Latest news in Hungary - 7 Mar 2025

Bomb Threat Made by Teenagers in Újpest: Six former students, aged 14 to 16, threatened a school in Újpest with a bomb via phone calls on March 4, prompting a police search that found no explosives. The youths have been apprehended and interrogated for making threats to public safety. Read more here

Orbán Vetoes Military Aid for Ukraine: At the latest EU summit, Viktor Orbán declined to endorse the European Council's conclusions on military aid to Ukraine, resulting in 26 out of 27 member states supporting the initiative without Hungary's agreement. Read more here

Sándor Fegyir Appointed as New Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary: Sándor Fegyir officially began his role as Ukraine's ambassador in Hungary after presenting his credentials to President Tamás Sulyok. His appointment comes after a series of delays, and he aims to strengthen Ukrainian-Hungarian relations and advocate for European peace. Fegyir, a professor and former soldier, has a background in tourism and regional projects. Read more here

OTP Reports Record Profit of 1076 Billion HUF: The OTP Group announced a historic profit of 1076 billion HUF for 2024, with contributions from its Hungarian (270 billion HUF), Bulgarian (200 billion HUF), and Russian (137 billion HUF) subsidiaries. The bank plans to prioritize organic growth, possible acquisitions, and distribute a significantly increased dividend of 270 billion HUF, resulting in a 3.9% yield per share. Read more here

Hungarian Government to Consult Public on Ukraine's EU Membership: Viktor Orbán announced that Hungary will conduct an opinion poll regarding Ukraine's potential EU membership, asserting that any decisions should reflect the people's will. This comes after the EU summit where Hungary's lack of support for ongoing military aid to Ukraine was highlighted, with Orbán warning that the economic implications could be too burdensome for both the EU and Hungary. Read more here

Foodora Fined for Quality Complaints: The Budapest Government Office has fined Foodora 50 million forints due to numerous consumer complaints about late deliveries, food quality, and pricing issues. This follows a previous 35 million forint fine in February for misleading consumers. Read more here

New Heat Record in Budapest: Budapest broke a 105-year-old temperature record on March 6, reaching 20.3 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 18.9 degrees set in 1920. While warm weather is expected to continue through the weekend, next week may bring rain and thunderstorms. Read more here

Foot-and-Mouth Disease Returns to Hungary: After a 50-year absence, foot-and-mouth disease has been identified on a cattle farm in Kis-Bajcsa, prompting immediate closure and strict measures as 1,400 cattle are at risk. The highly contagious viral disease affects cloven-hoofed animals, with confirmed cases necessitating culling of all infected livestock. Read more here

Investigation into Euronet ATMs: The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) is investigating Euronet Banktechnikai Kft. for potentially misleading consumers by displaying limited options on its ATM screens, leading users to incur unnecessary costs. The GVH has three months to determine if any legal violations occurred. Read more here

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