HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
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23rd March, 2026
Businesses delaying investments due to elections
Hungarian businesses are currently in a “wait-and-see” mode, with many companies holding back on investments due to uncertainty about the economic and political outlook, startup investor and STRT Holding chairman Balogh Petya told Della podcast, 24 writes.
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20th March, 2026
Manfred to launch Budapest bike share scheme
After a successful test in the Second District, the Manfred bicycle sharing service will be launched across Budapest in the coming days, the company said on Thursday.
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20th March, 2026
Ryanair plans Budapest-Venice flights
Ryanair will launch a new direct flight between Budapest and Venice from September 1, Airportal reports.
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19th March, 2026
Revolut to introduce Hungarian accounts, new fees
Neobank Revolut has informed its clients that it will establish a Hungarian branch, with local users set to receive domestic bank account numbers in the future.
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19th March, 2026
Mobile payments surge as fintech use broadens
The share of people using mobile payments in Hungary rose sharply in 2025, increasing from 41% to 48% in a single year, according to Mastercard.
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18th March, 2026
MBH joins BUX basket from April
Shares in MBH bank will be included in the BUX index of the Budapest Stock Exchange from April 1, after meeting the entry criteria.
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18th March, 2026
Hunguest to run Szentgotthárd hotel
Hunguest Hotels will take over the operation of the four-star Gotthard Therme Hotel in Szentgotthárd, from April 1.
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17th March, 2026
Ukrainian flag at Tisza event seen as provocation
Péter Magyar blamed “Fidesz propaganda” for the appearance of a huge Ukrainian flag at the start of his party’s National March on Sunday afternoon.
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16th March, 2026
Hungarian soldiers leave Iraq
The Hungarian soldiers and diplomats stationed at the military base in Erbil have left Iraq due to the deterioration of the security situation, armed forces chief of staff Gábor Böröndi announced on Saturday.
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16th March, 2026
About You pays Ft 500mn to deceived consumers
The operator of About You must pay more than Ft 500 million in compensation to hundreds of thousands of customers, the Competition Authority (GVH) announced on Friday.
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13th March, 2026
Hadházy and Zugló mayor cover advertising kiosks
Zugló mayor András Rózsa and independent MP Ákos Hadházy covered advertising pillars in Budapest’s 14th District with black plastic on Thursday after the company responsible failed to remove them despite a local ban.
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13th March, 2026
Seats empty at Magyar film screenings
Péter Magyar alleged Fidesz involvement after it emerged that screenings of the film Spring Wind, The Awakening – a sympathetic documentary about the Tisza Party leader – were sold out on Thursday, but many seats remained empty during the actual showings.
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12th March, 2026
Survey: 1.8mn potential voters still undecided
Nearly a quarter of Hungary’s adult population – about 1.8 million people, or 23% – still does not know which party they will support in the upcoming election, according to a new analysis by the Republikon Institute.
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12th March, 2026
Budapest launches intergenerational housing scheme
Budapest has launched the “Together, Easier – Reliable Room Rental” programme to promote cohabitation between elderly residents living alone and young people seeking affordable housing, the municipality said in a statement.
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11th March, 2026
US court orders Croatia to pay $236mn to MOL
A Washington federal court has ruled that Croatia must pay $236 million to MOL in a case going back to 2013.
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11th March, 2026
Nearly 1,000 returned from Middle East
Nearly 1,000 people have managed to return to Hungary from the Middle East since war broke out in the region on February 28, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday in Budapest.
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10th March, 2026
Gov’t reintroduces fuel price cap
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on Monday that the government had ordered a fuel price freeze following an extraordinary meeting, reintroducing what it calls a “protected price”.
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10th March, 2026
Kifli.hu expands grocery delivery
Kifli.hu has expanded its food delivery network to more than 40 additional settlements from Monday, extending its service to roughly 330,000 more people.
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9th March, 2026
Magyar draws huge crowd in Pécs
A crowd estimated by police at tens of thousands gathered in Pécs on Saturday evening, filling the central Széchenyi Square and the surrounding streets to welcome Péter Magyar.
