Hungary last year reached unparalleled success in stimulating foreign investments, Szíjjártó said at a press conference. He said in 2018 Hungary benefited from 98 new large investments with a combined value of HUF 1,380 billion (US$4.9 billion), to which the state’s contribution was HUF 135 billion.
He said the above investments created over 17,000 new jobs with an average monthly salary of HUF 425,700 (US$1,510) which was 40 percent higher than the average in 2017.
Also as a result of the new investments, unemployment in Hungary remained at a 3.6 percent low – equaling full employment – and higher wages also contributed significantly to domestic consumption, one of the drivers of economic growth.
The animated map presents all the battles which have taken place in the last 4,500 years. Owing to this, one can see which part of the world was the most important at any given time. Although the information comes from Wikipedia, it is presented in a very unique way.
The battles start in the Middle East and China, then near the end of the ancient period the Roman Empire takes over. Later, the Medieval period shows all the battles which took place in Europe.
France at the top, Poland at 7th place
The country with the most battles won is France with 1,115, followed by Britain with 1,105 and the United States 833. Poland won 344 battles, which places it above the Roman Empire, 259.
In the coming days, the Ministry of Culture is to submit to the government a document entitled “30 Years of Democracy and Freedom” with a list of forthcoming festive events. According to the document, which is being created under the surveillance of the Minister of Culture Antonín Staněk (ČSSD), the above mentioned anniversaries represent an “opportunity for self-reflection of the modern Czech orientation”.
According to information available so far, not many large events are being planned. Further tensions between President Miloš Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s government on the one side, and the right-wing opposition on the other side, which were accompanied by protests during 2018, are expected.
To celebrate the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution on November 17th, for example, the National Gallery will prepare an exhibition that will represent the year of 1989 in photographs. The National Museum will open an exhibition titled “History of the 20th Century”.
Celebrations for the twenty years of membership of the Czech Republic in NATO are in the hands of the Defense and Foreign Ministries. The celebrations will focus on March 12th, 2019, when the ministries, in cooperation with the Jagello 2000 Association, will organize a conference, titled “Our safety is not a matter of course”. On the same day, a gala night will be held at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters. The celebrations are to emphasize that the Czech Republic is a stable and full member of NATO and wants to actively participate in shaping the future of Europe through membership of the EU.
The Czech Republic officially became a member of NATO on March 12th, 1999. In Independence, Missouri, the then Foreign Minister Jan Kavan and his colleagues from Poland and Hungary, Bronislaw Geremek and János Martonyi, submitted the ratification papers for their countries’ entry into NATO to US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
However, Kavan was primarily involved in negotiations on the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU. He emphasizes that at that time, the majority of citizens clearly supported the accession to the EU, but it does not today. A recent Eurobarometer showed that the Czechs are the most pessimistic about the benefits of EU membership across Europe. And the top constitutional officials also show skepticism. For example, President Miloš Zeman would like to support a referendum on the Czech Republic’s EU membership, although claiming he would vote for staying. The President of the Senate, Jaroslav Kubera, is clearly a Eurosceptic, and thus the pro-Western orientation is mainly held by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, at least so far.
The Greatest Slovak poll is organized by RTVS public radio. It was opened for voting on November 1st last year and is due to close on May 1st, 2019. A number of well-known politicians as well as actors, athletes and church leaders have emerged among the top 100 most popular figures.
Alexander Dubcek, the 1968 Prague Spring communist reform movement leader, and Gustav Husak, who was Czechoslovakian president in the post-1968 hardline communist period, have both advanced to the final. Among the top ten are Catholic priest and politician Andrej Hlinka, brigand Juraj Janosik, cycling star Peter Sagan and First World War politician and co-founder of the Czechoslovak Republic Milan Rastislav Stefanik.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who was born in Bratislava to a Slovak family, but joined the Czech Republic after the velvet revolution, finished 89th. In the poll, he got more votes than for example Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. Robert Fico, the former Slovak Prime Minister, ranked 35th which is better than the result of current President Andrej Kiska who placed 55th.
The poll has not avoided controversy. In the autumn, RTVS, following the criticism, dismissed former Slovak president Jozef Tiso, who cooperated with the Nazis and was executed in 1947 for treason. There is also speculation about the nationality of some people. This concerns, for example, American painter Andy Warhol as well as Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Croatia.
Charles IV, the 14th century king of the Czech Kingdom and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, was elected the Greatest Czech of all time in a similar poll in 2005. The emperor was followed by the founder of Czechoslovakia, President Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, and former Czech President Vaclav Havel.
Police found a group of Iraqis in the freezer box of Jiří Sagan´s truck near Calais. The driver defended himself by stating that he did not know anything about them. The French court, in its earlier judgement, stated that the Czech driver facilitated the movement of illegal migrants and sentenced Sagan to one and a half years in prison.
However, according to Sagan’s lawyer Ladislav Drha, the French police did not take into account some important evidence. “There was, reportedly, an inspection of the truck interior that Mr. Sagan attended, and the loads were not marked as going to Great Britain. But we have evidence that Mr. Sagan was not present during the inspection and that the goods were marked. The protocol therefore describes the exact opposite. It is a document that Mr. Sagan refused to sign just for this reason,” he explains.
The Czech driver has been in custody since the beginning of July. The family could not visit or call him for five months. It is not yet clear when exactly the court will pass a judgement. “As a rule, the judgement is not announced directly at the French courts. It takes about 14 days or one month to prepare a written copy,” Drha describes. According to him, the court may also adjourn further proceedings and delay the adjudication.
Former Czech President Václav Klaus criticizes the concept of the Eurozone as an artificial, controversial and inconsistent category, and prefers using the more precise phrase “introduction of the euro” instead.
According to Klaus, the euro is not a success, but one of the biggest issues of European integration. The Eurozone as a whole will not face any harm. However, those Eurozone countries that do not comply with the current euro exchange rate and the single monetary policy will face many problems.
Many were obvious beforehand: the economists mostly warned, although with a various amount of force and urgency, against introducing one currency in the non-optimal currency zone. Politicians – again, mostly – were not listening.
The assumption that the introduction of the common currency would lead to the gradual creation of an optimal currency zone was complete nonsense from the beginning. In twenty years of experience with the euro, this mistake was confirmed. The Eurozone is the slowest growing economic zone in the world. No one can reasonably consider it to be a success.
In the near future, some Eurozone countries will face threats such as the systemic risk of Italian banks (and some other European South Banks), or the ending of “quantitative easing” recently announced by Governor Draghi. The question is also whether the European countries disadvantaged by the euro will survive the end of easy financing of budget deficits when the European Central Bank ceases to buy their government bonds.
“Are these countries prepared for the ´bad weather´ such as the crisis of 2008 to 2009 caused?” Klaus concluded his answer.
The inflow of European Union funds and continued strong domestic consumption will fuel a continuing strong economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe, the ECB report says. Inflation will also probably remain contained by falling energy prices, despite a tighter labor market situation.
Growth in the Eurozone will remain, but might slow somewhat. Unemployment in Western Europe is also likely to fall further, albeit at a slower rate.
The global economy, however, will experience a slowdown this year, due to the rising cost of borrowing and the ongoing U.S.-Chinese trade war.
“Looking ahead, global economic activity is expected to decelerate in 2019 and remain steady thereafter,” the ECB report said. “Global inflationary pressures are expected to rise slowly as spare capacity diminishes.”
Besides the trade war, the partial U.S. government shutdown is also likely to have a negative impact on the economy there, with about 30 million small and medium sized businesses likely to feel the effects of the stalemate in Washington.
Friar Julian was a Dominican monk from the order’s monastery in Esztergom, northern Hungary. The young order was established by Pope Honorius III. in 1221 with the explicit aim to evangelize Eastern Europe. Julian and two of his brethren started a perilous journey to the East in 1235, purportedly to find the legendary “ancestral homeland”, which they eventually did.
The ancestral home, dubbed “Magna Hungaria” (Greater Hungary in Latin) was in Volga Bulgaria, a state that is now in Eastern Russia between the Volga river and the Ural mountains. Despite the fact that the Magyars split into two groups some 400 years earlier – with one group colonizing the Carpathian basin in Europe in the 9th century – their languages remained mutually intelligible. His two companions did not survive the hardships of the trip, but Julian returned to Hungary in 1236 with news of the old homeland and – just as importantly – the imminent Mongol threat.
His first trip was documented by Pater Ricardus – supposedly his superior – in a missive to the Papal court that is still in the Vatican archives. Julian went back to the ancestral land on a second trip in 1237, only to find it had already been devastated by the Tatars.
Hungarian historian Borbála Obrusánszky – based on the fact that the account of the trip has relatively little tangible information on the Hungarians themselves – theorizes that Julian was probably on a mission ordered by Pope Gregory IX to explore the possibility of a joint Christian-Mongol crusade to the Holy Land. Other historians, however, are somewhat skeptical of her theory.
In any event, the Tatars invaded Hungary (and a significant chunk of Europe with it) in 1241, killing about half of the country’s population of about three million and leaving it in ruins.
Title image: Friar Julian portrayed in an 1991 Hungarian historical movie.
The biggest issue is, obviously, Brexit. Following that is the ongoing migrant crisis and the threat to the external EU borders. The Eurozone is in serious danger and several countries are stigmatized by the European Commission. Europe is divided not only into West and East, but also North and South. Meanwhile, the EU’s policies concerning Russia have not been successful and France and Germany are in conflict with the USA.
Despite the two-year negotiations with the United Kingdom, the country sees the negotiated deal as humiliation. This is because Tusk and Juncker wanted to embarrass the UK and make sure no other country would dare to leave. This will lead to a hard Brexit, which will have disastrous consequences for both the UK and the rest of the EU.
Tusk and Juncker wanted to embarrass the UK and make sure no other country would dare to leave
Although the migration crisis is ongoing, it is not as dire as it was in 2016, due to the EUR 6 billion deal with Turkey and the Italian government’s agreements with Libya. The concept of strengthening external EU borders and helping migrants in their home countries, introduced by the V4, turned out to be successful and has been adopted by the EU administration.
The European Commission has taken action not only against Poland and Hungary, but also Romania and Italy, which all have a government whose political ideology is not in line with the Brussels establishment.
Italy’s 2.5 percent GDP deficit is not acceptable by the EC, whereas France’s over 3 percent GDP deficit has just been accepted
The Southern Eurozone countries are not being taken seriously by the European Commission. This is shown by comparing the budgets of Italy and France – Italy’s 2.5 percent GDP deficit is not acceptable by the EC, whereas France’s over 3 percent GDP deficit has just been accepted.
Add the policy fiasco against Russia, which has not retreated from Ukraine and the very bad relations with the USA, then we show how inept the EU’s leadership has been to solve the Union’s problems.
The smallest apartment sold in 2018 was a mere eight square meters (86 square feet) situated in the downtown area of the Hungarian capital’s 13th district, while the largest was a 800 square meters residence in the northern Komárom-Esztergom county, the agency’s highlights show.
In the capital, the cheapest apartment – a 30 square meters flat in the industrial Csepel island – went for a mere HUF 6 million (US$21,142), while the most expensive, a 600 square meters villa in the prestigious 2nd district was sold for HUF 440 million (US$1.55 million). True, the latter has six bedrooms, its own elevator, indoor swimming pool and garage.
The highest price per square meter (HUF 2.1 million or US$7,400) was commanded by a flat in the capital’s Castle district – but this one also has a 50 square meter terrace with a magnificent view of the Danube and the rest of Budapest.
The oldest apartment sold was in a 284-year-old building in the historic center of the western Hungarian town of Sopron near the Austrian border.
Turnover on the real estate market was also picking up, with the number of apartments sold up 3 percent in 2018 while average prices rose by 11.8 percent, and the average time on the market was around three months for any given apartment. Duna House analysts expect a similar growth in sales volume this year while prices are expected to increase moderately.
Czaja urged the German senate to “face up to the new competition” and to quickly finish work on BER (which is meant to be Germany’s flagship airport) and to invest a further EUR 1.1 billion in Tegel airport.
“We still have an advantage over competition from Warsaw,” Czaja told “Berliner Zeitung”. He warned that if Germany closes Tegel and does not complete BER on time, they will lose their advantage.
Czaja proposed that all European flights should take off and land at Tegel. This would let other German airports serve more intercontinental flights. Berlin’s main attractiveness as a business location are its flight connections to Beijing, Shanghai Singapore, Mumbai, New York and Washington D.C.
“Long-distance connections are the condition for the presence of international companies,” Czaja underlined.
Previously, BER was meant to be completed in November 2011. The new deadline is October 2020. Polish Central Airport is planned for 2025-27.
“USA Secretary Pompeo met with the new president of Brazil, Jair Bolsanaro in Brasilia, Did you know that U.S. are the second largest trading partner of Brazil and the main export destination for manufactured and semi-manufactured Brazilian products?” read a tweet from the Brazilian government accompanied by a picture of Orbán and Bolsanaro.
In good humor, the U.S. in Brazil responded: “Thank you so much for this great tweet highlighting the strong relations between our two countries, but the photo is not of Secretary Pompeo. :)”
Both politicians attended the inauguration of president-elect Bolsanaro. The Brazilian government has since updated its Twitter feed and the mistake is no longer there.
“The EU as an institution is in need of reform. When I speak with PMs of other countries, most of them agree, that it is necessary to change procedures and institutions,” Morawiecki told the Financial Times. “But they are waiting for the upcoming elections to the European Parliament,” he added.
He dismissed concerns that Europe is heading in the direction of authoritarianism: “People in Brussels do not completely understand the situation of post-communist countries,” he said. Morawiecki argued that Poland’s judiciary reforms are necessary to remove the last marks of Poland’s communist past.
People in Brussels do not completely understand the situation of post-communist countries
The Polish PM also compared the “Yellow Vests” protests in France to the “controversial” Polish judiciary reforms and criticized Brussels’ double standards. “We could imagine, that if these brutal police interventions against protests took place in Poland, it would be strongly brought up in Brussels, Berlin and maybe even Paris,” he said.
The Polish PM urged the EC to drop rule of law case against Warsaw after the ECJ decision. Morawiecki argued that each country has its challenges and “so we have challenges connected to the judiciary, which has not been reformed over the last 30 years.”
Polish fighters landed at the Lithuanian airbase in Siaulai on Saturday.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, Poland is “one of the more active members of the mission.” Poland has been a part of the mission since 2005 and this is the second time that the Polish F-16s have flown to Lithuania.
Previously, the Baltic countries were protected by Polish MiG-29 aircraft. Until April 2019, Germany will be the country assisting Poland and German troops will be stationed in the Estonian Amari base.
Poland is one of the more active members of the mission
During the Baltic Air Policing mission, certain members of NATO patrol the skies over Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, since the Baltic states do not possess their own fighters. The main goal is to counteract airspace violations by Russian planes.
Baltic Air Policing has been ongoing since the Baltic countries joined NATO in 2004.
In the premiere New Year´s speech from the second highest constitutional official, Kubera called on the citizens of the Czech Republic to treat others as they would like to be treated themselves. He added that decency is not a weakness. The President of the Senate believes that the state often tries to control its citizens too much and restricts them by regulations such as banning smoking in restaurants.
Kubera also criticized the new EU privacy rules (GDPR) or the trend of erasing the differences between men and women. A man, a woman, and family in a broader sense, according to Kubera, “are above all like Mount Everest is.” The speech was broadcast by all the Czech public service media.
At the same time, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Radek Vondráček (ANO) praised the good Czech economic results in his speech, adding that the country owes its success to the millions of hard-working citizens, and also warning against the freedom of speech being misused to attack other people.
On her Twitter profile, former campaigner for equality Martina Navratilova claimed that people who were born male should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports events. The former Wimbledon winner was swiftly accused of being “transphobic” by Rachel McKinnon, the leader of something what can be called “Trans Taliban“.
Navratilova’s remarks came in response to a question from a Twitter follower who asked her about transgender women in sport: “Clearly that can’t be right. You can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women,” the nine-time Wimbledon champion wrote. “There must be some standards and having a penis and competing as a woman would not fit that standard,” she added.
That is transphobic, wrote McKinnon to the tennis players on Twitter. “Genitals do not play sports,” she continued and asked: “What part of a penis is related to tennis? How does that ‘level’ any playing field?” She started the avalanche of tweets in which “women” of the trans community attacked Navratilova.
The fact that Navratilova was the target of the “Trans Taliban” is way too strange. The emigrant from the former Communist Czechoslovakia admitted lesbian orientation back in 1981, when it was nearly a crime. After she came out with truth, some of the audience whistled, sponsors were cancelling contracts and her coach Renne Richards suffered threats.
Navratilova defended the LGBT community, including transgenders. Two years ago, she even criticized former tennis No. 1 Margaret Court for demonishing the transgender population when Court said that transgenders are the devil’s work.
