Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s views on European issues – Part 1

Viktor Orbán Interview 2

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently gave an interview to the Czech conservative daily Lidove Noviny. You can read about the Hungarian Prime Minister’s views on European and Worldwide problems.

Central Europeans need more clout in European Union policymaking because the German-French axis has become outdated, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said. The Central European region enjoys the highest economic growth rate in Europe, Orbán said in the interview published on Saturday, adding that without it Europe would fall into stagnation.

Conventional wisdom used to be that central Europe needed Westerners to function, he said. But the situation has turned on its head, he said, adding that it was no longer inconceivable that Europe’s future success would be shaped by Visegrád Group countries. “That’s what I call new reality in Europe,” he added.

The prime minister said Hungary must remain a part of the European Union since the common market was in the country’s interest. But central European interests now must be taken into greater consideration than before and in proportion to its economic performance, he said.

“Set against our real economic performance and weight, our influence in EU decision-making is disproportionately small, and this has to change,” Orbán said.

Commenting on the protection of traditional national identity, he said whoever managed to be more persistent should win. Issues of education, family policy, schooling and media regulation are all national competences which “nobody can take away from us”, he said.

Orbán said the “woke movement” in the West was increasing in popularity. The words used, he added, may be new but they followed “the same intellectual pattern as Marxism”.

PM Orbán: three major battles have to be fought with Brussels to build a successful Central Europe

Whenever there is a prolonged period of liberal governments that neglect culture, traditions, history and religion, Marxism grows more popular, Orbán said. “We, in central Europe, are vaccinated against Marxism.” The prime minister added that for Westerners, Marxism was an intellectual matter. “But central Europeans know that the Marxist basis for organising the economy and society results in dictatorship; Marxism and democracy cannot work together.”  

Orbán said the West had grown out of Christianity, becoming inseparable from the enlightenment and rationality. That combination had resulted in the most competitive and successful form of life in the world, he said. “But it’s being lost now because we are giving up the historic foundations of Christianity.”

Orbán said he had hoped the EU accession of central European countries would add an anti-Communist, anti-Marxist and anti-Leninist culture to current pan-European culture. “But they did not want this.” Commenting on Hungary’s child protection laws, Orbán said Hungary had approved legislation stating that parents have the exclusive right over their children’s school and sex education, and LGBTQ activists or representatives of any other ideologies had no business in this area.

Two LIBE delegation members call for stopping ‘witch-hunt’ against Hungary

Brussels wants to change this and their position is that LGBTQ activists must be allowed in schools, he added. Orbán said the Hungarian legislation did not apply to adults above 18 years of age and only concerned the protection of children.

Orbán said French president Emmanuel Macron’s recent call for an independent EU foreign policy was an “exciting and interesting idea”. Hungary would be glad to participate in debates regarding strategic autonomy and sovereignty, he added.

He said existing differences between V4 members’ positions regarding the approach to Russia may be resolved. One of the most important tasks for the EU would be to give European security and military guarantees to Poland and the Baltic states, he added.

Commenting on disputes concerning gas supplies, Orbán said the reality was that Europe could not function without Russian gas.

Commenting on a recent visit by Pope Francis to Budapest, Orbán said people who believe in Christianity as a part of the future and not only of the past should join forces. There are many power groups that want to push the European continent to a post-Christian era, he said, which is especially popular among Brussels bureaucrats, he added. Since the Vatican is still the greatest Christian power in global politics, Orbán said he had humbly asked the Holy Father to help Christians survive.

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Read alsoParamilitary group planned to assassinate PM Orbán and opposition leaders! – VIDEO

Visegrád Group Held First Joint V4 Defence Ministerial Meeting in Erdőbénye

Visegrád Group Held First Joint V4 Defence Ministerial Meeting

Defence ministers and deputy ministers of Visegrád Group countries held the first joint V4 defence ministerial meeting in Erdőbénye, in northeastern Hungary, on Friday to discuss military and defence policy issues, the challenges of hybrid warfare and planned cooperation in military health care.

Hungary’s Tibor Benkő told a press conference after the meeting that the defence ministerial programme for Hungary’s V4 presidency had been discussed and action plans had been approved for coordinating various procedures.

The importance of national defence capabilities was discussed with Slovak counterpart Jaroslav Nad, Polish deputy minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz and Czech deputy minister Jan Havranek, he said.

