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  • Morawiecki’s support for Polish farmers

    Mateusz Morawiecki has kicked off the campaign for Poland’s October municipal elections with promises to provide more support to Polish farmers and more resources to develop infrastructure. During his stop in the southern town of Sandomierz, he also denounced the opposition’s mockery of national events such as the Great Parade of Independence.

    “We do not feel ashamed of Poland,” the prime minister said. “We love Poland. We don’t apologize for Poland. We are grateful for Poland.”

    Morawiecki reminded voters that PiS introduced a number of important social programs such as benefits for families with children, support for the elderly and a lower retirement age. “Their program is to cancel everything!” PM Morawiecki said, offering some advice to the opposition: “Take some ice water and throw it over those heated heads of yours because you play dirty, because you play dirty with our beloved homeland.”

    We do not feel ashamed of Poland. We love Poland. We don’t apologize for Poland. We are grateful for Poland

    The prime miniser announced a new program, dubbed the “Eight Points for the Country,” which will focus on developing Poland’s rural areas. These points include increasing the resources available for insurance of agricultural crops, doubling the level committed by the previous Civic Platform government, increasing subsidies for fuel used for agricultural purposes, and increasing subsidies for livestock.

    Morawiecki criticized Civic Platform’s former coalition partner, the Peasant Party, charging that they sold out Polish agriculture and processing plants to Western monopolies. The result, he said, is that those monopolies dictate prices when Poland tries to stabilize its agricultural market.

    The prime minister also promised to allocate more resources to building local roads, six times more than the previous government, from funds made available by reforms in the tax system.

    The Polish municipal elections are scheduled to take place October 21, followed by a second round November 4.

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  • Poland, Germany and the bark beetle

    When the Polish government tried to cut down trees in a forest threatened by bark beetles, the European Court of Justice intervened and forbade the action. The forest was said to be part of the Białowieża Forest national park protected by UNESCO.

    Greenpeace supported by their experts and the media forced the resignation of Polish Minister of Environment Jan Szyszko. The problem is that said forest isn’t even part of the national park.

    Did the European Union and Germany really care that much about how many forests are being cut down in Poland? Of course not! The trees became a tool to make the Polish government grovel.

    The trees became a tool to make the Polish government grovel

    The ongoing conflict regarding Polish courts presents an example of how the European Union is trying to ruin Poland like a bark beetle. Germany is allowed to decide about its judiciary system, but Poland is not. If the EU really understood the current situation of Poland’s courts, then they would know how degenerate and in need of reformation they are. If the EU had such authority to intervene, then it should in fact oblige Poland to fix the judiciary system.

    Instead, Poland faces the threat of having the National Council of the Judiciary suspended as a member of the European Network of Judiciary Councils.

    The same goes for Polish ports. German ports receive central government funding, but the EU has pressured Poland to close ports.

    Membership in the European Union was meant to be a civilizational leap. A bucolic tale of countries cooperating as partners. That was all a lie.

    Poland cannot be subject to completely different rules than other EU members.

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  • EU’s center of gravity shifting to Central Europe

    Central Europe is emerging as a new center of political influence. Radim Valenčík says the causes of the migration crisis are still unsolved and the global elite is unwilling to solve the problem.

    The last summit of the European Union produced practically zero results. The elite that refused to confront the problem will remain together but will also be unable to bring meaningful solutions to the migration crisis, according to Valenčík, an analyst at parlamentnelisty.sk.

    Europe is failing as a global superpower, he writes, while it should prevent the escalation of conflicts in the world by relying on its traditional values and historical experience.

    Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Austria have a common historical experience with external forces threatening European values, and the Visegrad Group resisted pressure from Brussels and rejected the mandatory migration quotas.

    “It is high time to solve the problem connected with organized crime and the so-called rescue boats,” Valenčík said. “Human trafficking should be investigated. How is it possible that nobody is monitoring communication between the boats and the traffickers who are transporting the people to the sea?,” he added.

    The center of political influence in the European Union may be shifting to Central Europe, including Bavaria, where the proper conditions exist to confront these problems by reconnecting to values formed by a common history.

  • Germany’s diplomatic treason

    At the end of July Angela Merkel met the Russian chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov, the officer responsible for annexing Crimea as well as instigating the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. General Gerasimov has been banned from entering the European Union, Canada, Switzerland and Australia. Chancellor Merkel’s meeting with him constitutes diplomatic treason.

    This is probably also why Merkel has no problem meeting Vladimir Putin in Meseberg Castle near Berlin.

    German analysists argue, that these meetings do not warm German-Russian relations but are a practical necessity and should be looked at on a global scale. Warsaw especially cannot take these arguments seriously, when the Polish capital lies within a ten-minute range of the nuclear-capable Iskander M rockets that are stationed in Kaliningrad.

    By betraying its European partners, Germany is diminishing its leadership and credibility in the EU

    The meetings undermine NATO’s eastern flank. They are also not the first time Germany has gone against Polish national interest.

    In 2008, Germany blocked the Plan of Action in Favor of Membership in NATO for Georgia and Ukraine, supported by US President George W. Bush. The unofficial sponsors of this project were Polish President Lech Kaczyński and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. Russia responded to the display of weakness on the part of NATO allies by invading Georgia.

    The recent meetings with Putin and Gerasimov are another sign of weakness. It would be no surprise if Russia moved to take Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov, but Germany won’t pay for its own weakness. It will be countries like Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

    It is a minor issue for Germany (through Siemens) to deliver turbines to power plants in occupied Crimea. Legitimizing politicians and military officials who employ chemical weapons on inconvenient dissidents in Great Britain, use armed force to change European borders and intervene in the elections of western democracies is unacceptable.

    Despite appeals from United States, Merkel agreed in her meeting with Putin in Meseberg Castle that Nord Stream 2 will be activated on schedule in 2019.

    By betraying its European partners, Germany is diminishing its leadership and credibility in the EU. Ritual declarations from Angela Merkel that sanctions on Russia will remain are too little for Poland to believe that they are on the same team as Germany.

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  • Birth of a Christian nation-state

    European identity rests on Christian foundations and Hungary is a nation-state because its national culture is based on Christian values, said Speaker of the House László Kövér in an interview on the eve of Hungary’s national day, August 20.

    The holiday falls on the feast day of Stephen I. (later known as St. Stephen), the founder of the Hungarian state, who was canonized in 1083. He was crowned December 25, 1000 A.D. (or, according to other accounts, January 1, 1001) with a crown sent by Pope Sylvester II.

    Portrayal of Stephen I.

    Portrayal of Stephen I., King of Hungary on the coronation pall

    Speaker of the Parliament Kövér said that Hungary, by protecting national culture, is in a more general sense also defending the civilisation and culture of the entire European continent.

    Hungary has joined the European community as a newcomer and as the prime minister said, we can say that ‘we are the future of Europe’

    Köver said the essence of St. Stephen’s laws has lived on for a thousand years in a historic constitution, the spirit of which was passed down from generation to generation until a “regrettable interval” that began in 1947-48, a reference to the constitution passed August 18, 1949 by the Hungarian parliament during Soviet occupation. That constitution was modelled after the 1936 Soviet constitution and drafted in large part by Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin.

    The state, government and parliament must, if needed, boost the self-defence capabilities of society and its members even through laws serving that purpose.

    Greek philosophy, Roman law and Christian ethics based on the Ten Commandments are the spiritual foundations of Europe

    The values based on these foundations are nowadays threatened by the mass arrival of people from other cultures, who are unwilling to respect the letter of European laws and its moral rules even less.

    Hungary’s new Parliament must increase its supervisory role and “the sine qua non condition of creating security is the protection of identity and the cultural-spiritual character of the nation.”

  • The hypocrisy of #MeToo

    Last week, a female politician committed suicide in the Netherlands. The 53-year-old councilor of the city of Haag, Willie Dille, was a politician of the PVV party founded by Geert Wilders. Before the suicide, she shot a video claiming she suffered from depression after a group of Muslim men had raped her in March 2017. No matter how unlikely it seems, the men were allegedly sent by her former party colleague Arnoud van Doorn who converted to Islam.

    The media (with the exception of the Dutch media and several British tabloids) evidently ignored this case. Willie Dille is a woman who claims that Muslims raped her. We are examining in depth whether this is true, questioning her statement, and waiting for the conclusion. Let’s deliberately try to compare this behavior with how the victims of sexual abuse that led to the #MeToo global movement have been dealt with.

    Actor Kevin Spacey is accused of sexual abuse, denied, fired, and investigated. We approach his victims with trust. But why is it not the same with Willie Dille? Why don’t we trust her? Is a statement of a Dutch politician less worthy than a statement of a Hollywood star?

    Is her life less worthy because she was a member of the Geert Wilders’ party? Has our self-censorship and political correctness really reached such a point that we turned into hypocrites unable to describe the reality around us?

  • SPD in trouble

    Members who have been dismissed from the Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD) in recent months have made a motion to suspend the party’s activities or dissolve the party. They do not like the reasons why they were dismissed from SPD. They claim that undemocratic conditions prevail in the party.

    The motion to suspend the party was filed by Kamil Papežík, former vice-chairman of the SPD branch in Brno, on Friday. “I was expelled because of causing a long-term damage to the SPD party. There is no single piece of evidence or witness to prove that I have done so, except the fact that I tried to criticize some opinions. People have been expelled for similar reasons purposefully and therefore I decided to file a motion to suspend the party,” he explained.

    According to SPD spokeswoman Michaela Dolenská, Papežík was damaging the party, he did not act in accordance with its rule book, and damaged the results of the party’s political work. “His current activity fully confirms the legitimacy of his exclusion. Mr. Papežík now acts as a private person and the SPD leadership will no longer comment on it. If it goes beyond the legal framework, we will consult the issue with our advocate,” the spokeswoman said.

    In addition to Brno, SPD members have also been arguing in Ostrava, Pardubice and other cities. The reasons are the same everywhere and people with different opinions than the leadership of individual branches are often expelled.

  • “Never Babišers” are as hopeless as “Never Trumpers”

    “Never Babišers” want to defeat the ANO political movement in Prague in the same way as “Never Trumpers” want to defeat the Republicans in the US. In both cases, this is only an unfulfilled faith.

    A commentary criticizing Donald Trump’s opponents published in the latest issue of The Economist entitles these opponents “Never Trumpers”. The commentary predicts that the desire to defeat the Republicans in the next Congress elections will remain unfulfilled despite pre-election polls showing that the forces of both camps are balanced.

    Unfulfilled faith is also synonymous with the forthcoming municipal elections in the Czech Republic. “Never Babišers”, like “Never Trumpers”, have not realized that there is nothing like the Republicans and nothing like the ANO movement. There are only parties of Donald Trump and Andrej Babiš. Ninety percent of the Republicans agree with Donald Trump’s political positions, and even more ANO supporters could agree with the politics of Andrej Babiš.

    Babiš, like Trump, focuses on the main weakness of the opposition camp. That is mainly unwillingness to accept the fact that the victory of both the men is only a response to the actions of previous governments often perceived by the citizens as greedy or unscrupulous. Until the opposition accepts this fact, it can never beat its rivals. The opposition must also reorientate from criticism focused only on destroying Babiš (or Trump) to criticism of individual government steps.

    It is not easy to predict the results of the Prague elections. However, when you accept the “unfulfilled faith” factor that has worked reliably in the last few elections, it is fairly safe to say that ANO is very likely to win in big cities and maybe even in Prague. This is also suggested by previous surveys which predict ANO is going to succeed. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) is also expected to achieve a very good result and, therefore, a coalition between these two parties may be built on the municipal level in contrast to the government level where it proved to be impossible.

  • Kiska will give a speech on the anniversary of the occupation

    Slovak President Andrej Kiska has made a request for a special appearance on public radio and television on August 21st to give a speech on the 50th anniversary of the invasion of the Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia. Details of the speech were not specified.

    In August 1968, the invasion of the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries de facto ended the so-called Prague Spring, an attempt of the Czechoslovak communists to establish “socialism with a human face”. A long period of normalization then started in Czechoslovakia which ended in November 1989.

    On the contrary, Czech President Miloš Zeman is not preparing any speech. According to his spokesman Jiří Ovčáček, Zeman was courageous at the beginning of normalization when he was fired from his job because of his stance on the invasion. “Such a stance is worth thousands of purely formal and insincere speeches that will be heard on 21st August,” the spokesman said.

  • Misery continues for Polish football

    For the first time since 2009 no Polish football club has advanced beyond the qualifying rounds in European cup competitions. All three teams, Legia Warszawa, Lech Poznań and Jagiellonia Białystok are out of both the Europa Cup and the Champions League.

    After the Polish national team’s disgraceful performance in the World Cup, Poland dropped from 8th to 18th place in the FIFA rankings.

    Polish champion Legia Warszawa lost 1:2 to F91 Luxembourg Dudelange in their first match and then proceeded to tie 2:2 in the rematch. Football fans have called for the dismissal of Dariusz Mioduski, Legia’s president.

    Watching Legia play hurts physically

    Fans also didn’t pull any punches when criticizing their team’s performance:

    “Watching Legia play hurts physically,” wrote one on twitter.

    https://twitter.com/R_Lipiec/status/1030160015603232768

    “Disgrace. Embarrassment. Shame. Dishonor,” wrote another.

    https://twitter.com/kferszter/status/1030180639637757952

    Lech Poznań lost 0:2 and then 1:2 in the rematch against Belgian K.R.C. Genk. Jagiellonia Białystok lost 1:3 to Belgian KAA Gent, but fans see them as the best performers out of the three teams.

    Disgraceful performance in Russia

    In the Russia 2018 World Cup, Poland was knocked out in the group stages. Manager Adam Nawałka resigned, despite his previous successes. He was the first manager in Poland’s history to beat the German national team in 2014 and led Poland to an unprecedented quarter-final finish in Euro 2016 in France.

    Poland’s greatest football successes were in the seventies and eighties when the national team came third twice in the World Cup – 1974 in Germany and 1982 in Spain.

  • Mind the troll!

    First of all, don’t give into your emotions. Secondly, don’t make every sensational news a truth. Thirdly, don’t believe unverified sources, anonymous users, suspicious sites or so-called experts claiming to voice the “uncomfortable truth”.

    The portal StopFake.org has reported that the Belgian infosphere has been targeted by a disinformation campaign run by the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA).

    There have been over 200,000 tweets sent from fake accounts made by IRA employees. The peak of this campaign occurred right after the 2016 terrorist attacks in Brussels. The content of these tweets is obvious: racial and ethnic issues, hate speech and fake news.

    Elections are nearing and no one should have to be reminded that we ought to remain vigilant

    If you believe that Poland is safe from being targeted by this group, continue to believe so. It may seem true. Reality is much more complicated however.

    Although there isn’t as much political conflict and controversy in Poland as there is in Western Europe, this doesn’t mean that alarming content doesn’t appear on the Polish web. Posts about Ukraine and Ukrainian workers in Poland, the country’s conflict with Western Europe and simply warnings against a “war with Russia” are just but examples. The most recent one is the attempt to heat the dispute between the government and Polish farmers.

    The responsibility for analyzing these issues lies not only with the country’s special services, but also the media and ourselves. Elections are nearing and no one should have to be reminded that we ought to remain vigilant.

  • Polish army in need of immediate modernization

    During the Armed Forces Day celebrations, president Andrzej Duda announced that he believed that the defense budget should be increased quicker than previously planned.

