National Interest is a journal on economic and social policy published by the Századvég Foundation. The publication is based on the consideration that the mainstream in the discourse over public policy in Hungary has been dominated by rather biased opinions; moreover there is an accompanying presumption that mainstream views are non-criticisable. It is even doubtful whether a strategic approach to public policy prevails in Hungary today.

Today an increasing number of people challenge the infallible nature of the ruling dogmas related to desirable direction of the organization of the economy and society. Much criticism has been voiced over the social system that has taken shape over the past 15 years, and some more radical critiques even argue for the necessity to change the basic structure. The debate over public policy issues is overwritten by the dialectics of the explanations and counter-explanations formed by the daily struggle of political elite groups.

In the almost two decades since the political regime changes took place in Hungary, no intellectual platform has been able to develop that could have provided equal opportunity for different ideological, value- or interest-based communication, proposals or analyses for an equal, regular, and institutional publication. National Interest tries to provide this missing element of publicity.