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9th March, 2026
Hungary seizes $80mn from Ukrainian cash couriers
Hungary has deported the seven Ukrainian citizens detained on March 5 while transporting $80 million in cash and gold from Austria to Ukraine, it was announced on Friday.
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6th March, 2026
Wizz Air warns of losses as war hits profits
Wizz Air has issued a profit warning due to the war involving Iran, saying the conflict could cost the airline nearly €50 million in the financial year ending March 31.
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5th March, 2026
Club closed over alleged drug trafficking
Authorities on Wednesday ordered one-month temporary closure of Turbina, a nightclub in Budapest’s Eighth District, citing alleged drug trafficking.
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4th March, 2026
Wizz Air boosts Egypt route
Wizz Air will increase services between Budapest and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt from three to ten flights a week from March 6, offering alternatives for passengers affected by the suspension of Middle East routes, the no frills airline said on Tuesday.
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4th March, 2026
Documentary on Magyar out next week
A sympathetic documentary on Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar, entitled Tavaszi Szél - az ébredés (“Spring Wind - The Awakening”) will premiere in Hungarian cinemas on March 12.
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3rd March, 2026
Oil price surge threatens forint
A sustained 10% rise in oil prices could lift inflation by 0.5% in Romania and 0.45% in Hungary, according to an analysis by ING bank underlining the vulnerability of energy-importing economies in Central and Eastern Europe.
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3rd March, 2026
Lululemon to enter Hungary
Lululemon will open its first Hungarian store on March 31 on Budapest’s Fashion Street, in partnership with franchise operator the Arion Retail Group.
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2nd March, 2026
Govt pays Ft 6bn to victims of grain firm collapse
Agriculture Minister István Nagy announced on social media on Saturday that all affected farmers classified as SMEs have received their due payments following the collapse of grain trader Bászna Gabona.
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2nd March, 2026
Middle East flights suspended
Dozens of flights were cancelled at Liszt Ferenc International Airport due to the situation in the Middle East, Budapest Airport announced.
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27th February, 2026
Most prefer Magyar to Orbán as PM
Some 45% of Hungarians would prefer Péter Magyar as prime minister over Viktor Orbán, while 37% would favour the incumbent and 18% could not choose between the two, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Republikon Institute on February 12 -17.
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26th February, 2026
Self-driving cars to appear soon in Budapest
AI government commissioner László Palko¬vics said in an interview with Index that the first self-driving cars will be unveiled in a few weeks, which will be driving on the streets of Budapest.
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26th February, 2026
Travel permit needed for entering UK
Foreigners not obliged to have visas, among them the citizens of the EU, may enter the United Kingdom from Wednesday only in possession of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
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25th February, 2026
MNB looks into insider trading in MOL shares
The MNB has confirmed to Reuters that it has started an investigation into certain transactions involving MOL shares following a report alleging possible insider trading, Portfolio reports.
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24th February, 2026
Wizz Air to suspend online services overnight
Wizz Air will temporarily suspend its booking platform and digital customer service systems from 11 p.m. Wednesday until 8 a.m. Thursday, due to scheduled maintenance, the airline announced.
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23rd February, 2026
New home builds at nine-year low
A total of 12,062 new homes were completed in Hungary last year, 9.3% fewer than in 2024, and the lowest number since 2016, Telex writes, citing Ingatlan.com.
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23rd February, 2026
Palatinus Grand Hotel reopens in Pécs
The iconic Art Nouveau-style Palatinus Grand Hotel in downtown Pécs reopened late last year after an extensive renovation that began in 2020, Portfolio writes.
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20th February, 2026
Auchan launches major expansion drive
Retail chain Auchan is planning to open smaller shops across the country from 2027 as part of its seven-year strategy to triple sales by 2032, the company announced on Thursday.
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20th February, 2026
Miskolc acquires site of former steelworks
The municipality of Miskolc has acquired majority ownership of the former Diósgyőr Steelworks for Ft 6 billion, funded from budgetary sources.
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19th February, 2026
New study finds Hungary is poorest EU member state
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre launched the ABSPO pilot project in 2018, introducing an “absolute” measure of poverty based on the costs of meeting basic needs for individuals and households.
