European visions for defence industry developments – Vision for the future in the light of EU strategies
The European Union Defence Industrial Strategy The EDIS (European Defence Industrial Strategy) is based on the premise that, after decades of peace following the Second World War, the outbreak of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2022 and NATO’s response to it have made it clear that the world order, based on the […]
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 […]
Danish urban policy and migration
Since 2010, Denmark has drawn up a so-called “ghetto list” every year, based on criteria such as higher than average unemployment and crime rates, lower than average educational attainment and a high proportion of first- or second-generation immigrants.[1] In our analysis, we first present the political background, then present data on migration and urban […]
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 […]
Businesses’ sense of prosperity improved slightly in April
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 […]
Advanced digital solutions can also support the water utilities sector
The research aimed, among other things, to identify the most important challenges facing the Hungarian water utility sector and the digital solutions that could best support their mitigation and elimination. The main challenges in Hungary’s water utilities sector From the 1990s to the present day, the quantity of water sold has fallen significantly (to […]
Europeans reject Brussels’ commitment to ban conventional motor vehicles
The debate on the legislation adopted by the European Parliament last February, which would ban the sale of motor vehicles with internal combustion engines powered by conventional fuels in the European Union from 2035, has reignited recently. The measure already poses significant challenges for EU automotive manufacturers, traditionally the most exportable and innovative key sector […]
The short-term forecast is for a sharp decline in the growth rate of the Hungarian economy
At its March meeting, the Monetary Council of the central bank continued to cut both the policy rate and the base rate, as it had done the previous month. As a result, the base rate (and the policy rate) in Hungary is currently at 8.25%, after a 75 basis point cut. In January, retail sales […]
Subdued economic growth expected in 2024
Looking at global developments, the decline and expected further moderation in global oil prices should ease external and internal inflationary pressures. Weakening German growth prospects may have a downward impact on Hungarian exports in the period ahead. Geopolitical tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine war or the conflict in Gaza could be a cause for […]
Public expectations are clear: Europe should not send soldiers to Ukraine
War intervention has no social support As a starting point, it should be emphasised that Hungarians attribute the outbreak and protraction of the Russia-Ukraine war to the clash of superpower interests and the inability of the United States and Russia to compromise. Accordingly, three quarters (75%) of respondents believe that the armed conflict involves a […]
The Maghreb mission –
The great European energy race
Significant hydrocarbon reserves could be hidden in the Maghreb The North African region has always been a priority for Europe, especially at a time of migration and energy crisis. Most of the countries in the area have rich hydrocarbon reserves, which offer attractive opportunities for the European continent, not to mention as yet unexplored shallow […]
