Europe

Hungary will see record heat this summer, but the worst is yet to come

dryness drought

Since measurements began in 1901, 2022 was the hottest year in Hungary. And it does not stop here, unfortunately. A strong El Niño is expected this year. El Niño is a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that affects weather worldwide. El Niño could lead to a hotter-than-normal summer already this year. However, the bomb is expected to explode in 2024 – and it will not spare Hungary.

El Niño is bringing drought and extreme heat to the globe – and Hungary

Parts of the world will experience a brutal drought. Europe, and Hungary in it, will be hit by heat and stifling humidity. The average temperature of the Earth could rise by well over 1.5 degrees Celsius, 24.hu warns. A “hot summer” is no longer just about sweating more than usual for a few days or weeks. In Hungary, too, heat waves now regularly exceed the level that is healthy for the human body. In fact, the heat is indirectly causing the premature deaths of thousands of people.

And if we look at the statistics, the number of heatwaves is increasing, while summers are also getting hotter overall. For example, 2022 was the hottest in Hungary since records began in 1901.

2023 will be exceptionally hot – but 2024 will be even hotter

Kiderül.hu meteorologist László Molnár also expects an extremely hot summer and believes that 2024 will be even hotter. According to Mr Molnár, The year 2024 could be 1.5-1.7 degrees Celsius warmer than average. The previous record was 1.35 degrees Celsius in 2016.

Europe is expected to have warmer than average temperatures and more wet and humid weather. The summer will end with a stormy August, followed by a mild autumn and a much wetter than usual winter. The same is true for Hungary as well: a humid, hot, stormy summer, followed by a mild, rainy winter with up to 20 percent more rainfall than usual.

In conclusion, László Molnár underlines that we are at the gateway to a historic event. El Niño is expected to be officially “born” within a month, and it will be fast-rising as we start from a higher global baseline temperature.

European Union funds may arrive sooner in Hungary than expected

Viktor Orbán Ursula von der Leyen EU

On Wednesday, 3 May, the Hungarian Parliament adopted the judicial reform law package, which is intended to meet the European Commission’s demands. This move will allow the government to access 13 billion euros from the Union’s cohesion fund, which was frozen until now. However, due to bureaucratic processions, even though Brussels and Budapest reached a deal, it will take a few months until the first money transfers begin.

After long-lasting negotiations between the Commission and the Hungarian government, Brussels gave the go-ahead for the reform package. While the Parliament adopted the new laws, this is not the end of the line. Now begins a lengthy process at the end of which the money will start flowing in. According to calculations, at the earliest, this will start in September, Portfolio reports.

Bureaucratic process

Adopting the laws is not enough. The next step will see the President of Hungary, Katalin Novák sign the new regulations into effect. Once her signature has been applied, on 1 June the changes will materialise in the legal system.

Following this, the Hungarian government will have to request a review of the document from the European Commission. They will evaluate whether the new laws are enough to meet their initial demands. The Commission has 90 days to reply and issue its judgment.

If they deem the changes satisfactory, the first transfers can begin. The Commission will then keep monitoring how these funds are being used.

Assuming that everything will occur the way the government expects, this means that the earliest payments will arrive at the beginning of September. It’s good news for Budapest. According to EU diplomats, the technical agreement made prior to the adoption of the reform packages guarantees up to 80-85 percent that Brussels will accept the proposition.

Partial solution

However, this is not the end of the conflict between the European Union and Hungary. While 13 billion euros is a large amount of money, 25 billion are still locked away due to other concerns. Out of the 27 demands overall, the government satisfied only 4 of them.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó recently voiced his discontent with the state of affairs.

“The funds Hungary has the right to are being withheld for political reasons, unjustly, without a legal basis. These newer and newer expectations the Commission keeps claiming are becoming derogative”

-he said.

Commissioner for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová commended Hungary for the reforms. However, she also highlighted that this is not the end of the story. She reminded the country that 23 demands are still unmet, and now the government has to follow through with its commitment in order to gain access to the frozen funds.

 

PM Viktor Orbán: “the West will fail”

Viktor Orbán CPAC

The nation is a “great invention of the West and the heart and soul of the free world”, but all nations are currently under attack, Prime Minister Viktor Orbén told the 2nd Conservative Political Action Conference Hungary (CPAC Hungary) in Budapest on Thursday.

