Hungary has been facing severe inflation in the past two years, and the high prices of daily necessities have been exerting great pressure on families despite the government's response measures.
Victoria Dajka is a mother of three. She works hard as a copywriter, but she increasingly struggles to put food on the table. For her, every trip to the market is another reminder of how hard things have become.
"It has not been easy to support three children on my own. But this year, it's been harder. Food prices have skyrocketed. I have to count every single cent to make it to the end of the month," said the mother.
Dajka tracks every expense. A simple grocery run is now a game of numbers and hard choices. Dajka and one of her children have thyroid conditions, meaning they require a strict gluten- and dairy-free diet.
"I'm not exaggerating, right now I spend over 2,500 dollars on groceries every month. Two years ago, I spent about 1,600 dollars," she said.
The government has reinstated price caps on basic foods, aiming to ease the burden. The new price caps cover 30 essential items. Retailers can only add a 10-percent markup.
However, for Dajka's family and others, the measures have not helped much. In the past five years, economists say, food prices have increased by 80 percent, and Hungary's year-on-year inflation of 5.7 percent is the highest in the EU.
"The food price increased by 7 percent in the last 12 months -- high. Services, 9 percent in a year -- higher. [For] Middle-income people who have to finance a car, to buy a new computer or pay for the postal services, the telephone, and bank accounts, all have become more expensive. So it's not just food inflation in Hungary, it's a general broad-based inflation," said Bod Peter Akos, an economist and the former governor of Hungary's national bank.
Critics warn that the government price caps may do more harm than good, leading to shortages and squeezing small businesses.
"The particular Hungarian problem is that meanwhile in the last two years, there has been no growth in Hungary, and this year the growth rate is very modest. So the problem is a relatively high inflation and no growth. This makes the ongoing situation even worse," said Akos.
Rocketing inflation places strain on Hungarian households
Rocketing inflation places strain on Hungarian households
China's push toward a greener future is once again in the spotlight at this year's annual political "two sessions", as lawmakers are reviewing a draft ecological environment code, a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive legal framework for ecological protection.
The draft code was submitted on March 5 to the ongoing fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation.
Once adopted, it will become China's second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020.
The rule of law has been continuously strengthened to support the country's green progress. China already has more than 30 laws related to environmental protection, along with over 100 sets of administrative regulations and more than 1,000 sets of local rules.
The latest legislative move comes amid China's historic gains in ecological conservation over the past decade or so. Championing green development, the country has recorded the world's fastest growth in forest resources and afforestation, led globally in renewable energy development, and achieved one of the fastest national reductions in energy intensity worldwide.
The 1,242-article draft has five chapters, covering areas including pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development.
Scholars involved in drafting the legislation say the code goes beyond broad legal principles. It is also designed to address environmental issues that affect people's daily lives.
"Electric vehicles are becoming very common in China. My family has one. We all think it environment-friendly. But have you ever thought about this question: how do we deal with the first generation of EV batteries after they expire a few years later? The same goes for wind turbine blades and solar panels," said Ding Lin, assistant professor of the Renmin University of China.
China's environmental progress has drawn global attention in recent years, from improving air quality to expanding renewable energy. Yet amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, some observers have questioned whether the country will maintain the same pace of green transition.
"Last year during the COP30, even some friends who are very familiar with China asked me whether China will continue its green development path. I told them we have gradually worked out new policies. We have a very clear direction and goal. In a world full of uncertainties, we are providing the most certainty," said Wang Yi, an NPC deputy from east China's Zhejiang Province and professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In a country pursuing modernization, taking the time to codify environmental laws sends a clear message: economic growth and environmental protection are not a trade-off to be managed, but a commitment to be upheld. For China, a beautiful environment is not a luxury for the future, it is a right for the present, and a responsibility to the next generation.
"This code reflects China's vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It shows how development and environmental protection can move forward together," said Lyu Zhongmei, vice chair of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee.
China will accelerate the green transition across the board and cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP by a total of 17 percent in the 2026-2030 period, according to a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development submitted to the NPC for deliberation on March 5.
Chinese lawmakers review draft ecological environment code in major green legislative push
