“Information is the new masonry, but wisdom is still the architect.” Dr Nicholas Jeffery explores Budapest’s digital transformation and the governance questions behind smart cities, as the historic Danube capital works to modernize infrastructure while preserving its architectural heritage.

In Budapest’s 9th district, the stadium is more than sport — it is identity, belonging, and a lens into Hungary’s political logic.

Hungary’s fiercest political battle is not with Brussels — it is with its own capital, Budapest.

From the banks of the Danube, geopolitics feels less like policy and more like performance. A personal letter from Budapest as Hungary moves toward the 2026 election — pragmatic, polarised, and persistently independent.