News

For days now, intimate photos have been sent by an unknown person to the media about the Democratic Coalition’s (DK) MP and spokesperson Zsolt Gréczy, additionally accusing him of sexual harassment. Gréczy consistently denies any wrong-doing. This latest case of Gréczy erupted when on Tuesday, an unknown sender contacted several newspapers via e-mail …

Ambassador Cornstein, in an accidental meeting with CNN, praised Viktor Orbán and said that he is ” the perfect partner to have a dance with here.”  The news team bumped into the ambassador in a restaurant in the Hungarian capital. While the Embassy previously declined interviews, after his dinner, Cornstein went …

Opposition Jobbik party lawmaker Ádám Steinmetz, a former water polo player and Olympic champion, on Wednesday criticised the government for billions of forints of “wasteful spending” on sports projects in recent years. Problematic areas include how training programmes for young soccer players are implemented, the misguided creation of sports facility development projects in neighbouring countries in regions …

Two more years and an additional subsidy of 20 billion HUF (Eur 60,5 million) is needed for the completion of the biodome (biodóm), a state-of-the art, huge glasshouse part of the Pannon Park Project in the refurbished Budapest Zoo. Following Népszava’s article about the sky-rocketing building costs and huge maintenance costs (equal …

British lawmaker Madeleine Moon announced stepping down as President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and will be succeeded by Hungarian politician Attila Mesterházy, member of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), according to an announcement posted on the website of NATO PA. Moon would not be able to complete her second …

Yesterday, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced the shortlists in consideration for the 92nd Academy Awards in nine categories. Hungarian post-Holocaust drama ‘Those Who Remained’ has been included in the International Feature Film category (formerly known as Foreign Language Film) among ten other films that will advance …

Marina Gera won Hungary’s first International Emmy Award, the ‘Oscar of television films,’ for the Best Performance by an Actress for her role in Hungarian television drama Eternal Winter at the 47th International Emmy Awards. Hungary Today then had the opportunity to speak to the actress about the award and the opportunities it brings to her. …

Hungarian driver Norbert Michelisz made racing historyyesterday as he won the inaugural WTCR (FIA World Touring Car Cup)/OSCARO World Champion title at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The Hyundai driver started the super final of the race as one of the four contenders for the title and eventually became the best …

Hungary officially started to prepare for Christmas, as the capital and many other major cities opened up their Christmas markets. Eger is no exception, and with sparkling lights, exciting programs, and delicious food and drinks, the city’s Christmas market is a must. Szeretlek Magyarország reported that the Christmas market of …

Output of Hungaryʼs construction sector climbed 20.5% year-on-year in October, Hungarian news agency MTI says, citing unadjusted data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH). Output of the buildings segment was up 18.8%, lifted by construction of residential, cultural and industrial buildings, KSH said. Civil engineering output rose 22.3%, helped …

Well before the 1956 HungarianRevolution, László Varjú, as a highschool student, was jailed for anti-communist activities. Then, in 1957 he risked his life to leave the country, later joining a lesser-known Hungarian paramilitary organization in the US. All this before becoming a successful physician in adulthood. On the occasion of the publication of the third edition of Visszidensek(Remigrates), Hungary Today interviewed Dr. László Varjú, a former doctor-soldier …

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Friday signed agreements with the director of Russian state space research company Roscosmos about the launch of Hungary-Russia space research projects and the selection and training of a Hungarian astronaut to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024-2025. “Ongoing space projects that …

Talks on the sale of T-Systems Hungary to 4iG have been terminated, T-Systems Hungary parent Magyar Telekom and 4iG said in disclosures posted on the website of the Budapest Stock Exchange late Tuesday, state news wire MTI reports. The parties announced in July that 4iG had agreed to acquire T-Systems …

The government is working to further reduce the public debt, aiming to push it under 60 percent of GDP by the end of 2022, Finance Minister Mihály Varga told a press conference on Thursday. The debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to fall to 66 percent by the end of this year from 70.2 …

