BBJ - Budapest Business Journal

Hungary has a “uniquely favorable window of opportunity” to revitalize its economy, but must act quickly to turn market confidence into stronger investment, Int'l Monetary Fund staff said Thursday.

Appointments

Géza Palocsay Named Managing Director of Douglas Central Europe

Géza Palocsay has been appointed managing director of Douglas Central Europe, overseeing the beauty retailer’s operations in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the company announced.

Int'l Relations

Germany Celebrates Fall of the Iron Curtain as a Joint Achievement

Germany’s new ambassador to Hungary, Alexander Schönfelder, took up his post in August. In his first interview with the BBJ, he discusses improved bilateral relations, the historical ties forged in the fall of the Iron Curtain, and the need to stand together as Europeans against disinformation and in defense of our collective security.

INSIDE VIEW

The Price of Medicine: How Discrediting a Competitor Became EUR 1 bln Competition law Risk

Transfer Pricing Remains a Perennial Pharma Industry Issue: New Regulations Bring Fresh Challenges

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

Manufacturing

Continest and Sweden’s Flexotrap Join Forces on Modular Shooting Ranges

As defense spending grows in importance across Europe following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, local firm Continest Technologies Plc. and...

Residential

Hungary’s Housing Costs Drive Buyers Toward Garden Plots and Former Wine Cellars

Rising house prices and living costs are pushing more buyers toward properties on Hungary’s outlying garden plots and vineyard land,...

PRESENTED CONTENT

Renewing the Spirit of Countryside Wellness Hospitality

Debrecen to Host Europe’s Battery Leaders at Hungarian Battery Days in November

The Business Case for Building Less, and Managing Better

Seven Pearl Tops Out in Budapest’s Historic Heart

Realis Group Plans International Expansion as Krisztián Hornok Joins as Partner

Net-zero Transition Becoming a Core Banking Issue

Government

Orbán Urged to Clarify Whether He Ordered Ukrainian Cash and Gold Convoy Stop

Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi has called on former PM Viktor Orbán to clarify whether he ordered Hungarian authorities to stop...

Residential

Budapest Castle District Voters Back Short-Term Rental Ban

Nearly 59% of participants in an online vote in Budapest’s District I supported a complete ban on short-term rentals, Castle...

BUSINESS

Science

What Might Dogs Reveal About Human Communication?

A Hungarian-led research team working out of the Department of Ethology at ELTE in Budapest is working to discover what...

Real Estate

Erste Real Estate Investment Fund Buys H2Offices

Skanska has agreed to sell the second phase of its H2Offices complex to Erste Open-Ended Real Estate Investment Fund, represented...

Retail

Hungary Retail Sales Rise 2.4% in August

Hungary’s retail sales volume increased 2.4% year on year in August but fell 0.7% from July, according to data from...

Automotive

Hungarian EV Market Continues to Grow, Leading CEE

Electromobility in Hungary continues to grow. In the first half of the year, 7,497 new all-electric passenger cars were registered,...

GTA VI Preview Sends Hungarian Console Interest Surging

Clicks from Hungarian price comparison site Árukereső to online console retailers rose roughly sevenfold the day after the Aug. 27...

Aldi Cuts Selection and Prices, Shifts toward Stricter Discount Model

Aldi has reduced its food assortment from 2,600 to 2,100 products as part of a data‑driven cleaning process that keeps...

18,000 Truck Drivers Near Retirement, Hungary Faces Shortage

Europe currently has more than 500,000 unfilled truck‑driver positions, and another 600,000 drivers are expected to reach retirement age in...

Working for a Competitive Advantage – The Latest Issue of the BBJ

Róbert Keszte became president of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK) in 2025. In an interview with the...

ECONOMY

MNB

MNB Cites Global Uncertainty Behind September Rate Hold

Global economic uncertainty constrained Hungary’s monetary policy room for maneuver, the National Bank of Hungary’s (MNB) Monetary Council agreed at...

Green Energy

Geothermal Energy: ‘Enormous’ Potential in Europe Still Awaiting Full Exploitation

Hungary boasts modest progress in exploiting geothermal energy at the Budapest summit, while experts highlight many conundrums hampering development across...

Analysis

Bosch-Richter Survey Finds Hungarians Open to AI, Health Tech and Safer Mobility

A survey presented at BoschxRichter Innovators’ Day suggests Hungarians prioritize health and financial stability while welcoming technology that improves safety...

Figures

Hungary’s Inflation at 1.6% in September 2026

Consumer prices in Hungary rose 1.6% year-on-year in September, while prices increased 0.2% from August, according to data from the...

MNB International Reserves Fall to EUR 62.1 bln in September

The National Bank of Hungary’s (MNB) international reserves stood at EUR 62.061 bln at the end of September, down EUR...

Government Opens HUF 2.2 bln in Funding for Hungarian Communities Abroad

Two funding schemes supporting ties with ethnic Hungarian communities abroad open for applications this week, offering HUF 2.2 bln for...

Hungarian Investment Fund Inflows Fall to HUF 138 bln in August

Net subscriptions to Hungarian investment funds reached HUF 138 bln in August, down from HUF 271 bln in July, according...

K&H Bank and Mastercard Extend Strategic Partnership Through 2030

K&H Bank and Mastercard have extended their exclusive strategic partnership through 2030, with plans to expand personalized digital financial services...

POLITICS

Issues

Corruption Ranks Among Hungarians’ Top Concerns

Hungarians ranked corruption as the country’s third-most pressing social problem after inflation and public health care, according to a representative...

Domestic

Romanian National Charged With Forcing Hungarian Man Into Servitude

A Romanian man has been charged with forcing a Hungarian man into servitude through violence and threats, the Pest County...

Int'l Relations

Hungary Signals Interest in Hosting 2036 Olympics

The Int'l Olympic Committee confirmed that Hungary is among seven countries engaged in ongoing dialogue and has formally expressed interest...

Government

Hungary Targets HUF 800 bln With Wealth Tax on Billionaires

Hungary’s gov't has decided on the details of a wealth tax due to take effect in 2027, an expansion of...

Parties Split Over Security Implications of Szijjártó’s BYD Role

Fidesz and Tisza lawmakers offered contrasting assessments of former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s employment with BYD after a closed-door parliamentary...

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...

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...

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...

BUDAPEST

Budapest

Budapest’s Déli Station to Close for Weekend Repairs Ahead of Major Upgrade

Budapest’s Déli railway station will close entirely on Oct. 10-11 for maintenance aimed at eliminating several speed restrictions, Transport and...