BBJ - Budapest Business Journal

Hungary’s general government deficit reached HUF 2.810 tln, or 6.2% of GDP, in the first half of 2026, as expenditure growth outpaced revenue gains, preliminary Central Statistical Office (KSH) data show.

Awards

Wizz Air Ranks Second Among Central European Airlines at Skytrax Awards

Wizz Air has been named the second-best airline in Central Europe at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, based on passenger votes, the carrier announced Friday.

Conferences

Investing in a Functioning Economy

About 90 guests attended an Economy CEO Breakfast and Executive Leadership Forum at the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest on Thursday morning (Oct. 1), jointly organized by the Budapest Business Journal and the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK), with support from Advantage Austria and Swisscham.

INSIDE VIEW

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

Sustainability Reporting Made Simpler? The EU’s Omnibus Package Explained

Digital Under Scrutiny: Key Lessons from GVH’s 2024 Crackdown

Figures

Hungary to Raise Lowest Pensions From January

Hungary will raise the minimum pension to HUF 120,000 and introduce tiered increases for other low pensions from Jan. 1,...

Budapest

Government Agrees to HUF 120 bln Budapest Bailout and Transport Funding Overhaul

The government will provide Budapest with HUF 120 bln to settle outstanding debts under a deal that also includes shared...

PRESENTED CONTENT

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

Realis WAM Raises HUF 7 Bln for Ráday utca Development

Transport

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...

Business

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...

BUSINESS

Manufacturing

Hungary’s Industrial Producer Prices Rise 4.8% as Energy Export Prices Surge

Hungary’s industrial producer prices rose 4.8% year-on-year in August and 2.9% from July, with energy export prices climbing sharply amid...

Deals

Szentkirályi to Take Over Almdudler Distribution in Hungary From January.

Szentkirályi Magyarország is set to take over Hungarian distribution of popular Austrian herbal soft drink Almdudler on January 1, 2027....

Real Estate

Investors Becoming More Selective as Markets Rebound

Commercial real estate investment across the CEE-6 markets reached EUR 5.8 billion for H1 2026 compared with EUR 5.4 bln...

Automotive

Budapest Cuts EV Parking Discounts but Keeps Benefits Until 2030

Budapest's City Assembly voted to reduce the parking discount for electric and hydrogen vehicles to 50%, keeping the benefit in...

Former Hungarian Ministers Seszták and Hankó Detained After Immunity Lifted

Opposition lawmakers and former ministers Miklós Seszták and Balázs Hankó were detained on Monday after Parliament suspended their immunity, according...

Wallis Builds Next Growth Phase on Local Knowledge and Leadership

Gyula Mező, CEO of Wallis Asset Management, tells the BBJ how the group is allocating capital, managing an increasingly int'l...

Government Gives Green Light to M49 Extension to Romanian Border

The government will proceed with the second phase of the M49 expressway, extending the road to the Romanian border, Transportation...

Nestlé Unveils Hungary’s Largest Food Industry Investment in Bük

Nestlé has completed a HUF 193 bln expansion at its Purina pet food factory in Bük, adding three production units...

ECONOMY

Energy Trade

E.ON Launches HUF 230 bln Grid Upgrade to Support Hungary’s Energy Transition

E.ON Hungária Group has launched a nearly HUF 230 bln electricity network development program that will create 2,323 MW of...

Trade

Hungary Posts EUR 481 mln Trade Deficit as Import Volumes Jump 13%

Hungary recorded a EUR 481 million goods trade deficit in August as import volumes rose 13% year-on-year while export volumes...

Ratings

Bayer Construct Gets Default Ratings After Bankruptcy Protection Filing

Scope Ratings has assigned default ratings to Bayer Construct following its bankruptcy protection filing, citing financial pressure linked partly to...

Analysis

TI Hungary: Private Equity Funds Still Opaque Despite Stricter Rules

Transparency International Hungary found that despite tighter regulations, ownership of Hungarian private equity funds remains opaque, with major gaps in...

Hungary Lifts Debt Issuance Plan to HUF 8.7 tln as Financing Needs Grow

Hungary’s Gov't Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) has raised its 2026 net issuance target to HUF 8.717 tln, citing a larger-than-expected...

Hungary’s Business Confidence Improves in September

Business sentiment improved in Hungary in September, while consumer confidence remained largely unchanged, according to a monthly survey by economic...

Hungary Could Adopt Euro in 2033 at Earliest, Equilor Says

Hungary could adopt the euro in 2033 at the earliest, with high public debt and a substantial budget deficit posing...

EBRD Maintains Hungary Growth Forecast at 1.8% for 2026

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) forecasts Hungary’s economy will expand by 1.8% in 2026 and 2.5% in...

POLITICS

Domestic

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...

Int'l Relations

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...

Government

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...

Domestic

Budapest Appeals Court Cuts Prison Sentences in ‘Antifa’ Attack Case

The Budapest Regional Court of Appeal issued a binding ruling in the so-called “antifa case,” reducing two defendants’ prison sentences...

Hungary’s EPPO Accession Advances With Budapest Talks

European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi held talks with Hungarian officials in Budapest on the details of Hungary’s accession to...

Hungarian Parliament Rejects President’s Nominee for Chief Prosecutor

Parliament rejected President András Baka’s nominee for chief public prosecutor, Zoltán Szathmáry, in a secret ballot on Monday, according to...

Hungarian Parliament Suspends PM Magyar’s Immunity

Parliament voted to suspend the immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar at a special session on Monday. The motion to...

Hungarian Government Plans Broader KATA Eligibility, Higher Monthly Payments

The gov't plans to expand eligibility for Hungary’s itemized tax for small businesses (KATA) while raising monthly tax payments, PM...

BUDAPEST

Tourism

Hungary Tourism Arrivals Fall 7.3% in August as Foreign Demand Drops

Tourist arrivals at Hungarian accommodation establishments fell 7.3% year-on-year to nearly 2.6 million in August, as international arrivals dropped 13%....

INSIDE VIEW

PRESENTED CONTENT

BUSINESS

Manufacturing

Deals

ECONOMY

Energy Trade

Trade

POLITICS

Domestic

Int'l Relations

BUDAPEST

Tourism

Hotels