The strength of the defence system rests on nation states and national army development programmes are also built on them, he added.

Each country pays special attention to hybrid warfare, including cyber operations, and there was consensus about the importance of maintaining a system of reservists, he said.

Hungarian investor acquires majority stake in Czech military aircraft manufacturer

Check out some astonishing photos taken of the Breakthrough 2021 military drill!

The Hungarian, Slovak, Czech and Polish delegations reviewed the experiences to be drawn from the Afghanistan mission and each of the four countries stated that they paid special attention to participation in African missions, such as the Takuba operations. The sides were also in agreement about the importance of maintaining peace in the Western Balkans which is also a priority for Hungary, he added.

Nad said the past 18 months revealed the importance of the army’s medical efforts and thanked Benkő for Hungary’s sending experts to Slovakia.

Havranek said the meeting confirmed that V4 cooperation was working well and while the V4’s joint efforts aim to promote an independent Europe, the participants do not want to weaken transatlantic ties either.

Read alsoBritish army’s special forces armed with extremely powerful Hungarian rifles – VIDEOS

Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó: Monopolising democracy is ‘antidemocratic’

Péter Szijjártó Athens

Representatives of liberal democracies are trying to “monopolise” the concept of democracy, a “thoroughly antidemocratic approach”, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, told a panel discussion at the Athens Democracy Forum on Friday.

All countries are democratic as long as its people can decide their and their nation’s fate, a statement by the foreign ministry cited Szijjártó as saying. “Democracy needs no further qualification,” he said.

Regarding the rule of law in Hungary, Szijjártó said “lectures and criticism rooted solely in the fact that we have a conservative, patriotic, Christian Democratic government in power.”

“Viktor Orbán is the most democratic leader in Europe,” he said.

Hungarian foreign policy is driven by representing national interests, with the government aiming to forge pragmatic cooperations without interfering with other countries’ domestic affairs, Szijjártó said. Political stability is instrumental in that process, as it enables effective actions and representing national interests, he said.

Hungarian foreign minister: ‘Europe must return to classical values’

In the discussion panel also attended by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a Belarussian opposition leader, Szijjártó said the European Union’s foreign policy toolbox has proven to have limited success in similar crises.

He called for a thorough discussion on the effectivity of sanctions. Threatening with sanctions will have little effect if the sanctions themselves are ineffective, he said.

Sanctions may, in fact, be “hypocritical while larger member states conclude lucrative deals with countries they continue to lambast loudly,” Szijjártó said, citing China as an example, where certain officials are facing restrictions while China was the EU’s largest trading partner last year.

Tsikhanouskaya said EU sanctions were the bloc’s only means to place pressure on Belarus. Responding a question, she said she saw all EU member states as democracies.

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Read alsoMinister in Athens: borders should be zones of fences and armed forces!

Budapest is one of the most cycling-friendly cities in Eastern Europe

Bicycle City Girl Woman

Budapest and Prague: the most cycling-friendly cities in Eastern Europe, but still playing catch up to Western European counterparts

Among the major cities in Eastern Europe, Budapest and Prague stand out as two of the cities with the best-developed cycling cultures and infrastructures.

According to the travel website, Wanderlust, both cities were among the top 9 in June 2021 for cycling in Europe and have some of the highest levels of household bicycle ownership in Eastern Europe,

reports Euromonitor International.

The Hungarian Club in Budapest in June 2020 launched a map that compiled all the available cycling routes in the city. This gained popularity with residents, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a renewed interest in individual and eco-friendly transportation.

Construction of Budapest-Balaton cycle path under way!

Bike Friendly Cities
Source: Euromonitor International

One km bike lane for 750 thousand EUR? In Hungary, that’s reality

Prague has immensely improved its cycling scene over the last decade. In January 2021, the city announced a CZK 122 million (USD5.6 million) investment in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, with a focus on building bicycle paths, stands, and shelters for bicycles. The city currently boasts 515 cycling routes, covering 125 km.

Despite the improving cycling scene in Budapest, Prague, and other Eastern European cities, there is still much to be desired when compared to some of the most cycling-friendly cities in Europe, such as Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.