    Originally, the plan was to increase Poland’s defense budget by 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030. The current budget is 2 percent. The president wishes to fulfil this plan by 2024 because the Polish army’s need for modernization is immediate.

    “Given the analysis of the security situation in our surroundings, we should consider hastening defense expenditure. Funds used in this direction will also influence our position in NATO. I hope people understand the president’s appeal,” Paweł Soloch, the chief of the National Security Bureau (BBN), told PAP:

    Given the analysis of the security situation in our surroundings, we should consider hastening defense expenditure

    One of the arguments for installing NATO forces in Poland was “the serious treatment of financial issues of the Polish army and the fulfillment of alliance commitments in that regard.” 

    The military programs currently under development are: the formation of the fourth division of land forces East of the Vistula river, the construction of the medium range aerial defense system “Wisła” and the short range system “Narew”, as well as the purchase of rocket artillery for the “Homar” program.

    Purchase of Australian frigates controversy

    The Polish navy is also in desperate need of modernization. A part of this is the planned purchase of three Australian Adelaide frigates. Andrzej Duda has just left for Australia to sign the deal. Meanwhile, Poland’s minister of maritime economy has argued that this purchase would be detrimental to the Polish shipbuilding industry.

    According to unconfirmed reports, prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki shares this view and has blocked the purchase. 

    The fulfilment of these military plans must be continued to ensure the country’s security. In Soloch’s eyes, there is “a relative political and social consensus.”

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  • No changes to EU election law in Poland

    President Andrzej Duda vetoed Law and Justice’s (PiS) recent law aimed at changing the European Parliament electoral system in Poland, saving the elections for smaller political groups such as Kukiz’15 and the PSL (peasant party).

    The president explained that he never promised any changes to the European Parliament electoral system. He has committed himself to fulfilling his own election promises, however.

    One of these is that “people should have as much to say in Poland as possible and that they should as democratically as possible decide about the political environment and how the political system is shaped and how they are represented in parliament.”

    People in Poland should as democratically as possible decide about the political environment and how the political system is shaped

    The new law would have increased effectively the election threshold from 5 percent to as much as 15 percent, denying voters of small groups representation in the European Parliament. Duda underlined that only two political parties would achieve this threshold – PiS and the opposition Civic Platform (PO), meaning even fewer people would have participated in elections.

    We wanted strong representation, which would have had impact on decision-making and not fragmentation

    “We respect the president’s decision but we’ll stick to our opinion. We believe that the elections are important and we wanted strong representation, which would have had impact on decision-making and not fragmentation. We will not be working on any more changes to the EU parliament electoral system,” Beata Mazurek, the spokeswoman of PiS wrote on twitter.

    https://twitter.com/beatamk/status/1030066808265605121

    According to press reports, PiS has begun work on changes to the Sejm’s (Polish parliament) electoral system. The government would like constituencies to be smaller and chosen MPs to be more known in local communities.

     

  • Krzysztof Zanussi heads Hungarian film festival jury

    Polish film and theatre director Krzysztof Zanussi will be the president of the 15th Jameson CineFest in the northeast Hungarian city of Miskolc to be held between September 14 and 23, according to Magyar Hírlap.

    Zanussi, a producer and screenwriter, is also a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop. He is also a professor at the Silesian University in Katowice.

    He directed about 30 movies, of which the 1980 The Constant Factor (original Polish title: Constans) won the Jury Prize at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival and the 2000 Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease won the Golden St. George at the 22nd Moscow FIlm Festival.

    Besides heading the jury, the life achievements of Zanussi will also be honored at the festival with the screening of three of his best films, he will also hold a master course and will be given a Life Achievements Award.

     

  • Hungary’s exposure to Turkish lira crisis is minor

    The Turkish lira crisis is of concern to other emerging currencies such as the Hungarian forint, but the Hungarian financial system as a whole is relatively well-shielded, according to Magyar Idők.

    The lira has lost more than 35 percent of its value against the US dollar this year, prompting concerns that Turkey’s economy, which is heavily reliant on foreign currency loans, could affect other emerging markets.

    The crisis began days after US President Donald Trump announced via Twitter a doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs on Turkey, as Washington pushed Ankara to release Evangelical Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who is being held on terrorism charges. Subsequently Turkey doubled tariffs on some imports from the US – such as passenger cars, alcohol and tobacco.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blamed the lira’s fall on an “operation against Turkey” rather than prevailing economic conditions, calling it “deliberate attacks”.

    Magyar Idők gave an overview of Turkey’s debt held by outside institutions. According to data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), among EU countries Spain is by far the most exposed to the crisis, as Spanish banks hold 36 percent of the debt, French banks 16 and German banks six percent.

    Italian banks’ exposure is at a level of US$17 billion and the stability of the Italian banking system is a more immediate concern for Hungary than the Turkish currency and financial crisis. But the majority of Hungarian banks with foreign parents have little exposure: out of Hungary’s ten largest banks only Unicredit is Italian-owned while the others’ exposure is minimal or none.

  • Trump sees an ally in Orbán

    Two recent articles in the American press drew the conclusion that Donald Trump considers Viktor Orbán an ally and that U.S. diplomacy will treat Hungary accordingly.

    Magyar Idők columnist Loretta Tóth’s analysis refers to articles published recently by the New York Times and Bloomberg. The New York Times article contains a detailed overview of Hungarian-American relations and says that while the Obama Administration avoided high-level meetings and mostly criticized Hungary, Donald Trump seems intent on changing this course.

    One sign for this policy change is that while the previous administration launched a HUF 200 million (US$702,000) program to support independent regional newspapers in Hungary, the Trump Administration announced in July that the money would be better spent in other countries. Former Hungarian Ambassador to the U.S. András Simonyi said this was a huge success for Hungarian diplomacy:

    “Hungary is not problematic, Hungary is a democracy,” Simonyi said.

    The New York Times article also concluded that Obama’s policy of criticizing Hungary has failed and it has pushed Hungary to turn towards Russia and China.

    In addition, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Cornstein said that Donald Trump, who favors strong leaders, considers Orbán to be such a leader. In a written response to Bloomberg’s questions, Cornstein said that the U.S. is monitoring press freedom – a basic ingredient of democracy – in the region and should any issues appear, the U.S. will signal its concerns in person, not through the media.

    “Criticism in itself is not a strategy,” Cornstein said, adding that the United States wants to reinforce Hungary’s commitment to NATO so the country can serve as a bulwark against Russian and Chinese influence.

     

  • Gender studies ban sparks debate in Hungary

    Legislation introduced by the Ministry of Human Capacities (EMMI) to no longer subsidize gender studies in Hungary has sparked a major debate in the country and leading conservative intellectuals say the entire issue is politically motivated.

    EMMI introduced the bill on August 9th and if it passes, it will affect the Eötvös Loránt Science University (ELTE) and the Soros-built Central European University (CEU). The number of affected students is also very small – this year ELTE admitted 11 and the CEU two students for a graduate gender studies program while ELTE also has an ongoing masters program. According to the bill, currently enrolled students will be allowed to complete their studies.

    In a political talk show on conservative Echo TV Ottó Gajdics, editor in chief of print and online daily Magyar Idők said that a program highlighting issues that divide men and women is a bad idea coming from the West and these shouldn’t be financed from taxpayers’ money.

    “If someone wants to learn gender studies, they should finance it themselves. Society doesn’t benefit from this and people should have the right to decide how their tax money is spent,” Gajdics said.

    When a minority comes up with a crazy idea, liberals will immediately cry wolf and cite basic human rights and now they are saying that this is the human right of a handful of people and the state should finance it.

    Gábor G. Fodor, strategic director of think-tank Századvég said those defending gender studies are politically motivated and seek support for their point of view, while the government also defends its point of view.

    “It is quite clear that there aren’t large masses supporting gender studies,” Fodor said.

    Defending gender studies, Tibor Závecz, CEO of Závecz Research said that this is a specialized discipline within sociology but the scope of gender studies is larger than just gender identity. Tamás Boros, strategic director of think-tank Policy Solutions said gender studies is not about identity crises but equality. 

  • Iconic photo of Bielik to appear on stamp

    Ladislav Bielik’s iconic photo of a man standing facing a tank will be published on a stamp for the 50th anniversary of the Czechoslovak anti-communist revolution. 

    The photo became the symbol of the revolution and the resistance. The Prague Spring began on January 5th, 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and continued until August 21st, 1968 when the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country to halt the reforms.

    It was taken in Bratislava in front of Comenius University, during the invasion of the city, with the forces of the Warsaw pact. Bielik was never credited for the picture during his life.

    The picture captured the moment when Emil Gallo was facing one of the tanks. The photograph appeared in 1998 as one of The Photos of the Century by the French agency Capa, while Life magazine included it in its book of 100 Photographs that Changed the World.

    The stamp will be published by the Slovak Post on August 21st, it will have a nominal value of 1.80 euros.

  • Krajniak: We are Central Europe, not West or East

    Milan Krajniak, one of the most visible candidates for the Slovak presidency promises that he will appear “more balanced” in foreign politics than Andrej Kiska. Krajniak gave an interview to postoj.sk about his plans and ambitions.

    Krajniak, who is one of the leading politicians of Sme Rodina claims that NATO and the European Union membership doesn’t automatically lead to refusing everything that comes from the East.

    “We shouldn’t be afraid of behaving more responsibly. Every country has its economic interests what he should follow,” the politician said. He also thinks that even despite the recent diplomatic conflicts with Vietnam a responsible president should visit the Asian country in case of any business opportunity for Slovakia.

    “We don’t choose neighbors, those are given,” said Krajniak about the future of the Visegrad Group. He believes that Slovakia luckily has good contacts with the V4 as well as with Austria and Ukraine.

    “On the other hand we are Central Europe, not Western or Eastern Europe. It is unrealistic and wrong if someone wants to build on the fact that we are the West or the East,” he added.

    Krajniak thinks that the cooperation in Central Europe is helping the country to keep its sanity. “When I saw in the media the photos of Hungarian, Polish, Czech and Slovak policemen patrolling the southern Hungarian border, I was always pleased,” Krajniak concluded.

  • No speech is coming

    The upcoming 50th anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact troops on August 21st, 1968, is causing a storm on the Czech political scene.

    Although President Miloš Zeman considers the occupation a crime, his spokesman has said that Zeman will not speak on the anniversary. Many politicians do not like it.

    “No speech is coming. The President was brave at a time when courage was not cheap. And this is more valuable than a thousand speeches after fifty years,” president’s spokesman Jiří Ovčáček said on Twitter.

    This has triggered criticism from some other politicians. “I urge you not to neglect your constitutional duties and to duly remind an event that resulted not only in hundreds of deaths during the Soviet invasion but also in more than 100,000 emigrants fleeing from Czechoslovakia by the end of 1969 and hundreds of thousands of people, who were fired from work or forbidden to study because they refused to sign consent to the Soviet occupation, ” wrote Jiří Pospíšil, chairman of TOP 09 to the president in an open letter.

  • Vojtěch Filip´s words about 1968 could be considered treasonable

    The Communist Party Chairman Vojtěch Filip´s words for The Guardian about the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops in August 1968 cannot be called anything but total lies and impertinence.

    His words could be described as treasonable because when Czech politician dares such a manipulation, then he has nothing to do in the Chamber of Deputies.

    In 1968, the 23rd Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party ruled in the Soviet Union. Its members had been in office from 1966 to 1971, and the Russians had the utmost predominance in the Politburo. Not just one Russian, as Filip claimed.

    Filip’s claim that “most of the invasive armies were Ukrainian” is not true either. No such troops existed in the Soviet Union at the time. It was a Soviet army composed of men of many different nationalities, including Ukrainian. It was logical that the Moscow government would not send to Czechoslovakia soldiers from Vladivostok or the border with China. Also, Soviet army commanders were mostly ethnic Russians.

    Filip’s claim that leaders of Soviet satellites, such as East Germany, Poland, and Hungary, were the strongest supporters of the occupation is another lie. In fact, in the Eastern Bloc, the opinions on the occupation were very different. The fundamental contradictions lasted several weeks even between the Soviet leaders themselves.

  • Cooling of the economy

    The recent decrease in economic growth looks like a dramatic change, especially when we see that the Hungarians and Slovaks are still growing at a level above four percent. It is, however, necessary to look at it a little soberly that an outlook of a year’s growth of over three percent is more than realistic. However, there are two possible problems, the moves of Andrej Babiš and Czech National Bank (CNB).

    The Czech economy has met its limitations. With full employment, it is simply impossible to increase production as fast as in the last two years. Moreover, if the growth of the Czech economy continues between two and three percent a year in the nearest future, it would be all right.

    The two problems are, however, Andrej Babiš and his generosity in setting the state budget expenditures and the excessive increase of the number of state employees who are absent on the labor market, and the CNB’s moderation in raising interest rates. Negative interest rates after overcoming the economic cycle are not optimal.

    If there is anything to deduce from the latest statistical data, it should be a more realistic fiscal policy and a faster normalization of monetary policy.

  • The European Union considers going against the Czech PM again

    For more than a year, there has been a case in Brussels involving Agrofert holding subsidies, which, as a result, may cost the Czech taxpayers millions. Brussels officials are also in the process of resolving a sensitive issue as to whether they will go after the country’s prime minister. The decision is to be announced soon.

    At the beginning of this year, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) issued a report which was extremely unfavorable for PM Andrej Babiš in a case linked to drawing subsidies for the construction of the recreation area and farm, Čapí hnízdo.

    Last year, the Czech Republic received a twenty-two million CZK fine because of Jaroslav Faltýnek’s conflict of interests. Faltýnek sat in the supervisory board of the fund, which distributed the subsidy. At the same time, he was in the management of Agrofert and the agricultural committee of the Chamber of Deputies. And the subsidy recipient was, among others, Agrofert holding, which Andrej Babiš put into a trust fund.

    The Czech Republic has been seeking a settlement for the fine since last summer. “It is perceived as a highly sensitive matter. This is precisely because it concerns the prime minister of a member state. Moreover, the prime minister, whose subsidy was marked as a fraud by OLAF just a few months ago. The decision is about to come, it is only a matter of political context,” said a Brussels source familiar with the case.

    Officially, the European Commission has not commented on the deadline for issuing a verdict yet. However, a settlement does not have to mark an end of the case. The Czech Republic is ready to continue with further legal proceedings if its arguments were not successful. The defense of the Czech Republic is based on a claim that Faltýnek, despite his “triple role” could not influence the subsidies at all.

  • Brexodus?

    Last year saw a decrease in the number of European Union citizens working in Great Britain. Out of the 2.28 million workers, almost a million were Polish. The number of immigrants from Central Europe decreased in 2017 by 86,000. This is the largest drop since measurements began in 1997.

    The largest decrease has been noted amongst the countries which joined the EU in 2004 such as Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and the Baltic States. The number of migrants from Bulgaria and Romania is rising, however.

    Although the UK has hit the lowest unemployment rate (4 percent) since 1975, the decline in migration from within the European Union may give cause to worry.

    Decrease in migration from Poland is an indication of the strength of the Polish economy

    Jonathan Portes from King’s College London argues, that calling the phenomenon “the Brexodus” is a stretch. Over two million EU citizens still remain in the country, after all. He does admit, however, that there is no doubt that the United Kingdom has become less attractive to migrants due to Brexit. 

    Portes also stated that the decrease in migration from Poland is an indication of the strength of the Polish economy.