At the same time, “the nation state is also the Achilles’ heel of the Western world”. “Should nations crumble and evaporate, the opportunity for a free life will be lost and the West will fail,” he said.

“We are all under attack, in Europe as in the US, and that attack in not economic in nature … we are facing a virus attacking the most vulnerable point of the Western world, the nation,” Orbán said.

The will of the people, that is democracy itself, is the “weak spot of progressive forces”, the “antidote to the progressive virus is here in Hungary, accessible to all … it works well and is adaptable everywhere,” Orbán said.

“All you have to do is write No migration, no gender, no war on a banner before the elections…” he added.

Hungarians have stopped illegal migration at the border, banned gender propaganda in schools and are working for peace without compromise, Orbán said, adding that “people can feel when it’s their lives on the line, and will vote for the political force protecting the nation and representing their values.”

Hungary is the place where the defeat of progressive liberals and a conservative, Christian political turnaround was not only talked about, but also accomplished, the prime minister told the event organised by the Center for Fundamental Rights.

It is hard to imagine a country in a worse situation than the one Hungary was in in 2010, Orbán said.

“The question at that time was whether conservative policy could achieve a recovery in a country bankrupted by the rampage of the liberals,” he said.

The experiment worked, “and we’re proof that only conservative politics can be of help where liberals and leftists brought a country to ruin”, Orban said.

The Hungarian success story keeps going ever since, he added

Sudan civil war expected to increase migration to Europe

Migration refugee camp EU migration pact

The civil war in Sudan is expected to increase the number of people trying to enter the European Union illegally, even as large numbers of people have been reported to reach Libya on their way to the EU from other regions in Africa, the prime minister’s security advisor told news channel M1 on Thursday.

Illegal migration is a serious risk to Europe’s security and social services, and may cause social tensions, György Bakondi said.

In Hungary, attempts at illegal entry have also intensified, with some 39,000 illegal migrants and over 300 people smugglers detained this year alone, he said.

People smuggling has become a “huge business” with sprawling organisations and serious revenues, he said. The people smuggling networks have separate “departments” for transport, forging documents, renting equipment and other sectors, he insisted.

“That’s why we stress that people smuggling can only be tackled in international cooperation between police and intelligence forces,” he said.

Minister: There is a one-dimensional picture of Hungarian opinion in Brussels

eu european union hungary flag priority areas

The political mainstream in Brussels has a “one-dimensional and simplistic view” of Hungary’s position on the war in Ukraine, Csaba Dömötör, a state secretary of the prime minister’s cabinet office, said in Brussels on Tuesday.

Hungary has condemned Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine from the start and provides all the help it can to the refugees fleeing Ukraine, Dömötör told MTI after attending a conference organised by the Brussels office of the Foundation for a Civic Hungary.

At the same time, Hungary opposes steps that would escalate the war, he said, noting that the country does not support weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

“We are also sceptical of sanctions against Russia that primarily place great burdens on European citizens,” Dömötör added.

Though the political mainstream in Brussels insists that Hungary is isolated in its position on the war, surveys across Europe indicate that the majority of European citizens share the Hungarian government’s views, Dömötör said.

European citizens, for example, do not believe that a complete ban on energy imports would be a viable solution, because they are seeing that they are primarily the ones who have to pay the price of such a measure, he said. Also, most people in the central and eastern European region do not support weapons deliveries to Ukraine, he added.

The Hungarian government is not alone in the position it represents, but “Brussels bureaucrats” have failed to ask their own citizens what they thought about these important issues, he said.

The Hungarian government, on the other hand, regularly seeks the opinion of Hungarian citizens, Dömötör said, adding that the outcome of last year’s general election also showed that Hungarians wanted peace.

Fidesz MEP: EU couldn’t handle migration crisis

Hungarian police Macedonia migration

The European Union could not handle the migration crisis, and eight years after the crisis the European Parliament is still talking about the need to increase European solidarity and help with the placement and distribution of immigrants, an MEP of ruling Fidesz said in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

In an EP debate on Tuesday on Italy’s recent declaration of a state of emergency over migration, most MEPs were “still forcing the same bad, tired methods which were clearly proven inadequate to solve the problem years ago”, Balázs Hidvéghi told MTI.

If a certain method is proven not to work in fixing a given problem, then it is time to try something new, Hidvéghi said. The fact that the same things are being said eight years after the start of the migration crisis shows that the EU could not handle the migration crisis and has been trying the wrong methods in the recent period, he added.

