Thirty years ago, on May 23, 1990, a few weeks after the formation of the first freely elected Parliament in 43 years, the government of József Antall took the oath of office. With this, Hungary reached a huge milestone along its path of regime change.

BBJ columnist Robert Smyth’s tour around Hungary’s wine regions this issue takes us to the smallest of the lot, found in Veszprém County, northwest Hungary: Somló.

COVID-19 has affected the way our food is supplied, traded, and purchased, which gives rise to new or different risks that must be considered to ensure it is safe at all times. Mary Kenny is the Food and Agriculture Organization’s food safety and consumer protection officer for the Europe and Central Asia region, based at the regional office in Budapest. She spoke with FAO communication officer Victoria Kalinin to mark World Food Safety Day (June 7), about how FAO is helping countries in the region within this effort.

COVID-19 makes us realize that a pandemic does not only constitute a serious risk to human health, but is also likely to have a serious impact on personal data protection too.

Private healthcare in Hungary has been gradually improving in the past few years, both in terms of the breadth of services on offer and competition. Emergency restrictions introduced with the arrival of COVID-19, however, have accelerated a new practice: video consultations wherever possible.

Hungary has “undoubtedly defended itself successfully” against the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared on state radio on May 22. He added that the country had performed “far better than materially wealthier and more fortunate countries”, although, sadly that success was still only relative, marred as it was by a loss of life.

Never before has a disease triggered as much research in such a short amount of time in the field of drug development as coronavirus has. Groups of researchers, pharmacists and physicians all over the world are working flat out to find a cure or a vaccine, including several Hungarian teams.

Telenor Hungary’s Czech CEO Jan Hanus gives a rare and exclusive interview to the Budapest Business Journal on his company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and how he sees the future recovery.

While the world recovers from the shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic, some future trends are emerging defining our life and the global economy. What could be the trending opportunities for innovative companies in the post-COVID world? In the first of a short Budapest Business Journal series presented in cooperation with the Tungsram Group, president & CEO Joerg Bauer shares his vision on sanitation as a global business opportunity.

Les Nemethy and András Hanák look into a new law that aims to protect “strategic” Hungarian companies from being acquired by non-Hungarian parties, and its potential effect on foreign investment.

The OECD has predicted Hungary’s economy will suffer a contraction of between 8-10% this year, depending on whether there is a second wave of the COVID-19 virus (the so-called “double-hit” scenario), the organization says in its latest Economic Outlook, entitled "World Economy on a Tightrope", published on June 10.

Weekend traffic restrictions for heavy trucks will be extended into July and August, according to uzletem.hu. 

“Feed the Doctors”, the initiative founded by members of Budapest’s restaurant scene at the height of the pandemic, has evolved into non-profit Etesd, which means “to feed.”

Parliament unanimously approved the proposal to lift the state of emergency ordered by the government on March 11 due to the coronavirus epidemic and approved related legislation on transitional rules and epidemiological preparedness, according to state news agency MTI.

The 25,000 sqm building “F” at the Váci Greens office development, designed by TIBA Architects Studio, with a pre-opening occupancy of close to 70%, has received its occupancy permit, with the first tenants set to move in. The handover of the sixth and final building at the complex in the Váci Corridor is due in September, which will complete the project, according to developer Atenor.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on all economies: in the EU, the average setback in industrial output was 27.2% in April on an annual basis. Hungary was among the countries hardest hit by the crisis: industrial production was down by 36.8% from a year ago, and by 30.5% from the previous month.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are providing new financing worth a total EUR 12.5 million (USD 14 million) to Romania’s Agricover Credit IFN.

Hungarian oil and gas company MOL on Friday said Ferenc Horváth decided to step down as executive vice president of the MOLʼs Group Downstream division as of July 15 after 17 successful years in the position, according to a report by state news wire MTI.

The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) member states have given Poland and the Baltic States’ defense plans the green light having worked out the final technical matters, diplomatic sources within the Alliance said as cited by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).