged.

An assessment of the exact data stolen is under way, he said, adding that the data on procurements leaked so far had been in the public domain before the attack.

“The government neither negotiates with criminals nor pays them,” he said, adding that an international investigation is under way. He noted that he had also launched an inquiry and removed the then-head of the agency. The new head of VBU, Major General Attila Simon, has a background in special operations, he added.

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December 10, 2024

PM Orbán meets Trump, Musk in Florida

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met US President-elect Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on Monday. Elon Musk and Michael Waltz also attended the meeting, the PM’s press chief said.

FM Szijjártó accompanied PM Orbán

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and 4iG chief executive Gellért Jászai was also present, Bertalan Havasi said.

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December 10, 2024

Orbán cabinet sends letter to EP groups on Hungary’s exclusion from Erasmus scheme

Balázs Hankó, the minister for culture and innovation, has sent a letter to leaders of European parliamentary groups urging them to “take a stand” regarding the exclusion of Hungarian students from the EU’s Erasmus program.

“It’s time the European parliamentary groups took a stand” and ended the “discrimination” against Hungarian university students, Hankó told a press conference in Budapest on Monday.

Hankó noted that it it has been two years since “Brussels unlawfully excluded Hungarian students and Hungarian researchers” from the Erasmus and Horizon programmes. A year ago, the Hungarian government the European Commission its amendment proposals aimed at resolving the issue, and last month parliament passed a law that settles the conflicts of interest of university foundations’ board members, he added.

“We now have to take another step, and it’s time the European parliamentary groups took a stand,”

the minister said, adding that he sent letters to the group leaders.

He said the EP groups should clarify what they mean by non-discrimination “when they deny Hungarian students their entitlement” to participate in the Erasmus program.

He said Hungary also wanted to clarify the issue of autonomy, insisting that Brussels believed it meant removing university rectors and professors from foundation boards and allowing NGOs to select their replacements.

Hankó noted that in addition to the steps taken by the Hungarian government, six universities have filed a lawsuit against the EC over the matter.

Erasmus, Horizon programs returns to Hungarian universities?

December 10, 2024

Hungarian state launches half a billion euro capital programme to support housing

National Economy Minister Márton Nagy announced the launch of a HUF 200bn (EUR 500m) capital program in March to support the construction of dormitories, rental flats, and homes at a press conference on Monday.

Nagy said the scheme’s announcement preceded intensive consultations with property market developers. Participation is open to all funds, open—or closed-end, existing or newly established, until the end of 2025, he added.

The state-owned Hungarian Development Bank (MFB) will invest in the funds only at EUR 73m (HUF 30bn) per fund, and its stake in each fund will be capped at 70pc.

Nagy said the HUF 200bn of capital would give the home market a “big boost” and contribute to GDP growth.

He noted that home sales had climbed by around 40 percent last year, but just 15 percent of home loans were used to buy new homes.

Nagy said the scheme’s timing was intended to bolster the supply side ahead of a large volume of maturing inflation-linked retail government securities in the spring.

He added that the goal was to increase the number of new homes constructed to 25,000 annually, up from around 12,000 in 2024.

Shocking: Renting in Hungary’s cities leaves workers empty-handed!

National economy minister meets with business assoc heads

National Economy Minister Márton Nagy met with the heads of business association VOSZ at his office on Monday.

VOSZ president János Eppel and chief secretary László Perlusz discussed proposals to activate Hungary’s labour market reserve with Nagy, his ministry said.

Nagy said local businesses, especially SMEs, needed to become more efficient and boost productivity to preserve the country’s competitiveness and keep up with wage increases.

He asked the VOSZ leaders to participate in the implementation of the Demján Sandor Programme, a government scheme to scale up SMEs.

Demján Sándor Capital Programme to launch with HUF 100bn in February

The Demján Sándor Capital Programme, an element of the Demján Sandor Programme for scaling up local SMEs, will launch with an allocation of HUF 100bn in February, the state secretary for SMEs announced last week.

Richárd Szabados said the programme will provide capital financing to SMEs for expanding their range of business partners and joining new supply chains.

The 8+1 point Demjan Sandor Programme is a part of the government’s New Economic Policy Action Plan.

Szabados said the Demján Sandor Capital Programme was drafted with the participation of National Capital Holding and would be implemented with the support of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK).

The details of three more elements of the Demjan Sandor Programme will be announced in the coming two weeks, he added.