    The Polish economy is one of the fastest developing in Europe. GDP is estimated to increase in 2018 even by up to 5 percent.

    The next estimates concerning the number of Poles living in the United Kingdom will be published in the second half of November.

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  • Morawiecki visits troops in Latvia

    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Polish troops stationed in Latvia on the occasion of Poland’s Armed Forces Day. He also met with the Latvian prime minister Maris Kucinskis.

    Michał Dworczyk, the Chief of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery calls the visit a “token of respect for the effort and duty of Polish soldiers and an emphasis of Poland’s activity in NATO” in an interview for wpolityce.pl. 

    The meeting between Morawiecki and Maris Kucinskis focused on military and energy cooperation.

    The prime ministers also discussed the Via Carpatia. This is a transnational highway meant to connect the Baltic States with the countries of Central and Southern Europe.

    According to reports, there were also talks about connecting the Baltic states to the European energy system. The need for a unified opposition towards projects such as Nord Stream 2 was highlighted, as well as cooperation when it comes to the next European Union budget.

    Latvian prime minister thanked Polish soldiers for their mission. The 200 Polish soldiers stationed in the country are well regarded by Latvian and Canadian troops, he said. Morawiecki also took part in celebrations hosted by the Polish soldiers.

    The visit showed respect to the almost one hundred years of Polish-Latvian military cooperation. The partnership dates back to when Polish and Latvian soldiers fought together against the Bolshevik army in the war of 1920.

    The situation of the Polish minority in Latvia is much better than in Belarus, Lithuania or Ukraine, minister Dworczyk says. The Polish government heavily invested into education for the minority. These efforts have borne fruit, two out of four of the Polish schools are amongst the best in Latvia. “Thanks to this high level of education, not only Poles put forward their applications but also Latvians and Belarusians,” the minister said.

  • Triumph of national memory

    Hundreds of thousands celebrated Polish independence on Armed Forces Day. The opposition has nothing to offer and it is time for them to realize that.

    No other gathering or event had managed to garner to so many young people. No one forced them to come to the Great Parade of Independence.

    What does the frightened opposition have to offer to young Poles? Although they criticize the young’s inaction, what do they have to offer in exchange for national pride? For community? For ancestral history? For the power of hope? Sane people are sensitive to cheap substitutes. There have been many in Poland. Poles just won’t take anymore.

    Poland’s national memory has returned

    The idealess elites of the Third Polish Republic tried to create a generation of hedonistic gadget addicts. This generation was to despise the Church, martyrdom, history and identity. Then again, is that surprising? What else can they offer young people? Ex-communist secret service agents protesting under the Sejm in defense of their own money?

    Poland’s national memory has returned. The Indomitable Soldiers, buried under the black earth by communist executioners, are growing from that earth like trees of truth.

    The Indomitable Soldiers were an anti-communist Polish resistance movement in the late forties and fifties.

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  • The new religion of postmodernism

    “The world has been almost completely overtaken by the ideology of postmodernism, which has changed the spiritual situation of Europe,” said Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, the president of the Episcopal Conference of Poland in Kalwaria Pacławska in South-Eastern Poland. “People have started to believe in earthly immortality and perfection.”

    The ideology of postmodernism has turned culture into its tool. Its energy is concentrated on freedom and complete emancipation. Although this sounds pleasant, postmodernism is focused on emancipating mankind from all traditional structures. Including families which supposedly enslave humans.

    Freedom is to mean unlimited consumption, which is becoming its own religion

    The people of the third world are the ones who the ideology stigmatizes the most. Many of them do not agree with the planned family programs. They demand a strength of character from their children. These families value the riches of human life more than those of material objects.

    There has been a reversal of values. The culture of abnegation and ideals has been transformed into one of immediate pleasure and fulfillment. “Freedom is to mean unlimited consumption, which is becoming its own religion.”

    The creators of this new ideology do not use traditional terror to achieve their goals. New laws are the guardians of postmodernism, as well as the help of media. “If someone says something that is against the imposed lines of thought, the media immediately accuse them of populism,” argued the Archbishop and concludes “Because of its materialistic character, postmodernism remains a Marxist ideology.”  

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  • Regarding the right to immigration

    Autonomy equals independence, a sphere of thought, behavior and action within which an individual can freely express himself. But liberals have stretched this thesis to the point where even the United Nations regards immigration as a basic human right, Magyar Hírlap columnist Ervin Nagy writes.

    Liberal philosophers think – quite distinctly from liberal politicians – that the less our individual actions are restrained, the happier our lives will be, thus individual autonomy is the ultimate happiness we should strive for.

    In this liberal illusion “good” equals the individual’s unrestrained right for action. This “meliorist principle”, an expression coined by English liberal philosopher John Gray has the implication that any society and economic order can be improved through increasing the autonomy of the individual.

    Pierre Manent may be right in saying that freedom of thought is the cradle of autonomy, but we should expand our field of inquiry beyond politics and look for a wider definition of well-being.

    Liberal thinkers want us to believe that all-pervasive liberty will lead to a better future.

    But liberty should not only be defined in the negative (non-interference) sense, but also from a positive, pro-active stance. To give an example for both: no one should interfere in my religious devotion to a pile of stones in my back yard symbolizing my choice of God as long as it doesn’t interfere with my neighbor. So let us also see an example for the latter: should I lose my job, it is not enough for the state to leave me be and eventually starve – positive action is required in the form of a job search office and social assistance.

    So let us examine the United Nation’s position from this perspective. Experience shows that an increased degree of autonomy and liberty does not make for a happier life. Let’s just have a look at the so-called migrant countries where the effects of the right to migration are beginning to show and ask ourselves: who benefits? 

     

  • Rising fuel demand in Hungary

    Fuel prices have risen above HUF 400 (US$1.40) per litre and demand continues to grow due to increasing economic activity.

    Ottó Grád, secretary general of the Hungarian Mineral Oil Association (MÁSZ) told Magyar Idők that MÁSZ statistics show fuel consumption in the first half of the year has risen above expectations.

    The sales volume of normal and premium petrol rose by five percent while gasoline increased by approximately 10 percent, resulting in a weighted average increase of eight percent.

    Businesses accounted for four fifths of petrol and two thirds of gasoline sales.

    Data from the National Tax and Customs Office (NAV) are also in line with MÁSZ statistics. According to NAV data in the first half of 2017 petrol sales amounted to 877 million litres and gasoline to 1,877 million litres, in the first half of this year the figures rose to 946 and almost two billion litres, respectively.

    Last year fuel demand was back at the levels seen before the 2008 global financial and economic crisis and stats show that level has been exceeded.

    The weakness of the Turkish lira has also impacted Hungarian forint exchange rates – at the time of writing this article the HUF was quoted at 324.9 against the euro and 287.02 against the USD – thus showing lower international crude prices have had little impact on Hungarian station prices.

    But a rise in seasonal tourism has helped offset the negative effects of higher prices. 

  • Putin’s wedding appearance in Austria makes waves

    A Kremlin spokesman’s announcement that Vladimir Putin will “drop by on the way to Berlin” to Karin Kneissl’s wedding has raised many eyebrows in Europe, but all Austria is doing is exercising a more balanced foreign policy approach.

    According to Pesti Srácok columnist Gyula T. Máté, Kneissl invited Putin to her wedding during the Russian President’s official visit to Austria on June 5th. Kneissl will marry Austrian businessman Wolfgang Meilinger.

    Putin Kneissl

    Karin Kneissl and Vladimir Putin during a visit to Austria, June 5th, 2018

    Whether coincidence or not, Putin’s wedding appearance will happen just before his talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel where the main agenda is expected to be the construction of the offshore gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, a EUR 9.5 billion (US$20.8 billion) project bringing Russian natural gas to Germany.

    While the Austrian stopover might be instrumental in giving Putin Austrian endorsement during his Berlin meeting, the Russian president doesn’t exactly need it. Merkel’s domestic position is extremely fragile, the European Union is in disarray and the German chancellor’s ongoing disagreements with U.S. President Donald Trump will make her amenable to a compromise with Putin.

    But what does Austria gain from this wedding appearance? It most certainly isn’t just a “woman’s whim” as there is no evidence that Kneissl and Putin have a personal relationship of any kind.

    What is evident is that Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s cabinet has a good grasp of the current European powers and trends. They see that the European Union doesn’t function as it should and its policy of welcoming migrants has failed. Sanctions against Russia don’t seem to work either. But what Russia has – in addition to its energy reserves – is a huge market.

    Liberal opinion-mongers may whine about how Austria is letting Putin’s Trojan horse into the EU, but the plain truth is this: if Austria makes the first timely steps in restoring relations with Russia, it may be best positioned to enter that market at a time when other markets around the world are becoming more difficult for Western Europe.

     

  • Isotope scare at Budapest airport

    An authorized transport of radioactive isotope caused a scare at Budapest airport this week.

    According to Origo.hu, no harmful radioactive material or radiation was released when the container overheated.

    Airport staff unloading the plane noticed that a lead container transporting radioactive material overheated, alarms were raised and a 700-meter area around the airplane was sealed off as experts were brought in to assess the situation.

    Turkish Airlines

    A Turkish Airlines flight (pictured above) carried a lead container with what has been reported to be Iridium 192 isotope, a material used in cancer treatments and industrial radiography. The isotope was destined for the National Radiobiology Institute in Budapest and originated from Russia.

    A mobile laboratory of the Hungarian disaster management services was dispatched to the airport and traffic in and out of Terminal 2 was halted for the duration of the examination. The spokesman of the service said there was no evidence of harmful leakage and normal operations resumed shortly before midnight.

     

  • LOTN Trenčín becomes strategic partner of Lockheed Martin

    In connection with the Slovak army’s purchase of 14 F-16C Block 70 fighter jets, Letecké opravovne Trenčín (LOTN) became the strategic partner of the American company Lockheed Martin, says Mike Kelley.

    The manufacturer will cooperate with Slovak companies in five short-term and two long-term projects. According to Kelley, who was leading the lobbying process in Slovakia, the Trenčín-based LOTN focusing on service and repair has adequate capacities to service the new planes. In case of securing additional orders for the fighter jet from neighboring regions the importance of the LOTN will rise further.

    It is possible, that in the near future Croatia and Bulgaria could strengthen their air forces with F-16 type jets. The Slovak government decided to purchase 14 planes for US$1,86 billion. The first planes will be manufactured in September 2020, the transaction will be officially closed until the end of this year.

    Slovakia is only the second country after Bahrain to purchase F-16C’s. According to reports the newly acquired jet fighters could solve the aerial border protection for up to 60 years. Due to the nature of the agreement the Slovak companies are also responsible for the technical support and the training of the personnel.

  • Visegrad declares willingness to fight unfair trading practices

    A main priority of the Slovak presidency meeting held in Oponice, Slovakia, recently was to rubber stamp a joint declaration to combat unfair trading practices between the countries of the Visegrad Group with the participation of four additional countries, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia.

    The joint stance of the countries will be represented in the European Union by Gabriela Matečná, the Agriculture Minister of Slovakia. According to her the issue hasn’t been solved so far in the European Union. The initiative’s ambition is to protect the primary producers while participating in forming the European Union’s new Common Agricultural Policy.

    The previous policy was differentiating trading practices and several methods were in a rather gray area which caused problems for local entrepreneurs, mostly in the field of agriculture.

    According to Matečná, in 2016 during the Slovak presidency, the European Union emphasized the importance of the issue in a document approved by the ministers of agriculture from all 28 member states.

    The Central European countries believe that the joint declaration helps to solve the situation, partially because the European Union needs to approve a new agricultural policy starting in 2020. The countries also suggest that the EU should compensate the farmers for the damages connected with climate change.

  • A Crisis in Europe?

    Europe is going through a very serious crisis, which also applies to the financial services sector in the European Union. One reason can be seen in the fact that the EU has 500 million inhabitants, but no real leader. There are only professional politicians without any vision. Our fundamental problem lays in a a critical lack of political governance.

    The organization of Europe after WW2 was created to ensure peace, freedom and economic growth. And It was successful for almost 30 years until the EU had been affected by bad dogmas. There are many rules and regulations that affect European citizens who increasingly tend to support the populist movement.

    Of course, migration plays a certain role, but it is not, in principle, what prevents Europeans from living the European dream. The reason is that the EU did not create a harmonious free space. It should not surprise us if we will have a populist majority in the European Parliament in 2019.

    There is only one way for the European Commission to prevent a wave of voices for populist parties – making EU law simpler and less costly (it was, moreover, the goal of the REFIT program). One quarter of European laws should be rejected and 50 percent of the remaining legislation should be discussed once again after a thorough evaluation of their impacts. Then Europe becomes – again – a free space for happy citizens.

  • Boris and the crazy Conservatives

    British politician Boris Johnson caused a political storm when he likened Middle Eastern women wearing burqas to mailboxes.

    The London Police Chief of Staff, for example, consulted with police specialists on whether Johnson commit a hate crime. Conservative Chairman Brandon Lewis and Conservative Muslim Forum Chairman Lord Sheikh then launched an investigation into Boris’s behavior.

    The Conservative Party is divided into two parts – those who support Johnson and Brexit on one side and those who are anti-Boris and anti-Brexit on the other. The latter want to punish Johnson and there is a threat that they will leave the party if Johnson becomes its leader.

    Pro-Brexit members consider these activities an attempted coup and an attack of political correctness on democracy.  “A gift to Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party swayed in blaming of anti-Semitism,“ Kuras said, quoting views of Conservative politicians supporting Johnson.

    Two popular authorities are arguing whether Johnson’s joke was good, or bad. “YES” says comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean), “NO” says Daily Mail columnist Peter Hitchens. Meanwhile, in Leicester burglars attacked a jewellery store and beat the jeweller to death – disguised in a burqa.

  • Chairman of the Communists distorts history

    “No one will write that the whole idea is based on anti-Russian attitude. In the Soviet politburo, there was only one Russian in that time who voted against (invasion). Brezhnev was from Ukraine. The main force of invasion armies was the Ukrainians, “ stated Filip.

    The Ukrainian Embassy in the Czech Republic named Filip’s statements as nonsense. Filip was further criticized, for instance, by deputy chairman of TOP 09 Markéta Adamová. “According to comrade Filip, Russians are not responsible for the invasion in 1968 because Brezhnev was a Ukrainian. Based on this logic, the Germans are not responsible for the World War because Hitler was an Austrian. The Slovaks brought about the normalization and Georgia is responsible for millions of dead people in the USSR since Stalin was born in Georgia,“ Adamová said.

    “The Communists have clear responsibility for August 1968 and consequent occupation of our country. And it does not matter whether Brezhnev was a Russian or a Ukrainian as well as it does not matter that KSČ was renamed to KSČM,“ added Zbyněk Stanjura /ODS/.

    President Miloš Zeman also opposed Filip’s statements. “Occupation was a crime, and the president’s opinion has been the same since 1968. Let us be happy that today we can freely say this truth,” the president’s spokesman Jiri Ovaccek wrote on Facebook yesterday.

    The others pointed out that it was Filip and his party that the current government relied on during the vote of confidence. “And such a whizz was chosen by the movement ANO as the first deputy chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, and the movement cheerfully governs with him. Better to honestly loose than to win with such teammates!,“ thinks Jan Bartošek /KDU-ČSL/.

  • Czech Republic to offer help to Italy and Malta to protect their borders

    During his official visit to Italy and Malta, PM Andrej Babiš will offer unmanned aircraft to help the two countries guard their borders and combat illegal migration.

