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  • Hungarian purchasing power third within Visegrád Four

    Hungarian purchasing power of the average wage earner remains well above that of Romania, economics portal Világgazdaság writes, debunking a domestic news item claiming the opposite.

    Világgazdaság wrote that an article spread on several Hungarian news portals claimed that the average wage at purchasing power parity (PPP) showed that Romanians have it better. PPP measures a country’s currency by using a “basket of goods” approach” and is often used to compare the standard of living between countries.  The article claimed that in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, PPP was higher at €10,400 than in Budapest which came in at €9,200. 

    However, Világgazdaság wrote that this finding was distorted as it was based on data from economics research group GfK that did not take into account national averages.

    In reality, official data from Eurostat, the statistics agency of the European Union, showed that average gross wages at purchasing power parity in Hungary stood at €13,824, third within the Visegrád Group after Poland and the Czech Republic.

    Világgazdaság also wrote that comparing gross average wages was further distorting the picture, given that Romanian gross wages include employers’ tax and social security dues, whereas the Hungarian ones do not. Eurostat purchasing power statistics also do not take into account Hungary’s family tax breaks.

    Even so, the purchasing power for average Hungarian wages is above those in Romania, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Latvia and Bulgaria.

    Title image: Hungarian 10,000 and 20,000 Forint bills (MTI/Tibor Oláh)

  • PM Orbán prays with Australian evangelist Nick Vujicic

    Hungarian Prime minister Viktor Orbán hosted Australian evangelist and well-known motivational speaker Nick Vujicic in his office where both prayed together for Hungary.

    Vujicic, 36, has a rare birth disorder called tetra-amelia which led him to be born without arms and legs.

     

    On Friday, Vujicic held a lecture in Budapest’s largest indoor arena in front of a fully-booked house.

    After the meeting, Orbán posted two images of the meeting. In one he is seen sitting alongside Vujicic and in the other they are seen praying together on the terrace of the prime minister’s office with the comment, “Pray, hope, love.”

    Title image: Australian evangelist Nick Vujicic (L) and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán (R) in Budapest (source: Viktor Orbán’s Facebook page)

  • Low water levels reveal famous Hungarian paddle steamer

    Low water levels on Hungary’s second-largest river in Hungary, the Tisza, have revealed the body of the Szőke Tisza (Blonde Danube), the country’s largest-ever paddle steamer. Engineers are now drawing up plans to recover it without destroying the hull.

    The Szőke Tisza was built in 1917 at the Budapest Ganz shipyard and was originally named after Charles IV of Austria, the last Emperor of Austria and the last King of Hungary, who ruled between 1916 and 1918.

    As a prestige project for the country at the time, the ship was 77-meters long, had an 800-horsepower steam engine and featured all the luxuries of other contemporary ships. It first served on the Danube River, traveling the navigable length of the river from Passau on the German-Austrian border to the Danube Delta in Romania where the river finally flows into the Black Sea.

    Over its almost 100 years of service, it had several different names. In 1919, when Hungary became a republic, it was renamed The Eagle. and then changed to St. Emeric in 1930 in memory of the crown prince who died 1,000 years previously. In 1950, it became the Liberation and in 1979 it was last finally named Szőke Tisza.

    Eventually, the boat was parked at a dock and even serving as a disco before falling into a state of disrepair. It finally sank in 2012 in a river bay outside the town of Szeged.

    Title image: The hull of the Szőke Tisza outside Szeged (MTI/Zsolt Czeglédi)


     

  • How Poland’s parliament symbolizes our new age of illiteracy

    If the parliament is a reflection of society, then the next four years in the Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament, will reflect our total “stupidification” as a society. Merely a few years ago, before the age of social media, a reasoned debate on ideology or policy was possible, without the rush to find the support of nameless masses hidden behind nicknames on social media.

    Principles have fallen to the wayside and the king is nude, but the people love it. Social media was supposed to fuel democracy, increase transparency and spread information.

    Instead, it has led to a citizenry brought up with quick, bite-sized information, and taught them not to delve into texts longer than a few hundred characters.

    How are people supposed to check the ego of politicians if they’re too busy stroking their own egos on a daily basis? While we have always been the center of our own universe, now we share that fact more than ever, posting everything to what we had to breakfast to what music we’re listening to without the slightest hint of humility. 

    For those people engaged in politics, it’s a matter of chasing the latest outrage while completely neglecting issues of nuance or depth.

    What should we expect from politicians then?

    Germany has continuously pressured for a more centralized European Union, whether it’s on issues of refugee quotas or national sovereignty. Meanwhile, Russia pushes allies like Belarus to become more economically integrated with Russia, tying the country closer to Russia and leaving it unable to make independent decisions.

    Foreign policymakers in Poland are not unwise for seeking partnerships with any of these countries. After all, the US, Germany and Russia are all countries Poland must maintain strong relations with while pursuing mutually beneficial goals. Ultimately, the true mistake of Polishforeign policy is not about choosing its allies poorly, but that we always seem to want to become subordinate to them far too quickly.

    The US, Germany and Russia all have their interests. Becoming too reliant on any one of them leaves Poland vulnerable, and we have ample history to prove we should be wary of all of these major powers. 

    So, where has Poland been scoring its foreign policy victories? Just look at our struggle with the European Commission. Not only did we receive a commissioner for agriculture, but in areas such as the economy, regional communities, transport, and energy, the commissioners all share Poland’s views.

    These policy victories did not stem from alliances with the US, Germany and Russia. Instead, they were all a part of Poland’s Central European alliances.

    The Katowice-born mountaineer was renowned for his determination and competitive spirit. He preferred to climb in extremely harsh winter conditions or by pioneering new routes. In mountaineering circles, he remains a legend for climbing the highest peaks in the world using the “Alpine style”, which usually meant climbing without setting up intermediate base camps and often with no oxygen tanks.

    “He was a peaceful and happy man. As a leader of an expedition, he didn’t impose his will and tried to resolve everything in a friendly manner. I don’t know how much of that can be attributed to him being religious. He always carried a cross. He didn’t show it off, but he never hid his faith,” Pawłowski recounted of Kukuczka.

    Krzysztof Wielicki, Kukuczka’s friend and the fifth man to conquer the Crown of the Himalayas emphasized his determination, saying, “Jurek was stubborn as a mule. When he came up with something, he had to do it despite any risks.”

    There is a chorten, an important type of religious monument in Buddhism, for Kukuczka and two other Polish mountaineers who perished at the Southern Lhotse wall. The words inscribed on it read, “To the heroes of the southern Lhotse wall” and can be found in Chuckung village at the base of the mountain.

    Pawłowski, who managed to survive the ascent that killed Kukuczka, still organizes trekking expeditions in the Himalayas each year. He says he always makes sure to visit the memorial and pay his respects to his fallen friend.

     

  • Living large: Tusk spent more than €100,000 on champagne in 2018

    During Donald Tusk’s term as the president of the European Council (EC), he spent nearly €120,000 on 4,000 bottles of champagne in 2018, according to a new European Commission audit.

    Polish tabloid Super Express reported that at the end of 2018, Tusk’s office spent €58,500 on a party for 3,000 EC workers. The event lasted a whole night, featured a three-course dinner and boasted an open bar with free drinks.

    In addition, almost €46,700 was spent on a European Commission family outing in a Belgian amusement park and over €28,000 splashed out on renting furniture from a high-end Dutch company.

    Tusk was also spending freely in 2017. That year, €17,500 was spent on renting a shooting range and another €98,000 on a luxury recliner.

    Warsaw’s mayor claimed that the issue of direct funds will be discussed at the next V4 format meeting in Budapest

    Trzaskowski confirmed that he and Karacsony held their first international conversation and both emphasized their similar views, including their election slogan, “A city for all.”

    Warsaw’s mayor claimed that the issue of direct funds will be discussed at the next V4 meeting of capitals in Budapest and also plans to meet with his “good friend” Matus Vallo, Bratislava’s mayor, in Berlin on November 8.

    “We have been constructing this capitals coalition based on Eurocities and the Metropolitan Association. We have been lobbying in Brussels, the European Parliament and the European Committee of the Regions for months,” Trzaskowski added.

    He emphasized he and his partners plan to cooperate most with other mayors, such as those of Istanbul and American cities who struggle with “difficult central governments.”

  • Kaczyński: We must solidify our victory with the reelection of Andrzej Duda

    in a letter to Law and Justice (PiS) MPs, Kaczyński explained that Andrzej Duda is the best candidate for those who want to have better lives and believe in traditional Polish values. He added, that Duda is a guarantee of building “a wealthy, just, united, and strong Polish republic.”