National Capital Holding CEO Bence Katona said companies could apply for HUF 100m-200m in the framework of the Demján Sandor Capital Programme. The Hungarian Development Bank (MFB) will subscribe to the investment fund units in the scheme, and MKIK will manage the investment fund, he added.

The scheme will not focus on any particular branch of industry, but areas designated in the government’s policy action plan, such as green economy, digitalisation, healthcare, education and sustainable industry, will enjoy an advantage, he said. Purchases of real estate will be excluded from the scheme, but the capital may be used to upgrade or expand property already in use, he added.

The deadline for completing investment projects included in the scheme will be one year, with an option for a six-month extension if justified by the circumstances, he said. He added that the capital could be used for the self-financing requirement for other credit, paving the way for companies to access up to several hundred million forints.

The rate on the state-subsidised capital financing is 5pc. To comply with legal requirements, companies will exchange a token, 1pc equity stake for the financing that carries no right of control and may be repurchased at any time.

Companies with average annual revenue of at least HUF 300m and with at least two people on payroll may apply for the financing.

December 9, 2024

Orbán cabinet: Budapest ‘can’t get out of paying taxes’

The Budapest municipality is going against the Constitutional Court’s decision, which in October rejected Budapest’s proposal that the solidarity tax the municipality was called on to pay to support poorer localities was unconstitutional, a state secretary of the finance ministry said on Monday.

State secretary András Tállai said that this year, 848 “wealthier” localities paid a solidarity contribution to aid 1,250 localities in performing their tasks. “It is peculiar that it is the richest city of the country, the capital, that finds supporting poorer localities difficult,” Tallai said.

Tallai said government support for local authorities will increase to 1,266 billion forints (EUR 3bn) from 1,050 billion this year, and additional funds will flow into wage costs.

In reaction to Karácsony’s statement that the city would not pay some 50 billion forints in solidarity contribution, Tállai said,

“Everyone has to comply with the law.”

Last week, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony said that in a bid “to retain the municipality’s self-determination and resources,” the city’s budget had been drafted on the assumption that

“Budapest will pay as much solidarity tax to the central budget as it receives from central coffers to finance its services.”

UPDATE

Karácsony: Budapest’s real problem is ‘no money’

Gergely Karácsony, the mayor of Budapest, told a conference on Monday that the capital’s “real problem” was that the municipality had “no money”.

Karácsony said at the Republikon Institute gathering that it was not especially the political gridlock in the assembly or the fact it had been impossible to appoint a deputy mayor that was holding the city back, but rather that it was in the midst of an economic crisis and had fallen victim to a government policy of blackmail.

He said the city assembly was a battleground between its biggest factions, Fidesz and the Tisza Party, both of which exploited Budapest affairs to position themselves ahead of the 2026 general election.

Recent months had shown that

“Fidesz votes no to everything”, so decisions can only be made with the ten-member Tisza faction.

Karácsony said it would be hard to overcome the gridlock if local politicians focused solely on the city’s affairs as even then “the lightning of national politics strikes above us”.

Budapest Mayor Karácsony urges Orbán to address housing crisis as rent prices soar

December 9, 2024

BREAKING NEWS! Mega real-estate deal planned at Budapest’s largest railway stations, says Vitézy

Dávid Vitézy, the leader of the Podmaniczky Movement in the city assembly, has said a mega real estate deal is being planned in which the landholdings of Budapest’s four major train stations would be leased out for 99 years and developers would be able to commercialise the stations and their surroundings “for free.”

Speaking at a press conference on Monday at Nyugati Square, Vitézy said construction and transport minister János Lázár had opened the deal allowing national railway company MÁV to lease out the properties. He said the seven-page tender issued would close at the end of January. As we wrote earlier, Outrage erupts as Hungarian minister Lázár crosses the line with offensive remarks: Vitézy is an ‘aberrant, liberal kids, bootlicker’

Vitézy said MÁV had shown him the draft contract which included neither a purchase price nor a rental fee. Moreover, it did not prescribe any developments for prospective investors, he said.

He said Lázár’s ministry had claimed that the tenders only concerned the renovation of the station buildings, which he called “misleading”, as the tenders also would allow private companies access to areas of 15-30 hectares surrounding the stations, he added.

He said the tenders failed to include where and what the applicants should develop “in these vast areas” and had not been preceded by any consultation with either the districts or the capital.