The MEP said the changes to the EU’s methods in managing the crisis should start with securing the bloc’s borders. It should also be made clear, he said, that the EU will not tolerate illegal entry onto its territory.

“Anyone who attempts this has to be immediately repatriated to where they came from,” Hidvéghi said. “This has to be the starting point,” he said, adding that unless such a policy is implemented, more and more illegal migrants would make their way to Europe.

He said most migrants coming to the EU were not refugees but rather economic migrants “taking advantage of Europe’s weakness and that member states don’t even observe or enforce their own laws”.

Hidveghi said the EU should help Italy protect its borders and help member states with repatriating migrants.

Once borders are protected and the laws respected, the EU can discuss helping Africa and member states’ national regulation of migration, he said.

Hidvéghi said he would propose that the EP on Thursday postpone a vote on its position on a new asylum pact, arguing that several MEPs believed it makes “incorrect assumptions” and “forces the wrong solutions”.

He said Europe should help genuine refugees as Hungary is doing in the case of Ukrainian refugees. But illegal economic migration has to be clearly distinguished from this and firm measures should be taken against it, he said.

China Construction Bank opens branch in Hungary

Hungary money USA

China Construction Bank (CCB), the world’s second biggest bank by assets, opened a branch in Hungary on Wednesday.

Addressing the official opening at the Pest Vigadó, Economic Development Minister Márton Nagy congratulated CCB on its Hungarian branch, which he said would hopefully pave the way for more developments. CCB helps Hungarian businesses enter the Chinese market and Chinese investments make their way to Hungary, he said.

CCB chairman Tian Guoli highlighted the long “solid and deep” friendship between China and Hungary. He said CCB expects to contribute to further boosting Chinese-Hungarian economic, financial and trade relations.

Prior to the opening of the branch, György Matolcsy, the governor of Hungary’s central bank (NBH), had a business lunch with Tian, the bank said.

Matolcsy and Tian reviewed the global economic and geopolitical situation, as well as the achievements and future opportunities of financial and economic cooperation between Hungary and China, the NBH told MTI.

They identified financial digitalisation as an area for future cooperation between the NBH and CCB, saying it offered serious opportunities for Hungary in terms of technological knowledge transfer, the central bank said.

Matolcsy welcomed CCB’s opening of its Hungarian branch and that more and more Chinese commercial banks were coming to Hungary or setting up their regional centre in the country. This fits well with Hungary’s goal of becoming the financial centre of the central and eastern European region, he said.

Hungarian opposition: Hungary is a bad ally

Koloman Brenner Jobbik

Hungary’s government “is visibly behaving like a bad ally to both NATO and European Union member states”, the opposition Jobbik party’s deputy parliamentary group leader said on Thursday.

Reacting to the US ambassador’s announcement of sanctions against the Budapest-based International Investment Bank (IIB) and a number of its executives on Wednesday, Koloman Brenner told a press conference that the decision showed that “the United States of America is also turning its back on Viktor Orbán’s government”.

Brenner said the Hungarian government “has not been this isolated” since before the WWI Trianon Peace Treaty, “and that, too, led to a national tragedy”.

Hungary must stand by its Euro-Atlantic allies, he said.

Read also:

Referring to the war in Ukraine, Brenner said Hungary “can’t side with the losers again in this globally historic conflict like it has unfortunately done so many times over the course of our history”.

Europe and the world need a “just peace”, with the first step being a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, he said.

Brenner accused Prime Minister Viktor Orban and ruling Fidesz of having “sided with the Russians”, insisting that they “want the peace of November 4, 1956”, referring to the crushing of the 1956 revolution.

Hungarian oppositon: the country opted out from Europe

Klára Dobrev

Europe’s response to past crises has always been stronger and more effective cooperation, opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) MEP Klára Dobrev said on Wednesday.

Dobrev told a party conference “Way out of crisis – Hungarian problems, European solutions” that not since the second world war had there been an example of such far-reaching changes that fundamentally questioned the institutional system and conventional wisdom as in the past 15 years.

“The crisis of 2008-2009 questioned the functioning of the global financial and economic system, the coronavirus posed a threat which was unprecedented in our lives, and Russia’s aggression fundamentally questioned the security system that we had put our trust in,” she told the event also streamed online.