    In the letter he further congratulated them on their mandates and thanked them for their hard work during the campaign, lauding the teamwork which led them to victory.

    Kaczyński emphasized that this mandate should be seen as a duty towards Poland, voters and PiS’ political community.

    “The Democratic Coalition (DK), which has so far been the stronghold of the far-left in Hungarian politics, has begun a shift towards a broader populist base and is attempting to fashion itself as a people’s party. It could to some extent cannibalize the voter base of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), but its reach among right-leaning voters is very much limited,” Tóth said.

    Gergely Karácsony, whose surprise win to become Budapest’s mayor boosted the rainbow coalition, is already facing a difficult decision. While he earlier said that he would stop the controversial new Budapest urban developments disliked by leftist voters, he now has to formulate a response to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s support for the projects. Orbán asserts that most Budapest residents don’t want the projects to be canceled.

    Karácsony now has to choose whether he wants to pursue a moderate policy of cooperation with the government or continue to push the coalition’s opposition political agenda. The more aggressive latter option may have short-term benefits but could ultimately lead to the Hungarian capital losing out on major urban projects and associated state financing, likely resulting in a loss of popularity for the new mayor. 

    Tóth said while the municipal elections have put Ferenc Gyurcsány, the leading architect and current head of the rainbow coalition, in the position of king-maker in Budapest, Gyurcsány probably has set his sights much higher.

    “For [Gyurcsány], the opposition coalition is a way to eventually reduce the number of existing political parties in Hungary and take their voters. While Karácsony is planning for the short-term, Gyurcsány has a vision reaching to 2022 and beyond,” the analyst said.

    Title image: President of the Democratic Coalition (DK), Ferenc Gyurcsány, speaks at a 1956 commemoration in Budapest (MTI/Tamás Kovács)

  • Poles may be the EU’s new Brits

    By virtue of its size, economy and overall political significance, Poland is well-positioned to fill the void Great Britain would leave behind, according to a Budapest roundtable discussion.

    In the wake of recent elections in Poland, the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has reinforced its positions after high turnout from the electorate demonstrated robust democratic support for the party. The strong result will offer the party a better position to press for Polish interests in the EU, said participants at a roundtable held by the Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Institute (KKI).

    KKI researcher Nikolett Garai said Poland’s primary interest regarding international relations is to solidify its security in a geopolitical and geostrategic sense while at the same time increasing its own political weight. Achieving these goals could also by extension be a positive development for the other three member states of the Visegrád Four group, she said.

    Péter Dobrowiecki, research fellow of the Antall József Knowledge Centre (AJTK), said Poland is deliberately trying to increase its political role in the Central European region.

    “With the likely departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the role of Poland will be upgraded. This also means that the country will, as a matter of course, try to have a larger slice of the EU’s political cake,” he said.

    Poland has already scored a number of foreign policy successes, putting it in a better position once Brexit actually occurs. Sándor Ackermann, lead researcher of the KKI, said that despite its initial reception, the Polish Three Seas Initiative has by now proven to have been the most important Polish foreign and economic policy step in recent years. The initiative is a forum of 12 EU states based out of Eastern and Central Europe designed to address security, economic and social issues.

    “Unlike the international reaction at the time when it was launched, Germany no longer opposes the idea and the United States may also support it,” Ackermann said, adding that for it to be of more international significance, the initiative should seek the more active participation of its member states. “While every country has delegated its foreign minister, the initiative has so far largely remained a Polish-Croatian affair, mainly due to the LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal in [the Croatian port of] Krk,” he said.

    Another reason why Poland could increase its political clout within the EU is that it recently shifted its foreign policy towards a more cooperative stance, Ackermann said.

  • Breaking Erdogan’s grip on Europe

    Now many are left wondering when European leaders will finally counter Erdogan’s endless threat to turn 3.6 million people into bargaining chips. 

    After all, Europe has had plenty of time to address Erdogan’s intimidation tactics. He has relentlessly repeated his warning to “flood” Europe since the refugee crisis first started. 

    In 2016, when the European Parliament voted to freeze negotiations on Turkey joining the EU, Erdogan warned, “if you go any further, these border gates will be opened.”

    That year he once again said, “We can open the doors to Greece and Bulgaria anytime and we can put the refugees on buses,” if the EU didn’t pay Turkey €3 billion in refugee aid a year.

    Turkey didn’t stop there, and a few months later while demanding visa-free travel for Turkish citizens to Europe, with a Turkish government minister saying, “Unless visas are removed, we will unleash the refugees.”

    During his speech in October of 2019, Erdogan made clear that the world is not offering enough support to Turkey for sheltering Syria’s refugees, saying, “You either support us to have a safe zone in Syria, or we will have to open the gates. Either you support us or no one should feel sorry. We would like to host one million refugees in the safe zone.”

    Erdogan’s leverage over Europe

    The presence of 3.6 million migrants that Turkey can ship off to Europe at any time raises serious questions about Europe’s inability to counter Turkish foreign policy. Just recently Erdogan reiterated his desire to obtain nuclear weapons. If he were to start a nuclear program in earnest, how would Europe respond when Erdogan’s refugee threat has been so effective in the past?


    Erdogan’s power over EU politicians is further evidenced by his power to insult who he likes with near impunity. In 2017, he accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of “Nazi measures” after German officials stopped Turkish ministers from campaigning for votes from Turkish residents residing in Germany. Merkel barely responded to Erdogan, presumably because she knew her position was weak.


    More importantly, Turkey has been effective at wrangling concessions from the EU, and through its threats was successful at securing €3 billion in funding for refugees in Turkey and visa-free travel for Turkish citizens into Europe.

    All bark and no bite?

    Europe has no plans to hit Turkey with sanctions over the Syria incursion. While European members of the UN Security Council did call for an end Turkish aggression in northern Syria, the countries have stopped short of imposing sanctions, the only real tool that could effectively challenge Turkey’s actions.

    When Turkey shot down a Russian figher jet flying near the Turkish border in 2015, Russia’s ferocious reaction and introduction of harsh sanctions was Putin’s way of instilling some healthy fear into Erdogan. If Turkey were to threaten Russia with 3.6 million refugees, there is little doubt how Russia would react to such an insult.

    On the other hand, Erdogan’s perception of Europeans is one of weakness and disunity. What Europe lacks is a coordinated effort that would turn Erdogan’s threat into an entirely empty one. But that would require the entire EU to implement strong policies for effective border security, dismantling smuggler operations, cutting benefits to refugees who arrive in the EU illegally, and increasing patrols in the Mediterranean, all measures the EU refuses to take in a unified and decisive manner.

    Visegrad nations point the way

    Throughout Europe, fear of Erdogan is pervasive, but Visegrad nations have a different mindset that could show Europe a smarter way of dealing with Turkey. In response to Erdogan’s most recent threat to flood Europe with refugees, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that he would “use force” on Hungary’s southern border if Erdogan followed through on his threat. While he was clear that nobody wanted to resort to those measures, Orban said he deemed them necessary to protect Hungary’s sovereignty.

    Orban was instrumental during the refugee crisis in convincing Europe to make efforts to secure its borders, going so far as to install a massive border fence in Hungary that brought a flood of refugees to a mere trickle.

    While some European leaders may have publicly decried his actions, Orban’s barrier and rhetoric were not only successful strategies but also inspired countries across Europe to erect similar barriers that further deterred refugees from entering Europe.

    If Europe were to adopt the same tough stance with Turkey, there is little doubt it would be in a better position to challenge Erdogan on issues like human rights, military force, nuclear weapon acquisition, and other important areas of concern.

    Until that happens, Erdogan will be in a position to dangle the threat of 3.6 million people over Europe whenever he likes and extract whatever compromises he wants from the EU now and well into the future.

  • Slavia Prague faces off against FC Barcelona

    Barcelona footballers battled it out in the match of the 3rd round of the Champions League basic group at Prague’s Slavia stadium. All the main stars were on Barcelona’s roster, including Lionel Messi, strikers Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suárez, stopper Gerard Piqué and midfielder Sergio Busquets. Slavia players started their players in the expected positions, except Jaroslav Zelený, who took his position on the left side of the midfield line with Jan Bořil to defend against Messi.

    The home team struggled in the beginning of the match. Slavia players were visibly nervous, and after a mistake in the kick-off, they offered Barcelona the opening shot.

    Lionel Messi scored a goal in the third minute giving Barcelona a 1-0 lead. As the match developed, Prague’s football club managed to keep up with Barcelona. At the beginning of the second half, Jan Bořil tied the game up. However, after another seven minutes, Barcelona scored their second goal during a free-kick, giving Messi his second goal of the game.