Navratilova deleted the tweet under pressure, apologized and wrote that she would no longer comment on the topic. After repeated attacks she changed her mind. “I will not be silent,” she wrote, adding one clear message for McKinnon – “You’re a terrible person.”
Václav Klaus has appraised his successor, current president Miloš Zeman, with whom he often deeply disagrees, but also thanks at the same time. “These concern his rational anti-immigration attitude and a more rational look at where there is a real danger to our country, whether it comes from China, Russia, or maybe more from the West. In these matters, I have to admit that it is good that at least someone says so, because the political parties, the so-called democratic forces in the Chamber, do not dare to say anything like this at all. Politicians from these parties are cowardly, not courageous,” says Klaus, recalling his visit to Budapest, where he was awarded the Petöfi Prize at the end of December.
The debate in Hungary, according to Klaus, is different, because Viktor Orbán does not dissemble and plays a clear political game when he calls things by real names. That is what the Czech Republic needs, too.
Even regarding the situation in Brussels, Klaus is not happy and is worried about what the EU will do with the UK. He believes the European Empire shows during Brexit how it intends to treat its opponents. Brussels does not care what happens to Britain or other Union countries. In particular, it wants to punish and humiliate Britain for saying that the EU is not the best.
Neither the government’s party ANO nor the opposition and Klaus’s home party ODS are able to present such strong views and attitudes as Orbán in Hungary or the UK departing from the EU. ODS suffers from emptiness without opinion, has no courage to call things by real names, and the ruling ANO, headed by PM Andrej Babiš, draws the appropriate benefits from the incompetence of the opposition.
In this context, Klaus is worried about what will happen in 2019. He expects, for example, the pressure to accept climate foolishness, pressure to restrain free car riding, forced use of solar energy and other areas. “I’m frightened of strengthening genderism and feminist insanity. I fear the Greens´ victory over normal people and common sense,” Klaus summarizes.
Speaking about some of the results, Babis highlighted surplus budgets as well as reducing government debt and economic growth. “We have a very good budget that dramatically increases pensions and salaries. Last but not least, we have the lowest unemployment rate in Europe and we are the sixth or seventh safest country in the world,“ the PM said in a TV interview.
According to Babis, the Czech government will focus primarily on expanding electronic cash registers (better known as EET) and lowering VAT on selected services. Other major changes are expected in the area of construction law. “If that happens, it will be incredible. Today we need about 20 to 150 stamps before building permission. After recodification, there will be one office, one decision within 60 days,” the PM said about the government’s flagship measure.
The Czech PM also confirmed that he will seek re-election as chairman of ANO at the national party congress in February, adding that he fully backs ANO deputy chairman Jaroslav Faltynek as the second most important member of the movement which Babis founded in 2011.
Also, Babis did not rule out a reshuffle of his cabinet of ANO and the Social Democrats (CSSD), while Vojtech Filip, whose Communists (KSCM) keep the minority cabinet afloat, branded the performance of the foreign and transport ministers dissatisfactory. PM´s dissatisfaction with Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek has long been known, however, Babis refused to comment on the situation of ministers from other parties.
“Here we still have three hours till 2019. Happy New Year, Hungary!” Orbán wrote on his Facebook page. The message was accompanied by a photo taken at Brasília airport upon his arrival. Orbán was attending the inauguration of President Jair Bolsonaro.
In line with modern building requirements, the Hall has a reinforced concrete load-bearing structure, but is as close to the original in both materials and execution as possible. The Buda Castle Riding Hall – part of the extension of the Buda royal residence – was completed in 1901 and badly damaged during World War II and remained in ruins ever since.
The Riding Hall in 1945
Ferenc Potzner, the architect in charge of the reconstruction told Magyar Hírlap that they did not only work from the original plans but also gathered all technical and execution documentation, drawings, schematics and photos made during the original construction, as some of the finished details were different from the original plan.
The end result is that – apart from the concrete structure not being visible anywhere – the building will look exactly as it did 118 years ago, when opened. The walls have thermal insulation, brick inner and outer linings and the facade has – like the original – been finished in Roman cement. The limestone for the stone elements of the building (such as floors, stairs and other decorative inlays) came from the same quarry. Wrought iron ornamentation is also identical to the original, as is the red and green English slate roofing.
The hall is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 and will serve as a location for equestrian events, balls and fairs.
Olszewski commented that during Poland’s attempts to join NATO in the 1990s, Wałęsa can claim no merit: “It was the exact opposite. (…) The day before my visit to the United States, Wałęsa put forward the idea of NATO bis. This was a shock for everyone and it had not been consulted with me as PM.”
NATO bis was meant to be a defense treaty between Central Eastern European countries. “It’s hard to imagine that sooner or later, Russia would not take a lead role in our entire region,” Olszewski said. He added that Wałęsa had not even consulted over the project with the foreign minister.
2019 will be dominated not only by two Polish elections, but also those in Ukraine, which will shape the future of the country’s relations with Russia
Olszewski also argued that he was not surprised by Wałęsa’s recent praise of Vladimir Putin.
The former PM claimed that in the last year, the most important events were those happening in Ukraine. “Although some seem to have forgotten, a real armed conflict with Russia is ongoing.”
According to Olszewski, 2019 will be dominated not only by two Polish elections, but also those in Ukraine, which will shape the future of the country’s relations with Russia.
Try as we might, we cannot see every single point of the globe at once. In a famous anecdote at a New Year’s Eve party in 1989 two people debated which was the most important event of the year. The German, of course, said it was the fall of the Berlin wall, while the Japanese insists that on the contrary, it was the death of Emperor Hirohito.
The same is also true for the present. Let us first take a look at the European elections. While George Friedman – one of the most original strategic thinkers of our time – says the European Parliament has no real power, he is also an American. The elections will not only decide the future composition of the parliament, but also the succession of last year’s model, the verbose Jean-Claude Juncker.
By summer, the new arena in which Hungary has to fight its coming battles will have been defined. Conservatives hope it will be one more conducive to national interests while the opposition sees it as a difficult period for Viktor Orbán.
There are also the many unresolved issues around Brexit, where the conditions and outcomes of an unprecedented political event – a member state leaving the Union – have yet to be established. Be that as it may, it now looks like in three months time Britain will no longer be a member.
But we must also keep an eye on the world’s and Europe’s most important countries: in the United States the question is how will Donald Trump’s presidency – entering its second half – be able to withstand growing pressures. In Europe, the big question is how long Merkel’s rule will last and how a possible change in leadership will affect its relations with Hungary.
While another Hungarian analyst said recently that 2018 was worse than 2017 but better than 2019 will be, we remain optimistic.
Romania has taken over the presidency for six months from Austria and will be followed by Finland. During its presidency, the European Union will hold its legislative elections in May and still has to work out most of the final Brexit details.
This is the first time Romania – which joined the EU in 2007 – assumes the position, which was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty that came into effect in 2009. While some changes in the EU power structure mean that the presidency is less pivotal than before, the country in charge is still tasked with setting the agenda of ministerial meetings and working out compromises between member states.
Since the Social-Democrat PSD won the Romanian elections in 2016, the formerly strong europhile country has been increasingly critical of Brussels. PSD strongman Liviu Dragnea has, for example, said that the EU is “unfair” and is attempting to deny Bucharest “the right to hold its own opinions”.
Just before Romania took over the helm, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Die Welt on December 29th that although Romania was “technically well prepared” for the presidency, the “Bucharest government has not fully understood what it means to preside over the countries of the EU”.
The EU presidency “requires a willingness to listen to others and a willingness to put one’s own concerns in the background. I have some doubts about this,” Juncker said.
In contrast, European Council President Donald Tusk said he is confident that Romania “will deliver” as it takes over the rotating leadership of the Council of the EU. “Happy New Year! I wish Romania all the best with your first EU presidency. I am confident you will deliver and look forward to working with you,” Tusk wrote on Twitter.
The first task of Romania during the presidency will be hosting a January 10th summit in Bucharest where the Commission will discuss the agenda for the next six months.
Polish internauts were quick to turn the political jibes against their author:
“Amazing, you’ve finally understood that democrats and patriots want Poland to be the best she can. PiS voters will be grateful for your wishes and will do all they can so that 2019 will be victorious for PiS and for Poland.”
Niesamowite,wreszcie pan zrozumiał że patrioci i demokraci chcą i życzą Polsce jak najlepiej.Wyborcy Zjednoczonej Prawicy są wdzięczni panu za te życzenia i na pewno dołożą starań żeby rok 2019 był zwycięski dla PIS i Polski.
81 percent of the surveyed claimed that they are religious and 3 percent claim that they are non-believers.
More than 70 percent of Poles pray at least once a week and about a half of Poland’s population participates in masses or other religious services on a weekly basis.
In comparison to 2015, in 2018 the number of people declaring their affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church has dropped by less than 1 percentage point.
More than 70 percent of Poles pray at least once a week and about a half of Poland’s population participates in masses or other religious services on a weekly basis
The largest religion in Poland is Roman Catholics – 91.9 percent. Members of other churches and religious associations make up 1.7 percent of people aged 16 and above.
The passing year can be counted as one of the few good ones for Poles and Poland since 1989.
Despite furious attacks from the “total” opposition towards all the changes, which positively influenced the development and growth of our country’s economy, it was possible to maintain that growth at a record level: 5 percent year to year.
This is the great success of PM Mateusz Morawiecki’s government, who was able to dodge the obstacles put in his way by all those, who still feel best in a weak Poland, humiliated, whom no one in Europe and in the world respects. Yet the true challenge awaits us next year, when Poles will decide the existence of some parties.
This is the great success of PM Mateusz Morawiecki’s government, who was able to dodge the obstacles put in his way by all those, who still feel best in a weak Poland, humiliated, whom no one in Europe and in the world respects
Fierce fight ahead
That is why we should expect furious attacks from the opposition towards anyone, who can threaten them. What they can do, we have already witnessed in the last three years. If we add the frontal assault of sympathetic to the opposition media, we can imagine what will be happening in a couple of months.
This will also be used by all those in the European Union, who will try to hide the revolt of their people against their inept rule with lies about Poland.
Chalánková praised Orbán as a protector of Christian culture and marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Every European leader should maintain such a position if we want to save our civilization, Chalánková said, adding that today’s Europe needs a man like Orbán. According to the senator, cooperation among central European countries is the most effective way to oppose Brussels and its migration policy.
The curious fact, according to Chalánková, is that EU representatives criticized Prime Minister Orbán for his measures to stop the wave of mass migration. But after some time — and much more quietly — they admitted that the steps that Orbán’s Hungary took helped slow migration.
“I certainly appreciate Viktor Orbán for his uncompromising defense of basic, conservative values,” Chalánková said adding that “contemporary Europe needs a man like him. If only for the way he has held a mirror up to the EU, opposing poor decisions and the unhealthy tendencies of European policy. “
Chalánková also highlighted cooperation among the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Austria, pointing to their common history within Austria-Hungary. “I think that today during the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia we, and especially politicians, should calmly and without any emotions and old feelings of hurt look into the future. Just to learn to work better,“ Chalánková said.
The authors of the pact back the document by saying it is non-binding. On the other hand, critics point out that the document will change Europe forever, more than a decision of Angela Merkel to open borders in 2015.
The Pact is radical because it perceives economic migrants as being equal to political refugees. Although the document declares that it is non-binding, it sets out the general objectives to be reached by governments. That is how it reduces our sovereignty and the right to manage immigration as we want.
We should pay attention to the official position of the German government that should be considered as one of the main pillars of the Pact. The text “is conceived as legally nonbinding, but politically binding”, commentator Kaiser recalled the conclusions.
Saying that Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and António Guterres are among the three main authors of the Pact, Kaiser drew attention to the role of Guterres. He has long been the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the organization that regularly publishes studies that migration is de facto and nothing wrong. We can often read arguments such as the West is dying out and, on the other hand, more and more children are born in Africa. Perfect match, don´t you think?
Germany has also been pushing the pact for a long time, but Angela Merkel lost a major ally shortly after the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election. The remaining 192 governments of the world have approved the final text this July.
Soon after, Hungary, followed by other Visegrad countries as well as Austria, refused to sign the document. It could be assumed that there would be more and more opponents if the summit in Marrakech were to take place later.
Finally and unfortunately, the Pact was adopted. Now we have to wait to see how much it will be reflected in EU legislation as well as in the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. This will be decisive for us.
At the beginning of the interview, Mora highlighted the high quality of life in the Czech Republic, such as functioning public transport and a high level of healthcare. Nevertheless, some Czechs are dissatisfied just as the people of many other countries, which is related to the manifestations of globalization and has resulted in the election of Donald Trump, Brexit or the Yellow Vests movement in France.
However, the economic level and its development in the Czech Republic are favorable. Economists expect the economy to grow at about three percent, which is very solid growth, though slowing down compared to the past.
“We will see what comes next. The first signs of an economic slowdown are coming. We see it in Germany. The question is to what extent these are just temporary symptoms, related, for example, to the new regulatory requirements for car homologation. Or if it is something more permanent,” says Mora.
According to Mora, we can expect a continuing, relatively strong salary growth, but it will also weaken slightly. The growth of salaries takes companies away from their profits, but it also forces them to think about investments and increasing productivity, so they are competitive and profitable.
“The black and white environment of Brussels,” Mora described as the reason for his departure from Brussels. He does not agree with the opinion of the intellectuals there, who want to build a European federation and condemn Brexit as an incomprehensible thing, as well as they do not recognize the election of Donald Trump as a manifestation of democracy.
Mora believes that some politicians in Brussels live in illusion and ignore the fact that fundamental problems lie especially within the eurozone itself while blaming the post-communist countries of Central Europe. Macron’s view that a quick entry into the eurozone is necessary for these countries, or else they will find themselves on the edge of the EU, considers Mora to be nonsense. Such integration, including pressure on debt-sharing, is, at least shortly, unrealistic. Moreover, the euro does not have to survive the next crisis if it looks like the one we have experienced after 2008. The most powerful countries like Germany would probably leave the eurozone, and the entire project of European integration could fall.
Mora believes in the European Union, but he would appreciate slowing down the pace of integration and deciding what direction to go in. Which is an opinion that the European establishment condemns as Euroscepticism, and thus is the European Union murdering itself from Brussels.
Recalling the struggle against absurd migration quotas, Zeman said the Visegrad Group had achieved the impossible. “In the the beginning, it seemed that migration quotas would be mandatory. Now, this nonsense is not even discussed,“ the president said.
Zeman also expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), Social Democrat (CSSD) leader Jan Hamáček and Communist (KSCM) leader Vojtěch Filip for forming and supporting the cabinet.
The autumn demonstrations at which people demanded the resignation of the government and especially of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš amount to a rejection of the will of the citizens expressed through free elections, he said. According to the Czech President, a citizen in a democratic society respects the results of free elections, even if he does not like it.
In an additional interview for ParliamentniListy.cz, Zeman praised the economic performance of the Czech Republic. On the other hand, mentioning the emerging trade and tariff wars between the United States and China, Great Britain’s departure from the EU and a labor shortage as possible reasons behind what he warned could be an emerging slowdown in the economy.
Zeman also reiterated his criticism of the country’s intelligence service, BIS, for its warning regarding heightened activities of Russian and Chinese agents on Czech territory. The president described it as unjustified “spy mania“ and said that it provokes irrational thinking among Czechs, making them seem easily manipulated.
According to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, President Miloš Zeman’s Christmas speech avoided confrontation and remained objective. Critics claimed the speech offered nothing new, simply repeating the president’s well-known views.
Good evening. You’re watching Echo TV’s V4 program. Between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, Hungary was the president of the Visegrád group for the fifth time. The main task of the presidency was to lead intergovernmental V4 cooperation (which currently has become very diverse and intensive), to develop common positions, and to organize political and professional meetings and joint projects. The presidency was closed with a large conference at the Várkert Bazár. A number of prestigious foreign guests gave presentations at the event. Vaclav Klaus, former president of the Czech Republic, and Douglas Murray, author of the bestseller The Strange Death of Europe, gave exclusive interviews to Echo TV.
What do you see as the current strength of the V4 in the EU?
It is not a simple question because I am afraid that the Visegrád Group is weaker than it seems. I think that the internal strength of the Visegrád Four is not so great, because Hungary, through the voice of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, is strong, and so is Poland, but my own country (the Czech Republic) and Slovakia are the weakest parts of the chain. And, I am afraid that there is no visible policy from the otherwise non-existent Czech government that could help the situation. So, there is no complete unity of interest in the V4.