The answers to the 2008-2009 financial crisis included the banking union, the strengthening of the international supervision of financial institutions, and stricter protection of deposit holders and small investors, Dobrev said. Following the coronavirus pandemic, the EU doubled its budget, created a recovery fund, and took out its first joint loan, she said. Russia’s aggression has resulted in the EU closing ranks tighter, she added.

Only two countries have opted out from this strong and unifying Europe: the UK with Brexit and Hungary which is “drifting to the periphery of the EU”, she said.

Dobrev said that despite Prime Minister Viktor Orbán repeatedly saying that he does not want an exit from the EU, “the question is: what is he doing and what are the consequences of his actions”.

Read also:

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron did not want to exit from the EU, either, and even Nigel Farage, the most vociferous Brexit advocate, had thought that the UK would remain in the bloc until the last moment, she added.

“It does not matter what they want, actions have consequences, and it is necessary to consider these consequences,” Dobrev said.

Anti-EU propaganda, and the questioning of Hungary’s NATO integrity and membership are “stronger every day,” she added.

Szijjártó: European interests served by dialogue instead of world divided into blocs

Péter Szijjártó EU

The world is again becoming divided into blocs, partly as a consequence of the war in Ukraine, and this harms European and Hungarian interests, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Geneva on Wednesday.

Dialogue and connectivity are needed instead, he told a forum of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) dealing with sustainable development.

Central Europe has always lost out whenever there was a conflict between East and West, he said. Instead of antagonistic blocs, what is needed is cooperation based on mutual respect and benefits, he added.

Szijjártó slammed moves to break East-West economic ties, arguing that severing cooperation between Europe and China would “knock out” the European economy.

Noting the car industry, undergoing a “revolutionary transformation”, he insisted that large Western companies involved in electromobility were highly dependent on Eastern partners.

Europe, he said, faced grave challenges to its economy and security, and the cost of the war in Ukraine was evident in skyrocketing food and energy prices and a big dent to European competitiveness.

Read also:

With constant arms deliveries and nuclear threats, the risk of the war’s escalation was greater than ever, he said, adding that the consequences would be felt “in our immediate vicinity”, with further victims of the war within the Transcarpathian Hungarian community, too.

The minister said that saving lives was a top priority for Hungary, and for this to happen, peace must be created. “[We] urge an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations,” he said.

Szijjártó called for “rationality and common sense” in solving problems instead of “ideological and dogmatic approaches”.

Addressing the issue of sustainable growth, he said green goals should be approached “on a rational basis” rather than on a political or ideological one, and nuclear energy in Europe was indispensable in this regard.

Read also:

Another European country turns against Hungary

eu european union hungary flag priority areas

Ireland joins the EU case against Hungary.

The Irish government joins the European Commission’s legal action over the Hungarian Child Protection Act. This rule bans the portrayal of queer people in content aimed at under-18s. More and more countries are siding with Brussels against the Hungarian government.

The European Commission launched legal action against the Hungarian government back in December. The case was started over the child protection law criticised for its homophobic overtones, Portfolio writes. Several countries have already joined the lawsuit against Viktor Orbán’s government, with Portugal backing Brussels last week. Meanwhile, the Budapest leadership has filed a counter-petition.

But on Monday, Ireland joined the case. This means that fears that the European Commission will be left to its own devices are gone. At the beginning of the year, few countries had indicated that they would intervene. Now, EU countries are signalling their intention to do so.

Leading figures in the Irish government, including PM Leo Varadkar and deputy head of government Micheál Martin, have sharply criticised the law, which was introduced in 2021 and described it as a “Russian-style” anti-LGBT propaganda law.

A memo will be presented to the government by the end of the month seeking approval for Ireland to join the infringement case brought by the Commission before the European Court of Justice, the Irish Times reported.

Along with Ireland, Portugal and Belgium, it is increasingly certain that Luxembourg and the Netherlands will join the European Commission. Last month, Ireland backed a statement from the Benelux countries expressing serious concern that the Hungarian parliament has passed new laws that discriminate against the LGBTQI+ community in Hungary.

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Fidesz MEP fears censorship from Brussels, says sanctions ruin Europe

Tamás Deutsch

Giving European Union institutions a right to interfere with, censor or ban election campaigns of member states is “unacceptable”, a Fidesz MEP said on the sidelines of the plenary session of the European Parliament on Thursday. Sanctions against Russia imposed in response to the war in Ukraine have failed to end the war and are threatening to “ruin Europe,” the same Fidesz MEP said in Brussels.