    It was only Slavia’s second defeat in the last 28 matches they’ve played. After their loss to Barcelona, the Czech champion has only one point and is at the last place of Group F of the Champions League. Slavia Prague, which is playing in the Champions League group for the first time in 12 years, will get a chance for revenge against Barcelona when they play in Catalonia on November 5.

  • Prague Castle opens up off-limits area to the public

    The Deer Moat is a ravine below Prague Castle featuring an area of eight hectares. In 2017, some entrances to the lower part of the moat were closed concerning safety measures. The following year, the Castle announced that the whole lower part of the Deer Moat would be closed due to reconstruction, which was to last ten months.

    This year, however, the trench did not open to the public due to ongoing work. The office of President Miloš Zeman faced criticism for having closed the previously freely accessible Prague Castle complex and installing security checks at entrances. The Presidential Office argues that the introduction of security checks was requested by the police and that some sections of Prague Castle had to be closed due to repairs.

    The Deer Moat will be open on October 26-27 and November 16-17 from 10 am to 3 pm each day. The entrance will be made possible by a gate in the lower part of the moat from Klárov, and a guided tour will lead up to the upper part in U Brusnice street.

    “Visitors will have a unique opportunity to see the progress and results of extensive reconstruction,” said the Presidential Office in an invitation.

    In the lower part of the Deer Moat, visitors will see panels with information about the moat’s history and recent repairs. In the upper part, there is a newly reconstructed bear enclosure, Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, first constructed the enclosure for bears he received as a present from Czech legionaries returning from Russia after the First World War. There are no bears in the enclosure anymore.

  • Czech budget bill for 2020 passes

    The Czech Chamber of Deputies approved the draft budget in the first reading despite the reservations of right-wing opposition parties, which did not support the proposal.

    When draft budget bills are typically under discussion, both the media and politicians commonly refer to these budgets as the “law of the year” to underline their importance. As a part of the Czech tradition of the president opening negotiations on the “law of the year”, President Miloš Zeman came to the Chamber to deliver a speech about the draft on Wednesday shortly before it passed.

    In his speech, Zeman criticized tax exemptions. According to Zeman, the Czech economy has reserves of CZK 318 billion (€12.5 billion), which could be used only if the tax exemptions were lifted. For example, this year the government managed to abolish the exemption for gambling winnings taxes, but Zeman would welcome the abolition of all exemptions. He said he appreciated the efforts of Finance Minister Alena Schillerová, who plans to cancel tax exemptions worth several tens of billions of crowns.

    Zeman also criticized subsidies for renewable energy sources, especially solar energy, which he thinks are too high. According to Zeman, introducing a solar tax or reducing the purchase prices of solar energy could be a solution. Zeman believes that such measures would bring savings amounting to several billion crowns. The Czech president also said he hopes that the Czech Republic will not succumb to a “climate mania” as Germany, which shut down nuclear power plants and switched to expensive energy sources.

    Zeman said he had  “friendly objections” to some portions of the bill but promised to sign it if the lawmakers approved it.

    According to the government, the main priorities of the budget are increasing pensions, salaries of teachers, parental allowances, spending on research and development, and support for sports and athletics.

    Prime Minister Andrej Babiš was not present at the hearing as he attended the ascension of Emperor Naruhito to the throne in Japan. 

  • Czechia would support a Brexit delay

    Postponing Brexit to December 31 of this year would have to be approved by all EU member states. According to Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček, last week’s letter from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be considered a request for postponement, although Johnson did not sign it.

    “If there is a request, we should postpone Brexit for two months. We will not be the ones to block it,” Petříček stated.

    According to Interior Minister Jan Hamáček, the Czech government is also prepared for the option of a no-deal Brexit. To prepare for this possibility, Czech diplomats increased the number of employees at consulates in London and Manchester. More than 100,000 Czechs who live in the UK can contact a crisis line. They can also apply for residential status in Britain and be subject to the same rights and rules after Brexit.

    Hamáček also said that some changes can be still expected. For instance, when the British citizens arrive in the Czech Republic, they will be unable to use the exit for citizens of the European Union at Czech airports. After Brexit, Czechs should be able to fly to Britain with just their identification card but the interior minister added, “We [still] recommend citizens to have a passport with them.”


    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be considered as a request for
    postponement, although Johnson did not sign it.“If there is a request, we should
    postpone Brexit for two months. We will not be the ones to block it,” Petříček
    stated.
    According to Hamáček, the government is also prepared for the option of a no-
    deal Brexit. For example, Czech diplomacy increased the number of employees at
    consulates in London and Manchester. More than 100 thousand Czechs who live
    in the UK can contact a crisis line. They can apply for resident status in Britain
    and be subject to the same rights and rules after Brexit.
    Hamáček also said that one of the changes would be, for instance, the operation
    of the Prague Airport. When the British arrive in the Czech Republic, they will not
    be able to use the exit for citizens of the European Union. After Brexit, Czechs
    should be able to fly to Britain just with their ID card. “However, we recommend
    citizens to have a passport with them,” Interior Minister added

  • Wojciechowski: injustices in farmer’s payments should be ended as soon as possible

    “We are on the right path. All EU politicians are conscious that such inequalities cannot exist. It is unfair,” Wojciechowski told Polskie Radio 3.

    The commissioner stated that different proposals on how to equalize these payments will be introduced but the ultimate decision will come down to both the European Parliament and the European Council.

    “Inequalities in the form of unequal direct payments need to be ended as soon as possible,” he emphasized.

    He explained that the differences in payments are huge and partially stem from historical reasons, but also from discriminatory conditions in accepting new states into the EU. The current European Commission is working on equalizing those issues.

    Radical traditionalism is often seen as an answer in chaotic times and some of Poland’s nationalists offer a black and white narrative many seek, which can be attractive for young people.

    Young women are leaving their family homes and swiftly advancing in society. In fact, 75 percent of graduates in master’s degrees at the University of Warsaw are women. Where are the young men? They are less educated and have worse chances for social advancement. This trend could lead some men to more radical forms of destructive nationalism that end up hurting nationalist causes more than help them.

    The Church does not want to lose the youth that the more radical nationalists are trying to recruit, but the Church also cannot become a hostage of the far-right because it will lose its ability to draw others to itself and become politicized at the same time.

  • Hottest new real estate investment? Garages in Budapest

    Hot tip: if you want an entry-level investment in Hungarian real estate, garages are your best bet, at least according to experts in Hungarian real estate.

    László Balogh, a lead analyst at Hungary’s largest online real estate firm, ingatlan.com, told Origo news portal that demand for parking spaces and garages has increased in the Hungarian capital in the past few years for two simple reasons. One factor is the growing number of families moving to another district within the capital and the other is simply the growing number of cars.

    Balogh said that the average monthly rental price for a parking space or garage has increased by 16 percent in the past twelve months to HUF 22,500 (€68) while the price of a garage rose 21 percent to HUF 4.6 million (€14,000). At the same time, demand in regional cities is almost as strong.

    He said that garages are a good investment for a number of reasons. First, their gross return is around six percent a year, slightly above that of a rental apartment. Second, they are significantly cheaper to buy and require little to no upkeep.

    On the other hand, good luck finding a garage for sale in the Hungarian capital. In the downtown 5th district, there was a single garage being sold in October, at a price of HUF 17 million (€51,000) or four times the Budapest average.

    Title image: Garage door, illustration (source: atekapud.hu)

  • Survey: Parents should be the main source of knowledge for sexual education

    The survey, conducted by IBRiS, says that 79.4 percent of those polled believed that there should be sex education lessons in schools while 46.5 percent believe lessons should start in primary school. People aged between 25 to 29 years were the most likely to say sex education should start in primary school.

    A smaller 32.9 percent say that sex education should be introduced in middle school. More significantly, more women (52 percent) opted for earlier sexual education than men (42 percent).

    Of those surveyed, 60 percent declared that parents should be the main source of knowledge about sex while 30 percent stated that schools should be the most responsible for that. All of those polled agreed that children should not get this knowledge from the internet or their peers.

     

    While Europe should better manage the ongoing migration crisis, there are still positive developments in terms of how borders are managed between countries.

    “The border between Poland and Germany is a history of success because it is invisible. This is fantastic. No one in Germany would want the hard border to return,” Knaus underlined.

    He pointed out that Poland has a “terrifically functioning” external border with Ukraine which should be used as an example for other countries looking to manage their borders effectively.

    “We should tell others in Europe how the Polish-Ukrainian border functions. It is proof that if you do it right, then border pressure is significantly smaller,” Knaus explained.

    As a solution to the problem of unregulated migration, apart from fast-tracking new procedures and protections to secure EU borders, Knaus proposed better diplomacy with countries such as Tunisia and Morocco.