    Migration will be the main theme of the PM´s visit, where Babiš wants to talk about smugglers. “It is a huge business, and these criminals are making billions of euros. Europe has to fight intensively against the smugglers,” said Babiš.

    For Babiš, the use of Czech aircraft is an alternative to taking refugees. That´s something Babiš has refused several times before when he described such a step as a “road to hell and motivation for smugglers“.

    The Czech PM promotes in particular the rigorous protection of the EU’s external borders, as well as assistance in those countries which are sources of migration.

    “We’ll see the reaction. It is good to present it in the world and say: This is what we want to offer,“ Babiš said, while visiting Primoco’s headquarters in Radotín, Prague, which is developing unmanned airplanes.

  • Eurozone and Slovakia not affected by Turkish crisis

    According to Slovak analysts the developments in the Turkish economy will influence mostly Spanish, Italian and French banks.

    The local currency, the lira weakened by 21 percent against the euro, paired with the inflation and the debt-ridden companies that can negate the growth of the local economy.

    Katarína Muchová, an analyst from Slovenska sporitelna emphasized that besides the fluctuation in the market and the value of the euro there is no direct impact on the Eurozone and Slovakia.

    In the long run a few experts count on a weakened common currency. The European Union and Turkey have relatively strong business ties, the majority of the Turkish export goods come onto the member states markets.

     

  • The success of Vienna should raise the competitiveness of Bratislava

    After seven years of Melbourne’s dominance on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s rank of most liveable cities, the Australian metropolis has been substituted with Vienna. Bratislava should now be looking for inspiration from the latest development.

    It’s important to note that Slovakia is facing its local elections on November 10th. While the most liveable city lies only 55 kilometers from Bratislava, there are few who are trying to implement this vision in the Slovak capital city.

    “Bratislava shouldn’t vision dethroning Vienna, this would be a work for decades. However the Austrian metropolis should act as an inspiration for how to improve the quality of life in the capital city,” says Lukáš Krivošík for Postoj.sk.

    In evaluation, several indicators are present which are independent of local politics. The threat of terrorism is measured indirectly similarly to the level of corruption and access to sports facilities, and the presence of petty crimes.

    There are a few structural limitations: Bratislava can never overcome the absence of museums, however every city should find the opportunities in the market and improve itself in those and many other areas.

    The concept of “good cities” is based on hard to measure dimensions such as friendliness, cleanliness and a willingness to help foreigners.

  • Europe’s “black sheep” economies are the best performers

    Hungarian GDP growth in the second quarter was 4.4 percent, meaning that since 2014 this was the first year when economic growth exceeded four percent on two consecutive quarters.

    According to Magyar Hírlap, Hungarian economic performance within the EU was second only to Poland, whose growth in the same period was around five percent. Meanwhile, GDP growth both in the Eurozone and the Union as a whole declined to 2.2 percent.

    So it is quite ironic and gives us more than a little satisfaction that the two “black sheep” often singled out by the imperial leaders in Brussels and put under political pressure, subjected to legal procedures and financial blackmail are their driving economic forces.

    Last June, when Hungary assumed the revolving presidency of the Visegrád Four Group – consisting of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that “this is (a region) holding Europe’s hidden cultural and economic reserves and the world will be quite astonished when these will be set in motion”. At the time, some may have smiled at this, but the figures confirm this statement.

    After 2017, Hungarian economic growth will again exceed four percent and the government’s convergence program of sustained annual growth of over four percent until 2022 seems quite realistic.

    This May, following his third consecutive electoral victory, in his Prime Minister’s acceptance speech, Orbán set forth the goal that by 2030 Hungary should be among the five European countries with the best living and working conditions. Current growth trends are promising in this respect. But it is also in our best interest that after Poland and Hungary other European economies also achieve their full potential.

  • Good apple harvest hits Hungarian growers

    While still far from record levels, the expected 25 percent increase in this year’s apple harvest sent industrial prices plummeting and apple growers are up in arms threatening demonstrations and asking for government intervention, news portal Origo.hu reports.

    Due to excellent weather conditions in the spring and summer the Hungarian Apple Product Council expects a harvest of 720,000 tons this year, a quarter above last year’s. As a result, the apple industry is currently offering a HUF 13,000 (US$45.60) per ton purchase price to producers.

    Farmers’ association MAGOSZ said this price is ridiculously low and doesn’t even cover production and harvesting costs and may force most growers to leave the apples on trees rather than incur further losses. Apple growers say that even a price of HUF 25,000 per ton will only cover their costs and that is the minimum price they are asking for.

    On Tuesday the Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement saying that it stands firmly on the growers’ side and that the industry should find a way to offer reasonable prices. But the issue is a pressing one and there is little to solve it.

    Due to the fact that most of Hungary’s apple orchards are thirty or more years old, some 70 percent of the harvest is only suitable for industrial use – i.e. the production of apple juice and concentrates. And in this market, Hungary has a strong European competitor, Poland, which also expects a good harvest.

    But Hungarian producers don’t have cold storage facilities and the industry only has a long-term storage capacity of about 150,000 tons.

  • Europe should follow the Hungarian way

    Instead of unconditionally embracing migration, the European Union should follow the Central European way and put safety first, according to Magyar Idők columnist Gulya Haraszti.

    On Tuesday, Hungarian police detained a 27-year-old Afghan male, wanted by Greece for robbery and attempted homicide. The man clearly travelled unhindered from Greece to Hungary and we have a suspicion that Greek authorities would rather have him leave than arrest him themselves.

    A 22-year-old Iraqi migrant who knifed a man in France and subsequently escaped in a stolen car was apprehended on Hungary’s southern border.

    The above examples are a clear indication that the potential terrorists – whose numbers Europol estimates runs into the hundreds of thousands – can neither cross Hungary from the East or the South, nor can they roam uncontrolled as a result of Angela Merkel’s Willkommenskultur.

    But to quote the classics, it’s “all quiet on the Western front”.

    Looking at the news of the past few days, we had a man drive his car into cyclist in the UK while in Périgeux, France a drunken Afghan molested young girls and subsequently wounded two elderly and two ambulance workers with a knife.

    But this quiet is likely one before the storm. In Bosnia, more and more migrants set up camp in public places and there are tens of thousands in refugee camps, potential terrorists among them.

    Other tens of thousands are on route from Turkey and Greece through the Balkans and their numbers could increase further if the EU doesn’t bail out the Turkish economy again.

    In the meanwhile, President Donald Trump said America will devote a larger proportion of its defense budget to the cold war on Russia and China, leaving Europe to deal with the situation in Afghanistan.

    The question is then: who cares about Europe? There is still a way to go to steer clear of the dreaded “open society” envisioned by Merkel, Juncker and Macron. All it takes is to choose safety and the Hungarian way at next year’s European elections.

     

  • Hungary’s Q2 GDP growth still strong

    Hungarian GDP rose by 4.4 percent in the second quarter of the year, compared to the same period in 2017. The boost was mainly due to the strong performance of the services sector and despite a minor slowdown the annual growth target remains realistic.

    According to Origo.hu, GDP growth in the first quarter of the year was 4.7 percent, but the second quarter data still exceeded analysts’ expectations.

    László Balogh, deputy minister of state at the Finance Ministry said this indicated that the country remains on a strong and sustainable growth path.

    “The seasonally adjusted 4.4 percent figure is twice as high as the EU average,” he said.

    The unadjusted growth was 4.6 percent, four decimal points above analysts’ expectations.

    Balogh also said that a six-year wage agreement between the government, employers and employees resulted in a 10 percent increase in real wages, pointing towards continued strong domestic consumption.

    Overall, GDP growth data indicates that Hungary’s goal of a 4.3 percent growth set out in the government’s convergence program remains realistic.

    Unlike the country’s economic growth in the mid-2000s which was mainly financed through borrowing, the current one is based on rising investments and a reduction in corporate taxes to 9 percent, making it sustainable.

  • Raise the flags and be proud of our freedom

    The 50th anniversary of the Soviet occupation is an opportunity to reflect on the consequences of the events that happened in August 1968. Our autonomy and state sovereignty is closely linked to democracy and we should not be afraid of patriotism.

    Patriotism is a positive attitude, a value that various fools and extremists want to steal from us. That happened fifty years ago. Let us not lose the patriotism that is being developed and hindered by a democratic state today. It is time for the current democratic political representation to become more patriotic.

    Only few countries have such a historical and cultural tradition as we do. We have a lot of things to be proud of. But democratic patriotism is not only about defending the past or building of walls, it has to be also a proud and self-confident program. The main topics to be discussed should include the quality of the army, improving the quality of our education system or integration of the new trends in our economy.

  • No country wants to accept ship full of refugees

    The rescue boat Aquarius that took on board 141 refugees on Friday still has no permission to land from any European country. Two Italian ministers pointed out yesterday that Aquarius is sailing under the flag of Gibraltar and Britain should therefore take the responsibility.

    Sophie Beau, CEO of SOS Méditerranée, appealed on European states to take responsibility but Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said these refugees will not land in any Italian port. He wrote on Twitter that Aquarius was “owned by Germany, leased by a French NGO, has a foreign crew, is in Maltese waters and sails under the Gibraltar flag.”

    “You can go anywhere you want, but not to Italy, stop trading with human beings,” wrote Salvini. Similar attitudes were expressed by his government colleague, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Danilo Toninelli.

  • What are Czech Soldiers in Afghanistan dying for?

    The army is supposed to protect its own country. This is the task the Czech army is not capable of and its priority should change. Meanwhile, Turkey has almost the largest army in NATO but at the same time you will not find a single Turkish soldier in Afghanistan.

    The deaths of Czech soldiers in foreign countries is possible but it should have some clear reason and purpose. The writer apologizes for not seeing such a reason.

    Afghanistan is thousands of miles away and two of the world’s largest armies have failed there over the last forty years, both Russian and American. They captured the capital of Kabul and put a new loyal president in power, however, they didn´t succeed in putting the country under control. There is no majority in Afghan society waiting to be deprived of tyranny and to begin to democratically govern itself according to our ideas.

    Afghans see the world differently to what we do. People suffer from war and violence but they perceive US and Russian soldiers as occupiers and they are trying to kill and expel them. After seventeen years, the mission failed and the political and military situation returns to where it was – the Taliban controls much of the country.

  • The Czech Republic to reject U.N. Global Migration Agreement

    The idea of the Global Migration Agreement that the right to migration should be a fundamental human right raises criticism. According to candidate for Foreign Minister Miroslav Poche the Czech Republic will follow Hungary and reject the Pact.

    Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is very reluctant when it comes to migration. The concern about the Agreement was, however, expressed also by other political parties – for example by conservatives from ODS, Communists or populists from SPD (party of Tomio Okamura). Only the Pirates and TOP 09 have supported the Pact so far.

    “I think the formulation (about migration as a fundamental human right) is potentially very risky and we cannot accept that. Not even if this declaration is legally non-binding and unenforceable. Because it sets a certain atmosphere, a certain way of thinking about migration in general,“ MEP Jan Zahradil said.

    A document that rejects the pact could be prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the end of August.

  • The Great Parade of Indepedence

    On Poland’s Armed Forces Day, the biggest military parade since 1989 takes to Warsaw’s streets. The event is called the “Great Parade of Independence”, referring to the 100-year anniversary of the reborn Polish state.

    The parade is divided into three parts: infantry, mechanized and historic. Over two thousand military personnel participate, including tanks, cavalry, aircraft and helicopters. There are over a thousand soldiers and 900 members of historic reconstruction groups, as well as almost 200 of the army’s most important vehicles.

    The reconstruction groups include historic Polish military from different periods, such as the knights from the Battle of Grunwald, the winged hussars from the Battle of Vienna or Józef Piłsudski’s legions from the early 20th century.

    The capstone of the parade is an aerial show given by the Polish Air Force.

    Because of the size of the parade it will not march down the usual Ujazdowskie Avenue, but use the Wisłostrada, the main road next to the Vistula instead.

    The Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak explained that the new location will allow for a better presentation of the army. It will also give more people the opportunity to see the parade and let more people feel proud to have the Polish Army march in front of them.

    Poland’s Armed Forces Day is on the 15th of August. It is the anniversary of the Polish victory under Józef Piłsudski over the Bolshevik army in 1920 in the Battle of Warsaw. Also known as “Miracle at the Vistula River”.

    Because it stopped the march of the Red Army to the West it is considered to be one of the twenty battles in history which decided the fate of the world.

  • Polish FM against Orbán’s ideas on Eastern Europe

    Jacek Czaputowicz has acknowledged that Poland has great relations with Hungary, especially when it comes to the European Union on issues such as the EU budget and migration.

    However, regarding policy towards Russia and Ukraine, “Poland shares the point of view of the Baltic states, Ukraine, Georgia and Romania – the countries which feel threatened by Russian aggression. Not the point of view of Hungary,” he said, in an interview for “W sieci” weekly.

    The foreign minister refers to Viktor Orbán’s recent speech given in Transylvania.

    Polish foreign policy is underpinned by a total commitment to territorial integrity for the Ukraine in borders defined by international law

    Hungary definitely has a feeling of historic failure, says Czaputowicz. They believe they had been treated unjustly when the Treaty of Trianon of 1920 deprived Hungary of too much territory. Millions of Hungarians were cut off from their country. Therefore, Hungary may start to look to policies which lead to revisionism.

    However, Czaputowicz argued that Polish foreign policy was not prepared to be flexible over the issue of territorial integrity.

    “Polish foreign policy is underpinned by a total commitment to territorial integrity for the Ukraine in borders defined by international law. We do not recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea,” he said.

    For the Polish government there is no dilemma of whether to side with Hungary or Romania. The Polish authorities want to have good relations with both countries. Hungary is important due to cooperation on the European Union forum and a unified approach to migration and budget. Even though there are differences in geopolitics.

    On the other hand, although Romania is located further away, Poland’s military cooperation with the country is much tighter. The idea of security is shared by both countries.

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  • Banáš: Migration can be solved by avoiding country-robbing

    Jozef Banáš, former diplomat and leader of the Slovak NATO-delegation has given an interview to Hlavné Správy, where he talked about immigration, cultural values and possible threats to the Western countries.

    “Why should Slovakia become the melting pot of people from countries which are less-developed due to their colonial and post-colonial history?,” he asked. Banáš says that more qualified immigrants are leaving for the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany, thus the selection criteria set by the Eastern European states should be based on similar values.

    The former politician is convinced that mixing cultures is a classical tool of globalism and doesn’t consider the United States as an exemplary country. Banáš is also not sure whether the migrant crisis will backfire on the unity of the European Union.

    “Colonialism officially ended, but unofficially it is still a living phenomenon. Nothing has changed,” he said. This is the main reason why the former politician thinks that by finishing the exploitation of third world countries by the West the phenomenon can be stopped. Meanwhile, he believes, the Eastern countries are providing enough solidarity during the crisis.

  • Trump vs. the Sultan

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan underestimated US President Donald Trump. First of all, threats from President Trump should be treated with more gravity than those from Brussels or Berlin.

    Pride comes before a fall and this is no different than in the case of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish president came to the conclusion that he can make demands of the United States. As well as buy Russian weaponry behind America’s back. Furthermore, some media show Donald Trump as an infantile elderly man who will not notice such actions.

    Erdogan was wrong – Trump noticed after all.

    Further escalation of the conflict with the United States may lead to the relocation of nuclear warheads from Turkish bases. Those in Central-Eastern Europe could be a possible solution.

