Taking Stock and Rethinking: The Hungarian Economy in 2026 – under this title, the Economic Policy and Economic Theory Section of the Hungarian Economic Association (HEA), together with Section IX (Economics and Law) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS), will hold a professional conference on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, starting at 10:00 a.m. in the Ceremonial Hall of the HAS Headquarters (9 Széchenyi István Square, H-1051 Budapest).
More than three and a half decades after the democratic transition and more than twenty years after Hungary’s accession to the European Union, the Hungarian economy continues to face serious challenges. The past decades have offered a unique historical opportunity for economic convergence; however, both the scale and the quality of that convergence have fallen short of the achievements of most Central and Eastern European EU member states, as well as of the expectations of Hungarian society.
The growth and development model, based largely on inward foreign direct investment and the extensive use of production factors, has reached its limits, while significant internal and external macroeconomic imbalances have emerged. The aspiration for an “activist state” has manifested itself through interventions that run counter to market mechanisms and through efforts to fundamentally reshape the economic structure along politically driven lines. These developments have been accompanied by low levels of trust, high levels of corruption, and substantial institutional distortions. A fundamental shift in economic policy has now become unavoidable.
Laying the foundations for such a shift requires, above all, a thorough assessment of the Hungarian economy. This assessment should encompass, among other areas, the economics of growth and macroeconomic balance, monetary and fiscal policy, economic governance, development policy, the ownership structure, the role of foreign capital, and the relevant dimensions of European integration. Taken together, these analyses can provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of the Hungarian economy, its deeper structural relationships, and its underlying mechanisms.
A comprehensive assessment is also an essential prerequisite for identifying the possible directions of the much-needed redesign of Hungary’s economic policy. The joint conference of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Hungarian Economic Association seeks to address these exceptionally timely issues with the contribution of leading scholars in the field of critical economics.
The speakers in the morning session will be: Péter Halmai, Full Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Professor, President of Section IX of the HAS and President of the Economic Policy and Economic Theory Section of the HEA (The Exhaustion of the Growth Model); György Surányi, Adjunct Professor and former Governor of the National Bank of Hungary (The Possibilities of Monetary Policy – Without Illusions); Csaba László, Professor Emeritus at Corvinus University of Budapest and former Minister of Finance (The Fiscal Obstacle Course); and István Benczes, Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest and Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Economic Governance and Institutional Transformation).
The afternoon panel will feature: Magdolna Sass, Director of the Institute of World Economics at the HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies (The FDI-Based Growth Model and Its Limitations); Dóra Győrffy, Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest and Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (The Rise and Decline of the Illiberal Development Model, 2010–2026); Éva Voszka, Full Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Professor Emerita at the University of Szeged (Political Ownership: Past and Future); and Károly Attila Soós, Honorary University Professor and former State Secretary (Joining the Euro Area and Inflation).
Participation in the conference is free of charge, but prior registration is required. Registration is available through the online form accessible via the designated registration link.