    “We must convince them to accept rejected migrants. The example here would be the deals with Ukraine, which accepts deported migrants,” he said.

  • US general outlines how Europe can counter Russia

    Hodges praised Polish diplomatic efforts to focus on the Three Seas project, a forum for 12 countries in the Central and Eastern European regions designed to find solutions to common challenges and improve cooperation.

    However, there are many challenges that Poland and other countries in the area face, including an over-reliance on Russia in regards to energy and infrastructure.

    Hodges said in an interview with Forsal.pl, “Without improving infrastructure regarding railway communication and energy, Poland and other countries of the region will not reach their desired economic growth.”

    The former general explained that the region’s current infrastructure not only constricts trade, but also makes Warsaw and other capitals more dependent on Russia. In terms of military maneuvers, Hodges emphasized, that the mobility coming from improved infrastructure would send Moscow a clear message that it cannot “just attack like that.”

    He also stressed that choosing the leader of the Three Seas forum is secondary to its goals, as the synergy between country members is most important.

    Due to high media interest in the matter, the Supreme Court has decided to release a statement concerning the PiS protest. The statement points out the small election margins and underlined that there is a high index of invalid votes in the constituencies in question.

    The court wrote that PiS has demanded the comparison of different voting cards with the protocols of particular voting commissions, as well as a recount of the votes.

    Law and Justice explained its demands by emphasizing that the results of the election have divided the Senate into almost exactly two halves. PiS claimed that it is “in the social interest” to carry out further verification processes to confirm the correctness of the election results in those constituencies, where the vote was decided by minimal margins.

  • Temperature soars to record high in Hungary

    On Sunday, October 20th in the town of Adony, central Hungary, some 20 km south of the capital Budapest, temperatures soared to 26.9 degrees Celsius (80.42 F) establishing a new record high for this day of the year, news portal Origo reported.

    The previous record of 26.8 degrees was recorded in 2012. The unseasonably warm weather, with highs of between 25 and 28 Celsius are now well into its second week, but expected to remain hot and dry with new record highs around 28 Celsius for Monday and highs of between 22 and 25 Celsius for the rest of the week. The warm weather was brought by a hot high-pressure zone from the Adriatic Sea to the south. Normally by October barometric pressures in the Adriatic and Mediterranean drop by September, giving way to cold currents from the northwest.

    While the prolonged Indian summer is enjoyed by the population and tourism, the lack of rain since mid-September is a headache for farmers who can barely proceed with autumn plantings and whatever has painstakingly been sowed (mostly grains) will have trouble taking roots.

    Title image: Fall colours in the northeast Hungarian Bükk mountains (MTI/János Vajda)

  • Hungarian bus industry revived with Chinese help

    Once the pride of the Hungarian industry, bus maker company Ikarus may receive a new lease of life with the help of China’s CRRC Corp. Ltd., the world’s largest rolling stock manufacturer, daily Magyar Hírlap reports.

    The Székesfehérvár, central Hungary-based company has just launched its new CityPioneer fully electric bus at Busworld in Brussels, the world’s largest bus fair which this year has its 25th anniversary edition.

    The CityPioneer is a 12-meter long bus with the electric power train supplied by CCRC and its biggest novelty is that it incorporates 5G mobile technology, making it one of the first truly smart urban transportation vehicles. The Hungarian side supplies the body of the bus, conceived from the ground up to incorporate the Chinese power train that has been proven by already propelling some 120,000 buses in China.

    The fully stainless steel body comes with a 16-year warranty, the bus – including its dimensions, doors, floor height and engine train – are fully EU-compliant but due to the Chinese components are 15 to 20 percent cheaper than competing models from other parts of the world. The first production models will roll off the assembly line in 2020 and the company hopes to win both domestic and foreign orders, while it also has the financial support of the Hungarian government.

    Ikarus – whose origins go back to the last decade of the 19th century – was from 1950 to 1989 the dominant bus supplier for Eastern Bloc countries, with tens of thousands of units exported.

    Title image: Ikarus’ fully electric CityPioneer bus (Magyar Hírlap/Gábor Baksa)

  • Survey finds Duda favored to win next presidential race

    If the second round of elections took place last Sunday, the current president would receive 53.5 percent of the votes, compared to Kidawa-Błońska’s 39.2 percent. 7.3 percent of those polled were unable to choose between the candidates, if they were the only ones running.

    More women would vote for KO’s candidate, as 49 percent chose her compared to the 42 percent for Duda. On the other hand, more men (60 percent) would vote for the incumbent and only 30 percent would choose Kidawa-Błońska.

    Karłowicz added that the current political order is “creaking” because it no longer has the democratic mandate necessary to carry on.

    The creators of “Teologia Polityczna” agreed that the social contract between the elite and the people has run out: “This is the contract that was created by the current, mixed aristocratic-democratic model. As part of this deal, the poor gave up power but were promised the opportunity to acquire wealth and security in exchange,” Karłowicz explained.

    He underlined the rising tensions between the elites and the people, due to the fact that the contract is running out and that this conflict carries over to the international level through the struggle between politics and capitalism.

    Marek A. Cichocki asserted that there is also another side to the crisis’ origin: the issue with modern capitalism. In his view, political elites have moved their interests incredibly far towards global capitalism and international institutions, which makes it very difficult for them to return to the roles of properly representing particular societies.

    These are “societies that feel that the world created by global capitalism is becoming destructive in many aspects,” Cichocki emphasized.

  • National park ruined by bark beetle

    Millions of trees have died in the Białowieża Forest, due to bark beetle infection. The forest has always been taken care of by human hand, through cutting down infected trees to save the healthy ones and planting new ones in their place.

    Global organizations such as Greenpeace had fought the Polish government to cease the logging, and let the trees handle the infection themselves.

    Former minister of the environment Jan Szyszko, who passed away this year, had opposed the EC, claiming that the forest was in such a good state because of human care.

    Monika Strus-Wołos stated on Facebook that a forest which had belonged to her family for over 600 years has to be cut down due to beetle infection.

    “The invasion is coming from Białowieża and has reached the forest which is located 100km away. According to chief foresters, the entire region is facing the largest forest catastrophe perhaps in history,” she wrote, adding that “in the past, we didn’t have stupid ecologists and people did rational sanitary logging.”

    Yet this shadow of divisions and fighting for own interests has hung over the Right since the 90s or PiS’ first government. Although internal party negotiations and influence expansion are something natural in politics, they might unconsciously slip out of control, which the ruling party should especially remember.

    This would be understandable if there was some sort of real alternative for the coalitioners, but there really isn’t – it’s hard to expect Gowin or Ziobro to suddenly desire joining the opposition. Over eight million people voted for the PiS list, whose faces were Jarosław Kaczyński and Mateusz Morawiecki.

    This was a greenlight for the government to continue reforms, but I doubt that the vast majority of voters paid attention to the internal balance of power within the United Right, and just want the election promises to be fulfilled.

    There was no breakthrough in the political distribution of power between PiS and the anti-PiS, therefore, it is in the interests of the government to quickly quell difference and maintain a long-lasting agreement.

  • In the eyes of the world

    We are the masters of mass outrage towards previous generations. “The world did nothing for the Jews during the Second World War”; “The world did nothing for the Poles who were attacked by invaders from both sides in 1939” ; “Snipers assaulted Sarajevo each day while the world was looking” ; “In the eyes of the world (mainly Dutch soldiers) the Serbs committed the genocide of Muslims in Srebrenica” ; “The world looked over the genocide in Rwanda”.

    Not much has changed. We aren’t any better than the previous generations. “Russia is occupying Ukraine while the world is watching”; “Christians are being murdered in the Middle East while the world is watching.”

    The same could be said for when the Turkish army and Ankara-funded bandits “cleanse” North Syria of Kurds.

    If we are unable to stop this massacre, then we should at least do one thing: let’s stop being outraged by the previous generations – and outraged at their leaders and the citizens who read the papers. After all, they got to know about everything “much” later than the modern viewer, equipped with their smartphones, Facebook and Twitter.

    In a few decades, future generations will be speaking of us with the same condescending moral superiority: “The world did nothing for the Kurds”. They will act wise just as we are, and maybe they will even watch another massacre somewhere in the world, through the use of special passenger drones as part of a tourist trip.

  • PM Orbán asks V4 to assist if migration peaks again

    Ahead of the European Union summit in Brussels, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has asked the heads of government of the other three Visegrad Group member states (the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) to send troops to Hungary’s southern border should migration increase again, conservative daily Magyar Nemzet reports.

