Remix News

Tag: Hungary

  • Orbán-Putin meeting focused on energy, investments

    East-west cooperation is an essential national interest for Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Putin said Hungary is an important and reliable partner of Russia, Origo reports.

    At a joint press conference following the Moscow meeting Putin said that the two countries’ bilateral trade has increased by 25 percent to $5 billion, capital investments to $1 billion and joint innovations are being developed in the high-tech sector. Putin said Russian companies did the renovation work and supplied the carriages for the Budapest metro lines and Hungary’s OTP Bank (with subsidiaries in nine countries) is one of the largest banks in Russia with almost four million customers.

    Orbán_Putyin_Moszkva

    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin during an official visit to Moscow, September 18, 2018. (Image: Viktor Orbán, Facebook)

    Putin also said Russia supplies 60 percent of Hungary’s natural gas needs and Hungarian gas storage units also contribute to supplying other countries in the region. Russian state corporation Rosatom will shortly begin the capacity upgrade of Hungary’s only nuclear power plant in Paks (originally built by the Soviet Union in 1982) with two new blocks.

    The two sides, according to Orbán, also concluded an agreement regarding Hungary’s gas supply for the year 2020. The price and amount of gas supplies by Russia to Hungary are subject to annual contracts.

    Responding to a question, Putin said that the migration crisis must be solved at its source and politics should not encourage immigration, but the issue was not Russia’s, it “must be solved by our European colleagues”.

     

  • Ministry sides with subtitles in movie debate

    Barely a week goes by in Hungary before social media regulars run into yet another “subtitles vs dubbing” discussion, like the one pictured above. But now the Ministry for Innovation and Technology has made it official that the government favors subtitles, news portal Mandiner writes.

    The ministry said in a statement that this was part of a comprehensive drive to increase Hungarians’ language skills as proposed by the National Council for Competitiveness. Looking at language skill statistics, the ministry may have a strong case: according to Eurostat data, among the 28 member states of the EU Hungary is second-to-last, only trailed by Ireland.

    Language

    But with a long tradition in movie dubbing – giving work to small studios and many actors – the battle is far from over. The professional groups are understandably lobbying in favor of dubbing.

    Also, the majority of Hungarian adults have grown up with Hungarian actors lending their voices to such iconic characters as the detectives Columbo and Kojak, agent Fox Mulder or – for a more recent example – locally well-known Károly Rékasi as the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.

    Dubbing, however, does not only prevent Hungarians from at least hearing a foreign language: mistranslations and length constraints often lead to strange results. For instance, the famous last line of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” translated back from the Hungarian dubbed version slightly differently: “Louis, you are just as sentimental as I am”.   

  • Hungary must defend rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine

    European politics tends to think in terms of individual rights, but in the case of ethnic minorities this is an absurd concept, as no one wants to speak their native tongue alone, Zoltán Kántor, director of the Institute for National Policy told Magyar Hírlap.

    Kántor said that despite opinions to the contrary, Hungary is justifiably taking a more active stance in offering both political and financial support to the ethnic minorities living in neighboring countries (Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine).

    Collective autonomy for these Hungarian minorities is by no means against the host states, he said and questioning a minority’s loyalty to the countries they are citizens of makes little sense. Western European examples also indicate that ethnic minorities stand a better chance for survival if granted collective rights. But this hinges on whether any given country actually recognizes collective minority rights as such. This is ultimately a matter of survival. It is interesting that European thinking regards the survival instinct of the majority as legitimate and natural but seems surprised that a minority has similar ambitions.

    But this collective autonomy cannot be achieved against the majority of the country in question, only through cooperation. Protecting already existing rights is also important, and that is why Hungary had to accept the conflict with Ukraine as there was nowhere to back off.

  • Political season kicks off in Hungary with mud-slinging

    Coming fresh on the heels of last week’s vote in the European Parliament against Hungary, the opening session of parliament began with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s short speech in which he said Hungary will not yield its border controls to the European Union and the EU agency Frontex, Magyar Idők reports.

    Immigration is not a party politics issue, but a primordial national interest

    He said the European elite made historical errors by failing to keep the UK in and immigrants out of the European Union. The Sargentini Report condemning Hungary is the continued work of those attacking the anti-immigration forces and Hungary will seek legal recourse to the vote that could only be passed through trickery.

    Predictably, the plenary session then descended into accusations flying from both sides. Former Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány – caucus leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition –  said Orbán needed medical attention and that he was building a cult around anti-Semitic figures of the Hungarian past.

    Socialist caucus leader Bertalan Tóth said Orbán was governing the country against the people’s will. (Viktor Orbán’s conservative coalition won this April its third consecutive election with a two-thirds majority).

    Péter Harrach, caucus leader of the junior coalition partner Christian Democrats said all Hungarian opposition members who voted against Hungary in the European Parliament were guilty of treason.

    Orbán, however, did not brand the opposition as traitors, quoting instead the words of King Leonidas of Sparta to those who argued to surrender to Xerxes in the battle of Thermopylae from the movie 300: “May you live forever”. This was the ultimate insult in Sparta, as dying in battle was considered the only fitting death for a hero.

     

  • PM Orbán meets Deutsche Telekom leaders

    Orbán met Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Höttges, deputy CEO for Europe Srini Gopalan and Tibor Rékasi, CEO of Magyar Telekom, the Prime Minister’s press office said. The discussion centered around Hungary’s recent digital achievements and challenges for the near future.

    Both sides said that reinforcing the digital economy is key to the competitiveness of Hungary and Europe and this could be achieved through flexible regulations, encouraging investments and a proper management of frequencies and bandwidths.

    Due to the government’s Digital Welfare Program launched at the end of 2015, Hungary is well-placed to be a successful player in the digital era. Höttges said Deutsche Telekom will continue to do its part in further developing Hungary’s information infrastructure and through its role in developing the 5G wireless communications standard it intends to make Hungary a regional hub for 5G technologies.

    Srini Gopalan said the Hungarian subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom is a strategic component of the group and the German company is committed to its further development.

  • Childless leaders don’t care for the future

    Péter Hoppál, Fidesz MP for the southern Hungarian city of Pécs and former state minister for culture posted a meme showing the images of nine childless European leaders, accompanied by the following comment:

    “They don’t care for the future, the homeland, Europe, Christian culture. All they have is Carpe Diem… That’s it”

    The hundreds of comments to the post and subsequent, mostly liberal media coverage, mirrored both sides of the arguments in what is a legitimate debate about Hungary’s demographic situation.

    Since the fall of communism in 1990, Hungary’s population fell by 604,000 to 9.77 million, below the psychological 10 million threshold while the ratio of under-15s is the lowest since the first Hungarian census in 1870.

    After winning a third consecutive term with a two-thirds majority in April, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has pledged to make demography one of his government’s top priorities. Hoppál’s post of childless European leaders is also in stark contrast with the fact most Hungarians are aware that Orbán himself has five children.

  • Remix team details V4-focused mission

    The Remix editorial team consists of seasoned, multi-language professional journalists from Central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). They have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of their own countries’ political, economic and cultural scene, up-to-date perspective on domestic and foreign current affairs and are thus well-equipped to select the most pertinent news and commentaries for those interested in the region, writes Origo.

    Origo turned to Grzegorz Adamczyk and Dénes Albert who cover Poland and Hungary respectively.

    Adamczyk, whose previous media experience includes working at the Polish language section of the BBC World Service said

    Remix is a unique initiative that could serve as reference to the European target audience regarding news of Visegrád cooperation.

    Until now, Central Europe did not have a news portal conveying events and comments about the region from a conservative perspective. Thus, the main mission of the portal is to serve up the region’s conservative views from the larger Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak perspectives.

    Dénes Albert, covering Hungary – previously with the BCC, Reuters and Hungarian national news agency MTI – said Remix also aimed to debunk negative stereotypes regarding Central Europe vehiculated by many international news outlets by

    providing authoritative and professional information about the region.

    The portal is published in English in order to reach the widest possible audience. Another goal of Remix is to present the seven-hundred-years cooperation of the Visegrád Four countries from a fresh, common perspective.

    “Remix will focus on presenting and aggregating the political and economic events and leading comments of the Visegrád countries and provide a regional perspective on topical European issues such as migration,” he said.

    The Slovak section is led by politologist Géza Tokár, a Slovak national of Hungarian ethnicity, previously with “Új Szó”, Slovakia’s only nationwide Hungarian language newspaper.

    “The perspective goal of Remix is to be considered as a reference point for regional news in general and V4 news in particular.”

  • Seven minutes

    In order to realize the historic importance of Orbán’s speech in Strasbourg we really must revisit two previous moments, Magyar Hírlap columnist László Bogár writes.

    April 13, 2002 – Budapest’s Kossuth Square (the location of the Hungarian parliament) saw the largest crowd of citizens ever gathered in Hungary. At the time – for the sake of peace and stability – Orbán was not yet prepared to say what was clearly on everybody’s mind: the “invisible powers” were bent on deposing Orbán and his government to further their liberal agenda.

    Second flashback: May 2010, also on Kossuth square, the day when Orbán announced his party’s electoral victory, again in front of a crowd of several hundred thousand. In his speech that day, he again refrained from stating the obvious and instead celebrated victory. He did not mention the destruction wrought upon the country by eight years of liberal rule, nor did he say that it was time for reconstruction after a successful revolution.

    Another eight years have passed since and with enormous efforts and amid bitter conflicts we managed to at least stave off the deterioration of the community of humans called the Hungarian nation. But the Strasbourg speech, the charade surrounding it and the intent of the global powers to make an example by punishing Hungary has shown that the things left unsaid since 2002 will soon have to be said after all. Not only because these global powers are ready for even more drastic measures, but also because there is no more room for retreat. The past 16 have amply demonstrated what was only a suspicion back in 2002, namely that the malignant growth known as “liberal democracy” is eating up resources at an alarming rate, leaving in its wake ecological and spiritual waste in the form of its poisonous multiculturalism.

    This also means that there is precious little room for further manoeuvring. The hour of truth is approaching. In the months after next year’s European elections, we will finally see whether European nations have any life force left and whether they can realize what Hungarians have realized between 2002 and 2018: that liberal democracy, picturing itself as the only way forward is in fact leading the world – and the whole of Europe with it – towards certain destruction.

    And those seven minutes offer indispensable help and guidance to realize that fact.  

     

  • Expats in Hungary put safety first

    Safety, not lower real estate prices or living costs is the main consideration foreign citizens look for when deciding to settle in Hungary.

    Horváth said that three years ago, when Hungary erected a fence on its southern border to stem the inflow of migrants, the impact of the measure was difficult to gauge, but it has since become clear that it also resulted in a significant “security dividend”.

    “It is also easy to understand why British tourists love Hungary at a time when the Muslim mayor of London says that terrorism is part of everyday life in a metropolis,” he said.

     

    Horváth also said that the majority of Hungarians clearly approved the government’s policy against illegal migration, given that everybody appreciates the safety of their families, everyday life and possessions now as well as looking forward.

    One of the major challenges for Europe in the coming years will be the question of how to handle the increased security risk posed by the masses of illegal immigrants, some of whom will receive citizenship in EU countries and will therefore be allowed free movement within the Schengen area.

  • Hungarian family tax rebate at record high

    The family tax rebate in 2017 amounted to more than 288 billion HUF, Minister Varga said. He added that the same rebate could reach 310 billion HUF this year. This also means that favorable labor, housing and educational conditions could help convince young families to remain in the country.

    He said data from the Tax and Customs Office (NAV) indicated that one in four private individuals benefited from this last year. Overall, since the first full year of the Fidesz government (in 2011) tax and duty rebates to families amount to 2,250 billion HUF, he said.

    Since the beginning of 2011 the family tax rebate system has remained extremely steady, an important consideration for families planning to have children. Last year families with two children were the main beneficiaries of the increased rebate, leaving them an additional 60,000 HUF per year. This could also improve the demographic situation in Hungary, he said.

    Varga also said that a steep rise in real wages also meant that in 2017 over 20,000 people working abroad came home and had no immediate intention to leave again. Competitive wages mean that the young generation only leaves the country for studies and work experience, but is likely to return home.

     

  • Hungarian film industry flourishes

    This was the second consecutive year when movie production exceeded 100 billion HUF in Hungary, Origo.hu reports.

    The biggest single production was the American period drama television series The Alienist, based on Caleb Carr’s eponymous psychological thriller. Production cost in Hungary was HUF 20.8 billion. Budapest was also the main location of the spy thriller Red Sparrow, starring Jennifer Lawrence with a Hungarian budget of HUF 11.3 billion and the action comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon with a budget of HUF 9 billion.

    On account of its qualified film professionals and the 19th century architecture of downtown Budapest Hungary has often been chosen for major international productions since the 1990s, but the current boom is mostly credited to Hungarian-American producer Andy Vajna.

     

    Vajna

    Andrew G. Vajna

    Born András György Vajna in Budapest in 1994, Vajna fled Hungary after the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising and studied cinematography at UCLA to later become a well-known producer of mainly action movies. These include the first three Rambo movies, Evita, Red Heat, Total Recall and Air America.

    He returned to his native Hungary and was appointed Government Commissioner for the Hungarian film industry in 2011 and essentially reformed movie production along market requirements, while also establishing the state-financed Hungarian National Film Fund that recently financed such titles as the Oscar-winning Son of Saul. 

  • African swine fever spreads in Romania

    Romanian authorities say African swine fever is under control, but the number of infection points has risen by another 120 over the past two weeks and has reached 900, Magyar Hírlap reports.

    According to data from national news agency Agerpres the disease has spread to 207 settlements in the country and 232,722 animals had to be culled in an effort to halt further infections.

    The EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development went to Bucharest on Thursday to discuss the situation and promised EU financial assistance in combating the disease.

    The African swine fever outbreak hit a critical point three weeks ago when it reached the country’s largest swine farm in south-eastern Brăila county, prompting the culling of 140,000 animals. In response to the outbreak, southern neighbor Bulgaria built a 133 km (83 miles) long razor wire fence in four weeks to prevent wild boar movement.

    Swine fever doesn’t affect humans but it can be deadly for domestic and wild boars, and cause massive losses for farmers.

    The swine fever first appeared last June in the north-eastern Satu Mare county bordering the Ukraine and Hungary and has resulted in the culling of 117,000 animals.

    Hungary has ordered fences to be built around swine farms so wild boar cannot infect the animals.

  • Hungary says European Parliament’s decision is void

    At a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting, Gulyás said that the Lisbon Treaty is very clear on procedure and the EP went against its own rules by deciding to discard the abstention votes.

    “This is tantamount to any country’s parliamentary rules overwriting said country’s constitution. The Lisbon Treaty is the standard here, which requires a majority of two-thirds of cast votes,” Gulyás said

    “Based on the correct interpretation of the Lisbon Treaty the correct assesment of the decision is clearly that the European Parliament did not pass it.” He added that at the next cabinet meeting decisions will be made regarding concrete legal measures.

