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Top Hungary news: Shocking parking fee hike, far-right youngster at embassy, Hungary scary for drivers — 24 October, 2024

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Survey assesses Hungarians’ financial health, and the results are far from encouraging

huf forint money hungary's economy wage financial health

The National Bank of Hungary revealed the results of its inaugural survey on Hungarians’ financial health on Thursday.

The survey, which defined financial health as a feeling of financial security as well as the freedom to make one’s own financial decisions in the present and in planning for the future, was conducted among a representative sample of 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 79 in August. Based on the results, the NHB rated Hungarians’ financial health on a scale of 0 to 100.

On average, Hungarians scored 53 on the NBH’s Financial Health Index, but 14pc were in the “critical” range, between 0 and 29, and 29pc were “vulnerable”, scoring between 30 and 49. The NBH noted that more than half of the households in those at-risk categories had net incomes under HUF 400,000/month. Around 35pc of Hungarians were in the “low-risk” category, scoring 50-69. Among the Financial Health Index sub-indices, Hungarians scored 48 for “ability and effort to make savings”, 56 on the gauge of material position and 49 for “financial resilience”.

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Hungary’s natural waters warming faster since mid-1980s, research shows

Lake Velence WInter natural water

Hungary’s natural waters have been warming six times faster since the mid-1980s than in the preceding period dating from 1870, the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network said on Thursday.

A study by the Balaton Limnological Research Institute (BLKI) on the temperature changes in the Pannonian Ecoregion’s natural waters between 1870 and 2021 found that the lakes and rivers examined had been warming throughout the 150-year period, with the more significant temperature changes beginning in the second half of the 1980s.

The average per-decade temperature increase came to 0.32 degrees Celsius over the last 40 years compared with just 0.05 C over the whole period, HUN-REN said.

The study found that Lake Balaton, Lake FertÅ‘ and Lake Velence warmed by 0.46 C per decade, while rivers registered a slower average temperature rise of 0.27 C per decade. Over the last 40 years, Lake Balaton’s temperature has risen by 0.46 C per decade. The fastest temperature rise was registered in Lake Velence, with a rate of 0.7 C per decade.

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Mercedes-Benz celebrates 2 millionth car produced at Kecskemét plant in Hungary

Mercedes-Benz kecskemét 2 millionth car

Mercedes-Benz has turned out the 2 millionth car at its base in Kecskemét (C Hungary), the local unit of the German carmaker said on Thursday.

The milestone was reached when a fully electric EQB model was rolled off the production line.

In addition to the EQB, the base produces A-Class, CLA Coupe and Shooting Brake models. Last year, over 174,000 were made at the base.

Jorg Burzer, Mercedes-Benz Group board member for production, acknowledged the efforts of workers at the plant to ensure “2 million satisfied customers”.

Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary managing director Jens Buhler said an expansion at the plant would ensure it remained a “reliable partner” for car buyers in future, too.

Production of compact models in Kecskemét started in 2021.

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Hungary’s minimum wage could realistically reach EUR 1,000 by 2028, says employment secretary

forint hungarian central bank minimum wage loans

Sándor Czomba, the state secretary for employment policy, said there was a “realistic chance” for the minimum wage to reach EUR 1,000/month and the average gross wage to climb to HUF 1 million/month by 2028, speaking on public television on Thursday.

Czomba told news channel M1 that the targets could be reached if GDP growth accelerated and inflation stayed predictably low. He added that talks between the government, employers, and unions about next year’s minimum wage increase and wage developments for the coming three years were continuing.

The government aims to raise the minimum wage to 50pc of the level of the average wage, excluding bonuses, in 2027, he said. That would bring the minimum wage to HUF 370,000-375,000/month, according to calculations at present, he added.

Achieving that level would require annual increases of 12pc, although the exact scale of the rise would depend on GDP growth, he said, adding that consensus between the sides had been reached on that point.

The government expects GDP to grow 3-4pc in 2025 and 4-5pc in 2026, he said.

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New housing model proposed to address Budapest’s growing housing crisis

budapest property real estate housing residential area university apartment hotel inflation Budapest's real estate market

Dávid Vitézy’s Podmaniczky Movement is proposing the introduction of a housing construction model programme to the Budapest Assembly, and calling for scrapping the sale of a student hostel in Budapest’s District 11.

Budapest is facing a housing crisis “now recognised by both the government and the opposition”, Vitézy said on Facebook on Thursday, and called for “all suitable properties, whether a municipally owned construction site of building, to be utilised as homes or student hostels.”

Vitézy also called for a rental housing programme in which incentives would be provided to property developers to construct affordable rental units. In the proposed model developers would be granted construction rights while the city could retain the right to select would-be tenants and offer housing subsidies to eligible tenants, he added.

