Latest news in Hungary - 7 Nov 2024

- Orbán Calls for New Ukraine Strategy: After Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. elections, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suggested a fresh European strategy towards Ukraine during the Turkic Council in Kyrgyzstan. He expressed concerns over the sustainability of military and financial aid to Ukraine, emphasizing the need for discussions at an upcoming summit in Budapest. Read more here

- Zugló Parking Changes: The Zugló local government is introducing free residential parking across the district and abolishing the garage tax to improve garage usage. Annual parking permits will be discounted to 30,000 forints, while registration fees will be raised to 6,000 forints per car. Public consultation will accompany the new parking strategy, set to roll out shortly. Read more here

- Vodafone and Digi Merging as One Hungary: Starting January 1, 2025, Vodafone, Digi, and other related services will rebrand as One Hungary. This merger aims to enhance service reliability and improve geographical coverage for internet and telecommunications, while existing customer contracts will stay unchanged during the transition. Read more here

- Housing Affordability Crisis Continues: A new analysis by GKI Economic Research revealed that purchasing a new apartment in Budapest now requires almost 17 years of average salary. Property prices have surged dramatically since 2010, resulting in an affordability crisis despite a significant number of vacant apartments. Read more here

- Ban on Animal Sales at Fairs: A new decree will prohibit the sale of cats and dogs at animal fairs in Hungary starting mid-November. This decision aims to enhance animal welfare following concerns raised by non-profit organizations. The ban will also impact other regulations regarding pet trading and care. Read more here

- Upcoming EPK Summit in Budapest: The European Political Community summit is underway in Budapest, hosted by Viktor Orbán with attendance from leaders across 47 European nations, including NATO Secretary General and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The summit focuses on key European security challenges and opportunities for cooperation. Read more here

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