BBJ - Budapest Business Journal

Leading policymakers, industry executives, international organizations and experts will gather in Debrecen on Nov. 4-5 for the sixth Hungarian Battery Days to discuss the future of the battery industry.

Energy Trade

E.ON Launches HUF 230 bln Grid Upgrade to Support Hungary’s Energy Transition

E.ON Hungária Group has launched a nearly HUF 230 bln electricity network development program that will create 2,323 MW of additional grid connection capacity by 2030.

Domestic

Court Orders Detention of Former Hungarian Culture Minister Hankó

A judge at the Kecskemét District Court has ordered the detention of former Culture and Innovation Minister Balázs Hankó for one month in an investigation into alleged misuse of more than HUF 17 bln in National Cultural Fund (NKA) grants, prosecutors said Thursday.

INSIDE VIEW

Pay Transparency: A Practical Tool for Comparing the Value of Different Roles

Energy Investment in Hungary: Sectors, Returns, and the Legal Infrastructure That Makes it Possible

Europe’s new Insolvency Rulebook: What it Means for Hungary

Cyber Resilience Act: Companies Face First 2026 deadline

From Pay Reporting to Litigation Risk: The Impact of the EU Pay Transparency Directive

Hungary’s Proposed Insolvency Regime: What Would the Draft Law Change?

Sci-Fi Today: Tax Returns Entrusted to Machines

Advantages of Hungarian Trust Asset Management Also Available to Foreigners

Mind the 5%: Getting Ahead of Gender Pay Gap Rules in Hungary

Adaptive Reuse of Existing Office Building Stock: Legal Pitfalls

Navigating the Energy Storage Boom: Emerging Trends, Legal Implications

Double Benefit: Energy Efficiency With Tax Benefits

Balance and Timing in Taxation Key to Success in Automotive

Sustainability Reporting Made Simpler? The EU’s Omnibus Package Explained

Digital Under Scrutiny: Key Lessons from GVH’s 2024 Crackdown

Int'l Relations

Russia Expels Hungarian Diplomats in Retaliatory Move

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that it was expelling Hungarian diplomats in retaliation for Hungary’s recent expulsion of 10 Russian...

Trade

Hungary Posts EUR 481 mln Trade Deficit as Import Volumes Jump 13%

Hungary recorded a EUR 481 million goods trade deficit in August as import volumes rose 13% year-on-year while export volumes...

PRESENTED CONTENT

Dealing With Tick Bites

Honor Sees Hungary as a Strategic Market for Ecosystem-led Growth

Resilient by Design: Celebrating 25 years of TCS in Hungary

Serving Up the New U.S. Dietary Guidelines

BBJ Quick Interview: Realizing the Business Benefits of ESG

Penny Hungary at 30: Digital, Caring, Community-oriented

Kidney Stones: When Your Body’s Own Substances Become the Enemy

Banks, Supply Chains, and Insurance: Why Cybersecurity Matters

Expanded Sanofi Budapest Hub Demonstrates the Pulse of Progress

Drees & Sommer on Adding Value, Digitalization and ‘Urban Mining’

Hungary Still has Much to Offer Germany – EY Partner Ésik Says

From Chatbots to Virtual Bankers: How AI Is Reshaping Hungarian Finance

Market Fundamentals Holding Back Entries by Major Luxury Fashion Brands

Affidea Offers a Clearer Image of Employee Health

Philips Advocates Human-centric AI Integration to Enable Better Care for More

Government

Magyar Says Anti-Corruption Drive Has Reached Top ‘Fidesz Mafia’ Circles

Prime Minister Péter Magyar called former minister Miklós Seszták’s arrest a milestone in Operation Cleansing Fire, saying the anti-corruption drive...

Manufacturing

Hungary’s Industrial Producer Prices Rise 4.8% as Energy Export Prices Surge

Hungary’s industrial producer prices rose 4.8% year-on-year in August and 2.9% from July, with energy export prices climbing sharply amid...

BUSINESS

Deals

Szentkirályi to Take Over Almdudler Distribution in Hungary From January.

Szentkirályi Magyarország is set to take over Hungarian distribution of popular Austrian herbal soft drink Almdudler on January 1, 2027....

Real Estate

Investors Becoming More Selective as Markets Rebound

Commercial real estate investment across the CEE-6 markets reached EUR 5.8 billion for H1 2026 compared with EUR 5.4 bln...

Automotive

Budapest Cuts EV Parking Discounts but Keeps Benefits Until 2030

Budapest's City Assembly voted to reduce the parking discount for electric and hydrogen vehicles to 50%, keeping the benefit in...

