Direkt36

2 weeks ago | direkt36.hu | Szabolcs Panyi

In the second half of 2024, a person applying to become a diplomat failed their national security screening. The applicant had enrolled in the diplomatic training program of the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy, which operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (KKM), hoping it would lead to a future diplomatic post.

1 month ago | direkt36.hu | Szabolcs Panyi

On October 25, 2022, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Riyadh, where he held a private one-on-one meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS. One of the most powerful leaders in the world and the Middle East, MBS had officially become Saudi Arabia’s prime minister just a month earlier, on September 27, 2022. This could have been a major diplomatic win for Hungary, showcasing how quickly MBS granted Orbán an official meeting.

Dec 6, 2024 | direkt36.hu | Szabolcs Panyi

The summer of 2018 was a dramatic point in the history of the Hungarian foreign intelligence agency, the Information Office (IO, or IH in Hungarian). Events took place that shed light on unprecedented power struggles within the government. The IH had previously been under the supervision of János Lázár, who led the Prime Minister’s Office for years. However, in the fourth Orbán government, formed after the 2018 election, the office got a new overseer.

May 7, 2024 | direkt36.hu | Andras Szabo

Last spring, there were extraordinary maneuvers around the long drawn-out Paks nuclear power plant expansion project, which has been significantly delayed for years. Although the nuclear sector had not been affected by the Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its attack against Ukraine, there was speculation that this could happen sooner or later.

Feb 29, 2024 | direkt36.hu | Szabolcs Panyi

At one point in his 2024 State of the Nation address, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that “we cannot interfere in other countries’ elections, but we would very much like to see President Donald Trump return to the White House.” The Hungarian government’s stance on election interference has long been characterized by this tension: they talk about Hungary not interfering in other countries’ internal affairs – and state their expectation that others not interfere in Hungary’s – while at the...