He said that selling Budapest’s brownfield sites to investors “based on a seven-page shopping list” was typical of “the most corrupt countries in the developing world.”

Vitézy ended his Facebook post with this:

“Even in Africa or Latin America, such a unilateral tender, which would leave the state, the railways and passengers at the mercy of private interests for 99 years, would be a surprise.

There is indeed enormous development potential lying dormant in these areas of Budapest, with missing institutional and residential developments in disused railway areas, new parks, even a new Budapest congress centre behind the Nyugati, and the ideal location for the new Buda super-hospital near Kelenföld. Once the tunnel is built in the future, the South site will offer enormous urban development potential.

However, the successful development of a key area for a city region of three million people and the major railway stations serving the city can only be driven by the public interest. Turning off the public interest, driven solely by profit interests, will not bring a good end to urban development on this scale. We might have hoped that Hungary had learnt this lesson after the turbulent transition of regime change. János Lázár’s current move shows once again that he has learnt something quite different from the muddled period that followed the change of regime, and he not only wants to bring it back, but also wants to change the scale.”

The entire press conference here (in Hungarian):

Railway stations in major Hungarian cities to be completely rebuilt with private capital

December 9, 2024

Euronews: European Commission critiques Hungary’s fiscal plans for lacking crucial details

Hungary’s fiscal strategy has drawn sharp criticism from the European Commission for lacking crucial details and relying on questionable data, as tensions grow between Budapest and Brussels over economic governance and compliance with EU rules.

Fiscal strategy under scrutiny

As Euronews reports, Hungary’s fiscal strategy has come under scrutiny for lacking crucial details and relying on questionable data, according to European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis’ letter sent to Finance Minister Mihály Varga. The letter, dated 5 December, highlights concerns over Hungary’s unrealistic economic forecasts submitted to Brussels, which are essential for evaluating its medium-term fiscal plans. Dombrovskis emphasised that key elements of the plan are either absent or require significant refinement, complicating the European Commission’s ability to complete its assessment.

european commission budget deficit — European Commission, Brussels. Photo: Pixabay

Critique on Hungarian economic growth

The Commission also criticised discrepancies in Hungary’s data on economic growth, inflation, and interest expenditure, urging better alignment with EU methodologies. The analysis aims to detail how Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government intends to achieve fiscal balance after pandemic-induced spending relaxations. However, the EU’s evaluation may be delayed beyond the current 12 December deadline, potentially extending into January, due to the extensive gaps in the submitted information.

Viktor Orbán European Commission ultimatum — Photo: FB/Viktor Orbán

Strict debt and deficit limits

The EU imposes strict debt and deficit limits on member states under its Stability and Growth Pact, though enforcement has historically been lenient. These rules, aimed at preventing economic crises like Greece’s in 2007-8, were suspended during the pandemic and energy crisis but have been reinstated this year. Hungary’s delayed fiscal plan submission meant it missed November’s assessments, unlike most other member states. Exceptions were made for five nations, including Germany and Belgium, facing political disruptions. Of 21 assessed plans, only the Netherlands failed, criticised for its projected deficit increase driven by tax cuts and higher public investment.

Meeting Brussels’ fiscal demands often stirs domestic political tensions, as seen in France where Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government collapsed over resistance to his deficit-reduction plan. Meanwhile, Hungary faces its own challenges after six contentious months chairing the EU Council. Budapest has blocked sanctions against Russia, defied EU court rulings on asylum rights, and faced suspended EU funds as a result of its actions.

Read also:

December 9, 2024

EU Presidency: Hungarian Agriculture Minister points to importance of farmer-friendly policy after 2027

Agriculture Minister István Nagy highlighted the importance of a farmer-focused, farmer-friendly common agricultural policy in the period after 2027 ahead of a meeting of his European Union peers in Brussels on Monday.

Nagy, who is chairing the Agriculture and Fisheries Council as Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, said the text approved by the Council acknowledged the need to boost farming productivity, while ensuring living standards for farmers, stabilising markets and guaranteeing affordable prices for consumers.

He said a discussion of fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and Black Seas would takes place at the meeting, adding that quotas established on the basis of scientific results were “extraordinarily low”.

Reports will also be delivered on a forest monitoring framework, biomass-based development and the BIOEAST initiative for cooperation on food security and agricultural sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe, he said. The ministers will also hear the results of a European apiculture sector conference, he added.

