As the migrant crisis in Europe continues to unfold, many countries are struggling to
deal with the number of incoming refugees.
In September 2015, Hungary saw nearly 6,000 migrants enter the country in one day, before
closing the border.
The central European nation has struggled to keep up with the incoming wave, so we wanted
to know; just how powerful is Hungary?
Well, the former Soviet occupied territory is relatively small, coming in at about 35,000
total square miles.
That’s about the same size as the state of Maine, but with nearly ten times the population.
Yet, modern Hungary is considerably smaller than it used to be.
After World War One, the nation state of Austria-Hungary was split in two, with Hungary losing nearly
three quarters of its land and more than half its population.
For the length of the Cold War they were occupied by Soviet forces, until the collapse of communism
and the Soviet Union.
However, Hungary was never officially part of the USSR.
Like most other former communist states, Hungary shifted to a market economy in the 1990s,
but growth was slow due to overwhelming foreign debt.
Long lasting austerity measures helped the situation, but the 2008 financial crisis forced
the country into a severe recession.
Today, Hungary is seeing a slow recovery, with about 1.5% growth annually.
However, government interference in the country’s banking system has created significant distrust
between Hungary and the EU.
In 2011, Hungary saw their credit rating temporarily drop to quote “junk status” as a result
of this interference.
Although Hungary is a member of the OECD, WTO and EU, they are one of the few remaining
EU members to not use the Euro.
Their economy is primarily based on mining and resource exploitation, as well as agriculture,
and they are one of the largest producers of paprika in the world.
So with a relatively weak economy, and questionable government influence, just how strong is their
military?
Well, with roughly 70,000 troops, and a budget of about a billion dollars, they rank about
59th in the world.
Despite a small, and somewhat outdated army, Hungary is both a NATO and UN member, meaning
they have enough protection to skimp on military might.
They are also on good terms with their ex-Soviet neighbors: Ukraine, Romania, and Slovakia.
Moreover, Hungary is one of the most peaceful nations on earth, as ranked by the Global
Peace Index.
Like many of its neighbors, Hungary has dealt with aggression, invasion, debt, and war,
leading to a decent, but not spectacular state of affairs.
They may not be a world superpower, but they do have regional influence and important trade
agreements.
Still, on top of their shaky economy and weak military, Hungary’s ruling government has
been accused of limiting civil rights.
Their lack of power, coupled with a flood of new immigrants doesn’t bode well for
Hungary.
Like Hungary, Italy has also faced an influx of immigrants.
Is it better-equipped to take care of them, though?
To find out, watch this video.
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