In addition to the continued rollout of bicycle lanes, municipal governments need to introduce new initiatives that incentivise bicycle usage, such as reduced speed limits for cars, prioritising cyclists at traffic lights, and providing safe bicycle storage at key transit points (such as bus and train stations). 

Map reveals the colour palettes of each country’s favourite dishes

Esszencia Restaurant Food Gastronomy 3

Research has shown that colour is one of the most effective sensory cues when it comes to imagining the flavour of food, inspiring Pyszne.pl to uncover the colour palette of each country’s typical lunchtime meal.

By scraping a reputable restaurant review site to find the most dominant lunchtime dishes for each country, Pyszne.pl then analysed the colour hues of each of the most popular dishes, and now can reveal all.

Europe

Spain’s colour palette consists of oranges and browns, thanks to their popular lunchtime dishes cocido and escalivada. Cocido is a chickpea-based stew made with a variety of meats like chicken, chorizo and pork belly, whereas escalivada is one for the vegetarians, consisting of roasted vegetables and garlic.

Hungary

Hungary’s colour palette consists of greens and browns, due to the most popular lunchtime meal of gulyás. The traditional Hungarian soup is a symbol of the country, made up of meat and vegetables and often sprinkled with coriander to produce the green hues.

Hungarian cuisine is based on meat, seasonal vegetables, fruit and fresh bread. The basic seasoning is red sweet pepper. Everyone has heard of the famous Hungarian goulash, fish soup and Dobos cake. It is a homely cuisine, but very aromatic, based on one-pot dishes that are distinguished by unusual aromas.

Aromatic Hungarian dishes in various versions also appear in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It is enough to mention only the goulash, the famous bogrács or the lecsó, although it is worth noting that the varieties of these dishes often differ significantly from the Hungarian originals. Many dishes in Hungarian cuisine are shepherd’s dishes, which then made a huge career not only among the Magyars.

How and what did the ancestors of Hungarians eat?

Three healthy Hungarikums to keep in your kitchen!

Food Colour Palettes Around the World
Source: pyszne.pl

With dishes of baguettes and tartiflette, France’s colour palette consists of neutral browns and beiges. While baguettes can house a range of ingredients and hence colours, tartiflette is an iconic French Alps dish made with potatoes, cheese, lardons and onions, paving the way for the neutral colours.

Over in the United Kingdom, kebabs and fish and chips pave the way for colours such as red, green and white. Kebabs are often accompanied by salads packed full of tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce, as well as seasoned meat. Fish and chips is England’s most iconic meal and a seaside staple, especially when paired with mushy peas.

The World

One of the United States’ iconic dishes, stuffed pizza from Chicago, lends itself to the golden-brown colour palette of the country. Uramaki, the sushi roll with rice coated on the outside prevalent in Los Angeles, also contributes to the green hues.

Food Colour Palettes Around the World North America
Source: pyszne.pl

In Indonesia, Bakso is the most popular lunchtime meal. Contributing to Indonesia’s heavily green and brown toned palette, this meal is a surefire way to warm your stomach due to the herbs, spices, vegetables and poultry included.

Food Colour Palettes Around the World Asia
Source: pyszne.pl

Hungarian Justice Minister welcomes referendum initiative on EU migration politics

Judit Varga Justice Minister

Justice Minister Judit Varga on Friday welcomed an announcement of Michel Barnier, the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator, that he would initiate a referendum on migration later this month.

In a bilingual Facebook post, Varga said “just like Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in his speech [at the 16th Strategic Forum] in Bled a week ago, Barnier also declared that Member States should now get back their legal sovereignty on migration issues so that their sovereign decisions cannot be overtaken by the Court of Justice of the European Union or the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.”

https://www.facebook.com/VargaJuditMinisterofJustice/posts/4767768259908759

“More and more people dare to express their disagreement on EU institutions interfering in the sovereign decisions of Member States,” Varga said.

Hungary has maintained from the “very beginning” that “the resettlement of migrants leads to the cultural self-surrender of Europe”, built a border fence to protect the country and asked Hungarian citizens on their opinion in a domestic referendum, she said.

Referring to the EU, Varga said “later, they launched an attack against us in both cases. Today, on the other hand, more and more people think that Hungary has made the right decision.

In fact, they would all do the same now. We are keen to see future developments,” she added.

Did foreign tourists disappear from Hungary?

