Austria

Hungarian man prevented an armed robbery in Austria – he is celebrated as a hero!

A Hungarian man living in Austria prevented an armed robbery in a shop in Schärding, a small town in Upper Austria. One of the Hungarian tabloids found him and asked him what exactly had happened. Attila Kovács said that he wanted to save the lives of the female shopkeepers, so he acted without hesitation.

According to borsonline.hu, thanks to a Hungarian man, police could catch two armed thieves who wanted to rob a small shop in Schärding. Attila Kovács said that he regularly shops in the local Unimarket after work. That is why he was in the store on the day of the attack as well.

He has been living in Austria for eight years and, on the day of the robbery, he was talking with the shop owner near the back entrance. “As I was preparing to go home, one of the employees ran out and shouted: ROBBERY! The robbers came with guns, and the store manager, Brigit, asked me to look around since

she knew that I learnt law enforcement,”

Attila said to the Hungarian tabloid.

“I went inside and saw that two young people were shouting with the cashier.

‘GIVE US THE MONEY! OTHERWISE, WE WILL SHOOT YOU!’ they cried.”

Attila acted immediately. He knocked the gun from the hand of one of the guys, but they fought back. One of them punched him in the face, and they wanted to knock him out together. However, they did not expect that Attila would not give up.

Meanwhile, the employees of the store blocked all exits, so the robbers could not escape. “I brought the taller guy to the ground with a headlock defence, and I kept him there until the police arrived,” Attila said. The other guy managed to run home, but in half an hour, the officers caught him.

As it was discovered later, the attackers were of Turkish and Bosnian origin.

One of them was 20, while the other was 17 years old.

They tried to rob the shop with a flare gun. “I do not know why they wanted to do it. Everybody knows in town that the father of the Bosnian guy is a billionaire,” Attila said, who suffered only some back injuries during the fight. Attila works at a security company as a bouncer, and his injuries healed in 6 days.

 

The shop’s employees were very grateful, and the manager thanked Attila a lot for risking his life for them. Attila said that he would go more often to the store.

“My sister asked what if I was shot, but I said I did not think about that since

I only wanted to save them.

Some of my colleagues also said that they would have stayed out of a situation like this,” Attila said.

“I am not a hero, I do not want fame, but I wanted to avoid anybody getting hurt,” he concluded.

Featured image: illustration

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13 martyrs or more? – facts you did not know about the tragedy of the Martyrs of Arad

Martyrs of Arad-Hungary-history

6 October marks a sorrowful day in Hungarian history: one hundred and seventy-two years ago, in 1849, thirteen Hungarian military officers − twelve generals and one colonel – and Prime Minister Count Lajos Batthyány were brutally executed in Arad, which represented the height of the Habsburg reprisals that followed Hungary’s revolution and fight for independence.

Brief overview

The Hungarian Revolution of 1848−1849 is one of the most significant events in Hungarian history. This event is one of the bases of the national identity since it sought to achieve individual freedoms and establish national sovereignty. In May 1849, Emperor Franz Joseph called for Russian help, and the joint army of Russian and Austrian forces defeated the Hungarians.

The Hungarian Revolution ended on 13 August 1849 with the surrender at Világos, and it was followed by the Habsburg reprisal. Franz Joseph I. appointed Haynau, Field Marshal of the imperial army, to restore the order in Hungary. With the execution of the generals, Haynau wanted to set an example to the Hungarians and the world as to how rebels are to be dealt with and how to ensure order.

You can read more about the historical overview of the events in our previous article:

October 6 – The memorial day of the 13 martyrs of Arad

or watch this video about the Hungarian Revolution:

In the following sections, we have collected some lesser-known facts about the Martyrs of Arad.

Why 6 October?

The executions were not accidentally scheduled for 6 October. This day marks the first anniversary of the Vienna Uprising and the death of Theodor Baillet von Latour, Imperial Minister of War (he was killed when the seat of government in the ministry of war was stormed).

17 martyrs

Hungary is one of the few nations in Europe that can list 15−20 famous soldiers from a historical period, the names of whom are still remembered. All Hungarians can list the names of the Martyrs of Arad (and Pest) − Lajos Aulich, János Damjanich, Károly Knézich, György Lahner, Károly Leiningen-Westerburg, József Nagy-Sándor, Ernő Poeltenberg, Ignác Török, Károly Vécsey, Arisztid Dessewffy, Ernő Kiss, Vilmos Lázár, József Schweidel and Lajos Batthyány −, but the total number of people executed in Arad was 17.

