Where the quote was intended for a story in the BBJ, we have given the title so that you can find the background online.
“In 1967 [aged 18], I began to write. I never expected to write; I didn’t come from a bookish family, I didn’t know much poetry. But that year, I began to write poems, and as soon as I started doing it, I thought: I know what I am, I’m this!”
George Szirtes, April 10, 2025, private interview, Budapest. Szirtes fled Hungary to Austria with his parents around the time of his eighth birthday in November 1956. He spoke no English. On Nov. 26, 2025, 69 years later almost to the day, he received the 2024 King’s Award for Poetry in Buckingham Palace, London, from King Charles III.
“There is the issue of Chinese export control. China has recently tightened its export licenses and export control requirements on rare earth elements and other critical minerals. The challenge is that China dominates the upstream supply chain, accounting for roughly 60-70% of global rare earth mining, and nearly 90% of refining and processing capacities. In response, the EU and USA are taking strong action.”
Anita Simon, deputy CEO, Alteo, in a presentation at the Battery Day conference, Budapest, Nov. 6, 2025. For the full published story, see “Hungary Determined to Expand Battery Sector Operations.”
“What is for me a very embarrassing trend, mainly in American, English and Western literature, is, well, to put it bluntly, the influence of the Woke culture. I don’t think it’s a very serious problem. It is for me, but it’s not that serious compared to Russia becoming more and more totalitarian and fascist and waging a war against poor Ukrainians. Of course, this is the big problem. But, it’s so embarrassing that you cannot read a bloody good novel without gay, or lesbian or transexual characters. They just have to be in it now! And it is so boring that f*** you, I want to have good heterosexual sex in my books, at least sometimes!”
Miklós Nagy, editor-in-chief of Helikon Publishing, interviewed for the BBJ, Jan. 22, 2025. For the full, published story, see “Hungary’s Publishers Gear up for 96th Book Week Celebrations.”
“In Denmark, and this is what I’ve experienced, it [Velux] has a very flat organizational structure, and I think this is so weird for Hungary, because we are used to this hierarchy [structure]. It’s totally different. I can talk to our group CEO at any time, and he will answer me, while I think in Hungary you [will have to go through] some levels first, before you talk to someone [at that level]. And this is so refreshing. I think it’s a really good thing.”
Gábor Kovács, head of public affairs, Velux Hungary, speaking at “The Danish Way of Doing Business,” a conference hosted by Corvinus University, Nov. 4, 2025.
“I am sure that the fourth metro line would not exist without me and a little group around me. Because we were fighting with the Socialist government, [the] conservative government, with Orbán, with everyone. Only the World Bank and Brussels were with me. They were the allies. They agreed, because there was a feasibility study, which proved that it was needed, and how much it would cost.
“Finally, it cost double, and people were criticizing me, but if they look at other investments in the world like this, they all cost double [the planned estimate]. Because you know those who realized these projects, they are interested in doing the project, and when asked about the project, they tell something.
“They know that it’s not exactly true, but once the investment has been started, nobody will stop it, so they count on somehow finding the money to finish it. So, that is the logic. I understood it, I learned that, but hoooooo!, what I got afterwards because it was double the estimate.”
Gábor Demszky, Mayor of Budapest 1990-2010. Private interview, Jan. 20, 2025.
“Why not just let the old lady American pensioner, she has a U.S. pension of USD 4,000, so why can’t she stay and rent some nice Hungarian’s house here? It doesn’t make sense […] It’s not like, let’s face it, nobody’s coming to Hungary to [exploit] the welfare system.”
Anikó Woods, author of “How to Hungary,” an e-book offering advice for foreign nationals seeking to settle in Hungary. Private Interview, June 24, 2025. For a more detailed story looking into the background of this quote, see “Changes to Residency Rules Make Living in Hungary Tough for Foreign Retirees.”
“We cannot defend ourselves. In the zero-point military training field, when I was a young captain and leading my company in a multinational exercise, actually with Italian and American forces, I saw the whole Hungarian army, three kilometers that way and four that way, and that’s all. By the afternoon, we all go home, if we survive the first combat.”
Márk Takács, ex-captain, Hungarian Defense Forces and military expert, speaking at a conference entitled “Truth Under Siege: Russia’s (Dis)Information Campaigns and the Ukraine Crisis,” sponsored by the British Embassy and Political Capital, Budapest, March 11, 2025.
“As a company, I would choose general AI tools that can be used in working life, and all the others should be prohibited; that’s what I would say at this stage of the process. So, on the company level, I would have due diligence with the vendors, so see all contracts, everything, and that’s a huge and very long process to find one [that] is really safe for us. Because now, we don’t know what may cause huge problems and damage for us.”
Andrea Belényi, partner with VJT& Partners, speaking at “Navigating AI Policy,” a BCCH Breakfast Seminar, EST Grand Hotel Savoy, Budapest, April 30, 2025. For the full, published story, see “Generative AI and Business: Massive Potential, Many Pitfalls.”
Without any kind of background of being in hospitality, then it seems like it’s very difficult to do it. But what I see now is this business is not about how we treat guests; this business is about how we treat the colleagues inside, the staff. As a team. It’s still a business, but if we are honest inside, then the customer will feel it outside.”
Dániel Regős, former distributor for Bang & Olufsen, but now the co-owner of Opium and sister restaurants in Budapest. For the full, published story, see “Bringing the Tastes of Asia to Budapest.”
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of December 12, 2025.
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