    Gulyás reiterated that Hungary has already disproven all points of the Sargentini Report and that the report even blames Hungary for issues in which the country has come to an agreement with the European Commission and rules have been amended accordingly.

  • Legutko: Terrifying spectacle at the European Parliament

    Legutko said on TVP Info that he was terrified by the reaction of MEPs to the triggering of Article 7 against Hungary. “People were screaming with joy, waving their hands. Terrifying,” he said, adding that these “disturbed attacks on Poland and Hungary” are an expression of Brussel’s negative actions.

    “It seems that the leaders of the European Union have a suicidal instinct, or they just want to make the EU implode. Instead of resolving conflicts, they deepen them.” Legutko called the actions of EU leaders “antagonizing” and that there is increasing tension and arrogance from the side of the leaders.

    It seems that the leaders of the European Union have a suicidal instinct, or they just want to make the EU implode. Instead of resolving conflicts, they deepen them

    The MEP of PiS also hopes that the next European Parliament elections will bring about change. “The next elections could be very hurtful for them,” he claimed and added that, “there is no point in worrying about this liberal blackmail.” Instead, one should hope that “this system may yet be fixed.”

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    Along with interviewer Bronisław Wildstein, they determined that if they hadthe same conversation in, say, French public television, they would be facing dire consequences. “You sir, wouldn’t be here tomorrow,” Legutko said. “And I would never again appear in this program,” he concluded.

  • The Germanization of Europe

    Merkel has made her decision. She believes the time has come to openly take the helm of the European Union, thus uniting Europe under a German leadership, influential Hungarian historian Mária Schmidt writes on her blog. This is the same ambition that drove the attempts of Emperor Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler.

    In World War I, Germany was forced to fight on two fronts. It defeated Russia and had the US not intervened in support of the Entente, it would have defeated them, too. This is why Hitler didn’t want a war on two fronts and after failing to agree with the British, he made a pact with Stalin. World War II again was decided by the Americans, who still had no wish to see a unified Nazi Europe under German leadership.

    We are now witnessing the third attempt at the Germanization of Europe. Last year, the chancellor put an obedient servant at the helm of the Union’s bureaucracy without elections, rule of law, checks and balances or other such niceties. The tottering Juncker would now be out of any decent job, but he is just the man to lead the European Union.

    Merkel_Europe

    He has always been good at serving globalized companies by handing them tax rebates – from which he may also have profited personally. Case in point: Amidst sanctions against Russia, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was somehow deemed compliant with EU rules, unlike the outrageous export of Polish beetroot, Hungarian apples or Slovak cabbage.

    The first phase of the takeover has been completed with the launch of EU proceedings against Hungary with the assistance of a Dutch MEP and Manfred Weber, chosen to be the successor of Juncker.

    But what is the point? Merkel can only escape her uncomfortable domestic position by launching a sweeping occupation of Europe. In order to do so, she must eliminate Viktor Orbán and make it abundantly clear that she is the sole master of Europe.

    The situation has boiled down to Merkel or Orbán. Austrian chancellor Kurz and the above mentioned Bavarian Weber have already declared support for Merkel. In this sense, Macron miscalculated when he deemed Orbán to be the enemy. Should the plan of a federal Europe under German leadership be realized, France would have fought two World Wars for nothing and will submit voluntarily. Brexit and the German Russian alliance behind Nord Stream 2 have considerably reinforced Germany’s position. France can only look to Eastern Europe and the United States, who might also have other interests.

    The current geostrategic push clearly favors Merkel’s ambitions. She is looking to form a grand coalition after the EU elections with the Socialists, Liberals, Communists and Greens, In other words, all those who would be partners in a Europe under German leadership. The common denominator of these forces is the need to annihilate all those in favor of national sovereignty and bring about an internationalist, federalist Europe.

    Yesterday saw Merkel’s victory. But the Germans, of course, have always been good at winning battles. They got as far as Paris and Moscow. But somehow they still lost all their major wars.

     

  • Poles and Hungarians stand closer together

    Opposition politicians are so happy about the triggering of Article 7 against Hungary, but it means as much as when it was triggered against Poland. So, it means nothing.

    But it means something for Civic Platform (PO) and their hardline friends in the EP: the loss of credibility in the eyes of EU member states and that can lead to a catastrophe for Brussels and defenders of “European values”. This catastrophe will be the collapse of the EU, something what Róża Thun, Franz Timmermans, Guy Verhofstadt and Michał Boni are working hard on.

    What these people care about most is keeping their sinecures and being elected once more to the EP. They fight for their salaries and not for democracy. They are utterly indifferent to democracy as they are to the hardworking people who maintain them and 55,000 Union paper-pushers throughout Europe.

    The more you attack the governments of those countries, the more their nations will resist. Nations which defend their long struggles for freedom and dignity. At last, Poland and Hungary stand together!

    PiS and Fidesz continue to have unwavering support due to their policies against accepting economic migrants and the forced relocation of those people pushed by the EU. Polish voters care more about a safe life in Poland than some multicultural ideology. The anti-Hungarian vote in the EP will not change a thing about that. 

    Jean Claude-Juncker, who reportedly loves a strong drink, recently applauded Timmermans’ “defense of the rule of law” in Hungary and Poland. Timmermans, according to Juncker, is excellent at his job. Which is true, Timmermans is doing everything he can to replace Juncker after the elections to the EP and Juncker supports him in that endeavor because to Juncker, it’s all the same what happens in the EU.

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    Those for whom it’s not the same are PO MEPs who have already lost that credibility in Poland. Internet users have condemned these anti-Hungarian and anti-Polish actions. Their happiness due to the EP’s decision will be short-lived as it will lose them votes in the upcoming elections. Their brainless support for Brussels and support for ACTA2 will also lose them arguments in their fight with the Polish government.

    The world is changing and opposition is unable to keep up with the younger generation and modernization. There is no reason to be happy about the anti-Hungarian EP resolution or eurocrat attacks on Poland. The more you attack the governments of those countries, the more their nations will resist. Nations which defend their long struggles for freedom and dignity. At last, Poland and Hungary stand together!

  • Hungary’s MOL Group builds EUR 1.2 billion polyol plant

    The plant’s equipment will be supplied by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solution AG, MOL President-CEO Zsolt Hernádi said after the signing ceremony. 

    Thyssen_MOL

    Marcel Fasswald, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions AG (L) and Zsolt Hernádi, MOL President-CEO (R)

    Hernádi said the Hungarian government will contribute EUR 131 million to the project that has also been approved by the European Union. The plant will produce 200,000 tons of polyols per year, “propelling the company to a significant position in the 1.4 million ton European polyol market,” he said.

    The plant is planned to begin production in the second half of 2021.

    Polyols are organic compounds containing several hydroxyl (-OH) groups. They include sugar alcohols used in food sweeteners and polyvinyl alcohols, the main binding agents in resins and oil-based paints.

     

  • PM Orbán’s Facebook flooded with supportive comments

    The ovewhelming majority of the comments – many of them from various countries around the globe – congratulated Orbán and encouraged him to continue his fight against illegal immigration.

    “Sincere greetings from Germany, Mr. Orbán! I very appreciate your efforts for a strong and unite Europe and you defending it against illegal mass immigration and against a growing islamic influence in Europe! Thank you and keep on fighting!,” one comment said.

    Orbán_FB_B

  • Poland will not vote EU sanctions against Hungary

    Poland is concerned about the European Parliament’s decision that will launch proceedings against Hungary based on Article 7. of the Lisbon Treaty, the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website.

    “Every European Union state has the sovereign right to implement any internal reforms it deems appropriate. Proceedings against individual member states only serve to deepen the division between member states and further reduce citizens’ faith in the European institutions”, the statement said.

    On Wednesday the European Parliament approved the LIBE Committee report, triggering a procedure against Hungary while on December 20, 2017 the European Commission launched proceedings against Poland. After the vote on Wednesday Hungary accused the European Parliament of fraud as it did not include abstentions in the tally, which would have changed the outcome of the vote and said it was looking into seeking legal remedy.

  • Budapest bomber sentenced to life

    The man, only identified by his first name and initials as Gergely László P. detonated a bomb containing eight kilograms of explosives and six kilograms of nails, timing it to injure or kill the two police officers patrolling the busy downtown area.

    The Budapest Court found him guilty of attempted murder, illegal use of explosives and planning a terrorist attack. The two police officers remained in a critical condition for several days and one of them suffered permanent hearing loss.

    Following the attack, the bomber sent an e-mail to the Ministry of Interior describing the bomb-making process and police also found an unsent e-mail on his computer in which he was asking for EUR 1 million or he would detonate another bomb, Judge József Kalina said at the announcement of the sentence

    The life sentence in Hungary means in practice a minimum of 25 years in prison. Both sides appealed the sentence, with the prosecution asking for a more severe one and the defense for a reduction.

  • EP resorts to trickery to trigger sanctions against Hungary

    The European Parliament passed the report of the LIBE Comittee compiled by Dutch Green MEP Judith Sargentini with 448 for, 197 against and 48 abstentions, news portal Origo writes. After the vote, Szíjjártó said at a press conference that the outcome was the result of trickery in the counting of the vote.

    Today’s European Parliament decision was nothing else but the petty revenge of pro-immigration politicians against Hungary,” Szijjarto said. “The decision was made in a fraudulent way, and contrary to relevant rules in European treaties.

    The minister was referring to the fact that, prior to the vote, the European Parliament decided not to include abstentions in the tally. With today’s abstentions included in the vote count, the yes side falls 14 votes short of the required two-thirds majority.

    Szíjjártó also said Hungary is examining legal options to challenge the measure because the abstentions were not included in the count.

    While the measure does not mean immediate sanctions against Hungary, it does open the possibility for such and also means that the country will likely receive a formal warning for violating the EU’s fundamental values.

    This was the first case in the history of the European Union that the EP voted on triggering an Article 7 process against a member country. Last year, the European Commission, as the executive arm of the Union, launched Article 7 proceedings against Poland for its judiciary reform.

  • Orbán defended Hungary’s honor, says Fidesz

    The debate itself made it quite clear that this was a conceptual trial and the verdict has already been written, Magyar Idők reported.

    Kocsis – speaking to journalists in Budapest following the EP plenary session in Strasbourg – said that Hungary and its people are being branded for repeatedly standing up against illegal immigration.

    He said the dividing line in the debate was between the pro- and anti-immigration side. He said pro-immigration politicians are for now in the majority in the EP and the Sargentini report is their last-ditch attack against Hungary.

    Kocsis said MEPs paid by billionaire financier George Soros “are attempting to set the tone for the European election campaign.” Referring to Wednesday’s expected vote in the EP, he said pro-immigration representatives will make their choice, but the real decision will brought at the elections next May, where constituents will also express their opinion on migration policy.

    But even so, it is a matter of honor for Hungary to refute the false allegations of the Sargentini report and regardless of the outcome of the vote, Hungarian Parliament is going to condemn the attack of “the pro-migration European politicians against our nation.”

    He said the leftist Hungarian MEPs stance against their own country was tantamount to treason as they know perfectly well that the accusations and slander of the report are patently false. Kocsis also said that there is a divide within the European People’s Party regarding migration policies, while these issues and their handling are not a party problem they are a general European one.

     

  • Strasbourg clash between Orbán supporters and opponents

    The debate on Article 7 was only the background for the more important division within the European People’s Party (EPP) between supporters and opponents of Viktor Orbán, liberal news portal Index writes in a commentary piece. 

    On the surface, everything went according to the usual script: mostly Leftist, Liberal and Green MEPs – and a sprinkling of EPP ones – repeatedly said that liberal democracy is the only choice of democracy for a member state of the European Union. Conservatives and the other side of the EPP argued that the European Union has no right to question how a democratically elected administration chooses to govern its country.

    EPP caucus leader Manfred Weber criticized some measures of the Hungarian government in an uncharacteristically severe tone, going as far as saying that a debate prompted by Article 7 “might be necessary”.

    There was also a good amount of political posturing on Weber’s part, who already has an eye on next year’s European elections. He is competing to be the face of the EPP in the coming campaign.

    Orbán_Weber

    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and European People’s Party caucus leader Manfred Weber. (Image: MTI)

    Orbán, in the last two minutes allotted for him in the debate even reacted to Weber’s remarks by saying that his criticism regarding the Central European University was unjust, given how in Weber’s own Bavaria higher education was much more strictly regulated than in Hungary.

    “Even though we belong to the same family of parties, you are applying double standards,” Orbán said

    As always, the debate was not about concrete issues, the two sides rather enumerated again and again their diverging values. These open debates are more about such expositions rather than finding a compromise or reaching a decision. Any such outcome will be decided within the EPP.

     

     

  • MEP Deutsch posts bleak picture of Strasbourg

    “Believe in nothing. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” reads a text superimposed onto the image of the European Parliament’s chamber that appeared on the Deutsch Facebook and Twitter page. The image and text with obvious Orwellian overtones carried multiple references. It was a play on the recent, controversial Nike ad campaign slogan featuring Colin Kaepernick – “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” The ad, in turn, paraphrases Sophie Scholl, a member of the White Rose non-violent, anti-fascist movement, who was executed for treason by the Nazis at the age of 21. MEP Deutsch’s use of the image carries a different connotation following Orbán’s defense during Tuesday’s debate of his country’s pro-Christian culture and anti-immigrant stance.

    The European Parliament is expected to vote today on whether to launch Article 7 proceedings against Hungary. The vote requires a two-thirds majority of voting MEPs. 

  • A “September letter” from Poles to Hungarians

    Below is a translation of the full text of the letter:

    “With sorrow and distress we accept yet another attempt of abuse of community powers against Hungary by European institutions. A democratic and sovereign nation is being attacked because it democratically chose its government against the will of those who consider themselves the owners of Europe. Because that country defends its freedom and traditions. Because that country protects its borders. Because that country wants to break away from its totalitarian communist heritage.

    We all have the right to oppose attempts at imposing a Leftist interpretation of European values and removing them from their Christian roots

    What is more important is that we know from our own experience how unjust, shallow and heavily politicized are the judgments of EU institutions.

    That is why in these days we send our expressions of support and sympathy to our brotherly nation of Hungary. Hungarians, Poles and every other European nation have the right to democratically organize their Fatherland, to independently shape those areas of politics that European treaties leave to nation states. We all also have the right to oppose attempts at imposing a Leftist interpretation of European values and removing them from their Christian roots.

    We are ashamed that Polish post-communist, liberal and leftist politicians, including MEPs are taking part in this smear campaign against Hungary. Unfortunately, their actions refer to the worst models, currently enslaved to outside courts and empires. They are also breaking the sacred Polish-Hungarian friendship. We apologize for their actions.”

