Latest news in Hungary - 4 Apr 2025

Budapest Physician Accused of Bribery: A chief physician in Budapest is under investigation for allegedly accepting nearly five million forints in bribes from patients for gynecological services, including childbirth. Following an arrest, authorities seized 2.7 million forints in cash from his home, as he is accused of exploiting his position to merge state and private healthcare for personal gain. Read more here

Zugló's Historic Tree Cut Down: MÁV has cut down a 28-meter tall black poplar in Zugló, estimated to be over a hundred years old, due to its deteriorating health and risk to safety. Despite efforts to save it, experts concluded that internal decay left no option but to remove the tree, which had a trunk circumference of 6 meters. Read more here

AI-Created Song Tops Hungarian Spotify Charts: The Hungarian Spotify Viral 50 playlist is currently led by "I’ll Stick a Sausage Up My Ass" by A Maci, an artist whose work is believed to be almost entirely generated by artificial intelligence. Surpassing popular names, A Maci's Spotify profile boasts over 7,000 monthly listeners and seven albums released this year. Read more here

Trump's Tariffs Impact Audi in Győr: Audi Hungaria's production in Győr is under pressure from recent tariffs, with approximately 20% of Q3 models made there exported to the U.S. Last year, the plant produced 163,000 Q3s, contributing about 8% to Hungary's exports. While revenues have dipped, employment remains significant with nearly 12,000 jobs directly tied to the plant. Read more here

Supreme Court Allows Dog Party to Hold Cannabis Event: The Hungarian Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP), permitting them to host their Million Marijuana March on April 20 in Budapest, despite police attempts to ban it due to a pending constitutional amendment. The ruling emphasizes that events cannot be prohibited based on future laws that have yet to be enacted. Read more here

Szeged Shocks PSG in Handball Champions League: In a stunning turnaround, Szeged defeated Paris Saint-Germain 35-25 to secure their place in the Champions League quarterfinals with an aggregate score of 65-56. Szeged's next challenge will be against defending champions Barcelona, starting April 23 or 24. Read more here

Will Smith to Hold Concert in Budapest: Actor and musician Will Smith is set to perform at Budapest Park on August 14 as part of his tour promoting his new album "Based on a True Story." This will mark his second concert in the city, following a performance in 2019. Read more here

10th Budapest Ritmo Music Festival Approaches: The Budapest Ritmo festival, showcasing world music's diverse influences and political narratives, will celebrate its 10th edition from April 10-12, 2025. Notable performers include Fatoumata Diawara, Altın Gün, and Michelle Gurevich, with a free opening concert to highlight the deeply intertwined histories and cultural stories within this genre. Read more here

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