    Turkey’s economic foundations for prosperity are fragile. Now, sanctions from the United States have hit those foundations. The doubling of tariffs on Turkish steel has hurt. The Turkish lira has lost more than 40 percent against the dollar. The prices of everyday items have also risen.

    Turkey’s society is not so unified or so scared as not to revolt against such an economic collapse.

    The Turkish President has gone so far with his bold and powerful words, that it will be difficult for him to save face. Trump as well, but the US can afford to wait.

    There are two conclusions to make for US allies: firstly, heed United States warnings and threats. Secondly, further escalation of the conflict with the United States may lead to the relocation of nuclear warheads from Turkish bases. Those in Central-Eastern Europe could be a possible solution.

    “Some food for thought for the countries of that region,” concludes Michał Kuź.

     

  • Danube shipping hit by low water levels

    Dramatically low water levels are disrupting freight and passenger transport on the Danube, Europe’s second longest river, resulting in severe losses for shipping companies, according to Magyar Hírlap.

    Since the completion of the German Rhine–Main–Danube Canal in 1992, the river has been part of a trans-European waterway from Rotterdam on the North Sea to Sulina on the Black Sea, a distance of 3,500 km. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for 2,860 km, passing through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine before emptying into the Black Sea.

    “These water levels are catastrophic for all companies involved in river shipping,” said Attila Bencsik, president of the Hungarian Water Freighters’ Association.

    Bencsik said in Germany that water levels are so low that even empty ships are unable to pass, on the Hungarian stretch several fords are no longer navigable forcing freighters to reduce their payload to one-third of capacity, thus denying any profits. Some companies are either forced to reload their cargo onto lorries or wait for water levels to rise, in both cases incurring extra costs or running into losses.

    Gábor Spányik, CEO of Hungarian passenger shipping company Mahart Passnave told Magyar Hírlap that the Little Danube – a 128km branch of the river in Slovakia – is practically closed to shipping while cruise ships with a draft exceeding 1.6 meters have to stop in Esztergom, northern Hungary.

    Viking

    Cruise ship Viking Atla in Budapest

    Spányik said that only the smallest, Bíbic class hydrofoils can safely navigate the Danube. Altogether his company is facing a revenue losses in the magnitude of HUF 100 million (US$354,000).

  • Poles on vacation

    A study has found that Poles have changed their vacation preferences. Croatia has dropped in popularity, whereas Greece has been the destination preferred by many recently.

    According to the study conducted by wakacje.pl, Croatia was chosen in July by only 2 percent of Poles, compared to the 40 percent that have opted to travel to Greece. This is a surprise because until recently, Croatia had been a very popular destination. Greece’s popularity is explained by the large amount of direct connections, of which there are now 29.

    Other popular destinations include Bulgaria (15.5 percent) and Turkey (10.25 percent). Polish tourists have also found a preference in spending their vacation in Albania (6.7 percent). It is cheaper than Croatia and the other Adriatic countries but is nevertheless an attractive location.  

    Overall, Poles prefer weekly vacations and like to travel by plane. On average, holidays cost PLN 6,107 (US$1,611) per couple. 51 percent of Poles spend holidays with their spouse, but only 38 percent do so with their children. The remaining 11 percent are single or travel in larger groups.

    The Masovian Voivodship inhabitants spend the most on holidays – PLN 6,609 (US$1,743) and those from the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship spend the least – PLN 5,638 (US$1,487).

  • Brussels despises or hates us

    “Brussels despises or hates us,” Wojciech Cejrowski says, describing the European Union’s headquarters approach to Poland.

    According to an interview given to DoRzeczy, Warsaw shouldn’t fix its relationship with Brussels or Berlin. The European Union is friendly only then, when they want to take Poland’s businesses or install their telecommunication lines.

    “Berlin? That pipe [Nord Stream 2] on the bottom of the Baltic Sea doesn’t tell you anything about that relationship?,” he said. How can there be a good relationship with Germany when the Germans do not want to pay Poland war reparations for destroying Warsaw during the Second World War?

    When it comes to Polish-American relations, Poland’s pulling back on the Holocaust Law is not an improvement. An improvement can only occur when a nation’s statements are backed by strength. Not when you give up your position and concede.

    Kaczyński is not the Polish Trump. Trump gives us our freedoms back. Kaczyński takes them away.

    Law and Justice’s (PiS) chairman Jarosław Kaczyński is not the Polish Trump. They are nothing alike.

    Where Kaczyński inserts socialism, Trump defends capitalism and private property. “Trump gives us our freedoms back. Kaczyński takes them away.” Examples of this are the agrarian reforms or the deployment of EU directives. demanding the shutdown of the Polish fur industry.

    Freedom of speech threatens liberal environments because they don’t have good ideas. That’s why they want to silence those of others. Cejrowski refers to the attempt of a Polish woman trying to cancel his event in Belfast, as depriving people of fun just because he’s Catholic.

    “To be right-wing is to not swear and not be bawdy. You can take children or the elderly to my events. They’ll have fun without obscenities,” he said.

    Wojciech Cejrowski is a Polish traveller, television and radio journalist, writer Catholic publicist, satirist, and photographer.

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  • Hyperloop plans for Bratislava fail

    Hyperloop plans for Bratislava have failed, it has been reported.

    The plan of the train, which was connected to Elon Musk’s vision of a fast travel network between various European cities was first presented in in 2016, and the public supported the initiative in a memorandum.

    According to the concept the travelling capsules would be powered with solar energy placed on the tubes connecting Bratislava and Vienna. The investors promised a means of transportation, which is clean, ecological and creates an opportunity to reach the capitol of Austria in just eight minutes.

    The Slovak authorities confirmed to Dennikn.sk that the plan was unrealistic from the beginning. The memorandum failed implementation in 2016, after consultations with the office of Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Information. The investors were unable to find a proper building site for the project, while the Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) changed its proposed conditions several times and provided only the visualization for the project.

    According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office, the last meeting was arranged in the beginning of 2018, when the managers of HTT were advised to focus on research and find additional sources from the Ministry of Education – this body hasn’t received any official request for funding. Dirk Ahlborn, the CEO of the company informed about further negotiations with the Czech Republic, says the next target of the investment could be connecting Bratislava, Prague and Brno, while research centers are being built in Toulouse, France and possibly China, Ukraine. The only direct outcome of the 2016 initiative is a fully functional office in Bratislava with several employees.

  • Orbán and his cabinet are not anti-Semitic

    Liberal politicians and opinion-mongers are again crying blood for the anti-Semitism of prime minister Viktor Orbán and his cabinet, but these accusations are as ridiculous as the are false, Tamás Fricz writes in a column for Magyar Idők.

    These attacks are primarily based on the assumption that Orbán’s campaign against billionaire financier George Soros is racially motivated, says Fricz. However, nothing could be further from the truth. During the election campaign running up to this April’s vote, neither Orbán nor any other member of his party have said anything about Soros’ extraction or ethnic background, but instead targeted his activities.

    The criticism against Soros was targeted at his open society theory, his attempts to interfere in Hungarian internal affairs through his network of NGOs, his intention to accelerate immigration into the EU and his financial manipulations meant to influence the leadership of the European Union.

    But none of this matters to those whose primary aim is to destroy Orbán’s credibility and isolate him on the international stage. The mere accusation of anti-Semitism usually destroys the accused. Liberal mainstream largely decides who is branded anti-Semitic, whether there is any truth to it or not.

    Thus, any group that rejects migration, the idea of a super-federal European United States, chooses national identity instead of multi-culturalism will automatically be branded anti-Semitic. It is nothing but a political bludgeon wielded by liberals.

    The criticism levelled against Soros is by no means on account of his Jewishness, but his more than questionable activities in the past decades and as such do not fall in the racial category, but are entirely legitimate and in defense of morality, legality, traditions and national identity.

  • PM Orbán meets Croatian PM in holiday resort

    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with his Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenković on Monday in the Adriatic holiday resort of Opatija, pictured above.

    “It was an informal meeting, they reviewed topical bilateral issues,” PM Orbán’s press secretary, Bertalan Havasi told MTI.

    While the news value of this meeting is in itself minor at best, it gives Hungarians an indication of where the prime minister is spending his holiday. PM Orbán announced on August 1st on his Facebook page that he has “Gone on vacation. Do not disturb.”

    Croatia is one of Orbán’s favorite vacation spots – he was there last year. While Orbán usually keeps his holiday itinerary private and also advises his family not to share holiday snaps on social media, in case of chance encounters with his constituents he is quite amenable to “me and the Prime Minister” selfies, which is how last year’s vacation destination was revealed.

    The splendid holiday resort of Opatija (called Abbazia at the time) was developed in the last decades of the 19th century when the region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following the lead of the Austrian imperial family (crown prince couple Rudolf and Stéphanie first vacationed there in 1882), it became a favorite destination of the Austrian and Hungarian upper classes.

     

  • Hungarian at the helm of the EU for a week

    This week the EU is led by Hungarian Tibor Navracsics and while he has no executive powers, Pesti Srácok columnist Gyula T. Máté has some suggestions on what pranks he should perform in his temporary elevated position.

    In the revolving substitution system devised by President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker himself, Commissioner for Culture, Education Youth and Sports Tibor Navracsics stands in as the temporary head of the EU during summer vacations. A lawyer with a PhD in political sciences, Navracsics has been deputy prime minister and minister of justice and public administration of the second Orbán-cabinet from 2010 to 2014 and was appointed EU Commissioner in November 2014.

    The Pesti Srácok columnist writes that while Navracsics, a level-headed conservative, is unlikely to turn heads during his one-week tenure, he should nevertheless use the time for some pranks to highlight the inadequacy of the current EU leadership.

    Huszár

    The famous Manneken Pis statue of Brussels dressed in a Hungarian Huszár (cavalry) uniform

    One such suggestion is that should air conditioning fail at the huge EU headquarters building – which it probably will, given the current heatwave – he should bring in migrants to do the repairs. While at it, he should also invite the workers’ families in and provide them lodging in the deserted offices. This could also have the added benefit that in a Muslim environment Juncker may temporarily give up his drinking habit.

    The extremely costly practice of translating every single EU document into all official EU languages should also be suspended – Arabic will do just fine. This could all be achieved within a week. It would at least show that EU leaders are unwilling and unable to tackle the migration crisis – for which they are certainly going to be replaced after next year’s EU elections.

  • Calls for no more Czech soldiers in Afghanistan

    Major General of the Czech Army in reserve Hynek Blasko replied negatively to the question posed by denik.cz about whether Czech soldiers should continue to participate in foreign missions.

    The goal of every operation is to fight against terrorism in the area of its origin and prevent its spread. But the Western governments, except the countries of the Visegrad Group, has opened the doors for migrants and therefore he doesn´t see any sense of sending soldiers to countries like Afghanistan.

    The Czech Republic and its Army has to make a decision, as did for example Poland, France or Canada. We are not able to skip centuries of progression and convince the tribal leaders that what works for us will work for them.

    In opposition to Boček stands Jakub Janda, the director of the think-tank European values. He answered that there is a strategic reason for fighting alongside our allies against barbarism either in the form of Islamic extremism or Russian aggression in our region.

  • Goodbye, Mr. Poche

    Miroslav Poche (candidate for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has long been refused by President Milos Zeman) gave an interview last week to the daily Právo.

    According to sources, his interview demonstrated the reasons why he could not become foreign minister. For example his attitude towards solving the migration crisis, the adoption of the Euro or his view of Israel.

    His views represent a minority of the interests of Czech society but what is more important they are different in all respects from what PM Andrej Babiš and President Miloš Zeman wants.

    For example, Babis said that receiving refugees is equal to helping smugglers. Poche, on the other hand, talked about extensive assistance in countries that are the source of migration and also about ensuring a better life for people living there.

    Another different attitude can be seen in the question of the common European currency. While the Government does not see any possibility of adopting the Euro at this time, Poche would like to start a debate that would lead either to a commitment to adopt the Euro or to a referendum.

    In addition, Poche has problems with his views also within the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD). He represents the views of the younger generation of the so-called left-wing progressives, who in the past influenced exPM Bohuslav Sobotka’s policy by orienting on the city liberals and euro optimist attitudes. However, this orientation eventually led to a bad result in the last elections, when the CSSD lost two-thirds of votes.

  • More Russians are now living in the Czech Republic

    The number of Russians in the Czech Republic keeps increasing, there are currently 37,000 Russians permanently living in the country, compared to 23,300 ten years ago.

    According to a survey carried out by CVVM agency, around one third of Czechs said they disliked Russians, while two fifths perceive them positively.

    Russians are currently the fourth biggest group of foreigners in the Czech Republic, making up seven percent of all foreign residents. According to statistics, three out of ten Russians are in the Czech Republic for work and business and nearly two-fifths are studying here.

  • The big European game of Viktor Orbán

    The current behavior and role of the European Commission has led Viktor Orbán to destroy the current system of party fractions and replace it with a new one – which will follow after the next election at the European Parliament.

    By regrouping national parties into a new system, Orbán intends to put an end to the current cartel of the People’s, Liberal and Social Democrats in the EP that has ruled European politics for at least 40 years.

    Sources say this could be the conclusions of a magnificent conference “Future of Europe“ which emphasized Central European unity and Visegrad identity that is currently most promoted by Hungary.

    The opening speech at the conference on Wednesday, 23rd May, was delivered by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. According to him, Europe has to solve its security. He also said that there needs to be a strong Central Europe.

    But there were also many other interesting speeches. For example the one delivered by sociologist Frank Füredi and the whole discussion panel about clashes of cultures in Europe. Also, the ex-president of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus gave a rousing speech. In his speech, he welcomed that Hungary started to act actively.

    “The Czech Republic is not trying to do anything today. The same situation is in Slovakia, especially after the fall of Prime Minister Fico. Poland has become refreshing, but some of its attitudes are ambivalent,“ said Klaus, criticizing other V4 countries.

  • The West is not out of it yet

    The most successful message of the anti-establishment parties is clear, they want change and to remove the old elite. While the traditional political parties were closely connected to certain ideologies, which also unified them, this allegiance also created their barriers.

    The communists believed in changes that form a socialistic model of society. The socialist democrats in opposite to Marx’s revolution theories wanted to end social differences through reforms. Conservatives saw value in traditional hierarchy and respect. This fundamental difference between parties and ideologies formed the policy of states before the World Wars and after the fall of communism.

    After the rise of informational and investigative communities, internet became a worldwide phenomenon and social network users were facing a flow of information about the old elite which showed that the traditional political parties had not necessarily worked for the prosperity of society. When the parties started to lose their legitimacy, this affected the political system, because the public needs to view politics as legitimate.

    The society of the modern era is complex and divided, says Zámec, while every group is defending his own interests and no language can address it as a whole. It is common that corporations are cooperating with parties and movements. The left failed and the euphoria from the victory after the Cold War evolved into the false belief that the capitalism and liberal democracy will dominate and the history will end.

  • To buy or to build frigates?

    Marek Gróbarczyk, Poland’s Minister of Marine Economy and Inland Navigation criticizes the government’s recent decision to purchase new frigates from Australia. He claims it will damage Poland’s shipbuilding industry.

    Meanwhile, Mariusz Błaszczak, the Minister of National Defense argues that the navy cannot wait for Polish production to complete and must have immediate access to new vessels.