  • PM Orbán: Hungary will not yield to blackmail

    After listening to opening remarks in today’s European Parliamentary debate on the situtation in Hungary, Prime Minister Orbán said that while he could not change the opinions of MEPs, he was still going to defend his nation and country.

    I know that you have already formed your opinion. I know that the majority will approve the report.

    He said that by doing so, the EP will not condemn a government but a country and a nation. “A nation that has for a thousand years been part of the family of Christian European nations, which, contributed its work and if need be, its blood to the defense of Europe.”

    Orbán said that the report contained 37 factual errors and Hungary has delivered to each MEP a 108-page document refuting the report’s allegations.

    “You want to condemn Hungary because it has decided not to be an immigrant country,” the prime minister said, adding that despite their differences, Hungary “would never exclude anyone because they don’t agree with us.” He said that Hungary had defended its own borders and those of Europe and that it was unprecedented that a community condemns its own border guards.

    Despite the outcome of the the debate and the vote on Wednesday, Hungary will stay its course, he said, adding

    I respectfully inform you that whatever your decision, Hungary will not yield to blackmail, is going to halt illegal migration and defend its rights – even against you, if need be

     

  • PM Orbán: The verdict has already been written

    In a Facebook video posted this morning before his departure, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said pro-migration representatives have a majority in the European Parliament.

    “They are now preparing for revenge against Hungary, because the Hungarians have decided they will not become an immigrant country. The truth is that the verdict has already been written. I am now going to Brussels to defend Hungary and the Hungarian people against unfair accusations and lies,” he said. 

  • Dozens of car models unavailable in Hungary

    At least 50 popular car models are currently unavailable in Hungary, news portal Origo reports. These include different variations of the Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia preferred in Hungary.

    The reason is that in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal that broke in 2015, car makers now have to comply with the new WLTP (Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure) as of September 1st and models that do not have that certification cannot be sold.

    In addition to the above-mentioned models, the missing certification also affects the VW T-Roc, Tiguan, Sharan, Up, Skoda Karoq, Audi Q2, A6, all Audi S and RS models as well as the TDI versions of Seat Alhambra and Seat Ateca.

    It seems that most brands offered in Hungary are to some extent affected by the shortage, except the makes and models of the French PSA Groupe (Peugeot, Citroën and Opel).

    Car dealers expect the problem will be solved within a few weeks.

  • PM Orbán is not the accused, but the accuser

    The Sargentini report and the threat to invoke Article 7 are proof that the European Union’s elite is afraid of the anti-migration alternative that is rapidly gaining ground in Europe, Magyar Hírlap writes.

    This is why they are using questionable methods to keep Orbán from elaborating his position by only allowing him seven minutes to present his point of view. But Kiszelly said that unless they manage to turn the rule of law on its head, the required two thirds majority is unlikely.

    In the meantime, more and more people are sympathetic of the Hungarian position supporting families and potential refugees in their home countries. In Western Europe this is for the time being mostly reflected in popular opinion, but Italy, Austria and the Visegárd Four have raised this to the level of government policy.

    The Hungarian solution is working and that is why the Brussels elite is increasingly desperate and uses every available trick to oppose it, including censorship of social media platforms, Kiszelly said.

    But, despite the intentions of forcing Orbán into defensive mode, he will turn the tables on them and become the accuser from the accused. As for the domestic political arena, the Hungarian opposition is weak and ineffective, desperately seeking outside support. This is why they are voting their own country siding with their potential masters in Brussels.

  • Socialists to vote against Hungary in Brussels

    Reversing a previous position of the party to abstain, the MSZP board of leaders decided on Monday that its MEPs will vote against Hungary, meaning that all opposition parties will do so, Magyar Idők writes. The Democratic Coalition (former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány’s splinter party) and the Green Dialogue for Hungary has already announced it will do so.

    The Socialists argued that they have for a long time been saying the same things contained in the EP report, so they have to be consequent in their voting. Only a few weeks ago, when asked about their intentions, several Socialists said “we will not betray our country”. Now the party leadership has changed its position and Socialist MEP István Ujhelyi said voting in favor of the report is the patriotic duty in the interest people and country.

    He also posted an image saying the same thing on his Facebook page:

    Ujhelyi

    Socialist Vice-President Csaba Molnár said should the European Parliament invoke Article 7, that will not be against Hungary as a country but against the Hungarian government. 

    Dialogue for Hungary MEP Benedek Jávor also confirmed that he will vote against Hungary, saying that “in the opinion of Dialogue, this will most likely be Viktor Orbán’s last political dance on the European political stage.”

  • PM Orbán has already won the Brussels battle

    “Smile to me, brother” whispered Emperor Commodus to the shackled Maximus before stabbing him in the back. He then ordered his soldier to put the armor on Maximus, so spectators in the arena cannot see he has already been wounded. But even half-dead, Maximus still defeated the crazy Emperor.

    What we are going to see in the European Parliament today reminds me of this scene from the famous Gladiator movie. PM Orbán will only be given a few minutes to defend himself, his government and Hungary against Sargentini’s backstabbing. The written-to-order report is a collection of all the inanities, outright lies and effronteries parroted by the Hungarian opposition for years.

    The credibility of the document is such: it says the introduction of administrative courts that already exist in several EU member states is a threat to the rule of law in Hungary. And the list goes on. Following Orbán’s third consecutive overwhelming electoral victory, Madam Sargentini dismissed the result in an interview given to Hungarian weekly HVG:

    “From a democratic perspective, an election is but the icing on the cake. It is an important element of democracy, but in itself does not equal democracy.”

    In other words: regardless of the people’s choice, democracy is what Sargentini and her Brussels buddies declare it to be. And in that sense the Dutch lady is certainly right: if she is the embodiment of “European values”, then Hungary does indeed not obey them. Stupidity, falsehood, incompetence and liberal hysteria can at best be tolerated, hopefully only until next May.

    Liberals, Communists, Socialists, Greens, Genderists and Soros-employees will have hours to spit on the Hungarian government but Orbán will only be allowed seven minutes for defense. But they don’t realize that despite all the backstabbing, trickery with votes and lies Orbán has already won this battle. He has made it clear that Hungary is being punished for defending its borders, rejecting illegal immigration and multiculturalism.

    They can write all the reports they want, but when next May comes Europe will rise up against Liberal dictatorship, and we will for a good time be spared their fervor.

  • Eurocrats trying to trick Hungary in the European Parliament

    The Polish Press Agency (PAP) has quoted a source in the EP that abstinent votes will not be counted as cast votes during voting over the triggering of Article 7. Such a decision increases the risk of a negative decision for Viktor Orbán.

    The voting over the document calling for triggering Article 7 against Hungary will take place on Wednesday in the European Parliament in Strasburg. The authors of the document claim that Hungary has broken the rule of law.

    Hungarian Fidesz EMPs have been warning since last week that a political trick could be used to trigger Article 7. For the European Parliament to accept the document, there must be a 2/3 majority of votes. If other EMPs abstain from voting, then this majority will possibly not be reached.

    The same trick again

    The issue is whether abstained votes should be counted. The 7.1 article of the Treaty only states that for the Council of the European Union to take action “two thirds of given votes are needed”. Whether abstinent votes should be counted is up for interpretation.

    The same mechanism was used against Polish Law and Justice (PiS) EMP Ryszard Czarnecki when he was voted out of his position of Vice President of the European Parliament. Then, the result was uncertain and the decision to exclude abstinent votes decided on Czarnecki losing his position.

  • PM Orbán shares photo with granddaughter

    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán shared on Facebook a picture where he is seen cuddling his granddaughter, Aliz (2) at a weekend conservative meeting in the southwest Hungarian village of Kötcse.

    Orbán, a strong supporter of family values has five children – four of which are girls – and Aliz is the daughter of his oldest daughter, Ráhel (29), who is currently pregnant.

    One reader’s comment below the picture says, “This is Viktor’s real hidden power, making him the first Super Politician.”

  • Hungarian automotive industry booming

    Minister Szíjjártó was speaking in the northwest Hungarian city of Győr at the inauguration of a 6,000 square meter plant of the firm Qualitative Production (QP), Origo reports.

    The minister said the growth of the car industry was uninterrupted as in the first half of 2018 it again rose by 7 percent to a value of HUF 4,500 billion.

    Last year, the automotive industry accounted for 29.3 percent of manufacturing output and employed around 167, 000 people. He said the car industry is driving the modern-day industrial revolution and the world’s leading manufacturers deem it worthy to invest in Hungary. This is evidenced by the fact that Audi has begun the production of electric engines in Győr, Mercedes is building its second plant in Kecskemét, Peugeot is assembling engines for its new models in Szentgotthárd. BMW is building a car plant in Debrecen and the construction of a new test track for self-driving cars is underway in Zalaegerszeg.

    He said Hungarian small and medium enterprises are clear beneficiaries of these investments and the QP plant is a good example for that. The plant – supplying piston heads for Audi – was an investment of HUF 6.2 billion, of which the state budget contributed 1.5 billion. QP – from its humble beginnings 25 years ago with 10 employees – now employs almost 200 people.

    The plant will use the latest robotics technology on its new assembly line, with the equipment coming from Japan. 

  • The hijacking of Europe

    Until the European elite realizes the necessity of a radical change in order to safeguard our continent, all speeches about reinforcing security will be but hot air, Magyar Idők columnist József Horváth writes.

    Confidence in the legal system is one of the main pillars of all police, law enforcement and intelligence work. The belief that as long as they follow the letter of the law, they will have the support of the rulers, politicians and citizens. This is most crucial in intelligence work, with operations often spanning over several government cycles.

    During the 1972 Munich Olympic Games Palestinian terrorists hijacked a group of Israeli athletes, finally killing 11 of them while German police shot five of the terrorists, the rest escaped and were celebrated as heroes in Libya. Then Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir ordered Operation Sword of Gideon, to identify, find and liquidate all who perpetrated, planned and financed the attack. The operation lasted nearly twenty years and several governments came and went, but there was no doubt whatsoever that the operation must be completed.

    On September 11, 2001 terrorist group Al Qaeda conducted a tragic attack against several targets on the East Coast of the United States. Two days later, President George W. Bush announced on television that the country will spare no resources in finding and punishing the perpetrators. On May 2, 2011, during the presidency of Barack Obama, Bin Laden was killed in Operation Neptune Spear.

    Unfortunately, Western Europe today shows an entirely different picture. Sami A. of Tunisian origin arrived in Germany in 2005. He was under the surveillance of German intelligence for the previous 13 years. They established that he was a member of Al Qaeda, received military training in Afghanistan and served as Bin Laden’s bodyguard. While in Germany, he attempted to radicalize others, sired four children and all the time received EUR 1,167 social support per month.

    Eventually, in June 2018 he was ordered to be deported to Tunisia where he was also wanted. But a court in Gelsenkirchen vetoed the deportation and ordered the Immigration Office to bring him back because he could be subjected to torture in Tunisia. Now he is awaiting the verdict. 

    I think the above examples are self-explanatory. Not only are intelligence services denied the additional funding required for their growing and increasingly dangerous workload but even the law fails to support them.

    And this will inevitably lead to decreased efficiency, moral dilemmas within the secret service ranks and many will outright resign. Instead of Operation Sword of Gideon or Neptune Spear we are sadly witnessing Operation Hijacking of Europe.

  • Open letter to MEPs from Hungarian conservatives

    Dear Madam and Mr. Representative!

    We hope and know that you have sufficient patriotism required to represent the population of your country and Europe genuinely and according to your mandate.

    (…) We ask you not to pass judgement on the rule of law in a country you do not know, probably have never been to and maybe only spoke with citizens of it who do not represent the opinion of the majority. Democracy means that the opinion of the majority is the guidance. You should know this. If you disregard this fact when passing judgement, you are trampling democratic rights and are unfit to sit in the Parliament of the union.

    Hungary is a democratic state governed by the rule of law. We certainly have fellow nationals who are not in favor of the government and prime minister consecutively elected for the third time with a two-thirds majority, but this is the case in most democracies. But the overwhelming majority of Hungarian constituents support the work of the current government and the prime minister and as you can see, does so for the ninth year.

    (…) On September 12 you will vote on the rule of law in Hungary. Please do so based on your conscience, not based on personal or party reasons. If you do, you can only vote “no”. You should know that the significant majority of Hungarians maximally supports Viktor Orbán and when he will speak in defence of his country on September 11 you should also be aware that he represents the will of a democratic country.

    The Sargentini report is full of inaccuracies, is incorrect and rancorous. Please believe that we know our country better!

    (…) You now have the opportunity to prove your integrity and correctitude or the opposite.

    Do not forget that hundreds of millions of people are following your activities and in 2019 they will be the ones who will vote, not the NGOs and outsider businessmen who want to influence and mislead you.

    Best regards,

    László Csizmadia, Izabella Bence, Zoltán Lomnici Jr., Tamás Fricz in the name of the Civil Union Public Benefit Foundation

     

  • Visegrád Four economies are booming

    The Visegrád Four countries are the engine of the EU’s economy, Hungarian Central Bank President György Matolcsy said at an economics conference.

    The conference took place in Debrecen, northeast Hungary, the same city where German car maker BMW decided to build a EUR 1 billion car plant. He also referred to the car maker in his speech, saying that the plant there will make Debrecen the economic capital of eastern Hungary.

    Matolcsy said that the key to the success of the V4 economies was that their convergence paths had a similar structure. As a result, the V4’s weight within the European Union’s GDP rose from a previous 3 percent to the current 6 percent.

    After 2010, Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was given a chance to embark on a sustainable convergence with the more developed European countries. But for this to happen, these countries need strong regional centers and Matolcsy mentioned ten such places: Warsaw, Kraków, Prague, Brno, Bratislava, Košice, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Budapest and Debrecen.

    He also said that V4 countries are frontrunners in the EU in terms of employment data, with the highest employment rate within the 15 to 64 age group. Hungary also stood to benefit from being one of the hubs of China’s US$900 billion New Silk Road.

     

  • German president pours oil on fire

    Frank-Walter Steinmeier really did it this time. He invited punk-rock band Feine Sahne Fischfilet to a concert against violence in Chemnitz. He wasn’t even bothered by the fact that the mainstream German media has already apologized and admitted to having overreacted to the events. While there were indeed a few drunk and disorderly youth, it was nothing like the “raging brown horde” as reported.

    State television channel ARD even admitted that the images showing young protestors in Chemnitz raising their hands in a Nazi salute were in fact taken at another rally in another city. No wonder many call German state media “Lügenpresse” (lying press). But back to the concert.

    People need bread and a circus, so let us give them a circus. The organizers were clearly out of their mind, seeing how one of the band’s most popular songs is “Deutschland Verrecke!” (Die, Germany!).

    Feine Sahne

    Feine Sahne Fischfilet concert in Germany

    The German press carried widespread condemnations of the people of Chemnitz – and all Saxons by extension – even Spiegel magazine appeared with a cover suggesting that Saxony is a Nazi nest.

