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Hungary

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Hungary. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Budapest

Head of State

President Tamás Sulyok

Head of Government

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

China-EU relations

‘There are limits’: the problems with China’s bid to patch things up with Europe

They may be stuck in a stalemate, with Beijing unlikely to yield on demands to intervene in Russia’s war on Ukraine or change economic model.

27 May 2025 - 3:33AMvideocam

China economy

Opinion | In picking Hong Kong over New York, CATL’s IPO was a strategic move

25 May 2025 - 8:30PMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD overtakes Tesla in Europe for the first time as sales jump 169% in April

23 May 2025 - 1:01PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | CATL’s debut a sign that Hong Kong’s IPO market is roaring back

The world’s biggest listing so far this year has propelled the city back to the top spot in global equities fundraising.

22 May 2025 - 8:15AMvideocam

Representatives of CATL are seen at the company’s listing ceremony at the HKEX Connect Hall in Central. Photo: Sun Yeung

China-EU relations

Chinese investments in Europe have increased for first time since 2016

After a significant cooling in investment activity there was a 47 per cent rise last year to €10 billion, according to a new report.

21 May 2025 - 6:01AMvideocam

IPO

Hong Kong regains No 1 spot in global fundraising on CATL’s US$5.2 billion IPO

EV battery maker’s shares advance 16.4 per cent to close at HK$306.20 on the first day of trading in the city.

21 May 2025 - 12:36PMvideocam

Romania

Romanian centrist Nicusor Dan wins presidency over hard-right pro-Trump rival

Bucharest mayor made last-minute dash to top in recent days after weeks of trailing George Simion, who conceded defeat late on Sunday.

19 May 2025 - 2:36PM

Nicusor Dan, centre, Bucharest mayor and independent presidential candidate supported by the Force of the Right (FD), delivers his speech after the first exit poll results are announced in Cismigiu Park, Bucharest, Romania on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong IPOs on track to make May a merry month

As firms line up to enter Hong Kong’s market for initial public offerings, estimates suggest the city may rank among the top three global venues this year.

17 May 2025 - 6:45AM

China-EU relations

‘Red line’: Hungary vows it won’t decouple from China if pushed by Trump

‘Hungary is benefiting from these very intensive Chinese economic and trade relations. We’re not willing to give that up’: Budapest official.

15 May 2025 - 7:01PMvideocam

IPO

Chinese EV battery giant CATL launches US$5.3 billion Hong Kong IPO

Listing is expected to be the largest in Hong Kong since Kuaishou Technology raised US$6.2 billion in January 2021.

12 May 2025 - 5:19PMvideocam

A model of CATL’s second-generation Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery is displayed during CATL Tech Day ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show in Shanghai on April 21, 2025. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Budapest expels 2 after Ukraine says it uncovered Hungarian spy network

Kyiv said the two suspects were former members of Ukraine’s military who were recruited by a handler in Hungarian military intelligence.

9 May 2025 - 9:40PMvideocam

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest in 2024. Hungary is part of the European Union and Nato, two blocs with which Kyiv is closely allied in Russia’s war in Ukraine, but relations between Kyiv and Budapest have often been fraught. Photo: Reuters

Pope Francis

Black smoke: cardinals fail to elect new pope in first conclave vote

133 electors from 70 countries are under lockdown as they vote for the Catholic Church’s 267th pontiff.

8 May 2025 - 3:42AMvideocam

Taiwan

My Take | Western media ignore crackdown on opposition in Taiwan by Lai

Mainstream reporting targets illiberal regimes in Europe, but favours the island leader and his pro-US, independence-seeking government.

2 May 2025 - 9:00PM

Guinness World Records

Wiener wonderland: hundreds of dachshunds chase record in Hungary

500 dachshunds were present – enough to set a Hungarian record, but still short of the Guinness mark set in Regensburg.

1 May 2025 - 10:55PM

A Dachshund and owner try to set Hungary’s record for the largest dog walk of a single breed. Dachshunds, a short, muscular breed with stubby legs, were first bred in Germany, and remain one of Hungary’s most popular dog breeds. Photo: AP

Music

Secret message discovered in violin reveals its Nazi camp origins

Art dealers found that a skilfully crafted violin they had long owned was made by a Jewish prisoner at the Dachau Nazi concentration camp.

