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  • Václav Klaus on the Velvet Revolution: Economists were ready, lawyers were not

    The former prime minister of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus, said that the country’s economic development in the 1990s met his expectations following the 1989 Velvet Revolution even if the legal framework guiding the transformation was not perfect.

    Klaus offered his thoughts at a Masaryk University conference in Brno on Nov. 7. Commenting on the developments after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, he said that lawyers were mostly to blame for failing to build the right legal framework. While economists were well prepared for the challenges of the post-communist era, according to Klaus, the same cannot be said about legal experts.

    Although the lawyers were given the task of creating the legal framework for economic transformation, many of the lawyers were not prepared for such a task while others left to pursue business activities.

    Considering the amount of work the lawyers faced, Klaus admits that the task was not an easy one.

    Overall, the economic transformation in the 1990s met Klaus’ expectations due to the fact that it managed to separate the Czech economy from politics in the shortest possible timeframe.

    Commenting on Klaus´ statements, the president of the Constitutional Court and former dissident, Pavel Rychetský, said that lawyers had also been getting ready for the post-communist era. Unfortunately, the number of legal challenges of democratization was unimaginably high for the legal field.

    Even more challenging was the fact that many of the issues in the new economy of the Czech Republic were completely new, which meant lawyers could not count on any legal precedents.

    Josef Baxa, the former Chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court, then spoke about the “temptation of crime” during the economic transformation.

    “Any substantial property transformation attracts criminals who want to take advantage of the situation,” said Baxa. “Therefore, it is not enough to only adjust the definition of crimes. You have to retrain police officers, prosecutors, and judges, and make them understand the new policies. However, that did not happen.”

    At the end of the discussion, well-known lawyer, Jiří Balaštík, agreed with the earlier statement from Klaus, admitting that lawyers were not ready for the process of economic transformation.

    According to Balaštík, the number of experts was insufficient. However, he believes that the progress made since 1989 is amazing.

    “Despite some failures, we have a strong legal foundation and rule of law,” Balaštík concluded.

     

  • Poll: Czechs are more satisfied with their lives than Germans

    Czechs are happier than Germans, the Finns are the happiest, and Bulgarians the most miserable. Those are just some of the findings of the latest survey from the Eurostat Statistical Office.

    Last year, for the first time since 2013, the Statistical Office of the EU, Eurostat, surveyed how satisfied people are with their lives in the EU to build an EU-wide ranking.

    Over the past five years, the level of life satisfaction has slightly increased across the EU. The growth was most significant in five EU countries, including the Czech Republic.

    The survey, based on answers of thousands of respondents over the age of 16, offered respondents a simple question: Overall, how satisfied are you with your life these days?

    The survey showed that the Finns are the most satisfied nation with an average life satisfaction rate of 8.1. People of Austria were close behind with an 8.0 rating followed by Denmark, Poland and Sweden, which all scored 7.8.

    The least satisfied within the EU were the Bulgarians with a 5.4 life satisfaction rating.

    The Czechs placed tenth in the ranking with 7.5 points, representing a half a point increase compared to the previous survey in 2013.

    Such a high increase in life satisfaction occurred only in five countries, including Estonia, Poland, Portugal, and Cyprus, where life satisfaction increased by 0.9 points.

    According to Eurostat, Czechs are also generally more satisfied with their lives than people in Germany, the primary engine of the EU economy and European integration. The Czech Republic also surpasses the EU “average of life satisfaction”, which stands at 7.3 points.

    Compared to the previous survey, Czechs are also more satisfied with their financial situation. On a point scale, they reached a score of 6.5 points, which is 0.7 points more than five years ago. The people most satisfied with their finances were from Scandinavian countries.

    The statisticians also noted an increase in the number of Czech citizens satisfied with their personal relationships. In this regard, the Czechs are the seventh most satisfied nation in the EU with 8.3 points. This specific metric is led by the Maltese and followed by Austrians and Slovenians.

     

  • Czechia pushes back against migration rhetoric from Greece

    The Czech Republic government is objecting to demands from Greece that other EU countries to take in unaccompanied refugee minors from Greek refugee camps, saying instead that migrants need to be offered support in their country of origin.

    Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamáček said that Greece’s call for EU countries to take in refugees was mostly supposed to provoke debate on migrant redistribution but he said it was pointless to discuss the redistribution of 17-year-old migrants who no rights to claim asylum in the EU.

    A Czech news blog Hlídací pes originally published the letter from a Greek minister, which was addressed to all EU interior ministers, including Hamáček.

    In the letter, the Greek minister asked the Czech Republic to accept 40 unaccompanied refugee minors. The letter further states that there are about 2,500 unaccompanied children in Greek refugee camps.

    “We need to act quickly to take care of these children,” the Greek minister wrote.

    On his Twitter account, Interior Minister Jan Hamáček confirmed that he received the letter, stating that, “Greece informed all EU countries about the refugee situation. The aim was to provoke the debate on migrant redistribution. However, there is nothing new with such a request. I can see no reason to relocate 17-year-old migrants without asylum rights when Greece receives billions of euros from the EU to deal with asylum issues.”

    The Czech Republic has also provided Greece with 270 experts to help handle the migration crisis, he added.

    Commenting on the issue, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said he was not familiar with the letter. However, he emphasized that he supports providing assistance to potential refugees in their countries of origin.

    He also reiterated that the EU should address the situation in Syria. “We have to primarily take care of our children,” concluded Babiš.

  • European Commission raises Hungarian economic forecast

    The European Commission (EC) increased its forecast of Hungarian GDP growth this year to 4.6 percent from a previous 3.7 percent, underlining continued confidence in Hungary’s booming economy.

    At the same time, the EC warned that despite its stronger position than many other countries, Hungary was still not entirely immune from an expected European-wide economic downturn.

    The European Commission makes two annual economic forecasts – one in spring and one in the autumn. Data from its 2019 autumn forecast released on Thursday show that the Hungarian economy’s growth rate will only be surpassed this year by Ireland (5.6%) and Malta (5%).

    “So far, Hungary has managed to withstand the global slowdown thanks to a domestic construction boom and a revival of the automotive industry. Investment activity was supported by rising public expenditure in the run-up to local elections, the recovery of the real estate sector, and high capacity utilization in manufacturing,” the EC country forecast on Hungary said, adding that a slowdown in its main economic partners’ growth will unavoidably lead the lower growth in the country as well.

    “Exports are set to grow more slowly in 2020, in line with subdued growth in trading partners. However, new manufacturing capacities may raise the market share of Hungarian exporters, especially in 2021,” the EC said. Economic growth in Hungary’s main economic partner, Germany, will remain at a minimal of 0.4 percent this year, and 1 percent in both 2020 and 2021.

    Accordingly, the EC sees Hungarian economic growth dropping to 2.8 percent over the next two years, with the still higher growth partly due to the government’s economy-boosting initiatives.

    “Tax revenues are expected to continue increasing but at a lower rate compared to 2019, following the measures included in the Economy Protection Action Plan, in particular the further cut of employers’ social security contributions,” the report said.

    The EC forecasts a total Hungarian GDP of 42,661 billion forints (€128 billion), with the gross public debt of the country decreasing gradually from last year’s 70.2% of GDP to 64.4% in 2021.

    Title image: European Commsission Autumn 2019 economic forecast (screen capture from /ec.europa.eu)

  • Hungarian government abandons foreign language requirement for university entry

    Faced with strong opposition from advocacy and professional groups, the Hungarian government has abandoned a plan to make at least one foreign language certificate necessary for university entry, said the minister in charge of the prime minister’s office, Gergely Gulyás, on Thursday.

    The Hungarian government originally planned to make the requirement compulsory from 2020. Certain advocacy groups had pushed for the requirement to improve the language skills of Hungarian, but these groups have since changed their position. As a consequence, the government will not introduce the change next year, Gulyás said.

    Instead, in an effort to improve foreign language proficiency, the government will launch a scheme of two-week intensive language courses for secondary school pupils to attend abroad, he said.

    According to the latest available statistics, 2016 data from Eurostat, Hungary was third from bottom among EU countries whose citizens spoke one or more foreign languages.

    In the leading northwestern European countries the ratio is consistently much higher. Sweden boasts 96.6 percent of citizens speaking a foreign language followed by Latvia and Denmark with 95.7%. Only 42.4% of Hungarians declared that they spoke at least one foreign language.

    The two countries with even lower language skills are Romania with 35.8 percent and the UK with 34.6 percent.

    Title image: A language school and certification center in Szeged, southern Hungary (source: profinyelviskola.hu) 

  • Liberal meltdown: US visa-free travel and Tusk ‘betrayal’ spells misery for establishment

    Long sad faces were seen on liberal TV stations and on mainstream journalists across social media. These last two days have been an absolute nightmare for them.

    It’s no surprise why either. First, their hero who was supposed to ride to the rescue, Donald Tusk, said he would not be running in Poland’s presidential election next year. The current president of the European Commission said he had too much “baggage” in Poland for a successful campaign.

    Just a day later, the US announced that Poland would be joining the visa-waiver program on Nov. 11, on the anniversary of Polish independence. It was not a happy day for the liberals, who clearly knew it was a huge victory for the conservative government.

    On social media, their frustration was only too evident, with users accusing Tusk of betrayal. According to them, Tusk has abandoned Poland and deserted the liberal establishment on the field of battle.

    The legislation halves the number of Supreme Court judges from 200 to 100 and also creates an ethics committee in the National Judicial Council (NRS).

    The measures include reducing salaries of judges by over 25 percent with the basic salary now set at the level of approximately €3,500. The selection of judges will now be handled by a committee made up of three representatives of the judges and three international experts.

    The reform has been criticized by representatives of the EU and Canada. Their diplomats criticized the reduction of the size of the Supreme Court and the process of verification the commission uses for qualifying judges for office. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has appealed for the legislation to be vetoed, saying that in her opinion it undermines the independence of the institution.

  • Commentary: Hungary is practicing smart diplomacy in talks with Erdoğan

    Several opposition groups may have protested on Thursday against the official visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Hungary. but these groups are offering dangerous alternatives to reasoned diplomacy.

    Where there are no talks, there is shooting, former German Social Democratic politician Egon Bahr once famously said.

    This quote is topical now after the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) protested against Erdoğan’s visit. The opposition not only complained about high-ranking officials receiving Erdoğan but also over the fact that police did not allow them to mount a street exhibition of photographs labeling Erdoğan a “half-Asian dictator” and a “war criminal”.

    No doubt about it, these are strong words from the opposition. But it is also somewhat understandable why the DK could not swallow this visit. The opposition party itself has no proper notions of either democracy or coalition-building. In a democratic state such as Hungary’s, the country’s leaders decide who to receive, not callers from phone-in radio shows. At the same time, police must ensure public order, especially during important diplomatic visits.

    Furthermore, Hungary and Turkey are both parts of a larger coalition fighting the Islamic State in the Middle East. Turkey also has the second-largest army in NATO, an alliance much praised by the DK.

    Just like during the recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the opposition is using reasonable diplomatic policy to attack Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, seemingly forgetting that only international courts have the right to establish who is a war criminal.

    It is true that Turkish domestic politics and the country’s intervention in Syria raise a number of questions, but these questions are being raised by the officials whose job it is to do so and in the proper diplomatic forum. During Erdoğan’s visit to Berlin last year, there were no less than nine demonstrations and his visit next week to Washington is also expected to be highly controversial.

    But let us not pretend that Trump is meeting with Erdoğan because the Turkish leader has a winning personality. They are meeting because the two largest NATO countries have much to discuss regarding the dangerous situation in Syria.

    Similarly, Hungary also has its stake in Syria’s ongoing conflict, including its strong interest in preventing millions of migrants from flooding Europe. Hungarian foreign policy has a basic tenet: The country has always lived in a triangle defined by Berlin, Moscow and Istanbul. That is a reality that Hungary has to live with despite what the opposition may naively believe.

    The word diplomacy is not a dirty one. Liberals should consider adding the word to their dictionary. They would also do well to remember that if the world were a perfect place, we wouldn’t need diplomats, only spa workers, ski trainers, and fitness instructors.

    Title image: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at a joint press conference in Budapest on Nov. 7. (MTI/Zsolt Szigetváry)

  • Poll: Half of Czechs trust Babiš and Zeman

    Polling shows that President Miloš Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) continue to enjoy strong support from Czechs, with 50 percent of respondents saying they trust both politicians, according to a STEM agency’s October poll.

    According to the STEM agency, Constitutional Court chairman Pavel Rychetský enjoys the highest level of support, with 52 percent of Czechs expressing their trust in him.