    The truth is that in Saxony – and Chemnitz in particular – there are many different kinds of foreigners: Hungarians, Poles, Vietnamese, Angolans, Syrians coexisting in peace with the native population. Most of them came as guest workers while it was still part of East Germany.

    Germany was a safe and friendly place. Then came 2015 and the changes it brought. The arrival of Middle Eastern and African migrants, who received aid from a government that had no plan on how to integrate, educate and provide jobs for them. It is no wonder many ordinary Germans wonder why the country is spending almost 50 billion euros on them every year.

    Fortunately, we cannot yet speak of a strong far-right in Germany. But if immigration policy and resulting criminality remain on the same course, it is just a question of time before something in people’s head will tilt to the right.

  • Security expert says politics is responsible for Chemnitz

    Security policy expert László Földi said the events in Chemnitz, Germany are a clear diagnosis of a botched immigration policy.

    In an interview with Magyar Hírlap, Földi – former director of operations of Hungary’s civilian intelligence organization, the Information Office – said that social movements opposing migration have been brewing for a long time in Germany, because the tolerance threshold of the people there is lower.

    Földi said the lessons learnt from the events in Chemnitz is that German political leaders still don’t realize how untenable the current situation is. German politics has allowed the existence of minorities that are above the law. He recounted the case of a friend of his, who lost his passport in Malta and was not allowed to travel home from one EU country to another.

    In contrast, millions are coming to Europe without any identification whatsoever, claiming they are entitled to this on account of being ‘poor refugees’

    Upon arriving in Europe, these people will not even abide to the laws of their own culture, Földi says. Attacking women on the street has serious consequences where they come from, and so does thieving or hooliganism which they do in groups, yet they can get away with it in Europe.

    By now it has become clear that radically different cultures cannot coexist peacefully and such behavior will also bring out the worst from the native population. Whether from the right or the left, the truth is that such public violence can only occur because politics does not extend protection to the majority population.

    The main question is not how eighty million Germans relate to five million migrants, but what will it be in fifty or one hundred years. In fifty years, Europe will have changed radically as traditional order falls and conflicts will become a daily occurrence. He said even the forces of law order are conflicted because of contradictory signs coming from the political leaders.

    “It is quite telling that twenty thousand Berlin police officers asked to be transferred to the countryside because they feel unable to fulfil their oaths while in France, and the number of suicides among police officers is rampant.”

     

  • Hungary rejects “colonist-tone” French remarks

    France should not lecture Hungary in a colonistic tone as to who should get European Union funding, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szíjjártó said in a television interview.

    Minister Szíjjártó – quoted by news portal Origo.hu – was responding to recent French comments, adding that Hungary never was and is not a French colony and EU funding is distributed based on established treaties. The flip side of the coin is that Hungary has opened up its market to the benefit of Western companies.

    “We will never leave such remarks unanswered,” Minister Szíjjártó said

    Asked whether in next week’s European Parliament debate of the Sargentini report Hungary will be reprimanded, he did not wish to speculate, but said that “we will see whether MEPs are defending the interests of the European people or they will fall for a smear campaign against Hungary”,

    The minister said the crux of the issue is migration. Many Brussels officials want to alter the composition of the European population and these pro-migration forces cannot accept that there are governments for whom the security of their citizens is paramount.

    “We must offer assistance at the source of the problems, not bring the problems here,” Minister Szíjjártó said, adding that importing the problems is irresponsible and hypocritical.

    The Hungarian government, on the other hand, is building churches, schools and hospitals at the sources of migration through its “Hungary Helps” program and primarily supports Christian communities.

     

  • High-speed rail to link Visegrad region

    Hungary’s foreign minister has revealed that the Visegrad Group has agreed to build a high-speed train linking the region.

    Péter Szijjártó said the route will make it possible to travel from Budapest to Bratislava and Brno to Warsaw at a speed of up to 250 km per hour.

    During the Economic Forum in Krynica, Minister Szijjártó also announced that the study of the project should be completed in the autumn of 2019 and that the Hungarian government will allocate 1.5 billion HUF to the project.

  • Lithuanian PM awarded Krynica Man of the Year

    The Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis is the 28th Krynica Economic Forum’s Man of the Year. The award is given to people whose behavior and accomplishments had the greatest impact on Central-Eastern Europe.

    The award was presented by Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki. In his acceptance speech, Skvernelis highlighted how Poland and Lithuania are connected by their approach to the European Union.

    “Poland and Lithuania share views on the European Union; we are for a Union of sovereign nation states whose national interests are accordingly represented. Changes in the EU must go in such a direction, that no country will feel discriminated,” he said.

    The Lithuanian PM also said that Poland and Lithuania’s stance on migration are similar. “We are against forced relocations and support the strengthening of borders, so that Frontex will work,” he added.

    We are for a Union of sovereign nation states whose national interests are accordingly represented. Changes in the EU must go in such a direction, that no country will feel discriminated

    Skvernelis underlined that the Lithuanian government will “never support sanctions on Poland”.

    “I think that the values which connect us are much stronger and more important. If we will only discuss interests while forgetting shared values, I think that such a perspective would be extremely sad,” he said.

    Skvernelis, born in Kaunas and a former lawyer and policeman, is one of the most popular politicians in the country. Just behind president Dalia Grybauskaite and ahead of the chairman of the ruling party LVZS Ramunas Karbaukis.

    In previous years, the title of Man of the Year was awarded to, for example John Paul II, Lech Wałęsa, Donald Tusk, Jarosław Kaczyński and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

  • Hungarian water polo legend resigns from federation

    Dénes Kemény, the most successful Hungarian water polo trainer of all time has resigned from his position as head of the National Water Polo Association.

    Kemény made his decision public in February, but now has officially submitted his written resignation, Origo.hu reports.

    Dénes Kemény was never a great water polo player. His best achievement was being on the junior national team which won the 1973 European Junior Championship in Duisburg. A veterinary doctor by training, in 1990 he achieved the position of water polo trainer, and in 1998 the water polo master trainer.

    He was the trainer and president of the men’s national team from 1997 to 2012, during which time the team won 24 medals at 29 major tournaments, including three Olympic gold medals in a row from 2000 to 2008, one World Championship in 2003 and two European Championships in 1997 and 1999.

    Kemény

    Dénes Kemény (bottom row, third from left) and the men’s Olympic gold winner team at the Athens Olympic Games.

  • V4 launch Warsaw-Budapest high-speed rail study

    The relevant ministers of the four countries agreed to jointly complete the study, Hungarian Finance Minister Mihály Varga said at the Krynica economic forum in Poland, Magyar Hírlap reported.

    The rail line will link Warsaw, Bratislava, Brno and Budapest and will have a top speed of over 250 km/h (155 mph). The Hungarian government will contribute HUF 1.5 billion ($5.3 million) to the feasibility study. The public procurement tender for the study will be announced shortly in order to have it completed by next autumn for decision-makers.

    Varga also said that at the forum Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine signed a declaration of intent to devise a strategy for the creation of a Carpathians economic region. The work will last two years and the aim is to boost the participant countries’ competitiveness, sharing of infrastructure and resources and to bolster cooperation between the region’s institutions.

    The Czech Republic, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia will also be part of the cooperation – Romania was already present at the last project meeting. Varga said the participants will also work on concrete projects such as rail and road network development and digital transition.

    In addition to funding from the participating states, Varga hoped that the project will also receive funding from the European Union, the business sphere and private investors. He also said that the new cooperation must be closely integrated with the existing Carpathians framework and the Danube region strategy. 

  • Strong member states are the EU’s foundation, says foreign minister

    For Hungary, the fundamental values of the EU are the Christian values envisaged by the founding fathers of the Union, Minister Szíjjártó said at a panel discussion of the Krynica forum.

    “Europe was able to achieve its great successes due to the Christian set of values,” he said. “The more we distance ourselves from these values, the lower our chances will be to rebuild a competitive and strong European Union”

    Here in Central Europe we struggle to understand why does Western Europe want to get rid of its Christian heritage? Poles and Hungarians cannot understand when other sates remove Christian symbols from public places or public buildings.

    Szíjjártó_Adamczyk

    Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szíjjártó (L) and Polish Minister for Infrastructure and Construction Andrzej Adamczyk (R) meet at the Krynica economic forum in Poland.

    Minister Szíjjártó said the major challenges faced by the European Union are migration, energy policy, terrorism and Brexit. Those who do not share the EU’s majority views on these issues should not be considered enemies.

    He said a federal Europe was a dead end, arguing that taking away national-level decisions would weaken individual member states and no integration can be imagined as a chain consisting of weak links.

    In order to achieve successful integration, three phenomena present in all debates should be discarded: hypocrisy, political correctness and double standards. As an example for hypocrisy he mentioned that Warsaw is being criticized for solutions also employed in Western Europe, while political correctness can best be seen in the discussions about migration.

    “There was not a single EU leader who named migration as a security risk,” he said. “But if we don’t identify migration as a security risk, we will be unable to safeguard the security of our continent.”

     

  • Hungary supports further EU enlargement

    Hungary is pushing for the completion of EU accession talks with Serbia and Montenegro as well as starting negotiations with Macedonia and Albania, Szabolcs Takács, state minister in charge of EU affairs at the Prime Minister’s  office said in his speech at the Krynica economic forum.

    According to Pesti Srácok, he said that while the other Visegrád countries (the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) agree with Hungary on this issue, western European countries are of the opinion that before accepting new members the EU should close the debates about the Union’s future.

    “Brexit and migration are two such contentious issues and they only wish to begin (enlargement) negotiations once these have been completed,” Takács said

    He said Hungary is supporting the accession of the Western Balkans sates because they play a key role in controlling ground migration routes. He also said that the discussion in Krynica he took part in was focused on the area exchange between Serbia and Kosovo, a very delicate matter.

    “This, however, also shows that if the Western Balkans states can make such weighty political decisions and see them through it means they are ready for EU membership,” he said.

    Hungary will support any agreement that has the full backing of the Serbian and Kosovar government and is in line with international law. He said Hungary wants Montenegro and Serbia to become full members of the Union by 2025 and the launch of accession negotiations with Macedonia and Albania in 2019, in line with the Commission’s relevant decision.

     

     

  • Budapest Opera House announces major national tour

    Due to a complete overhaul of its iconic downtown Budapest home, the Opera House announced a seven-month national tour of symphonic concerts, ballet performances and concert versions of their running opera repertoire.

    Opera

    The main auditorium of the Budapest Opera House during the renovation

    The tour begins on September 8th in the southeastern Hungarian town of Békéscsaba and will last until April 22nd, 2019. The tour includes four-night season tickets in ten Hungarian cities, most of which otherwise don’t have regular opera performances.

    The neo-renaissance Opera House – one of the Hungarian capital’s most beautiful architectural monuments – was built by famous Hungarian architect Miklós Ybl between 1975-1884 and the inaugural concert was directed by Ferenc Erkel, director and composer of the Hungarian anthem.

    The 2016 reconstruction tender was launched with an initial budget of HUF 9.2 billion (US$32.5 million) and currently stands at HUF 28 billion (US$98.8 million). It is expected to be completed in May 2019.

     

  • Defiant scientologist march in Budapest

    Now that the scandal surrounding the Church of Scientology in Hungary has died down, its members recently organized a defiant march in Budapest, claiming that “religious freedom cannot be exercised in Hungary”.

    According to Magyar Idők columnist György Pilhál, it is a well-known fact that last year the Tax and Customs Office (NAV) raided the Budapest headquarters of the organization – Scientology lost its status as a state-recognized church in Hungary in 2011 – on grounds that they have violated the personality rights of their members.

    At the time, Attila Péterfalvi, president of the National Data Protection and Information Freedom Authority said that he had never met such a blatant case in Hungary.

    Raid

    Police and NAV officers search the Hungarian headquarters of the Church of Scientology in Budapest, October 17, 2017.

    When they set up camp in Hungary back in 1991, I wondered why we need this ill-fated group whose activities around  the world have been scandal-ridden? (It is quite telling that its founder, L. Ron Hubbard once said his church is a great investment…) They keep files on every member, their private lives, their acquaintances and even their sexual habits and partners.

    But most of all, they are particularly interested in the financial background of the members, going as far as using a sort of lie detector during the “confessionals”‘ to prevent people from telling anything but the truth. Should someone decide to quit, they will never hand them their own files and sometimes would even use them against them.

    These are the very files they now want back, claiming they cannot exercise their “religious freedom” without them. A group would much rather like to see their “confessionals” in a court of law.

     

     

     

     

  • U.S. ambassador praises Hungarian business climate

    U.S. ambassador to Hungary David B. Cornstein has praised Hungary’s business environment at a meeting in Budapest.

    Hungary has a very low corporate tax rate and a pro-enterprise government, Cornstein said at a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Budapest. He said U.S. companies had over 100,000 employees in Hungary and this number could rise further due to the Hungarian government’s economic policies.

    He said Hungary had a very capable and intelligent workforce and encouraged U.S. businessmen to continue investing in Hungary that still had ample further economic potential.

    Szabó_Cornstein

    Hungarian ambassador to the U.S. László Szabó (L) and U.S. ambassador to Hungary David B. Cornstein (R).

    He also said Hungarian dependence on one single supplier for 80 percent of its energy needs (Russia) was bad, adding that the U.S. was working on providing 40 percent of Hungary’s energy needs. Referring to the issue of the Budapest-based Central European University he said it would be very bad if the institution had to move to Vienna, but added that a solution was near.

    At the same meeting, Hungarian ambassador to the U.S. László Szabó said that in U.S.-Hungarian relations changed significantly in the past few years and there have been many positive developments. He also added that in the second quarter of the year Hungarian exports to the U.S. rose by six percent and imports by four percent.

    Szabó also announced that an incubator for Hungarian businesses will shortly be opened in Washington and said that when he took office one year ago, his main goal was to facilitate the arrival of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Hungary. There have been positive developments in that respect and hopefully Hungary could reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas.

  • Macron recruits alleged pedophile in war against Orbán

    French minister for the environment Nicolas Hulot resigned on live radio without any previous notice to his superior – a move in itself unprecedented in French politics. Macron in turn asked Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a ’68 anarchist, alleged pedophile and incurable Orbán-hater to replace him, Pesti Srácok columnist György Pilhál writes.

    Even we Hungarians know Cohn-Bendit quite well – the anarchist leader of the 1968 Paris student riots, known as “Danny the Red” for his hair colour, face of rage and far-left convictions. He is one and the same who shouted at Viktor Orbán during a debate of the European Parliament in 2013.

    Unfortunately he has since retired from politics and no longer graces the benches of said parliament. This is unfortunate because he is the most fitting symbol of Europe’s brain-dead condition, more emblematic as such than Mr. “Druncker”, Madam Sargentini or all the other liberals in Brussels and Strasbourg put together.