    PM Orbán and his fellow regional prime ministers agreed that there is a real threat that if refugees heading back to Syria cannot be guaranteed safe havens in their home country, a new wave of migration could be headed for Europe again. Consequently, he asked his counterparts to lend assistance should it be needed, as they did in 2015 and 2016 at the peak of the migration crisis.

    Bertalan Havasi, press secretary of the Hungarian prime minister, told national news agency MTI that the three other prime ministers agreed to help, including sending border guard units.


    Title image: L to R: Prime Ministers of the Visegrád Group Peter Pellegrini (Slovakia), Mateusz Morawiecki Poland), Andrej Babis (Czech Republic) and Viktor Orbán (Hungary) ahead of the European Union summit in Brussels on October 17 (MTI/Benko Vivien Cher)

     

  • Dead men can’t have passports

    A gravely ill Hungarian man who left the country in the early 1980s applied for a passport in the United States only to find out he was officially declared dead 32 years ago by a local town court, news portal Origo writes.

    The man left Hungary in 1980 and settled down in Florida, but never applied for US citizenship. His family – back in the central Hungarian town of Cegléd – never heard from him again, so five years after his disappearance, the legal period after which a missing person can be declared dead, they asked the local court to do so. As was the custom at the time, the court placed an appeal on the notice board of the local council, calling on the missing man or anyone with knowledge as to his whereabouts.

    After the 30-day deadline had passed and no one responded to the notice, the man was officially declared dead so his relatives could proceed dividing up his inheritance. But recently the man applied for a Hungarian passport in Florida, where the Hungarian consulate informed him that he cannot have one because he is dead.

    Given his condition, the court that originally declared him dead began an emergency procedure to anul the previous ruling so he can receive a passport.

    This is the second such case this year. In March, a Hungarian woman who had lived in the Hague since 1998 received the same reply from the Hungarian consulate there when applying for a passport.

  • Szymański: Brexit deal good for Polish interests

    The head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that the two sides had come to an agreement concerning Brexit.

    “On one hand, the agreement fulfills British expectations concerning United Kingdom integrity and on the other, guarantees the integrity of the European single market and our trade interests,” Szymański underlined.

    The Minister said that most importantly the agreement ensures that EU citizens’ rights be protected by an international agreement and not only state law. It also includes the financial settlement of the British membership in the EU and the introduction of a transition period when it comes to trade cooperation after the UK leaves the EU.

    Szymański stated that Poland had always been in favor of Brexit happening on the basis of an agreement and not in a chaotic way.

    He explained that it was Poland who encouraged the EU side, through diplomatic and public measures, to sit down and conduct “argumentative negotiations” concerning British proposals for full regulatory convergence.

    The deputy Foreign Minister added that there might be a potential delay of the Brexit date if there are technical reasons to do so and if the British government has a “concrete and constructive approach”.

    The agreement must now be ratified by EU leaders, who met on Thursday afternoon for a special summit in Brussels, and the British Parliament, which may turn out to be a problem as the Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) does not want to back the agreement due to the unresolved issue with the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.

  • Survey: Tusk most popular opposition presidential candidate

    The poll shows that over 27 percent of the opposition’s supporters would vote for Donald Tusk in the upcoming presidential elections. 50 percent of the Civic Coalition’s voters would support him and almost 16 percent of all those polled would vote for Tusk.

    Second came KO’s Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, who would receive 13 percent of the opposition’s support, 17 percent of KO’s voters and close to 10 percent of all those surveyed would support her.

    Analogically, 13 percent of the opposition’s supporters would vote for the left’s Robert Biedroń, and he would be supported by 8 percent of KO’s voters and 10 percent of all those polled.

    Fellow mountaineer Anna Czerwińska emphasized Rutkiewicz’s unique skill: “Wanda was organizationally and conditionally always a step ahead of our environment.”

    Czerwińska reminisced that when no one in Poland had dreamed of climbing Everest, Rutkiewicz organized an expedition for herself and had the ability to turn to any society and environment.

    “Determination and force of will were dominating within her,” the mountaineer underlined, adding that she still had the short message Rutkiewicz gave her after conquering Everest.

    A year after she succeeded, Rutkiewicz met Pope John Paul II who had said that “God made it so we both climbed so high on the same day.” Rutkiewicz presented the Pope with a rock from the top of Everest.

    Wanda Rutkiewicz was the first woman to reach the summit of K2 in 1986. She died in 1992 climbing Kangchenjunga.

  • No opposition leader but three equal blocks

    Kosiniak-Kamysz underlined that although Law and Justice “took first place” in the elections to the Senate, the party “had not won them”, due to not having a majority like they did for the last four years. Kosiniak-Kamysz also explained that the two largest parties in the Senate and Sejm must understand and acknowledge the other blocks.

    PSL’s leader denounced claims that his party will join with the Civic Coalition, but they are just waiting for KO (Civic Coaltion) to “offer more”.

    “No, this means, that we want our representation to be as respected as that of the left,” he pointed out, adding that KO had gotten used to being the leader of the opposition prior to the elections, whereas there isn’t one now and instead, there are three different and equal opposition blocks.

    The former Polish PM said that the opposition’s presidential candidate should have the largest chance at winning, instead of just having a good opinion about themselves.

    “Above all else, it should be a candidate who will be able to convince those who are voting for our opponents today,” he added.

    Tusk also urged the opposition not to waste their majority and united effort in the Senate on conflicts and to maintain the current situation.

  • Opposition tries to take uneasy comfort in Senate situation

    The opposition and Grzegorz Schetyna’s happiness from stopping a PiS majority in the Senate will be short-lived, writes Tomasz Domalewski.

    The great joy that the opposition finds in the loss of the PiS majority in the Senate will probably not hang around too long in Grzegorz Schetyna’s enclosure.

    Most likely Schetyna himself will not withstand the pressure from his current company, who will eagerly hang on him not only his own faults but also some of their own. Although they forgave Donald Tusk’s retreat quickly, despite his lying through his teeth, that premiership is the most important thing in the world to him. But he was bought by the lady from Berlin.

    Most if not all of them owe Tusk much in their political lives, if not everything. He had not demanded much from them, apart from total obedience. Schetyna would like to demand the same, but he does not know in what matters, and he can’t run away to anyone, which is why he will be trampled by his friends.

    Meanwhile, Schetyna is trying to make up for it with a smile and enthusiasm for the situation in the Senate. His party is behaving as if they won the elections in the upper house, despite having only 43 mandates compated to PiS’ 48. The government needs only one more to force a stalemate in the Senate and two to have a majority.

    The reason for this fanfare is an illusion, and even as an illusion, it’s overdone. Only a cow doesn’t change its views, and most politicians don’t want to be a cow and will not be one. There’s nothing to be happy or sad about; it’s just how it is.

  • Budapest congestion tax unavoidable, says new mayor

    Budapest will sooner or later have to introduce a congestion tax, mayor-elect Gergely Karácsony said Wednesday night on Hungarian television channel ATV.

    “Sooner or later we will have to introduce a congestion tax in Budapest, this is unavoidable,” Karácsony said. As a joint candidate of the oppostion parties, he won the mayoral position of the Hungarian capital at the municipal elections this past Sunday, beating incumbent conservative mayor István Tarlós by 50 percent to 44 percent.

    Despite growing pressure on him, Tarlós – who was at the helm of Budapest since 2010 – has resisted the introduction of congestion charge throughout his two consecutive mandates.

    The congestion charge was a voluntary promise of previous Free Democrat mayor Gábor Demszky (in office between 1990 and 2010), in exchange for European Union grants to construct metro line 4.

    During his campaign, Karácsony said he would only introduce a congestion charge if approved by a referendum.

    Title image: Budapest mayor-elect Gergely Karácsony (source: zuglo.hu)

  • Hungary and Russia win $1 billion Egypt tender

    The joint bid of a Hungarian and Russian company has won a tender worth over $1 billion to deliver rail carriages to the Egyptian Railways, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szíjjártó said after a Moscow meeting with gas giant Gazprom and several Russian government officials.

    He said this was one of the biggest contracts ever for the Hungarian transport industry – which goes back to the 1850s. He also said that because the European Union’s sanctions against Russia had caused a loss of $8 billion in potential exports to Russia, the two countries had been working together to offset that loss in bilateral trade areas not affected by the sanctions, such as expanding the reach of Hungarian pharmaceutical companies with a manufacturing base in Russia.

    Additionally, Hungary reached an agreement with Gazprom that the Russian gas company will begin deliveries of natural gas for the 2020-21 winter period next April. Szíjjártó added that thanks to an earlier agreement, Hungarian gas storage facilities were fully stocked for the first time in their existence, meaning nearly 6.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas, covering Hungary’s needs through next autumn.