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Top Hungary news: New Hungarian airline, American warship’s message, M2 metro, end of Slovak-Hungarian citizenship agreement — 23 October, 2024

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EP President Metsola: EP won’t abandon those who stand for democracy

roberta metsola 1956 revolution

The legacy of the heroes of Hungary’s 1956 uprising is a reminder that the push for liberty and democracy must be constant and that the European Parliament “will never abandon” those who stand for it, EP President Roberta Metsola said in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

“We remember the brave men and women who stood up for democracy, who gave their lives for freedom,” Metsola said in a speech prior to the agenda in a plenary session, marking the 68th anniversary of the 1956 revolution and freedom fight.

roberta metsola 1956 revolution
Photo: MTI/EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson

“We pay homage to their extraordinary courage and to the memory of those who fell victim to Soviet oppression. 68 years later we remember the heroes of 1956, we honour them,” she said. “Let their legacy remind us that the push for liberty and democracy must be constant and that this Parliament will never leave those who stand for it alone,” Metsola added.

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Hungarian MEP appointed rapporteur for African education development

györgy hölvényi mep africa education development

The European Parliament’s Committee on Development (DEVE) has appointed György Hölvényi, an MEP of Hungary’s co-ruling Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) as standing rapporteur for education in developing countries, especially Africa.

györgy hölvényi mep africa education development
Photo: Facebook/Hölvényi György

Hölvényi told MTI on Tuesday that his two-year mandate involves assessing the state of education in Africa to obtain reliable data, and monitoring the use of the nearly 8 billion euros the European Commission had allocated to that purpose.

Progress in education is impossible until elementary schooling is in its current “insufficient” state, and hundreds of millions of children receive no education whatsoever, Hölvényi said. In view of the population boom underway, the number of teachers must be steeply increased by 2030 even to maintain the current level of basic education, he said.

Meanwhile, vocational training must be brought up to 21st-century levels in Africa, and include technological knowledge and other subjects, the lack of which is currently in the way of implementing planned investments in the continent, he said.

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Attention! Budapest M2 metro to operate on a shortened route

Police M2 metro Budapest

Due to maintenance work, the M2 metro line will only run between the Déli railway station and Puskás Ferenc Stadium stations from Thursday and Friday evenings starting at 9 PM, and all day on Saturday and Sunday, as announced by the Budapest Transport Center (BKK) on Monday.

Changes in M2 metro schedule

According to the announcement, a replacement bus service will operate with M2 signage between the Puskás Ferenc Stadium and Örs vezér tere stations, Economx reports.

Police M2 metro Budapest
The M2 metro will run on a shortened route from tomorrow. Photo: FB

BKK stated that passengers could catch the replacement bus at two locations near the Puskás Ferenc Stadium: at the stop next to the metro building on Kerepesi Road, and after the Hungária körút intersection at the stop for the 80 trolleybus heading towards Örs vezér tere. Buses will also depart from the Kőbánya side terminal at Örs vezér tere.

It was noted that on Saturday and Sunday, the ticket office at Örs vezér tere will be inaccessible, so a temporary ticket sales point will be set up next to the “mushroom” building by the HÉV terminal.

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Hungary’s agriculture minister calls for farmer-focused policies at EU meeting

istván nagy agriculture eu

Agriculture Minister István Nagy urged policies to support the establishment of a “farmer-centred” agriculture sector at a press conference after a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

Nagy said streamlining farmers’ applications for support and taking steps to make agriculture output more predictable were necessary to achieve that goal.

istván nagy agriculture eu
István Nagy. Photo: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka

He added that support for small and mid-sized farms, which would attract younger farmers, would be key to ensure food security in future.

Nagy said support for European Union farmers guaranteed EU citizens a secure and sufficient supply of food. That support cannot be reduced, he added.

The ministers reached an agreement on quotas for fish catches in the Baltic Sea for 2025 and discussed priorities for the future of the common agricultural policy (CAP) after 2027. They also touched on trade-related issues, especially with regard to China and Ukraine.

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Top Hungary news: 23 October public transport and store opening changes, secret neo-Nazi festival, retro hotel — 22 October, 2024

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Breaking: Hungarian military attaché accredited to Chad passes away

Will Hungarian soldiers solve the problem of delayed planes in Hungary chad

The Hungarian military attaché accredited to N’Djamena, Chad, has passed away. Lieutenant Colonel Imre Vékás-Kovács was an outstanding and highly respected soldier of the Hungarian Defence Forces, MTI reported.

Vékás-Kovács began his military career in 1988 and served in numerous operational areas, holding both diplomatic and military diplomatic positions. He had recently started his foreign service in the Sahel region as Hungary’s military attaché to N’Djamena.

The attaché passed away on Monday after complaining of feeling unwell in the preceding days. He was found in his hotel room, with no signs of foul play. The Hungarian Defence Forces will ensure the repatriation of the deceased, and the exact cause of death will be investigated in Hungary.