    Even in his retirement, some of his comments still reach Hungary. Such as his comments on the 2016 Nice terrorist attack that claimed 86 lives:

    “99 percent of immigrants are not terrorists. We should not confuse immigration with terrorism. The Nice attack was perpetrated by a French-Tunisian dual national, a petty criminal, not an immigrant.”

    In the 1970s he worked at a Frankfurt kindergarten, where he attempted to put into practice the anarchist views of his fellow revolutionaries, including a free flow of instincts. in his 1975 book, The Grand Bazaar he shared the following thoughts about this time in his life:

    “It happened several times, that a few children would open the fly of my pants and begin to stroke me. That represented a problem.” 

    Now Macron – who openly said he is the enemy of Viktor Orbán and Matteo Salvini – has invited him to join the fight. And that is good news indeed. Why? Because it symbolizes the two sides perfectly. On the one side, we have Viktor Orbán, a frontline fighter against migration and father of five. On the other side, we have Emmanuel Macron, the patron saint of transsexuals, living in a pretend marriage with a woman who could be his mother and is buddies with his sadistic bodyguard. Now one of the generals of Macron’s army could be the man who likes to open his fly and be stroked by children.

     

  • Salvini: Merkel underestimated the migrant problem

    Reminding of the recent protests after the killing of a German citizen by migrants in the German city of Chemnitz, Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini said “Angela Merkel has underestimated the risk of social conflicts when she said there is room for hundreds of thousands of them in Germany.” Origo.hu reports.

    He added that violence is not the solution, but the German government has failed and it is clear that violence only generates further violence. The rise of anti-migration party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) “is an example of the response many dissatisfied Germans are seeking”.

    Regarding his Milan meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Salvini said he was attempting to make the most of his contacts with every side. “Orbán speaks about the protection of European borders, offering support in the source countries and African investments and I can agree with that,” he said. Angela Merkel is proposing a distribution of migrants in Europe, with which Salvini “could soon agree”.

    But the most important thing is that those in need should be offered help in staying home.

    “In this respect, both Germany and Hungary are right in certain respects,” he said, adding that Italy’s current priority is to stop altogether the arrival of migrants by boat on the Mediterranean.

     

  • Hungary has record number of doctors

    According to data from the Central Statistics Office (KSH), Hungary last year had 39,132 practicing doctors, the highest number since such statistics were compiled in 1960, Magyar Hírlap reports.

    Since the regime change in 1990, the two lowest numbers have been registered in 2000 and 2007, but since the 2007 low of 32,207 active doctors the increase was 22 percent.

    Despite the overall improvement, the number of general practitioners has been continuously declining since a peak of 6,780 in 1998 and stood at just 6,173 last year. But, coupled with a decline in the country’s population, this means that on average a general practitioner was serving the same number of Hungarians – the number hovered between 1,512 and 1,769 from 1990 and was 1,584 last year.

    Data from KSH published earlier this year showed, however, that of a total 65,320 doctors registered in Hungary, only 55.5 percent were active – with those not active either retired, working abroad or on maternity leave.

    Regarding the number of doctors working abroad, the Ministry of Human capacities said that the number of Hungarian doctors seeking work abroad has been falling since 2010. In that year, 845 Hungarian doctors applied for permission to work abroad while in 2017 only 334 did. Of the Hungarian doctors seeking work abroad, 1,498 were in fact still active in Hungary, having either decided not to leave, having returned to Hungary or practicing both at home and abroad.

     

     

  • The discrete charm of credit ratings

    Hungary’s credit rating has again become a topical issue and for the sake of clarity we should take a closer look at what and how they do, economist Imre Boros writes in Magyar Hírlap.

    The three major credit rating agencies each issue their opinion three times a year for several hundred thousands of dollars. They each have ten investment-grade categories and within these systems Hungary is currently at the bottom of the investment grade, so there is ample room for improvement.

    But to better understand how they work, let us take a closer look at their history. Market demand for their activity first appeared when giant infrastructure projects such as the construction of the American railway system began and in addition to banks, part of the financing came from the larger – not financially educated – public. These people had a need for authoritative opinion whether these projects are viable, whether they will get back their money and have some dividend from their investment.

    The 1907 financial crisis in the United States made this demand even more urgent and even resulted in a demand for an independent assessment of the viability of the state itself. This was the era when the three big credit rating agencies – Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch Ratings – took roots. Today the three between them command 95 percent of not only states’, but also corporations’ and banks’ sovereign debts.

    But the past two decades also showed the fallacies of these agencies. In 2001 Enron shares – valued at US$90.75 the previous year – suddenly plunged to just one dollar, despite the best, AAA ratings from all agencies. Even Hungarians remember the 2008 collapse of Lehmann Brothers, which ultimately drove a US$600 billion hole in the financial system.

    We must also see that the entire system – including the European banks that had been driven to the verge of collapse – has been bailed out by the Federal Reserve to prop up the dollar, the currency carrying about half of the world’s financial transactions. The past two decades clearly indicate that credit rating agencies no longer represent an impartial, independent assessment.

    Closer to home, Hungary’s state debt has been on a continuous steep rise from 2002 until 2010, but this was still not enough to downgrade Hungary into the not recommended  (“junk”) category. But shortly after a conservative government came to power with clear economic policies to reduce said debt, Hungary was relegated to the junk category in 2011. It is obvious that the lenders were all too happy to receive the high interest rates from Hungary’s debt and wished this to continue.

    More recently, these very same credit rating agencies remained unimpressed by the small economic miracle of the Hungarian economy: dynamic growth, vanishing unemployment, lower state debt and budget deficit, record-high exports and a huge trade balance surplus. Our rating has remained unchanged, whereas there are nine more categories above us.

     

  • Macron is a liberal puppet

    Far from being the conductor of the orchestra, French President Emmanuel Macron is just a puppet of the liberal forces, Magyar Idők columnist Ferenc Mező writes.

    Several analysts pointed out the importance of the Orbán-Salvini meeting, but let us look at the issue from different perspectives and maybe come up with an alternative conclusion.

    The European Union is facing great changes: it will either remain standing or it will collapse and fall to pieces. Paradoxically, the meeting in question was not raised on a pedestal by its two protagonists but by French President Emmanuel Macron, who called Orbán the adversary. This was a mistake for several reasons. He admitted that at the upcoming EP elections his true ideological opponent is the prime minister of a country significantly smaller than his and also admitted that he is afraid of Orbán. He therefore elevated Orbán to his level, which is very, very good.

    About another perspective: reality. Reality is not buildings, wood, cars or clothes. Reality is created by us humans as a collective, as a society. Even primitive societies (a derogatory term I don’t much like) spent a lot of their time talking and ever since civilization has created networks and thereby realities. This is its essence. This is why ideologies and discussions are important. They establish reality.

    When he set on his difficult path, Viktor Orbán could not have known that he will find allies outside his home country but he had a vision that gave birth to reality. This reality was the one that scared Macron so obviously that it could be seen on his face. He thought that with the weakening of Angela Merkel he remained alone as the conductor on the European stage. But who is Macron? Whose tune is he playing? The vocal and (as yet) majority liberal elite rallied behind him – what’s more, this elite invented him, put him together from carefully weighed components.

    So we shouldn’t see Macron, but the liberal elite behind him that puts the words in his mouth. So when he singles out Orbán as the enemy, it is the liberal elite talking and hurling invectives. But if a body is ill – and Europe is indeed ill – the disease must be called by its name,  a medicine and a treatment identified and applied. This illness is the liberal elite organizing the mass inflow of economic migrants. And the medicine is a Europe of Christian nations that halts illegal migration.

    So Macron has miscalculated when he thought that Europe and France are united in a liberal alliance that will bring victory to his ideas. But that is not the case: there is a new, true reality. We can now discard the old one!

     

  • Finance Minister: EU budget talks are pointless now

    Hungary should postpone any negotiations with Brussels regarding the budget for the 2021-27 cycle until after the EP elections, Hungarian Finance Minister Mihály Varga has said.

    During an interview with Origo.hu, the minister said there is a good chance that the next head of the Commission will not be Juncker and that the next Commission should be given the opportunity to oversee its own budget.

    A fair budget distribution should remain based on offering more support to economically lagging regions. The idea to take these funds away from Central and Eastern Europe and redistribute them to the Mediterranean is unacceptable, as is the plan to take money away from European taxpayers and increase funding for migrants and their accommodation.

    But the main focus of the interview was the performance of the Hungarian economy, about which Varga said that the government’s GDP growth target of four percent was realistic and the final figure may even be higher.

    GDP growth in the first half of 2018 was 4.5 percent, putting Hungary among the three best performers in the European Union. The figure that exceeded analysts’ expectations was primarily due to the last high investment rate, Varga said.

    “The trend will remain for the coming months as services, retail trade and construction will continue to put in a good performance. The growth in salaries also points toward further (economic) expansion,” Varga said.

    Negative impacts on the economy could only come from outside and there are several things Hungarian economic policy should pay attention to, such as the effect of the Fed rate hike, steps taken by the European Central Bank and the trade and tariff wars that can have an impact on Hungary. The effects of these wars, however, have yet to show in Hungarian industrial output and export indicators.

    Varga added that Hungary was now better prepared to weather any negative outside effects. Debt financing is stable, the foreign trade balance has been positive for years and the budget still has ample reserves for this year, which will be even higher next year.

    The debt-to-GDP ratio has dropped to 73 percent from 83 percent and the ratio of foreign currency debt has fallen below 20 percent from the earlier 50 percent.

     

     

  • Italy joins Central European anti-migration drive

    So far some could think they can easily dismiss the Central European countries’ anti-migration stance but since Italy joined their position that is no longer the case, Levente Boros Bánk, director of the Médianéző Institute told Magyar Hírlap in an interview.

    One of the crucial aspects of the Orbán-Salvini meeting is that the Central European cooperation has been joined by a Western European frontline country directly affected by migration

     

    Now Italy has also declared that illegal migration must be stopped. This also has the potential to threaten the Brussels elite and the ruling powers because it could be the nucleus of a broader political cooperation.

    Although the Orbán-Salvini meeting in Milan was not meant to be a campaign opener for next year’s European elections, it might as well have been, judging by the vehement reactions it triggered. There is no question that illegal migration will be the central issue of the EP campaign and elections next May.

    Referring to the protests in Chemintz, Germany after the murder of a German citizen by migrants from the Middle East, Boros Bánk said those were in equal measure prompted by the killing itself and the inability of the German authorities to tackle migrant criminality. If politicians fail to take effective countermeasures, even larger protests can be expected.

    He also spoke about David Cornstein, the new U.S. ambassador to Budapest who steadfastly refuses to condemn Hungary as a country where democracy is lacking. Washington’s foreign policy has changed, it no longer condemns Hungary and left-liberal opinion-mongers have so far been unable to extract a single condemning statement from him.

    Regarding Hungarian opposition parties’ preparedness for the EP campaign, Boros Bánk said they are in an obvious disarray and so far there are no signs that they could or are even attempting to formulate a cohesive strategy.

  • Orbán and Salvini will defeat Macron, says Belgian professor

    President Macron can only lose if he takes on Viktor Orbán and Matteo Salvini, Belgian professor Jean Bricmont said.

    Not only is Macron a hypocrite, but he has made a fatal mistake by picking a fight with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini on the issue of migration.

    “Both Orbán and Salvini and very popular at home – Macron cannot claim the same about himself”, Jean Bricmont, professor at the Louvain Catholic University said in an interview with Origo.hu.

    Bricmont – a theoretical physicist and rationalist philosopher – said Macron has maneuvered himself into a suicidal position.

    Bricmont

    Professor Jean Bricmont, Université Catholique de Louvain

    Bricmont said Macron’s hypocrisy is evident from the fact that while he publicly states his position to welcome migrants, he is keeping the Italian-French border closed to the thousands of migrants who want to enter France.

    He also spoke about the differences between Hungary and Italy, saying that “Italy and Hungary are a little bit different – Hungary has never been a colonial power. They are not responsible for the wars in the Middle East… Why should they accept migrants? … Maybe you can say by charity. But they can say ‘We have got a lot of problems to solve first”.

    As for Salvini’s and Orbán’s potential to redraw the map of the European parliament in the next elections, a very strong anti-migration discourse has emerged in France and Bricmont said he expects a large bloc of anti-migrant deputies to be elected.

  • Hungarian shop workers ask for Sunday closing

    Hungarian commercial workers have asked the government to re-introduce a short-lived Sunday shop holiday because of the chronic workforce shortage.

    In a letter sent to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the Independent Union of Commerce Workers (KDFSZ) asked for the re-introduction of a short-lived Sunday closing time to alleviate a workforce shortage and prop up family values, Magyar Idők reported.

    “The summer season and the pre-school shopping rush made it clear that there is a critical manual labour shortage,” said KDFSZ president Csaba Bubenkó

    He said the sector needed an additional 10,000 workers to maintain service levels in line with the increase in customer numbers and to ensure safe working conditions.

    Hungary introduced Sunday closings in March 2015 in a bill put forward by the smaller coalition partner Christian Democrats. The move proved unpopular and after the Supreme Court gave a green light to an opposition referendum on the issue, the government rescinded the measure in April 2016.

    Falling unemployment levels and an ensuing workforce shortage have already prompted major retail chains to increase wages by HUF 50,000 in the past two years, but that still isn’t enough: the sector is still struggling to maintain service levels amid a high fluctuation rate and many had to introduce compulsory overtime.

    Bubenkó said several industry meetings in the past few months suggested that in the current climate when consumer spending has been rising almost uninterrupted for the past five years, the general opinion was that Sunday closing would have little impact on shop revenues but would both alleviate the workforce shortage and create better working conditions.

    He said KDFSZ sent the letter to PM Orbán on Monday.

     

  • Visegrád Group support Orbán and Salvini

    All sides are mustering their troops for the upcoming European elections and public opinion in the Visegrád Four clearly supports the Orbán-Salvini line, political analyst István Pócza said.

    The campaign for the EU elections has started early and at high intensity, Pócza, lead researcher at think-tank Századvég, said in an interview with Origo.hu.

    “On one side, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and French President Emmanuel Macron have clearly stated their position for a United States of Europe, while on the other side we see two firm proponents of sovereignty, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini,” Pócza said

    Usually European elections don’t trigger major political debates, but this time the position on migration is an issue that clearly highlights the fault lines between the concepts regarding the future of Europe.

    But, while the German Foreign Minister’s position is undermined by Chancellor Merkel’s statement that “it is only his personal view” (i.e. not official government policy) and President Macron is quickly losing support at home, both Orbán and Salvini enjoy substantial popular support at home.

    “I am certain that the Visegrád countries will rally behind the group spearheaded by Orbán and Salvini,” Pócza said.

    With regard to migration, it is evident that should the proponents of a U.S.-type approach come out on top, that would result in a Europe of mixed ethnicities, whose cultural foundations are shaky and security is questionable.

    On the other side there is a Europe with deep Christian-Jewish roots that can guarantee security and “where most of us want to live,” Pócza said.

