Ursula von der Leyen –
expert or career politician?
The focus is on political progress First of all, it is important to note that Von der Leyen, who has a medical degree, held a total of four ministerial positions in Germany – in the federal government and the government of Lower Saxony – before her EU career, only one of which was connected – […]
Freedom and Hamburger – How do Hungarians view American culture and lifestyle?
The American Dream Through Hungarian Eyes- Our series explores how Hungarians perceive the United States’ society, culture, and the country’s international role and significance. What image do we have of the American way of life? How do we view American society? How do we assess Hungarian-American relations? What do we think about the USA’s […]
Ursula von der Leyen’s presidency is marred by a series of failures and discontent
On 18 June, for the first time since the European Parliament elections, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union meet for an informal working dinner which focused on an exchange of views on the future leaders in Brussels. Although no formal decision has been taken yet on filling the top EU posts, […]
Economic expectations of households and businesses improved significantly in June
The prosperity index remained in negative territory, determined by the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the uncertainty caused by economic sanctions. Further significant improvement in economic expectations will be possible if the war ends, inflation remains in the central bank’s target range (between 2% and 4%), the interest rate environment becomes more favourable and energy […]
Brussels would push Hungary into an utilities trap
The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has called on Hungary to scrap its rationing programme in a recent country-specific recommendation. The reasoning is that low rates do not provide sufficient incentives for energy efficiency investments and, according to the Commission, it is unnecessary to maintain subsidies at current market prices. However, […]
Growing domestic demand with a more optimistic outlook
Hungarian inflation averaged 17.1% in 2023, but the inflation rate was declining throughout the year and continued to do so in the first half of 2024. We expect the disinflationary process to continue, although inflation is expected to pick up towards the end of the year. Overall, inflation could fall to 4.1% in 2024, […]
European and Hungarian public opinion opposes the forced resettlement of migrants
In May 2024, the European Council adopted a migration pact, already voted by the European Parliament in April, and its detailed implementation plan was presented to the public in Brussels on 12 June by Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs. Among other things, the Brussels pact provides for the legally mandatory distribution of illegal migrants between […]
The countryside in the shadow of migration – Lessons from Southern Europe
Migration to Europe from outside the continent is largely, and most noticeably, an urban phenomenon. In some countries, however, the presence of migrants has an equally significant impact on rural areas. The European Mediterranean (EUMed) countries are on the frontline of migration from outside Europe, at the borders of radically different cultures, so it […]
The growth rate of the Hungarian economy was above the historical trend for 6 months
At its May meeting, the Monetary Council of the central bank continued to cut both the policy rate and the base rate, as it had done in the previous month. As a result, the base rate (and the policy rate) in Hungary is currently at 7.25%, after a 50 basis point cut. In March, turnover […]
French urban policy and migration
France is arguably the country with the largest immigration population in Europe. 8.6 million people who were born outside of France made up 13.3% of the country’s total population in 2021. The top three countries of birth were Algeria (16%), Morocco (12%), and Portugal (7%). 2020 saw the long-term or permanent admission of 238 000 new […]
Digital technologies could be the key driver for the transition to a circular economy
The circular economy aims to reduce the impact of production activities and consumption on the natural environment and to keep the raw materials that can be reused and recycled from products in a resource-efficient cycle. With the spread of digitisation, there is a growing belief that, in addition to external factors (e.g. scarcity of […]
Technological improvements are at the heart of international industrial development strategies
Our research sought to understand how industrial strategies in developed countries approach the challenges facing individual industries, what objectives are set in relation to these challenges, what fundamental aspects (sustainability, technological adaptation, geographical location, knowledge-based approach, etc.) are considered, and what instruments are assigned to each objective in order to maximise the contribution of […]
Households’ sense of prosperity improved in May
The prosperity index remained in negative territory, determined by the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the uncertainty caused by economic sanctions. Further significant improvement in economic expectations will be possible if the war ends, inflation remains in the central bank’s target range (between 2% and 4%), the interest rate environment becomes more favourable and energy […]
Brussels migration pact:
Europe does not want compulsory resettlement of refugees
Brussels continues to push for mandatory distribution of migrants Since the migration wave of 2015, the European Union has repeatedly tried to impose a binding legal framework on Member States to participate in the mechanism for the allocation and inclusion of migrants. But the plans of the Brussels elite have provoked resistance from the Member […]
Europeans reject Brussels’ commitment to ban gas boilers
The EU’s central institutions decided to tighten energy efficiency requirements for buildings at the end of 2023. Under the agreement, gas boilers should be phased out in all Member States by 2040, affecting around 30 million European families. The funding background of the decision, which could cost millions of forints per household, is unclear and […]
Europeans say no to Ukrainian grain dumping
The European Council has decided to extend the suspension of tariff and import restrictions on Ukrainian products. Brussels initially justified the relaxation of the rules on agricultural products from Ukraine by arguing that the war between Russia and Ukraine had prevented goods from reaching third countries via the previous transport routes. However, events over […]
European public opinion: a firm NO to sending troops
The European political elite is in a war fever In the European political arena, the rhetoric of war has increased considerably in recent months. The statements of many leading politicians of the European Union and Western Europe, instead of promoting peace negotiations, have been aimed at creating a war machine, at visualising the involvement […]
Europe in the Shadow of War – Conference on the results of the Project Europe 2024 survey
Áron Hidvégi, Vice Chairman of Századvég, gave a welcome speech at the conference, saying that the conference was titled “Europe in the Shadow of War” because the Russia-Ukraine war broke out more than two years ago, and we all feel its effects in our everyday lives. Yet European leaders prefer to help escalate the […]
The growth rate of the economy of Hungary may be above the trend this year
At its April meeting, the Monetary Council of the central bank continued to cut both the policy rate and the base rate, as it had done in the previous month. As a result, the base rate (and the policy rate) in Hungary is currently at 7.75%, after a 50 basis point cut. In February, retail […]
Most Europeans are concerned that the investigation into the Nord Stream explosion is still inconclusive
In February this year, Sweden and Denmark closed their investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline in September 2022. Germany is now the only country conducting an official investigation, but the government, according to the German press, is not interested in naming those responsible. The latest development is that China has launched an international […]