    Rychetský, who runs the Constitutional Court since 2003, is very popular as he managed to gain the trust of two-thirds of the public in the past. In the last poll in December 2017, his credibility reached 66 percent.

    From a long-term point of view, the credibility of Zeman remains stable, as he is regularly trusted by 50 percent of respondents. Babiš also manages a relatively stable level of trustworthiness of approximately 50 percent.

    President of the Senate Jaroslav Kubera (ODS) enjoys the fourth most support in the STEM survey with 44 percent saying they trust him while President of the Chamber of Deputies Radek Vondráček (ANO) ranked fifth with 39 percent.

    On Wednesday, the CVVM survey institute published a poll on an identical topic. According to this poll, the most credible constitutional official is also Rychetský, who is trusted by 46 percent of respondents. Zeman enjoyed the confidence of 45 percent of respondents while Babiš is trusted by 42 percent of respondents.

  • US to erect Reagan statue in Berlin despite left-wing objections

    The U.S. Embassy in Berlin announced it plans to reveal a 7-foot tall statue of former President Ronald Reagan on Nov. 9 after Berlin’s left-wing government refused to erect one.

    In cities and countries that were once dominated by the Soviet Union, the man who once told Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during a speech in Berlin to “tear down this wall” is considered something of a hero.

    There is a statue of Reagan in Budapest, a Reagan memorial in Warsaw and a street named after Reagan in Prague. All of these countries did not need any prodding either, with each one honoring Reagan on their own initiative. 

    Berlin is an exception to the general Reagan lovefest seen in former Soviet occupation zones, with the traditionally leftist city refusing to celebrate Reagan despite his role in helping end the Soviet Union’s stranglehold on the east of the city.

    The relationship was not always so rocky, with crowds in Berlin cheering Reagan during his June 12, 1987 speech in front of the historic Brandenburg Gate calling for an end to communist rule of Eastern and Central Europe. Two years later, the wall would fall in a moment that led to jubilant crowds from east and west meeting to destroy the symbol of communist oppression.

    The Wall Street Journal reported that Berlin’s opposition to building a Reagan statue may have arisen from far-left activists who still fault the former president’s decision to replace nuclear missiles in Germany in the 1980s with upgraded, Pershing ll versions.

    After ten years of trying, U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell pitched the idea of the embassy erecting its own statue of Reagan to the Trump Administration, which agreed with the idea.

    The embassy’s Twitter page notes that the statue will arrive in Berlin on Nov. 8 and be erected on the embassy’s roof.

     

    The Berlin ceremony is in marked contrast to a similar ceremony that occurred in Budapest in 2011, in which Prime Minister Viktor Orban was in attendance to commemorate a 7-foot statue of Reagan in Budapest’ Freedom Square.

    In a speech he gave in Reagan’s honor, Orban said he “changed the world and created a new world for Central Europe. He tore down the walls which were erected in the path of freedom in the name of distorted and sick ideologies.”

    Reagan is celebrated in Hungary due to the general view that he helped inspire Hungary’s opposition movement, which led to the peaceful overthrow of the occupying Soviets in 1989.

    After World War ll, many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Eastern Germany, Hungary and Poland, were occupied by the Soviet Union. As eastern citizens, particularly those from communist Germany, increasingly fled to the West in search of freedom and economic opportunity, Soviet authorities erected a massive wall to prevent their escape.

  • Europe bets on soft power but it doesn’t work

    The European Union is unable to impose its will on anything or anyone. In fact, today’s European empire is unable to project its power even a few hundred kilometers beyond its borders, as seen in the Balkans.

    The European Union prides itself on being the superpower of “soft power”. It’s a policy that does not force anyone to do anything, instead, the EU tries to exert its influence simply by setting an example.

    The assumption is that people in the world want clothes like Europeans, laws like Europeans and governments like Europeans. And so European influence will prevail in the world, and governments of different countries will begin to think more like Europeans or respond to public pressure to be more like Europeans.

    They will discard their old, bad habits and adopt new ones, those appropriate for the 21st century. No one will force anyone to do anything, it will just happen, ushering in a new age of Europe.

    However, this soft power, which is difficult to define and measure, is utilized to further quite controversial causes.

    For example, the “green new deal” proposed by the new European Commission, embraces rapid decarbonization which will lead to higher energy costs and the disappearance or reduction in the competitiveness of certain industrial sectors.

    Europe will have to get the rest of the world to implement the same exact policies. Otherwise, from an economic point of view, the continent’s industry will be destroyed.

    So how does Europe intend to make others adopt the same principles? It counts on the power of setting the example. European leaders, however, have very distorted beliefs about Europe. For example, the Western progressive countries have not noticed that the popularity of Greta Thunberg is limited to them and certain institutions, such as the United Nations.

    In many countries in the developing world, the fierce rhetoric of the Swedish activist is perceived as arrogant, privileged and ignorant, as many young people from these countries must work from a very young age. In their eyes, Thunberg’s famous claim “You have stolen my childhood” is completely inappropriate when many of these people truly had no childhoods due to economic hardship.

    The reality of today’s Europe differs from the optimistic perception of some Western countries’ leaders. While the sun shone brightly over the European empires of the recent past, currently, Europe is perceived as weak even in regards to its neighbors.

    The prime example is the Western Balkans. At the end of October, French President Macron vetoed the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, although these countries met the criteria of the European Commission. The inability to keep promises is not one of the characteristics of a superpower and other countries will take notice.

    But there is another issue. The Balkan countries are aware of the ambivalence of the EU. Europe is not the only source of money, technology or security in the world. China has more money and does not require meeting as many conditions as the EU does.

    Paradoxically, more than anyone else, Macron embodies the typical ambiguity of people with global ambitions, who have yet to wake up from dreaming about a small and cohesive Europe. In the past, the real empires did not have issues with diversity as they were able to adopt different views. Instead, the influence of the current European empire will likely end in the liberal suburbs of European capitals.

  • Positive news for Czech families: Parental benefit set to increase

    A proposal to substantially increase parental benefits in the Czech Republic just cleared a major hurdle after passing in the Chamber of Deputies, Czechia’s lower house of parliament.

    The new law would see a raise from 80,000 Czech korunas to 300,000 korunas (€12,000) for new families starting in January 2020.

    The proposal to raise parental benefits gained support across the spectrum of political parties as 176 MPs voted in favor of the change of law. No MPs voted against the proposal.

    “It was a complicated childbirth, however, the child is born,” said Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Jana Maláčová about the process. “It is still in the incubator because it has to be approved by the Senate and signed by the president.”

    The higher parental benefit will be available to parents of children up to four years of age. The only stipulation is that parents are legally entitled to parental support in January 2020. Next year, the increase in parental benefits will cost the state budget 8.6 billion korunas (€344 million).

    “The journey was quite painful, but it is important that the parental benefit increases,” added Maláčová.

    The government faced some disagreements while negotiating the proposed raise of parental support.The main point of contention had to do with which parents should be entitled to the higher parental benefit.

    Government parties ANO and ČSSD made the parental benefit negotiations conditional on the approval of a tax package that introduced higher taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. Once the Czech government approved this tax package yesterday, nothing prevented the approval of the parental benefit increase.

    “It’s great news, families deserve support,” commented Petr Fiala, Chairman of the opposition party ODS.

    Now, the proposal has to pass in the upper house. However, as most of the political parties reached consensus in the Chamber of Deputies, the amendment will likely be approved.

    The boost in parental leave support is expected to improve finances for families and boost family formation. The country’s birthrate was at 1.57 births per woman in 2016, substantially below the replacement rate needed to maintain a stable population.

     

  • Last Czechoslovak prime minister passes away aged 78

    Czechoslovakia’s last prime minister passed away at the age of 78 on Nov. 6 in a Prague retirement home. Jan Stráský was prime minister of the Czechoslovak government from July 1992 to the end of the year, holding office less than a year as he presided over the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

    Stráský became prime minister of the federal government in July 1992 and held this post till the end of 1992.

    Before the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Stráský worked as an official in the State Bank of Czechoslovakia, where he met Václav Klaus in the early 1970s. Later, Klaus greatly influenced his career.

    “We shared the office for two years. We were the same age, we had similar interests,” Stráský said, recalling the time he became acquainted with the future prominent figure of Czechia’s post-Revolution politics.

    Although Jiří Stráský was a member of the Communist Party, he left the party in 1969. At that end of the 1980s, he was already convinced that the Communist regime was on the verge of collapse. After 1985, he also became involved with the Czechoslovak dissent movement.

    In May 1991, he was appointed deputy prime minister and was put in charge of economic reform. The prime of his career in politics came after the general elections in June 1992, in which he was elected a member of the Chamber of Deputies.

    In July 1992, he accepted the post of prime minister of Czechoslovakia.

    “It was a difficult six-month period,” commented Stráský. Whlie serving as prime minister, Stráský oversaw the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. In this context, the president at the time, Václav Havel, had to resign, and Stráský took over some presidential responsibilities.

    After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Stráský became Minister of Transport and later Minister of Health in the Czech government. He was also one of the co-founders of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). Strásky ended his career in politics in 1997 when the ODS was experiencing internal party disputes.

    After leaving politics, he headed the Šumava National Park, located in the south of the Czech Republic.

     

  • Hungarian real estate prices rise more than 20% in a year

    Real estate prices both in Budapest and the countryside continue to skyrocket, with this sector seeing a 20 percent increase year-on-year in the second quarter in nominal terms.

    Despite the dramatic rise, the rate of price increases slowed down from previous quarters, the National Bank of Hungary said in its quarterly real estate market report.

    In Budapest, prices rose by a nominal 22.5 percent or a real increase of 18.1 percent, taking into account inflation.

    Outside the capital, the rise was a nominal 21.6 percent or a real increase of 17.2 percent, but with significant regional differences. The highest year-on-year rise was registered in urban areas in Hungary’s southwest, coming in at 25.4 percent, while the lowest urban area growth rate was in the central Hungarian region (excluding Budapest) at 13.4 percent.

    Average real estate prices in rural areas only rose by a nominal 2.9 percent, translating into a 0.8 percent depreciation in real terms.

    According to figures from real estate portal ingatlannet.hu, the average price per square meter of a Budapest apartment currently stands at 756,168 forints (€2,279) and the price range is between 266,269 and 1,129,761 forints. The price of a 90-square meter (968 square feet) apartment in Budapest is an average of 70 million forints (€211,000).

    The National Bank of Hungary provides statistical data based on tax office records but its reports do not contain any analyses.

    Title image: Bloc of apartments in Hungary (MTI/János Marjai)

  • PM Orbán makes good on promise to work with opposition

    In a sign of Orbán’s willingness to reach out to the opposition, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony attended a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6, on the topic of infrastructure developments in the Hungarian capital.

    For Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, it is an effort to make good on his promise that his government will cooperate with opposition-led municipalities in the interest of local citizens, a vow he made after October municipal elections.

    The invitation came on the same day the new Budapest local council was instituted following an often acrimonious campaign fraught with accusations from both sides.

    Following the cabinet meeting, Gergely Gulyás, the minister in charge of the prime minister’s office, hosted a joint press briefing with Karácsony who said that agreeing on specific development issues will be far easier than doing so on general political issues. Despite Karácsony’s victory in Budapest, he still has little power to decide general political issues in Hungary.

    Although the opposition was previously vehemently opposed to the construction of stadiums commissioned by the government, the mayors of Budapest and relevant districts – evidently under pressure from local sports fans – gave their consent to the construction of a football and handball stadium during the meeting.

    The backtracking from the opposition was not entirely complete, with Karácsony postponing a decision until the end of November about building a dedicated stadium for the 2023 Athletics World Championship in Budapest.

    Karácsony said he was also opposed to the construction of a planned new “mega-hospital” in the capital, saying that he would prioritize smaller medical offices and surgical centers.

    He added, however, that this idea would have to be coordinated with the mayors of Budapest’s 23 districts.

    Gulyás said that the government remains committed to its support of improving public transport in Budapest and reminded Karácsony that Hungary’s central budget took on Budapest’s debt of 217 billion forints (€650 million) in previous years.


    Title image: Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony (L) and Gergely Gulyás, minister in charge of the prime minister’s office (R), at a press briefing after a cabinet meeting on Nov. 6 (MTI/Zoltán Balogh)

     

  • Poland’s success against VAT fraud helps fight terrorism

    Value-added tax (VAT) fraud is used to finance terrorism around the world and costs governments billions in revenue, but a new project by the Polish government is designed to put an end to this malicious practice.

    The campaign website, stopVATcarousel.pl, is directed at a foreign audience and aims to raise awareness about the issue of VAT fraud across Europe. The campaign also highlights examples of how VAT fraud is used to fund terrorism campaigns, including the smuggling of weapons and drugs.