     

  • Migrants should be helped at home

    German group Alternative Help Association (AHA) says rather than supporting migrants, they should be helped to solve the causes of migration at its roots.

    AHA Europe was established by patriots who take into account European interests by helping migrants at home instead of bringing them to Europe, AHA press secretary Nils Altmieks told Magyar Hírlap in an interview.

    “Mass migration, instead of solving the problems, will only create new ones,” Altmieks said

    First of all, it is irresponsible to let in millions of people without thoroughly verifying their identities as terrorists will inevitably take advantage of such a situation.

    Besides the terrorists, thousands are seeping into Europe bringing utopic illusions about what they can expect here. In the end they will become frustrated by the lack of actual opportunities. This in turn triggers criminality, which creates disdain against them and real racism.

    Secondly, this has catastrophic result for their home countries. People who by local standards are well-educated, often have moderate political and religious views will leave their country in disproportionately high numbers. The middle classes will be the first to leave. This only amplifies the problems of these countries as it will reduce both the workforce and the number of consumers. Who will then rebuild these countries – both in the physical and moral sense – if not them?

    Some Western help – such as the one provided by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees – does reach its intended target and some smaller initiatives are also helpful, but typically assistance is very rudimentary, only accessible in hotspots or ideologically tainted.

    The other issue is that of financial support. Politicians will say that the roots of migration should be addressed, but for example in the Syrian conflict – which is actually the most critical – it is impossible to determine how much money was spent on what projects.

    The German Foreign Ministry says the government spent two billion euros in the region and 20 billion euros on the migration crisis in Germany but have only actually seen projects in the millions of euros range.

    The most important thing is to eradicate the causes of migration, mainly poverty and instability. If we really want to help people there, our assistance should be geared towards helping them help themselves. This is the basic principle of AHA. In Syria, for example, reconstruction and stability can only be achieved by involving the country’s government.

    In case someone has a legitimate reason to come to Europe, we support their cause. But in most cases they only come here seeking a better life.

     

  • PM Orbán to defend Hungary in Strasbourg

    Hungarian  Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will attend a plenary session of the European Parliament that will discuss a report by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) regarding the rule of law in Hungary.

    According to Magyar Idők, the contentious plenary session will take place on September 11th.

    The report, compiled by Green MEP Judith Sargentini concluded that freedoms are being curtailed in Hungary and as a result the country could lose its voting rights in the EU.

    When the LIBE committee approved the report, PM Orbán commented from Budapest that the report sponsored by billionaire financier George Soros was attempting to put pressure on Hungary to change its migration policies but that it will not succeed. At the time, the European Parliament was discussing the need for a compulsory quota for each country to take in a given number of migrants. That issue is no longer on the table.

    This is not the first time PM Orbán will personally stand up for Hungary in the European Parliament. In the last such debate about migrant intake quotas PM Orbán demanded that Hungary receives an equitable treatment and also answered MEP’s questions during the debate.

    Another such occasion was during the 2013 debate of a report compiled by Green Portuguese MEP Rui Tavares when PM Orbán firmly rejected any attempts of the European Parliament to “establish tutelage over Hungary”.

     

  • Hungary protests Swedish politicians’ statements

    Hungary’s foreign minister has called in Sweden’s ambassador to Budapest following Swedish cabinet members’ criticisms of the country.

    The pro-migration Swedish government has launched a fresh attack on Hungary after it previously sided with the European Union in a court case where the EU and Sweden blamed Hungary for wanting to establish a transparency criteria for foreign-funded NGOs operating in Hungary, Peter Szíjjártó said.

    Following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meeting earlier this week with Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Walström tweeted the following:

    “I just read today that Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Matteo Salvini in Italy want to form an alliance against ”the democrats and the left” in Europe, naming Macron as their main opponent. I have one thing to say to them: bring it on. “

    Walström

    In a seminar in southern Sweden, Swedish immigration minister Heléne Fritzon criticized Hungary’s immigration policy saying that at a previous meeting she reminded Szíjjártó how Sweden gladly accepted Hungarian refugees in 1956.

    She was referring to a wave of refugees that left Hungary after Soviet troops crushed an anti-Communist uprising.

    Minister Szíjjártó said Walström’s tweet was “a lie”, Viktor Orbán and Mattoe Salvini clearly stated that they fighting against illegal immigration. He added that the two politicians were voicing European people’s opinion who do not want immigration.

    “Brussels and the Swedish government are attacking Hungary because it expects transparency from foreign-funded pro-migration organizations,” Szíjjártó said

     

     

  • Soros-founded university to stop helping refugees

    Central European University has ended a program for refugees, following the implementation of the “Stop Soros” law.

    The Hungarian Prime Minister has already said that migration is a burden on the state budget. The law package approved by the Hungarian government came into effect last week and it restricts non-governmental organizations which helps migrants, charging them with a 25 percent tax.

    CEU announced suspending of such a program. The University also said that its programs were “only for persons legally admitted to Hungary.”

    Some non-profit organizations have also announced the end of their activities. These include, for example, the Migration Aid, which provided blankets, food and other life needs as well as medical and legal aid.

    In May, the billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations moved staff and offices from Hungary to Germany.

  • African swine fever outbreak in Romania

    Romanian President Klaus Iohannis criticized the government’s inadequacy in handling the recent African swine fever outbreak in the country which already caused millions of euros in damages and has threatened thousands of jobs.

    “The government is incapable of managing African swine fever which has very serious consequences for the Romanian economy,” Iohannis said.

    Romania has a semi-presidential system with no actual executive powers but significant indirect influence on the governing of the country.

    In the past few weeks, 780 separate cases of African swine fever outbreak have been reported in Hungary. Swine fever doesn’t affect humans but it can be deadly for domestic and wild boars, and cause massive losses for farmers.

    The outbreak last week hit the country’s largest swine farm in south-eastern Brăila county, prompting the culling of 140,000 animals. In response to the outbreak, southern neighbor Bulgaria built a 133 km (83 miles) long razor wire fence in four weeks to prevent wild boar movement.

    The swine fever first appeared last June in the north-eastern Satu Mare county bordering the Ukraine and Hungary and has resulted in the culling of 117,000 animals.

    Hungary has ordered fences to be built around swine farms so wild boar cannot infect the animals.

  • Now Germany rejects illegal immigration

    The German government now rejects illegal immigration, minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás said after meeting his German counterpart in Berlin.

    Gulyás met Helge Braun (CDU), who was appointed Head of the Chancellery on March 14th this year in the fourth coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Origo.hu reports.

    According to Gulyás, his counterpart confirmed that anyone defending the outer borders of Europe is a friend of Germany.

    “We must act against all forms of illegal immigration and now that is also the consistent opinion of the German government,” Gulyás said

    It is now official government policy in Berlin that countries of the Schengen area must meet their border defense obligations. “This means that while our stance has remained unchanged, the two (countries’) opinions are now closer,” Gulyás said, adding that by defending its own borders, Hungary is also protecting Germany.

    He said that in the last three years the two countries’ relations have changed “at least as much as the German position on migration”. This also means that by now the two have the same priorities in many areas.

    Gulyás also said that there are still disagreements regarding integration and parallel societies, but that Hungary continues to point out that it can live with such disagreements. German-Hungarian relations have a thousand-year history and economic relations are beneficial to both sides. There are only positives in our economic ties and Hungary could benefit from working together with Germany on digitalization and innovation.

    He also praised the role of German car makers in the Hungarian economy, saying that Audi AG (a Volkswagen Group subsidiary) has a manufacturing base in western Hungary, Daimler AG in the central region and BMW in the east and as such contributes to a regionally balanced economic development.  

     

  • Hungarian left won’t have joint EU candidate list

    Nine months ahead of the EU elections it became clear that Hungarian leftist opposition parties will not have a joint candidate list after former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány’s party announced it will go it alone.

    The announcement was made by Zsolt Gréczy, MP for the Democratic Coalition (DK) a party formed by Ferenc Gyurcsány from a splinter group of former Socialists, Magyar Idők reports.

    Gréczy said they decided to have their own list because at the EU parliamentary elections voters can only choose between party lists – as opposed to individual candidates – and separate lists for opposition parties have the potential to yield more seats in the European Parliament.

    Regarding DK’s expectations, he said the party is aiming to have at least the number of seats it won at the last election. In 2014, DK won two seats of the 21 available for Hungary.

    Meanwhile, the Socialists remain divided over the issue of a joint candidate list with Párbeszéd (Dialogue for Hungary), mainly because at this year’s Hungarian parliamentary elections in April, Párbeszéd could only pass the threshold due to a coalition with the Socialists. This resulted in three seats for them, while the Socialists only got 16 against the 28 they won in 2014.

    Socialist Party president Bertalan Tóth has consistently said that the two parties should have a joint list.

    The majority view among Hungarian analysts is that at next year’s EU elections the ruling Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union could increase the number of its MEPs by one or two from the current 12.

  • Hungarian Academy calls for regulation of alternative medicines

    The Hungarian Academy of Sciences has called for a regulation of alternative medical practices such as homeopathy, esoteric healing and bioenergetics, saying there is no proof that these are effective.

    The Medical Sciences Department of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) issued a position paper in which it called for a comprehensive regulation of alternative medical practices, most of which are currently unregulated, Magyar Idők reports.

    “Performing healing without any proof is a serious risk, but these activities are currently not regulated by professional or legal means in Hungary,” the MTA paper said.

    Complementary healing practices such as homeopathy, esoteric healing, bioenergetics or detoxification should only be allowed if their effectiveness is proven and can cause no harm. While conventional medicine is required to only use such methods, alternative healing is not subject to any regulations, posing serious risks.

    Some alternative practices border on quackery and are still allowed – or at least not prohibited – by law.

    The Academy asks that medical professionals and the relevant ministry should work together on drafting comprehensive legislation. The paper also says that the term “complementary” should be used instead of “alternative”, as the latter can be misleading.

    After a series of national and international studies proved that homeopathy is ineffective, the Semmelweis University discontinued its homeopathy program while the Hungarian Chamber of Stomatologists issued a statement that no university course in homeopathic dentistry will be accredited in Hungary.

     

  • Low Danube levels reveal remains of WWII U.S. bomber

    Staff of the Szolnok, central Hungary aircraft museum are recovering the remains of a World War II American bomber from the Danube river revealed by record low water levels, news portal Pesti Srácok writes.

    Museum employee Zsuzsa Csepke said private citizens reported the find to the Military History museum and the remains have since been recovered and transported to Szolnok where they will be displayed after restoration.

    B-24G

    Remains of an American B-24G “Liberator” bomber in the Danube river bed near Budapest

    The bomber with the official designation B-24G but better known as the “Liberator” was manufactured by Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, California.

    The aircraft was part of the 485th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Fifteenth Air Force operating in the Mediterranean during WWII.

    According to Air Force records, the bomber, piloted by First Lieutenant Frank Wodzinski was hit by anti-aircraft artillery during a bomb run on the Danubian Aircraft Factory and plunged into the river. One aircraft crew member survived.

     

  • S&P may increase Hungary’s rating

    S&P analyst Karen Vartapetov has said that the credit rating agency may improve Hungary’s rating in the next twelve months.

    Currently Hungary’s sovereign debt rating is BBB- with a positive outlook both at Fitch and S&P, and Baa3 with a stable outlook at Moody’s. Of the three big rating agencies, S&P last upgraded Hungary’s rating in August 2017.

    S&P finished its second annual review of Hungary on August 17th and it was somewhat disappointing that it left the country’s rating unchanged at one notch above junk. Those in charge of Hungary’s economic policy and Hungarian economist both believe this rating to be unfair in view of good macroeconomic indicators.

    Vartapetov said the major credit rating agencies normally take a longer view and change a country’s rating every two years or so and Hungary is still within that timeframe. She said the longer view is needed to assess the effect of changes such as the lending program of the Hungarian National Bank or the effects the changes in U.S. and eurozone monetary policy had on Hungary.

    She also said that while employees may be happy with a double-digit growth in real wages, S&P regards it as a sign of an overheating economy and a threat to the country’s competitiveness. Another uncertainty is the amount of EU subsidies Hungary will receive in the 2021-2027 budgetary cycle.

    Fitch Ratings is scheduled to update Hungary’s rating on August 31st and Moody’s in November.

     

  • Opinion: Orbán and Salvini tackle actual problems

    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini are not interested in safeguarding an antiquated European political regime, they are rather intent on solving actual problems.

    Technically, the Orbán-Salvini meeting cannot shake Europe, but it did cause a commotion, Magyar Idők columnist Levente Sitkei writes.

    The two have no interest in sustaining the old – but also antiquated and inefficient – political system: they want to address actual problems. Migration is a serious issue for Europe, and not only a matter of gaining votes.

    The problem is that Western European elites’ main preoccupation remains the same as it was before the migration crisis broke out in 2015: to reinforce their own positions. Across Europe, various political parties born after World War II warn against the gains made by so-called “populist” movements.

    The Northern League and the Five Stars Movement in Italy are among them, as is Fidesz in Hungary. The “compliant” mainstream parties want to maintain their inherited status and are busy trying to stay in power for one more season, one more year, one more electoral cycle.

    It is nowhere near certain that new movements have all the answers, but Europe fundamentally works along democratic principles, giving people alternatives to choose from. And if the people decide to support these new movements, they cannot be blamed.

    There have been and will be articles branding Hungary as a dictatorship. But these will always be the wailings of an atrophying elite incapable of reacting to the world.

    Hungary, on the other hand, can and does react. Those who want to solve problems must look forward and ignore the syren songs proclaiming that Hungary is too small to effect any change in Europe. Hungary is not small, just like there are no small or large ideals.

    Does this meeting mean that Italy and Hungary will from now on be allied forever? Not by a long way. But they have the common goal of stopping illegal migration and replace haphazard actions with order. And that is a common interest to build upon.

  • PM Orbán: Immigration top issue in Europe

    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini’s meeting in Milan this week mainly revolved around the issue of migration and the two leaders shared similar opinions.

    “Hungary is the country which proved that migration can be stopped”

    According to Origo.hu, PM Orbán praised Salvini for his efforts to tackle immigration via the Mediterranean:

    “(…) he has undertaken the historical mission to prove that migration can be stopped at sea as well. The security of Europe hinges on his success,” he said.

    PM Orbán also expressed his gratitude to Salvini for defending Hungary when it came under attack in the European Parliament for its new constitution.

    The two also shared the opinion that next year’s European elections should result in a new European Commission with clear policies to defend the borders and halt migration. They both criticized French President Emmanuel Macron.

    “There are two camps. One is led by Macron. He wants to blow up the (European) People’s Party, as he did in France. He is the leader of the pro-migration forces. Then there is us, who want to stop migration,” PM Orbán said

     

  • Slovak drunk driver who killed four released from Hungarian prison

    Eva Rezešová, whose reckless drunk driving killed four innocent passengers in a car she crashed into in 2012 is being released today from a Budapest prison.