Source: MTI/OS

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Changes to short-term rental rules impact Budapest only, says Hungarian Tourism Agency

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A two-year suspension of issues of permits for short-term rentals and an increase in the room tax for Airbnb-type activity will affect the area of the capital only, not other settlements, the Hungarian Tourism Agency said on Tuesday, responding to press inquiries.

“The measures will not affect other settlements in Hungary, now or in future,” the agency said. Hungarian Tourism Agency head László Könnyid noted that the capital had led the country in terms of guest nights last year, with 14,200,000. Siofok, on Lake Balaton, was runner-up, with 1,117,497 guest nights, followed by the spa towns of Hajdúszoboszló (1,111,620) and Hévíz (1,068,724).

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Orbán’s challenger Magyar: Fidesz has cheated the Hungarian people

PM Orbán and Péter Magyar Tisza party

Leader of the opposition Tisza Party Péter Magyar on Tuesday accused ruling Fidesz of having “cheated” Hungarians by “preaching” about a rural, family and child-friendly, bourgeois Hungary while making the country “the poorest and most corrupt country in the European Union”.

“Enough is enough!” Magyar said in a statement. “The story of 1956 is now our story!” He insisted that Hungarians were a freedom-loving people who wanted a patriotic government, but they did not want 3,000,000 compatriots “living below subsistence level”.

Under a Tisza Party government, maternity hospitals in rural areas would not be shut down but renovated, while public health care and education would be developed rather than run-down, the statement said.

Among the policies he promised were lower VAT, higher family benefits and pensions, channelling EU funds into family farms, and anti-corruption measures.


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Lionel Richie returns to Budapest after 20 years for 2025 concert!

lionel richie budapest concert

Lionel Richie, the legendary American singer-songwriter, is set to return to Budapest after nearly two decades.

As part of his 2025 “Say Hello to the Hits” European tour, Richie will perform at the MVM Dome on 17 July. Index reports. The tour kicks off in Belfast on 31 May and spans 16 countries, with a total of 27 concerts.

Lionel Richie’s return to Budapest

lionel richie budapest concert
Lionel Richie returns to Budapest after 20 years. Photo: depositphotos.com

Richie, a pop icon, has sold over 125 million albums worldwide and is the recipient of four Grammy Awards, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe. His most famous songs include Hello, All Night Long, Say You, Say Me, and We Are the World, the latter co-written with Michael Jackson. The upcoming tour celebrates his five-decade-long career, paying tribute to his cultural impact as both a songwriter and performer.

This won’t be Lionel Richie’s first time performing in Hungary. In 2005, he wowed a crowd of 200,000 people at Budapest’s Ötvenhatosok tere (formerly Felvonulási tér) during the free Kapcsolat concert. His much-anticipated return promises an unforgettable night filled with hits.

Tickets for the Budapest show will go on sale on 25 October via Live Nation. More information about the tour can be found on the artist’s official website.

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Hungarian Parliament suspends opposition politician’s immunity

antal csárdi lmp immunity

Members of parliament on Monday voted to suspend the immunity of Antal Csárdi, a lawmaker of the opposition LMP, meeting a request by the public prosecutor in connection with charges that he obstructed traffic and disobeyed police during a demonstration at a battery plant near Budapest.

The protest mounted by the green party took place at the battery plant in Göd, north of Budapest, on 3 June, and Csárdi was charged with standing in the road for a prolonged period of time, where he held a live video stream while also ignoring a police instruction to get off the road. The motion was supported by 132 lawmakers in favour, 38 against and 1 abstention.

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Top Hungary news: train derailed, huge tax against short-term rentals, new train stations, Hungarians about the war, Dracula, cocktail bars — 21 October, 2024

March 15 Hungary National flag hoisted hussar

We’ve rounded up today’s top Hungary news: 

Featured Hungary news

BREAKING NEWS: Train derailed at Keleti station, several trains delayed

Young people planning armed attacks against protected persons in Hungary, details HERE

Another huge tax hike from the Orbán cabinet: this time it’s on short-term rentals in Budapest – details HERE

Railway stations in major Hungarian cities to be completely rebuilt with private capital – details HERE

Politics

Is Orbán’s son-in-law on the brink of securing a big business?

Revealing survey: What Hungarians truly think about the war in Ukraine

Foreign minister: Hungarian authorities have recently prevented over 500,000 illegal entry attempts – Salzburg Europe Summit

Society, culture

House frozen in time: Inside Pest County’s abandoned modern villa – details HERE

A message from the legacy of Dracula: Béla Lugosi’s granddaughter speaks to fans

5+1 stylish cocktail bars in Budapest to explore with your friends after a long day – details HERE

Business

Hungarian farm groups slam European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy report, details HERE