This is a very serious criticism, especially against your own country, the Czech Republic. If we look at Slovakia, the domestic situation there is now unstable and fragile. In this regard it is interesting and very important what we can expect from the Slovakian Visegrád presidency in the next half year, since Slovakia will be the president of the V4 starting in July. You mentioned the strength and leadership of the Viktor Orbán; to what extent did the Visegrád cooperation succeed in becoming stronger during the Hungarian presidency?
What I said is neither a criticism of the Czech Republic nor of one of Slovakia, but rather a description of the real situation. I do not like wishful thinking. As a politician I have always resisted trying to present dreams as reality. I approach the results of the Visegrád group from a realistic point of view, and I spoke with a voice of realism, not one of criticism. I find this very important to say. The strength of the Visegrád group should be a community of interests, a unity of interest, but the interests are not the same. The Czech Republic sees certain issues differently from Poland or Slovakia or Hungary. So, there is no real unity of interests. There are apparently strong leaders in some countries, and there is a lack of leadership in other countries. In order to achieve something in the future, construction must begin within the countries, not just on the international scale. We have to do this within the country, and first of all I think that the Czech Republic needs to develop a concrete policy, not just phrases and formal declarations.
The question here follows logically: in your opinion, how much will the results of next year’s European elections overwrite the current of power positions?
People in Europe still do not take European elections seriously, or at least this is the case in the Czech Republic, but the situation is similar in Slovakia, too. If I remember correctly, the Czech Republic was second to last in terms of participation at the last European elections with a 17% turnout. I don’t know if it will improve next year. 17% of the population cast a vote at the European elections. They don’t take the elections seriously. I do not know whether this will change or whether there will be greater political forces appearing against the current direction of European integration. I’m not sure about that, but I will do everything to make it happen.
In connection with the migration crisis, we often talk about how the Western European elite has been kind of trapped by political correctness. Do you think that there is a chance to talk frankly about the very serious issues that determine the future of Europe, which were also the subject of theconference?
Mass migration co-organized by the European political elite based on multiculturalism, is, in my opinion, the main threat to Europe, to European societies, and to European culture. I also wrote a book on the issue of mass immigration, which has already been published in eight European languages. It was also published in Hungary this February. So, I gave a very strong opinion on this issue. I am afraid that Western Europe still does not feel this as strongly as we do. Our past is different, our memories are different, and other historical experiences are different. I think that the task for us is to explain and to tell our Western European colleagues why the current situation is tragic.
That’s right. The historical pasts are quite different in Central Eastern Europe and in Western Europe, and we still feel that strongly today. But, do you think there is a stimulus threshold that Western European leaders must reach? In other words, is this process reversible? Is it possible to shake up Angela Merkel or Macron from the current situation?
Of course, there are also changes in Western Europe. But, in my opinion, these changes are very small and very slow. I go to Western Europe weekly, and I give speeches. I do see a change compared to the situation five years ago or three years ago. But, the main problem is that the opinions of men of the street are quite different from the opinions of the political elite. There is a big gap between the two, and the lack of democracy in Europe and the European Union is striking. I know that very often people talk about a democratic deficit in Europe. I don’t agree. In my opinion, it is not a democratic deficit, but the lack of democracy. The deficit means that there is some democracy, but there are just some problems with it. I’m afraid that we live in a world where there is no democracy. The European Parliament is a good example of that, as it is not a parliament at all. There is no real dialogue between the government and the opposition. There is no freedom of speech. So, the European Parliament is just a joke. So, I do not agree that it is a democratic deficit.
Earlier in an interview you said, “Europe needs Viktor Orbán. Central Europe needs him, and we Czechs need him too, not just Hungarians.” What exactly did you mean?
I have been to Hungary three times in four months, which means that something is happening here. Nowadays, Hungary is a unique country that has decided not to suffer international tendencies and developments as a passive object. Hungary has decided to be an active participant in international political life. Congratulations to Hungary. Congratulations to the prime minister, and I regret that my own country is not doing so. New elections would be necessary, and a new political structure should be created in our country. Perhaps a new government and a new prime minister should be elected, because without such a change I do not think that current politicians can do meaningful things.
British writer Douglas Murray, author of the bestseller The Strange Death of Europe,is my next guest. Mr. Murray, in your opinion, when and why did Europe become for sale?
I would not say for sale. I think that our future is at risk. It is obvious, and this process has been going on for a very long time, and it just sped up in recent years. And, I think it has come about more in the absence of mind, in the absence of preparedness, than as a part of a bigger plan. Our civilization is at great risk.
Two questions about this. First, at the time when you decided to write about the other kind of truth, the one that you return to several times in the book, who was the majority: those who supported you or your opponents? Have they tried to make your venture impossible? Because, it is not in the interest of many to make the truth that you are writing about come to light. Or, we can say, your interpretation of the truth.
You know, the only task of a writer is to tell the truth. Of course, a lot of writers disagree with that. I have travelled around the world, not just in Europe. I have been to all European countries, and I have also seen the countries where people are fleeing from, from the Middle East to Africa. And, my opinion is that nobody at the peak of the migration crisis in 2015 thought through what would follow. For example, Greece or Italy probably thought that they could send migrants to different countries, but nobody thought through what would be the consequences of the process. And, I’m not talking about what is happening and being reported about in journalism, but thinking it though philosophically, culturally, socially. This is what I wrote about in my book. It is not popular with everybody, but I had far more supporters than opponents. My book has become a bestseller in the UK, and it is being translated into every European language. My view is that the general public is like me. They are able to see things with their own eyes. They do not need to be told what they should be seeing, because they open their eyes and they can see. There are some people who would like to stop that and they would like us to not see things. Nevertheless, I think that the general public and I are able to say honestly what we see.
Let’s name those whom you were mentioning earlier: first, those who planned the whole thing, who set the migrants on their way, and who did not think through the consequences, and, second, those who do not want this truth to come out. Let’s start with the first category. In your book you say that there is no conspiracy theory behind migration. What convinced you about that?
I understand why some people think in the framework of conspiracy theories. It is because, quite oddly, conspiracy makes the world look like a safer space. Our picture of the world looks more structured and safer if our worldview contains big plans that are forced secretly upon us. However, in the case of migration, I see a colossal mistake that we accidentally slipped into. Let me elaborate on this a little. Since the 1950s, Western European countries, from Germany to other places, have been inviting guest laborers in order to rebuild their societies after the Second World War. In my book I show that they did not fully understand this process. For example, in her 2010 Potsdam speech, Angela Merkel said that they had thought that the guest laborers would eventually go home. Now, I have to say that it is very unlikely that a person who came from a very poor country would return to his or her country of origin after having experienced life in a rich country. As I said, even Angela Merkel admitted that they were wrong to believe that, and Western European societies had to catch up in this regard. For example, they had to face that entire families would immigrate and that a chain of migration would start. Governments, for example the British government, tried to handle this, but it was too late, since if someone entered the country, then his or her spouse and children could come to the country as well, etc. This phenomenon sped up by the end of the 1990s in Britain and in the entire continent over the past 10 years. People were not concerned about this. For politicians, it was easier and more comfortable not to worry about the execution of the law. In my book I present instances of this. Many think that there is a great conspiracy theory in the background, and indeed it would be easier if there was, but I think that what happened is that multiple generations of European politicians just let go of the control and did not effectuate the law and regulations.
Do you still hold your opinion and claim that there is no conspiracy theory even though you know the work of certain NGOs very well? I mean, it is a fact that they work for a world without borders.
Yes, that is absolutely right, and I do touch upon the role of NGOs in my book. For example, I write about how the Italian government realized that the NGOs’ work conspire with human trafficking organizations. There are indeed NGOs that cooperate with migrant smugglers and they fight for a world without borders. But, this does not capture the essence of the work of the governments. It belongs to the big picture that, yes, there are actors who campaign for a world where there are no borders, and they should face the consequences of their actions. We know from two people now, as I write in the book, that in 2015 nobody told Angela Merkel to open the borders, but she said that they should not let pictures of the German border control stopping migrants at the border go viral. This was the sudden decision of a very important leader in a very important European moment, and the reason behind the decision was to prevent awkward pictures from appearing in the newspaper. Based on this concern, she suspended border control and thus created a problem that will last for generations for the people of Europe.
Mr. Murray, thank you so much.
Thank you.
Dear viewers, this was the last show of the V4 – The Future of Europe in 2018. On behalf of my colleagues and myself, thank you for your attention, and I wish you a happy new year. The next show will air on the 3rd of January. Goodbye.
The monastery was built in 1736 by the Carmelite order on the former site of a mosque that was destroyed in 1686 during the siege that liberated Buda from Ottoman occupation. The order received the real estate in 1693 and completed the new monastery and church by 1736, but it was consecrated only in 1763. Two decades later, Emperor Joseph II disbanded the order and converted the property into a theater by imperial order in 1786, “for the delectation of high-ranking court officials”.
The building then served as a theater for many years, except when it was turned into a munitions depot between 1914 and 1918 during WWI. Its refurbishment to suit the purposes of the Prime Minister’s Office began in 2016 at a cost of HUF 4 billion ($14.2 million).
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his staff in the new office
The building is adjacent to the Presidential Palace and has a commanding view of the Hungarian capital. Orbán’s office was converted from two monk cells.
Fueled by rising domestic consumption and practically full employment, in the first three quarters of 2018 the Hungarian economy grew by just over five percent, and while official government expectations stand at 4.5 percent, the actual figure will very likely be higher.
The latest unemployment data show a 3.7 percent jobless rate, having fallen below four percent earlier this year after a continuous improvement since the 2010 peak of 11.3 percent. This is also reflected in a 10.8 percent year-on-year rise in gross wages to HUF 322.800 ($1,145).
The downside is that at these levels, there is an increasing shortage of both skilled and unskilled labor, something economic policy is already addressing.
Besides consumption, private savings are also on the rise in every form: mutual funds, private pension funds, bank savings and private holdings of government bonds – the latter is approaching HUF 8 trillion ($28.37 bln).
Industrial output in the first ten months of the year rose by 3.4 percent, bringing the growth to a cumulative 36.2 percent since the current, conservative government came to power in 2010.
Beyond its immediate message – that Orbán is a died-in-the wool family man – the image also has a secondary meaning: his belief that demography is the biggest challenge Hungary faces in the coming decades. His government has made it a top priority to reverse the negative demographic trend.
In the past ten years, Hungary’s population has fallen by 267 thousand below the psychological threshold of 10 million and stood at 9.77 million in 2018.
Orbán (55) has five children and three grandchildren.
Recently, the Chamber of Deputies held a debate about how to translate and interpret the expression “gender”. Apparently, everyone, whether politicians or citizens, should be clear about this. Everyone knows that gender is not biological sex, but a social role, and that its interpretation so far has been humiliating, heteropatriarchal, heteronormative and generally discriminatory.
If anyone says that deciding on ways of expression in a democracy is a competence of institutions and the majority, which have the mandate to do so, they will be seen as backward or reactionary.
Obviously, people and group identities are not divided according to biological sex but according to whether they are privileged or marginalized. The bonus for being marginalized is more important than the extent to which they are a part of the majority or a minority by number. It depends on how they feel, and who they feel they are. It is necessary to perceive and promote gender this way, regardless of what politicians think.
That’s not really the way it works, of course. In a country like the Czech Republic, there are no such ideological extravagances similar to those coming from America or Western Europe. But it can end like everything that comes to civilize us. Then what is usually considered exaggeration can become a front-line reality as for example in Canada, where Twitter banned journalist and feminist Megan Murphy’s account for refusing to use politically correct personal pronouns to address a transsexual named Lisa Kreut. Well, transphobia is no fun. We will see what happens in the Czech Republic.
The Czech population increased by almost 28 thousand citizens between January and September this year, out of which 26 thousand are immigrants. These immigrants came largely from Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. That shows that when the EU criticizes post-communist countries for rejecting migrants, it’s criticizing these countries for rejecting Muslims. Many European countries are in fact not opposed to cross-border migration itself, much less the legal kind.
As of September 30, the population of the Czech Republic stood at 10,637,794. This figure shows that the Czech population has not changed significantly in the last one hundred years. It has merely fluctuated due to historical events such as the First and Second World War, the Holocaust, and the post-war expulsion of ethnic Germans. Today, the population of the Czech Republic is roughly where it was before the Great War.
The structure of those numbers, however, deserves greater attention. Migration is now a political topic and a moral baton for states that are actually or allegedly opposed to mass migration. These include the Czech Republic and not only because the country did not join the UN Migration Pact.
However, the current demographic data shows that the Czech population increased by 27,739 inhabitants from January to the end of September, of which only 1,679 were due to birth rates and 26,060 due to immigration. Does that pose a problem? These people came mainly from Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
Post-communist – as well as other – European states oppose the mass immigration of Muslims, and they know why. But as the numbers now show, they do not oppose cross-border migration as such, much less the legal one.
This symbolic act is to be part of a naturalization ceremony during the process of getting citizenship. According to the proposal, a new Danish citizen will also promise and sign that he will abide by the constitution of the country.
According to some critics, the measure deliberately targets Muslims because some insist that for religious reasons they cannot shake hands with a person of the opposite sex.
The law has also been criticized by some politicians who think that the requirement of a handshake will discourage only a few applicants for citizenship. According to others, the law is hypocritical, as shaking hands does not ensure that the new citizens will conduct themselves appropriately. Several mayors have already said the they will ignore the rule.
“A handshake is the way we greet each other in Denmark. It’s the way we show respect for each other in this country. That’s why it’s a natural part of the naturalization ceremony,” says Inger Støjberg, minister for Immigration.
Denmark now appears more often in the media in connection with anti-immigration measures. Recently, the country raised controversy in connection with a remote island for convicted foreigners and a law prohibiting the face cover in public.
The story of Erwin van Haarlem, born Václav Jelínek, who was sent to the United Kingdom by Czechoslovak intelligence, captured the imagination of Dawid Klawans, a Hollywood writer and producer.
“I can at least say that I’m living my dream that one of my books would serve as the idea for a Hollywood movie,” said Kmenta. “It took several years before everything cleared up. At the end of last year, I signed a contract to sell the rights to film this story. That means writers are working on a script that is inspired by my book.”
Kmenta wrote the book Czech Spy Erwin van Haarlem in 2005. It’s the story of a man who spent 17 years abroad under a secret identity and became one of the most effective spies in the UK. For ten of those years, Erwin van Haarlem assumed a fictitious Jewish identity.
Haarlem was eventually exposed and arrested in 1988, but investigators and the court failed to uncover his true identity. He remained in a British prison after the fall of the Iron Curtain until his release in 1993 and deportation to Prague. Many of the details of his case became public only with the publication of Kmenta’s book.
While Toblerone is still being produced exclusively in Bern, Switzerland, the brand is owned by an American company Mondeléz. Already in April, the owner decided to apply for a halal certification to be able to sell its products to Muslim customers. However, the company claims that the original recipe remains unchanged.
Afraid of the reaction of Swiss consumers, the company has not been promoting the news and decided not to put a “halal” designation on the chocolate wrappers.
This topic is politically explosive. According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, companies promoting halal products are facing frequent challenges to boycott, especially on social media. However, the halal grocery business is growing very fast. According to the Swiss daily, in France, home to about six million Muslims, “halal” food has overtaken the organic food segment already.
The data show that the year-on-year increase in marriage stopped at less than 48,000 after the third quarter. By comparison, in 2011, there were 45,000 weddings. “Most of the ceremonies took place in June this year, specifically 10,600. This was the highest number of weddings in a single month in the last nine years,” said Michaela Němečková from the Department of Demographic Statistics in the Czech Statistical Office. Three quarters of the brides and grooms married for the first time. The average age of the grooms was 29, while the average age of brides was 27.
Some attribute the gradually increasing interest in marriage to the strong economy, linking it to wage growth. But that’s not the reason, says psychiatrist Kateřina Irmanová. “Another generation has grown to look at life differently than the generation of their parents. From the experience of their own families, young people often know what informal cohabitation means. They experienced the risks of easy commitments, but they also experienced failures and loss of security and property. This kind of coexistence is no longer right for them,” the psychologist said. The year also saw a decline in the number of divorces. The number decreased year-on-year by one thousand to 17,515.
The population of the Czech Republic increased by about 27,700 to 10,637,794 in the first nine months of this year. As the statisticians pointed out, more people were born in the third quarter than died. In total, 86,636 children were born this year by the end of September. During the year, 84,957 people died, 1,264 more year-on-year.
During the first three quarters of 2018, 43,059 migrants arrived, a year-on-year increase of more than 10,000. Immigration in the first nine months of the year included more than 26 thousand new inhabitants, mainly from the former Eastern Bloc.
The Bethlehem light has become a symbol of peace and friendship. The idea was created in 1986 in Linz as part of the Christmas collection of Austrian radio and television to help disabled children. The Bethlehem light came first to the then Czechoslovakia in 1989 just after the Velvet Revolution, brought by the previously exiled scouts.