    On the dawn of August 21st, 2012 Eva Rezešová, while driving inebriated in her BMW X5 SUV on Hungary’s M3 motorway at 165 km/hour (102 miles/hour) she slammed into a Fiat Punto that immediately caught fire. Three of the four passengers died there, while the fourth died in hospital. The speed limit on Hungarian motorways is 130 km/hour (81 miles/hour).

    At the time, the accident garnered extensive media coverage both in the Hungarian and Slovak press, due to Rezešová’s celebrity status and a previous accident in Slovakia in 2010, when she rammed a Skoda with her Mercedes. Nobody was injured in that accident. Her father, Alexander Rezeš (1948-2002) was transport minister during the Slovak Mečiar-government in 1994-98 and was at one time the second richest person in Slovakia.

    She was sentenced to six years in prison at the first instance in 2013, which was subsequently increased to nine years in 2014. Both prison staff and her inmates had a very good opinion of Rezešová, who worked in the prison’s sewing shop and learned fluent Hungarian.

  • Hungary set to veto 2021-27 EU budget

    Hungary cannot accept the European Union’s 2021-27 budget in its present form and will veto it if unchanged, state minister for EU developments Tamás Schanda said in an interview.

    The EU budget for the next seven-year period will cut cohesion funds for Hungary by the maximum possible 24 percent, while the overall reduction will only be 10 percent, Tamás Schanda (pictured above), deputy state minister at the Ministry for Innovation and Technology told Magyar Idők in an interview.

    “Brussels is intent on punishing those states – predominantly Central European ones – who fight for their sovereignty”

    We cannot accept a budget that takes money away from European citizens and gives it to migrants. This clearly shows that the European Commission believes it is a kind of political committee. Fortunately, the final decision is not theirs – it will be made by the European Council consisting of the member states’ leaders.

    Schanda said that compared with the current seven-year budgetary cycle the EU’s more affluent states would receive more funding while for example the Central European states would get less. According to the current budget draft the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia will have their cohesion funds reduced by 24 percent while Greece would see an increase of 8 percent, Italy 6.4 percent, Finland and Spain 5 percent.

    “This goes both against the EU’s fundamental treaty and the very principle of cohesion,” Schanda said. In addition, they also want to reduce agricultural subsidies by 16 percent and make them less accessible.

    He said the current commission intends to close budget negotiations before next year’s European elections (to be held on May 23-26), but Hungary is of the opinion that all open issues should be solved before any agreement.

    “It is quite possible that a different policy will emerge after the elections. (…) There is no rush, we still have plenty of time to work out a mutually acceptable solution before 2021.”

  • PM Orbán to meet President Putin in Moscow

    As part of his busy agenda upon returning from vacation, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will meet President Putin in Moscow, Magyar Idők reported.

    This will be the two leaders’ ninth meeting since 2010, when PM Orbán’s conservative Fidesz party won the general election. Also winning the two subsequent elections, Orbán has been at the helm of Hungary since then.

    Havasi did not provide any details regarding the topics of the Moscow meeting. Still on the Prime Minister’s international agenda, he had a meeting on Monday in Milan with Matteo Salvini, leader of the Northern League, the largest political party in Italy’s seven-party coalition government formed this May after lengthy negotiations.

    Over the weekend, Orbán will fly to Kyrgyzstan for the Nomad World Games, where he will meet the leaders of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

    His domestic agenda is also quite busy, including a two-day meeting of the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition in a holiday resort near lake Balaton and his traditional autumn speech scheduled for September 12th.

  • French oppposition leader borrows Orbán’s thoughts

    The leader of the French opposition party The Republicans (LR), Laurent Wauquiez opened the political season with a speech that echoed many of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s policies and thoughts, mainly regarding immigration.

    Wauquiez held his season-opening speech in his home constituency of a Haute-Loire, a department in south-central France. This was his first season opening as president of LR, a position he assumed last December. Wauquiez held several government positions during Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidency and at one point also served as government spokesman.

    In a 35-minute speech full of literary references, Wauquiez heavily criticized President Emmanuel Macron for what he said was the president’s inability to solve any problems. In addition to a high unemployment rate and declining real wages, France had to raise taxes (Macron introduced eight new taxes), the budget deficit is on the rise and economic growth is slowing down.

    But the focal point of his speech was immigration, which neither Brussels nor France can handle. He said French people reject foreigners in their own country.

    Quoting from “The Leopard” by Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Wauquiez said

    “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change”

    Macron, on the other hand, is unable to defend French values, meaning that he cannot leave those values as they are, nor is he capable of making changes where changes are necessary.

    “We should not preoccupy ourselves with the redistribution of migrants but with preventing more migrants to come to Europe,” he said. Migration should be the central issue both in Europe and France.

    He also said that when the future of the country is at stake, it is incomprehensible why the leaders of France are unable to understand that the country cannot accept any more migrants who threaten European civilization.

    “it is not true that migrants have the right to live wherever they want to,” Wauquiez said in his closing remarks.

  • Hungarian team success at kayak canoe Sprint World Cup

    Hungary’s kayak canoe national team exceeded even the most optimistic expectations by winning nine medals, finishing second behind Germany at the Kayak Canoe Sprint World Cup in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal, news portal Origo.hu reported.

    On the last day of the event, the K4 women’s team of Dóra Bodonyi, Erika Medveczky, Anna Kárász and Danuta Kozák (pictured above) defended their title in the 500-meters race, the canoe double Virág Balla and Kincső Takács won silver and the men’s K4 team (Sándor Tótka, MIklós Dudás, Péter MOlnár, István Kuli) placed third.

    Germany won seven gold, four silver and two bronze medals. This year the Hungarian team even managed to beat last year’s performance when it won five gold medals. In the points table, Hungary was placed first among women’s teams and in the combined points standing.

     

  • Hungarian opposition parties in disarray ahead of EU elections

    Among Hungary’s opposition parties the radical nationalist Jobbik and the green-liberal LMP have practically collapsed while the Socialist Party (MSZP) has become a colorless-odorless entity under the helm of party president Bertalan Tóth, political analyst Dániel Deák tells Magyar Hírlap.

    Last week saw the resignation of LMP president Bernadett Szél, the party’s last public figure with any significant national pull. She was co-chairman of the party since 2013 and the party’s leading candidate at the 2018 elections. Deák said none of her peers (Erzsébet Schmuck or Márta Demeter) could effectively replace her.

    These inner crises have also been reflected by the losses registered by these two parties in recent opinion polls. Deák also said that 21st century parties have only limited traction in Hungarian society, as they are not reflective of the electorate’s real-life dividing lines. The issues these parties represent are also secondary compared with the economic and immigration issues that most voters care about.

    Deák said former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány – who established the social-liberal Democratic Coalition with dissidents from the MSZP in 2011 – seems to be waiting on the sidelines and his current political activity is reduced to social media.

    All of the above factors suggest that Hungarian opposition parties are approaching the next May EU elections with a serious handicap, where immigration will probably be a central issue, just as it was at recent national elections in Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany. In all these elections pro-immigration parties – who were incidentally also the most vocal critics of the Hungarian government’s immigration policies – have suffered setbacks.

    Next in line may well be Sweden, with elections there to be held on September 9th. Barring a major change in voter preferences in the two remaining weeks, the ruling Social Democrats may be facing their worst election result in the past 100 years. If current opinion polls are right and the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats win the elections, it will mean the fall of one of the last pro-immigration bastions in Europe.

     

     

  • Hungarian Socialists sell real estate to stay afloat

    The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) is selling off some of its properties due to financial difficulties, party president Bertalan Tóth wrote in a letter to members of the party’s National Committee.

    The letter obtained by conservative news portal Pesti Srácok said MSZP is selling off all its party offices in settlements where party membership has dropped below 30 and is also selling its Conference Centre located in a prestigious area on the Buda side (right bank of the Danube river) of the Hungarian capital.

    After losing the 2010 elections, MSZP saw splinter groups depart and form new parties and its popularity has been on a downward slope for the better part of the last eight years. In the country’s 199-seat single-chamber parliament it only won 15 seats, down from 29 seats at the 2014 elections.

    In the letter, Bertalan wrote that after the elections the party’s financial possibilities have been reduced. It still hasn’t paid back the loans for the 2018 electoral campaign and is currently spending most of its budget on its national network of offices and party employees.

    But the biggest single chunk of real estate is the Conference Centre in Budapest (pictured above). It was built during the last decade of Communist rule in Hungary and was originally a Marxist-Leninist evening university. It has six floors, a large auditorium and a total area of 6,000 square meters (64,600 sq. ft.). After the regime change, MSZP – heirs to the former Communist Party – became the owners of the building, which is now the only significant real estate item the party still holds.

     

  • September family grants brought forward

    The school year in Hungary traditionally begins on the last Friday in August while family subsidies and other forms of state support are normally transferred in the first week of the month, but to help families with the increased spending EMMI has brought forward bank wire payments to August 27 while families without bank accounts will have the money mailed to them in the first half of this week, Magyar Idők reported.

    Katalin Novák, state minister for family affairs said the money will help some 1.2 million children and depending on social status, the amount will be in the tens of thousands of HUF per child. In case of a large family, the total state help can reach HUF 100,000 (US$360), she said.

    In the past eight years the conservative government has implemented a series of measures to reduce families’  financial burden, such as free textbooks and free meals for children in the first nine school years.

    Nóra Király, leader of the Young Families’ Association said that this year’s state support for free meals during school has increased by 10 percent. Earlier deputy finance minister András Tállai told the newspaper that total state support for families has doubled since the current administration came to power in 2010. He said the various forms of family support – such as tax and duty rebates, child rearing assistance and housing grants – have helped tens of thousands of families.

  • Budapest denies Croatian extradition of MOL chief

    The Budapest Capital Court has denied Croatia’s request for the extradition of Zsolt Hernádi, President and CEO of integrated oil and gas company MOL Group.

    The court said it denied the Croatian request because “there is a danger that the charged may not be subjected to a fair trial”.

    Croatia is accusing Hernádi of bribing then Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader with EUR 10 million in 2008, when MOL was negotiating with the Croatian state to increase its stake in Croatian oil and gas company INA to 49 percent.

    Sanader

    Ivo Sanader in a Croatian court

    At the time, MOL and INA, the flagship companies of Hungary and Croatia, respectively, were valued at US$7 billion each. MOL eventually got the desired stake in INA. Hernádi has always denied any wrongdoing during the negotiations with Croatia.

    Sanader was Prime Minister of Croatia between 2003-2009 and during his tenure he was accused by the opposition of taking bribes, war profiteering and selling state assets, with damage to the Croatian budget estimated at HRK 207 million (US$32 million).

    In 2012, Sanader was sentenced to 10 years in prison in a first-degree verdict, the sentence was reduced to 8 and a half years in 2014. In 2015, the verdict was quashed by the Constitutional Court based on procedural errors made during the trial. He was released after spending nearly 5 years both in custody and prison. He is set to stand in a retrial. In 2017, he was sentenced to ​4 and a half in another case, yet to be confirmed by the upper courts.

  • Speaker of the House: Taking in every refugee is absurd

    The demand itself of taking in every migrant simply because they would live a better life in Europe is an absurdity, Speaker of the House László Kövér said at a conference in Balatonszárszó, on the southern shore of Lake Balaton. 

    Kövér said at the conference that as in the past, Hungary will continue to shelter persecuted refugees and those in real need of help,

    “Both the Hungarian government and Hungarian people refuse automatic acceptance and this behavior does not go against Christian ethics”

    Kövér said the international community, Europe and the European Union all have their share of responsibility in handling and solving problems occurring in other parts of the world that are also to some extent the source of migration, but that these issues should not be solved at a national level, but rather within an international framework and international forums.

    Szárszó

    From left to right: Gergely Gulyás, minister in charge of the prime minister’s office, Speaker of the House László Kövér and István Bogárdi Szabó, head of the Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church. (image: MTI)

    He said international agencies should not force individual states to accept mass migration, but rather devise international programs to improve living conditions at the sources of migration.

    Kövér said that while this may not be obvious, the real conflict isn’t between Islam and Christianity, but between those without roots who also want everyone else to renounce their roots and those who have a religious conviction and faith which they are willing to defend.

    While Hungary continues to uphold the freedom of conscience, this should not mean that the state remains idle when “a culture of a thousand years is being dissolved into nothingness and some kind of multiculturalism”.

  • The rise of Central Europe

    Central Europe’s shores reach three seas and that – as demonstrated by the Polish Trimarium (literally Three Seas) initiative – is quite meaningful. Another defining trait of the region is that for the better part of the last 300-500 years our fate has been decided by the elites of other power centers or empires.

    Central Europe is also the buffer zone and the clashing ground of German and Russian interests and for the past century it hasn’t had a capital of any of the European powers. It is painful to admit that after such historical precedents as the Hungarian Kingdom or the mighty Jagellonians we have been denied self-determination.

    With the collapse of Communism, the region’s states became part of the Western European economic and alliance structures, offering a modicum of justice and security guarantees against the re-emergence of Russian imperial ambitions. But what we did not do was to become equal partners in this Europe. We mumbled our way through these institutions with a good dose of awe.

    But that is also changing. My Western European friends have lately been quite surprised to see that instead of obediently following the cues from the major power centers, countries such as Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria or Latvia have their own proposals regarding the future of Europe and the functions of the Union.

    But now that we have found our own voice and the Budapest and Warsaw express is running at full steam, we have a historic opportunity. But this opportunity also means added responsibility, especially for the region’s political leaders. In order to carve our own path, we need some signposts.

    First: we should not be afraid to listen to our constituents. These are hard-working and clear-headed people who can prove themselves at home or abroad, from Austria to the United Kingdom. So we should represent their stance, be it about the overall reform of the Union or the way the migration crisis is mishandled in Brussels.

    Second: Central European leaders must seek closer economic cooperation and – as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán put it – invest in one another’s economies. We should also use this historic opportunity to develop critical infrastructure: oil and gas pipelines, roads and railroads, 5G internet connections, air and water highways.

    Last, but not least, we should promote the further enlargement of the European Union towards the Balkans and later towards Eastern Europe, to improve bot security and create welfare.

    And the Visegrad Four is a good example. It does not need new members, but its model of cooperation should be a blueprint for the entire Central European region: value-based cooperation and focusing on common interests instead of pointless political posturing while jointly promoting our best interests in our relations with other regions.

  • Peacefully or otherwise, the EU must change after elections

    This is the last political season of the current EU leadership, its regime and its policies. In a European Union riddled with crises, change must come, Pesti Srácok columnist Botond Bálint writes.

    Even the ruling liberal elite admits that there are demographic crises across Europe. It is also obvious that several countries struggle with economic crises and in yet other countries the political system is far from stable.

