About Hungary beta

I bet you didn’t know this about Finland

Our goal is simply to share some of these lesser-known facts that can help the independent spectator see the full picture

Unlike Weber, von der Leyen accepted our support and rose to victory

It’s clear that those thirteen Fidesz-KDNP votes were vital to her election

Hungary leads NATO’s Baltic Air Policing

Hungary, augmented by the United Kingdom and Spain, leads the 50th NATO Baltic Air Policing detachment.

Here’s to more investments and another bullish economic forecast

Interest in Hungarian contracts was at an all-time high

Hungary’s 2020 Budget: families, families and families

In addition to supporting families, the 2020 budget is also about protecting the economic results achieved so far and continuing tax reductions

PM Orbán: Migration will continue to define future political debates

Migration remains the main question for debate in European politics

Here’s what you need to know about the reform of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Here’s what’s happening and why.

Hungarian Parliament

News in Brief

Parliament to debate 2020 budget bill this week

Jun 17, 2019

Starting today at 1pm, Hungary’s parliament has scheduled a five-day session, with the government’s 2020 budget bill high on the agenda.

News in Brief

Parliament approves new demographic package

Apr 02, 2019

The Hungarian parliament has approved a series of bills aimed at reversing Hungary's declining demographic trend

News in Brief

Hungary’s Parliament will kick off its spring session on Monday

Feb 18, 2019

Monday’s session will include oath-takings by three new MPs. A final vote on the annual 2017 reports by the Kúria, Hungary’s supreme court, the National Office for the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office will then be held

News in Brief

Protesters cause “millions of forints” of damage to Parliament and ruin Christmas for needy children

Dec 20, 2018

Protesters sprayed monuments with paint, damaged statues and dismantled the fence around the nation’s Christmas tree in Kossuth Square, constructed of sledges meant to be donated to needy children

News in Brief

Hungary’s House Speaker says disciplinary rules in parliament may be stepped up

Dec 14, 2018

Kövér has proposed fines of 400,000-600,000 HUF (1,235-1,850 EUR) to be paid by Socialist lawmakers for parliament raucous

News in Brief

Lawmakers to hold four-day parliamentary session to discuss Sargentini Report, security and foreign investments

Oct 01, 2018

The session will kick off today at 1pm with lawmakers addressing parliament ahead of the agenda, followed by interpellations and immediate questions

News in Brief

Parliament‘s legislative committee has approved amendments to Hungary's laws

Jul 13, 2018

Laws governing tax, the right to privacy, public assembly, and election rules have been amended

News in Brief

Parliament to vote tomorrow on the “Stop Soros” legislative package and constitutional amendment

Jun 19, 2018

The package includes changes to administrative courts, inserting defense against illegal migration into the fundamental law and protecting Hungary’s sovereignty

News in Brief

Hungary’s famous Parliament building had record-breaking number of visitors in 2017

Jun 15, 2018

A staggering 647,000 people visited the Hungarian Parliament in 2017, which is 11 percent more than in 2016

News in Brief

Hungary’s 2019 budget to be presented to Parliament next week

Jun 06, 2018

Gergely Gulyás described the budget proposal to be presented to Parliament next week as showing Hungary’s positive economic prospects

News in Brief

President Áder has called for the new Parliament session to begin on May 8th

Apr 18, 2018

The president asked Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to start talks on forming a government. Under Hungary’s constitution, the president is to call the inaugural session of the country’s new parliament within 30 days after the general election

News in Brief

Hungary’s new parliament will meet for the first time on May 7th and 8th

Apr 12, 2018

The national assembly will discuss the government’s “Stop Soros!” package on “pro-migration civil groups” and a draft on Hungary’s 2019 budget

Blog

Here’s how Hungary’s electoral system works and why it was changed in 2011

Jan 30, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

President János Áder has set April 8 as the date of Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections. Our electoral system and the changes made to it back in 2011 are once again generating some conversation – and misinformation – so here’s a brief rundown on how it works and a look back at the changes.