This year, scouts received the Bethlehem light in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Linz. This is the thirteenth time the Bethlehem light appears in the Czech Republic, and it was solemnly welcomed in the St. Vitus Cathedral. The new Apostolic Nuncio Charles Daniel Balvo was introduced to Prague Catholics for the first time, and on the third Sunday of Advent, he celebrated Mass in the Czech language – with careful pronunciation, he read the whole sermon and the texts of the prayers.
Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka noted that this was the first time in the history of the state that the Nuncio spoke Czech during a liturgy. Balva, a native of New York, who had worked in Nairobi before arriving in Prague, previously resided in the Czech Republic as an advisor to the Apostolic Nunciature. On Sunday after the Mass, the Vatican ambassador lit a candle in the transept of St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle.
Europe’s economic reality is simple: 100 million Europeans from CEE are cash cows for the German economy, which gives it dominance in Europe and allows global expansion. CEE countries are just not strong enough yet to oppose this and discuss higher pay and higher living standards. The fact that all of them are dependent on the Central European Bank is also a handicap. The countries of the region must work together to solve these problems.
The recent diplomatic successes of the Visegrad Group and the increasingly better economic situation in the region is proof, however, that Germany’s economic dominance is not complete or as overwhelming. The V4 is not basing its political weight on low pay, but rather, uses that weakness to defend its political interests. Germany isn’t dealing with submissive economies, but rather with nations with rich history.
The recent diplomatic successes of the Visegrad Group and the increasingly better economic situation in the region is proof, that Germany’s economic dominance is not complete or as overwhelming
CEE countries perceive the current situation through their historical experiences: they went through Russian occupation and do not want history to repeat itself. Nor is the Ottoman threat as far off as it would seem. These countries have been the Eastern bastion of Christianity for more than a thousand years. This civilizational determinism is more important than economic dependency.
This common heritage which for the V4 countries is what should be the basis for creating the EU and should determine its future, seems forgotten by Germany. Germany only looks at the world through the prism of its economy and sees a “migrant” only as an economic value.
This common heritage which for the V4 countries is what should be the basis for creating the EU and should determine its future, seems forgotten by Germany
The V4 countries are also the ones which value their sovereignty the most. What started with Viktor Orban’s national policies in 1998 is now continued by Law and Justice in Poland from 2015 and Andrej Babis from 2017 in Czech Republic.
The V4, bar Slovakia, have not joined the Eurozone because one’s own currency is the main instrument for national economic policies. This relieves pressure from the European Central Bank. As Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki put it: “If the structure of our economy and income per capita will be similar to those in Holland, Austria or Belgium, then we may discuss a common currency.”
Although these clips are far from the awaited official materials or trailers, they may find a place in the final version of the TV show. The source of the leaks is Canadian Torpedo Pictures, which is responsible for the visual effects of “The Witcher”. The clips were originally posted on the streaming site Vimeo.
Here is a depiction of the famous Witcher stronghold, Kaer Morhen (which is very similar to the version from the Witcher video games):
A soundless clip presenting a battle:
Fake News?
Representatives of Netflix have claimed that the leaked clips have nothing to do with the TV series they are working on. The TV series is taking increasing shape. Earlier this year, the full cast had been revealed with Henry Cavill playing the lead role of Geralt.
“The Witcher” is scheduled for a 2019 release. The first season will run for eight episodes.
Piechociński usually chooses a certain subject, recently tourism in Poland, and puts out several posts highlighting interesting data.
“In the first ten months of this year, 78 million tourists took overnight lodgings in Poland. In 2017, this number was 73.7 million over the same period.”
w pierwszych dziesięciu miesiącach tego roku udzielono turystom w Polsce 78 mln noclegów. Rok wcześniej w tym samym czasie udzielono ich 73,7 mln.
The politician’s tweets have become so popular that they have inspired a Facebook fan page entitled “The Twitter Wisdom of Janusz Piechociński”. The page shares posts from Piechociński’s feed. Here are some of the highlights:
“Poles spend PLN 1 bln annually on pierogi and pizza.”
Kraków’s cribs are made by 40 professional craftsmen and each of them has their own, unique technique. One of the most famous is 79-year-old Maciej Moszew, who has been taking part in the crib competition for the last 58 years and has won 34 times. Moszew explained that it takes him over 4,000 hours to create a crib for a competition .
A different group of craftsmen, the Malik family, has been designing cribs for four generations.
“To win that entry in to the UNESCO World Heritage List, it was unbelievable. We are writing Krakow’s first traditions, which are strongly embedded and cultivated in the landscape of our city,” said Andrzej Kulig, Kraków’s deputy mayor.
The entry of the cribs on the heritage list comes not only with great prestige but also funding to further the tradition’s development.
The tradition of Christmas crib-making goes back to the 19thcentury and is deeply connected to Kraków. A crib is a construction that depicts the biblical scene of the Birth of Christ, surrounded by Kraków’s most famous landmarks. The figures in the crib often relate to historical and social events connected to the city.
The cribs are also often mechanized, featuring moving parts and lighting.
Kraków’s cribs are made by 40 professional craftsmen and each of them has their own, unique technique. One of the most famous is 79-year-old Maciej Moszew, who has been taking part in the crib competition for the last 58 years and has won 34 times. Moszew explained that it takes him over 4,000 hours to create a crib for a competition .
A different group of craftsmen, the Malik family, has been designing cribs for four generations.
“To win that entry in to the UNESCO World Heritage List, it was unbelievable. We are writing Krakow’s first traditions, which are strongly embedded and cultivated in the landscape of our city,” said Andrzej Kulig, Kraków’s deputy mayor.
The entry of the cribs on the heritage list comes not only with great prestige but also funding to further the tradition’s development.
The tradition of Christmas crib-making goes back to the 19thcentury and is deeply connected to Kraków. A crib is a construction that depicts the biblical scene of the Birth of Christ, surrounded by Kraków’s most famous landmarks. The figures in the crib often relate to historical and social events connected to the city.
The cribs are also often mechanized, featuring moving parts and lighting.
A recent survey of the Nézőpont Institute concluded that, while there is no full consensus about the global migration agreement in the UN, the people of the Visegrád countries are on the same page as their political leaders, meaning that they refuse migration. Good evening, welcome. A phone survey carried out for the Magyar Idők daily newspaper showed that out of 53 million people in the V4 countries, 36 million refuse the EU’s quota system, and 41 million people are unsatisfied with Brussels’ immigration policy. In addition, more than 30 million people support the Hungarian border fence. We will discuss the details with Dániel Nagy, a senior researcher at the Nézőpont Institute. Good evening, and thank you for accepting our invitation.
Good evening.
You completed this survey in all four of the Visegrád countries during the fall. What was the focus of the research and what are its main conclusions?
Greetings to the viewers. The issue of immigration was basically one of the major pillars of the research. As for the background of the research, we involved local research companies in each country to realize the research. The samples consisted of 1000 people per country and were representative of the population of each given country. The issue of immigration brought together the V4 politically, so we were interested in whether this unity is perceivable on a social level as well. The research showed that the common basis is absolutely there. As you said in the introduction, the population definitely refuses the immigrant quota and even more Brussels current ideas on immigration. The Hungarian fence on the border is an alternative solution; the majority of the population in the V4 countries supports that.
Let’s talk about the details. The most significant decisions within the issue of migration have recently been the UN’s migration pact and the EU’s humanitarian visa. Last week the EU passed an initiative that wants to introduce the latter. Did your research touch upon these two topics?
These decisions happened after the survey had taken place. Basically the current leadership of the EU is trying to do everything to make the EP and other EU bodies facilitate immigration. The humanitarian visa is also called a migrant visa, depending on one’s attitude towards migration. The same dilemma is perceivable when it comes to differentiating between migrants and refugees. The bottom line is that the EU has a pro-immigration attitude, while the V4 are definitely against immigration. The research showed that the V4’s anti-immigration policies enjoy the support of the population. The ratio of those refusing the pro-migration acts, be it quota, humanitarian visa, or migration pact, is between 70 and 90%. So, at least 2/3 of the population, but often 80% or more, refuse these ideas.
We are showing these percentages in graphs. Now that you mentioned the quota, let us stop here for a moment. A two-day summit of the heads of state and government of the EU countries took place last week in Brussels, during which President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani again raised the idea of an obligatory migrant quota. According to your survey, 35 million people in Central Europe are against this idea. The topic keeps coming back to the agenda of the EU: obligatory, voluntary, and now again obligatory quotas. It seems like Brussels cannot come to an agreement. What will be the consequences?
The political elite in Brussels faces a dilemma here. They are not sure how much they should push their agenda, because they are aware that big political changes can happen after the EP elections next May. Therefore, they might be trying to realize all the measures that are in their interest. This is the reason why they are trying to bring back the quota on the agenda, and why they initiated the humanitarian visa, because these could be their achievements and these are the issues that represent their political interest. It seems though that the political consensus formed by the V4 is spreading to Western Europe as well. For example, according to a recent survey, a Spanish anti-immigration party, the Vox, is at 10% popularity after the Andalusian elections. This shows that parties coming out of nowhere can really quickly become popular. Of course, 12% is not enough to change the world, but if these parties get to 20%, that can mean a significant change in a country like Spain and can result in huge changes in the EP next year.
And, we have seen that the previous years’ national elections witnessed the sudden success of parties coming out of nowhere, so the 20% can be achieved easily. It is not only the issue of immigration that bonds the V4 together, but also the matter of the next cycle’s EU budget of 2021–2027. The Visegrád 4 acted together against the decreasing of the cohesion funds. The politicians of the Hungarian government both in the EU and at home consistently reject the cutting down of the cohesion funds. What are the main arguments concerning the next cycle’s budget?
We organized a conference and presented the research results in each of the V4 countries. At these events, we received feedback that there should be another issue besides immigration that holds the V4 together. The EU cohesion funds could be a topic that fulfills this role; the V4 could act together politically to keep the cohesion funds for the next budget cycle. From the perspective of society it is evident that it is in the region’s interest to receive more development funds in the future. It is true that in the last cycle, the Central European region was the motor of the European economy, but it was partly due to the cohesion funds. But, regardless, the EU should not punish this region for having performed well economically.
It is also questionable whether the cutting down of cohesion funds would be legitimate, since the V4 countries did not reach the 80% in their performance levels. Some argue that the decrease in the cohesion funds is necessary because of Brexit. Of course Brexit is a huge deal, but is it really enough to cut down the funds, or is it more of a political pressure for the Eastern European region?
During the conferences where we published our research results, it often came up that Western Europe does not really understand why the Central European countries’ leaders are so brave. They probably do not want to see the leaders of the region, who are utilizing their increased popularity based on economic progress, standing up for their interests in the future, neither in the issue of immigration nor in another topic that could be a common ground for these countries. So, I think that political pressure is definitely the right expression here.
Can the V4’s cooperation achieve actual results in the matter of the cohesion funds, or does the alliance have more of a symbolic significance?
There must be a very strong political will. The economic, cultural, and geographical environments are very different in these countries. Therefore, the interests are very diverse.
Slovakia is especially very different.
Yes. If there is a political will, then it can happen. But, it was already very unique that there was such a strong common platform on the issue of immigration. The four governments are represented in four different political groups in the European Parliament: the Slovaks are with the Social Democrats, the Czechs with the ALDE, the Polish with the ECR, and the Hungarians with the EPP. So, it was quite unique that they could agree on a matter. Future cooperation in any matter is dependent on political will. In my opinion, Hungary and Poland are committed to act jointly, but the Czech Republic and Slovakia are weaker members of the alliance, even though there are positive signs for the cooperation.
Dániel Nagy, thank you for accepting our invitation.
Thank you.
The UN’s climate change conference took place last week in Katowice, Poland. The attending countries’ representatives adopted the rulebook of the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, decisions on the most important issues, such as the modification and acceleration of the measures against global climate change, or to what extent the countries are willing to reduce their emissions, were not adopted. In his opening speech, UN Secretary António Guterres said that the time of everlasting negotiations is over, and now actions are needed.
“We are in trouble. Climate change is running faster than we are and we must catch up sooner rather than later before it is too late. For many people, regions, and even countries, this is already a matter of life and death. This meeting is the most important gathering on climate change since the Paris Agreement was signed. It is hard to overstate the urgency of our situation. Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption. If we fail, the Arctic and Antarctic will continue to melt, coral will bleach and then die, the oceans will rise, more people will die from air pollution, water scarcity will plague a significant proportion of humanity, and the cost of disasters will skyrocket. Last year, I visited Barbuda and Dominica, which were devastated by hurricanes. The destruction and suffering I saw was heart breaking. That story is repeated almost daily somewhere in the world.These emergencies are preventable.”
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, a climate expert, is in our studio. Welcome.
Greetings to the viewers.
Almost every report on the climate change conference notes that it ended with a semi success. Let us clarify briefly what decisions were made at the conference and about which the issues the countries are still in disagreement.
The major aim of the conference was to adopt the rulebook of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Although the Paris Agreement was a great success, it was only a framework, so the details needed to be worked out. It was a huge concern whether the countries would be able to come to an agreement, since there are serious differences between them. I think that it is a great success that eventually the countries were able to come to a consensus and in the last moment they were even able to agree to not form two groups with distinct rules based on a country’s level of development. I think it is important to emphasize that the miracle of the Paris Agreement became a real miracle through the Katowice conference, and now it really has the chance to be effective.
Can it be effective if it remains theoretical? I mean, we all know that there are serious economic and political interests that withhold the implementation. What does its actual implementation depend upon?
I think that many parts of it already started to be realized, and, in addition, several social, economic, and political forces are pushing it through. Of course there are some economic forces, and, as a result of those, some political forces, that try to pull the process back, so these interests are constantly going against each other. However, I think that the majority of the world now realizes that we cannot procrastinate actions anymore. This is not about polar bears, not even about our grandchildren, but about us, right now.
To what extent do people realize that the climate change affects us? We often perceive the problem to be far away from us, but in fact it is getting closer and closer, and we only have 12 years left to make a change. The other question concerns economic and political interests. I read that at the climate change conference sponsored by coal industrial companies, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, and the United States blocked the adoption of the report prepared by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. One of the editors of the report said that this was a shame. What do you think? To what extent do people realize the importance of climate change?
I think that globally 70% of people are aware of the fact that this problem significantly affects their lives. “Luckily” there are some people who are not aware of the problem, and I say “luckily” because it means that the effects of climate change are not yet perceivable in those cohorts of society—they do not feel that it affects their everyday life, business, and future. In Hungary, we are fortunate enough to be relatively protected from the most disastrous climate catastrophes. There are many countries where 10–20% of the GNP was lost due to a climate catastrophe just this year. These are events, such as hurricanes or the California wildfire, in which entire cities can be destroyed. Unfortunately, these tragedies are more and more frequent. We are not completely spared in Hungary, either. The Danube was measured at a record low level this year. As a result, the atomic power plant in Paks had to be in standby mode and crisis measures had to be taken. At the same time, the Danube has flooded several times over the last decade to levels that were unseen for 100 years. So, these extremes are more and more frequent in Hungary as well.
If we consider the European context, migration has been the most pressing problem in recent years, and climate change has an effect on migration as well, especially on migration from the African continent. Even larger crowds will leave their countries because of famine and water shortages in the future.
Absolutely. Climate change has been an important factor of migration, since those regions where migrants come from have been affected by long lasting droughts, and, as a result, food and produce are less available. Of course, the effects of climate catastrophes are even more severe in politically unstable regions; the shortage of food and water can provoke emigration waves.
The repost of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that humanity has 12 years left to act and to find a solution to climate change, and to reduce pollutant emissions by 50% globally. Do you agree with this statement? Do we have a little over a decade left to act?
Unfortunately, yes. I was part of the editorial of the report. So, yes, the conclusion is true.
Hungary was not praised for another reason. The climate change performance indexes were published, and Hungary finished in 42nd place in carbon dioxide emissions, which is worse than it previously was. Critics said that Hungary’s step backwards is due to the fact that the most important renewable energy source is biomass burning, that the use of wind energy is basically prohibited, and that there is no appropriate plan neither to switch to renewable energies nor for the elimination of coal usage. Do you agree with these criticisms, and does the government have any intent to introduce changes regarding these matters? This 42nd place sounds bad.