    He added that the plans for the expansion of the Paks nuclear plant – to be carried out by Russian firm Rosatom – have been approved, meaning that the cheap and reliable electricity supply of Hungary will be covered well into the future. Hungary signed the deal to expand the capacity of its only nuclear plant in Paks, central Hungary to 1,200 megawatts from the current 500 megawatts back in 2010, at a price of HUF 2,000 billion at the time (EUR six billion at current exchange rates).

    Szíjjártó also said that during Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Budapest scheduled for October 30th, the two sides will also sign a number of important bilateral agreements.


    Title image: Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade Péter Szíjjártó (4th from right) and Gazprom president Alexey Miller (3rd from left) during an October 16th meeting in Moscow. (MTI/Zsolt Burger)

  • PM Orbán: All municipalities will be treated equally

    Despite Budapest and a few regional cities having changed leadership and now being ran by opposition mayors, the Hungarian government will continue to treat them equally, irrespective of political color, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in an interview with news channel Hír TV.

    “With regard to Budapest, we must accept the people’s choice: (…). Hungary is a democracy, people expect leaders to cooperate in the people’s interest. In the past period the Hungarian government has established a fair relationship with every municipality and this will continue to be the case, irrespective of a municipality’s (political) color,” Orbán said.

    Apart from a brief statement on the night the results of the municipal elections were announced this past Sunday, this was the first time Orbán spoke about the elections. Although the ruling conservative Fidesz had an overall win, it did lose the post of Budapest mayor and “in a couple of cities that are close to our heart,” Orbán said.

    He pointed out that the conservatives received over 1.8 million votes, significantly more than the opposition coalition and that the government will continue to steer the country with a steady hand.

    Referring to the scandal of Győr mayor, Zsolt Borkai – which many analysts say weighed heavily against the chances of the party’s candidates elsewhere – Orbán said that Borkai had to leave the party.

    “It is difficult to say whether it affected the elections. Such an affair will stun and shake anyone. My job is not to judge the private life of any person or politician, but I have one responsibility: I am the president of this community, Fidesz, and I had to make it clear that some things are unacceptable, consequences must be drawn and so Zsolt Borkai had to leave the party,” Orbán said.

    He said that after the municipal elections Fidesz MPs and the government must concentrate and the ominous clouds gathering above the European economy and launch the economy-boosting plan in the coming months.

    Title image: Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán speaks to Hírtó TV ahead of a Fidesz MPs meeting (source: Facebook)

  • The Case for Populism

    Hungarian historian Mária Schmidt draws the connection between populism and democracy in her opinion piece, “The Case for Populism,” published in the The New York Times online.

    “We Hungarians have rarely had easy lives. As was the case with other nations that came under the direct domination of the Soviet Union in the 20th century, we had to struggle to retain our national culture and way of life. Yet our trials have prepared us well for the challenges of the 21st century,” Schmidt’s article begins.

    She then continues by recounting modern Hungarian history following World War II, beginning with the Soviet occupation that lasted forty years, highlighting the 1956 failed anti-Soviet uprising and going on through the regime change to a brief overview of post-Communist democracy.

    Schmidt says in the early years of the new democracy the attitude of Western countries towards the freshly liberated part of the continent was a huge disappointment: not only did they keep these nations 15 years waiting to join the European Union, but they grabbed the markets and forced these countries to adapt to the West.

    “We did not experience a genuine reunification with Western Europe. Instead, we were forced to adapt ourselves to the West. It never occurred to the West that perhaps it should adapt itself to us,” she writes.

    Schmidt sees the year 2010 as pivotal in contemporary Hungarian history: it was the year when Viktor Orbán was elected prime minister with a sweeping two thirds majority, a prime minister that has insisted on putting Hungary’s interests first and “(…) he has refused to follow the policy directives laid down by European Union bureaucrats in Brussels.”

    Giving a brief overview of the economic and social achievements of the three, successive Orbán Governments, she emphasizes the “illiberal democracy” heralded by Orbán in 2014, saying that it was based on community, Christianity and solidarity.

    She argues that the non-liberal shift is spreading through Western Europe as well: “In the European Parliamentary elections earlier this year, the “populists” (democrats, in other words) significantly strengthened their position.” And “as liberalism runs out of steam,” she writes, “true majoritarian democracy and popular representation are returning to Hungary.”

    Schmidt quotes Scottish historian Niall Ferguson: ““the biggest threat to Western civilization is posed not by other civilizations, but by our own pusillanimity — and by the historical ignorance that feeds it.”

    She concludes her article by saying that Hungary, which has been a bulwark of Europe for a thousand years has every intention of continuing that tradition.

    “As citizens of a free country in the heartland of Europe, we have served as gatekeepers between East and West for a thousand years. We hope to do so for a thousand more.”

    Read the full commentary at The New York Times here.


    Title image: (Associated Press)

  • Michelin Guide recommends Czech restaurants in New York

    The Michelin Bib Gourmand status marks good-quality restaurants that offer affordable dishes. The Bohemian Spirit restaurant in New York, which offers Czech specialties, is now on the list of more than 100 restaurants where, according to Michelin inspectors, people can eat well and not spend their fortune. The list of restaurants that received Bib Gourmand status was published before the overall rating was declassified. The accompanying Michelin guide will be released next week.

    In New York, there are currently 55 restaurants with one Michelin star, 14 restaurants with two stars and five restaurants with the highest possible three-star rating. International cuisines are appreciated in New York as there is plenty of Japanese, Mexican, French, Italian and Korean restaurants with Michelin star.

    However, local specialties are often offered on menus at high prices above 100 USD. Bohemian Spirit restaurant offers low prices compared to other New York restaurants. For instance, appetizers, soups, and desserts cost about 9 USD each, while veal fillet with potato salad costs 24 USD. This year, four Prague restaurants also received the Bib Gourmand symbol in the Czech Republic.

  • Most Czech think Brexit will hurt Czechia

    As the majority of respondents think that Brexit will hurt the Czech Republic, only four percent of respondents are convinced that the UK’s departure from the EU could benefit Czechia. The rest of the respondents either think that Brexit will have no consequences for the Czech Republic, or they dare not guess. According to the survey, nearly three-fifths of Czechs want the UK to remain in the European Union, while 12 percent of respondents support Brexit. Furthermore, about one-fifth of respondents do not care about Brexit.

    According to the survey, more than half of Czechs think that the UK bears responsibility for the complications surrounding Brexit negotiations with the EU. On the contrary, less than one-fifth of respondents blame the European Union for the current state of affairs.

    Overall, more than 70 percent of Czechs are interested in Brexit-related events. Interest in Brexit is the highest among the people who will be impacted by it the least.  About 90 percent of Czechs in the over 60 years of age group are interested in news related to Brexit. “This result corresponds with the data that we collect continuously as a part of a large-scale international survey,” said Michal Geisler from the Median survey agency. According to this international survey, it is safe to say that interest in international events increases with the age of respondents.

  • Czech General Staff marks 100th anniversary

    On the 100th anniversary of the General Staff´s establishment, the Czech army organized several events. Among other things, a panel exhibition mapping the history of the General Staff was launched. Furthermore, the General Staff presented its military equipment.

    In the morning, dozens of current and former commanders of the Czech Armed Forces gathered at Army House in Prague. President Zeman, who gave a speech at the event, spoke in favor of higher investment in the Czech military and appreciated the planned establishment of the drone battalion.

    According to Defense Minister Lubomír Metnar, the army will set up the drone battalion at the beginning of 2020. Chief of the General Staff Aleš Opata said that the battalion will develop gradually as the focus will primarily be on miniature drones. Currently, the Czech army uses drones mainly in foreign missions in Afghanistan and Mali. The newly established battalion will centralize the use of drones into one unit. In the future, the General Staff also plans to purchase combat drones.

    Speaking at the gathering at Army House in Prague, PM Andrej Babiš stated that the Czech Republic has great soldiers but has to speed up the armament of the army. “The situation in the world requires massive armament and recruitment of more soldiers,” he added.

    Furthermore, President of the Senate Jaroslav Kubera appreciated how fast the Czechoslovak, and later the Czech, army managed to engage in international military missions after the revolution in 1989. “Our soldiers have a very good reputation in the world,” he said.

  • Czech Constitutional Court halts taxation of church compensations

    The Czech Constitutional Court canceled the controversial legal provision concerning the taxation of the financial compensation of assets confiscated by the Communist regime. The taxation was approved by the government with the support of KSČM (the Communist Party) and SPD (Freedom and Direct Democracy). President Miloš Zeman signed the proposal in May. According to the Constitutional Court, however, the additional reduction of financial compensation for the wrongs caused by the Communist regime defies the fundamental principles of a democratic rule of law.