Colonel Norbert Ormai (Auffenberg) was the first of the Martyrs of Arad.

In 1840, while serving as a lieutenant in the Imperial Army, he was accused of collaborating with Polish patriots from Galicia. He was arrested and spent seven years imprisoned. Ormai was a proponent of European democracy and liberal reforms; he was sentenced to another fourteen years in 1847, but he was pardoned in 1848. Ormai joined the Hungarian uprising within months and was commissioned to organise a rifle regiment. After Haynau arrested him, Ormai was hanged as a traitor on 22 August in Arad.

The fifteenth martyr was Lajos Kazinczy, the youngest son of Ferenc Kazinczy,

who was shot on 25 October in a rampart near the north-eastern gate of the Arad castle. Haynau probably separated his case from the thirteen officers executed on 6 October because Kazinczy only surrendered twelve days after the surrender at Világos.

Ludwig Hauk, the sixteenth martyr was hanged on 19 February 1850.

Hauk took part in the Vienna Uprising, and after the defeat in October, he fled to Hungary, where he became a military major in January 1849. He was arrested in Bihar in August, and he was already sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in the Vienna Uprising. Hauk was sentenced to death in January 1849.

Although he was not executed, János Lenkey is considered the last martyr of Arad.

Lenkey was in Galicia when the news of the Pest Revolution of 1848 reached him, and he and his squadron fled home to apply for service in Hungary. Lenkey was also brought before a court-martial in Arad, but he went mad during his captivity, so Haynau decided to let him die in prison.

The Hungarian revolution of 1848 in the middle of a pandemic

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Not all the generals were of Hungarian nationality

As their names show, many of them had German – Aulich, Lahner or Leiningen-Westerburg −, Austrian − Poeltenberg − or Slavic roots – Damjanich and Knézich. Lajos Aulich, for example, was born in Pozsony (today Bratislava), had German origins and did not speak Hungarian. Ernő Kiss and Vilmos Lázár were of Armenian descent.

Last sentences

Lajos Batthyány was executed by firing squad in Pest on 6 October 1849, the same day as the 13 Martyrs of Arad. According to contemporary reports, he knelt in front of the firing squad and shouted the following before he was executed:

“Long live my country! Come on, huntsmen!”

“I’ve served and served, always served. I’m going to serve with my death as well. My beloved Hungarian nation and home, I know you understand this service,” said Lajos Aulich before he was hanged. Arisztrid Dessewffy’s last sentence was: “Yesterday heroes, today martyrs… This is what the service of my home commands”.

You can find the complete list of the last sentences of the 13 martyrs HERE.

Hungarian criminal finally caught after prostituting women abroad for years – PHOTOS, VIDEO

Criminal Prostitute Abuse 1

The 43-year-old man from Baja named Gyula S. has been forcing women to provide sexual services for men in the UK and Austria since 2012.

The Hungarian Police has been searching for Gyula S., but the whereabouts of the perpetrator and further details of the investigation were supplied by the Austrian Police. According to their investigation, the man had forced multiple Hungarian women to work for him as prostitutes and then took all their money from them.

The investigation shed light on the fact that

between 2012 and 2016 Gyula S. had forced a Hungarian woman to work in a brothel in London. This is not all however, as the perpetrator from Baja was regularly abused the victim.

Luckily the woman was finally able to break free from the enslavement and abuse of the 43-year-old criminal and fled home, Index reports.

According to Hvg, after his first victim had managed to escape the torturous situation, he found another victim whom he had lived together with and was forcing her to provide sexual services for men both in the UK and Austria.

Their relationship has probably ended, but later, in 2020, the mand tried to enslave her another time.

The partner of Gulya S. arranged a meeting with the victim in a parking lot in Austria, but when the victim arrived,

the 43-year-old mand had tried to pull her into a car in order use her as a prostitute again.

Luckily, the attempt was unsuccessful, and the woman has decided to seek out the help of the Austrian Police and have told them the details of the crime., Police.hu says.

Thanks to the help of the Austrian authorities, the Hungarian Police have managed to locate Gyula S. and

the staff of the Szeged Headquarters have launched an action to detain the perpetrator., which they successfully did on the 2nd of September.

After detaining the criminal, the police have searched the house and found a large sum of cash, a smartphone, and several contracts. Additionally, they have confiscated three motorbikes under asset recovery.

Hungary police bounty hunter
Read alsoMentally disabled Hungarian woman forced into prostitution in Austria

Austrian politician blames Hungary for illegal migration?