    Gróbarczyk warns that purchasing frigates from Australia will halt the work of Polish shipyards as well as the modernization of Poland’s navy. It will also block the production of ships in range of the Polish programs “Miecznik” and “Czapla”. He is adamant that the warships should be built in Poland.

    “Nothing stands in the way for Polish shipyards to build vessels for the Polish navy,” argues Gróbarczyk.

    The navy needs able vessels here and now

    Mariusz Błaszczak underlines that the Polish navy is in need of immediate replacements. “The production process of new ships takes from five to seven years,” Błaszczak states. “The navy needs able vessels here and now.”

    Błaszczak explains, that if the previous Civic Platform government had taken care of the Polish shipbuilding industry five to seven years ago, new Polish ships would have been ready today. He agrees that the government must take care of the revival of Polish shipyards but that this process will take time. The minister reassures that the Polish army will still be purchasing ships from Polish shipyards.

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    Although the Australian frigates are over twenty years old, in 2008 they had been upgraded. One of these upgrades was the newest anti-missile defense system.

    The Polish president Andrzej Duda will be visiting Australia later in August. One of the aims of this visit is to purchase frigates from the Australian military. The ship purchase is only an element of developing military cooperation between Poland and Australia.

  • Polish WW2 pilots hit the big screen

    “Hurricane” (Squadron 303) a new Polish-British film about the fates of Polish fighters in the Battle of Britain will hit cinemas on the 17th of August.

    One of the lead actors, “Game of Thrones” star Iwan Rheon talks about the film in an interview for Kino Świat. “It’s a negligence that British schools don’t teach about Polish participation in the Battle of Britain,” he said.

    Rheon, who plays the role of Jan Zumbach, says that he knew that other nations had participated in the Battle of Britain on the side of the Royal Air Force (RAF). He had no idea, however, about how important their impact was. Especially how pivotal Polish assistance was to victory.

    It’s a negligence that British schools don’t teach about Polish participation in the Battle of Britain

    He argues that the British should be thankful to all of those people who came to Great Britain from abroad and helped them achieve their goal.

    Rheon also fondly speaks about his time spent on set with Polish actors. “You always know what you’re doing, exactly like when the legends of the RAF were saving Europe!,” he said.

    Milo Gibson, the son of Mel Gibson and another lead actor in “Hurricane”, comments that the Battle of Britain is taught in American schools. It is a part of the US high school curriculum, so the struggle of the RAF and Squadron 303 is well-known to Americans.

    In the summer of 1940 around 150 Polish pilots fought in the Battle of Britain alongside the RAF against the German Luftwaffe. Together, they claimed 201 aircraft were shot down.

    The 303 Polish fighter Squadron was the most famous, accounting for 126 of the kills. It was the highest number amongst the Hurricane squadrons. Squadron 303 also had the highest ratio of enemy aircraft destroyed to their own lost. Other nationalities fighting along with British included a Czech fighter squadron.

  • Tusk head to head with Duda

    Donald Tusk, current President of the European council and former Polish prime minister, is only two percentage points behind incumbent president Andrzej Duda, according to a new survey by Pollster for daily “Super Express”.

    Law and Justice remain in control, however, with a projected majority in Parliament, shows a poll by Estymator for DoRzeczy.pl.

    If the Polish presidential elections were to happen today, the current president Andrzej Duda would remain in office. Although barely. With 51 percent of votes, he would be only slightly ahead of Donald Tusk’s 49 percent.

    This is not a promising sign for Duda

    On the other hand, if Law and Justice’s chairman Jarosław Kaczyńśki were to take part in the elections instead of Duda, he would be crushed. Polls project that Donald Tusk would gain 65 percent of the votes, with Kaczyński holding a meagre 35 percent. This is a clear sign from Poles that they prefer Andrzej Duda to Jarosław Kaczyński.

    Donald Tusk stated in July that he would gladly start against Jarosław Kaczyński. “If Kaczyński started in the election, I wouldn’t hesitate,” he said.

    Media expert Jarosław Flis warns that this is not a result Duda would be satisfied or happy with. “This is not a promising sign for Duda. Let’s remember that the former president Bronisław Komorowski was crushing competition two years before the elections,” he said. Komorowski suffered a head turning upset in the 2015 elections by losing to Andrzej Duda.

    PiS still dominates in parliamentary election polls. In a recent poll conducted for DoRzeczy.pl the party maintains its majority in parliament. The projection gives PiS 41.6 percent of the vote, a significant lead over the Civic Platform opposition with only 25.9 percent.

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  • Migration will top the EU election agenda

    The central issue of next year’s European Parliamentary elections will be the parties’ and candidates’ stance on the issue of illegal immigration, Erik Tóth, analyst at think-tank Nézőpont Intézet said.

    European parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 2019 and following the April 2018 Hungarian general elections will be the next major election in the country. It is also possible that Hungary will also bring forward the municipal elections customarily held in the autumn to coincide with the EU elections.

    Tóth said the migration issue has created an entirely new political landscape in Europe. Whereby previously domestic affairs also dominated the agenda of the EU elections, “this time there is a Pan-European issue on the table”.

    It is also clear that parties, political formations and individual politicians who do not tackle the issue of migration or propose “wrong solutions” have experienced a sharp decline in popularity.

    Tóth said that his institute’s forecast expected a “strong increase in People’s Party dynamics” and poorer Socialist-Social Democrat showing while it was also likely that the governing Hungarian Fidesz party will increase the number of its representatives in the European Parliament.

    Currently Fidesz has 11 MEPs out of Hungary’s total of 21.

  • Bratislava among the safest cities in Europe

    Bratislava has been rated one of the safest cities in Europe by Numbeo.

    The site rates the cities based on traveller’s reviews focused on crime and safety. The countries of the Visegrad four are all relatively safe, according to the study.

    Numbeo evaluated 338 cities worldwide, and 114 European cities took part in the survey.

    According to the ratings, the Slovak capital city is ranked in 269th position worldwide with a crime index of 30,81 and a safety index of 69,19 (the lower position is better).

    In the same survey, Budapest gained 236th place (36,43 and 63,57), Warsaw finished 267th (31,89 and 68,11), while Prague took 294th place (26,73 and 73,27), which makes the city the safest in the V4 region.

    According to Numbeo, the riskiest city in the world is San Pedro Sula, Honduras, with a crime index of 85,50 paired with a 14,82 safety index.

    The worst rating in Europe was given to Marseille, France (62,9 and 37,10). While, Abu Dhabi is the safest city in the world and Basel, Switzerland leads the European rankings.

    Numbeo’s rankings are based on surveys from visitors of the website. Crime Index is an estimation of the overall level of crime in a given city or a country. If a city has a high safety index, it is considered very safe.

  • Polish dream team

    Polish athletes won a total of twelve medals, including seven gold at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin. Poland came second in the medal table, ahead of Germany and just behind the United Kingdom.

    Prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki congratulated the athletes on twitter.

    “White and reds [as fans call the Polish team], you took not only the medals, but also our hearts. You made Poland proud and gave Polish fans happiness. Congratulations to all of the athletes and also thank you. You’re fantastic!,” he wrote.

    https://twitter.com/MorawieckiM/status/1028732908994027520

    On the last day of the competition on Sunday, Anita Włodarczyk won the gold medal in the hammer throw with a result of 78.94 meters.

    Saturday saw gold medals scored by Polish runners. Adam Kszczot took gold medal in the men’s 800m. Justyna Święty-Ersetic won two gold medals – one individually in the women’s 400m and the other in the women’s 4x400m relay.

    Święty-Ersetic’s result of 50.41 seconds is the best in Europe since 2015 as well as her personal best record. It also made her the fastest Pole in the women’s 400m run since the legendary Irena Szewińska. Szewińska’s record was 50.40 seconds.

    On Wednesday, Paulina Guba won the gold in the women’s shot put. On Tuesday, Wojciech Nowicki took the gold in the men’s hammer throw and Michał Haratyk won the gold medal in the men’s shot put.

  • Hungarian army increases combat-worthiness

    The Hungarian Armed Forces is continuously improving its combat-readiness, as indicated by its role in various international missions, Brigadier-General Zsolt Sándor, commander-in-chief of the ground forces, has said.

    In an interview with Magyar Idők, Sándor said the Hungarian Armed Forces are ready to commit more personnel to the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, should the situation require it.

    Answering a question, he said there is no such thing as a “safe mission” and every mission requires precise and adequate planning, but the troops taking part in international missions are well-prepared to face any combat, logistics or medical situation.

     

    Zsolt Sándor

    Commander of the Hungarian Ground Forces, Brigadier-General Zsolt Sándor

    (image: Zoltán Havran, Magyar Idők)

    In answer to opposition criticism of the Armed Forces’ purchase of two new fixed-wing transport aircraft (one Airbus A319 and one Bombardier Challenger FX7), Sándor said that while he did not wish to respond to politically motivated declarations, these two aircraft are essential in expanding the army’s logistics reach. The A319 can transport 120 troops complete with equipment and armament.

    He said in Iraq the main mission of the Hungarian contingent is the training of the Peshmerga military forces in Iraqi Kurdistan and some additional guard duties.

    Regarding the deployment of Hungarian special forces in Afghanistan, he did not wish to give specifics about these missions citing operational security but said that both the training level and the equipment of these troops is top-level and NATO officials speak highly of their involvement.

    Besides these special operations troops, Hungary also has a mentoring group assisting Afghan border guards and armed forces. These, however, are not the usual “advisory” (i.e. training roles), because the Afghan forces have reached a level where they can operate independently. The Hungarian assistance is more focused on mission planning, logistics and coordination of various branches of the armed forces.   

     

  • Speaker of the house: We must retake national culture

    Speaker of Parliament László Kövér visited a folk festival over the weekend and his short speech there about reinforcing cultural independence was certain to trigger protest from the liberal side.

    According to Magyar Idők, Kövér, a long-time friend and ally of prime minister Viktor Orbán, may have mellowed somewhat over the years and remains as media-shy as ever, but his infrequent public speeches – outside parliament, that is – are always certain to get attention.

    The setting of his speech in this case is also worth a few words. It was “Kurultáj”, an event the organizers say is the largest traditional folk festival in Europe. It is the tribal assembly of Hun-Turkic nations, celebrating and preserving ancient traditions.

    Kurultáj

    Nomad cavalry charge at the Kurultáj festival

    This year, it had guests from 27 nations from Asia or of Asian extraction (such as the Magyars themselves). So this was the setting of Kövér’s speech in which he said that from now on Hungarians will strive to reinforce their cultural autonomy. He also said that in the current times described as modern, would-be occupiers begin their offensive by attempting to confuse the consciousness of their targets.

    Kövér said Hungarians can only preserve their independence through the power of the soul, spirit and will. Megyeri writes that liberal opinion-mongers will brand as retrograde any attempt at preserving or reinforcing national values that in their view go against the far superior ideal of globalization.

    But Hungarians should not bow to the Western leftists who are attempting to enact a reverse regime change at the very time when Hungarians finally managed to rid themselves of the Communist nightmare.

     

  • Fidesz landslide win in small village

    A Hungarian village with some 1,600 inhabitants has again made headlines in the national press due to the landslide mayoral election victory of István László Mészáros, candidate of the ruling Hungarian Fidesz-KDNP coalition.

    Origo.hu reports that normally municipal by-elections only make headlines if they are held in swing cities, but Felcsút garners special attention because this is the village where prime minister Viktor Orbán (born May 31, 1963 in the nearby city of Székesfehérvár) grew up and for a long time had a property there.

    The by-election was triggered by the April resignation of the previous mayor, Lőrinc Mészáros, also of the ruling coalition. If the fact that the previous mayor and the ultimately winning candidate’s surnames were identical wasn’t baffling enough for the voters, joke political party the Hungarian Two-tailed Dog Party also ran a candidate with the same surname.

    The vote tally showed that Fidesz’s Mészáros received 535 of the 615 valid votes while the “two-tailed” Mészáros won 66.

    There were two other municipal by-elections on the same Sunday, in the small northeast Hungarian town of Balmazújváros and in the western Hungarian village of Sorkikápolna, near the Austrian border. Both were won by independent candidates.

  • Institutional Racism harms Jews and white farmers

    Some people say Jewish emigration from France needs to be reviewed in the context of the Israeli-Arab conflict. “So if the old Jew would admit to a beloved Muslim neighbor that Jerusalem is not really Israel’s capital city, and that Israel is actually an illegal state… He would not throw her out of the window?,” commentator Marek Stonis asked, reminding the reader of the recent case of an old Jewish citizen assaulted by a Muslim.

    At the same time immigrants are considered by many to be those who should bring some fresh air to aging Europe and build a multicultural paradise here.

    Similar is also the story of white farmers in South Africa. They are wealthy, they own a vast majority of farms, even though they have long been a racial minority in their country. A new constitution on expropriation of farms has recently been adopted. Nobody cares about the fact that the farmers have been working so hard for decades or that they have had agreements with former presidents.

    No international boycotts, no sanctions, and no Bob Geldof organizing a concert to support white farmers or their survivors. There is a more important agenda in world institutions such as the #MeToo campaign or adoption of anti-Israeli resolutions. And who does not like it, of course, is at least a xenophobe and a racist.

  • We want stay in the EU but with no Euro or fiscal policy

    It has been touted that the Czech Republic should be part of the single market or Schengen but with no common currency or fiscal policy.

    Meanwhile, terms like Eurosceptic or Pro-European have become obsolete. A eurosceptic is considered by everyone to be someone who criticizes or disagrees with some aspects of European integration.

    The Czech Republic must avoid both of these extreme views. On one hand, there is an enthusiastic and naive acceptance of every new integration initiative, on the other hand a negative view that the EU will fail anyway and we should prefer to get out of it.

    “We want to stay in the EU, we want to be part of the single market, Europe´s trade policy and also the Schengen Area. However, we do not want to belong to a “hard core” with a common currency, fiscal policy, tax harmonization, and a common asylum and migration policy,“ MEP Jan Zahradil said, presenting his vision of the Czech Republic in the EU. It does not mean an anti- or pro-european attitude, but a realistic view of the whole integration. The best option for the Czech republic is the golden middle way.

  • Kechlibar: Macron’s dreams of restoring the German-French Empire

    Once in a while, there are doubts regarding the future vision of Europe, which has again been raised by Emanuel Macron in his recent speeches.

    The French president would like to remodel the EU into three circles. The inner circle would be significantly more integrated than the EU is today. The second circle would share the common market and free movement of people. The third circle would include countries connected with the first two circles through trade treaties.

    The realization of Macron’s vision would only boost the Eurosceptics across the entire continent.

    Even now, there are strong conflicts among the countries which should form the core. German voters may not like that their savings would be used to pay huge debts for France. That could be beneficial for AfD which was established a few years ago on the basis of an idea of resistance towards the common European debenture bonds.

    The Netherlands may show opposition to Macron’s vision as well, since their people refused to accept the draft of the European Constitution in 2005. Moreover, the Netherlands represent the biggest payer into the European budget if the contribution is calculated per person, and their inhabitants have never been very happy about that. Furthermore, Macron may not find sufficient support even within France, since a survey conducted there during the Brexit referendum showed that there are even more French people than Britons with negative attitudes towards the EU.

    Why is Macron even building these castles in the air? He may want to differentiate himself from European technocrats who do not have any visions at all and attempt to maintain the EU structure functioning as it is. He may be hoping that the situation becomes more favorable a few years from now.

