Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary, as “the westernmost Eastern people and the easternmost Western people”, wants to connect to all of the world’s economic power centers.

“We’re making good progress on this, and this is something Hungarian universities will be big winners of,” the prime minister said at the inauguration of the renovated pavilion buildings of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest on Tuesday.

PM Orbán said the world was on the verge of fundamental changes, arguing that the liberal world order had come to an end, and the winners of the new era would be those who fully realised their potential. But those who “fall in line” and “fail to recognise the strength in their national character”, he added, would quickly fade into irrelevance.

He said Hungary was preparing to set its role on the international stage on new foundations.

“We don’t want to follow the path carved out by others, but rather to make use of the advantages that stem from our own history, our own economic structure and our own culture,” PM Orbán said.

The prime minister said Hungarian animal science was world-renowned, adding that the University of Veterinary Medicine offered “perhaps the highest-quality education” in the country. He said it was the institution that made the most scientific discoveries and was among the world’s top 150 universities, “of which all Hungarians can be justly proud”.

PM Orbán said the university aimed to become one of the world’s top 50 such institutions, and the newly opened buildings and new research laboratories could help this plan succeed. Now the university has the proper background that will make it possible for students and researchers to perform above average also in terms of international publications and patent development, he added.

He said the developments at the University of Veterinary Medicine were part of the new era of Hungary’s higher education system, with Hungarian universities aiming to belong to the global top tier. He cited the latest European Union figures showing that Hungary was spending the most on higher education in proportion to GDP in the whole of the EU.

He said Hungary has tripled spending on research and development in the past ten years. As a result, there are currently 12 Hungarian universities in the global top five percent as against seven universities five years ago, he added. The number of international students in Hungary has nearly doubled in the past ten years, he said.

PM Orbán said Hungary would not allow Brussels to penalise young Hungarians “because we protect our sovereignty”. As a result the government has set up the Pannonia scholarship scheme, he added. “We do not have to rely on other people’s money, but we on our own can also develop successful scientific cooperation with the best universities around the world,” he said.

He said further buildings of the University of Veterinary Medicine were planned to be revamped in the future, adding that the hope was that the war would end in 2025, the European economy would return to its normal track, Hungary’s economy would be set on a growth path, and this would enable the allocation of funds necessary to further develop the university.

Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary’s goal is to build a high-readiness, digitalised, nationally minded defense force with a high operational value.

Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky told parliament’s defense and law enforcement committee at his annual hearing that the country’s military had already taken big steps towards achieving this goal.

He said the world had entered “an era of dangers”, and the coming period before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in late January would be “particularly dangerous”.

Concerning the war in Ukraine, the minister said only peace talks and a ceasefire could guarantee that “the situation doesn’t slip out of the hands of pro-war decision-makers”.

As regards the situation in Syria, Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said it was “unacceptable” and “unfathomable amateurism” that “a part of the press and certain politicians wanted to gain a domestic political advantage out of a situation that is dangerous to us”.

Concerning Africa, the minister said Hungary was committed to addressing problems where they arise. The country therefore devotes special attention to the Sahel region and has provided complex aid that includes diplomacy, developments and support for the defense forces in Chad, he said. The minister added that preparations were complete, and Hungary’s mission could get under way once it is approved by Chad’s parliament.

As regards the Western Balkans, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said European Union membership would help ease tensions in the countries in the region, “but Ukraine is more of a priority for the EU in this regard”.

He said Hungary’s goal was to build a high-readiness, digitalised, nationally minded defense force with a high operational value, adding that the government had taken a number of measures in order to achieve this goal.

“Now is the time to be a soldier,” the minister said, noting pay rises in the military and that military personnel older than 55 have to be employed in public administration.

Hungary is constantly procuring new military equipment which is being entered into service, he noted.

As regards the recruitment campaign launched by the Hungarian Armed Forces in the summer, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said 3,500 young Hungarians have been recruited and their training is ongoing.

Hungarian forces are serving in observer, training and peacekeeping missions in eight countries on three continents, he said, adding that the country hit its target of 2 percent of GDP defense spending in 2023.

Testifying before parliament’s budget committee on Tuesday, National Economy Minister Márton Nagy said Hungary’s government aims to stimulate growth and achieve fiscal balance at the same time.

Minister Nagy said putting the budget balance in the black, excluding debt servicing costs, was of “key importance”. An upturn in the domestic economy will lift GDP growth and boost budget revenue, he added.

The minister said it was the task of the government to channel a large amount of household savings coming out of maturing retail government securities in the spring to the right place, be that more government securities, consumption or home purchases. The recovery of purchasing power next year will impact all strata of society, he added.

Fielding questions, Minister Nagy said the government put the number of work permits issued to non-European Union nationals at 65,000 per year, low relative to the number of Hungarians employed.

MOHU is planning a comprehensive renewal of its vehicle fleet for waste collection. The company will initially procure 165 new vehicles with chassis produced in Germany and bodies manufactured in Hungary. The new vehicles comply with EU directives and safety standards and promise significantly lower operating costs compared to older models. The technical condition of the current fleet is critical and poses a serious technical and economic challenge. Of the approximately 2,000 vehicles on the road, 40% are more than 15 years old and the average age of the entire fleet is 13 years.

The large-scale procurement is part of a broad-based investment strategy to improve the waste management system. Other measures include the construction of 83 modern landfill sites, the free provision of 1 million waste bins to improve waste separation and the consistent introduction of the new recycling system, which has already led to the collection of more than 700 million glass and plastic bottles and aluminium cans in just a few months. The aim is to fulfil the EU requirements of a maximum of 10% landfill and at least 65% recycling.