Menekült Migrant Illegal Migration Human Trafficking

Austrian Minister of the Interior Karl Nehammer blamed Hungarian border control officers for the many unidentified migrants. From his standpoint, Hungary should act according to the European Union’s law and defend the borders more effectively.

Unfortunately, the job of border control officers is really difficult. At the Schengen outer borders, officers had to deal with 53,297 cases this year, while in 2020, the number of cases where interference was necessary was only 17,442 in the same period of time.

“The direct reason for the migratory pressure is that Greece transported tens of thousands of refugees from the camps on the islands to the mainland, most of who are headed towards Hungary on the Western Balkans route,” hvg.hu quotes the police.

Austrian politician Roland Fürst has data on the migration issue, indicating that this year, 8,000 people crossed the Austrian-Hungarian border illegally, out of which 20% are Afghans.

90% of Afghan migrants are men. 90% of those who asked for residency permits but were denied are still in the country.

hungary border fence migration
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The Hungarian police said that the migratory pressure at the southern border is huge.

Kronen Zeitiung quoted the

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), who said that “There are a lot of migrants here, nobody knows who they are. Hungary cannot allow that to happen. They have to adhere to EU law and protect their external borders more efficiently.”

He then went on to add that the European Union is “sending the wrong signals” regarding the current migration policy, and since the EU does not react, Austria must “lead the fight against the illegal smugglers who are repeatedly endangering people’s lives.”

The Hungarian police posted a video about their press conference, and on their official website, they also posted a graphic video about the migration issue.

Hungary migration border
Read alsoIllegal migrants and guest workers overruning the Southern borders!

Featured image: MTI/Mihádák Zoltán

Amazing things you need to know before traveling to Austria

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Vienna’s Habsburg-era opulence and Klimt’s lush sensuality attract the visitors to Austria, as do the melancholy traces of a grand lost empire. However, Austria is more than that.

There were thriving contemporary art scenes, a great nightlife, efficient transportation, safe streets, and food options that went far beyond schnitzel. You’ll also love the laid-back wine-growing regions and Alpine hospitality.

If you plan to enter Austria from a country outside Europe, you need to obtain a digital green certificate Austria.

These are 6 amazing things you need to know before you travel to Austria.

Vienna from a different perspective

Having been the capital of Europe’s longest-lasting empire, Vienna’s cultural and historical riches are astounding. The Innerstadt’s gilded palaces and masterpiece-lauded art museums are peppered with thriving, creative neighborhoods that lie beyond the historic Ringstrasse. In the scenic multicultural streets, fashionable Neubau, Mariahilf, and Leopoldstadt, surrounding the open-air Brunnenmarkt and Ottakring, you’ll find excellent cafes with better coffee than the grand old coffee houses. Also, small bars serving local wines, techno clubs, and intimate, small-scaled house museums such as the Freud Museum, set in the father of psychoanalysis’s house, are other notable attractions.

Salzburg beyond Mozart and Maria Von Trapp

Salzburg’s musical associations are omnipresent. However, there are ways to enjoy Salzburg without succumbing to clichés—Mozart and Von Trapp tour. Take, for example, the annual Salzburg Festival, which attracts the world’s best classical musicians and is well worth planning ahead of time. And, there is a thriving year-round jazz and electronic scene in a city full of music students, where the classically trained kids can let off steam. Besides, visiting the limestone peaks, mist-shrouded waterfalls, and jewel-colored lakes make for an excellent day trip. If you only have a few hours to spend outside of town, the sparkling subterranean ice pavilions and lantern-lit passages of Eisriesenwelt cave are must-visits.

Sample Austrian Wine

Austria’s Wachau, Kremstal, and Kamptal regions are home to traditional operations and younger, edgier producers of wine. The famous Danube-side town of Krems gets all the attention, but Langenlois is a hidden gem that stays true to its agricultural, working-town roots while also turning on the charm. Try the local Grüner Veltliner, which can be as citrusy and thirst-quenching, and peppery-rich as a good Chardonnay. Vineyards and winemaking villages emerge from Eisenstadt, completely encircling the marshy lake and home to an increasing number of natural winemakers, including the cult producer Gut Oggau. Blaufränkisch, a full-bodied red, is the region’s most famous wine. Südsteiermark is known as “Styrian Tuscany ” for its sun-drenched rolling hills and rambling villages, as well as its wine-growing skill. Sauvignon Blanc and Weissburgunder are local favorites.