1 May 2025 - 11:15AM

A hidden handwritten message in the Silesian dialect - a mix of Polish and German - is seen inside an instrument dubbed the ‘’violin of hope’’ made by Franciszek “Franz” Kempa at the Dachau concentration camp near Munich, Germany, in 1941. Photo: AP

China GDP

Shenzhen lags China in GDP, exports as tech hub preps for tariff wave

The southern metropolis failed to beat the national average, even as exporters locked in early orders to get ahead of US tariffs.

29 Apr 2025 - 3:35PM

United States

Opinion | We need to talk about Trump’s war on the US Constitution

The US system of checks and balances hinges on an unspoken premise: that those who operate it at least respect the rule of law.

28 Apr 2025 - 8:30PMvideocam

Donald Trump

Trump’s son tells eastern Europe to shun China, pick US as trade partner

Trump Jnr told Hungarian entrepreneurs that China posed a bigger threat than Russia to the region.

27 Apr 2025 - 9:27AMvideocam

The construction site for a plant of Chinese battery manufacturer CATL near Debrecen, Hungary. Photo: AP

Italy

Explainer | Who could succeed Pope Francis in the Vatican’s secretive conclave?

Several contenders have emerged to replace Pope Francis, with each bringing unique qualities and influences to the Vatican’s future leadership.

21 Apr 2025 - 10:50PMvideocam

United States

US envoy warns Hungary over Chinese investments, calls for ‘unity’

‘This isn’t about choosing sides, this is about preserving control over your own future,’ Robert Palladino says.

16 Apr 2025 - 3:04AMvideocam

European Union

Hungary passes constitutional amendment to ban LGBTQ public events

Ahead of Monday’s vote, opposition politicians and other protesters attempted to blockade entrance to the parliament building in Budapest.

15 Apr 2025 - 1:32PM

Protesters kiss during a demonstration outside the Hungarian parliament on Monday, the day it voted on constitutional amendments targeting the LGBTQ community. Photo: Reuters

European Union

Foot-and-mouth fear in Central Europe leads to animal culls

Animals in Hungary and Slovakia have tested positive for the virus, the first outbreak in either country in more than half a century.

12 Apr 2025 - 6:48PM

Free-range cows at a farm near Pecsely village, Hungary, about 100 kilometres from the Austrian and Slovak borders, on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill dozens as Netanyahu heads to US for war talks

Israel’s PM said he would discuss the Gaza war and a tariff imposed on Israel with Trump.

7 Apr 2025 - 3:54PM

International Criminal Court

Hungary plans to withdraw from ICC as Israel’s Netanyahu visits

Israel’s leader, sought under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, is in Hungary for a state visit.

3 Apr 2025 - 7:50PM

China-EU relations

Tech transfer a must for Chinese EV investors in Europe, EU trade chief suggests

Ahead of his trip to Beijing next week, Maros Sefcovic says US tariffs could unleash a flood of Chinese overcapacity on Europe.

21 Mar 2025 - 7:01AMvideocam

The EU is reportedly investigating whether a factory in Hungary owned by Chinese EV maker BYD received undeclared state subsidies from Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Artificial intelligence

China’s iFlyTek eyes Europe expansion as US trade war heats up

iFlyTek plans to expand in Europe, diversifying its supply chain amid rising US-China trade tensions and aiming for new markets.

7 Mar 2025 - 10:03AM

The iFlyTek stand at MWC Barcelona 2025. Photo: Reuters

China-EU relations

Exclusive | Your best friend has abandoned you: inside China’s EU charm offensive

As bloc’s ties with US plummet over Donald Trump’s embrace of Russia, Beijing pitches itself as a more reliable partner than Washington.

28 Feb 2025 - 8:06PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can seize opportunities along Silk Road Economic Belt

By deepening cooperation, the city can leverage its unique brand and core advantages to help businesses uncover new areas for growth.

23 Feb 2025 - 8:30PMvideocam

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