Latest news in Hungary - 17 Jun 2025

Man Arrested for Threatening Prime Minister: A 44-year-old man from Tolna County has been arrested for preparing to kill Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and others, after posting threatening videos on social media. Authorities seized a weapon from his home, and he faces 1 to 5 years in prison for murder preparation. Read more here

Strawberry Inspection Reveals Mislabeling Issues: A national inspection by the NKFH found that 10% of strawberry products had labeling problems, with cases of Romanian strawberries being sold as Lajosmizse strawberries due to their lower costs. Inspectors examined 512 items at 479 locations, discovering inadequate origin information and imposing nearly 3 million HUF in fines for violations. Read more here

Wizz Air Extends Flight Suspension: Wizz Air has extended its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and Amman until September 15 due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, avoiding airspace in Israel, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Passengers who booked directly will receive information about refunds via email. Read more here

Telex Tops Online News Rankings in Hungary: According to the latest Reuters Institute report, Telex is the most popular online news source in Hungary, with a weekly reach of 28%, while overall media trust continues to decline, standing at just 22%. The survey highlighted RTL and HVG as other reliable outlets, but noted a sharp drop in confidence for most major press sources, particularly among public media outlets. Read more here

Last Kolorádó Festival Announced: The Kolorádó Festival will take place for the last time this year, with organizers citing unexpected restrictions from Pilisi Parkerdő Zrt. that hinder future events. Despite no official objections over the past decade, the festival's fate remains uncertain, prompting the team to invite audiences for a final celebration of its vibrant spirit. Read more here

Judit Varga Becomes a Certified Carpenter: Former Justice Minister Judit Varga has celebrated her completion of carpentry training by earning a state-recognized professional certificate. After 15 months of hands-on experience, including creating various wooden items, she shared her journey on Facebook, expressing gratitude to her mentors and peers. Varga also revealed that she and her partner launched a carpentry company last year. Read more here

Physical TAJ Card to be Discontinued: The Hungarian government has announced the phasing out of the physical TAJ card, transitioning to an electronic registry by 2026, backed by an initial allocation of 288 million forints and an annual maintenance budget of 41.75 million forints thereafter. This shift is aimed at modernizing healthcare benefits access in Hungary. Read more here

Audit Reveals Procurement Irregularities in Zugló: An audit of the Zuglói Városgazdálkodási Közszolgáltató has uncovered serious procurement irregularities, with contracts worth over 8.3 billion forints potentially linked to a corrupt system benefiting a select group of entrepreneurs. Mayor Rózsa András has pledged to report the findings to the Competition Authority and file complaints on two specific contracts that he alleges were overpriced, aiming to move Zugló away from this troubled legacy. Read more here

Police Bust Drug Lab in Erzsébetváros: Authorities have shut down a dangerous drug lab in the VII district following resident complaints about a foul odor. They seized around 150 doses of amphetamines, 90 doses of marijuana, various other drugs, and four million forints, while the apartment's owner was detained under suspicion of drug possession and safety endangerment. Read more here

-