Fidesz MEP protests against ‘EU right to censor member state election campaigns’

The EP is voting on a proposal on the transparency of political activities on Thursday. The proposal aims to facilitate obtaining information on campaign sponsors and the payments made, among others. The proposal would also review regulations on the periods immediately before elections and referendums.

Tamás Deutsch said that while “almost all EU institutions are mired in corruption … bureaucrats are trying to force legislation that would make it impossible to talk about corruption in Brussels at all.”

The proposal would enable EU institutions to censor the topics of all election campaigns in all member states, he warned. Defining the participants, topics and tone of election campaigns is in the hands of member states, and EU interference is “unacceptable”, he said.

The Fidesz delegation will vote against the proposal, as it “curbs freedom rights and democracy”, he said.

Deutsch: Sanctions against Russia ‘ruining Europe’

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a European parliamentary plenary, Tamás Deutsch said the EP was planning to accept a resolution on a blanket ban on Russian energy resources, bringing about “the immediate economic collapse of EU member states”, he warned. Fidesz MEPs will boycott the vote, he said.

The EU has accepted nine sanction packages against Russia since the war began, all of which have failed to end the war while stoking inflation and triggering an economic and energy crisis, he said. Deutsch called for an end to “suicidal sanctions policy and a return to common sense”. The bloc should strive for a ceasefire and peace talks, he said.

He called it “unacceptable” that the EP resolution had failed to address Ukraine’s legislation on ethnic minorities which, he said, harmed the rights of all minorities in the country. The Fidesz MEP said he hoped that EU representatives would address the issue at the Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Johannes Hahn, the budget and administration commissioner, said the EU had allocated a further EUR 400 million for supporting Ukraine. Fully EUR 100 million will be used as humanitarian aid, and 300 million will boost bilateral cooperation, Hahn said.

The funding will be announced at a Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv on Friday, Hahn said.

At the plenary session, Deutsch said Hungary had been supporting Ukraine beyond its means since the start of the war, and has accepted some 1 million refugees. Hungary has always condemned the Russian attack and stood by Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, he said.

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Will TikTok be banned in the EU and Hungary?

app, phone

The days of TikTok may be numbered within the European Union. An open letter to EU resolution makers calls for the EU to step up regulation of Social Media before it gets too late.

Open letter to the EU

The Consumer Choice Center said in a Tuesday position paper to EU policymakers that it was time for the EU to step up action on the TikTok Social Media platform before it got too late.

European Commission Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton held a video call with Sou Ce Chu, CEO of the Chinese mini video-sharing platform. During the meeting, Breton underlined that TikTok is a Social Media aimed at a teenage audience. “With a younger audience comes more responsibility.”

Brenton also stressed that TikTok reaches millions of young people in Europe. For this reason, it must comply with EU legislation. The politician asked the TikTok CEO to present as soon as possible not only the efforts but also the results.

Is it really dangerous?

The meeting between Sou Ce Tsu and Brenton was preceded by a face-to-face meeting in Brussels, where the Chinese CEO had several discussions about the future of TikTok in Europe. European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova told during the meeting that the safety of European users’ data should be of utmost priority. So personal information will not be exposed to illegal access by authorities in a third country, writes blikk.hu.

French President Emmanuel Macron added that Tiktok appeared deceptively innocent, but was addictive and spread Russian disinformation.

Two investigations are currently underway into the Social Media platform. The first concerns the transfer of European users’ data to China and the second concerns the protection of children’s privacy.

Hungarian concerns

Media1 reports that the Hungarian media authority, the National Media and Infocommunications Authority, is also concerned that many Hungarian children are using TikTok. According to the NMHH, it would be better if young people used more controlled media.

The Consumer Choice Center is a respected international free market lobby organisation. It has a government affairs Hungarian manager in Zoltán Kész. The organisation believes that the EU should follow US practice. This would counteract and curb the influence of TikTok in state institutions.

Netflix TV Movie
Read also Hungary will age-rate Netflix, HBO MAX and other streaming providers’ contents

Survey: Majority of Europeans concerned about illegal migration

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Illegal migration remains a concern for a majority of Europeans, according a survey by the Századvég Foundation published on Wednesday.