    Furthermore,  the Constitutional Court stated that the so-called tax on financial compensation was not a tax at all as it was rather a reduction in compensation attributed to churches and religious societies. If the Court did not intervene, the taxation law would come into effect in January 2020.

    Judge Rapporteur Jaromír Jirsa stressed that no other group of restituents after 1989 had to experience the same difficulties as the churches, i.e., the state revoking their restitution rights. The Constitutional Court also argued that financial compensation has another purpose as it should prepare churches and religious societies for economic separation from the state in the future, Jirsa added.

    Commenting on the verdict, MP Pavel Kováčik (KSČM) stated that the Communist party respects the decision of the Constitutional Court. “However, we consider referring the case to the European institutions,” added Kováčik.

    On the contrary, representatives of ODS (Civic Democratic Party) and KDU-ČSL (Christian Democrats) welcomed the decision of the Constitutional Court. ODS Chairman Petr Fiala stressed that the Court “has restored the rule of law and reversed the previous shameful decision.” According to Marek Výborný, Chairman of the KDU-ČSL, the verdict is “good news confirming that our constitutional system works and that we are a democratic country.”

  • Romanian president appoints liberal to form government

    Less than a week after the Social-Democrat (PSD) cabinet of Viorica Dăncilă had been removed by a vote of no confidence, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has appointed Ludovic Orban, leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) to form a new government. (more…)

  • No tax on Tokarczuk’s Nobel Prize – but is it legal?

    Although Tokarczuk’s award is a huge distinction, from the point of view of the law, she is a PIT taxpayer with a residential tax living in Lower Silesia in Poland who has received an income of approximately PLN 3.5 million.

    The prize was given in Sweden, but according to the Polish-Swedish tax agreement, such an income should still be taxed in Poland.

    Such a huge sum usually means the inclusion of PIT at a 32 percent rate, as well as the so called “solidarity tribute.” The latter is a new 4 percent tax which is charged for income exceeding PLN 1 million per annum.

    If the Nobel Prize in Literature is considered “literary activity conducted personally”, according to the PIT bill, then such an income can be taxed 20 percent. Given such data, the PIT would amount to PLN 883,800 and including the PLN 72,000 solidarity tribute, the total would be PLN 955,800.

    The media emphasized the record high turnout in the elections, proving that it was a true celebration of democracy for supporters of the current government and its opponents. The Western media also pointed out that PiS’ victory was mainly due to the social programs introduced by the party and the defense of traditional Catholic values.

    The Financial Times wrote that PiS’ high support came from the improvement of the standard of living of Poles and concluded that “if life was good for you in the last four years, then you simply vote for those who were in power.”

    The BBC focused on the credibility of the PiS government, due to their consistent fulfillment of their election program and promises, which gained them over two million new voters.

    Foreign media are also finally drawing attention to the fact, that the current government will continue to rule with an absolute majority for a total of at least eight years. This is a tough pill to swallow for some of the media in the West, as their correspondents and the Polish opposition abroad had been warning constantly about the threat to democracy in Poland.

    It was KO leader Grzegorz Schetyna, who had decreed that the opposition’s strategy will be “on the streets and abroad”. The “streets” part was introduced at the beginning of PiS’ first term, through constant protests in front of the Sejm, but they stopped due to lack of popular support.

    The “abroad” section has been under way for four years, and was apparent in the attempt to block Janusz Wojciechowski’s candidacy for EU commissioner for agriculture.

    After this election, it is becoming clear to politicians and public opinion in Western Europe, that the PiS government is not temporary and cannot just be waited out.

    This should improve the relations between EU institutions and the Polish government, which in turn could allow for the completion of the much needed judiciary reforms.

  • Everything hangs on the presidential elections in Poland

    The Polish political scene has entered a period of instability, which had been forgotten during the last four years. This is because we got used to a situation in which all the institutions and decision-making was in the hands of PiS. Meanwhile, the election results were a cup of cool water for the government and created a breach in the current power system.

    Although PiS achieved an unprecedented success in having the highest election result since 1989 with a record turnout, it is a sour victory for two reasons. PiS is the first government to hold the Sejm, but not the Senate.

    It is as if it were forgotten that it was the Germans who had been on the ground firing at the paratroopers

    Recently in the Netherlands, the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Market Garden operation were held, in which paratroopers from the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade took part.

    Contemporary paratroopers and descendants of those soldiers who fought in 1944, such as the British or the Poles, were invited to participate. Surprisingly, so were German soldiers from the Bundeswehr.

    With all due respect to those soldiers and their good intentions, it is inappropriate for Germans to jump onto the drop zone on a day of commemorating such an important battle for, among others, Poles.

    It is as if it were forgotten that it was the Germans who had been on the ground firing at the paratroopers. This is an effect similar to that from the D-Day anniversary, where Angela Merkel stood hand in hand with the leaders of France, the UK and the USA. As if those events from 75 years ago had no connection to German soldiers associated with the German state and nation.

    It has begun to more often turn out that the Second World War was after all, an invasion of “Nazis from space.”

  • Sin City Budapest- commentary

    Leading conservative columnist Zsolt Bayer on the reasons why Hungary’s opposition coalition managed to ensure its mayoral candidate’s victory in Budapest at Sunday’s municipal elections.

    We should finally contend with the fact that eight of Europe’s largest capitals – with the notable exception of Madrid – are under left-liberal leadership.

    There are obvious historical reasons for this. In Hungary, one of them is the once “racist” urban-rural divide that appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and is present to this very day – thankfully, after the regime change at least without the “racist” part. But this dichotomy has a wide range of underlying reasons: lifestyle, perception, value choices, approach to history, traditions and nation.

    The still unhealthy social composition of Hungary consists of 5 percent wealthy, 15-20 percent of what is referred to as middle class, and 75-80 percent “underclass”. All of the efforts of the Orbán Government went towards establishing a national bourgeoisie, reinforcing the middle class and elevating the underclass – this latter mainly through job creation and family support initiatives. Instead, what do we actually see now?

    In metropolitan areas, where said distribution is more 15-40-45 percent, they have a more substantial upper and middle class, who – at least according to opposition critics – have received an unfair amount of support from the Orbán Government.

    Yet, the majority of these groups decided to vote left, while the inhabitants of small and medium-sized rural settlements are the most faithful supporters of the right.

    This has its reason. A reason that goes way beyond the opposition slogans or the false myth of the “grey matter” by which said opposition has unjustly claimed to represent intellectuals. And the reason is exactly the same in Vienna, Paris, London or Budapest. It has to do with the rootlessness and globalism of metropolitan existence just as much as with the respect for traditional values and down-to-earth rural existence.

    Just as importantly, this shouldn’t be about a choice between urban and rural, but rather about embracing metropolises. That of love and humility.


    Title image: Downtown Budapest’s main tourist thoroughfare, Váci street (source: introducingbudapest.com)

  • EU budget plan unacceptable to Hungary

    The Finnish EU presidency’s budget proposal for the next seven-year cycle is unacceptable to Hungary, Justice Minister Judit Varga has said in Brussels.

    Following the Brussels meeting of EU ministers regarding general EU affairs, Varga told Hungarian journalists that the Finnish presidency failed to present an unbiased budget proposal.

    She said one of the key misgivings of Hungary was that the proposal would further reduce the amount available for cohesion within the development budget.

    Several member states have noted that the budget failed to reflect their and others’ proposals and that the authors of the budget did not take into account the request of the group of states called friends of cohesion who expressly asked that cohesion funds be increased above what the European Commission had proposed earlier.

    This is partly due to a significant reduction in budget revenues due to the departure of the United Kingdom, but that shouldn’t necessarily impact cohesion funds.

    Varga said the budget draft is inadequate both on the revenue and on the cohesion expenditures side, thus unfit from the basis of a general political debate.

    She also said that Hungary could not accept the concept that budget payments to member states should be made conditional of rule of law criteria, nor that the amount for the settlement of migrants would be sourced from cohesion funds.

    Instead of furthering the process, this proposal only delays the budgeting process as it only takes into account the interests of net contributor countries while also hurting several other member states’ interests whose input has not been included.
    Title image: Hungarian justice minister Judit Varga (MTI/Tibor Rosta)

  • Information access restricted to protect sensitive data

    The draft amendment approved by the Czech government gives authorities the opportunity to refuse to provide information if the purpose of the request is to impose a disproportionate burden on the office. Furthermore, offices and institutions are allowed to decline such a request if it might cause pressure on the person tied to the information.

    Furthermore, authorities will not have to provide information in case one of the parties in a judicial proceeding could be at a disadvantage.

