Modest summer gathering in the pine-covered hills of Transylvania, Tusványos
Once a modest summer gathering in the pine-covered hills of Transylvania, Tusványos has long since become something more: a summit of ideas, a sanctuary for national thought, and a stage for Hungary’s most significant political reflections.
This year, on the tenth anniversary of the “illiberal democracy” speech, Tusnádfürdő once again echoed with declarations—not just of intent, but of identity. At the heart of it all stood Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose keynote address charted Hungary’s path through the geopolitical turbulence of our time.
Opening his address, Orbán noted that this would be his last lecture of the current term, adding that he intends to return next year to deliver an opening address as a prime minister. As Joakim Scheffer reports, Orbán spoke of war, neutrality, and what he called a “grand strategy”—a Hungarian roadmap designed not just to survive, but to shape the post-Western world order.
In a Europe increasingly drawn into global conflict, Hungary, he argued, must remain a sovereign actor, navigating from a position of strategic calm.
“The war will not end if we don’t want it to end,” he warned, pointing not only to military interests, but to the ideological stakes beneath the battlefield.
Orbán went on to announce the formation of the Digital Civic Circles, an initiative aimed at strengthening the conservative community in the digital sphere. In today’s world, he argued, a community only functions if it has a digital presence.
The day before the prime minister delivered his remarks, he gave a radio interview, in which he described the Tusnádfürdő event as a political escape and revealed the upcoming speech’s key messages. Orbán stressed that the Tusványos setting offers intellectual vitality and long-term perspective, making it a favoured destination for political minds.
As Ádám Bráder unpacks, Orbán emphasized the need for Hungary to speak plainly about peace, war, and national interest, even if that language is increasingly alien to a Brussels caught in what he called a “globalist trance.
” The aim? A future where Hungarians remain masters of their fate—not pawns in someone else’s chess game.
While Orbán delivered the overarching vision, Balázs Orbán (Political Director for the Prime Minister of Hungary) and Lord David Frost (former chief Brexit negotiator for the United Kingdom) offered the philosophical scaffolding beneath it.
In his coverage of their thought-provoking panel, Márton Losonczi highlights how the two thinkers converged on a core message: that the liberal order is fraying, and nations must once again find the courage to define themselves. Sovereignty, they argued, is not just a political arrangement—it is a cultural necessity.
They were joined by Philip Pilkington (visiting fellow at the Danube Institute) who argued that Western liberalism failed to deliver its promises, while others stressed the need to protect traditional values.
The debate over the European Union’s trajectory was also at the centre of this year’s Tusványos. Is Europe to become a federation led by technocratic elites—or a true union of sovereign peoples?
What future awaits the member states of the European Union: an even more centralized decision-making structure with the European Commission controlling all powers at the helm of the EU, or a cooperation that respects and builds upon the sovereignty of member states?
These questions were at the heart of a thought-provoking and refreshing panel discussion featuring Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka, American conservative author and visiting fellow at the Danube Institute Rod Dreher, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) MEP Lóránt Vincze, and historian Miklós Bakk.
Joakim Scheffer traces how speakers tackled the growing tension between centralisation and the rights of member states.
“Si vis pacem, para bellum” (If you want peace, prepare for war).
This was the guiding theme of the high-profile panel discussion on the theme of security and power, featuring Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.
As Joakim Scheffer reports, panelists claimed that while a united European army remains an illusion, member states should place a bigger focus on NATO, develop national defence industries, and prepare for a shifting global security landscape.
From NATO dependency to autonomous defense, the idea of European strategic identity is gaining traction. The defence minister also laid out how Hungary approaches this with caution: not from fear, but from a well-learned instinct to keep its alliances firm, and its independence firmer.
Finally, in a broader reflection on the National Policy Roundtable, Márton Losonczicaptures how speakers rearticulated what Hungarian national policy means in 2025. Leaders of Hungarian communities gathered to discuss ethnic minority rights, diaspora engagement, and regional geopolitics.
From Ukraine’s demographic crisis to Serbia’s improving ties with Hungary, the National Policy Roundtable highlighted shared struggles and progress, featuring Deputy Prime Ministers Zsolt Semjén of Hungary and Barna Tánczos of Romania.
In a world of global migration, digital colonization, and economic interdependence, national policy must adapt—but never surrender. Whether through culture, family support, or diplomatic clarity, Hungary’s model remains grounded in the belief that strength comes not from size, but from cohesion.
This year’s Tusványos was not just a festival of ideas—it was a rehearsal for a future where Hungary must walk alone more often than not, yet never without purpose. It reminded us that conservatism is not about resisting change, but about anchoring identity in the storm. And that the task ahead—for thinkers, leaders, and citizens alike—is to hold the line where meaning is made: at the level of language, memory, and moral clarity.
Until next year in Tusnádfürdő-Warm regards,
Source: hungarianconservative.com