    In addition, the continent’s most affluent states must also dismantle the vestiges of the previous multicultural idealism – but these countries no longer control all the people on their territory. Put more bluntly, they cannot even enforce their own laws as they lack the police and military forces to do so.

    Over the past twenty years, the ruling liberal elite has gotten used to a state of affairs where neither the media, nor the reality questioned their so-called “liberal values” and their claim that these would lead towards the creation of an ideal society. Were it not for the 2008 global economic and financial crisis, Europe may well have become yet another federal state of the U.S., quite possibly led by a Romanian Social-Democrat at the helm of some committee.

    While liberalism is currently the dominant force in the European Parliament, where even the European People’s Party must make concessions to them, this cannot remain so. It is quite clear that after Juncker no rational conservative will again make the mistake of electing a mentally ill alcoholic, they may well choose some very talented deranged person, who will announce a nice program to avoid urgent reforms or another crisis. The EU and the liberal governments certainly aren’t equipped to handle such a crisis.

    “For the happy and quiet years of bliss are always behind us, never ahead.”

    The current European economic and political system may well limp on for years, possibly even a decade, but the signs and trends point towards a weaker Europe. Based on its economic strength and military potential, Europe could be the world’s third or fourth largest power. Instead it has shown that it is incapable of self-defense, buying and bargaining its way to security.

    This Europe is less and less the guarantee of security, but it rather creates the problems which we could solve just fine in a Central European defense system.

     

  • Danube water levels at record low

    Due to a prolonged drought record low water levels have been registered at three Hungarian stretches of the Danube, Europe’s second longest river. 

    The drought that has hit water transport and passenger shipping companies weeks ago is now visible to the naked eye: on the Budapest stretch of the Danube, the southern tip of Margaret Island (pictured above) now peeks out from under the water – a rare sight.

    News portal Origo.hu wrote that in Ercsi, some 35 km south of Budapest, the level of the Danube was 31 cm (12.2 inches) below the previous low registered in 1970. In Budapest the Danube level was 61 cm, still somewhat above the 51 cm registered in 2003.

    Water freight on the Danube already came to a standstill two weeks ago, when water levels only allowed barges to be loaded to one-third of capacity, forcing freight companies to divert their loads to road transport. River cruise ships normally an obvious presence in Budapest during the peak tourist season are also absent.

    But to Budapest residents the most telling sign is that the “Hunger rock” has also peaked out from under the water.

    Hunger_rock

    The Hunger Rock in Budapest, just north of Szabadság Híd (Liberty Bridge)

    The rock’s name is self-explanatory: it is only visible during severe droughts when the level of the Danube falls below 95 cm.

  • Lebanese bishop: People must be helped to return to their homes

    The Hungarian government was quick to realize that the proper way of helping Middle Eastern Christian communities is to assist them in creating the conditions to return home, the head of the Lebanese Maronite Church, Patriarch Moran Mor Bechara Boutros al-Rahi said.

    The religious leader told Magyar Hírlap that the biggest difference was that the Hungarian government provided assistance in rebuilding homes in Syria, churches in Lebanon and also making similar efforts in Iraq.

    “Other western countries aren’t doing this. We fully support the Hungarian government’s intention to help people return to their homes,” the bishop said. We are of course also grateful to Western European countries who take in our refugees and help them in their daily lives, he added.

    “But in the long term, this does not serve the interests of Eastern communities. Ultimately, it will do just what the war has done so far: they have destroyed our homes in the war and now they are removing our history and our culture from the region”

    Boutros al-Rahi said Western governments – with the exception of Hungary – don’t help them because they fail to see the difference between political issues and assisting people in returning to their homes. But they should make this distinction sooner rather than later and help Christians return to their homes in Syria or Iraq, because only this serves peace in the long-term.

    The head of the Lebanese Maronite Church visited Hungary on the country’s national day and had meetings with President János Áder, Speaker of the House László Kövér and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén. He asked that Hungary should raise its voice on international forums and call for an end to the war in Syria.

    “The (Hungarian) government has already given us enormous financial and other help. Other European countries should also do more, because if they encouraged the war, now they must encourage and offer assistance in establishing peace,” he said.

     

     

  • Hungarian publicist hit with Facebook ban

    Well-known conservative publicist and ballet dancer Bence Apáti was hit with a 30-day Facebook ban after sharing a link to the political talk show Keménymag on Echo TV, which he is a regular guest. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/ImGewNapYfw

    Apáti told Origo.hu he was surprised because he didn’t even comment on the video.

    “I just received a short notice saying I have violated community rules. I somehow managed to do that by sharing a link to a single instalment of Keménymag without any comment,” Apáti told Origo.hu

    This was the second occurrence in the same day that a conservative received a Facebook ban. András Bencsik, editor-in-chief of conservative weekly Magyar Demokrata was also banned on August 22nd, without even a notice from the social media site.

    Apáti said he first began receiving bans in the campaign running up to this year’s April parliamentary elections, but those were only three-day bans. He said the fresh 30-day ban was a double blow to him, because this was both his private page with over 2,500 acquaintances and the only account with administrator privileges to his official Facebook page which has over 11,000 followers.

    Having no access to his official page means that he cannot remove comments with malicious intent (or “trolling” in social media parlance). Apáti sees a clear trend in the Facebook bans which hit conservative public figures in a disproportionate manner while liberal opinions have free reign.

  • Hungarian wages rise by 11.2 percent year-on-year in June

    The finance minister has revealed that Hungarian net wages rose by 11.2 percent year-on-year in June due to a better economic performance.

    Data from the Central Statistics Office (KSH) shows that after a 10.9 percent increase in May, the year-on-year growth in June was 11.2 percent and 11.9 percent in the first half of the year. This means that the average net wage in June was HUF 219,200 (US$784) or HUF 227,700 after tax rebates for families.

    “This (increase) indicates that wages continue to catch up and this is also helped by the reduced duties included in the (national) wage agreement and the changes in taxation,” Minister Varga told national television channel M1.

    The minister expects wages to continue their dynamic increase in the coming months. Minister Varga also said that it was especially good that the regional wage gap was diminishing, as incomes rose the most in the trailing counties.

    In a per sector view, the highest wage rises were in public administration, construction, tourism and healthcare. Minister Varga said this was of particular importance because it meant that workforce resupply in these sectors will be assured.

    KSH data also showed that the number of full-time employees in the private sector rose by 98,000, in the public sector by 11,000 while the number of employees in the government’s public employment scheme fell by 38,000 to 131,000.

    The wage rise was also fuelled by an 8 and 12 percent increase in minimum wages for unskilled and skilled labor, respectively.

  • Hungary keeps benchmark interest rate at 0.9 percent

    The Monetary Council of the MNB decided to keep both its key one-week lending rate at 0.9 percent and its overnight deposit rate at -0.15 percent.

    According to Origo.hu, the move was in line with analysts’ expectations.

    The lending rate was last reduced by 15 basis points in May 2016, while the overnight deposit rate was reduced by 10 basis points last September.

    The Monetary Council said in its decision that while crude oil prices resulted in a temporary spike in inflation, the inflationary effect is transitory and the targeted 3 percent inflation was well within sight.

    In July, year-on-year inflation was 3.4 percent in Hungary, while core inflation (which does not take into account changes in volatile food and energy prices) was 2.5 percent.

    The Monetary Council said the rise in domestic wages only has a moderate inflationary effect while according to forecasts of the European Central Bank (ECB) core inflationary processes will also remain low. The ECB also expects continued lax monetary policies in the Eurozone.

    The fundamentals of the Hungarian economy remain strong, GDP growth is on a strong and sustainable path, foreign debt has been substantially reduced and debt servicing capabilities are also solid.

     

  • Why can’t Hungary do what Austria does?

    The Austrian Foreign minister got married over the weekend in a private ceremony, but the presence of Vladimir Putin  – who danced, spoke German with the couple and enjoyed a traditional Styrian wedding – did trigger vehement reactions from domestic opposition parties and the Ukraine alike. The whole thing was most unconventional, Magyar Hírlap columnist Mariann Őry writes.

    But there is a lesson in it for Hungary as well. Namely that we should take note of how Austria is protecting its neutrality and is fighting for independence. Amidst the West’s general dislike of Putin, every time an EU member state invited him it was taken as a statement.

    Austria – currently holding the rotating EU presidency – has shown to both Berlin and Brussels how to invite Putin and welcome him with the respect every state leader deserves. Neither Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz nor the Freedom Party (FPÖ) members of his government took an oath of allegiance to Putin. Nor does it make any sense to even question Austria’s commitment to Europe, especially at a time when it is taking a firm anti-immigration stance in defense of European values.

    Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also seems to be more amenable to Putin and despite the misgivings of the United States, Germany will go ahead with the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

    Washington is already talking about sanctions against Russia, as is British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt who even wants the EU to pass new sanctions against Moscow.

    Hungary keeps saying that sanctions against Russia hurt Europe more than they do their intended target and won’t bring us closer to solving the Ukrainian crisis either. The increasing number of Putin’s visits to EU countries is by no means a sign that Europe has “sided with the East”. It simply means that an increasing number of European leaders are keen on representing European interests instead of blindly following the United States.

     

     

  • Hungary refutes migrant mistreatment allegations

    Hungary respects all regulations regarding the treatment of asylum seekers, the Immigration and Asylum Office (BAH) said, according to Magyar Hírlap.

    “We are proceeding exactly as prescribed by (the relevant) legislation, taking into account the rights of those with special needs and above all those of the children,” BAH said.

    Last week the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (MHB) raised the issue of the unfair treatment of asylum-seekers whose requests have been rejected by the first instance but were waiting for their appeals to be processed.

    MHB also filed a related lawsuit against Hungary at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Until the completion of legal proceedings, the ECHR implemented a number of interim measures, among which it “demanded Hungarian authorities to feed all members of the families kept in the transit zones”.

    This was based on claims by the MHB that only children were being fed in these zones, but not their parents awaiting the outcome of their appeals.

    BAH also said that international and EU organizations are constantly monitoring the situation in the transit zones and that Hungarian authorities comply with relevant legislation and EU directives.

     

  • Hungarian budget to benefit from Brexit

    The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union will improve the balance of the Hungarian state budget, the Finance Ministry said.

    The “UK rebate” (also known as UK correction) is a financial mechanism that reduces the United Kingdom’s contribution to the EU budget, in effect since 1985. The rebate is calculated based on a complex formula. In 2015, for example, the UK’s contribution was reduced by EUR 6.2 billion (US$7.17 billion). Although the rebate is not set in the EU treaties, it is negotiated as part of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) every seven years and must be unanimously agreed.

    The Hungarian Finance Ministry said that from 2004 when Hungary joined the European Union until last year this contribution amounted to a cumulated budget expenditure of almost HUF 250 billion (US$894 million).

    “Next year we will contribute HUF 22 billion,” the Finance Ministry said.

    Although the planned Brexit date is at the end of March 2019, the current preliminary agreements say that the United Kingdom will remain part of the EU budget for 2019 and 2020, meaning that other member states’ – including Hungary – contribution to the UK rebate will end in 2022.    

  • Hungary wants strong and successful neighbors, minister says

    Hungary is interested in having strong and successful neighbors, Gergely Gulyás, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said on Hungary’s national day in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), the fourth largest city of its eastern neighbor, Romania.

    Gulyás visited Kolozsvár on the occasion of the Hungarian Days there, a cultural event of the ethnic Hungarian minority. The city has a population of 324,000 of which 50,000 are ethnic Hungarians.

    Gulyás said Hungary would like to see an overall strengthening of the region. Referring to lingering ethnic tensions, he said the Hungarian card is mainly played by those participants of domestic politics who don’t have the strength to build political capital based on their own performance.

    It is not ideal that in relations with neighboring countries Hungary “has to deal with leaders of countries struggling with permanent internal crises sovereignty issues” but despite that Hungarian foreign policy would stay its course.

    Answering journalists’ questions, he said that to his knowledge Romania remains receptive to Hungary extending its economic development program to Transylvania (the part of Romania where most ethnic Hungarians live). He said realistically the economic development program could be launched next year.

    Gulyás said Hungary welcomes the fact that in the first half of 2019 Romania will take over the rotating presidency of the EU and that one of the main tasks during this period would be to provide seamless operations during EU parliamentary elections. The elections are scheduled for May 23rd-26th.  

     

  • Life-size marzipan replica of Hungary’s Holy Crown

    The team at Koko confectionery in Veszprém celebrated Hungary’s national day, the foundation of the Hungarian state with a marzipan replica of the revered Holy Crown.

    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 25th, 1000 A.D. (or, according to other accounts, January 1st, 1001) with a crown sent by Pope Sylvester II.

    Confectioner Zsolt Pintér and his team have put the replica – complete with red velvet display pillow and glass display case – in the window of their shop.

    Korona

    Every detail of the crown – down to the gemstones, pearls and icons – is as close to the original as possible. Patrons of the confectionery can also purchase miniature Crown cakes, a limited edition specially made for the occasion.

  • Immigration tax comes into effect in Hungary

    The Hungarian Tax and Customs Office (NAV) is ready to enforce the special immigration tax on NGOs that will come into effect on August 25th, László Sors, the head of NAV told Magyar Idők.

    The Hungarian parliament this June passed an amendment to the country’s tax legislation, requiring NGOs who help migration to pay a 25 percent tax on all types of financial assistance to migration. The organizations will also have to register these activities with NAV by August 25th and the first tax payment is due on September 15th.

    Sors said that NAV will do exactly the same as with other taxes: inform, verify and – if required – sanction. The NAV homepage has a separate page informing NGOs of their duties and also offers guidance and assistance in completing the forms.

    He said activities helping migration are defined by the law as media campaigns and media seminars, building and operating support networks and propaganda presenting migration in a positive light. The law also stipulates that income from the immigration tax can only be spent on border defense.

    The law also says that political parties and their foundations as well as international organizations protected by international or bilateral treaties are exempt.

  • Hungarian surgeons separate Bangladeshi conjoined twins

    A team of Hungarian neurosurgeons successfully completed the second, most critical phase in the separation of Bangladeshi conjoined twins in a groundbreaking five-hour operation, neurosurgeon András Csókay told Magyar Idők.

    The hospital in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka made a worldwide appeal for help but the Hungarian team was the only one that would undertake the surgery. In February they completed the first phase of the operation, separating the twins’ head arteries and in the latest, five-hour intervention they also managed to separate their veins. 

    András_Csókay

    Neurosurgeon András Csókay, head of the Hungarian team

    Csókay said they introduced a catheter in the femoral vein through which the surgery on the head veins was performed.

    “During the five-hour operation we employed this unique method for the first time in the world, successfully closed all common major veins which is a huge towards the final separation of the twins” Csókay said.

    The procedure is far from over. The craniums and brains will also have to be separated, but the most critical phase – the separation of the two circulatory systems – is now complete.

    The birth of conjoined twins is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southeast Asia and Africa.

  • 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.”

  • 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.