Földrajzi Közlemények

MAKROREGIONÁLIS MANŐVEREK EGY KLASSZIKUS ÜTKÖZŐZÓNÁBAN: A HÁROM TENGER KEZDEMÉNYEZÉS GEOPOLITIKAI ALAPJAI ÉS KILÁTÁSAI

2026-02-07T17:52:16+00:00

Nowadays, the global geopolitical landscape is characterised by unpredictability, turbulence, and rapidly changing circumstances. These trends are especially relevant in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), between Germany and Russia, where the fragmentation of the political space, currently characterized by small states, has been a constant staging area and buffer zone for neighboring powers at least since the emergence of classical geopolitical theories. Contemporary Poland, however, stands out in many aspects among the CEE states and could theoretically be one of the leading powers in the region. In parallel with its geopolitical weight, its advocacy capacity has also increased significantly in recent times. For almost 10 years, its own geoeconomic initiative, the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), has been steadily emerging as the region’s most significant internally inspired response to the geopolitical threats facing the region.

A MONTENEGRÓI NEMZETÉPÍTÉS SAJÁTOSSÁGAI

2026-02-07T17:52:16+00:00

Since the early 20th century, Montenegrin politics has been shaped by an enduring tension between two competing perspectives: whether Montenegrins constitute a separate nation or are part of the Serbian nation, and whether they wish to live in a separate state. This study explores the various dimensions through which Montenegrins may evolve into an independent nation. Montenegro presents a unique case in which neither language nor religion serves as a definitive marker of national distinction, as both are largely shared with the Serbs. Instead, geographical factors, such as the region’s isolation from majority of Serbian population and its historically tribal social structure, itself influenced by the terrain are frequently cited as contributing to the emergence of national consciousness. In this context, national identity is deeply intertwined with the physical landscape. Significant regional disparities exist in the degree of identification with the Montenegrin nation. These variations are reflected in linguistic and ethnic data from national censuses, as well as in the outcomes of the independence referendum and subsequent elections. While the Montenegrin elite at the turn of the 20th century largely affirmed their affiliation with Serbia, a segment remained committed to the idea of Montenegrin independence; an aspiration rooted in medieval and early modern precedents. In my view, the most decisive factor in the formation of Montenegrin national consciousness is the independent statehood itself.

A RÉSZVÉTELI KÖLTSÉGVETÉS TÉRBELISÉGE BUDAPESTEN – LEHETŐSÉGEK ÉS KORLÁTOK I. RÉSZ

2026-02-07T17:52:17+00:00

In recent decades, participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as one of the most significant democratic innovations, aiming to enhance civic engagement and ensure a fairer distribution of urban resources. This study—as the first part of a two-part analysis—examines the institutional framework, thematic characteristics, and implementation challenges of the participatory budgeting programme in Budapest between 2020 and 2025, within the critical theoretical framework of spatial justice. The research methodology relies on the quantitative analysis of 2,595 citizen proposals recorded on the official platform (otlet.budapest.hu). The theoretical introduction clarifies the three dimensions of spatial justice—distributive, procedural, and recognitive—which are essential for understanding the environmental and social inequalities of post-socialist urban development. The findings indicate a prominent demand among Budapest residents for sustainability and green space development: more than one-third of the proposals fall into the “Green Budapest” category, reflecting strong social pressure for climate adaptation and a liveable urban environment. Furthermore, the high proportion of “Local Ideas” confirms a strong attachment to the immediate living environment and the importance of local identity. However, the analysis highlights severe procedural limitations and institutional bottlenecks. Data reveals that only 0.4% of the submitted proposals reached the full implementation phase during the examined period. This significant “implementation deficit” can be attributed to strict professional screening, bureaucratic hurdles, and the slow pace of execution, which risks undermining the programme’s legitimacy and public trust in the long term. While this paper discusses the institutional, theoretical, and thematic frameworks of the programme, the detailed analysis of the specific spatial patterns of proposals, district-level inequalities, and the social determinants of participation will be presented in the second part of this study.

A FÖLDTUDOMÁNYI ISMERETTERJESZTÉS MESTEREI A MAGYAR FÖLDRAJZI TÁRSASÁG SORAIBAN

2026-02-07T17:52:17+00:00

Several eminent Hungarian geographers also excelled in popularizing science. The Hungarian Geographical Society, founded in 1872, has been encouraging such activities from the beginning. By the volume and quality of popular geographical works, Jenő Cholnoky is the uncontested leading figure in this field, an equivalent of today’s Sir David Attenborough. His guidelines on how to write a popular scientific book are still followed by many. The book series Library of the Hungarian Geographical Society, edited by him, was a high-quality selection of travel reports by the best of geographers. Cholnoky’s lectures in the Society were also extremely enjoyable according to the reports of eyewitnesses – but, unfortunately, no moving pictures have survived of them. Before World War II Central and South-Asia were the primary destinations of Hungarian travellers. In the 1960s the greatest Hungarian globetrotter, Dénes Balázs, revived the traditions of travel book writing and published 26 travelogues from all parts of the world. Geologists, such as Árpád Juhász, also significantly contributed to the (not very rich) popular geographical literature of the recent decades. The legendary general secretary of the Society, Antal Nemerkényi, restarted the popular magazine A Földgömb (The Globe) to create a forum for geographers (and nongeographers) who feel committed to spreading knowledge on the Earth. The magazine is now edited in the spirit of ’borderless geography’, i.e. reports from all disciplines are published if somehow bound to geographical place. Experimentation with new forms of the dissemination of knowledge is inevitably needed.