    In the largest European cities such as London, Berlin, Brussels, and Madrid, posters have appeared informing citizens about the campaign. They draw attention to the stopVATcarousel.pl website where more information may be found about what VAT “carousels” are and how Poland is combating them.

    The website shows Poland as the precursor of innovative methods for dealing with the crime of VAT fraud and features a video spot describing the problem and Poland’s solution.


     

    The site offers plenty of examples highlighting the issue of VAT fraud, including the estimated €1.2 billion loss in revenue due to VAT fraud between 2010 and 2017.

    VAT fraud’s link with terrorism is well-documented, with the website campaign writing, “In 2010, American soldiers operating in Afghanistan, found documents in one of Osmam bin Laden’s hideouts related to VAT fraud committed in Europe.”

    The British aristocrat and grandson of philanthropist Thomas Craigmyle, Alexander Francis Shaw of Craigmyle, participates in the video. He depicts VAT fraud in a colorful manner and explains how Poland is dealing with the issue.

  • Poland’s flagship airline plans expansion into Asia

    The Polish national ariline carrier, LOT, wants to expand its portfolio of Asian flight destinations, but agreements with India and China still need to be negotiated.

    “LOT wants to build a strong position in servicing Asian flight destinations,” says LOT board member Michał Fijoł.

    According to the senior executive of LOT airlines, there are “plans to increase the number of flights to Asia and to increase the number of destinations serviced, but in order to do that, bilateral agreements with China or India must be changed.”

    Fijoł says that the current bilateral agreements are constraining LOT’s ability to expand in Asia despite wanting to have better air service to South Korea, China and India. LOT must work with the Polish Civic Aviation Authority to renegotiate these agreements.

    Over the past few years, LOT has created a strong network of destinations in the US, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami. Next year starting in August, Lot will add San Francisco to its list of US destinations. LOT is also flying from Budapest to New York and Chicago.

    Michał Fijoł noted that LOT can not just focus on the Western market, saying, “There is a need for that to be balanced in Asia, as development in that direction has been disproportionate.”

    In 2015, LOT had only one destination in Asia with flights to Beijing. But in the last four years, it has opened seven new routes in line with its strategy of profitable growth.

    LOT is increasing the frequency of its flights to Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore. In Asia, it also flies to New Delhi and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

    Poland’s air carrier, which flies to 111 destinations, carried a record number of passengers in 2018. Approximately 8.9 million passengers flew with the airline, an increase of 2 million from the previous year. This year the figure should reach 10 million by December.

  • Poles to travel to the US without visas from November 11

    Polish President Andrzej Duda confirmed on Wednesday that Poland will join the US visa-waiver program on Nov. 11, the same day as the 101st anniversary of Poland regaining its independence.

    President Andrzej Duda thanked President Donald Trump for keeping his promise of including Poland in the visa-waiver program before the end of his first term in office. He also thanked US ambassador to Poland, Georgette Mosbacher, for her efforts to introduce visa-free travel for Poles.

    Mosbacher, speaking at a joint press conference with Duda, congratulated 38 million Poles and the 10 million-strong diaspora in the US for achieving this milestone.

    She said that she had personally been convinced by President Duda that the issue of visa-free travel for Poles was one of national pride.

    “This moved me, because I understood how much we have in common with regards to values and history,” she said.

    The US diplomat also stressed that previous US presidents such as Barack Obama had promised to deal with the issue but failed to deliver.

    The news follows reports that Tusk had commissioned private polling on his potential run for president. The results were discouraging and showed that he had little chance of winning against the incumbent President Andrzej Duda.

    PO candidates

    The Civic Platform (PO) is now likely to select either Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, its prime minister-designate candidate from the parliamentary election or the mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski.

    Ruling Law and Justice (PiS) politicians did not hide their satisfaction with the decision.

    “Donald Tusk is too lazy and got scared. After already losing to Lech Kaczyński in 2005, he would now lose to Lech Kaczyński’s pupil Andrzej Duda,” said MP Krzysztof Sobolewski.

    The party’s press spokesperson Anita Czerwińska said that “Tusk’s decision means that even he does not believe in the Civic Coalition project and would not give his name to it. It’s a vote of no confidence in the leader of the party, Grzegorz Schetyna, and his party’s organizational capabilities which Tusk thinks wouldn’t cope with the challenge of an election campaign.”

  • The EU shouldn’t be able to control Polish courts: legal expert

    The EU has little authority over national judiciaries and should allow Poland to control its own courts, according to a leading Polish legal expert.

    The European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) interest in Poland’s judiciary is in direct conflict with European treaties that explicitly state that the judiciary is the exclusive competence of the governments of EU member states, argues professor Tomasz Grosse.

    According to the verdict of the ECJ issue on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Polish regulations with regard to the retirement age of judges that were introduced in 2017 are contrary to EU law.

    The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the changes did not come into conflict with judicial independence and points to the fact that the law in question was amended in 2018 anyway.

    According to professor Grosse, the European court has ruled that not all the regulations that were under review by the ECJ have been changed. The ECJ’s verdict is therefore designed to tackle the entire issue regarding judiciary matters in the EU and force Polish authorities to adjust legislation.

    There is also a growing consensus in the party that it cannot continue to rely on social transfers alone to make voters happy. It has to make a choice whether it wants to boost economic development or fight for the attention of conservative voters who deserted it for Confederation and the PSL.

    The government that emerges in November cannot get embroiled in controversies that might affect its chances of winning the presidential election, but also has to signal it is willing to continue to change Poland. PiS has to show it can still be decisive to keep up its momentum. If voters sense any hesitancy from the party, they will become uncertain themselves.

  • Poles are coming home from the UK

    Only 38 percent of Poles living in Britain have applied to remain there after Brexit and a majority are considering returning home, according to Poland’s ambassador to the UK.

    The EU’s withdrawal agreement with Britain gives EU migrants until the end of 2020 to claim permanent residence status that will entitle them to live and work in Britain. Around 80 percent of Romanians and Bulgarians present in the UK have applied, but that number is much lower for the Poles.

    Poland’s Ambassador to UK, Arkady Rzegocki, said that 80 percent of those departing from Britain are expected to move back to Poland.

    “In the withdrawal agreement that was negotiated the maintenance of the rights of Poles in the UK was vital for us,” said Rzegocki. “The British, on our suggestion, simplified the procedure and I wrote an open letter in the British and Polish media encouraging people to take advantage of the process. As a result, we did see a spike [of Poles applying to stay in Britain] from 27 to 38 percent, but it’s still a low number.”

    The Polish diplomat added that in 2018 as many as 116,000 Poles left the UK, with the total of Poles present in the UK now just over 900,000.

    He believes it is now a growing trend.

    “According to our estimates, around 80 percent of Poles leaving the UK are resettling in Poland, revealed Ambassador Rzegocki. “The data for this year isn’t available, but we get the feeling that the trend is continuing and intensifying.

    “That is what people in Polish parish churches, Saturday schools and shops are saying. Poles are coming home because the pound has fallen in value, there is uncertainty over Brexit and because the quality of life in Poland is improving. Increasingly Poles are regaining confidence in their own country.”

  • Babiš and Plenković discussed the Croatian EU presidency

    The prime ministers of the Czech Republic and Croatia met in Prague to discuss Croatia’s forthcoming EU presidency, the EU budget framework for the next seven years, and bilateral relations.

    Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was in Prague to join the Friends of Cohesion meeting attended by 17 EU member states. The meeting, hosted by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, will have representatives from all 17 countries discussing the EU’s multiannual financial framework for 2021 to 2027, particularly the cohesion policy funds.

    Ahead of the summit, Plenković met with Babiš, who said he appreciated that Croatia had fulfilled the necessary conditions required to become a member of the Schengen Area, which the European Commission confirmed in the second half of October.

    According to Babiš, Croatia belongs to the Schengen area, as do Bulgaria and Romania.

    However, the membership of Croatia in the Schengen Area has to be unanimously approved by EU member states, some of which are concerned about the potential influx of migrants across the Croatian border. According to Babiš, these states should propose concrete suggestions to transform the Schengen Area.

    “We do not have a clear strategy,” the Czech prime minister added.

    Both the Czech and the Croatian prime ministers also discussed the forthcoming Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Croatia will take over the EU presidency for the first time in the first half of 2020, starting on Jan. 1. During that time, Plenković aims to arrange a meeting with Western Balkan countries, which he believes should become members of the EU as well.

    With Croatia leading the EU presidency, its primary goals will be to ensure economic development, security, and the continued global influence of the EU.

  • Slovaks head to the polls in February

    The Slovak general election will be held on Feb. 29, 2020, and the campaign before the election begins on Tuesday, Nov. 5, parliament Chairman Andrej Danko (SNS) announced.

    According to election polls, the government party Smer (Social Democrats) led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico is still the frontrunner to win.

    At the moment, it looks like up to nine parties could get into parliament. To cross the necessary threshold, Slovak parties need to receive five percent of the vote. Many politicians are in fierce competition for voters, such as former president, Andrej Kiska, with his For the People Party or ex-Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar with the Slovak League.

    Besides a host of new political parties, there will also be a new development during the upcoming Slovak election. For the first time, an extended moratorium on the publication of election polls will likely apply.

    “We live in a difficult time full of unverified information. I wish the people could have objective information that they can evaluate responsibly,” Danko said.

    Danko and his SNS party were among those pushing the law change. The moratorium would be imposed on election polls 50 days before the elections.

    If President Zuzana Čaputová signs the change into law, it means that less than two months before the elections, Slovaks will not be aware of where their parties stand. Until now, the election poll moratorium was typically in force for 14 days before the elections.

    The Slovak general elections will take place one week after the second anniversary of the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak.

  • EU member states gather in Prague for budget discussions

    The Friends of Cohesion summit in Prague, attended by 17 EU member states, offered a forum for leaders to discuss the EU’s next seven-year budget. 

    The summit took place on Nov. 5 and focused on ensuring sufficient finances between member states in order to reduce differences in living standards between countries. 

    The summit was preceded by a meeting of the V4 prime ministers from Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

    The next EU budget will cover the years betwen 2021 to 2027, and like all seven-year budget discussions, the stakes are high for each member state.

    The aim of the meeting is to adopt a joint declaration highlighting the importance of cohesion policy for the stability of the EU internal market, and preventing further reduction of cohesion funds.

    The current multiannual financial framework for the 2021-2027 proposal will see a reduction in finances for cohesion policy due to the UK’s planned departure from the EU. Shifting priorities within the EU will also lead to a reduction in funds. EU leaders are likely to make a final decision on the framework next year.

    Furthermore, the Friends of Cohesion group states it wants to put more emphasis on flexibility while using the EU cohesion fund finances. The group argues that the member states follow different objectives in the case of regional development, and it is impossible to issue one uniform priority for the whole EU. Tackling this issue has also been one of the goals of the Czech government for a long time.

    Ahead of the Friends of Cohesion summit, the prime ministers of the Visegrad Group countries met to address not only the EU budget for 2021 to 2027 but also the EU’s climate policy.

  • Czechia prepares to reintroduce border checks

    About 300 Czech police, soldiers, customs officers, and firefighters are training in preparation for the reintroduction of border checks between Czechia and Slovakia in case of a migrant crisis.

    The border control training features Czech security forces patrolling the almost 50 kilometers-long border with Slovakia in the North Moravian region, including five border crossings. Furthermore, a practice registration center for migrants was created.

    “Illegal migration has been stagnating so far, and the number of detained migrants is at a pre-migrant crisis level,” said Interior Minister Jan Hamáček. Despite the lull in migration, the Czech Republic has to be prepared in case the situation changes, says Hamáček.

    “Of course, this training has a purpose,” Hamáček said, adding that the armed forces will simulate real conditions that would arise if controls were needed. The exercise is not the first of its kind as a similar one took place last year.

    According to Deputy Police President Martin Vondrášek, the Czech Republic is ready in case the government decides to reintroduce border controls. At the request of police forces, the government released CZK 350 million (about €14 million) for 2019 to 2021 to buy necessary equipment.

    The training in the eastern part of Czechia is attended by 150 police officers, 60 soldiers, 30 firefighters, 30 customs officers, and 10 prison service officers.

    Police forces plan to practice the registration of immigrants at the registration center, subjecting each migrant to a multi-level sorting process. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics will then carry out a simplified medical check to detect any potential infectious disease or injury.

    Last year, police forces detected 4,992 immigrants who were staying illegally in the Czech Republic, representing 254 more than in 2017. The continued presence of illegal immigrants has forced police to expend resources on tracking and apprehending them, shifting them away from their traditional focus on crime and ensuring public safety for citizens.