I think that problems can be detected in every country. There is not a single country that performs greatly in every respect. Even Germany, which is the leading country in the EU in climate protection, struggles with its automobile and coal industries. I think that Hungary performs much better than Germany. Even though our emissions have grown recently, they are still much lower than they were at the end of the ‘80s. Besides that, Hungary produces clean energy in significant amounts with the atomic plant, and the use of renewable energies has also begun. As far as I know, there are plans to tackle the aforementioned problems, but I also know that parts of these plans are not public yet, so I would not like to talk about them. I think that Hungary is doing certain things, but it is true that we could do much more. In my opinion, the most could be done in the building sector, and that would be the most beneficial for the population as well. It would be very important to do extensive renovations, because that way we could improve our energy deficiency and at the same time we could help disadvantaged families with their utilities. There are a lot of modern apartments in Hungary that have basically no heating costs, and that is beneficial for the climate change as well.
And obviously, the population’s environmental consciousness is important; it would be helpful if we average people would take this issue more seriously.
Certainly.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, thank you for being with us today, and we thank our viewers, too. We will be back in a week. Goodbye.
“With the death of twelve Poles, who died as a result of Thursday’s methane explosion in the CSM coal mine in Karvina, Cieszyn Silesia, Sunday will be a national day of mourning,” wrote the Chancellery of the President in an official statement.
Earlier, President Duda wrote on twitter: “Dramatic news from Silesia: “Dear Mister President, I convey sad news. It is very likely that in the mine in Karvina eleven Poles have died. Dear Lord, have the Families of the Miners in your care. RIP.”
Dramatyczne wieści ze Śląska: „Szanowny Panie Prezydencie, przekazuje smutna wiadomość. Wysoce prawdopodobne, że w kopalni w Karwinie zginęło 11 Polaków.”
Panie Boże, miej w swojej opiece Rodziny Górników. RiP.
On Thursday, a few minutes past 5pm in the Czech coal mine CSM in Karvina a methane explosion occurred. According to recent information, as a result of the explosion thirteen miners have died, ten are injured.
In Morocco, three young Arabs cruelly murdered two young Scandinavian women who were about to climb up the local mountain range. Some will once again say that it has nothing to do with Islam and that Islam is a different and peaceful religion.
In that case, let these people also say that the gas chambers have nothing to do with Nazism, or that the gulags have nothing to do with Communism because Communism wanted a bright tomorrow and a happy humankind. Does Islam not want it too? Of course, yes. But at first, there must be a lot of cruelty. Maybe for their ugly good they cut those blonde girls´ throats.
The rising tendencies of Islam are already fundamentalist, its spread in Europe is hard to stop and it is also growing demographically. “I’m afraid of it as if I was afraid of Nazism in the 1930s without stopping to appreciate German culture. And I’m afraid of it as the Frenchmen or Americans in the 1950s were afraid of Communism without stopping to want a better life for ordinary Russians,” Penas admitted, adding that in this sense he is an Islamophobe.
Islamophobia is not racism, Islamophobia is in fact closer to humanism than it is a conciliatory nod to one gloomy rite that engulfs the world.
Only five political parties would go to the Chamber of Deputies instead of the current nine. The remaining two parties are the Communists with 10 percent and the CSSD with 9.5 percent. Other parties would not succeed. The TOP 09´s support would be 4.5 percent, SPD and KDU-CSL would gain 4 percent and STAN 3 percent. According to the CVVM poll, Greens and Party of Free Citizens would have one percent support.
According to a hypothetical recalculation, the ANO movement would have 93 mandates, ODS 37, Pirates 34, Communists 19 and CSSD 17 mandates. The current coalition would have the majority in the Chamber of Deputies without the support of the KSCM.
The poll also showed that Prime Minister Andrej Babis, the leader of the governing ANO, and Ivan Bartos, the leader of the opposition Pirates, are the most trusted Czech politicians.
In the CEE region, a total of 534 transactions worth US$13.4 billion were realized in the first half of 2018. The biggest transaction was the acquisition of the Central European and Eastern European telecommunication companies of Telenor by the PPF Group worth US$3.4 billion.
The number of transactions in the Czech Republic increased from 113 to 167 year-on-year, as did their size. The average transaction also increased in Hungary, Estonia and Slovenia. Hungary has thus achieved second position in the region before Romania which placed third.
The Czech transactions were mostly made up of investments by domestic investors within the Czech Republic followed by foreign investments into the Czech Republic. Mainly investors from Austria and the UK, but also investors from France, Germany and the USA were interested in Czech companies. The greatest interest was in real estate but also the technology sector is on the rise.
Hungary is a sovereign state whose right is to govern its territory if it has the mandate from voters. Orban has clearly won the election and has achieved an incredible result that Western politicians have never seen before. “We would not have talked about Hungary if it did not differ from the European Union’s protagonists view on deeper integration. That’s all,” Matejka said, assessing the situation in Hungary.
Commentator Palata does not agree with this and pointed to the social dimension of demonstrations and the functioning of public media in the country. The Hungarian elections were, according to him, free but not fair, he then compared the Hungarian regime to the Russians.
“It is a matter of Hungarian voters. If they do not like it someone else will take over the government and set up media broadcasting rules,” Matejka opposed. The key, according to him, is the worldview of media employees. If they want to, they can portray a thousand demonstrators as an incredible force or, on the contrary, hundreds of demonstrations as a marginal expression of extremists. He also pointed out the decreasing number of demonstrators who are now just a thousand compared to Orban’s supporters and voters.
“Local elections in Slovakia,” “Macron would disrupt the Visegrád 4,” and “Polish Independence Day.” These are the key phrases for the next 20 minutes. Good evening and welcome. Local elections in Slovakia were held last weekend, which resulted in the advancement of the independent candidates and in the weakening of the government’s largest party, Smer, led by Pellegrini. The Party of the Hungarian Community (MKP) and the Slovak–Hungarian interethnic Most–Híd (Bridge) party also became stronger. By phone we are now connecting Iván Farkas, Vice President of the Party of the Hungarian Community. Good evening.
Good evening to everyone.
Mr. Vice President, the township of Múzsla in southern Slovakia re-elected you as the mayor last weekend. First of all, congratulations on your victory.
Thank you very much.
I know that the party has done the evaluation already. What helped the Party of the Hungarian Community increase its popularity? How did you evaluate the results?
115 mayors were elected from the candidates of the Party of the Hungarian Community. If we include the mayors who were running as joint candidates but on behalf of MKP, then we have a mayor in 136 townships. To evaluate the results, we have to say that the MKP gave the 4th most candidates nationwide, and we won the 6th most mayors in the country. It must be added that the Slovak parties and the Most-Híd, our competing party, had candidates in all of the 79 districts of the country, practically from all over Slovakia, while the MKP had candidates in only 18 districts, where Hungarians live. The key to success was that we were able to mobilize our electorate. In most places we focused on the accomplishments that we had achieved in recent years, both in local and county governments. Our campaign was based on nothing other than our achievements, and we offered a realistic program for the citizens, which, in our opinion, contains elements that are important to the citizens.
The bigger party of the current government, Smer, led by Peter Pellegrini, lost votes. This was expected as the result of the government crisis following the Kuciak killings. To what extent does this explain SMER’s poor performance?
Obviously to a great extent, especially in big cities, because the SMER party was in power in county and in district capitals. The party’s decline was the most visible in these places. However, this election really shows a tendency; the county elections from last year already showed SMER’s decline, which was confirmed by last weekend’s local elections. So, the trend seems to be continuing.
The European Parliamentary elections are forthcoming. What do you expect based on this result for next year’s elections? What issues will be the topic of the campaign in Slovakia, and what is the particular focus of the Party of the Hungarian Community?
For the Party of the Hungarian Community, the economic and regional development of the southern part of the country will basically be the top priority because these developments are mainly financed from the budget of the European Union. To what extent can our representatives in the European Parliament, the Slovakian member of the European Commission, and the politicians in general mobilize the funds to develop the southern part of the country, the region with a dense Hungarian population? And, of course, migration will be a very important issue. We expect that the political parties or party alliance, be it a wing of the European People’s Party, which rejects the migrant phenomenon, will become stronger. We do expect this trend to continue to become more significant after the EU elections.
Iván Farkas, Vice President of the Hungarian Community Party, thank you very much.
Thank you very much. Goodbye.
Does Emanuel Macron want to make friends with the Visegrád countries or does he want to disintegrate the alliance? That is our next topic.
“There is only one European Union, which cannot be divided into Western or Eastern, old and new,” said Emanuel Macron during his visit to Bratislava after having negotiated with Andrej Kiska, Slovakia’s head of state.
Already at the announcement of the visit, guesses were made that the real aim of the Central European tour is to disintegrate the V4. French newspaper Le Figaro, referring to a close associate of Macron, said that the French president is visiting Bratislava and Prague because he hopes that highlighting the intragroup disagreements within the Visegrád group will be well received. Macron wants to take advantage of the opportunity to achieve a closer relationship, because he cannot have a bad relationship with each state in the region. Hungary and Poland cannot be the destination because of the populist drift of Budapest and Warsaw. But, with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the situation is different. They are less controversial and their stances are not as crystallized as those of their two ultraconservative neighbors, Le Figaro concludes. According to experts, the French politician could not turn the Visegrád countries against each other. Körkép.sk, the Slovakia-based Hungarian news site writes that Peter Pellegrini, President of Slovakia, has been trying to avoid to be obviously supportive of France in the most important issues. Czech President Andrej Babis announced at a press conference that he would not choose between Macron and Orbán, because he finds new divisions unnecessary after Brexit. Analysts believe that although the interests of Central European states are identical in most EU issues, from time to time we witness efforts that aim to disrupt the V4. Next spring’s EP election could not only overwrite the continent’s political force, but the results could also have a major impact on the future prospects of our region.
We will try to analyze the tactic of Emanuel Macron with Eszter Petronella Soós, a political scientist and expert on France. Welcome in the studio. Good evening.
Good evening.
Let’s cut to the chase. What is Emanuel Macron’s goal with the V4?
Right after taking office, the V4s became a focus of Macron’s presidency. We remember his tour about posted workers and the new directives concerning them. At that time the official French communication was that the goal was not to divide but to bring as many Central Eastern European member states as possible behind the French proposals. Back then they said that they wanted to avoid the appearance of the Western–Eastern divide. To give a little background, I think it is very important to understand that the consequences of the 2004 EU enlargement in some parts of the Western population are not popular because they meant the appearance of social dumping and the appearance of a cheap Eastern workforce. There was an internal political logic behind the fact that Emanuel Macron began his activities with this directive. This is one of the issues that can be understood from a French point of view.
The other one is that Macron made a promise to try to visit every European capital. We can see that the visits to Warsaw and Budapest are being procrastinated. A year ago, Macron’s visit to Hungary was being planned. It seems that the V4 is a flexible cooperation, and when it comes to common interests and common opinions, this alliance can act together relatively smoothly, but when there is not a common interest, then naturally everybody represents his or her own national interest. Macron tries to play with this. We’ve seen him trying to use another group in the Council voting, the Slavkov cooperation, which is composed of Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Austria.
Let us clarify one more question. I wonder what the demand is today for the two-speed Europe. And, the other question is, if the goal of Macron’s last visit was to disrupt the countries of the Visegrád Four, what are the most obvious signs of his attempts to disintegrate the alliance?
These questions are related. The two-speed Europe is one of the central elements of Macron’s European program. The idea here would be that the eurozone has a separate parliament, a separate minister of finances, and a separate budget. Obviously, Germany’s accordance and enthusiasm would be essential for this plan. So far, this is limited because Germany would have a restrained interest in excluding its own economic hinterland from core Europa. This is basically the case, and it is clear that the situation in Slovakia is very different because it already introduced the Euro in 2009, but the Czechs still hesitate.
Is this a reason for Slovakia to be invested in belonging to core Europe?
The Czechs have hesitated several times. They are talking about whether or not a V2 + 2 formation is possible in this case. I would very much like to point out that the issue of the eurozone is an issue of oscillation in the V4, but in other cases, this block is able to act in a coordinated fashion. Honestly I believe that the real question about the euro zone and core Europe is whether or not the Germans are willing to invest money in it. This is a very important question of this election, and following the election it can be back on the agenda. I am in an awkward situation as an analyst, because there is a German chancellor who announced her resignation from the CDU, and we hear a lot about, and it is my feeling too, that Angela Merkel might not complete this cycle.
My instincts also say—and the various statements we hear and the various processes we see also reinforce this belief—that the weakening of Angela Merkel can also cause Macron’s weakening. Do you agree with me?
If the next chancellor has a very orthodox position on the eurozone question and does not show any flexibility—and remember that German citizens have not been enthusiastic about spending German money on other countries since the Greek crisis—then Macron’s program on Europe might suffer a huge setback. This is why this is a very important election for Macron. He will need to send a group to the parliament that has the capacity to exercise pressure. This is his investment in the elections.
Petronella, back to the point of Macron’s purpose of disintegrating the V4. Do you think that his attempts were met with reception in the affected countries of the V4, I mean primarily Slovakia and the Czech Republic, whom he tried make his allies against Poland and Hungary, the conservatives?
I think that this is more about the countries’ interests. The Czechs and the Slovaks may be separated on the issue of the eurozone. Russia can be another question. I think that in certain cases, and first of all I am thinking of migration, this block can effectively act together, even though there are small differences in politics, and an instance could be the Slovakian refugee policy. However, when it comes to voting and to representing the common interests, then these countries can cooperate. There are different legal proceedings going on in the case of posted workers, and there seems to be coordination even from the side of member states who back then showed receptivity in rhetoric. This I can explain with a very simple reason. Since nobody yet knows what Europe will be like after next May, what can and what cannot be done, it is also reasonable that some Member States want to leave the doors open.
Macron is the most unpopular French president of all time. Sometimes he is looking for allies, and other times he is kicking or passing through others. Shall we remember his remarks from last week or his speech at the World War Centennial? Is it correct to say that he makes mistake after mistake, based on, as you just said, the logic of “on the one hand ON the other hand?” Could you elaborate on this a little more?
These are two separate issues, and one of them can easily be resolved. If we look at his main messages of the past week, and especially at the speech on the 11th, I believe you were referencing that one, I think that it fits in with the narrative that Macron has built for the EP election: the confrontation of progress and nationalism. He had an interesting discussion of what the difference is between nationalism and patriotism. As far as making mistake after mistake, it has been true since the summer. Since it turned out that Benalla, Macron’s bodyguard, was beating up protesters in the beginning of May, Marcon has indeed been handling domestic politics poorly. I think that the Benalla case was kind of a turning point.
At the EP session in Strasbourg, Angela Merkel said that we need to consider creating a European army. Earlier, Emanuel Macron also had mentioned this as well, and Viktor Orbán also raised the same possibility in his 2016 speech in Tusványos. Going back to Macron, what could his real intentions be? We have already clarified his domestic political situation, but where does he see himself in the future, and what does he pursue at the European level?
Macron gave a speech last September in Athens in which he explained that he saw Europe as a system of geopolitical relations. He thinks that Europe should be strong and sovereign vis-á-vis other super powers. This reflects what the Hungarian Prime Minister says about Europe being rich but weak, hence the demand of the European army. There is a geopolitical vision, but of course there is a narrower national interest, and this is the interest of the French military industry. Emanuel Macron told CNN in an interview that he did not want the EU to spend the joint army and defense budgets on American weapons. It is not difficult to see the interests of the French military industry behind this statement.
Of course, the USA and Russia will not leave this idea without comments, and their responses are still awaited. Eszter Petronella Soós, thank you for coming to our show.
Thank you.
“Hungarians and Poles know what it means to fight for freedom, so they can appreciate freedom and will not give it up in any circumstances,” said Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, yesterday at the occasion of the Polish Independence Day. Here is the report from Zselyke Jámbor-Miniska.
“The proclamation of the Polish republic is a great celebration not only for the Poles, but also for us Hungarians who have done our part in the freedom struggles of the Polish people,” said Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in his greeting speech at the reception of the Polish Independence Day in the Museum of Fine Arts. The minister emphasized that although we earned our freedom through self-sacrificing struggles, both nations are continuously being attacked. Today, those attacking us are those who want to create the United States of Europe. Today, those attacking us are those who want to change the composition of the European population. Today, those attacking us are those who want Europe to enter into a post-national, post-Christian era. Today, those attacking us are those who want us to forget our national identity, our religious and cultural traditions. But, we do not accept this.
Ambassador of Poland Jerzy Snopek talked about the importance of preserving traditions and stressed that Poles are still vulnerable to their own sovereignty because of bad experiences.
We are well aware of the value and the price of Polish independence, of which we are just celebrating the centenary, and this is very important to us. Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of the reacquisition of Polish independence. We appreciate the support of the Hungarians because they were standing behind us.
The support of Hungarians is also appreciated by Joanna Urbanska, Director of the Polish Institute, who says that not only diplomatic events strengthen Polish-Hungarian relations but also events of institutions, such as the Polish Institute in Budapest.