The two-day Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting will be the last during Hungary’s EU presidency.

Junior ruling KDNP re-elected Zsolt Semjén as leader

Zsolt Semjén was re-elected for five years as the leader of the junior ruling Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) on Sunday in Budapest at the party’s national caucus meeting.

“If there is no strong KDNP, there is no strong Fidesz-KDNP alliance, and there is no victory in 2026,” Semjén said in a speech.

“If there is no Orbán government in Hungary, then the entire fight against the left-liberal, Brussels world will collapse, because we are the intellectual, central force of the Patriots and the sovereigntist, Christian line,” he added.

Zsolt Semjén KNDP — Photo: FB/Zsolt Semjén

He said KDNP as a party has been able to exist for 80 years because it stands on the spiritual foundations of the founding fathers and represents eternal truth in the everyday world.

On Sunday, János Latorcai was elected president of the national caucus, Csaba Latorcai executive vice president and Imre Vejkey party prosecutor.

Zsolt Semjén KDNP national caucus — Photo: FB/Zsolt Semjén

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BREAKING: Mystery Syrian plane landed at Budapest Airport, Assad seeking Trump’s help from Budapest? – read more HERE

December 9, 2024

Accelerating EU free trade talks in interest of Hungarian economy

Accelerating EU free trade negotiations and better implementation of existing agreements is important for Hungary’s government, as a pillar of the country’s competitiveness is expanding its exports to non-EU countries, Katalin Bihari, a deputy state secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said at a conference in Budapest on Friday.

Addressing the Market Access Day conference organised by the ministry, the European Commission and the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA), Bihari said the EU’s free trade agreements could pave the way for Hungarian companies to reach dynamically growing markets in a predictable manner.

Denis Redonnet, the EC’s deputy director general for trade and chief trade enforcement officer, said the EU had free trade agreements with 76 countries at present. Those trade agreements cover around 70pc of Hungary’s exports to non-EU countries, he added.

The conference aimed to foster an exchange of information and experience for companies seeking to do business on non-EU markets.

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Instead of hosting a Chinese university campus, South Pest may become a students’ paradise – read more HERE

December 8, 2024

Hungary’s public administration is an example to Congo, DRC minister said

Hungary’s public administration is an example to Congo, Guy Loando Mboyo, the DRC’s minister for regional planning, said in Budapest, adding that his country had learned much from studying the Hungarian model and sought to deepen cooperation.

Speaking on Thursday at the press conference with Csaba Latorcai, parliamentary state secretary of the public administration and regional development ministry, the minister noted that the vast territory of Congo only since 2007 had come under unified public administration system, and the country was keen to get Hungarian help in finalising DRC’s regional development plan.

He praised Hungary’s “single-window” one-stop-shop for the public to manage various documents such as IDs and passports, including a mobile version of the single window, as well as its motorway vignette and toll system. Whereas DRC already operates digital administration, only a small proportion of the population can use it, so it needs serious development, he added.

Mboyo also mentioned other areas of potential cooperation such as higher education scholarships, research development, the development and financing of independent regional development projects, environmental protection, and accessing special European Union funds for sustainable development.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the beating heart of Africa

Latorcai said he presented to his counterpart Hungary’s Competitive Districts scheme and how regional development guidelines can be determined by involving regions in need, as well as government support for specific programmes that help them catch up and make them competitive.

Hungary, he added, was glad to share its experiences and cooperation would soon be extended to several areas of economic life.

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the beating heart of Africa,” he said, adding that the Hungarian government, as part of its policy of opening up to the South, wanted to get involved with DRC’s fast-growing economy, “which represents a huge potential for the whole of Europe”.

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Mystery Syrian plane landed at Budapest Airport, Assad seeking Trump’s help from Budapest?
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December 8, 2024

Hungarian 4iG, OTP Bank performs well in Albania

National Economy Minister Márton Nagy met with a number of Albanian ministers and the governor of Albania’s central bank during a visit to Albania on Thursday, his minister said in statement on Friday.

Nagy met with Blendi Gonxhja, the minister for economy, culture and innovation; Petrit Malaj, the finance minister; Anila Denaj, the minister for agriculture and rural development; and Gent Sejko, the governor of the central bank.

The sides discussed bilateral economic ties, areas in which cooperation could be enhanced, and the state of Albania’s European Union integration.