  • Migration to Europe: A profitable business not only for smugglers

    When the number of migrants sharply increased, their transportation turned into a huge business opportunity. Despite the fact that the former migrants were mostly poor people, the current migration arising from political instability affected all social classes and all professions.

    This is the conclusion of Loretta Napoleoni’s book Merchants of Men. The traditional African and Middle-Eastern merchants of men adapted their prices and services to the payment abilities of migrants. Even criminal organizations of eastern Europe started parasitizing in this business field, which even led to the fact that they reduced their other criminal activities.

    Non-European merchants of men successfully exported their criminal system of “pay when you get there” to the European Union, since this works for the migrants the best. They have used the insufficient EU politics in the field of their national borders and immigration. Some humanitarian workers further confirm that African and European criminals use the migrant routes for the transfer of drugs and prostitutes.

    The migration crisis then enabled the criminals as well as humanitarian organizations and businessmen to grow, since the refugees and migrants need to be accommodated, clothed, fed and transported. These activities are then financed directly from the pockets of taxpayers. The author illustrated this fact on the example of a Norwegian company Hero Norway or a Swiss company ORS Service AG.  

    There is an intensive feeling that the refugees are a source of profit for everyone. The industry which has emerged in connection to their tragedy provides jobs for hundreds of thousand people all across Europe.

  • Slovakia prepares strategy to fight climate change

    According to expert predictions, in just eighty years the air temperature will rise by 2-4 °C, the southern regions will dry out, and tornadoes and strong winds will be more common.

    In contradiction with previous strategies the government’s new climatic adaptation strategy, which should be approved by parliament in October 2018, focuses on renewable energy and gas – not nuclear energy. One of the conclusions is that Slovakia should work out an action plan to help tackle global warming.

    An additional consequence of global warming is the loss of usable water sources, the country could lose half of its natural sources within the next eighty years. This issue could be partially managed by water recycling.

    The last action plan was prepared in 2014, several policies suggested in the paper have been implemented since then. While the adaptation is successful, it lacks the monitoring and evaluation elements. Action plans connected to global warming are relatively common in Europe, the Czech Republic and Austria already possess a similar strategy.

  • Poland’s priority is to fight Russian spies

    Expulsions of unwanted Russian agents and persons, as well as arrests on charges of conspiring with a foreign power and actions detrimental to the polish state are all part of a new direction for Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW).

    “One of the priorities of the new ABW leadership after the 2015 elections was serious work on the issue of the influence of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB),” says Maciej Wąsik, the deputy minister coordinator of special services.

    When Law and Justice took over power in 2015, the ABW was in need of proper reconstruction and required immediate dynamic changes. Although there is still much to do, the ABW’s operations have become very efficient.

    The ABW’s approach to the Russian issue during the Civic Platform government could be called naïve. This allowed the FSB to infiltrate and work out the intelligence services in the matter of a few months says Wąsik in an interview with Dorota Kania for Gazeta Codzienna weekly.

    Today, Russian agent influence is still fairly strong. It’s no secret that it always has been in Poland. As the ABW are gathering more intelligence on the matter of FSB influence, however, their reconnaissance of the issue broadens.

    One of the biggest failures of the ABW under Civic Platform rule was the Smoleńsk catastrophe of Aprli 2010 in which president Lech Kaczyński and 95 other Polish officials had died.

    It happened on Saturday and ABW officers went to work on Monday as if nothing had gone awry. The full attention of the special services hadn’t been drawn to the issue and it should have.

    “This begs the question of whether you could’ve even called them “special services,” Wąsik concludes.

  • Orbán’s ideas on Russia could be dangerous to Poland

    In his latest speech in Tusnadfurdo, Romania, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán argued that Western Europe’s approach to Russia is primitive. He urges for there to be more economic cooperation between Russia and the West and for states such as Poland, which are worried about Russian aggression, to have better security guarantees.

    “Such an idea is dangerous for Poland,” writes Grzegorz Górny for wpolityce.pl.

    Orbán outlined that not all European countries have to fear Russia. It is only those which have heavy historic baggage left in the country, such as Poland or the Baltic states, that should.

    He proposes that countries such as Hungary or Czech Republic or Western Europe in general should strike trade deals with the Russians. Whereas Poland and the Baltic states should receive much stronger guarantees of protection and security from the European Union and NATO.

    There have been too many cases in history, when the safety of different countries was traded away for someone’s businesses, for us to calmly look upon such an eventuality in the future

    “There have been too many cases in history, when the safety of different countries was traded away for someone’s businesses, for us to calmly look upon such an eventuality in the future,” Górny underlines.

    The strength of transatlantic agreements has always been their unity in dealing with external threats. If Europe becomes divided into two groups – one cooperating and one struggling against Russia, the latter including Poland will be marginalized.

    There are many more countries in the EU as well as outside of it, that fear Russian aggression. Romania, Ukraine, Sweden and Moldavia are all part of this group.

    Is the approach of the United States also primitive? Soon after the Trump-Putin summit, the US Department of State issued hurtful sanctions against Russia. America sees Russia led by ex-KGB officer Vladimir Putin as a threat to world peace and with reason. In the last decade Russia has proven its policy of aggression. The invasion of Georgia and Ukraine and the cyberattack on Estonia being prime examples. 

    Western European countries have also dealt with these attacks. An example is the United Kingdom and the Skripal assassination attempt from earlier this year.

    “It’s difficult to disagree with Orban when he outlines the policy of Hungary contrary to that of Poland,” concludes Górny. “But when he wishes to define that of all of Europe differently to us, we shouldn’t be silent.”

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  • Spain main target of immigrants

    Since the beginning of 2018, a staggering 26,500 migrants have reached Spain through the African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

    There are several reasons for the sudden rise in migrant numbers, including the closing of alternate routes, changes in the approach of Italy and Malta and the good weather. While the numbers are not comparable with the peak of the migration crisis, the issue could play a central role in the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2020. This is one of the biggest fears of the European Union. “We cannot allow to lose Spain,” an official of the European Commission stated recently.

    The immigration strategy of Spain could change due to Pablo Casaldo, the new leader of the People’s party who criticized the socialist government for their permissive policy towards the migrants. “They can’t all get papers and with millions of Africans trying to get to Europe the concept of the welfare state is not sustainable,” Casado wrote on Twitter.

    DenníkN also warns about the fragility of the Spanish government which has 84 seats out of 350 in the Congress of Deputies. In case of a crisis the possibility of early elections could not be excluded. DenníkN mentions that despite Spain not being affected so far by “xenophobic and nationalistic” rhetoric and the anti-immigrant Vox party has gained 1.57 percent of the votes in the last elections to the European Parliament, the change within the People’s party will affect the political communication in the country. Several cities have reported problems with immigrants in the past.

  • Poland is getting old

    The Central Statistical Office’s (GUS) latest report leaves no doubt – Poland’s society is getting older. Even Law and Justice’s new child benefit programs aren’t helping. By 2040 Poland’s population will have decreased by 2.8 million.

    Despite a small increase in births in 2017, nothing indicates that the recent negative demographic tendencies are to end.

    The next quarter-century will see a 2.8 million decrease in population. In contrast, the previous quarter-century, despite low fertility rates and emigration, the population increased by 360,000.

    The number of deaths will have the biggest impact on the decrease in population. The population boom from the fifties will start to die out. At the same time, the eighties generation will reach retirement age. Overall, society will become much older. In 2040 every other Pole will be over fifty.

    It’s time to invest in a “silver” economy. The needs of the elderly are different to those of the young and local governments will have to adapt. GUS recommends not only to focus on creating a youth-friendly environment, but to also invest in an elderly economy. For example, there is a significant lack of geriatricians.

    Another issue will be pensions. Current thirty or forty year-olds can expect meagre pensions.  This is due to the smaller number of people at the age of production, the lowering of retirement age and the general economic policy of Poland’s government in the nineties.

    The Law and Justice government is trying to encourage young mothers. Through a series of child benefit programs such as “500+” and state pensions for mothers with four or more children, they hope to avert this demographic catastrophe.

     

  • PM Orbán’s use of Air Force planes is perfectly normal

    The fact that the Hungarian prime minister sometimes travels on Air Force planes during his official visits is standard practice in Hungary, as is in a series of neighboring countries such as Croatia, Czech Republic, Serbia and Slovakia.

    According to Origo.hu, the Hungarian Armed Forces announced on August 6th that the Hungarian air fleet has been complemented with a Dassault Falcon FX7 business jet which will also be able to carry out courier and transport missions.

    Opposition parties have attacked the government over this latest purchase, which follows a February delivery of an Airbus A319 transport plane, which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán used to fly to an official visit to Israel (pictured above).

    The article says that during the previous Socialist-Free Democrat governments their officials used Air Force transport on 100 occasions. More importantly, this is in line with the requirements laid out in a 2005 military doctrine which specifies that the Armed Forces is responsible for the transport of select state leaders.

    This practice is also seen in other countries of the region. Last year Slovakia also took delivery of its second A319, also used for transporting state dignitaries. The Czech Republic has several planes dedicated to presidential and governmental transport: two A319s, two Bombardier Challenger 600 business jets and two Yakovlev Yak-40 small airliners.

    Serbian and Croatian government officials use two aircraft in each country operated by their respective Air Forces.

  • New war on Westerplatte

    The Civic Platform mayor of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz, denies not having invited the military to celebrations commemorating the heroic defense of Polish soldiers at Westerplatte in 1939. In response, Mariusz Błaszczak the Minister of National Defense produced a statement issued by the mayor, which did not foresee military attendance at the event.

    The mayor stated that it is more important for younger generations to be present. Instead of focusing on the military during the celebrations, he would prefer to have boy scouts lead the event.

    Last year, although both the scouts and the military were present, only the military took active part in the celebrations which Adamowicz argues was contrary to what was agreed with the Ministry of National Defense.

    “Instead of assistance of the military, we foresee the assistance of the scouting organizations, so that we can build the atmosphere of the event based on the representatives of the younger generation,” the mayor’s statement read.

    Polish conservative commentators do not hide their outrage at the Gdańsk mayor’s decision. “A scandalous, absurd and anti-patriotic decision,” says MEP Ryszard Czarnecki.

    Mister Adamowicz, Gdańsk isn’t a German “Free” city but a Polish city!

    “He [Adamowicz] isn’t the owner of Westerplatte. He doesn’t care about Gdańsk’s history,” says Jacek Karnowski, head editor of “Sieci”.

    Paweł Adamowicz is also well-known for glorifying the times from before the Second World War when Gdańsk was known as Freie Stadt Danzig (Free City of Gdańsk) . 

    Law and Justice MP Krystyna Pawłowicz wrote on twitter: “Mister Adamowicz, Gdańsk isn’t a German “free” city but a Polish city! You aren’t a German deputy but the city’s Polish servant with Polish duties!”

    https://twitter.com/KrystPawlowicz/status/1027647848953925632

    The Battle of Westerplatte (a peninsula in Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea), is commonly regarded as the beginning of the Second World War. From the 1st of September 1939, for seven days the Polish soldiers mounted a heroic defense while being heavily outnumbered by German forces and low on supplies.

    Despite their defeat, Polish major Henryk Sucharski and his men were honored by the Germans. The major was allowed to keep his sword as a POW, one of the few gestures of honor given to Poles by Germans during the war. 

  • OTP Group Q2 net profit above expectations

    Hungarian OTP Bank Group has posted a consolidated net profit of HUF 89.5 billion (US$317 million) in the second quarter of the year, exceeding analysts’ expectations of 81.6 billion, Magyar Hírlap reported.

    OTP Bank Group is one of Central and Europe’s largest independent financial services providers, with operations in eight regional countries besides Hungary: Bulgaria (DSK Bank), in Croatia (OTP banka Hrvatska), in Romania (OTP Bank Romania), in Serbia (OTP banka Srbija), in Slovakia (OTP Banka Slovensko), in Ukraine (OTP Bank JSC), in Montenegro (Crnogorska komercijalna banka) and in Russia (OAO OTP Bank). It also plans to set up operations in Albania.

    Profit in the first half of the year was HUF 154.5 billion, a 16 percent increase over the same period in 2017.

    The core Hungarian operation of OTP Bank contributed HUF 56.2 billion to overall second quarter profits, Bulgarian subsidiary DSK Bank 12.8 billion, Russia 5.6 billion, Ukraine 5.4 billion and Croatia 4.5 billion. The other subsidiaries produced losses in this period: Serbia 900 million, Montenegro 600 million, Slovakia 800 million and Romania 100 million.

    On the Budapest Stock Exchange, OTP shares closed on Thursday at HUF 10,690, up 40. In the past twelve months OTP’s share price moved between HUF 9,510 and 11,780.  

  • Norway’s Soros troops on the offensive

    Norwegian NGOs mostly sponsored by billionaire financier George Soros continue their attacks against Hungary but other Central European countries don’t have it much easier either. Poland and the Czech Republic also had their share of protests.

    Following an article in Magyar Idők – which quoted Hungarian government officials saying that Norway should not interfere with the internal affairs of the country – Norway’s ambassador to Budapest stated again that they continue to support NGOs.

    In June, leaders of several Norwegian NGOs signed a joint declaration condemning the violation of human rights and the restrictions against human rights activists. The document singled out Poland and Hungary as countries that have passed restrictive legislation on civil society. All of the signatories of the declaration are financed by Soros.

    This was followed by an Amnesty International (AI) “global meeting” in Warsaw, where they said that the situation of human rights activists has worsened in countries such as Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Mexico and the Philippines. By doing this, they put Hungary and Poland – two safe and stable Central European states – in the same category with others where military coups, drug wars, civil wars or ethnic violence occur regularly.

    Soros-funded organizations have stepped up their Budapest activities immediately after the third consecutive election victory of the current ruling coalition, lobbying foreign ambassadors to act against Hungarian legislation requiring NGOs to declare foreign funding in excess of HUF 7.2 million (US$25,600).

    The latest development came just a few days ago when Norway entered a lawsuit at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against the Hungarian law on the side of the European Commission which started the proceedings.

     

     

  • The German draft debate and Hungary

    The name Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer may not exactly roll of the tongue, but we definitely should pay attention to her as she may well become German Chancellor one day, according to Magyar Idők.

    Kramp-Karrenbauer, Minister President of Germany’s Saarland region from 2011-2018 currently serves as General Secretary of the CDU and is widely considered to be Chancellor Angela Merkel’s right hand.

    After a tour of Germany – and, more importantly, the CDU electoral base – she returned to Berlin with one poignant conclusion. There is widespread demand among the electorate that Germany should re-introduce compulsory military service – discontinued during the Merkel legislation in July 2011.

    Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

    CDU Secretary General Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

    The legal situation is a bit more complicated, as conscription was not exactly abolished but rather suspended, leaving some provisions in the German constitution that would legalize its reintroduction.

    Opinion polls show that 56 percent of Germans are for conscription and one of the most vocal supporters of it is Alternative für Deutschland (AFD) who propose a one-year compulsory service. So there is an argument that the CDU should get ahead of the issue and in the process grab some voters from its strongest opponent.

    The German administration and opposition Greens and Liberals are firmly against it, but with the government’s popularity at only 29 percent, a further drop may well persuade them to change tack.

    Another argument for conscription is the chronic manpower shortage of the Bundeswehr. Indeed, there have been ideas to attract servicemen from abroad. The strongest counter-argument is that nobody should be forced to do something against their will.

    But we should not forget another pro-conscription argument: in a fractured and individualistic society with many parallel societies, it could forge national unity.