Winter adventures

The birthplace of modern skiing, Vorarlberg, and Tyrol, define Austria’s ski scene; here, you’ll find the well-known St. Anton, Ischgl, and Kitzbühel resorts, famous for their deep snow and steep drops as well as day drinking and a hardcore nightlife. To the east is Grossglockner Resort Kals-Matrei, a family-friendly ski scene,  which  features varied terrain, half-price passes for under-18s, and the ecstasy of waking up to a horizon studded with over sixty 9,840ft (3000m) peaks. Locals prefer the more relaxed, sunny-side-of-the-Alps skiing in Carinthia in the south, including the free riders favorite Ankogel and the high-elevation Mölltaler glacier, which receives an average of 65ft (20m) of snow per year.

Explore Graz, Austria’s second-largest city

When discussing Graz, Austrians frequently draw comparisons to the Mediterranean. Even though the country’s second-largest city is far from the sea, once seen, you’ll understand what they mean. Its new historic center combines Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture in an evocative mix. The iconic clock-tower perch and its terracotta rooftops mingling with thundering River Mur at the background evoke Italian Riviera towns or those of the Slavic Adriatic. Its cuisine is also lighter, fresher, and more sun-kissed than that of Vienna. It’s a friendly and peaceful place, especially in the spring and summer, with none of the crowds of Vienna or Salzburg. Graz has received UNESCO designations for its historic center, as a city of culture, design, and, most recently, of food.

Easy transportation

The national OBB train system is integrated with the Postbus bus network, making public transportation very efficient. Regional transportation passes are worth exploring because they can provide significant savings. Driving in Austria is a pleasure, though car rental pickups and drop-offs are only available in major cities. Cyclists are well served by bike paths that extend throughout cities and into regional areas. There are also numerous bike rental options for summer touring.

10-year-old migrant boy caught with tens of thousands of EUR in his pocket

Budapest boy money

A 69-year-old Egyptian man claimed that he was his grandfather.

According to atv.hu, he was caught when the police found a teenage boy wandering alone in Budapest with tens of thousands of euros in his pocket. The officers of the 11th district police headquarter found the boy on August 26, at around 4 pm, on Thököly Street.

He did not have valid documents but had tens of thousands of euros in his pocket.

Following the officers’ request, he led them to his accommodation in the 7th district of Budapest where they found a 69-year-old Egyptian man. He claimed to be the grandfather of the child. However, they could not explain why the boy was wandering in the city with such a high amount of cash.

During the police investigation, it became apparent that he is not a relative of the boy. Instead, police found three Syrian citizens in his flat, together with a Moroccan and a Turkish national.

None of them could prove their lawful staying in Hungary.

Afterwards, the Egyptian national was taken into custody, while the migrants he hid in his apartment were transferred to the police headquarters of Budapest. Finally, the father of the kid went to the police station. Based on the information gathered by the police,

the Egyptian man wanted to smuggle the boy and his father to Austria.

Meanwhile, he took rent from the migrants living in his apartment.

Police officers arrested him on the suspicion of human trafficking and requested his pre-trial detention. Authorities took the father and his son to the airport police headquarters. Moreover, they transferred the migrants found in the apartment to the border station of Tompa.

Budapest boy money
Read also10-year-old migrant boy caught with tens of thousands of EUR in his pocket

Mentally disabled Hungarian woman forced into prostitution in Austria

Hungary police bounty hunter

A woman in a severely vulnerable position was forced into prostitution in Austria by a man and a woman from Budapest. The National Investigation Bureau of the Standby Police is now investigating József T. and Eszter L. due to a well-founded suspicion of human trafficking.

Police writes that the suspects are partners who, in the summer of 2019, threatened to force a mentally disabled young Hungarian woman to travel to Austria with them. There she was forced into prostitution for a week. József T. and his partner kept all the income of roughly 1000 euros.

The criminals did not even care to provide the young woman with food and drink in the brothel, she only got those necessities from others.

The criminal proceedings were ordered in Austria, from where they were transferred to the Hungarian authorities.

Eszter L. was prosecuted by the Hungarian police on Tuesday, and a house search was carried out at the woman’s address in Budapest. His partner, József T., was interrogated as a suspect the next Wednesday. The couple can be sentenced to two to eight years for classified trafficking.

Read also14- and 15-year-old Hungarian girls forced into prostitution in Vienna!

Furniture of Queen Elisabeth of Hungary repurchased from Germany

Gödöllő

Furniture that used to belong to the 19th-century Queen Elisabeth of Hungary, also known as Sissi, including her dressing table and glass-covered cabinet, have been repurchased from Germany and have been put on display at the Royal Palace of Gödöllő near Budapest, the government spokeswoman said on Friday.