The winners of the “Hungary 365” photo competition were announced on Wednesday in Budapest. Photographers could apply to three categories: nature and landscape, built and material heritage, urban and rural community and everyday life. The jury awarded three prizes in each of the three categories. The Hungary 365 photo competition’s aim is …

The Advent Feast at the Basilica, Budapest’s most festive Christmas market, has been voted first on the list of Best Christmas Markets in Europe in 2020, organized by European Best Destinations. More than 280,000 people have voted for the best Christmas markets in Europe, and Budapest finished first, preceding Vienna, Gdansk, and Brussels. photo: Advent Feast at the Basilica …

Parliament on Tuesday approvedamendments to the laws regulating its operation involving the introduction of stricter fines against MPs who violate house rules. The amendment was approved with 135 votes in support and 54 against. Two new disciplinary elements are included in the new law, one concerning those that blatantly disturb MPs’ speeches …

Over the past thirty years, Hungary’s foreign economic relations have changed significantly. As a result of globalization, many non-European countries play a significant role in the economic performance of Hungary. South Korea, one of the largest economies in the world, stands out among those. It surprised many when the Hungarian …

Recently, CNN paid a visit to Budapest in their special program “Iconic Budapest,” in order to find out whether the Hungarian capital really is the Paris of Central Europe. They took their audience on a tour of the city, including its stunning architecture, and moving from the monuments and statues …

In the past few days the Hungarian cultural world has been talking the new draft bill on changes in cultural funding. The original draft included that directors of theaters, which are run by the municipal government but supported by government funds, could only be appointed with ministerial approval, and the subsidies of independent …

Budapest’s new municipal assembly on Wednesday unanimously votedto support measures proposed by the mayor to improve winter care of the city’s homeless. The measures include the coordinated disinfection of night shelters, ensuring accessibility to care facilities and increasing the number of active recovery beds. The assembly has approved 47 million forints …

As the European Parliament votedtoday to approve Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission, it is now official that Olivér Várhelyi has become Hungary’s next Commissioner and will lead the EC’s Neighborhood and Enlargement portfolio. The new Commission was approved with 461 votes in favor, 157 against, and 89 abstentions. According to Euronews, …

Europe can only be saved if it “returns to the source of its real values: its Christian identity”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Tuesday at the opening of an international conference on persecuted Christians. “Those we are helping now can give us the greatest help in saving Europe,” the prime minister …

Hungarian actor Marina Gera won an International Emmy Award, the ‘Oscar of television films,’  for the Best Performance by an Actress for her role in Hungarian television drama Eternal Winter at the 47th International Emmy Awards yesterday, on the Memorial Day for the Victims of Communism. She dedicated the award to “all the Hungarian victims …

Gergely Karácsony, the mayor of Budapest, has set conditions for going ahead with the 2023 World Athletics Championships and giving his consent to the construction of the stadium needed to host the event. One condition is that the government should increase the budget for the Healthy Budapest Programme by 50 billion forints (EUR …

After the joint left-liberal opposition parties secured their majority in Budapest, the investments the previous city administration made with the government became a key question. One of the greatest debates has been the flagship development project in City Park. After the latest resolution of the General Assembly, and newly elected …

Hassan F, a Syrian national accused of mass executions, terrorist acts and crimes against humanity, pleaded not guilty at a trial that began in Budapest on Wednesday. According to the indictment, the man served as member of the Islamic State terrorist organisation and was involved as leader of a small …

The European Parliament’s (EP) Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) did not declare a conflict of interest for the new French, Hungarian, and Romanian Commissioner designates at its meeting on Tuesday, according to Hungarian Fidesz MEP József Szájer, the only Hungarian member of the committee in Brussels. Thus, the approval process for Olivár Várhelyi …

András Arató was shocked nine years ago when he discovered that his face became a meme. Now he wrote about this experience in The Guardian. “People online thought my smile, combined with the look in my eyes, seemed terribly sad. They were calling me “Hide the Pain Harold,” he says …

The international Wild Code School opens its 24th campus in the Hungarian capital. From January 2020 the institution will offer extraordinary and unique education. HVG reported that alongside international opportunities the school offers a 5-month-long intensive web developing course in English-language. According to the school’s owners, Budapest is an attractive …