News in Brief

Hungary’s Parliament adopts resolution proposed by Fidesz rejecting the EP’s “decision on the implementation of the Soros plan”

Dec 13, 2017

The resolution calls on the government “not to succumb to the pressure from Brussels ... reject the Soros plan and provide continuous information to all Hungarians concerning the status of its implementation”

Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s reply to opposition comments on his address in Parliament before the start of daily business

Jun 16, 2017

12 June 2017, Budapest

News in Brief

PM Orbán presents Hungarian Thomas Péterffy with the Grand Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit

Jun 06, 2017

“While Thomas Péterffy became one of the richest men in the world, he never lost his love of and feeling of responsibility for Hungary, as well as never losing his caution with respect to socialism," PM Orbán said

News in Brief

Hungary's Parliament building voted in top ten of most popular landmarks

May 25, 2017

Hungary placed seventh in the top ten list, ahead of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Big Ben in London, and the Acropolis in Athens

News in Brief

Parliament session begins today and will conclude on Monday with President Áder taking second oath of office

May 02, 2017

This session will also include the swearing in of János Süli as minister without portfolio in charge of overseeing and managing the upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant

News in Brief

Hungarian government open to CEU negotiations as Parliament holds session to discuss NGOs

Apr 20, 2017

Meanwhile, Hungary's Parliament is in the middle of a four-day session over the legislation on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs

News in Brief

Hungary holds parliamentary session to discuss NGOs

Apr 18, 2017

Hungary's Parliament will hold a four-day session over the legislation on the transparency of foreign-funded NGOs

News in Brief

Parliament amends higher education act in regards to foreign universities

Apr 04, 2017

The bill was passed in a speeded-up procedure with a vote of 123 in favor and 38 against. There were no abstentions

News in Brief

Parliament to debate foreign universities on Wednesday

Apr 03, 2017

Parliament will debate the motion on Wednesday. Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said that the cabinet is ready to open talks with the US Administration regarding CEU

News in Brief

President János Áder elected president of Hungary for another five-year term

Mar 13, 2017

Earlier today, Parliament failed to elect a president in the first round of voting due to the lack of a required two-thirds majority, sending the process into a second round

News in Brief

Hungarian parliament approves measures to tighten existing asylum regulations

Mar 08, 2017

With 138 votes in favor, 6 against and 22 abstentions, parliament approved new measures to prohibit asylum-seekers from leaving the transit zones set up on the border until their cases are ruled upon

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán opens spring session of Parliament: 'The Hungarian economic model is working'

Feb 21, 2017

PM Orbán said the government’s deficit target of 2.4 percent of GDP this year was “clearly” achievable. Hungary’s economy grew by 2 percent last year

News in Brief

WATCH VIDEO: Hungary's foreign minister says people should know if NGOs are funded from abroad

Jan 31, 2017

The foreign minister said there was a clear demand for politics to be transparent. He argued that in this case transparency should be demanded of all organizations that influence public affairs, including NGOs, “because the people have a right to know whom these NGOs, whom these organizations actually represent”

News in Brief

President Áder accepts the Fidesz party’s nomination to serve as Hungary’s president for a second term

Dec 30, 2016

President Áder had always considered the presidency a constitutional service in which the head of state answers to the Hungarian nation

News in Brief

János Áder to be nominated for president for further five-year term

Dec 22, 2016

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that he greatly appreciated President Áder’s efforts

News in Brief

PM Orbán announces changes to constitution

Oct 05, 2016

The proposed changes include: A clear statement on preventing Brussels from ordering the resettlement of migrants to Hungary and a ban on mandatory group resettlements

News in Brief

Statue of Count Gyula Andrássy inaugurated in front of Hungarian Parliament

Sep 14, 2016

The monument in honor of Andrássy, prime minister between 1867 and 1871, was inaugurated by László Kövér, House Speaker

News in Brief

PM Orbán: Europe needs to wake up

Sep 13, 2016

Hungary's October 2 referendum on the EU's forced migration quotas serves the purpose of protecting Hungary, Orbán said

News in Brief

Hungary's Parliament back in session

Sep 12, 2016

Kolos Kardkovács is likely to follow Andrea Bártfai-Máger as a central bank rate-setting committee member and Parliament will also decide the fate of Roland Mengyi

News in Brief

Hungarian government launches new mobile app

Aug 29, 2016

The app, launched by the Parliament Office, offers information about plenary and committee sessions