Our main goal is to nurture and strengthen Polish–Hungarian relations, a friendship that is based on fate and common values. This is reflected in all of our programs. We try to point out that the Hungarians have always supported us in our freedom fights, and even now, in the most dramatic and difficult situations we count on them, count on you.
At the end of the ceremony, Hungarian politicians who have done much to build Polish–Hungarian relations were given awards by Jerzy Snopek. Minister of Justice László Trócsányi and István Tarlós, Mayor of Budapest, received the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. Zsolt Németh, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Hungarian Parliament, was decorated with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit. Richard Hörcsik, chair of the Committee on European Affairs, was granted the Knight’s Cross by the Polish ambassador.
Ladies and gentlemen, this was today’s show on the V4 – The future of Europe. Next week, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will be the guest of our show.
With a few exceptions – mainly the most visited tourist and shopping destinations – parking will be free in the Hungarian capital until January 2, the Budapest Transport Center told Mandiner.
Budapest has a population of 1.76 million and data from the Central Statistics Office (KSH) show that in the past five years the number of passenger cars has increased by almost 68,000 to 633,554 at the end of last year.
Although the Hungarian capital has a very good public transport system by European standards, car usage is constantly rising despite fuel prices and ever increasing parking fees. The author of this article – not a Budapest resident himself – was at some point in the recent past the house guest of a friend in the capital. Seeing an overcast sky, he asked his host to lend him an umbrella for the day.
“I don’t own an umbrella. I have a car,” came the reply.
According to the report published by ACEA, Poland is 17thin the ranking of 25EU member states. In the first half of 2018, 273 thousand new cars were distributed to Polish car dealerships, which is a 10.5% increase compared to 2017.
The majority of Polish cars are purchased by companies and they are the main factor in the number of cars sold in dealerships. Therefore, these companies are also responsible for the age decrease.
However, for every new car model in Poland there are six outdated vehicles. According to the data of the Polish Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (PVRLA), Poles still buy used cars that are over ten years old. Between January and November 2018, more than 54 percent of cars purchased were over ten years old.
More than two thirds of Poles look to buy their vehicles on the secondary market, and the majority of vehicles are imported from Germany
More than two thirds of Poles look to buy their vehicles on the secondary market, and the majority of vehicles are imported from Germany.
The issue with old vehicles is that due to their poor technical state, they pose greater danger on the road. It is not only their age that is a problem, but also their incomplete documentation. The cars imported from abroad are often in worse shape than advertised.
According to a recent World Bank report, only 78 percent of male children recently born in Russia will reach the age of sixty. In comparison, in Poland that number is 89 percent, and in the US it’s 90 percent. Switzerland and Iceland are at the top of the list at 95 percent. Russia is lower in the ranking than Ethiopia, a recent recipient of international humanitarian aid.
In the course of one hour, at least ten people in Russia are infected with the HIV virus. This puts Russia at number three in the world, behind South Africa and Nigeria, in terms of number of new infections.
In one hour, at least ten people in Russia are infected with the HIV virus. This puts Russia at number three in the world, behind South Africa and Nigeria, in terms of number of new infections.
Between 2010 and 2016, the number of cases of people infected increased by 30 percent. Official Russian sources give a number that ranges between 800 thousand and over one million. This number could be larger, however, as experts warn that at least 20 percent of those who have been infected are not aware that they are carrying the virus.
Out of 32 regions in Russia, 0.5 percent of the population is said to be infected. Almost half of Russia’s entire population inhabits those regions. In the 15-49 year-old age group, 1.2 percent are infected, but the highest rate is among men between 30 and 44 years old, where 3.3 percent carry the virus.
Experts warn that the number of cases in which the virus has been contracted via heterosexual intercourse has increased. This could mean that the scale of the disease is much higher in reality. Russian epidemiologists from the Russian center for prevention and fighting AIDS report that among the deaths of women aged 25 to 35, 20 percent die due to complications caused by the HIV virus.
The first weapons to be updated will be the warheads attached to the Trident II submarines. In 2018, the NNSA will receive 65 mln USD to fund the project for the next 5 years.
The program of the small warheads transported by Tridents is part of the American answer to Russian violations of the INF treaty. Russia has recently been deploying Iskander rocket launchers on NATO’s eastern flank, targeting Poland and Romania.
Russia has recently been deploying Iskander rocket launchers on NATO’s eastern flank, targeting Poland and Romania
According to the Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan, over the course of the next 25 years the development, modernization and maintenance of infrastructure to produce nuclear weapons has become the main goal as well as production of the weapons themselves.
25 bln USD
In the US, the Department of Defense is responsible for means of transport of warheads, such as bombers, ballistic rockets and submarines. The warheads themselves, however, are developed by the NNSA – an agency of the Department of Energy.
The NNSA’s programs may cost even 25 bln USD, although that is less than 10% of the total cost of maintaining nuclear weapons over the next 25 years.
The goal is for there to be three kinds of warheads to be carried by intercontinental ballistic missiles. These will replace the W78, W87 warheads (carried by Minuteman IIIs) and the W76 and W88 (carried by Trident IIs).
The American air force will remain with two types of warheads: the B61-12 smart atomic bomb and the W80-4 warhead attached to the LRSO cruise missile.
In the survey titled “The daily activities of Poles: a self-portrait and image of Polish society in the years 1988-2018”, 70 percent of Poles said that work was the most important for people in their surroundings, while 61 percent cited family life as the most important. Earning money was 31 percent, health and safety 16 percent, education 11 percent, sport 10 percent, making the most out of life 10 percent, climbing the career ladder 9 percent and helping others 8 percent.
For me: family
Poles saw themselves and what was most important for them personally in a slightly different light. Considering their own priorities, 72 percent said family is most important, and work dropped to second at 53 percent. Health and safety were chosen by 23 percent of respondents, while 15 percent said earning money. Exercise was cited by 14 percent.
Physical activity and exercise and traveling have increased in the last twenty years, whereas earning money, political activity and moving abroad has decreased. The need to pursue higher education has also seen a drop in favor of taking care of one’s family.
“In today’s epoch saturated with technology, we do not remember the psycho-physiological aspect of Christmas,” according to the Zybertowicz couple. They referred to a certain motif in Ratzinger’s autobiography, which depicted the birth of Christ in a different light: “Christmas comes to our hemisphere in such a season, where with each passing day increasingly less light reaches Earth,” Ratzinger wrote. He argued that Christ’s birth was scandalous because of its squalor and therefore, very much “not associated with godhood.”
Ratzinger further explained that “the story of the Savior, who through his teaching and then through his martyr’s death, is light within himself and shows the path to light.”
The story of the Savior, who through his teaching and then through his martyr’s death, is light within himself and shows the path to light
The authors argue that this aspect of Christmas has been forgotten in a world of colorful adverts: “Ratzinger raises the issue of whether today’s technologized human, overwhelmed by the light (of commercials) is able to see and appreciate this aspect of Christmas, which was so important when the rhythm of nature set the rhythm of our organisms.”
“True light does not come from technology. It comes from our spirit,” they added.
The writers recall Jordan B. Peterson claiming that today people are prouder of technology than parenthood and warn that the “smart cities engulfed in light will bring an ocean of chaos in place of hope.”
“The Three Seas is a regional initiative of the Polish state which we, the USA, our President and the American government enthusiastically support,” Sullivan told Niezależna.pl. “We believe that Poland’s leadership is very important and this what I told your Foreign Minister and the Chief of the President’s Chancellery.”
The Three Seas is a regional initiative of the Polish state which we, the USA, our President and the American government enthusiastically support
The Deputy Secretary of State has just finished his tour of Central Eastern Europe, where his final stop was Warsaw. Sullivan underlined that Poland is a key country in the region and that the USA believes that other countries look to Poland for leadership.
Fort Trump and NS2
Sullivan commented that although he doesn’t have anything new to announce concerning the permanent US military base in Poland dubbed “Fort Trump”, he argued that talks about the matter were currently ongoing in Washington. “I believe that the future shape of our relations concerning security, primarily the one concerning strengthening our presence in Poland is the subject of discussions currently ongoing in Washington,” he said.
The Deputy Secretary claimed that there is no way to hasten the talks, since they were happening during his visit.
“It’s no secret that President Trump and the United States government oppose Nord Stream 2 and so we’ve told our NATO allies and European partners,” Sullivan said. He also claimed that the US have the necessary tools to oppose NS2.
Szekler scuba divers set up an underwater Christmas tree in Kovászna/Covasna county, in the artificial lake of Dálnok/Dalnic. Braving a cold of -6 degrees Celsius, and heavy winds, Jenő Szabó and three other divers broke the 10 cm (4 inches) thick ice covering the lake and dived into the water of only 1 degree taking a Christmas tree into the deep. The tree was later decorated underwater with stones and orbs wrapped in paper.
The “scuba diver Christmas” is a worldwide tradition among divers, and it is also the fifth occasion in Dálnok that they set up a Christmas tree in the local lake. With this attention-grabbing action, the divers would like to popularize their water therapy activities for handicapped people. Since clinical tests prove that listening to music underwater improves the children’s communication skills and their quality of life, the divers organize free water therapy for handicapped children in the summertime. This year 150 children with autism, Down-syndrome, learning disorders or other disabilities participated in these therapies.
Diving under the lake’s ice cover
The artificial lake for divers covers one thousand square meters, runs nine meters deep and is home to plants and fish, including hundreds of golden crucian and tearing carp that can be seen under the surface. The lake is unique in Europe and is the brainchild of internationally renowned diver Jenő Szabó, who participated in an expedition led by Jacques Cousteau and was also the subject of a Discovery Channel documentary a few years ago. The lake is open to visitors (both divers and non-divers) between May and September, so if you visit Székelyföld/Szeklerland during summertime, it is definitely worth checking out. If you are there you can even drink a beer (!) under water in the unique underwater pub, opened this summer by Szabó’s son, Kolos.
Mateusz Morawiecki took part in the Polish-British intergovernmental consultations in London. The PM outlined his goals for the meetings on Twitter:
“The situation of Poles in Great Britain is a key aspect of my talks with PM Theresa May. Our goal is to maintain free trade, which is so important to Polish companies. I believe that the British parliament will make the right decision, which will be beneficial for all sides involved.”
Sytuacja Polaków w Wielkiej Brytanii to kluczowy aspekt rozmów z premier Theresą May. Naszym celem jest też utrzymanie swobody wymiany handlowej, tak istotnej dla polskich firm. Wierzę, że brytyjski parlament podejmie taką decyzję, która będzie korzystna dla wszystkich stron.
Morawiecki underlined that the UK is an important partner in promoting innovation and other sectors. “We’ve already spoken earlier about guarantees for Poles remaining on the British Isles,” he added during a press conference with the British PM.
“We appreciate the input that Poles have in British society,” May said. Mateusz Morawiecki also met with representatives of Poles living in the UK.
Meeting with Poles
“PM Morawiecki and PM May met with representatives of Poles living in the UK in London,” wrote the Polish Prime Minister’s Chancellery’s official twitter account.
As part of his visit to London, Morawiecki also met with the Mayor of the City of London Peter Estlin as well as representatives of the financial sector.
The Daily Telegraph interview
The day prior to his meeting with the British PM, Morawiecki applauded May for her struggle concerning Brexit negotiations in an interview for “The Daily Telegraph”. “This isn’t the darkest hour (…) although the situation might seem dangerous and uncertain. I believe that PM May will weather this storm. She fought bravely in Brexit negotiations and that in itself is worthy of respect,” concluded Morawiecki.
Sharing a special Christmas wafer, twelve dishes at Christmas Eve, a place for an unannounced guest at the Christmas table and carol singers – all of these are but some of Poland’s Christmas traditions. These have now been brought closer to the world audience as the Polish National Foundation has created an ad showing a Polish Christmas.
Imagine something precious, warm and cozy, imagine Christmas magic filling your heart with childish joy, imagine the smells that make it even more substantial…
Do you want the recipe? It’s Christmas in Poland! Merry Christmas from Poland! pic.twitter.com/x7K7Pe2jry
“The Christmas clip with Jean Reno promotes the beauty of Polish Christmas traditions and shows the beauty of the Tatra Mountains during Winter. It builds the image of our country as one full of family warmth, rich culture, attractive to tourists and one where everyone can feel safe,” Filip Rdesiński, the head of the Polish National Foundation explained.
The ad will be emitted in both Polish and foreign TV stations.
The Sphinx in white and red
This is not the first action promoting Poland to be released by the Polish National Foundation. On occasion of Poland’s Independence Cenetary, a clip with Mel Gibson was also emitted. The Foundation is also behind the lighting up of world landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and the Great Sphinx of Giza and The Pyramids with white and red lights on November 11th.
Sharing a special Christmas wafer, twelve dishes at Christmas Eve, a place for an unannounced guest at the Christmas table and carol singers – all of these are but some of Poland’s Christmas traditions. These have now been brought closer to the world audience as the Polish National Foundation has created an ad showing a Polish Christmas.
Imagine something precious, warm and cozy, imagine Christmas magic filling your heart with childish joy, imagine the smells that make it even more substantial…
Do you want the recipe? It’s Christmas in Poland! Merry Christmas from Poland! pic.twitter.com/x7K7Pe2jry
“The Christmas clip with Jean Reno promotes the beauty of Polish Christmas traditions and shows the beauty of the Tatra Mountains during Winter. It builds the image of our country as one full of family warmth, rich culture, attractive to tourists and one where everyone can feel safe,” Filip Rdesiński, the head of the Polish National Foundation explained.
The ad will be emitted in both Polish and foreign TV stations.
The Sphinx in white and red
This is not the first action promoting Poland to be released by the Polish National Foundation. On occasion of Poland’s Independence Cenetary, a clip with Mel Gibson was also emitted. The Foundation is also behind the lighting up of world landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and the Great Sphinx of Giza and The Pyramids with white and red lights on November 11th.
The average gross wage in Hungary was HUF 327,100, Varga announced. The increase in the January-October period was 11.6 percent compared with the same period in 2017, with gross wages in the first ten months averaging HUF 324,400 and net wages HUF 215,700.
Varga said the wage increase was in line with the growing economic performance of Hungary and also helped by a six-year wage agreement struck between the government, employers and employees. The other reason was that unemployment in Hungary has dropped under 4 percent at the end of last year and has hovered around 3.7-3.8 percent since. The labor shortage in some sectors of the economy has also contributed to the wage rise.
Varga said, however, that representatives of employers and employees had yet to agree on the skilled and unskilled minimum wage increases for next year, an important element of economic stability. He said that economic growth next year would slow down slightly to around 4 percent (compared with an expected 4.7-4.8 percent this year), meaning that wage increases will also slow down accordingly, but consumption and investments are expected to rise faster.
Title image: Finance Minister Mihály Varga (MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák)
This year, the average Christmas spend amounts to PLN 1,289: PLN 525 on presents, PLN 458 on groceries, PLN 69 on cleaning utensils, PLN 65 on a Christmas tree and PLN 172 on other things. In the case of 20 percent of those polled, the cost of gas has to be included, which amounts to PLN 301, which is a PLN 103 increase from 2017.
The main increase in expenses came from food – PLN 58, and presents – PLN 25.
Despite the increase in spending, 57 percent of those polled claim that Christmas is a serious matter which needs to be planned out and budgeted. In 2017, 61 percent of people held the same opinion.
For more than a third of Polish families receiving the government’s child benefits “500+”, the additional money will come as extra support for Christmas
Every sixth Pole claimed that no matter what they do, they would still fall into financial issues due to Christmas spending. Last year, every fifth Pole claimed such a problem. Although the material situation of Poles has improved, many still tread on the thin financial line.
“Positively associated holidays may as a result ruin someone’s credit history and lead to being put into the list of indebted in BIG, due to late credit and bill payments,” claims BIG InfoMonitor Head Sławomir Grzelczak. Only every seventh person can allow themselves not to think about Christmas in terms of spending.
For more than a third of Polish families receiving the government’s child benefits “500+”, the additional money will come as extra support for Christmas. The main increase in expenses for these families are presents (PLN 290) and food (PLN 257).
This year, the average Christmas spend amounts to PLN 1,289: PLN 525 on presents, PLN 458 on groceries, PLN 69 on cleaning utensils, PLN 65 on a Christmas tree and PLN 172 on other things. In the case of 20 percent of those polled, the cost of gas has to be included, which amounts to PLN 301, which is a PLN 103 increase from 2017.
The main increase in expenses came from food – PLN 58, and presents – PLN 25.
Despite the increase in spending, 57 percent of those polled claim that Christmas is a serious matter which needs to be planned out and budgeted. In 2017, 61 percent of people held the same opinion.
For more than a third of Polish families receiving the government’s child benefits “500+”, the additional money will come as extra support for Christmas
Every sixth Pole claimed that no matter what they do, they would still fall into financial issues due to Christmas spending. Last year, every fifth Pole claimed such a problem. Although the material situation of Poles has improved, many still tread on the thin financial line.