Fully 78 percent of the survey’s respondents said they found the influx of illegal migrants into Europe concerning, with 56 percent saying Europe’s Christian culture and traditions should be preserved, Századvég said.

Albania was the only country surveyed where those concerned about illegal migration were not the majority (49 percent). Illegal migration was even a concern for most of the respondents in “traditionally pro-migration countries” and those that apply a humanitarian approach to the issue, like Sweden (78 percent), Germany (75 percent), France (73 percent) and the Netherlands (68 percent), they said.

A majority of Europeans also say that the continent should preserve its Christian culture and traditions, Századvég said.

This view is most common in the former socialist countries (65 percent), but is also agreed on by 54 percent of respondents in the founding members of the European Union.

Of the 38 countries surveyed, those who favoured preserving European Christian culture were in the minority in the Balkan states, Turkey, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland and Spain.

Overall 57.4 percent of respondents favoured preserving Christian culture, while 33.4 percent said Europe should go in a secular direction, Századvég said.

In addition to the EU member states, Századvég’s Project Europe research covered the United Kingdom, the Balkans and Turkey.

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Read alsoMajority of Hungarians say EU should seek cooperation, compromise

Bringing East and West together is key for Central Europe

Szijjártó Davos

Central Europe has always lost out on conflict between geopolitical blocs, and so sees faltering cooperation between the east and the west as “the worst possible news”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Hungary and the region has a vested economic and national security interest in pragmatic cooperation between east and west based on mutual respect and advantages, the ministry quoted Szijjártó as saying.

That project has been up in the air since the end of 2021, along with Eurasian cooperation, a sound baseline for cooperation up to then, he said.

To reverse that process, “mutual respect will [need to] return into international politics – unfortunately, we have seen a total lack of mutual respect. Second, everyone should understand that physical realities cannot be overridden either by political approach or by ideology…. Communication channels will have to be kept open between those who are not very happy to talk to each other,” he said.

Regarding globalisation, the foreign minister said international powers had used it to “aggressively spread their political narratives” worldwide, and stigmatised non-mainstream opinions in the process.

He said central Europe could see much worse times than the cold war in the coming period. “It might look different from hundreds or thousands of kilometres away, but Russia is part of reality, the closer we are to it, the more it is a reality,” he said. Maintaining channels of communication is key, “or the world will give up every hope” of peace in Ukraine, he said.

Touching on the conflict between the US and China, Szijjártó said there were “political efforts” to wean the western economy from China, but they have not impacted the private sector. He pointed to Hungary as an example which he said had become a “European hub for electric transition”.

Seven of the 10 largest manufacturers of batteries for electric cars are Chinese, and they are indispensable for western car companies, he said.

Asked whether the Hungarian government was trying to make its “infringements on human rights” acceptable by making the country indispensable in European car manufacturing, Szijjártó said “our government is clearly not one of the liberal mainstream; it is right-wing, patriotic and Christian Democrat, which is unusual in Europe. The liberal mainstream will always criticise the leadership because of that, but they have to respect the fact that the ruling parties won landslide victories in the past four elections,” he said.

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Read alsoNatural gas transit to Bulgaria secured, so Hungary’s energy supply is secure

PHOTOS: Veszprėm was handed over the European Capital of Culture 2023 title in Athens

Veszprėm awarded Europe's Capital of Culture 2023 - Source: John Stathis Photographer

On the 9th of January, a significant event unfolded—the inaugural European Capital of Culture Handover Ceremony, where the “City of Queens”, Veszprém was bestowed the prestigious title of European Capital of Culture 2023, along with Timişoara (Romania) and Elefsina (Greece). 

The ECoC programme was founded over 30 years ago by the celebrated Greek singer and former Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri. The aim of the initiative of the EU’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture is to showcase the cultural richness and diversity of European cities. Furthermore, it seeks to spur growth and development by supporting regional projects and attracting tourism. The picturesque historic city of Veszprém had diligently strived for years to secure this coveted title, and now, it is finally realising its dream.

