Wizz Air To Washington: Orbán's DC Summit
Weekly briefings on the life of The New European Capital of Conservatism.
Budapest This Week
One to flag for next week: 18 November, the MCC is hosting its annual summit, this year themed around controversial ideas on drugs (i.e. that they're bad), the war on them (that many have already surrendered), and policy (that we should make it stop). Highlights include Dr Stuart Derbyshire, neurologist and associate prof at the University of Singapore. And Tom Wolf, who came out of fentanyl addiction on the streets of San Fran, to found his own get-tough programme.
You've heard of the V4. Now how about the V3? On Thursday, November 13, the Danube Institute's Péter Szitás is hosting a 3PM panel to discuss what's next for the EU-sceptic Visegrád core, after Andre Babiš's victory in the Czech elections. More info here.
Japan is so back. After the election of Sanae Takaichi, Ludovika is hosting two seminars with Tomohiko Taniguchi, former Special Adviser to the Cabinet under Shinzo Abe, and President of the conservative Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference). On the 12th: Global Political Messaging. And, daytime on the 13th, The Future Belongs To The Sovereign - Japan and Hungary on Identity and Strategy. Sign up here.
The New Cold War is just as much of a spy war as the old one: so says Michael Singh, who will be in conversation at the MCC on the topic of Invisible Battlefields. Register here.
What’s Based
Orbán in DC Viktor Orbán took the Wizz Air to DC last week for a special summit with Donald Trump. Here’s what you need to know: 1 — Orbán secured a year-long exemption from US sanctions on Russia, that would have prohibited the purchase of Russian oil and gas. 2 — Hungary also agreed to buy US nuclear fuel rods for its Paks 1 nuclear power station, at a cost of $114m, in parallel with those bought from Russia’s Rosatom and France’s Framatome. 3 — They discussed the persecution of Christians across the world, especially Nigeria. Last week, Trump threatened the country with military action if it didn't stop. 4 — Amongst the Hungarian party was the DI's Rod Dreher, who dropped into the Naval Observatory on Friday night for dinner his old pal JD. In addition to no doubt a nice bottle of red, he was also carrying the Institute's brand new fifty page report on the plight of the Nigerian Christians. Check next week for the full version. 5 — They also discussed setting up currency swap lines: similar to how DC is underwriting the Argentine peso. But didn't reach agreement on the US-Hungarian double taxation treaty - a pain for expat citizens of both.
Other News
Paper of the Week
Hungary and the West: Heralding the New Normal
The future is sovereigntist, writes Norbert Szári. And here, Hungary already has a head start. As the world gradually reverts to the pre-US imperium status quo ante, it is the Hungarian radical view of national sovereignty that will increasingly come to be seen as a model for other states. So what can we learn from it?
“The experience of foreign rule confirmed the historical narrative of Hungary as a nation caught between great powers, always struggling to preserve its independence. The memory of the 1956 Revolution has had a big influence on the political discourse in Hungary. It acts as a potent representation of resistance. In this narrative, the violent quashing of the revolution, combined with the perceived lack of Western assistance, underlined the need for practical self-sufficiency. This experience created a lasting template for Hungarian strategic thinking: while seeking integration with the West, maintaining sufficient independence to protect national interests.”
Eyes & Ears
The End of Communism and the First Tusvanyos - Danube Culture It's The Groypers' America Now, We're Just Living In It - UnHerd
Comings & Goings
Coming: Tomohiko Taniguchi spent two decades as a business journalist for Nikkei’s Business magazine. In 2005, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he became a trusted advisor to then-Foreign Minister Shinzo Abe. He joined Abe in government, and has since taken on a number of roles, publishing ten books on topics like Japanese history and statecraft. He’s a guest of Ludovika University of Public Service for the next week, where he is a fellow at the Public Diplomacy Hub.
City Life
Visiting Fellow Fr. Mario Portella will be celebrating mass in the traditional Tridentine Latin Rite this Sunday. The venue is still to be decided, but all are welcome. Contact us for more details.
Tuesday is St Martin's Day. Martin (Márton to his friends), was a Roman soldier in Hungarian territory, who gave his cloak to a beggar, precipitating a vision that led him to give his life to Christ. He's big here, and his feast is meant to be the end of the harvest season: a genuine feast (goose is traditional) that marks forty days of pre-Christmas fasting. Look around town for goosey dinners.
Sam Lee draws on English folk tradition and the songs of wandering gypsies. He's the protégé of Bernard Butler, the guitar genius behind early-Suede, who produced his new record. On Friday, he plays the House of Music for only 7 900 Ft.
Dates For Your Diary
Battle for the Soul of Europe, Brussels — 3 - 4 DecemberWilfred Martens Centre European Ideas Forum, Brussels — 9 - 10 DecemberCEE Forum 2026, Vienna — 13 -14 January “Annyit ér, mint halottnak a csók."— It's worth as much to kiss the dead.