“Positively associated holidays may as a result ruin someone’s credit history and lead to being put into the list of indebted in BIG, due to late credit and bill payments,” claims BIG InfoMonitor Head Sławomir Grzelczak. Only every seventh person can allow themselves not to think about Christmas in terms of spending.
For more than a third of Polish families receiving the government’s child benefits “500+”, the additional money will come as extra support for Christmas. The main increase in expenses for these families are presents (PLN 290) and food (PLN 257).
The so-called “solidus” was minted in Constantinople during the reign of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II (401-450), likely around the year 440. It is a coin of 4.54 grams (0.16 oz) of pure gold, with the obverse featuring a portrait of the emperor and the reverse the female symbolizing Constantinople.
The site where the coin was found – at the edge of Budapest – was a major Roman outpost on the northern border of the empire. It started as a garrison of the 6,000-strong Adiutrix II legion and a city gradually developed around the fortress. At its height in the 2nd century AD the city had 30,000 to 40,000 inhabitants.
Archeologists speculate that the gold coin was probably part of a series of gifts and payments by Constantinople to the Huns, in exchange for peace. At the time, a solidus was worth 320 liters of grain or the equivalent of an equestrian soldier’s service payment for a month and a half.
Opposition parties dubbed the amendment, which increased annual overtime to 400 hours from a previous 250, the “slave law” and claimed it curtailed employees’ rights.
In a statement on the Presidential Office website, President Áder said his staff examined the law from three aspects and found it appropriate in every respect.
First, it said, the amendment does not go against the constitution, thus constitutional objections can be ruled out. Second, his staff also compared the new overtime limit with that of other European Union member states and found that several EU countries – such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and the Czech Republic had equal or higher overtime limits.
Thirdly, it also looked at whether the amendment has any adverse effects on the rights of the country’s 4.4 million workforce. The conclusion was that the amendment did not restrict employee rights as employers could only request overtime upon the previous written consent of the employee and that they could withdraw at any time.
Employers are not allowed to sanction workers for not agreeing to overtime and all overtime payments will remain subject to previous regulations.
Title image: President János Áder (MTI/Zsolt Szigetváry)
Hungary will purchase a German control system (Surface-to-Air Missile Operations Center or SAMOC) for its ground-to-air missiles that will be able to coordinate all of the country’s systems. The deal was signed by Martin Deister and Michael Apel on behalf of the contractor, Airbus, and by Péter Fodor, head of the Hungarian Defense Ministry’s procurement office.
The SAMOC system is used by several NATO countries and has a high degree of compatibility and interoperability and is considered the foundation upon which Hungarian air defense can be developed or upgraded in the future. The price of the purchase was not disclosed.
Further details also emerged about an earlier announcement of the Hungarian Armed Forces’ purchase of German tanks. The manufacturer, Kraus-Maffei Wegmann announced in a press release that Hungary will buy 44 of the latest, A7+ variant Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The Leopard 2 has a 120mm Rheinmetall L/55 cannon, an 1,500 horsepower engine and a top speed of 72 km/h. Additionally, the Hungarian Armed Forces will also purchase 12 used Leopard 2 A4 tanks from the company for training purposes. The value of this deal has not been disclosed either.
Even though Czech liberal democrats like to think we belong to the West, they don’t live there yet. They’re frozen halfway and haven’t entered the real West at all.
If they did, they would experience its faith along with it, instead of looking at it from a distance through rose-tinted glasses. Also, they wouldn’t be constantly checking a rear-view mirror to see what the East is doing. They are obsessed with the East so much, that one starts to think they miss it.
They are afraid to come to the reality of the West because they unconsciously feel that there is something wrong in a dream they had been dreaming. They could not fail to notice the same ideology that devastated the East and now in another form threatens to destroy the West.
They consider this ideology being more dangerous, stealing their beloved terminology, and falsely calling it liberal and democratic. They would also feel that this threat was present, as the Anglo-Saxon defensive terminology says, “clear and present danger.”
Ignorance is not simple, uninformed, but an intentional and passionate resistance to information. To verify awareness (or ignorance), let’s take a small poll:
In what country arrested in less than five hours, convicted without a lawyer, and jailed a person reporting on violent gangsters trapping thousands of underage girls whose fate had been kept secret for twenty years by the authorities who knew him?
In which country was a father accused of racism while protesting against school homework urging the pupils to describe “why do I convert to Islam”?
In what country is currently the most popular party in the highest places dominated by anti-Semitic politicians to the point that 45 of its members are the target of a police investigation?
In what country did the Muslim mayor of the capital prohibit ads for women’s lingerie and swimsuits, or depicting uncovered women?
Was it in a Western country or in an Eastern country? Take a guess.
Due to a worsening security situation and an underinvestment of the military sector in the past, the defense budget has been increasing year-on-year. Our ultimate goal remains the same, to reach two percent of GDP by 2024, said Defence Minister Lubomír Metnar. Successful implementation of this pledge would mean a spending increase amounting to 130 billion CZK.
The Czech Republic was fulfilling its pledge from 1999, when it joined NATO, to 2003 and once again in 2005. The current defense budget outlook doesn’t expect to meet the two percent threshold next year, as there is a planned increase to 1.19 and 1.4 percent of GDP respectively.
The defense draft budget for 2019 counts on 66.7 billion CZK which is 7.8 billion more than this year, and is also one billion more than was approved by the government earlier in June. The extra billion is supposed to cover investment development.
The ministry plans to focus on ground forces. In 2019, the ministry is expected to spend 1.4 billion CZK on infantry mobility vehicles for chemists, with additional hundreds of millions to be spent in the coming years.
Babiš shared his government’s aim to focus on export diplomacy outside Europe. “Based on meetings with several African leaders at the Forum, our administration is going to prepare Ministerial missions to different countries,” said Babiš, adding that he will work on a strategy for non-European territories together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry.
Digitalization, innovations and showcasing of African start-ups were on the agenda at the Forum. Dozens of high-level politicians representing the EU member states and African countries met with hundreds of businessmen from the two continents.
In Africa, the Czech Republic is focusing on the most populous countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia. PM Babiš met with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame among others.
The Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz vowed a substantial increase of European investments to the continent. We must not leave Africa to China, he added. Currently, the EU is lagging in both investments and trade not only behind China but Japan as well.
In this regard, Babiš called for a common coordinated action, reminding one of the main disadvantages of the EU against China. “We need to agree on a common strategy,” he said.
Even though migration wasn’t officially part of the agenda, Babiš mentioned that it was impossible to avoid a discussion on the topic.
As Africa is expected to account for more than half of the global population by 2100, for us the aim should be to help African countries especially in terms of education, investments and economic cooperation, the Czech PM said.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš later confirmed the country’s UN migration pact vote. Babiš posted on Twitter that the Czech Republic kept its promise and voted against the plan. We stay true to our strategy against illegal migration and we will not accept a single migrant, he added.
According to AP, there were less countries in favor of the Pact now than in Marrakesh, where it was preliminarily approved by the signing of 164 members. On Wednesday, it was approved by an overwhelming majority, despite the US, Hungary, Israel, Poland and the Czech Republic opposing it.
The non-binding agreement is supposed to ensure secure and orderly legal migration. The talks about a global migration pact had started as a result of the migration crisis in Europe, which was the largest since the Second World War and arouse nationalistic tendencies.
The documents which belonged to general Czesław Kiszczak were sold to the Americans in instalments. The main seller was Kiszczak’s wife, Maria Kiszczak, and Świetlik argued that part of the archive may have been sold during the general’s life. “We know that Kiszczak was in contact with the Hoover Institution,” Świetlik said.
The journalist drew attention to the fact that the American institute holds a full copy of Agent “Bolek’s” briefcase, who is Lech Wałęsa. Świetlik remained unsure as to whether Mrs. Kiszczak sold all of the documents as there were many of them.
Everything was sold in bulk. Mrs. Kiszczak had not done an earlier inquiry. She sold her husband’s archive to America
Among other documents included in the sale were Kiszczak’s general nomination, medical documentation and the late general’s house insurance policy.
“Everything was sold in bulk. Mrs. Kiszczak had not done an earlier inquiry. She sold her husband’s archive to America,” Świetlik evaluated. He did list a positive however, as the documents had not “fallen into the wrong hands in Poland. Hands, which would have put them into an oven or hid them in a basement.”
The journalist underlined that some of documents currently residing in the American institution should be held in Poland due to Polish law. He did note that the documents are safe in the Hoover Institution.
“American companies have Washington’s support and want to be in Poland. If both parties see a way, then it is easy to reach a settlement,” minister Naimski said in an interview for TVP. He underlined that signing another gas deal with the US is a step for Poland toward obtaining the best gas prices.
Naimski said that PGNiG is creating a portfolio of long-term contracts. This is a solid strategy which has given Poland another deal with an American supplier. “It is in line with what we are doing in Poland in terms of developing infrastructure,” Naimski said.
“The PGNiG company, which belongs to Gaz-System has announced an auction in search of a contractor for the project,” announced Naimski and claimed that the first part of the project will be completed in 2021 and the other, in 2023.
All of these projects completed in 2022 will give us gas delivery independence
“This is connected with the construction of the pipeline in Norway [Baltic Pipe]. All of these projects completed in 2022 will give us gas delivery independence. This is a strategy we are realizing together: the government, PGNiG, Gaz-System and our good cooperators, the gas suppliers.”
“I can say with certainty, that the prices of gas for Polish recipients will be competitive on the market,” the plenipotentiary said and gave the example of healthy competition within Poland. “We will have competition in Poland between supply of LNG gas and gas from the Baltic Pipe. This gas from both measures will compete with one another in one system,” he said.
Naimski claimed that this will ensure Poland receives the best possible price for gas.
The “King of Europe” Donald Tusk received a raise of EUR 550 (PLN 2,200) which means he will be earning more than EUR 30,000 (PLN 130,000) per month.
Even the US President does not earn that much, reports tabloid Fakt quoting the British Guardian.
Tusk will receive a EUR 32,700 gross raise for the entire year, which increases his salary by 1.7 percent. This makes his pay equal to that of Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission.
The pay rise was widely commented on social media.
The monthly paychecks of EU chiefs Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk are close to the average yearly salary for British workers, it has been revealed. https://t.co/dpQWFMWLBt
Tusk will receive a EUR 32 700 gross raise for the entire year, which increases his salary by 1.7 percent
Where does this raise come from? It’s the result of an equalization effect which is calculated based on, primarily, living costs in Brussels. In comparison, as prime minister, Tusk earned around EUR 38,500 (PLN 165,000) per annum.
Meanwhile, the salaries of Polish MEPs, of which there are 51, are over EUR 8,000 (PLN 32,000).
The ship’s entry into San Francisco was spectacular as it sailed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. It was meant to be a reference to the ship’s famous passing under Sidney’s bridge in Australia.
“And it happened. Dar Młodzieży has sailed under the world’s most famous bridge”, one of the organizers of the cruise wrote on Twitter.
On board the “Dar Młodzieży” will be a business meeting between students of Gdynia’s Naval Academy and Polish Americans.
Adventure of a lifetime
The toughest part of the cruise is behind the “Dar Młodzieży”. The journey from Osaka, Japan to San Francisco, USA across the Pacific is deemed to be one of the most difficult parts of a voyage around the world.
No one is the same person once they step off the ship
Monika Mostowska, one of the journey’s organizers, commented that “no one is the same person once they step off the ship.” The sailors have to keep to a very small surface in the middle of the sea and live with the same people for a very long time.
The next part of the journey is Los Angeles. Then, the frigate will travel to Panama where it will take part in World Youth Day in January. The cruise is due to end in March in Gdynia, Poland.
The truffle, weighing 1,040 grams (2.29 pounds) was found by a forester from the NEFAG Zrt. forestry service in Hungary’s southern Baranya county, Origo reports.
Of the three main truffle varieties, Hungary – alongside several Balkans countries, Austria and Switzerland – is home to the Istrian truffle (Tuber magnatum). The Istrian truffle is also the most expensive of the three varieties, with prices of up to EUR 4,500 per kilogram.
The truffle season in Hungary is from October to the end of December and besides the short season, the other reason Istrian truffles fetch such handsome prices is that their cultivation has not been solved yet.
This year, due to a long and hot summer the truffle crop in the region has been particularly plentiful – which also means that prices have dropped to around a mere EUR 3,000 per kilogram.
Title image: Giant truffle found in Baranya county (photo: Agriculture Ministry)
Tarlós issued the alert after the level of dust particles in the air exceeded the advisory level at eight measuring points on December 18th and six on December 19th.
He also asked that owners of vehicles falling in the most polluting categories should not use them until the air quality improves. In the past few days, temperatures in Budapest have been hovering a few degrees below 0 Celsius and there was practically no wind. The meteorological office said that air movement will pick up in the coming days, but it will not substantially alleviate the situation.
Tarlós also reminded that should pollution levels reach proper alert levels, under the capital’s new smog regulations a ban will be instituted on vehicles falling in the most polluting four categories and food delivery trucks will only be allowed on the streets between six and ten in the morning.
Besides the cold and calm weather, the smog situation was also due to the usual Christmas rush in the capital.
RMDSZ President Hunor Kelemen said that while the party does not agree with everything the current government is doing, they will take part in the debate of the motion of no confidence and be present at the vote, but will abstain.
“My colleagues will be present and we will make clear the opinion of the government and the current political situation,” Kelemen said on Wednesday.
The Romanian government led by Viorica Dăncilă will face a vote of no confidence after 163 MPs from three opposition parties launched a motion against it, calling for the “dismissal of the puppet government of the felon Dragnea”.
While Dăncilă is the de jure Prime Minister of Romania since January this year, the real power is under Liviu Dragnea, leader of the Social Democratic Party. He cannot be prime minister as he was convicted for vote rigging and corruption in two different cases, the first having a final verdict while the second is pending appeal.
The proponents of the motion said in their proposal that the “crime syndicate” led by Dragnea is destroying the country.
In an open letter supporting the initiative of women’s right movement Terre des Femmes, the Green mayor of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg said he was the first to sign the movement’s petition to ban headscarfs for girls in local schools and day centers.
“Girls should learn that God will not punish them if they don’t wear a headscarf,” Palmer wrote. “They should understand this is nothing unchaste and that men will not classify them as sex objects if their hair is out.”
Terre des Femmes launched the petition after a girls’ meeting in November on the day of discrimination against women in November, when several refugee girls wore headscarfs. The petition has since also been signed by several prominent German intellectuals and Game of Thrones actress Sibel Kekilli, who is of Turkish origin.
Jean Monnet, who came from the cognac producing family, knew very well what the basis for a common Europe was – a common market and economic prosperity. The basis on which you can later add a political layer and shared values. As political scientists would call it, the snowball effect.
Recent agony of the Brexit talks shows how the EU is shamefully ignoring its economic foundations. The common market and a prosperity related to it were supposed to be the main and unbeatable argument of PM May to defend her deal with Brussels.
Without the deal, there will be no customs union and economic impact will be devastating for both the UK and the rest of Europe. By constantly calling for a hard Brexit, the EU fails to communicate its benefits to its citizens.
On the contrary, most ordinary British citizens are going to remember all those absurd directives, exaggerated financial regulations and a fight over the metric system or bulbs. The most noticeable argument for Brexit had an economic base as well – by leaving the EU, Britain should somehow gain 350 million GBP for its healthcare.
In the Czech Republic, a similar pattern can be seen. The European representation here is almost invisible in terms of the economy. They lack competent and strong faces. Economic topics have been presented by MEPs, Czech bureaucrats from Brussels and the Czech public administration.
Every businessman understands that he must sell, for which he needs workers, who should be replaced if they don’t operate well. It should learn Europe a lesson.
Austria introduced a curfew for asylum seekers between 10pm and 6an in reaction to two recent murders. In both cases suspects are young Afghan men and both murders happened at night. The FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache said that the curfew is supposed to prevent riots, roamers, and an excessive consumption of alcohol.
Originally, the Interior Minister Herbert Kickl of the FPÖ, called for a curfew starting at 8pm. After a backlash from human rights defenders, Kickl rephrased it as a measure which ‘requires their presence at home’. Therefore, it is no longer a restriction on freedom of movement but rather a set of house rules. While restrictions on freedom are intolerable, it is possible and relevant to impose certain rules, said the Chancellor Sebastian Kurz
Kickl is now looking into options for how to legally require refugees and asylum seekers to stay at home during the night time. Which could be a challenging task given that many asylum seekers stay at privately owned apartments and dorms. To be able to effectively enforce the curfew, authorities would have to check people on the streets and take actions against those violating it.
