The interest rate cap on loans will remain in place until the key interest rate falls below 10%, and extra profit taxes may remain at least partially next year. The interest rate decision may cost the banking sector at least HUF 70 billion, and the special tax may cost the banking sector even more than […]

Hungarian lawmakers adopted changes to the country’s judiciary in the hope of gaining access to billions of euros in EU funds. While Brussels welcomed the reform steps, it indicated Hungary needed further reforms to unlock EU cash. Hungarian lawmakers passed measured related to the reform of the judiciary this week in the hopes of unlocking […]

The minister in charge of the Prime Minister's Office announced this week that the government will maintain its policy of keeping utility prices subsidized at least until the end of December. At the same time, analyst warn that the subsidy system is putting a heavy strain on public finances. Gergely Gulyás, the minister in charge […]

Hungary’s central bank Governor György Matolcsy slammed the Cabinet’s economic policy making, claiming it “took a wrong turn” ahead of the outbreak of war in neighboring Ukraine. The criticism shows a widening rift within the ruling Fidesz party, which could pose a new risk for the country. György Matolcsy, governor of the National Bank of […]

Hungary’s interest rates are the highest in the European Union. Even though market sentiment is improving, as evidenced by the rapid appreciation of the Hungarian currency, the central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged for a long time to ensure that fundamentals are solid enough for monetary easing to commence. The National Bank of […]

Hungary’s economic performance stumbled at the end of last year, confirming analyst views that the economy was in a technical recession from the second half of last year. The government expects the economy to expand in 2023. Hungary’s statistical office reported a contraction for a second consecutive quarter this week. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell […]

Hungary has the economic and cultural attributes necessary to support the development of a healthy start-up ecosystem. With more cooperation among stakeholders the country could create a start-up culture that could generate some 30,000 high-value-adding jobs and up to billions of forint in additional local spending, according to a recently published study. Hungary is battling […]

Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party faces probably the toughest year of its 13-year reign at the helm of the country. The economic picture is bleak and the silver lining very slim. The energy crisis engulfing Europe and Hungary, the ongoing stand-off with the EU and consequent freezing of funds, and the impact of the war in […]

Skyrocketing inflation in Hungary is starting to take its toll on households spending. While retail sales climbed slightly higher in November due to increasing fuel sales, turnover in food shops showed a significant decline, reflecting the impact of severe inflation and indicating that that more and more households are in serious trouble. Policy makers expect […]

Hungary struck a mega deal with the European Union this week to reduce the amount of funds the bloc proposed to freeze. In return, the Hungarian government lifted its veto on the financial aid package for Ukraine. Monday night brought a temporary resolution to Hungary’s biggest standoff with the European Union. Member states approved Hungary’s […]

Hungary is teetering on the brink of an economic “crisis” and it is one of the “most economically vulnerable” countries in the world, the central bank governor warned. Adopting an unusually critical tone, György Matolcsy blasted the policy mistakes committed by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in handling the crisis. The Governor of […]

The Hungarian government has pledged to implement reforms aimed at improving the medium- and long-term budgetary sustainability and adequacy of the pension system. The move comes as part of a series of measures that Budapest is undertaking in exchange for development funds being released by the EU. The European Commission released this week its assessment […]

Hungarian economic growth continued to slow in the third quarter of the year. Analysts expect further weakness in the coming couple of quarters as negative impacts amplify the drag on growth Economic growth in Hungary slowed from 6.5% in Q2 to 4% in July-September on an annual basis, below forecasts. The nation’s economy contracted 0.4% […]

It is increasingly apparent that Hungary’s inflation is the steepest in the European Union. Although the official inflation indicators of the Baltic countries are higher than those of Hungary, EU data from the summer show that the core inflation indicator, which contains much less distorting effects, is the worst in Hungary. The inflationary pressure intensified […]

Energy procurement and security is yet another matter where the Hungarian government and Brussels are taking diverging paths. Budapest has firmly rejected proposals for a mandatory joint EU gas procurement and a solidarity mechanism at the Energy Council in Luxembourg this week and the Cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is dead set against a […]