  • Luxury houses for Hungarian dogs

    Is there a market in Hungary for designer doghouses worth 300,000 Hungarian forints (€900) apiece? Hungarian entrepreneur Gábor Gallai thinks so and is putting his money where his mouth is.

    The idea came to him a few years ago while cycling. As he rode past upscale neighborhoods featuring elegant houses and well-tended gardens, he thought the entire view was being a bit spoiled by traditional doghouses.

    Gallai thought he could do better and teamed up with architect Loránd Szász, who at first didn’t think the job of designing doghouses was fit for a professional, but eventually agreed.

    Gallai’s firm, Waff, now offers several designs made from three layers of pinewood. These designer doghouses feature mineral wool thermal insulation, a stainless steel base for durability and even thermal curtains to ensure optimal comfort. Gallai says that his goal is to take his doghouse design global, saying the Hungarian market may be limited, but says even here there is plenty of business opportunity. 

    “If you already spend 8 million forints (€24,300) on your garden, an additional 300,000 [forints] is not a big deal,” he told Forbes Hungary.

    Anyone wanting to buy his doghouses must also factor in the cost of transportation. These houses are not only fairly large, but at around 150 kilograms, they weigh almost as much as an upright piano.

    Hungarians have an estimated 2.5 million to 3 million dogs, 60 percent of which are purebred. German shepherds are by far the most popular followed by Dachshunds and the famous Hungarian dreadlocked herding dog, the Puli.


    Title image: Hungarian entrepreneur Gábor Gallai and his designer doghouses (source: Forbes.hu)

  • Save our heroes: Campaign says no to communism in public spaces

    Liberal councilors have begun changing street names to celebrate communism in several Polish towns, sparking an ideological battle in the country.

    Politicians from Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) politicians are fighting back against the changes in an effort to keep communism out of public spaces. Their campaign branded “Save our heroes” is an effort to avoid what many other cities like Berlin feature everywhere: streets named after communists like Karl Marx, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg.

    The cultural stakes are especially high with PiS lambasting councilors for removing famed heroes who fought against communism in the underground resistance and replacing the streets with communist slogans.

    Workers of the world unite?

    The campaign began after liberal councilors in the towns of Żyrardów in central Poland and Białystok in eastern Poland decided to remove the names of underground resistance fighters General August “Nil” Fieldorf and Major Zygmunt “Łupaszka” Szendzielarz from streets.

    Both were tortured and executed by communists during the post-war Stalinist period.

    The action in Żyrardów is particularly controversial because the streets were changed to communist slogans, including one called “Workers United”, a slogan adopted in Poland after the forced merger between the Soviet-backed Communist Party and the Polish Socialist Party.

    Liberal councilors have claimed in their defense that Żyrardów was traditionally an industrial town dominated by the working class, and the concept of workers’ unity has another meaning which people there accept.


     

    PiS politicians and many Polish citizens say they do not buy the explanation, especially when the slogans were used to repalce the names of underground resistance fighters.

    Former Deputy Justice Minister Patryk Jaki, an MEP, said that young politicians such as himself and MP Jacek Ozdoba had a moral duty to remember those who gave up their lives for a free and independent Poland and ensure the country preserves their memory.

    “Our campaign ‘Save our heroes’ begins. We begin by petitioning for the return of the name of Gen. August Fieldorf and the return of ‘Nil Street’,” wrote Ozdoba on Twitter.

    The cursed soldiers

    Gen. Fieldorf was deputy commander-in-chief of the Polish underground Home Army. The communist regime executed Fieldorf in 1953.

    Maj. Szendzielarz was also a commander in the Home Army. After Poland was taken over by Soviets between 1944 and 1945, he and his troops continued their fight against the Soviet Army and communist authorities. After several years living underground, Szendzielarz was arrested and executed on Feb. 8, 1951.

    The “Save our Heroes” campaign was first announced at The Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic.


     

  • PM Orbán extends hand to opposition mayor of Budapest

    Following an often acrimonious campaign fraught with accusations from both sides, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is demonstrating that he is willing to work with Budapest’s new opposition mayor.

    Orbán has invited the new mayor, Gergely Karácsony, to the next cabinet meeting on Nov. 6 where development plans for the capital will be discussed.

    Orbán’s gesture comes on the heels of municipal elections where the opposition coalition posted some gains, with the most notable being the victory of Karácsony. Orbán is looking past the election and seeking ways to work with the opposition to ensure cities like Budapest continue to be successful.

    “It is my conviction that the development issues of Budapest need immediate decisions,” Orbán wrote in a letter to Karácsony. “Therefore I would like to ask you to accept my invitation to the Hungarian government’s meeting scheduled for Nov. 6 so we can learn your position regarding the development projects in the capital and make decisions regarding developments that already have the support of the government.”

    Karácsony asked for a meeting with Orbán on October 24.

    In the letter, Orbán also wrote that the invitation was not limited to learning Karácsony’s position regarding Budapest development projects but that the government would also be “pleased to learn his position regarding any other important issues regarding Budapest.”

    Monday night, Karácsony replied in a Facebook post that “it is normal for me to accept the invitation and attend the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. I consider this meeting the beginning of joint work, a first step, as we must cooperate on hundreds of issues, which sometimes means arguing and sometimes agreeing on Budapest developments.”

    Title image: Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony (MTI/Tamás Kovács)

  • Waszczykowski: We must retain the presidency

    Witold Waszczykowski, MEP and former minister of Foreign Affairs, came out in support of sitting president, Andrzej Duda. He believes that winning in the first round is the best way to cut short any speculation of which opposition candidate may have the best chance to unseat the incumbent.

    According to Waszczykowski, Duda enjoys high favorability ratings at home among Polish voters who appreciate his success in foreign and defense policy issues. “These are all good instruments that should help him to win the election in the first round of voting,” he said.

    Waszczykowski was dismissive of Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz’s (leader of the Polish People’s Party) announcment that he plans to run for president. “If anyone announces they are running but says they will withdraw for a worthier candidate, then he is not being serious.

    “I heard over the weekend that eight percent can go to people’s heads,” quipped the former minister. He was alluding to the eight percent that Kosiniak-Kamysz’s party, PSL, won in the parliamentary elections in October.

    Poland’s former foreign policy chief did not think that Donald Tusk’s likely succession to be head of the European People’s Party (EPP) was anything to write home about. All it would do is allow Tusk to continue to mix in European politics, he said.

    He said Tusk was not so popular in Poland. “He’s a politician with a huge ‘negative’ electorate. Poles did not take well the fact that he dumped his own country for a career in the EU. He just deserted his post,” argued Waszczykowski.

  • Brits take their cue from Poland and open a new coal mine

    The British, like the Germans, are not going to allow themselves to be swayed by environmentalists.

    For the first time in 30 years, a new coal mine will be opened in England. The government will not object to a decision taken by the local authority in Cumbria.

    The British decision follows on the heels of Germany opening a new coal-fired power plant in the Ruhr despite setting the broader goal of shutting all its coal power plants by 2038, a goal many critics say is unlikely to occur without massive amounts of debt and job losses.

    The British government’s decision to back the coal mine in the northwest of England, coupled with the case of a new coal-powered power plant in Germany, may be a sign that environmentalists are not winning their battle against coal.

    Both Great Britain and Germany pride themselves as nations working towards zero emissions. The new support for coal suggests that economic considerations coupled with a demand for affordable energy may come before ideological sentiments.

    The new mine in England will be set up near Whitehaven and the coal mined will be used in steel mills and the chemical industry. It is envisaged that mining will continue for 50 years and that 500 new jobs will be created in the area.

    The enemy of the people

    The capitalist is no longer the enemy of just the people, he is the enemy of humanity as a whole.

    At the same time, the left has shifted towards climate change as the new left-wing obsession after fighting overpopulation and fixing the hole in the ozone layer lost their appeal.

    Global warming is all the capitalist’s fault claims the left, many of them rich capitalists themselves. They claim the pursuit of profit leads to carbon emissions and melting glaciers.

    So the capitalist is no longer the enemy of just the people, he is the enemy of humanity as a whole. He must be stripped of his wealth and regulated at a global level before he destroys the planet.

    And just as the old communist left rejected parliamentary democracy, the new left now rejects democracy because it is seen as being in hock to global capitalists. This group sees the climate as so important that they do not want it to be left in the hands of ordinary people.  The same can be said on the issue of migration, with elites in Brussels dictating to democratically-elected leaders of other nations what they can and should do with migrants.

    This top-down approach reflects the left-wing view that people can be trusted to make these decisions, only the elite.

    If this sounds familiar, that is because it is. It’s a dictatorship of the climate and open borders instead of a dictatorship of the proletariat. We all know how that ended and have no wish for a repeat performance.

  • Hungary and Germany remain strategic partners despite differences

    Germany and Hungary still have plenty of common ground despite their differences, said both countries’ foreign ministers after meeting in Hungary on Nov. 4.

    German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made his first official visit to Hungary in six years to meet with his Hungarian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártówas. Despite the two countries’ diverging opinions on a range of topics, including migration, both foreign ministers underlined that economic cooperation has remained the foundation for a good relationship.

    Originally planned for the summer, the visit had to be postponed until November, but this also meant that the meeting coincided with the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which happened nearly thirty years ago on Nov. 9. 

    Maas expressed his country’s gratitude for Hungary’s contribution to the historic event. A few months before the Berlin Wall fell, in August 1989, Hungary opened its borders, allowing East German refugees massed in the country to leave to the West. Maas also paid tribute to the fallen heroes of the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising in Hungary.

    The meeting, in which the two foreign ministers addressed each other on a first name basis, was focused on the major points of agreement between the two countries.

    Szijjártó stated during the press conference that Hungary has been the largest single buyer of military equipment from Germany this year, including tanks, howitzers and helicopters, partly to affirm Hungary’s commitment to NATO to increase its defense spending to two percent of its GDP.

    He also said the two countries are partners in several peacekeeping operations and infrastructure projects from the Middle East to Africa. Last year, Hungarian-German bilateral trade amounted to €55 billion, and based on data for the first eight months, that figure will probably be surpassed this year.

    Maas did not hide the fact that there are “difficult issues” among the two, such as the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law, but stressed that dialogue must be maintained despite the differences.

    Szijjártó pointed out that Hungary was firmly against illegal migration while Maas said there is room for compromise. Maas cited the example of countries that are unwilling to take in refugees may contribute in other ways, such as providing funding for the defense of the European Union’s outer borders.


    Title image: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (L) and his Hungarian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó (R) at a press conference after their Budapest meeting. (MTI/Zoltán Máthé)

  • What Czechs think about All Souls’ Day

    While much of the world focused on the Anglo-Saxon holiday of Halloween on Oct. 31, Czechs were looking forward to the traditional Czech holiday of All Souls´ Day, with four-fifths of Czechs celebrating on Nov. 2 each year.

    According to the STEM/MARK agency survey, most people celebrate All Souls´ Day by visiting graves of their relatives. The survey shows that 83 percent of citizens consider this holiday important. However, only one-fifth of Czechs go to the cemetery exactly on Nov. 2, when All Souls´ Day is actually celebrated.

    Within the Czech Republic, people in Moravia follow the tradition of All Souls´ Day more than people in Bohemia. According to the survey, 88 percent of people in Moravia celebrate this day as opposed to 77 percent in Bohemia.

    However, half of Czechs do not consider All Souls´ Day or the All Saints’ Day, celebrated on Nov. 1, to be important enough to be a public holiday.

    According to 10 percent of respondents, All Saints’ Day on Nov. 2 should become a public holiday in the Czech Republic. These supporters say Czechs deserve a day off as it is the Catholic celebration of people who have already entered heaven. Nevertheless, only 15 percent of respondents actually know that this day is a Catholic holiday even though it was once celebrated as a public holiday in Czechoslovakia until 1948.

    As Halloween grows more popular worldwide, Czechs have also become more familiar with it.

    According to the survey, almost 99 percent of Czechs know this Anglo-Saxon holiday. Almost half of the respondents practice certain Halloween customs, with most people saying they carved pumpkins. Compared to the 2015 survey, this tradition has increased in the Czech Republic, with only 30 percent of Czechs following it four years ago.

    However, the All Souls´ Day celebration also has a dark side. According to police statistics, thefts and vandalism are increasing during this period.

    As a result, police in Prague plan to strengthen patrols in and around selected cemeteries. During the day, patrol officers and horse patrols will supervise the sites, and officers with police dogs will head to the cemeteries at night.

  • The growing China threat to Czechia

    China has been attempting to gain influence in the Czech Republic to access trade and diplomatic secrets, according to the Czech counter-intelligence service.

    During a TV debate, counter-intelligence service spokesman Ladislav Šticha stated that in the Czech Republic, Chinese intelligence services are primarily interested in industrial information.