The organisers of ECoC 2023 could not have selected a more appropriate venue to host the high-profile event than the Acropolis Museum in the cradle of culture, Athens. The event was presided over by Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the European Commission who briefly introduced the new ECoC title-holders and praised the rich and long-standing spa culture of Veszprém and its surrounding region in his opening speech. Following Mr Schinas’ words of welcome, outgoing ECoC cities from 2022—Esch/Alzette (Luxembourg), Kaunas (Lithuania), and Novi Sad (Serbia)—reflected on the significant progress achieved in the past year, thanks to the opportunities afforded by the ECoC programme.

Read more: Government: Culture capital of Europe title ‘unique opportunity’ for Veszprém

Ms Friderika Mike, Director of Programme Development of Veszprém-Balaton PLC, took the stage to discuss the significance of the prestigious title for Veszprém. She emphasised the collaborative efforts of the Bakony-Balaton region and 115 municipalities working towards cultural leadership. Ms Mike acknowledged the challenges faced by rural settlements due to the pandemic, limited initiatives and the Hungarian countryside’s general oversight by international tourism. She stressed that a city’s future relies on the resilience of its surrounding region and that the countryside’s future is shaped by the economic and cultural growth of regional centres.

Ms Mike then proceeded to introduce the motto of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023: Shine!

“From the beginning, we set the ambitious goal of becoming the first creative rural region in Hungary and to find the definition of creativity in the rural setting that could be implemented not only in the Hungarian but maybe also in the European countryside.”

The ECoC 2023 title, she explained, serves as a cultural scholarship, offering the chance to represent themselves to Europe and gain recognition. It provides recipients with lifelong experiences, shaping positive changes not only immediately but also in the coming decades. She pressed that the ECoC title is not just a goal to achieve but most importantly a tool to shape the future of its holders, the three new cities of this year.

The Veszprém-Balaton Programme 2023, under the slogan Shine!, fosters a dialogue among citizens, artists, social workers, wine producers, and farmers, forming a cohesive local family. This year, they are to host a wide range of exciting cultural events in the fields of art, music and cinema. Having received the UNESCO City of Music title in 2019, Veszprém has been a hub for artistic initiatives, attracting a diverse audience. In 2023, the InterUrban project, starting parallel to the Grand Opening on 20 January, will showcase melodies, flavours and talents from 29 cities and 25 countries, changing every two weeks. Visitors can attend concerts, writer’s workshops, film screenings and photo exhibitions while enjoying the enchanting rustic atmosphere of the Hungarian countryside. The first city to be featured in the series is Kaunas, Lithuania from 16-29 January; followed by Ghent, Belgium - 30 January – 12 February, London, Canada from 13-26 February and so on. You can learn more about the programme schedule of the Shine! opening event (21-22 January) HERE and see the annual programme offerings HERE. Or download the FREE APP, which will make it easier to keep track of the nearly 3,000 programme offerings.

Following Ms Mike’s speech, Mr Erik Haupt, Hungarian Ambassador to Greece, discussed the unique opportunities Veszprém will encounter as ECoC 2023 and highlighted the importance of solidifying the winners’ position as cultural leaders. The audience welcomed teams from the other two cities, Timişoara and Elefsina. The supreme moment of the event saw representatives of Veszprém and the two other towns receiving their trophies and departing with words of good wishes for their important journeys.

We are excited to see what this year holds for the Veszprém-Balaton region and to report on the upcoming events of this new European Capital of Culture. Congratulations, Veszprém, on this remarkable achievement!

Learn more about the Veszprém-Balaton ECoC 2023 programme by following them on Social Media: 
The Official VEB 2023 website, available in English and German

Orbán’s chief of staff: European unity only achievable along national interests

Gergely Gulyás Hungarian Prime Ministers Chief of Staff 3

European identity only exists through national identities and therefore European unity can only be achieved along national interests, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, said in an interview with commercial news site atv.hu on Saturday.

Hungary’s government represents the rule of law and the preservation of national diversity in Brussels and believes in the need to accept differences of opinion, Gulyás said. Western European governments disagree with Hungary on “countless” ideological, political and cultural issues, “but Hungary isn’t alone on these issues even if it goes against the European mainstream,” Gulyás added, stressing the importance of compromise.

Hungary always strives to reach an agreement and puts forward proposals before exercising its veto power, Gulyás said, noting that the country had backed the 18 billion euro aid package for Ukraine and the global minimum tax after being guaranteed that it would not have to raise taxes or approve taking out another joint European Union loan.