Alexandra Szentkirályi told a press conference at the palace that the items of furniture were repurchased under the arrangements of the national palace and castle programme, with help from the heritage protection agency.

She said that

tourism which provides a livelihood for some 400,000 people in Hungary had been hit hard during the past 18 months

but the government has offered support and continued with developments in the sector.

As a result,

35 new hotels and bed and breakfasts are being built in rural Hungary,

600 B and Bs have been modernised, 14,000 private accommodation providors received support, and a total 150 billion forints (EUR 410m) will be offered by application for the development of medicinal thermal baths around the country, she said.

Ministerial commissioner in charge of the national palace and castle programme Zsolt Virág noted that Queen Elisabeth’s personal furniture had been sold at an auction in Germany, and

the items have now been added to the castle’s permanent exhibition in her former dressing room and study.

14- and 15-year-old Hungarian girls forced into prostitution in Vienna!

The court of Nyíregyháza sentenced a group of family members and their acquaintances to 4 to 6 years in prison. Based on the indictment, the gang forced at least two underage girls into prostitution. They threatened the victims even with the extermination of their families if they do not oblige and work as prostitutes in the Austrian capital. Furthermore, members of the gang were also condemned for human trafficking.

According to index.hu, the perpetrators forced two underage girls, who were brought up in a child protection institute, into prostitution from the spring of 2017. One of them, a 15-year-old girl, escaped from the institute and was forced to work as a prostitute in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. However, she was brought to Vienna together with the other victim, a 14-year-old girl.

They were promised to receive a job in the Austrian capital.

However, both were forced into prostitution in the Prater entertainment district. First, they thought they could keep half of the “earned” money, but they were wrong.

Men running Hungarian prostitutes in Berlin arrested – Video

The gang members continuously kept an eye on them, and since they did not know the language and did not have local knowledge, the girls were vulnerable and had no chance to resist. Once, one of them tried, but two of the perpetrators started to physically abuse her and said they would exterminate her family.

The gang members transferred home more than EUR 3,200 through the “work” of the girls in only 2.5 months.

Furthermore, they lived from the money the two victims got in the Austrian capital.

Interestingly, the perpetrators appealed against the court’s decision, while the prosecutor accepted it. The court of Debrecen will decide on the issue, but ugyeszseg.hu said that

there is no legal cause to mitigate the ruling at first instance.

Hungarian organisation transporting prostitutes to the UK finally held accountable

Hungarian state purchases Batthyany family documents

Hungarian state purchases Batthyany family documents

The Hungarian state has purchased a collection of 520 documents pertaining to the aristocratic Hungarian Batthyány family, stored for the past 75 years in Vienna, for 5.6 million euros, an official of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Monday.

The documents are destined for the National Archives which already keeps materials related to the Batthyány family, such as the documents related to the ill-fated 1526 Battle of Mohács, state secretary Balázs Orbán told a press conference.

When to forced to leave Communist Hungary in 1945, the family took several hundred documents with them.

The archives’ director, Csaba Szabó, told the event that

the collection which arrived in Budapest two weeks ago was “unique” and of great significance in terms of Hungarian history.

György Rácz, chief archivist, noted that members of the Batthyany family had filled important government positions over several centuries.

The documents will be digitised and available for research purposes.

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Hungarian man living in Austria charged with child sexual abuse

abuse harassment crime

The Pest County Chief Prosecutor’s Office charged a Hungarian man living in Austria of sexually abusing three minors over the past ten years, as well as of owning child pornography, the office said on Thursday.

According to the charges, the man, who has been living in Austria over the past 20 years, stayed multiple times at the home of a relative in Hungary, and seemingly befriended their child who was under six at the time. The man sexually abused the child multiple times between 2011 and 2019, the charges said.

Between September 2019 and February 2020, the man abused the younger child of the same family on five occasions, and took naked pictures of the child and sent them over a social media site, the charges said.

Authorities have found over 15,000 images of child pornography stored in his mobile phone, the prosecutor’s office said.

In Austria, the man also befriended a Hungarian family and sexually abused their child on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2018.

The man has been taken into pre-trial detention, the office said.

Children Abuse Violence Erőszak
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Austria increases control on Hungary border

Austrian Armed Forces

Austria has tightened control at the border with Hungary due to an increased inflow of illegal migrants, Austrian news agency APA said on Tuesday.