    “They try to contact researchers, people from universities and Czech politicians,” said Šticha. “It is very dangerous when these people are invited to visit the People’s Republic of China as the whole program is paid for by the Chinese. Once there, the invitees will then receive an offer for cooperation. We try to warn not only the scientific community but also universities and politicians against potential risks of such cooperation.”

    In October, the threat posed by the Chinese intelligence services was also a topic of a seminar in the Czech Chamber of Deputies. At the seminar, the head of the BIS counter-intelligence service, Michal Koudelka, also warned that the Chinese invite scientists and politicians to their country to influence them and obtain information.

    In particular, the BIS counter-intelligence service urges members of the armed forces and the police to avoid accepting invitations to visit China.

    In its previous annual public reports, BIS has repeatedly warned against the intelligence activities of China and Russia in the Czech Republic. The secret BIS annual report for 2018 was discussed at the end of October by the Chamber of Deputies’ Permanent Commission on Oversight.

    The Chairman of the Commission Pavel Bělobrádek later confirmed that the Czech counter-intelligence service is successful in detecting threats posed by foreign intelligence services but additional safeguards must be taken.

  • Syria demands six times more money for Czechia-funded orphanage

    Syrian officials have demanded six times more money from the Czech Republic to build a proposed orphanage, forcing Czech authorities to back out of the project. 

    According to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, the Syrian proposal was economically unfeasible despite his desire to see it happen.

    This April, Babiš stated that the project was ready to get started and that he wanted to set up a foundation to help fund it. Babiš also said he already had a site selected for the orphanage center in Syria.

    The construction of a center, including sports facilities and a school for up to 50 children, was expected to cost approximately CZK 65 million (€2,5 million).

    Czech company Cubespace, which builds modular houses, was supposed to implement the project. According to Babiš, the plan was conceived by him personally and would be built under his direction, citing concerns the project would be ineffective if organized by outside authorities.

    In early November, however, the prime minister announced that the project had been halted.

    “The Syrian side told us that it did not want us to do it and submitted its own proposal, which was about six times more expensive than ours. We didn’t make a deal, so the project won’t continue,” he said.

    Babiš’ decision comes on the heels of opposition proposals that would see orphans come to the Czech Republic, with MP Michaela Šojdrová (KDU-ČSL) requesting to move 50 Syrian orphans from refugee camps in Greece to the Czech Republic.

    Babiš called Šojdrová’s proposal meaningless and argued that governments need to help orphans in their country of origin. Czech and Greek authorities discussed Šojdrová´s proposal, but it never happened. Instead, the two countries explored ways to fund an orphanage project in Syria.

  • German economic recession will hit Central Europe hard

    Central European economies have been growing strongly in recent years, but Germany, which is the main trading partner for most of Central Europe, is experiencing the first signs of recession. Now, both The Financial Times and The Economist both address growing concerns that the golden days for the Visegrad Four region in Central Europe could be coming to an end.

    Fifteen years after joining the European Union, the Visegrad countries, which include Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, should be proud of what they have accomplished.

    According to The Economist, V4 nations have managed to kick-start their economies and adapt them to the huge German market, which has also become an important investor.

    While European subsidies have helped Central Europe grow its economy, millions of Poles and other V4 residents were the main drivers of growth. After 2004, many of them also left their countries to work in the richer countries of the European Union and regularly sent huge amounts of money back home.

    However, what once worked for these Central European countries is becoming less and less effective.

    The PSL’s proposed method for selecting the opposition’s next presidential candidate would be a “primary” consisting of an in-depth survey of a large number of voters by two separate pollsters.

    Kosiniak-Kamysz added that should someone “more worthy of the honor” come forward, he would be prepared to stand down. The candidate he would most likely stand down for is Donald Tusk, former prime minister of Poland and co-founder of Civic Platform. He is likely to be elected as leader of the European People’s Party in November.

    Tusk will likely decide in early December whether he is willing to stand for president in Poland. As President of the European Council, Tusk is reportedly considering backing Kosiniak-Kamysz if he does not run in Poland’s presidential elections himself.

     

  • Hungary buys Austrian weapons maker

    Hungary announced the purchase of Austrian weapons maker Hirtenberger Defense Systems (HDS this week ), a significant acquisition that should boost Hungary’s defense capabilities.

    HDS, an Austrian firm going back 160 years, primarily manufactures 60mm, 81mm and 120mm grenade launchers and shells. The smallest bore grenade launchers, man-portable and mainly used at the infantry squad level, are sold in the largest numbers.

    The company’s purchase gives Hungary technologies that otherwise could have only been developed at a cost of several billion forints and many years of research, said Gáspár Maróth, commissioner for the development of the Hungarian Armed Forces during an interview with Magyar Nemzet.

    At the request of the Austrian firm, the purchase price remains confidential, but Maróth said that the purchase was covered through a bank loan, which the company should be able to repay from its own revenues without any costs to the central state budget.

    “We have purchased a company whose capacities are fully booked for years in advance,” Maróth told Magyar Nemzet. “Its products are internationally competitive and are operating at a profit. We opted for this solution because we believe that based on current figures, the company’s business activities alone will help the loan be repaid without difficulty.”

    He said Hungary does not plan to make any changes in the company’s executives or its workforce, but Hungarian engineers will contribute to its research and development. HDS also has a manufacturing base in Middle Wallop in the United Kingdom.

    With regard to other recent defense procurements, Maróth said that the small arms factory in Kiskunfélegyháza, in south-central Hungary, is about 80 percent ready to begin the manufacture of pistols, machine pistols, carbines and sniper rifles. The development of sniper rifles was information not previously reported in Hungarian media.

    All of these weapons will be manufactured under license from Česká Zbrojovka (CZ), one of the world’s five largest manufacturers of automatic weapons.

    Maróth also gave details about the already announced purchase of 36 Airbus helicopters. 20 of which are H145M militarized small utility helicopters, and four of which have already been delivered. The rest are expected to arrive next year and later in 2021.

    Hungary also bought 16 Airbus H225M long-range tactical transport helicopters which will be delivered starting in 2023.


    Images: hds.hirtenberger.com

  • Critics rage over Poland’s new coal power plants, silent on Germany’s

    Environmentalists in Poland seem to have different standards for Germany and Poland.

    Germany may be an advocate of zero emissions, but that has not stopped plans to open another coal-fired power plant in the country. Despite Germany’s decision, there is no sign of environmental protests of the kind being experienced in Poland over the building of the new Ostrołęka power station.

    Ostrołęka in the Mazowsze region of central Poland is the site of the newest coal-fired power station in the country.

    Its construction has been met with controversy and campaigning from environmental groups who often praise Germany for systematically reducing its dependence on coal.

    These protests have become increasingly visible with Poland’s state bank, PKO, being publically attacked. Activists are imitating its branding and likeness while using slogans against the financing of the construction of the power station.

    Germany’s Datteln IV plant in the Ruhr (cover picture) is not being scrapped despite rumors that it would be. Authorities plan to attach it to Germany’s power grid in January, and it is expected to reach its capacity limit by the summer.

    Germany has dozens of coal plants and some of the highest emissions of any country in the world.

    Double standards?

    The German power plant is to have a capacity of 1,100 megawatts and may already violate Germany’s clean air laws as soon as it goes online.

    Environmental organizations in Poland campaigning against the plant in Ostrołęka have not expressed any view on the matter. Given the proximity of the plant to Poland and its impact on the environment, critics have raised questions about double-standards, with many asking whether German coal-fired power plants are more environment-friendly than Polish ones.

    Germany has stated that it plans to shut all of its coal plants by 2038, but the plan will cost an estimated €40 billion, leading many critics to claim that Germany will have to take out billions in debt to pay for the phase-out.

  • Will The Witcher Netflix series be as big as Game of Thrones?

    The Witcher has already proven to be a massive hit video game and book series. Now, as it gets set ready to release on Netflix in December, the Polish author of the original novels believes it will be as big as Game of Thrones.

    Andrzej Sapkowski’s creation is already sparking excitement from fans as new information is emerging on what the series will be like.

    The producers of the series indicated that it will be based on the books of Andrzej Sapkowski to a far greater extent than the video game. The game, produced by Polish video game studio CD Project Red, originally propelled The Witcher series to international fame and made CD Project Red one of the most valuable companies in Poland.

    The Polish author of the books, interviewed by Italian magazine La Lettura, said he is convinced that the Netflix series will be a huge success and possibly even bigger than HBO’s Game of Thrones.

    The Witcher trailer from Netflix was also released on Oct. 31 and provided fans with a glimpse of what the series will look like. The trailer received praise across social media, with users prasising the visuals and look of lead actor Henry Cavill. Like Game of Thrones, the series will focus heavily on magic, battle and monsters.


     

    Sapkowski praised the author of the Game of Thrones series George R.R. Martin but felt the series had too many characters.

    “I value the work of George Martin. I like his series but feel his books have too many characters. I once asked him why he chose to kill off all those characters, and he replied that this is how he likes it. I don’t think his fans share that view.”

    The Witcher’s author initially did not think his work could take on the giants of fantasy literature. But he said his series has exceeded all of his expectations.

    In the meantime, fans are hoping that the Netflix series is as good as the books and the CD Project Red games. Stakes remain high for Netflix due to The Witcher’s big budget and the company’s clear attempt to create a series that capture’s an audience as big as Game of Thrones.

  • Israeli ambassador: Poland is not an anti-Semitic country

    Israel’s ambassador to Poland believes that Poland is not an anti-Semitic country, saying that criticism of Israeli politicians was not an example of anti-Semitism, but repeated his previous criticism of MPs from the Confederation party for their past statements.

    “To say that Poland is an anti-Semitic country is absolutely not true,” says Israel’s newly appointed ambassador to Warsaw, Alexander Ben Zvi, in an interview with commercial broadcaster Radio Zet.

    When it comes to judging Poland’s level of anti-Semitism, the country “does not stand out” in comparison to other countries, said Ben Zvi.

    “There are manifestations of anti-Semitism in Poland,” but he said they also “exist in other European countries.”

    However, the ambassador repeated his previous charges of anti-Semitism against the far-right Confederation Party, which entered parliament last month with 7 percent of the vote. One of the central features of Confederation’s campaigning this year has been a promise to protect Poland from a recent US law on Jewish property restitution.

    We’re not alone in this. The Czech Republic will never agree to mandatory migration quotas, at least as long as I am the prime minister. I promised that to my voters and I intend to keep my promise.

    According to the statement from Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston, the countries’ stated reason is unacceptable. Despite Sharpston’s contention, the advocate general’s stance is not binding. The Court of Justice of the European Union is set to issue a final verdict on the matter at the beginning of next year.

    “The opinion of the Advocate General is not binding. As her statement is quite recent, we will study and analyze its merits,” commented Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. “In any case, it is necessary to wait for the binding decision of the EU Court.”

    Babiš then added that Czech citizens did not agree to abide by the majority voting system when joining the EU.

    “Asylum policy is an internal matter of every member state. Redistribution of refugees who entered the EU illegally is not one of our responsibilities,” stated Babiš. He considers redistribution quotas to be a bad idea that will only encourage more migration.

    “At the EU Court, we will use all options to defend our decision to reject migration quotas. Furthermore, we will coordinate our approach with the representatives of Poland and Hungary. We’re not alone in this. The Czech Republic will never agree to mandatory migration quotas, at least as long as I am the prime minister. I promised that to my voters and I intend to keep my promise.”

    The Polish government also disagrees with the advocate general’s opinion, arguing that refusal to accept the redistribution quotas is justified by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. This treaty states that member states can independently decide on matters of internal security and the maintenance of public order.

    “Most member states have not fully met migration quota obligations either,” stated Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller, adding that only Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary were sued by the European Commission.

    The issue of migration remains a divisive issue for EU member states as migrants continue to make their way to European nations by the thousands. Many of them are economic migrants who do not wish to stay in lands like Turkey or even poorer EU countries like Greece even after safely fleeing conflicts in countries like Syria.

     

  • Czech children more active than their peers abroad

    Czech children are more active than most of their peers abroad, according to a new major international study.

    According to The Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study, Czech children aged 11 to 15 are among the most active in their leisure time compared to their peers in other countries, with 86 percent of them participating in sports, arts, and other healthy activities.

    The HBSC study is one of the largest data sources on children’s and adolescents´ lifestyles in the world. In the Czech Republic, 230 schools with about 13,000 children aged 11, 13, and 15 took part in the study. Eight other countries also participated in the survey.

    How kids spend their time

    Study results show that 14 percent of Czech children do not participate in any leisure time activities, the lowest amount of all countries surveyed.