However, such actions could be unconstitutional and breach human rights and freedoms. Some shelters in Austria already impose house rules prohibiting those to be out after 10pm and also visits are not allowed during night time.
Last week, a 17-year-old Afghan stabbed to death a one-year younger Austrian girl in Steyer, Upper Austria. Earlier in November, a 24-year-old Afghan is suspected of killing another man in Innsbruck.
Kagame has a very good reputation both in Rwanda and abroad. Under his leadership, the country has been changing into a modern prosperous African Switzerland. In the Rwandan capital Kigali, 40 African states signed a free trade area agreement. Babiš also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who, according to the Czech PM, understands the Visegrad view on migration.
Babiš was accompanied by representatives of Czech companies who want to engage in Africa and this forum was an ideal place. One of them was Pavel Juruš from Big Terra Company who is trying to improve the efficiency of agriculture. “It is a great opportunity for us to meet with representatives of companies, not only African but also Europeans active in Africa,” he said. “For us, the transformation of agriculture which is rapidly digitizing and automating is key to us. We want to be one of those who will be involved in transforming agriculture towards efficiency, sustainability and environmental friendliness – not only in Africa,” Juruš added.
One of the most important topics during the forum was migration. European politicians want to invest mainly in innovation and education to make it better for Africans to stay in Africa. Cooperation between Europe and Africa should result in a common intercontinental trade zone. The current Cotonou agreement will expire in 2020 and it is not clear how the new treaty will be negotiated.
Left-wing activists tried to disrupt the Vienna forum. They marched and chanted against alleged European imperialism. About 100 people arrived at the march.
In remembrance of the late president Havel, people across the country have been lighting candles and reading from his works. A group of Havel’s followers carried a large hand-crafted heart to Prague Castle.
The President of Senate Kubera laid flowers on Havel’s grave and the US Embassy posted on its official Twitter account a picture of H.E. King with a huge heart and a text reminding that Havel was the first leader from behind the Iron curtain to hold a speech in front of the Congress in 1990.
A number of Havel’s colleagues and public figures recollected their memories of him. Former Foreign Minister and a chancellor of President Havel Karel Schwarzenberg vowed for saying the truth and not to get easily scared.
Many people also gathered at Hrádeček in Eastern part of Bohemia, where Havel passed away at the age of 75.
“The ECJ does not make legislation in Poland. This is not a legal matter, but a political one. If Poland were a humble calf, which did what Brussels told her to, then no one would be interested in our judiciary reform,” Zybertowicz, an aide to President Andrzej Duda, argued in an interview for TVN 24.
The advisor explained that Poland is trying to adjust its position in the EU to the scale of its market. “Poland is actively seeking to become a partner within the EU. Some have decided that such a thing cannot be allowed.”
“I think we have friends in all of the formations which are worried by the cultural trends in the EU.”
Poland is actively seeking to become a partner within the EU. Some have decided that such a thing cannot be allowed
Zybertowicz also gave the example of the Polish opposition’s recent gains in the municipal elections as proof of Poland being a healthy democracy: “The success [of the opposition] in many cities should give Poland’s critics abroad food for thought. Democracy is working, the elections weren’t rigged.”
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Situation in Warsaw
He also argued that it is good that Polish politicians are able to admit to their mistakes. He recalled the ongoing situation in Warsaw concerning rebates when transforming leasehold properties into freehold ones. “Today it seems, that Rafał Trzaskowski came to his senses and retreated.”
Zybertowicz argued that Law and Justice’s Chairman Jarosław Kaczyński’s speech at PiS’ convention on Saturday was key to changing Trzaskowski’s mind. “If Jarosław Kaczyński hadn’t pointed that out during Saturday’s convention, then Warsaw’s citizens wouldn’t have had this.”
The dark side of the Moon has always been the subject of myths, legends and pop-culture, such as Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album. Chinese astronomers were also drawn to the unknown and have decided to launch a probe to investigate the Moon’s dark side for the first time in history.
The probe Chang’e 4 which was launched in early December is now at the Moon’s orbit.
The probe was named after the Chinese goddess of the Moon, and is meant to research the satellite’s surface and gather samples. The goal is to see what hides beneath the surface and whether plant-life could be sustained on the Moon.
Similar to Mars Rover
Chang’e 4 is a combination of a lander and a jeep, a simpler but similar device to the one used by NASA on Mars.
If all goes according to plan, Chang’e 4 will make history’s first landing on the lunar far side sometime in early January.
If the probe is successful, China will launch another one “Chang’e 5” in 2019. The mission of this probe is to also successfully return to Earth, which would pave the way for China to send a manned mission to the Moon’s surface.
During the Africa-Europe Forum Morawiecki outlined his idea to help the migration crisis with Africa: “We want to help different African countries by creating good work places on the spot, with Polish investors and in Polish entrepreneurships, so we can lessen the migration pressure from Africa to Europe.”
Morawiecki pointed out the potential of the African market: “Africa is 1.2 bln people and in a few years, there will most likely be thrice as many inhabitants as in the EU.”
We want to help different African countries by creating good work places on the spot, with Polish investors and in Polish entrepreneurships
The PM also explained how Polish entrepreneurs have already made good, promising contacts with their African counterparts.
Morawiecki considered the following sectors of particular interest: the food industry, machine production, consumer electronics and information technology services. The last one the PM deemed “Poland’s recent speciality.”
Nielsen’s quarterly European Growth Reporter survey showed that growing consumer confidence and low inflation contributed a healthy 3.7 percent growth in Europe, but Hungary continued to significantly outpace that growth rate with 7.6 percent, putting it third in Europe after Turkey and Finland.
The growth in Turkey was an exceptional 21 percent, while both Hungary and Finland achieved 7.6 percent. In Poland, retail growth was 5.9 percent while the Czech Republic was among the tail-enders with just one percent.
In Hungary, retail volume rose by 3.4 percent while the rest of the growth was on account of increasing prices. In terms of retail value, sales of chemicals rose the fastest in Hungary at a rate of 8.9 percent while food sales were up by 7.6 percent.
Nielsen Hungary said that while growth in the third quarter was 0.2 percentage point lower than in the previous quarter, growth dynamics remained strong. Given, however, that in the last quarter of 2017 Hungary posted an impressive 8.2 percent retail growth, it was unlikely that the last quarter could provide another record this year.
Despite a slight decline in the overall GDP of the 21 countries included in the Nielsen report, retail trade rose everywhere.
In addition to believing that their money is safe, 68 percent of Poles also think that banks work in the correct way.
CBOS reports that the people more convinced by banks are those who have obtained higher education and are in a better financial situation. Positive respondents also included younger people and those living in large towns.
84 percent of Poles use banking services
The surveyed also positively evaluated the work of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority and trust that banks are overseen properly. CBOS stated that 84 percent of Poles use banking services.
In comparison, 2006 was the last year with such a high number of Poles trusting banks – 74 percent. In 2008 that number dropped to 59 percent and in 2012 it hovered around 62 percent.
Szíjjártó said the Budapest facility is the only European service center of the Japanese company, providing accounting and billing services for all of Nissan’s operations on the continent.
“Hungary has won this investment by one of the world’s most innovative automotive companies amid significant regional competition,” Szíjjártó said.
With the announced expansion the service center will have over 70 employees, all of whom are performing tasks with a high added value, the Hungarian minister said. Nissan is here for the long term as one of the flagships of electronic car manufacture.
Tomasz Latala-Golisz, CEO of Nissan Sales Central and Eastern Europe said the service center will be in close cooperation with NIssan’s other similar center in India. He added that the decision to expand the Budapest service center was mainly due to Hungary’s significant results in innovation technologies and e-mobility.
Szíjjártó also said that the Hungarian economy has reached new records this year in both exports and investments. He said last year was the first time Hungarian exports exceeded EUR 100 billion ($113 bln) and based on January-October data this year will bring a further 6 percent increase.
In retrospect, the vote of the Italian parliament on December 7th in which it approved the country’s 2019 budget may be a historical one. Instead of the minimum required 275 votes for a majority, 330 MPs approved the government’s economic policy. One might say they picked up the gauntlet thrown by the Brussels who threatened with sanctions if the deficit is not reduced substantially.
Now the ball is with Brussels: they can either punish Italy – thereby further fueling resentment – or be lenient, in which case other countries like Spain and France could also loosen their budget discipline. The latter, in turn, would either lead to the collapse of the single currency or a hardline stance from Germany.
A discussion on the actual merits of the euro can no longer be postponed.The currency has caused economic decline in several member states and such decline will inevitably lead to political rejection. The Italian government concluded that their society can no longer tolerate the financial and monetary dictates of Brussels and did what it promised it would do: restart the engines of the economy.
While it is not a widely discussed topic, the protests of the “yellow vests” in France are also a result of the euro, as pointed out by a statement of 19 French intellectuals – including a number of economists. But the majority in France still considers the euro a taboo, thus meaningful discussions about it are out of the question. Everybody seems to be afraid to disturb the status quo.
But is becoming increasingly clear that without the return to the national currency, France will soon run out of options. Thus the issue must discussed as often as possible and by as many people as possible, be they Francophiles or Francophobes.
The Venice Commission – an independent advisory body of the Council of Europe – report on Hungary’s extra tax on organizations aiding migration has been hastily assembled without proper procedure, Orbán writes.
The draft of the Commission’s opinion was discussed at a December 14-15th meeting. Orbán said that instead of the required six rapporteurs, only one actually visited Hungary, although the work of the rapporteurs should form the basis of the report itself.
Half of the report was completely re-written on the day of the meeting and Hungary only received a copy 45 minutes before the debate, making any meaningful discussion impossible. The Commission also rejected the Hungarian request to postpone the meeting so that Hungarian experts could familiarize themselves with the document.
Orbán said that the report considers taxation from the perspective of fundamental human rights, whereas such an approach is entirely absurd. He also said that along a similar logic, environmental taxes could be construed as infringing the right to free enterprise.
While the Commission often says that this is only an advisory opinion, the European Commission has made it clear beforehand that its decision whether to launch Article 7 proceedings against Hungary will be based on said report.
The last EU summit brought us many things, a demonstrated unwillingness of 27 states to meet the British PM half way is one of them, a small German compromise to France on its crusade towards a common eurozone budget is another. However, one more ‘common’ thing didn’t go through and reformists have failed to homologate the asylum law for the whole EU and strengthen Frontex, which goes hand-in-hand with it.
All this apparently prompted the Belgian leader Charles Michel to threaten Visegrad countries. However, his threats make no sense, just as the Schengen area without an external border protection, i.e. without the V4. PM Michel has been a strong proponent of an open border policy, and last week, his government felt compelled to react due to that very reason. The strongest coalition party has kept its threat and left because it opposes the UN migration pact that Belgium decided to sign.
However, by saying that ‘By stubbornly, repeatedly, systematically refusing to show a minimum of solidarity, these (Visegrad) countries automatically open the political debate about the Schengen area, they in fact open the question of their own place in the Schengen area,’ Michel said.
In fact, his statement makes no or even negative sense once you peel off the political tactics. Schengen is, without any irony, a great tangible achievement of European integration. But only if the external border of the EU is secured. Something that all Visegrad countries have been aiming for over the past three years. If not in practice like Hungary, then verbally for sure. The case of the V4 and particularly Hungary, rejecting a stronger Frontex is based on a fear of a weakened sovereignty rather than anything else.
So, what exactly did Michel try to achieve with his threat? Michel just wanted to distract attention from the congenital defect of the EU by pointing the finger at the V4. He also tried to remind subsidies’ recipients in the East that they should (politically) obey. The system of subsidies is wrong and warped, yet its purpose is to compensate to the post-Communist countries for their past.
Let’s take the CSOB bank, which has been extremely profitable for its Belgian owner the KBC group, as an example. Due to a lack of domestic capital, foreign banks were able to buy Czech banks below cost. In a country with a significant capital outflow, it won’t take much more arrogant performances like Michel’s to call for a bank tax.
Michel’s father as a Foreign Minister eagerly promoted diplomatic sanctions against Austria in 1999/2000. You can guess why Austria had gradually alienated itself from the European core.
Africa wants to overcome its technological lag, and the EU does not hide the hope that rising African economies will help to ease migration pressure on Europe. The negotiations in Vienna will, therefore, open up topics such as eGovernment, eCommerce, and fintech in Africa, access to sustainable energy, agriculture 4.0 and start-up investment.
The meeting will be attended by the heads of the European and African Union along with the European and African Heads of State and Government. There will also be representatives of the investor community, development agencies, and civil society.
An important part of the forum has been devoted to meetings of company representatives. On Monday, 1,026 participants from 63 countries had already registered. Most of them are from Europe and Africa but also the US, Canada, and Hong Kong. Austria has the largest representation with 494 participants, Hungary is represented by 73 representatives, Poland by 39, Germany by 34. The Czech Republic with its 27 participants has even surpassed France (22 participants) that has traditionally close relations to Africa.
Besides entrepreneurs, Babis is also accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Tlapa. By the attendance at the forum, the Czech Republic wants to strengthen its presence in Africa, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier announced its intention to open a new embassy in Mali next year. Babis also visited Morocco in early December.
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, also seeks an opportunity on the African continent. In a speech in the European Parliament in October, he talked about the need for an equal partnership with the EU that could once result in a common intercontinental free trade area.
Even though Czech diplomats were originally instructed to refrain, following pressure from Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, they are set to vote against the pact. The Czech Republic opted-out earlier in December. However, Babiš doesn’t find it sufficient to opt-out, and he wants the Foreign Ministry to withdraw from the Pact officially.
The UN migration pact was approved by representatives of 164 states in December in Marrakesh. However, a number of countries including the Czech Republic rejected the document. The opponents of the pact are also the United States, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria, and Austria.
According to critics, the text defines migration as a positive phenomenon which promotes uncontrolled migration. It also wipes out the difference between illegal and legal migration. Moreover, the importance of the Pact is, according to some analysts, more symbolic than practical. Most of its 23 goals are grounded in existing standards of international law.
Today’s Euroelites don’t have a right to be, in reference to Kundera’s play, the owners of the keys to Europe. Europe belongs to us all, but those wannabe Europeans seek to take it away from us in accordance with their very non-European interests. The EU is no longer about a cooperation among sovereign European states, it pretends to be something rather than it actually is.
Those Euroelites want to make a good living from politics, they thereby enjoy opportunities of the EU – to shake off democratic control from politics, a control which still exists within each European state, but not on a European level.
Every society and at least partly functional collective entities are more than just an administrative, technical or procedural construction. For their existence to be fulfilled, there has to be an authentic sense of identity of those who belong to those entities.
In terms of identity, I don’t feel the same about Hungarians, Poles, Slovaks and Austrians as I feel about the nations in the North, West and South of Europe. Consequently, it also diminishes my ability to identify myself with the European project. Which is why the whole European unification process is unjustifiable.
Recently, a university professor asked me who is a European Commissioner and what he does. Such ignorance is striking, how one can care so little about something that affects him so much? In my perspective, it has a lot to do with a term ‘voter ignorance’. It justifies a situation when to understand something takes too much time and effort while the impact of one vote is too low.
I believe that ignorance in regard to the European institutions and mechanisms isn’t accidental. I think it has been built intentionally, based on a well-targeted manipulation of the public opinion. First of all, we must set the terms straight, especially the misleading term integration that has changed significantly from the original meaning it had 50-60 years ago.
The new abbreviation EU, created in 1992, stands for a supranational entity that replaces Westphalian national states. One of the main problems of the current Europeism is a transformation from democracy to liberal democracy, which means total devaluation of the term democracy itself. In fact, it is not about democracy or liberal values. But Euroelites do not want to hear that. Thus I believe now it is time to change the ‘European order’.
The verdict mainly concerns the suspension of the reforms in the bill regarding the Polish Supreme Court (SN), which forced its judges into early retirement at the age of 65. The ECJ delivered such a notion in October 2018, after the European Commission had filed a complaint about Poland. Now the ECJ has verified its previous verdict in their recent declaration.
“Poland is requested to immediately suspend practice of state laws which concern the lowering of the age of retirement for judges of the Supreme Court,” is written in the decree.
#Praworządność: Polska zostaje zobowiązana natychmiast zawiesić stosowanie przepisów krajowych dotyczących obniżenia wieku przejścia w stan spoczynku sędziów Sądu Najwyższego pic.twitter.com/EYCbzxjw11
On November 21st, Poland’s parliament passed the legislation bowing to the initial EU court ruling. On Monday evening President Andrzej Duda signed the amendments.
The European Commission has been locked in a bitter battle over sweeping judicial changes introduced by Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government since it took office in 2015. The showdown has led the EU to trigger unprecedented proceedings against Poland over “systemic threats” to the rule of law that could eventually see its EU voting rights suspended.