A battalion of the Austrian Armed Forces are patrolling the area between the villages of Oberpullendorf (Felsőpulya) and Neusiedler (Nezsider) using infrared cameras and drones, APA said.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer visited the region earlier in the day, and said the measures were designed to deter illegal migrants from trying to enter the country.

The Burgenland regional police have said that

so far, 5,400 illegal migrants have been detained in the border area this year.

In 2016, altogether 6,500 migrants attempted to cross the border during the entire year, the police said.

As we wrote today, due to increased migration, the Austrian Minister of Defence and Minister of the Interior are sending 400 soldiers to the Austrian-Hungarian border. Details HERE.

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Austria sends 400 soldiers to the Hungarian border

Austrian flag

Due to increased migration, the Austrian Minister of Defence and Minister of the Interior are sending 400 soldiers to the Austrian-Hungarian border.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer and Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner announced at a press conference that border protection would be strengthened due to the growing number of migrants arriving in Austria. Deutsche Welle writes that reinforced border protection currently means 400 soldiers.

If the situation worsens, they could send up to 2,000 soldiers to defend the borders.

“Austria is stepping up surveillance of its borders. The reason for this is that more and more migrants are coming to our country again,” said Interior Minister Karl Nehammer. Klaudia Tanner thinks similarly. Politicians from the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVB) reported on their experiences at a press conference in Vienna. Border protection initially means 400 soldiers. However, Tanner emphasised that they could deploy up to 2,000 soldiers if needed.

“The aim is to control migratory movements,”

said Tanner. “We are seeing an increase in the number of arrests at the Austrian border,” Nehammer added. The increase in migration is most significant on the Austrian-Hungarian border. However, they do not only strengthen the common border with Hungary. They also increase the strength of defence at their common borders with Slovenia and Slovakia. This year, 200 human traffickers have been caught, writes hvg.hu.

This year already 15,768 refugees were registered.

Last year this number was 21,700. Tanner has been critical of this. The Minister of Defence sharply criticised the European Commission. According to him, the European asylum system has failed. The measure introduced was welcomed by Christian Sagartz, leader of the easternmost province of Austria. Sagartz put it as an important signal in the fight against illegal migration.

In addition to illegal migration, the measures are aimed at effectively ending smuggling activities. In Sagartz’s view, all provinces and the whole of Austria could benefit from this. Right-wing politician Herbert Kickl welcomed the measure but also voiced criticism. He believes Nehammer is at least a year late with this decision, as 100 illegal migrants arrive in Austria every day.

Official highlights Budapest-Warsaw high-speed railway project

railway frankfurt high speed

Integrating Hungary in a European high-speed railway network will be “the grandest railway project of our life”, State Secretary László Mosoczi told an online conference on the Budapest-Warsaw railway development project aimed at connecting the Visegrad countries and Austria.

Once the new service is complete within the next 10 years, Vienna and Bratislava will be accessible from Budapest in less than 2 hours, Prague in 3.5 hours, and Warsaw in 5.5 hours, the state secretary said.

The project, he insisted, will guarantee a sustainable future for Hungarian railways.

Hungary has spent over 2,000 billion forints (EUR 5.6bn) on domestic railway developments in the past 15 years, while the government could spend “several times as much” in future to increase the competitiveness of the railway, Mosoczi said.

The state secretary noted the European Union’s directive of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent before 2050, and said that

“the real solution” could be switching over from cars and aircraft to trains, which “could even ensure full emissions-free operations”.

örs vezér tere square hév metro 2
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Brutal storms and crazy weather hit Hungary on Monday – VIDEOS

Storm Budapest3

On Monday morning, the crazy storms and extreme weather conditions caused massive chaos in the Hungarian capital. The water flood on the streets of Budapest has completely paralysed the traffic, causing enormous damage and huge traffic jams at the beginning of the week. Videos can be checked out below!

Not long after last week’s extreme weather, this Monday started with crazy storms in Budapest that flooded the Hungarian capital within seconds. As Borsonline reports, the stormy rains poured such a large amount of water into the streets of the Hungarian capital that the sewer system could no longer drain it.

The flooding water paralysed both car traffic and public transport; furthermore, traffic lights did not work either that caused massive traffic jams on the roads. Extreme weather conditions and non-functioning traffic lights lead to car crashes in Budapest. On Monday morning, disaster protection units were alerted to about fifty locations in the Hungarian capital and Pest County due to the sudden stormy rainfall.

Professional and voluntary disaster management units were alerted to remove torn tree branches and pump out basements, garages, basements flooded with water.

An orange alarm is still in effect due to the stromy weather conditions.