    Poland is the worst in this respect, with 30 percent of children not participating in any healthy leisure activities.

    According to the study, most adolescent Czechs fill their free time with team and individual sports or artistic activities. Among the boys, team sports predominate (58 percent) while girls prefer spending time with artistic activities (60 percent).

    Besides organized activities, children are often active with their families. Approximately 40 percent of Czech adolescents engage in sports with their parents at least once a week, representing a marked improvement from previous findings. Thirty years ago, it was only 30 percent.

    According to experts, a child’s activity level is highly dependent on their family environment.

    Hooked on devices

    Electronic devices and the Internet also play an important role in young people’s lives today. Nineteen percent of Czech boys and 15 percent of girls spend four hours or more watching TV and videos on weekdays, and a third of boys and 27 percent of girls on weekends.

    About a quarter of the Czech boys spend a similar amount of time playing video games on weekdays. Girls prefer spending time on social media. Time devoted to these activities increases with age. This young generation also often manages to combine several activities simultaneously.

    The HBSC research, citing the World Health Organization, indicates that excessive time spent using a computer, watching television or using a smartphone contributes to obesity, poor sleep, and increases the likelihood of depression.

    Conversely, children who participate in healthy leisure-time activities enjoy higher life satisfaction and are more successful at school. They also are less likely to smoke or drink alcohol than other more active adolescents.

  • Czechia’s richest man sells partial stake in Hungarian media company

    The Czech Republic’s richest businessman has sold off a partial stake in the Hungarian telecommunications company Telenor to Antenna Hungária.

    PPF Group, owned by Petr Kellner, announced the sale of the group’s 25-percent stake on Oct. 31.

    Telenor telecommunications company includes Telenor Hungary and Telenor Real Estate. The transaction is intended to enable Telenor Hungary to exploit synergies with Antenna Hungária, which is the dominant player in the Hungarian telecommunications market.

    PPF Group did not disclose the selling price.

    In the new holding, which was established as a joint venture between Telenor Hungary and Antenna Hungária, PPF Group holds a 75-percent stake and Antenna Hungária holds the remaining 25 percent.

    “This transaction will strengthen our market position in this competitive and mature telecommunications market while at the same time affirming PPF’s commitment as a long-term, mid-sized telecommunications owner in Central and Eastern Europe,” PPF Group said.

    PPF will continue to manage the business activities of Telenor in Hungary, with no change in its management. As a strategic partner, Antenna Hungária will occupy one position on the board of directors and one on the supervisory board in the newly created holding company.

    Antenna Hungária will also have observers on the board of directors and supervisory board of Telenor Hungary as well as Telenor Real Estate.

    Antenna Hungária has been the dominant player in the Hungarian telecommunications market for decades. The main activities of the company are telecommunication services, nationwide television broadcasting and radio broadcasting.

    PPF Group acquired Telenor’s telecommunication assets in Hungary, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Serbia in July 2018.

  • Czech Senate supports right to use weapons in self-defense

    On Thursday, the Senate of the Czech Republic agreed to allow Czech citizens to defend themselves and others with a weapon under certain conditions.

    The new change to the law was supported through an amendment to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, and originally proposed by a group of Senators led by former Police President Martin Červíček.

    The proposed amendment to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms is based on a petition signed by 102,000 people, including many constitutional officials. The petition was issued by hunters and other weapon owners who disagreed with the European Commission’s efforts to limit ownership of weapons, including those held legally.

    The Commission argued that such a limit is a necessary measure to fight terrorism. However, critics of the EU proposal pointed out that terrorists mostly use weapons obtained illegally, so the EU measure would not help in this regard. They also underlined how law-abiding gun owners were being punished by the actions of a few.

    According to supporters of the Czech proposal, the amendment is designed to prevent the disarmament of potential victims.

    “It is a symbolic promotion of existing law,” commented Červíček on the draft approved by the Senate, adding that the amendment will in no way lead to the uncontrolled spread of weapons.

    The new amended proposal states, “The right to defend oneself as well as others with a weapon will be guaranteed under the conditions set by law.”

    Critics of the Senate’s efforts to legalize self-defense say the amendment is redundant.

  • Hungary’s minority rights demand included in NATO-Ukraine declaration

    Hungary has scored a diplomatic victory after a joint NATO-Ukraine statement was amended to include a reference to minority rights of ethnic Hungarians.

    The two-page document mainly deals with the Russian annexation of Crimea, but in point seven it also includes the following sentence:

    “With regard to the Law on Education adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in September 2017, allies urge Ukraine to fully implement the recommendations and conclusions of the Venice Commission. Ukraine is committed to doing so.”

    Hungary has clashed with Ukraine over what it says are curbs on the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue, especially in education, after Ukraine passed a law in 2017 restricting the use of minority languages in schools

    The language law prompted a European Union inquiry, which led to a report and recommendations from the Venice Commission, an advisory academic body for EU rights.

    “Regarding the protection of the rights of national minorities, we assured allies that Ukraine is complying with all the recommendations of the Venice Commission on its education law,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said at a joint briefing held with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Kiev.

    With regard to the core issue, the statement said, “We strongly condemn and will not recognize Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea. Crimea is the territory of Ukraine. We call on Russia to return control of Crimea to Ukraine … There can be no ‘business as usual’ until there is a clear, constructive change in Russia’s actions that demonstrates compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities.”

    Title image: Ukrainian and NATO flag (source: www.nato.int)

  • Businessman accused of murder installed hidden camera in Slovak prosecutor’s office

    Video leaked to Slovak media this week showed Slovak businessman Marián Kočner, accused of murdering journalist Ján Kuciak, installing a hidden camera in the office of the former Prosecutor General Dobroslav Trnka. In the video, Trnka was shown helping him with the installation.

    Kočner is a controversial Slovak businessman and one of four people accused of last year’s murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kušnírová. According to investigators, Kočner could be the one who ordered the murder.

    Police records prove that Kočner had Kuciak surveilled and then blackmailed the journalist after Kuciak became interested in Kočner’s business activities and political ties.

    The video shows footage directly from the hidden camera from the moment of its purchase to its installation in the office of Trnka. Kočner and Trnka set up the camera so that the prosecutor, as well as his visitors, would all be recorded.

    The damaging video leaked to Slovak media and spread across social media. The Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK), which published the video, is the first Slovak center of investigative journalism. It was founded by a group of Slovak journalists in January less than a year after the murder of the journalist to preserve the legacy of Kuciak and his work on political and corruption cases.

    ICJK says it obtained the video anonymously from a source within the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

    The record is dated January 1, 2000. However, according to ICJK, the information could be distorted, and the video might actually have been taken several years later.

    Starting in 1999, Trnka became deputy prosecutor general, and then in 2004, he served as prosecutor general.

    Trnka and Kočner, both seen in the video, are being investigated in Slovakia in cases related to corruption. According to police wiretaps, they knew each other and worked together, but Trnka denies the authenticity of the incriminating recordings.

     

  • Investigation of mysterious death of Czech foreign minister reopened

    The Czech Republic’s public prosecutor has ordered authorities to reopen an investigation into the 1948 death of the Czechoslovak Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk after new evidence has come to light.

    Jan Masaryk was the son of the first Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and the only democratic minister who remained in the government even after the Communist coup of February 1948.

    He died on the night of March 9, 1948, under mysterious circumstances. His body was found on the pavement after presumably falling from the bathroom window of his apartment at the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry in the Czernin Palace in Prague.

    A recently discovered voice-recorded statement from the first police officer to arrive on scene prompted the case to be reopened. In the amateur recording from 1968, the officer claimed that someone had manipulated Masaryk’s body after his death. According to him, the minister’s remains were rearranged for a crime scene photograph, but the photo did not accurately portray how Masaryk had originally been lying on the ground.

    In light of the new information, a special unit of the police known as the Office for Documentation and Investigation of Communist Crimes will start investigating the case again.

    Currently, there are three theories about how the popular politician could have died.

    According to the original conclusion of the police shortly after Masaryk’s death and also during a renewed investigation in 1969, his death was ruled an accident.

    The investigation was resumed after the Velvet Revolution, but the case was closed in 1995, concluding that Masaryk committed forced suicide. The report claimed that someone unknown directly or indirectly forced him out of the apartment window.

    According to the latest report from 2003, police indicated that they suspected his death was a murder, stating that Masaryk was likely either thrown or pushed out of the window, but had little evidence to prove their assertions, To date, no perpetrators were ever tracked down in relation to the crime.

  • Moody’s improves rating of Prague Airport

    The international rating agency Moody’s slightly increased the rating of Václav Havel Airport Prague on Oct. 30. The former A1 rating with a positive outlook improved one degree to the current Aa3 with a stable outlook, which is considered to be a high-quality investment.

    Moody’s agency said it particularly appreciated the stable financial situation of Prague Airport, competitive airport charges, rising operating results, the company’s financial profile, and its position within the Czech Republic.

    A credit rating is important for investors as it shows them how likely their investment will be paid back. The higher the rating, the better the debtor is perceived in the eyes of creditors, improving the debtor’s ability to secure cheaper loans.

    The newly granted Aa3 rating from Moody’s indicates the airport is a safe investment with low credit risk.

    “This is an important condition for fulfilling the obligation to develop airport capacities and services without the need for funds from the state budget, said Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prague Airport. “It is still our intention to finance development projects from our revenues. Wheen seeking investment, a very high-reliability rating will provide us with favorable loan conditions.”

    Václav Havel Airport in Prague is the largest airport in the Czech Republic. In the first half of this year, it handled more than 7.84 million passengers, an increase of five percent year-on-year. The airport is already on the edge of its capacity and wants to expand with an investment of CZK 27 billion (more than €1 billion) in the future.

  • Czechia to provide financial aid to Afghanistan

    The Czech Republic will provide financial aid of 40 million Czech crowns (over €1.5 million) to support local security forces and agricultural development in Afghanistan.

    The decision on financial aid for Afghanistan is based on a government resolution from 2016. According to this resolution, the Czech Republic should donate 40 million Czech crowns annually between 2018 and 2020 to support security and sustainable development.

    In 2016, the then Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek said that the Czech Republic wants to contribute to improving security and the economic situation in Afghanistan. By doing so, it would like to create conditions in order to ensure that people from Afghanistan do not migrate to other countries, including those in Europe. The government of the Czech Republic must approve the disbursement every year.

    The donation will be divided into two parts. Half of the amount will go to the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which is supervised by the World Bank. It supports projects aimed at increasing the self-sufficiency of the Afghan population and reducing the motivation to emigrate.

    Czech money will be used to finance projects focusing on agriculture, rural development, and education.

    The Czech Republic will invest the second tranche of money in projects for improving the quality of Afghan security forces. 15 million crowns (about €600,000) will go to the Trust Fund for the Afghan National Army, which is managed by NATO. The rest will be invested in the Trust Fund for Law and Order administered by the UN Development Fund.

  • Is Berlin ready for a memorial to Polish victims of Nazi crimes?

    Should a memorial to Polish victims of German Nazism be constructed in Berlin? There seems to be a consensus in German politics that it should, yet I am still wondering if the proposal will turn out any good for either Poles or Germans.

    Just a few years ago, there was little appetite for such a project in Germany. Since then, opinions have changed and it’s not hard to see why. After all, the connection between this change in mindset and Poland’s demand for war reparations is hard to ignore. Germany’s policy of offering gestures of penance is a direct response to those demands, with the proposed memorial a key element of assuaging the Polish government.

    Despite support for the memorial, some German historians and those who fill the role of guardians of Germany’s cultural memory are averse to the idea. It would break a certain tradition concerning how Germans observe and remember.

    Although the Civic Coalition had won the elections to the Sejm in Wrocław with an 8 percent lead over the Law and Justice Party (PiS), many people pointed out that the comments were highly divisive, especially coming from one of the city’s authorities.

    Given Lorenc’s political affiliation, many felt it was an attack on conservative voters who might support parties like PiS. Several Twitter responded by attempting to shame Lorenc:

    “So we PiS voters are meant to feel excluded in Wrocław?” wrote one.

    “Boorishness in its purest form. You’re an embarrassing deputy mayor…” another commented

    One of Kraków’s residents also joined the conversation, pointing out that he was “happy” that Lorenc wasn’t the deputy mayor of Kraków, and told him to “take care of his own city instead of encouraging vandalism in mine.”

    Major Szendzielarz was an officer of the Polish Army and later a commander in the resistance Home Army. In 1944, his brigade was surrounded by Soviet troops. Despite ordering his soldiers to disband, neither he nor his troops ceased fighting the Red Army and communist authorities until 1947.