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18th February, 2026
Survey: corruption has not been curbed
Most Fidesz voters believe the government has not curbed corruption in the past 15 years, according to a survey conducted by 21 Kutatóközpont for the website aHang.
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17th February, 2026
Debrecen casino concession extended to 2061
LVC Diamond Játékkaszinó Üzemeltető, formerly owned by Andy Vajna and now held by Fidesz-affiliated businessmen István Garancsi and Árpád Habony, has been granted the right to operate the Debrecen casino until 2061, website Mfor reports.
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17th February, 2026
Over 40,000 Hungarians emigrate annually
The number of Hungarians choosing to emigrate is consistently near 40,000 annually and rising, Népszava reports, citing József Nógrádi, head of strategic relations at personnel company Trenkwalder.
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16th February, 2026
OTP cutting nearly 200 digital jobs
OTP is to reduce headcount in its Digital Division by almost 200 as part of a broader push to streamline operations and improve cost efficiency.
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16th February, 2026
Bomb hoax disrupts wine-tasting event again
For the second consecutive year, the Budapest Convention Centre had to be evacuated due to a bomb alert while a wine-tasting event was held in the building on Saturday evening.
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13th February, 2026
Gov’t extends profit margin cap until May
The government will extend the profit margin caps on a range of basic foodstuffs for retailers, which were set to expire at the end of February, until the end of May, the Economy Ministry announced after the January inflation data was released.
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12th February, 2026
Pay rise hopes cool as pessimism deepens
The scope for double-digit wage increases in Hungary is narrowing rapidly: in 2024 some 31% of employers granted raises of more than 10%; by 2025 that share had fallen to 10%, according to Hays Hungary’s Salary Guide 2026.
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12th February, 2026
Hungarian arrested for vandalising temple
A 30-year-old Hungarian man was arrested in Malta after he was caught carving numbers into the wall of Ggantija, the world’s oldest free-standing human-built structure.
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11th February, 2026
Village mayor shot in his office
The mayor of Nagytevel, a village in Veszprém county, was shot with a gas pistol on Tuesday morning in the local government office, authorities confirmed.
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10th February, 2026
Foundation ordered to replace massive losses
The Neumann János University Foundation (NJEA) in Kecskemét has lost a lawsuit and must now produce a plan detailing how it would recover the lost assets, as demanded by the State Audit Office following its mishandling of nearly Ft 130 billion in public funds.
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9th February, 2026
Alibaba charges 4.5% fee for Hungarian deliveries
China’s e-commerce group Alibaba has recently begun charging Hungarian customers an additional 4.5% fee listed on invoices as a "Hungary surcharge", Telex writes, citing a notification from a business client.
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6th February, 2026
Winter gives rise to record number of potholes
Budapest’s already poor road conditions have deteriorated sharply in recent days, with a record number of potholes reported.
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5th February, 2026
Less worried about war, more sceptical of EU
Hungarians are less concerned about war and slightly less likely to trust the EU than the average for the bloc, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.
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4th February, 2026
Győr mayor looks into missing funds
Bence Pintér, Győr’s independent mayor, announced that he is initiating the dissolution of the city council, arguing that what has come to light about the management of municipal assets is unacceptable.
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3rd February, 2026
Teacher suspended after axe attack on activists
A teacher in Debrecen has been suspended after threatening Tisza Party activists with an axe while they collected signatures in a local apartment block, RTL reports.
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3rd February, 2026
Trend FM owner acquires Klasszis Média in full
Balázs Komáromi, the owner of radio station Trend FM, has bought the Klasszis Média group from its founder, Zsuzsanna Ács, the parties announced.
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2nd February, 2026
Jobbik’s Xmas Eve holiday referendum bid fails
The national referendum initiative launched by Jobbik to make December 24 a public holiday has failed to gather sufficient public backing, as fewer than 100,000 valid signatures were submitted, the National Election Committee (NVB) has declared.
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2nd February, 2026
Free cash withdrawal maximum rises
The monthly limit for free cash withdrawals has risen to Ft 300,000, up from Ft 150,000, effective February 1.
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