However, not only the Hungarian capital but Hungary as a whole – except for Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg counties – suffered storm damages over the weekend. On Sunday, 175 firefighter interventions were required to resolve problems caused by fallen trees, torn tree branches that fell on roads, houses, electrical wires.

In addition, our neighbors did not get away with stormy weather last weekend either – reported by Index.

In several places, the storm caused great damages: there were flooded roads, twisted streets, flowing streams of water and hails.

Storm Budapest
Photo: MTI/Mihádák Zoltán

In Slovakia, due to the rising water level of the River Danube flood protection alert was issued in Bratislava and the surroundings. Presumably, the water level may peak on Monday afternoon, reaching seven meters and can even rise further.

In Austria, floods were mostly reported in Salzburg, Tyrol and Upper Austria due to extreme weather conditions. In the province of Salzburg, the Kothbach stream spilt, the water flooded Hallein’s old town. In Tyrol, trees were twisted by the storm, and water broke into basements and underground garages. Several roads became impassable in Upper Austria, where firefighters were alerted to more than 500 cases.

In Romania, more than two hundred people were evacuated due to the floods, the landslide damaged 16 houses, and another 72 houses were flooded in Roşia Montană. Fortunately, the storm has no human victim, but the material damage is significant.

In Transcarpathia, trees were felled by the stormy wind; as a result, 11 settlements were completely, and 19 were partially left without electricity last night. The wind damaged 35 houses in Beregvidék, 19 trees fell on the roads of Ukraine. Due to the vast downpour, two mudslides rushing down the hillsides flooded a road in the Huszti district.

Firefighters were alerted to the scene to make the road walkable. Serious thunderstorms are still expected in much of the county.

Somoskő Castle
Read alsoClimate concerns still on public’s mind during pandemic

Number of Hungarians working in Austria to set new record this summer?!

The number of Hungarians working in Austria is slowly recovering to pre-epidemic levels, attracting dozens of skilled and unskilled workers with “dream salaries”. Presumably, the number of Hungarian employees in the neighbouring country will reach its annual peak in July-August and could even break a record this summer.

In May, 98,374 Hungarian citizens were registered with the Austrian social security – a number which is approaching the level of the last lively month in February 2020 before the first wave of the pandemic. At that time, more than 101,000 Hungarians were registered in the Austrian hospitality industry.

Based on forecasts, the Hungarian employment record may break even during the summer,

as the sector still needs a lot of people for the tourist season. Presumably, the number of Hungarians working in Austria will reach its annual peak during July-August.

As for the advertised positions, both skilled and unskilled workers are expected, and in many cases, a minimum knowledge of the language is sufficient.

Without a vocational qualification, you can expect a gross hourly wage of EUR 10; however, in the case of a highly demanded profession, the salary is even higher than that,

depending on the region of the country. It is good to know that in the area close to the Hungarian border, the benefits are much lower than in the other end of the country, in Tyrol or Innsbruck.

The Hungarian news portal Pénzcentrum has collected the latest, highest-paying job offers in Austria, which are the following:

  • Factory worker in the food industry: gross €10.64/hour + free accommodation + 13th and 14th month’s salary (approx. €1,600)
  • A Hungarian waiter in Tyrol can earn €1,800 net with free accommodation and meals, 13th and 14th month’s salary.
  • Heating technicians in Linz: net €2,400 in exchange for working 167 hours a month; accommodation is free. Basic German knowledge required.
  • In Tyrol, cleaning buildings can get you a net of €1,300-1,400 per month.
  • Locksmith specialists with welding skills are sought in St. Stefan (242 km from Sopron): 5 years of professional experience with a net salary of €2,100-2,500.
  • Electrical installation work in Pinkafeld (100 km from Sopron): €2,400-2,500 net.
  • Barbecue chef: €2,000 per month in Tyrol, meals and accommodation are free.
  • Parcel supplier: €1,900 per month.
  • In Kaprun, Hungarian waiters are offered €1,800 net per month. A minimum of 3 years of experience and intermediate German language skills are required.

In Hungary, the labour shortage caused by the uncertainty in the tourism sector can be mostly observed in the capital where hotel operators are working to resolve the situation with wage increases and redeployments. According to Portfolio, despite the significant wage increase in recent months in the sector, there is still a huge labour shortage in the Hungarian hospitality industry.