    After several years underground, Szendzielarz was arrested on June 28, 1948. After more than two years of brutal interrogation and torture in the hands of the Soviets, he was sentenced to death under a Soviet-controlled court-martial in Warsaw. He was executed on February 8, 1951, in the notorious Mokotów Prison along with dozens of other Home Army resistance fighters.

     

  • Poland seeks to protect citizens’ data from US spies

    A digital dark cloud is looming over Poland and the United States as Poland seeks to protect its citizens from US spying.

    The Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs is initiating negotiations with the United States concerning America’s unlimited access to Polish citizens’ data on the servers of American companies.

    The ministry wants to negotiate a bilateral agreement similar to the one recently signed between the U.S. and the UK. The proposed agreement would make it impossible for American intelligence services to have unrestricted access to data stored in the cloud by companies such as Google, Microsoft or IBM. The first talks are to be held in Katowice, Poland, later this week between deputy ministers of both the U.S. and Poland.

    According to the current Cloud Act – also known as the Clarifying the Lawful Use of Overseas Data Act or CLOUD – Washington is able to reach into data archives located on the servers of American companies even if they are located outside of U.S. jurisdiction. All intelligence services need to do is claim that they are accessing the data for security purposes.

    “For now, the Cloud Act is unilateral. It only gives authorization to American investigative bodies. Examples in which American subjects provide cloud services are not a part of this regulation,” Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Karol Okoński explained.

    Anuszkiewicz also questioned the benefit of children going trick or treating and the spread of Halloween decorations, claiming that they “erase” the spirit of All Saints’ Day by making it difficult for people to focus on what is best for their own well-being.

    Numerous studies have shown that religious people are happier than non-religious people, including a recent 2019 study from Pew Research. Another one in 2015 by researchers at the London School of Economics and the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands found that participation in a religious organization was the only social activity that gave people lasting happiness.

    All the research shows that important religious days like Poland’s All Saints’ Day, which includes connecting with God, spending time with family, and meditating on life, offer all the elements that lead people to have more rewarding lives.

    Halloween may seem like fun but it is unlikely to ever offer the societal benefits that All Saints’ Day offers. Its waning influence can only bring us further away from that which makes life worth living.

  • Hungary and Russia to cooperate on energy, migration and defense of Christians

    Hungary has a vested interest in better relations between the West and Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said during a press conference following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders agreed that they plan to meet every year to ensure strong relations.

    “If relationships between NATO and Russia are good, Hungary benefits from that,” Orbán said. He added that for a number of years an annual Russian-Hungarian summit had already been a permanent diplomatic fixture.

    Both leaders highlighted that they have been finally able to increase bilateral trade for the first time since the embargo against Russia.

    “The goal is to achieve progress every year. Last year we made a huge step forward,” he said, referring to the fact that bilateral trade is finally picking up again.

    Russia and Hungary seal energy agreement

    Orbán acknowledged a trade imbalance in favor of Russia, saying it was mainly due to Russian natural gas and crude oil exports to Hungary, but added that Hungary is working on evening it out as much as possible.

    Orbán also highlighted the improvement in economic relations between the two countries, saying that while both countries are working on diversifying economic ties, their fundamental bond remains related to energy policy.

    He pointed out that Hungary is currently expanding the capacity of its single nuclear plant, Paks, which already provides 40 percent of its electricity needs. After a planned expansion, the plant is expected to provide up to 80 percent of Hungary’s electricity.

    Crucially for Hungary, which relies heavily on Russian natural gas exports to cover its annual requirement of around 10 billion cubic meters, Putin said during the meeting that the two countries signed a new energy cooperation agreement. The agreement will include Russian oil and gas exports to Hungary until 2025.

    Cooperating on migration

    Orbán also noted that he and Putin were working together to stabilize the Middle East and keep a new refugee wave from hitting Europe, which included cooperating on issues related to Syria, Turkey and the Kurds.

    He also noted that 96,000 migrants, mostly stemming from the Middle East, were making their way through Europe via the Balkan route, which would force Hungary to take action to secure its borders.

    Protecting Christians across the world

    The two leaders also agreed on the importance of protecting persecuted Christian communities around the world.

    Orbán said that while Russian capabilities to protect Christians were superior to those of Hungary, his country still had a thousand years’ worth of experience working towards that goal. Orbán was referencing how the  Kingdom of Hungary defended Europe from the Mongol invasion in the 13th century and later effectively stopped the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century.

    Orbán noted that while Hungary was a member of NATO and the EU, Hungary still benefits if relations between Russia and Hungary are good.

    Images: Russian president Vladimir Putin and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán during a press conference after their meeting in Budapest on October 30. (MTI/Zoltán Máthé)

  • Czech Silicon Valley? This initiative might make it happen

    A new initiative called the Czech Startup Platform aims to radically change the Czech startup environment and help entrepreneurs overcome the obstacles new businesses typically encounter.

    Approximately only one in ten startups actually survive past the five-year mark. The new Czech Startup Platform initiative is now fighting against this troublesome statistic.

    “The platform’s goal is to reduce the gap between talented people with an idea and a busy startup world that seems impossible to access. We also want to gradually spread the whole ecosystem across regions, including those outside Prague,” said Petr Mandík, one of the founders of the Czech Startup Platform.

    Startup entrepreneurs deal with many issues, but one of the key objectives is to find customers who are willing to pay for a good idea.

    “Among other things, the platform aims to connect new entrepreneurs with business people and investors who have already gone through the process of building their business. Thus, they can pass on their experience. Such a process is much more valuable to entrepreneurs than just searching for advice on the Internet,” says Michal Kardaš, another founder of the Czech Startup Platform.

    The main aim of the initiative is to help new entrepreneurs build the entire startup project from start to finish. It will guide the startups through the process of setting up a company, linking them with mentors, advising them on marketing, and launching the product or service to the relevant market.

     

    The diplomat also referred to the restitution of heirless Jewish property that resulted from expulsions following World War II, explaining that if the matter concerns Israeli citizens, the government must protect their rights and interests. He pointed out, however, that this matter is not part of the ongoing diplomatic dialogue conducted between Poland and Israel.

    Ben Zvi listed the mutual interests between the two countries, pointing to economic issues, cultural exchange, fighting terrorism, and “common goals” on the international level and within the EU.

    “It is in these areas that we must look for what connects us,” he said. “As we can see, we share much in common already.”

    Poland and Israel have had fraught relations over the last year. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki canceled a diplomatic summit to Israel in February 2019 after Israel Katz, the foreign minister of Israel, claimed Poles “suckle anti-Semitism with their mothers’ milk” and accused all Polish people of harboring innate anti-Semitism during comments he made about the Holocaust. Poland’s leader claimed the comments were racist.

    Since then, both countries have been looking to mend their frayed relationship and improve diplomatic ties.

  • Polish canal project designed to counter Russia is under threat

    Delays in the Vistula spit canal excavation due to protests of Belgian MEPs could be damaging to the Polish state, declared Poland’s Chief of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery Michał Dworczyk.

    Dworczyk is referring to Belgian MEPs’ demand for the European Commission to intervene to stop the Vistula Spit excavation. He underlined that the Polish government’s position concerning its investment in the project remains unchanged due to the economic and political benefits it is expected to offer.

    One of the primary benefits would allow access to the Vistula Lagoon from the Baltic Sea and allow ships to avoid the Russian-controlled Strait of Baltiysk.

    He commented on those protesting the project, claiming that “we are dealing with a row of initiatives, some of them in my opinion carried out by people who in good faith are letting themselves be entangled into all sorts of quarrels generated solely by environmentalists who want to hurt Poland.”

    Dworczyk pointed out that some of those environmentalists are “looking East” due to the success of Poland’s swift execution of the excavation.

    “Any delay of the excavation will be a serious detriment to the Polish state,” he emphasized.

    PiS MP Kazimierz Smoliński also criticized the protests on Twitter, saying, “Belgian ‘ecologists’ call for the EC to intervene in Poland due to the excavation. The investment is not good for the Kremlin and suddenly “ecologists” from all over Europe start to protest. I’ve got news for them – the excavation will happen.”

    The Vistula Spit project is meant to help construct a waterway approximately 1 kilometer long and 5 meters deep and will improve access to the Polish port in Elbląg.

    The canal is slated to be completed by 2022.

    Up until the 13th century, a natural strait existed in the Vistula Spit, allowing access for ships. However, once access was blocked naturally, the port of Elblag suffered a substantial loss in trade.

  • Former Slovak prime minister returns to politics

    Former Slovak Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar has returned to politics after several years spent in seclusion. In a press release, he confirmed that he has joined the Slovak League movement.

    Mečiar commented on the foundation of the independent Slovak Republic in 1993, describing the time as a period of patriotism.

    “I am not indifferent, so I decided to enter politics as a member of the Slovak League movement,” said Mečiar in the press release. “We will do everything we can to prevent disruption of society and to return dignity to people’s lives.”

    The Slovak League movement was formerly known as the New Parliament party. 

    In mid-October, the movement changed its name to the Slovak League. Tibor Cabaj, formerly Mečiar’s associate from the People’s Party Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, was appointed one of the movement’s leaders. Cabaj then revealed that Mečiar may be on the list of candidates in the parliamentary elections in February 2020.

    Last time Vladimír Mečiar ran for the People’s Party Movement for Democratic Slovakia in 2012, he won only 0.93 percent of the vote. Later, he withdrew from public life.

  • The West is still losing the war with Islamists

    Despite ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dying in a raid conducted by the US military, the threat of radical Islamism will continue to haunt us well into the future.

    While the news is focused on battles raging in the Middle East, we have forgotten that the seeds of this dangerous ideology have sprouted in Europe thanks to the influx of illegal migrants settling across the continent. Al-Baghdadi’s death is not the end. In fact, radical Islam has never been in a better place to confront the West after gaining such a strong foothold across Europe. 

    In recent decades, Islamic fanaticism has sprouted tentacles that reach out to more and more countries. Through its vague and often faulty policy, the West has contributed to the strengthened position of Islamic radicals. The intelligence services estimate that there are around 100,000 Islamist extremists in Europe who may pose a security risk but nobody knows the real number.

    Thousands of radicals have also entered Europe, taking advantage of the continent’s inability to effectively police its borders. Many young Islamist extremists already live in Europe and possess coveted European passports. They are “our” fundamentalists, born in raised in Europe but opposed to what it stands for.

    Some of them were radicalized in prisons while others were radicalized through the Internet, TV, and social media networks.

    The West’s current hunt for the most important Islamic fundamentalists in the world is worthwhile considering it is a fight for the very survival of our civilization, but the problem goes far deeper than searching the deserts of the Middle East for high-value terrorist targets.

    After all, many of those seeking to harm us are already living amongst us. The media may refuse to recognize the true scope of the problem, but it is truly a “clash of civilizations” as described by American political scientist Samuel Huntington in 1996.

    Killing Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi were clearly the right actions to take. Unfortunately, millions of their followers are running free across the world. Some live beyond our borders in places like Pakistan and Syra while others call our cities home.

    The grave threat of Islamic fundamentalism has spread like cancer all over the world. As of yet, we have not found a cure.

  • Czechia’s wealthiest man acquires major Central European media conglomerate

    Czech investment group PPF signed an agreement to acquire the Central European Media Enterprises (CME). According to the Czech News Agency, the transaction is worth $2.1 billion (€1.9 billion).

    In recent years, Czech media has speculated that PPF Group, owned by Petr Kellner, the Czech Republic’s wealthiest entrepreneur, could become the owner of the most-watched Czech commercial television channel, Nova.

    On Sunday, PPF Group confirmed the rumors by announcing that it had signed a full takeover agreement with Central European Media Enterprises (CME). In addition to TV Nova, Kellner’s company will acquire television stations operated by CME in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

    To complete the transaction, the PPF Group has to obtain the consent of CME shareholders, the European Commission, and national regulators in some of the countries where CME operates. The approval process will take several months, which means that signing the agreement is only PPF Group’s first step towards taking over CME.

    In the Czech Republic, the announcement of PPF Group acquiring TV Nova has raised concerns among journalists and media experts about maintaining the TV station’s neutrality.

    “By taking over the CME, or its media activities in five European countries, we primarily aim to complement our telecommunications business in Central and Eastern Europe,” said PPF majority shareholder Petr Kellner. “We want to exploit the synergies between media content creation and distribution. Our motive is, therefore, primarily the development of telecommunications and the media business. CME is a well-functioning company, and after its takeover we do not plan any hasty interventions into its operation.”

    CME is one of the leading media and entertainment companies in Central and Eastern Europe. It broadcasts on 30 television channels, both freely available and paid, and reaches 45 million viewers.

    PPF Group invests in many industries, including financial services, telecommunications, biotechnology, real estate, and engineering firms. PPF operates in Europe, Asia, and North America and owns assets worth more than €45 billion.