Hungarian-Albanian ties are strong and there are over 20 state, intergovernmental or interministerial agreements between the two countries, the ministry said. Cooperation between the waterworks companies of Budapest and Tirana is “stable, fruitful and constructive”, it added.

Hungarian 4iG, OTP Bank performs well in Albania — Photo: MTI

The government offers 20 scholarships a year to Albanian students to enroll at Hungarian universities. The advancement of bilateral ties have also been supported by a direct Wizz Air flight between Budapest and Tirana launched with the support of the Hungarian government in 2021, the ministry said.

Last year, bilateral trade between Hungary and Albania reached EUR 130m. Hungarian-owned OTP Bank Albania is the country’s fifth-biggest credit institution in terms of total assets, while Hungary’s 4iG leads the mobile and fixed-line telecommunications markets.

Hungary backs the EU integration of Albania and the Western Balkans, Nagy said, adding that it was in the EU’s interest for those dynamically expanding economies to join as soon as possible.

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Orbán cabinet wants Albania to become an EU member – read more HERE
Hungary role model for Albania, says Albanian PM

December 8, 2024

Instead of hosting a Chinese university campus, South Pest may become a students’ paradise

We reported on Monday that the National Athletics Centre in South Pest was opened to the public with multiple outdoor sports equipment that can serve and entertain kids, adults, athletes and the general public. Now, it seems both the Orbán cabinet and the leadership of the capital are committed to building the promised students’ city near it.

Chinese university campus planned to be built in South Pest

Years ago, it sparked serious public outcry and heated political debates that one of the world’s best universities, the Shanghai-based Fudan University, would open a campus in Budapest. Some politicians claimed the university would spread the Communist ideology in Budapest and Hungary, being a national security threat not only in Hungary but also in the European Union.

Furthermore, the government decided to provide land, teaching and research facilities for the new campus in Budapest’s 9th district and the 21st district, Csepel. What’s more, the location of the new campus would have been in the place of another government promise, the so-called students’ town, which aimed to ease the housing crisis hitting especially university students in Budapest.

Fudan Budapest south pest — A visual of the future students’ city. https://www.facebook.com/snohetta

Budapest resisted

The opposition-led Budapest municipal council did what it could. They renamed some streets in the future area to Free Hong Kong Road, Uyghur Martyrs’ Road, Dalai Lama Road, and Bishop Xie Shiguang Road, the last referring to a persecuted Chinese Catholic priest.

Moreover, the united opposition wanted to hold a referendum about the Chinese university, but the Supreme Court declined that in May 2022. Later, a similar drive for a Budapest referendum was halted because the Democratic Coalition ceased backing it.

No activity of the Fudan Foundation found

Now, it seems the problem could be solved soon. Despite Hungary having a foundation to run the local campus of Fudan University, the institution does not show signs of life. One of the opposition MPs, Márton Tompos, currently the President of the Momentum Movement, tried to gain more information about the Foundation’s activity after the institution failed to submit its report to the Hungarian National Assembly despite it being their legal obligation. However, MP Tompos could not speak to anybody at the foundation headquarters.

New foundation to construct students’ town, making South Pest a student paradise

The Hungarian Parliament may reshuffle the Fudan Foundation next Thursday to become a unit charged with supervising the building of the future students’ town in South Budapest. Gergely Gulyás, the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, said during a previous press conference that the Orbán cabinet would no longer like to build a campus for the Fudan University. Instead, they would like to construct a students’ town offering 10-12 thousand beds for higher education students, easing the housing crisis.

Alexandra Szentkirályi, the leader of the Fidesz group in the Budapest municipal assembly, is one of the strongest voices supporting the project. Krisztina Baranyi, the re-elected mayor of Ferencváros (9th district), the district where the students’ town will be, said they could start the construction project yesterday.

If the parliament accepts the relevant bill, the new foundation may receive additional property in Budapest’s 9th district. The new name of the institution will be Tudás-Tér Alapítvány.

If the new “town” is ready, the gate to the Csepel Island in South Pest will become a paradise for students.

Ministry launches public consultations on housing support for young Hungarians

The National Economy Ministry on Friday announced the start of public consultations on a measure to raise the threshold for non-wage benefits for housing with tax allowances. The measure would raise the threshold from an annual HUF 450,000 at present to HUF 150,000 a month or HUF 1,800,000 per year for employees under 35 from January 1, 2025.

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