For the time being, it is not yet known how long the current situation will last as, after a long period of decline, the number of new coronavirus infections has started to increase again in Austria and many other EU countries. Due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, the fourth wave of the pandemic has started in Austria, as a result of which the local committees are proposing to reintroduce different measures depending on the number of cases and the burden on the health system. Currently, the Austrian government continues to adhere to the opening schedule, the next step in which will be realised on 22nd July when further ease of mask-wearing rules can be expected.

Read alsoNumber of Hungarians working in Austria to set new record this summer?!

Hungary co-signs letter calling for review of EU forestry strategy

Frans Timmermans

Hungary is among 11 European Union member states to have sent a letter to Frans Timmermans, the Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, calling on him to review the EU’s planned forestry strategy, which they said was skewed against social and economic considerations and unduly favoured “green aspects”.

Agriculture Minister István Nagy said the EU’s forestry strategy so far had been a “model of sustainable economy”, striking a balance between the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability. Shifting that balance towards “Brussels bureaucrats only considering green aspects” was “unacceptable”, Nagy said.

According to a recently leaked document, the new srategy would “narrow the tasks of a multifocal, sustainable forestry strategy to preserving biodiversity”.

“This would marginalise the economic and social role of forests, jeoparising jobs and the sector’s role in circular economy,” the statement said.

Hungary joined Austria’s initiative with a view to protecting the interests of some 500,000 Hungarians making a living in the sector, the statement said.

The letter to Timmermans was signed by the ministers of the Visegrad Group, Austria, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia and Romania.

Hungary PM Orbán
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BREAKING! Hungary eases travel restrictions, further alleviation to be expected

border koronavirus.gov.hu hungary

From Wednesday, anyone can enter Hungary without restrictions at the land and water border crossing points of six neighbouring countries. Presumably, further easing of restrictions can be expected in Hungary when the number of vaccinated people reaches 5.5 million.

A few days ago, Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó announced at a press conference in Slovakia that Hungary would lift the guarding of border crossing points at its internal Schengen borders and open the border crossings previously closed due to the coronavirus epidemic. The plan entered into force this week, after the Hungarian government amended the regulation on travel restrictions. Accordingly,

from 23rd June, anyone can enter Hungary without restrictions at the land and water border crossing points of six neighbouring countries, including Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia, except by air.

The Hungarian news portal, Turizmus.com, highlighted that the opening of the borders does not affect visits to hotels, restaurants (except terraces), spas, museums, and other attractions, as these services can still be used only by citizens of countries with which Hungary has a unilateral or bilateral agreement on the vaccination certificate.

So far, Hungary has a bilateral agreement with the following countries: Morocco, Albania, Bahrain, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Northern Macedonia, Georgia, Croatia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Turkey.

In addition, the Hungarian government has signed another bilateral agreement with Kazakhstan. Accordingly, from now on, anyone can travel to Kazakhstan without restrictions if they have a Hungarian immunity certificate, and Hungary also accepts the Kazakh vaccination certificates, reported 24.hu.

However, the EU immunity certificate, which is expected to enter into force on 1st July, will only apply to vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, so those who have been vaccinated with a Russian or Chinese vaccine will need a negative Covid test to travel within the EU.

Meanwhile, Russia has also opened up to passengers with Hungarian citizenship and permanent residence if they arrive by direct flight from Hungary. According to the relevant government decree, the border crossing is open with a valid visa and a negative PCR test not older than three days.

Previously, the Russian authorities only allowed entry to passengers who arrived in the country for investment, economic, business purposes, or to visit relatives. The Russian government decree also covers citizens of Austria, Croatia, Luxembourg, Lebanon, and Mauritius, reported Index.

Presumably, further ease of restrictions can be expected in Hungary based on the announcement of Katalin Novák, Hungarian MP, according to whom

a significant portion of the current epidemiological restrictions will be lifted by the government when the number of vaccinated people reaches 5.5 million.

As Pénzcentrum reports, further details will be revealed on Thursday’s Government Info. So far, 5 million 432 thousand people in Hungary received their first vaccination, so Hungary might achieve the goal of 5.5 million vaccinated people in a week.

Regarding the possibility of easing the epidemiological restrictions in Hungary, experts highlighted that the need for mask use is still reasonable until 80% inoculation is achieved in Hungary. According to 24.hu, even though wearing a mask is uncomfortable and suffocating, it has an incredibly good barrier function, just like keeping social distance and washing hands frequently.

Thanks to all these, the spread of the new delta variant can be impeded more efficiently. As 24.hu reports, compared to other countries in the world, the presence of the delta variant is currently very low in Hungary. Numerically, only 5 cases of the mutant from India have been detected so far.

aircraft travel flight
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