The EU will also lose out if it withholds funds from its own member states in the absence of agreements, he said. Gulyás said the European Commission had been pressured by the European Parliament to withhold funds from Hungary, adding that MEPs had painted a false picture of the country. Hungary has already received from the EU an advance payment HUF 130 billion (EUR 324.8 million), he said, noting that this accounted for 1.5 percent of the funds the country was entitled to.

Hungary has agreed with the EC on the details of the amendments to the law on the judiciary, which will be passed by parliament in March, Gulyás said. This, he added, was the only “super milestone” Hungary needed to fulfil in order to receive the remainder of the recovery and cohesion funds. Gulyás said he agreed with President Katalin Novák that the financial recognition of teachers could not be dependent on the receipt of EU funds or the state of the Hungarian economy.

“We will act accordingly, because right now teachers’ wages can only be raised using the resources of the budget,” Gulyás said. “We agree with teachers that they are making too little, and it is only the pace of the wage increases that is dependent on EU funds.” Gulyás said Hungary needed the monies it was entitled to from the EU in order to implement bigger and immediate pay hikes.

Meanwhile, he said the government next year would have to spend more than HUF 2,600 billion (EUR 6.5 billion) on preserving the caps on household utility bills and paying public-sector energy bills. This will leave a monthly HUF 181,000 (EUR 450) with families, he added.

Teachers’ wages will be nearly doubled by Jan. 1, 2025, but this requires that Hungary receive the EU funds it is entitled to, Gulyás said. The government has the political will to raise teachers’ wages, “but the left does not”, Gulyás said. He said that if Hungary’s left-wing MEPs “quit lobbying” against the monies Hungary is entitled to “it will be better for everyone.”

On another subject, Gulyás said he saw no need to amend Hungary’s child protection law. “The red line is the aim of the law, which is that children’s sex education is the responsibility of parents and not NGOs, aging Hungarian-American billionaires, or women with man-like characteristics,” he said. “We’d be happy to draft even better regulations, but the aim is unquestionable.”

Gulyás said Hungary and the EC had already engaged in “meaningful dialogue” on certain issues, adding that it was possible that they could do so on the child protection law as well. Put to him that the bloc was withholding EUR 1.95 billion from Hungary over the “violation of academic freedom”, Gulyás said the government believed that reducing the influence of the state did not weaken, but rather strengthened academic freedom. Moreover, he added, parliament had already approved the related amendment requested by the EC.

Concerning energy prices, he said that if the price of gas or electricity fell significantly on the European energy exchange, then market prices — meaning the price exceeding the utility bill cap — could be reduced instead of having to modify the threshold for average consumption. As regards next year’s state budget, Gulyás noted that the government had been forced to raise the target deficit to 3.9 percent of GDP in the interest of keeping the energy price caps in place.

Gulyás said local councils were set to receive HUF 80 billion (EUR 199 million) in the first round of a government utility support scheme. Budapest district councils that have engaged in talks with the government irrespective of party affiliation will receive state support to finance their increased energy costs, he added.

Concerning inflation, Gulyás said rising demand generated by the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic had driven prices up, which was then aggravated by the effects of the war and the related sanctions, including “brutal energy prices” and the weakening of the forint’s exchange rate.

Ensuring price stability and achieving the inflation target of less than 3 percent is the responsibility of, “but does not depend solely on” the central bank, Gulyás said. “The aim is to bring inflation down into the single digits by the end of next year, and I think this is a realistic goal,” he added.

He said this was the aim of the price caps introduced by the government. This, along with the strengthening of the forint in the past month have helped curb inflation, he said. But because of increased freight costs, high import volumes and increased consumption, it is important to keep the prices of certain basic products capped at last year’s levels, he added.

Meanwhile, Gulyás said no meetings between the Hungarian prime minister and either the Ukrainian or Russian president were on the agenda. Concerning President Katalin Novák, Gulyás said the past months had vindicated parliament’s decision to elect her Hungary’s head of state, praising Novák’s contributions to both domestic and foreign policy.

On another topic, Gulyás said he was in agreement with the prime minister and Interior Minister Sándor Pintér that teachers who neglect their duty citing civil disobedience despite receiving multiple warnings should be terminated. “No employer is going to tolerate having their employee no show three times in a row,” he argued.

Gulyás said the biggest challenges of 2023 would be preserving Hungary’s peace and security as well as protecting the family support system, the utility price caps, jobs and the country’s near-full employment.

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