Hungary
Hungarian central bank switches gear and raises base rate above forecast
The Monetary Council of Hungary’s National Bank raised the base rate by 50bp to 2.9% at its first monthly policy meeting of the year.
Transparency CPI report ranks Hungary as second most corrupt country in EU
Hungary slipped four notches to 73th place in Transparency International's 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index ranking.
Hungary’s opposition alliance collects 470,000 signatures for referenda
The government is expected to refuse to allow the referenda to be held on the same day as the general election, at which it is already holding an anti-LGBT vote.
Hungary infringed EU rules in blocking VIG-Aegon merger, says EU Commission
Brussels says it has exclusive competence to deal with EU-wide mergers and that it doubts that decision was aimed at protecting Hungary's legitimate interests.
OUTLOOK 2022: Central Europe and the Baltic states
Central Europe faces a critical year, with a key election in Hungary in April, while rumbling political instability in Poland and Slovakia could lead to early elections.
Inflationary pressures remain strong in Hungary as core data hits 20-year high
Consumer prices increased by 7.4% y/y in December, while core inflation rose to 6.4%.
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bneGREEN: Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change urges EU to keep gas out of green taxonomy
A group of sustainable investors has urged the EU to exclude gas from the new the EU Taxonomy green investment classification system.
MEPs accuse EU Commissioner Varhelyi of supporting Dodik’s separatism in Bosnia
MEPs demand investigation into claims enlargement commissioner backed Dodik, despite denial by Hungary's ruling Fidesz.
Hungary’s automotive industry becomes less of a drag on industrial growth in November
Analysts expect the chip shortage to ease in H2, which could trigger a sharp rebound in industrial output.
Orban sets regulatory prices of some staples ahead of election
Opposition parties said the government’s latest move is a clear admission that the Hungarian economy is in a tragic state.
Saudi Aramco and MOL buy Lotos assets to make PKN Orlen-Lotos merger possible
Orlen’s next goal is taking over oil and gas exploration and production company PGNiG to build a regional oil major.
Hungary’s population decline highest since 1876
The number of deaths in Hungary reached 150,000 last year, the highest since 1945, which means that the country’s population fell by nearly 60,000, the steepest decline in 145 years.
Hungarian president sets election day for April 3
United opposition faces uphill battle to dethrone strongman Viktor Orban, who has massive financial resources and the entire state apparatus plus most of the media behind him, as well as a gerrymandered electoral system.
PPF still has the deal-making mojo after death of founder Petr Kellner
New CEO Ladislav Bartonicek is reported to be selling Home Credit Russia as part of the investment group's shift to more mature markets.
Hungary’s industry shows strength in November even as chip shortage still weighs
The output of the automotive sector, which has the biggest weight in manufacturing in Hungary, fell considerably as companies scaled back production because of the global chip shortage.
Hungarian opposition PM candidate abandons plans to set up his own fraction
Opposition parties seem to have lost their momentum after the primaries, amid squabbling over joint national list.
bneGREEN: Brussels labels both gas and nuclear as green
Commission says there is a role for natural gas and nuclear as a means to facilitate the transition towards a predominantly renewable-based future.
Hungarian banks tell government they cannot support mortgage rate freeze
The government has fixed variable-rate home loans at October 2021 rates until at least the April elections.
CEE banking: As good as it gets in (post-) crisis times and the challenging geopolitical environment
Western European banks have made double-digit increases in the growth of their credit exposures to the CE/SEE region in the past 12-18 months.
bneGREEN: Gas and nuclear still in the running to be included in EU green taxonomy
The EU is set to make a final decision on December 22 on whether to include nuclear power and natural gas in its green taxonomy.