Business

Former Hungarian Ministers Seszták and Hankó Detained After Immunity Lifted

Opposition lawmakers and former ministers Miklós Seszták and Balázs Hankó were detained on Monday after Parliament suspended their immunity, according...

Wallis Builds Next Growth Phase on Local Knowledge and Leadership

Gyula Mező, CEO of Wallis Asset Management, tells the BBJ how the group is allocating capital, managing an increasingly int'l...

Government Gives Green Light to M49 Extension to Romanian Border

The government will proceed with the second phase of the M49 expressway, extending the road to the Romanian border, Transportation...

Nestlé Unveils Hungary’s Largest Food Industry Investment in Bük

Nestlé has completed a HUF 193 bln expansion at its Purina pet food factory in Bük, adding three production units...

ESG Elements Central to Investment and Financing

Analysts say a sustainable recovery in the investment markets is underway, although investors are more selective in how they allocate...

ECONOMY

Ratings

Bayer Construct Gets Default Ratings After Bankruptcy Protection Filing

Scope Ratings has assigned default ratings to Bayer Construct following its bankruptcy protection filing, citing financial pressure linked partly to...

Analysis

TI Hungary: Private Equity Funds Still Opaque Despite Stricter Rules

Transparency International Hungary found that despite tighter regulations, ownership of Hungarian private equity funds remains opaque, with major gaps in...

Figures

Hungary Lifts Debt Issuance Plan to HUF 8.7 tln as Financing Needs Grow

Hungary’s Gov't Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) has raised its 2026 net issuance target to HUF 8.717 tln, citing a larger-than-expected...

Analysis

Hungary’s Business Confidence Improves in September

Business sentiment improved in Hungary in September, while consumer confidence remained largely unchanged, according to a monthly survey by economic...

Hungary Could Adopt Euro in 2033 at Earliest, Equilor Says

Hungary could adopt the euro in 2033 at the earliest, with high public debt and a substantial budget deficit posing...

EBRD Maintains Hungary Growth Forecast at 1.8% for 2026

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) forecasts Hungary’s economy will expand by 1.8% in 2026 and 2.5% in...

Former Central Bank Governor Matolcsy Questioned as Suspect in Erste Case

Police have questioned seven suspects, including former National Bank of Hungary Governor György Matolcsy, in an investigation into alleged abuse...

MNB to Lower Inflation Target to 2.5% From 2028, Holds Base Rate at 5.5%

The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) will lower its inflation target to 2.5% from Jan. 1, 2028, while retaining its...

POLITICS

Domestic

Budapest Appeals Court Cuts Prison Sentences in ‘Antifa’ Attack Case

The Budapest Regional Court of Appeal issued a binding ruling in the so-called “antifa case,” reducing two defendants’ prison sentences...

EU

Hungary’s EPPO Accession Advances With Budapest Talks

European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi held talks with Hungarian officials in Budapest on the details of Hungary’s accession to...

Parliament

Hungarian Parliament Rejects President’s Nominee for Chief Prosecutor

Parliament rejected President András Baka’s nominee for chief public prosecutor, Zoltán Szathmáry, in a secret ballot on Monday, according to...

Parliament

Hungarian Parliament Suspends PM Magyar’s Immunity

Parliament voted to suspend the immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar at a special session on Monday. The motion to...

Hungarian Government Plans Broader KATA Eligibility, Higher Monthly Payments

The gov't plans to expand eligibility for Hungary’s itemized tax for small businesses (KATA) while raising monthly tax payments, PM...

EU Grants Hungary 1‑year Exemption from Gas Market Rule

The EC approved Hungary's request for a temporary exemption from an EU gas‑market regulation at the Serbian border, allowing the...

Magyar Invites Pope Leo XIV to Hungary After Vatican Talks

Prime Minister Péter Magyar invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Hungary during a private audience at the Vatican on Sept....

Tisza Lawmakers Propose Making Christmas Eve a Public Holiday

Three Tisza Party lawmakers have submitted a bill to Parliament that would make Dec. 24 a permanent public holiday in...

BUDAPEST

Tourism

Hungary Tourism Arrivals Fall 7.3% in August as Foreign Demand Drops

Tourist arrivals at Hungarian accommodation establishments fell 7.3% year-on-year to nearly 2.6 million in August, as international arrivals dropped 13%....

INSIDE VIEW

PRESENTED CONTENT

BUSINESS

Deals

Real Estate

ECONOMY

Ratings

Analysis

POLITICS

Domestic

EU

BUDAPEST

Tourism

Hotels