    We, Hungarians also don’t have conscription, but we also have a social debate about it. An entire generation has grown up without any weapons training. Some say that should there be a need to defend the country, the professionals would do it.

    But by the same token, we should also abolish first aid training. Or should we?

     

     

  • Unemployment rate slightly rises but so do job vacancies

    The Czech unemployment rate registered a slight increase in July after steadily dropping for five consecutive months. However, the labour market is still tight and job vacancies are on the rise again.

    Data published yesterday shows the unemployment rate rose to 3.1 percent from last month’s 2.9 percent. There are currently 231 thousand people without a job, the lowest number measured in July for more than two decades. Compared to last year, joblessness rate dropped one percent. 

    According to the Labour Office, the main reasons behind the increase are caused by seasonal effects. Unemployment is usually higher in July, in part due to slower recruitment during holidays or new graduates looking for a job.

    Interestingly, along with the rising unemployment rate, there are 120 thousand more jobs available on the Czech labor market. 

  • The desire for gender balance in athletics is surreal

    Up to a few years ago, certain athletic disciplines were still only available for men. For example, women have only been competing in pole vault since 1999, while they were allowed to compete in race walk for the first time only last year.

    During the European Championships in Berlin seven female athletes participated in the 50-km race walk contest, but only four of them managed to cross the finish line. These completely exhausted girls moved at a pace of a person walking towards a bus stop during the race, and instead of fervor, the audience felt sorry for them.

    “Unfortunately, these are barely numbers without using any common sense – men compete in 24 disciplines, so women cannot compete in only 23 disciplines; moreover, the disciplines have to be exactly the same. There is no way that anyone would take few kilometers away from the girls,” Commentator Jakub Marek said about the decision of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

    The race in Berlin was nothing in comparison to what awaits female athletes at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. At the beginning of October and even despite the night start, it will be more like a struggle for survival than a battle for medals – all of this only for the sake of gender balance.

  • Country pays homage to fallen soldiers

    The special ceremony, held at Václav Havel Airport, was attended by President Miloš Zeman, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Defence Ministry officials, family and friends. The three soldiers killed by a suicide bomber on Sunday in Afghanistan will be buried with military honors.

    While the army chaplain Jaroslav Knichal was the only one to speak at the ceremony, the sound of eight thousand sirens across the Czech Republic also honoured the memory of the dead.

    President Milos Zeman will award the soldiers with medals of bravery on October 28th. The Minister of Defence Lubomir Metnar said that he is going to visit Czech soldiers in Afghanistan in the next weeks.

    According to Lenka Šmerdová ,head of the Military Solidarity Fund, the soldiers’ deaths sparked a strong wave of solidarity with thousands donating to the families of the deceased. 

  • Raising funds for science and research is a wasteful luxury

    The massive increase in resources for research and science (R&S) is taken as an indisputable precondition to prosperity once again. But, in fact, it is all about building up the so-called Potemkin villages. However, there is no evidence of the direct relationship between increasing the science budget and economic performance.

    According to Jiří Weigl, Founder and Executive Director of Václav Klaus Institute, the conclusions of the last reports of the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) should be commended. SAO has criticized the Czech system of granting subsidies in the sphere of research, development and innovation as ineffective.

    In 2010, funding for research, development and innovation was roughly a fifth below EU average, yet five years later the funds were one quarter above the same standard. Despite this development, the productivity in innovation is slowing down. This is the first very urgent impulse to sober up from a widely shared illusion that increasing science and research budget is the only right path towards prosperity.

    „The idea of self-sustainability of science and research is wrong, especially in an economy like the Czech Republic,“ Weigl writes adding that all key Czech scientific discoveries have been finalized and applied abroad. The Czech Republic should not hope that the fees for scientific patents and licenses may change the economic position significantly.

  • The migrant deluge on Europe continues

    The march of illegal immigrants on Europe hasn’t stopped – it has merely changed direction. Instead of going through Italy, they go through Spain after the liberal Spanish government has invited them.

    “The European approach to the migration issue is due to the conscious decision of Marx and Gramsci children who run the European Union,” writes Rafał A. Ziemkiewicz for DoRzeczy.pl.

    There is no hope to be seen for Spain. Critics will be simply told that migration is unavoidable.

    The writer gives the example of the United States, who established themselves as a world power thanks to legal and controlled migration. All Europe needed to do, was an “Ellis Island” which would filter out those immigrants who did not fulfil established criteria. People who want to risk their lives to get to Europe would be keen to compete to become Europeans.

    Marx and Gramsci children run the European Union

    The issue, for which the next generation of autochthonic Europeans will pay, isn’t migration itself. It’s that the immigrants from Africa don’t respect Europe. They see Europeans as corrupted, childless and faithless egoists who give away free money.

    Who knew that Muslims never managed to conquer Spain in the Middle Ages? They didn’t have to. They were invited by the Visigoths who could not come to an agreement amongst each other. A very interesting and enlightening story, which is probably why it is ignored.

    The attack on Ceuta would never have happened if the Moroccan army hadn’t let the migrants through. The Moroccans let them through, because the EU did not accept the kingdom’s decision to raise fees on European fishermen. Once the EU agreed to the fees, the influx was immediately halted. How is Morocco able to fight the migrants off if necessary? They have heavy weaponry and see the migrants as subhuman.

    The border wall in Spanish Ceuta in North Africa had been stormed by hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan regions. Using home-made weapons, they broke the wall and drove back the police. They have entered Spain. Unfortunately, this is not the first of such attacks in Ceuta. The previous one was in January.

  • Slovak economy relies on foreigners

    The presence of foreign workers is the most relevant in the fields of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and automotive industry.

    According to official statistics, currently there are nearly 60,000 foreigners working in the country, among them 13 743 Serbians, 9685 Romanians and 7233 guest workers from Ukraine. Even though intensive Slovak language courses are offered to tackle language barriers, reports show that cultural similarities and differences play an important role in the diversity of workforce.

    The biggest aversion and prejudices are targeted at Muslim and African workers due to cultural and religious differences. As a result, workers from the African and Middle-Eastern regions are mostly absent.

    Employing foreign workforce can sometimes cause complications for companies. In many cases new workers tend to migrate westward (especially to Austria and Germany, where wages are three times higher than in Slovakia) once they have acquired the basic skills and experience. One of such instances occured in KIA Motors’ Žilina plant. Another car factory, the PSA Peugeot Citroën Slovakia faced an unexpected, yet successful workers’ strike for higher wages with the active participation of foreign laborers.

  • Viktor Orbán the Great

    Viktor Orbán has won the Hungarian elections for the third time in a row. He also furthered his absolute majority in parliament. “Despite the backlash from the European Union and George Soros, he managed to fulfill all of his election promises,” writes blogger Animela for salon24.pl.

    Orbán has written off the current European Union and looks to a military and economic alliance of Central European states. “My great dream is becoming true!,” writes the blogger.

    The Hungarian prime minister’s strength comes from his voters. Orbán had not knelt even once before the banks to which thousands of Hungarians were indebted. He dealt with the hypermarkets and foreign media as well. He also removed George Soros’ foundations and agencies.

    My great dream of an alliance of Central European states is coming true!

    But the blogger is disappointed by the latest political development in Poland. Just two years ago Orbán had deemed Poland to be the leader of his Central European alliance project. But that has passed. In his great speech in Transylvania, the Hungarian prime minister had mentioned Poland only once.

    This could be because Law and Justice chairman Jarosław Kaczyński’s politics has damaged Poland’s position on the international arena. This is due to Kaczyński’s lengthy reconstruction process of the government in Poland over the last year.

    Given the policy of “Poland rising” demonstrated by Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, it is best to get yourself a Hungarian citizenship because Poland might soon be gone.

  • Marček’s visit to Crimea stirs up Slovak coalition

    “The Committee, in accordance with the position of the member states of the European Union and the NATO, does not recognize the results of the illegal referendum in Crimea from March 2014” – says the resolution of the body from Wednesday. The committee also pointed out that the peninsula’s attachment to Russian Federation violated the integrity of Ukraine and various members called the visit “shameful.”

    Peter Marček, who attended the committee’s sitting in person said that “historically Crimea has always belonged and will always belong to Russia.” However, after calling Katarína Cséfalvayová (Most-Híd) and Martin Klus (SaS) Soros’s agents, he left the hearing.

    But the list of problems didn’t stop here. Cséfalvayová first explained the absence of the Most-Híd delegates with the holidays and sick leaves, but later the SNS accused her of violating the coalition agreement by initiating the meeting in the first place.

    According to Jaroslav Paška (SNS), the vice-president of the committee, the extraordinary resolution pointed out the “immorality and insincerity” of various politicians, because the body in the past has not dealt with several MP’s visits to Kosovo, which is unrecognized by Slovakia. The SNS demands the resignation of Cséfalvayová.

  • Polish ports are record breakers

    Poland’s ports have crushed expectations in transshipments and improved over an already impressive year in 2017. As the growth dynamic increases, investments and infrastructure development in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Świnoujście flourishes.

    Gdańsk’s port is the fourth largest amongst all of the Baltic ports, beating Lithuanian Kłajpeda but is still behind Russia’s Primorsk. The number of transshipped goods in Gdańsk has so far been recorded at 25.1 million. This is a 35 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The transshipments also exceeded predictions by a fifth.

    It is estimated, that in the near future Gdańsk will exceed transshipments of 100 million tons per annum. If Gdańsk maintains this level of growth, it will take third place and close behind Saint Petersburg.

    New deals have been signed in Gdańsk, worth over PLN 105 million (US$28.5 million). They will deepen Gdańsk’s fairways as well as develop the waterfronts. These deals are to be completed by 2020. Currently, the sum of investments in Gdańsk exceeds PLN 1 billion (US$272 million).

    In Gdynia, one of the largest investments is the construction of a new ferry terminal as well as the development of fuel transshipment stations. Świnoujście is to see a deepening of its fairways and general port development. These are to be completed by the middle of 2019.

  • Duda to veto EU election law

    Law and Justice’s bill to change the electoral law to the European Parliament is in jeopardy after Andrzej Duda threatened to veto the bill.

    The president also vocalizes his disapproval for the Supreme Court’s freezing of judiciary reform laws, calling the move “purely political.”

    A group of smaller political organizations appealed to Duda, asking him to veto the bill. The president has 21 days to response. Duda favors them, as the reform would practically eliminate smaller political parties. The bill would effectively change the election threshold from 5 percent to 11 or 12.  The president fears that the bill would damage the interests of Polish citizens.

    “A part of Polish society will feel deprived of representation in the EU parliament,” he says in an interview for Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. “I as the president should hold up the rules which make democracy a reality.”

    A part of Polish society will feel deprived of representation in the EU parliament

    The new reform is meant to help PiS gain more influence in Brussels. Although it would also strengthen the oppositional Civic Platform, effectively creating a two-party system, it would cut out the smaller political groups. The gained support would probably be worth the criticism PiS would receive.

    Asked whether Duda would prefer a two-party system, the president is certain that such an entity should arise organically. He argues, that there aren’t that many political groups in the Polish parliament in the first place.

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    During the ongoing struggle with the Supreme Court (SN), the SN released a proclamation which effectively froze the government’s judiciary reforms. Members of the opposition, along with SN see the reforms as undemocratic and in conflict with the constitution.

    Duda says that the reforms are in order. He adds, that the SN’s proclamation has no legal basis. He also slams the SN for pulling off what is not a legal, but political move which doesn’t benefit Polish society but only the SN judges. 

  • Editor-in-chief says Magyar Idők is here to stay

    Daily print and online media Magyar Idők is in no danger of being discontinued, editor-in-chief Ottó Gajdics has announced.

    “This is nothing but a false tabloid report entirely unrelated to reality. Not a word of it is true. Such an issue is not even on the table, so there could not have been any such decision,” Gajdics said.

    According to Pesti Srácok, the unconfirmed report first appeared in the online version of liberal print daily Népszava and was subsequently reported by over a dozen other online media outlets. Gajdics said the “self-appointed paragons of journalism from these news outlets didn’t even bother to pick up the phone and ask the editor-in-chief or the owner of Magyar Idők.”

    Magyar Idők was established in 2015 by Gábor Liszkay, owner of Mediaworks, Hungary’s largest conservative media group. It was also Liszkay who last week returned as owner of the country’s first news television channel, HírTV. Conservatives took back the channel amid conflict between media owner Lajos Simicska and prime minister Viktor Orbán.

    At the height of the conflict, Simicska announced in February 2015 an “all-out media war against the government”. Gajdics, previously HírTV executive in charge of programming, also returned to the channel in an advisory capacity.

  • Inflation spikes in Hungary, but annual goal reachable

    Hungarian inflation was recorded at 3.4 percent year-on-year in July, mainly due to fuel and tobacco price hikes but the National Bank’s (MNB) target of keeping it under three percent remains feasible.

    According to data released by the Central Statistics Office (KSH), the year-on-year rise in fuel prices was 17.8 percent while tobacco prices rose by 7.5 percent. Food prices were up by 3.6 percent and household energy by 1.5 percent. The most significant price drop was in used cars, whose price fell by 8.9 percent.

    Takarékbank analyst Gergely Suppán said the effect of fuel price rises was magnified by the fact that while last July fuel prices were falling, this year they have been rising. He added that due to a rising comparison base the inflationary effect of fuel prices will gradually decrease in the remaining part of the year and that, coupled with the selective VAT reductions that came into effect on January 1st will likely be enough to keep inflation within the MNB’s target. He expected annual inflation for 2018 to be 2.7 percent. This also means that in the medium term the MNB would probably stay the current monetary policy course and leave interest rates unchanged.

    ING Bank lead macroeconomic analyst Péter Virovácz also said that seeing how data is in line with the MNB forecast and that both crude prices and the EUR/HUF exchange rate seem to be stabilizing, the central bank will not change is current loose monetary policy. His full-year forecast is 2.8 percent. 

  • Hungarian healthcare is the last vestige of Socialism

    Zoltán Ónodi-Szűcs, who served as the previous State Minister for Health at the Ministry of Human Capacities (EMMI) once summarily characterized healthcare as “the last vestige of Socialism”, writes Éva Haiman, columnist for Magyar Idők.

    In a recent report, the State Audit Office concluded that hospitals and medical offices squander money and the overall financial structure of the healthcare system is wasteful. The report also questioned the transparency and degree of legal compliance of healthcare institutions.

    Enter Miklós Kásler, who replaced Calvinist pastor Zoltán Balog at the helm of EMMI after the April elections and is thus ultimately responsible for healthcare. A professor of medicine and former head of the National Institute of Oncology, he is quite well-placed to tackle the problem, which he intends to do. So far, he acknowledged the need for a healthcare reform and his ministry is working full-steam to find solutions. Kásler said the fact that the systemic problems could not be solved in the last almost three decades shows the complexity of the issue.

    Ónodi-Szűcs was of the opinion that the rivalry among the heads of various medical institutions and their strong informal ties with various politicians was the root of the problem and he attempted to tackle it by putting in place a centralized administrative and financial system, but despite assurances to the contrary, he could not see his plans through for lack of political support.

    The State Minister for Health before him, Gábor Zombor’s opinion was the polar opposite: he said healthcare has for decades been hostage to politics. He also failed to make substantial changes. So, while the lines of action may not yet be clear, the task is there. Maybe a good starting point would be the recent report of the National Bank of Hungary, “180 steps for the sustainable improvement of Hungary’s competitiveness”. 22 of the report’s 180 points pertain to healthcare.