    “The main changes in the amendment are practice-based. The aim is to prevent bullying of offices and institutions. There are requests that burden whole institutions. Some people are not ashamed to bully officials this way,” said Interior Minister Jan Hamáček before the government meeting.

    In case of extensive information retrieval, the draft amendment also introduces a financial advance request, which should amount to a maximum of 60 percent of the estimated costs of the retrieval and is limited to 2,000 CZK.

    However, some experts believe that the amendment restricts citizens’ rights.

    Currently, the draft has to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies. Minister Hamáček admitted that there are some objections concerning certain sections in the amendment. Therefore, some adjustments might follow.

  • Czech government struggles to agree on financing for EU Presidency

    Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček considers the budget and planned staffing of the Presidency to be insufficient. According to him, spending is about half a billion lower than it was recently in countries of a similar size. Another Social Democrat, former head of diplomacy and current Minister of Culture Lubomír Zaorálek, agrees with him.

    The chief of ČSSD Jan Hamáček said that the Ministry of the Interior could not approve the material in its current form, especially due to security reserves. “I brought this to the Prime Minister´s attention. As it is, the Ministry of the Interior disagrees,” Hamáček said.

    However, Babiš rejected the criticism. According to him, Petříček has deficiencies in the budget and is not used to saving. The Prime Minister also stated that the Czech Republic wants to hold the Presidency as climate-friendly and therefore to limit flights to Brussels and to replace some personal meetings with internet calls and virtual offices.

    Based on the proposal sent by Babiš to the government, 584 million CZK will go toward events related to the Presidency. The cost of new workers is to be 215 million CZK, the cost of workers sent to the Czech Permanent Representation in Brussels is 250 million CZK. In total, the Czech Republic should employ 200 people for the Presidency, of which 58 will be in Brussels.

  • Czech politicians respond to Polish election results

    After the general election results in Poland were announced, both the Czech President and representatives of political parties stated that they believe in further cooperation between the two neighboring states.

    “The unequivocal success achieved by the Law and Justice (PiS) party despite the strong opposition pressure is proof of the good performance of the Polish government in the last legislative period. Furthermore, it is a proof of the confidence of the Polish nation in the government,” wrote Czech President Zeman to Jarosław Kaczyński in a congratulatory letter.

    President Zeman believes that the successful cooperation between Prague and Warsaw within the European Union, NATO, and the Visegrad Four will continue. Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček and other Czech politicians also congratulated the winner of the Polish general election.

    According to Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček, the triumph of the Law and Justice party, which received almost 44 percent of the vote, was expected. Hamáček thinks that PiS ensured the great election result mainly thanks to its social program. “People seem to grant their votes based on the level of satisfaction with the current government, specifically in the area of social policy,” said Hamáček. PiS introduced a bonus pension for the elderly and higher child benefits. The party also increased the minimum wage and reduced the retirement age.

    According to Civic Democrats (ODS) Chairman Petr Fiala, the result confirms a strong mandate of PiS. He pointed out that ODS and PiS have been cooperating for a long time within the European Conservatives and Reformists Group faction in the European Parliament. The cooperation between the Czech Republic and Poland is also important for promoting a reasonable reform of the EU, he added.

  • Karel Gott’s last goodbye

    Even though only a selected group of people received invitations to attend the requiem mass in St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle, people could have watched it on large screens outside of the Cathedral.

    Among the invited were many artists, such as the opera singer Eva Urbanová and Gott’s long-time friend and colleague Michal David. Furthermore, President Miloš Zeman, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, and President of the Senate Jaroslav Kubera attended the mass.

    The requiem mass, served by Archbishop Dominik Duka, began at eleven o’clock. In his speech, Duka stated that Karel Gott contributed to making the Czech Republic famous around the world. He also recalled the singer´s gift of “a beautiful voice, the art of interpretation, and the smile that has filled millions of listeners with joy. He recognized the values ​​that make human life beautiful and rich,” concluded Duka.

    Jiřina Bohdalová, an actress and longtime friend of Karel Gott, gave a speech in which she stressed that Gott appreciated his innate talent and did not waste a minute due to his diligence. She also pointed out Gott´s decency, refinement, and gentlemanship, adding that his songs bring people of all generations together.

    However, the requiem mass on Saturday was not the only farewell event. On Friday, people had the opportunity to say goodbye to Karel Gott at the Žofín Palace on Slavonic Island in the center of Prague. The singer’s coffin was placed in the large hall of the Žofín Palace. Gott´s fans were coming to honor the memory of Karel Gott from 8 am till midnight. The organizers estimate that the number of people who came to say goodbye to the singer reached 50,000.

    Pop singer Karel Gott, who had acute leukemia, died on October 1st. 

  • Rohlík.cz to launch in Budapest in December

    Rohlík.cz, an online store specializing in grocery delivery, is about to reach 4.5 billion CZK turnover this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 80 percent, said the owner of the company Tomáš Čupr. Currently, the company´s focus is on Hungary as it will enter the local market in December.

    “We have a local team over there, which adjusts the warehouse, creates the assortment offer, and prepares a marketing campaign to launch the brand,” said Čupr.

    According to Čupr, the Hungarian market is similar to the Czech one. Due to frequent traffic congestion, however, the e-shop will have to prolong the time of delivery up to three hours. “There are big brands in Hungary, but they don’t offer such a fast service. Tesco, Spar, and Auchan offer only a next day delivery,” Čupr added. The e-shop will also embrace the Hungarian wine tradition as it plans to cooperate with local producers. 

    Furthermore, the Rohlík.cz e-shop will also introduce the Marks & Spencer food brand to Hungary. “It will be interesting to test the entrance of the brand to the market as there are no Marks & Spencer stores in Hungary,” said Čupr, adding that in the future, the e-shop would also like to deliver Marks & Spencer fresh food.

    One of the other goals of Rohlík.cz is to enter the Austrian market through Vienna, preferably in the next year. According to Čupr, the company is still learning how to expand. However, the aim is to establish a stable role in the German market in the next five years as well. “For me, entering the German market is an important measure of success. Paradoxically, there is no strong German competition for our company. We have a technological lead,” he concluded.

  • Petříček to ask Turkey´s ambassador about Syria

    “On Monday, I will summon the Turkish ambassador. Also, I am to leave to address the situation in Syria with the whole EU. I am in favor of a diplomatic solution,” Minister Petříček said.

    On Thursday, after a meeting of top constitutional officials at Prague Castle, the Minister said that the Czech Republic supported a joint EU response condemning the Turkish military operation in northeast Syria. He also expressed concern about the impact of the offensive on civilians.

    Last Wednesday, Turkey had launched the operation at the Syrian border. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker then called on Ankara to halt the operation. France condemned the Turkish offensive and, together with Britain and other European countries, convened the UN Security Council, which failed to agree on a joint statement on the Turkish offensive on Thursday.

    On Sunday, after a meeting of President Miloš Zeman´s expert team at Lány Chateau, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš again condemned the Turkish operation in Syria criticizing Europe for doing nothing but calls and condemnations.

    Babiš himself endorsed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plan to create a “safe zone” in northern Syria in late September. After the Turkish invasion targeting the Kurds, he pointed out that the plan he discussed with Erdogan “never involved a military occupation of northeast Syria”.

  • Zeman and Babiš condemn “green fanaticism”

    The participants of the Sunday meeting of President Zeman´s team discussed the position of the new European Commission, whose functioning since November 1st is threatened after the disapproval of the candidates of France, Hungary, and Romania. They also discussed the strategy of the Visegrad Group for further negotiations with the European Commission.

    After the meeting, PM Babiš again criticized the European Union for not being ready and active in foreign policy regarding the Turkish offensive in Syria. Babiš has previously condemned the Turkish military operation in northeast Syria saying he is convinced that the situation could have been avoided if the world powers actively negotiated with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    Turkey launched the operation at the Syrian border last Wednesday. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker then called on Ankara to halt the operation. France condemned the Turkish offensive and, together with Britain and Germany, called for the convening of the UN Security Council. The Czech PM believes that except calls and condemnations, Europe has done nothing.

    According to Babiš, Zeman’s team also spoke about supporting the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the European Union, energy security, the EU financial framework, Brexit, migration, and climate commitments. Participants of the meeting condemned “green fanaticism as a new religion that could threaten the economic development of European countries,” President Zeman’s spokesman Jiří Ovčáček wrote on Twitter.

    Approximately once a month, Zeman invites his advisors, experts, and members of the government to regular meetings in Lány Chateau. For example, in September, Minister of Industry Karel Havlíček (ANO) and other representatives of the economic sector discussed energy, investment, and export with the President.