  • Czechia celebrates 101st anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s founding

    The anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s independence has always been an important day on the calendar for the Czech Republic and this year was no different.

    On Monday, Czech politicians, military representatives, war veterans, and other dignitaries commemorated the 101st anniversary of the foundation of independent Czechoslovakia at the National Monument at Vítkov, Prague.

    The celebrations culminated in the evening as President Miloš Zeman bestowed state awards at Prague Castle.

    Czech leaders gather to celebrate

    To celebrate the occasion, President Zeman, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Senate President Jaroslav Kubera, and Chamber of Deputies President Radek Vondráček laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National Monument at Vítkov.

    “It is an honor, and I think it is great that the top political representatives gathered here as this is, of course, an important anniversary. We have to remember the people who made the sacrifices for the independence of our republic,” said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

    Praise from allies

    Presidents and kings of many countries, as well as Pope Francis, also congratulated the Czech Republic on the anniversary. US President Donald Trump also praised the Czech Republic’s international commitment to peace, human rights and prosperity.

    In a letter, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote about deep trust between the two countries. Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron described the relationship between the two countries as close and confidential.

    In the context of the Czech Presidency of the Visegrad Group as well as other European and international challenges, the Czech Republic is more important than ever before, added Macron.

    King Felipe VI of Spain, Willem-Alexander of Netherlands, Philippe of Belgium, as well as Hungarian President János Áder also sent their congratulatory letters to President Zeman.

    The day of celebrations culminated in the state awards ceremony at Prague Castle. Overall, 42 individuals received state awards from President Zeman. Some of the awardees included the last living RAF fighter pilot Emil Boček, former President Václav Klaus, and hockey player Jaromír Jágr.

  • Hungary, Slovenia agree on anti-migration measures

    When it comes to migration, Hungary and Slovenia are in the same boat, the two countries’ prime ministers said during their official meeting in Budapest.

    “This year Slovenia has registered 12,000 illegal border crossings and is prepared for several scenarios, but hopefully a reasonable solution with Turkey can be found,” Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said at a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He added that in terms of illegal migration, the border between Greece and North Macedonia is currently the most critical and its defense must be reinforced.

    Orbán said that in the current situation it was particularly disappointing that the European Union (EU) recently postponed a decision to begin accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, adding that the reasons were deeper than just a simple disagreement among member states.

    “Some countries want to weigh where the borders of Europe should be drawn, define levels of EU membership and even the possible outcome of the entire [accession] process,” Orbán said.

    He further emphasized that on the topic of migration, Hungary has very strong allies in the other three members of the Visegrád Group, who have already pledged military assistance should Hungary need to again reinforce its borders.

    Orbán said that Hungary and Slovenia will jointly send medical aid to Africa based on the principle that problems should be solved at their source instead of importing them into Europe.

    Answering a question about Croatia’s bid to join the Schengen zone, Orbán said that while in principle Hungary is supportive of all its neighbors’ integration efforts, the case with Croatia was a “special one” on account of the long Hungarian-Croatian border. He said Hungary wants contractual assurances that should illegal migration from Croatia intensify, the country will re-establish border controls and protection if needed.

    Title image: Slovenian prime minister Marjan Šarec (L) and his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán (R) meet in Budapest on October 28, 2019. (MTI/Tibor Illyés)

  • The Visegrád Four need its own university

    The Visegrád Four (V4) countries could take their cooperation to the next level by establishing a joint university, according to an editorial in Magyar Nemzet.

    Political analyst István Pálffy writes that most people from Western countries have no idea what the V4 stands for, most likely assuming it’s some sort of four-cylinder engine. Few, if any, know that it also stands for the Visegrád Four group consisting of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.

    That is why the Visegrád Group needs a strong academic and cultural focal point highlighting the group’s values and interests.

    Western Europe is less and less knowledgeable about the other half of the continent. Many have long been confusing the capitals of Hungary and Romania, Budapest and Bucharest. Now, even renowned Western political analysts are having difficulty discerning Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Romanian Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban.

    The V4 has, however, a new ace up its sleeve. With the resounding electoral victory of Mateusz Morawieczki’s Law and Justice party (PiS) in Poland and the upgraded role Poland will likely play in a post-Brexit European Union, the V4 suddenly has more clout.

    With this new clout, V4 countries are in a better position than ever to pursue a goal as ambitious as founding an academic institution.

    A V4 university could even serve as a counter-balance to George Soros’ famed Central European University. Attracting an international student body, the V4 university could offer cultural and intellectual weight to the region by focusing on academics instead of turning students into activists for progressive political causes.

    The V4 cooperation is remarkably similar to its medieval precursor, the Visegrád Congress. The first Congress of Visegrád was a 1335 summit in Visegrád in which kings John I of Bohemia, Charles I of Hungary and Casimir III of Poland formed an anti-Habsburg alliance. The three leaders agreed to create new commercial routes to bypass the key trade city of Vienna and obtain easier access to other European markets.

    In the same vein, nowadays Hungary and Poland mutually support each other in the show trials brought against them by Brussels. Cooperation between the four countries’ leaders is already strong, and while they don’t have identical views on every issue, they all know the region well, recognize its interests, and are cooperating in fields such as energy policy, migration and the next seven-year budget of the European Union.

    What the group is lacking is a university. With the 20th anniversary of V4 cooperation in modern times taking place on February 5, 2021, it would be a fitting time to honor this alliance by establishing a world-class academic institution.


    Title image: remains of the Visegrád royal castle (source: indafoto.hu/Elamy)

  • Can Poland’s ruling conservative party learn from its mistakes?

    Although Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) delivered a strong performance with its recent electoral victory, it must still learn from some of the small mistakes that were made if the party wants to emerge even stronger in the next four years.

    And the next four years are vital. They will decide whether the reforms initiated in 2015 will be here to stay and Poland will become a leader of change in Europe. We have a chance to not only improve our own country but to also unite Central Europe. At the same time, we can introduce a different lifestyle model to Europeans, one based on freedom and traditions.

    Poland’s economic success has also given us four years of incredible development that serves as an example for other countries to emulate.

    Despite all of this, why was the result in the 2019 elections in the Sejm, parliament’s lower house, the same as in 2015? Even more importantly, why were results for PiS even worse in the Senate? Although PiS had a good strategy that paid off, it made a few small but important tactical mistakes which led to the introduction of right-wing competition.

    The previous voting generation was oversaturated by the liberalism associated with the Civic Platform (PO) in 2015, which led them to vote for Jarosław Kaczyński’s party. In 2019, a new generation of voters arose, and they did not associate liberalism just with the PO.

    This new young demographic of voters is demanding a return to simple values and traditions, which is why the nationalist party, Confederation, had such high support among the youngest voters.

    Loosen fiscal constraints and pursue the right ideals

    PiS must focus on a strong message based on ideals and loosen fiscal constraints it has imposed, not only to maintain its position, but also for the good of the country. Otherwise, it will start losing support from both the left and the right who will fall into the laps of extremists.

    At the same time, small businesses need broader support. Small entrepreneurs did not panic when the child benefit program was introduced, despite opposition threats, as they gained access to slightly richer customers. Yet, the raising of the minimum wage was basically an additional tax on them, although one that was paid directly to the employee. PiS must offer something to smaller entrepreneurs or this group may become up for grabs during the next elections.

    Finally, even if PiS will not rule for a third term, it must complete all that it began in 2015. Judiciary reform will be slightly easier due to a new European Commission and new judges in the Supreme Court.

    Via Carpatia and via Baltica

    There is a lot to look forward to for Poland over the coming years. We have a chance to finish the system of pipelines that will make us more independent of Russian gas. At the same time, Via Carpatia and Via Baltica, two major new highway networks, will nearly be ready in the next four years. This will invigorate the region and offer additional economic stimulus.

    By 2023, the Polish army’s modernization will be complete and the presence of permanent US bases in Poland will make it harder for those troops to leave our country, greatly improving Poland’s defense capabilities.

    These accomplishments are already enough to classify PiS’ government as leaders of a golden age in our history. Now, PiS must build on its success and ensure that it doesn’t lose voters to parties offering a better alternative or message.

  • Is demographic disaster about to hit Poland?

    Empty playgrounds, an aging population and a lack of opportunity are not unique to Poland. But that fact does not make depopulation any less pressing an issue for the Polish government.

    Radom, about 100 kilometers south of Warsaw, is like many towns and smaller Polish cities losing residents. Many of these residents are leaving for bigger cities, such as Warsaw, seeking better economic opportunities. At the same time, slow family formation and low birthrates are further hampering growth.

    In 1999, Radom was inhabited by over 232,000 people. Five years later, Radom had 4,000 fewer people. By the end of 2018, the town was inhabited by just above 200,000 people. In October 2019, this number dropped to just 197,173, an almost 35,000 decrease compared to 1999.

    The Radom Town Hall claims that the number of registered inhabitants can differ from the actual one, saying, “Many people live in Random but don’t register. These are visitors, those who are looking for jobs and those who avoid paying alimony.”

    It was only in the revolutionary movements of the 1960s that radical leftists moved away from industrialism. The natural uncertainty of humanity living in a too swiftly changing environment, such as that introduced by urban sprawl and modernization, was seized on by the left. They took this phenomenon and fought it under the slogan of fighting capitalism, which they blamed for most of the negative consequences associated with the Industrial Revolution.

    As often happens with leftist thought, we are dealing with simplification and exaggerated reductionism.

    Modern ecologism has nothing to do with ecology

    Modern ecologism became a perfect excuse for the creators of temporal happiness, who need complete power over the human world to fulfill their goals.

    They twist the noble desire to protect animals by putting them before humans.

    They say that people should stop having families despite nothing being more natural for humanity.

    They use simple phrases about fighting CO2 emissions without context, and young people, feeling lost in their values and terrified, eagerly consume these simple ecological messages, especially when they feel they are threatened by an apocalypse.

    This has nothing to do with ecology, as the scientific consensus about the impact of humanity on the climate is not based on any real concrete data and often manipulated to reach foregone conclusions.

    The defenders of ecology understand that humanity needs a natural, environmental habitat, but they negate the need for its basic family dimension. They affirm the natural order and reject the role of human existence within this natural order. They present the order and beauty of the ecosystem, while also crossing out the existence of objective definitions of order and beauty as humans understand them in society.

    If many of these crusaders had their way, they would remove humans altogether, or at least the ones they claim are in the way of their “better world”.

    Ideologies are often filled with contradictions, but in this case, those looking to “save the world” are willing to throw out everything humanity loves and needs in pursuit of their new religion.

  • Budapest’s first chance to see the US Osprey aircraft in action

    To the great delight of Hungarian aviation fans, a U.S. tilt-rotor ai, known as the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, will make a demonstration flight over Budapest at midday on October 25, Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Hungary announced in a press release.

    “Hungarian and U.S. Special Operations Forces began a training engagement October 25, 2019 at the invitation of Hungarian SOF and through coordination by U.S. and Hungarian governments. U.S. Air Force CV-22Bs recently trained out of Szolnok, Hungary in June 2019 during Trojan Footprint, an annual U.S. Special Operations Command Europe-led exercise, and the Hungarian-led Black Swan exercise as well,” the announcement reads.

    “U.S. Air Force CV-22s and aircrew will be training with Hungarian forces over the next few weeks,” said U.S. Air Force Colonel Clay Freeman, commander of the 352d Special Operations Wing, based at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. “Hungarian and U.S. forces are training together to improve our interoperability, and further discuss mutual interests from previous engagements like Trojan Footprint, such as the Special Operations Air Tasking Unit development and best practices for pilots.”

    The Osprey is an American multi-mission, tilt-rotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. In first entered service in 2006 and is currently operational in the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.


    Title image: A Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey at the 2014 Miramar Air Show. (source: Wikimedia Commons)

  • Brexit will have a deeply negative impact on Poland

    Regardless of whether a deal or no-deal Brexit occurs, Poland will be hit hard, according to a new report by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE).

    According to research conducted in conjunction with the London National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Polish imports from the UK will decrease by 11 percent in the case of a Brexit deal and by 19 percent in the case of no-deal Brexit.

    Given these calculations, Poland’s GDP would decrease by 0.14 percent (€702 million) in the case of a Brexit deal and by 0.24 percent (€ 1.17 billion) if a hard Brexit occurs.

    Workers may also face cuts, with a 0.13 percent workplace reduction of 20,000 if the UK leaves with a deal and by 0.23 percent, representing 35,000 workers, if there is no deal.

    Poland’s agricultural-food sector would be impacted the most by Brexit, as it comprises about 20 percent of the entire Polish export to the UK.