Budapest tourism Hungary coronavirus basilica

The number of foreign tourists dropped by 70% compared to the numbers of 2019. However, the global situation was dire as well.

According to the World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals in Europe decreased by 66% in the first half of 2020, and there was a 97% drop in the second half of the year. Africa saw a 57% drop in international  tourism in the first half of 2020. In Asia and the Pacific, a 52% decline was seen in tourism, followed by a 99% drop in the second half of 2020. North-East Asia was hit by the pandemic the most, as the largest decrease, -83%, was recorded in the first half of 2020. “Most destinations in Asia and the Pacific recorded declines in international arrivals close to 100% in June and July,” shows the World Tourism Barometer.

Hungary’s statistics match the global standard as well.

According to KSH (Central Statistical Office), the number of guest nights increased by 10% compared to the numbers in July 2020 but decreased by 36% compared to the same month in 2019. Domestic tourism helped the situation, but the fact that foreign tourists are not coming to Hungary still means a major setback, wrote napi.hu.

Hovercraft service to be launched between Belgrade and Budapest before next summer!

In the year before the pandemic, in the first seven months, 2,510,680 guests spent 5,800,890 guest nights in Budapest, while July was the busiest month of the year, with 1,002,248 nights.

These days, the number of domestic guests has increased by 5.3%, and the number of guest nights by 8.1%. The number of guests reached 802,000 and the number of guest nights reached 2.3 million. 59% of the nights were spent in hotels, where a 7.6% increase was registered. Boarding houses did not notice any change in the number of guests, while holiday settlements and camps saw a drop in the numbers. Communal accommodations saw an increase in traffic due to the restart of the summer camp season. 

Lake Balaton was the most popular tourist region. One-third of domestic guest nights were registered there.

“The number of foreign guests increased by 29%, and the number of guest nights by 16%. The 218,000 guests arriving at accommodations spent a total of 571,000 guest nights. Most of the guests stayed in hotels, and the number of nights spent there increased by almost one-third compared to July 2020. The increase was the highest in the case of Budapest (almost double),” wrote napi.hu.

Want to drink cheap? Come to Hungary!

 

Does Hungary still want to be part of the EU? – Foreign Affairs Minister answers

Péter Szijjártó Kötcse

A strong European Union is in Hungary’s interest, but for the bloc to be strong it must embrace change, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said ahead of an annual right-wing event held in Kötcse, in western Hungary, on Saturday.

Noting that 77-78 percent of Hungary’s exports end up in the EU, Szijjártó said it was in Hungary’s interest to be an EU member, though this also applied the other way round. He added that he still backed Hungary’s EU membership.

Referring to a recent meeting of EU foreign ministers in Slovenia, the minister said

it was a matter of concern that the bloc’s largest countries “cannot grasp that giving migrants carte blanche to enter the EU in 2015 caused the bloc its biggest crisis”.

He warned that the same mistake may well be repeated, “although now there are more and more of us who dare to speak out,” he added.

Péter Szijjártó Kötcse 2
Péter Szijjártó Minister of Foreign Affairs in Hungary Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán

Szijjártó declared the Visegrád Group to be the strongest alliance within the EU “despite attempts to weaken” it.

Meanwhile, answering a question about the recent England-Hungary football match held in Budapest, Szijjártó condemned the racist abuse used by fans, though he said it was “offensive” to tar all Hungarian fans with the same brush.

“There were racist expressions, but passing judgement over 60,000-70,000 people on that basis is absurd,” he said.

Last year’s Kötcse Picnic, which would have been organised for the 20th time, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hungary Border Fence Migration Illegal
Read alsoHungarian Govt extends “state of crisis” due to recent upsurge of illegal migrants

Featured image: MTI/Máthé Zoltán

Hungarian Govt extends “state of crisis” due to recent upsurge of illegal migrants

Hungary Border Fence Migration Illegal

The government has decided to extend by six months the “state of crisis” in connection with mass migration due to the growing migration pressure on the Hungarian border and an anticipated new wave of migrants triggered by the developments in Afghanistan, the Government Information Centre (KTK) said on Friday.

The KTK said in a statement that migration towards Europe was picking up both on land and sea, with the number of illegal border crossing attempts increasing on the Hungarian border as well.

The Hungarian authorities have apprehended more than 60,000 illegal migrants at the border so far this year, more than triple the number caught in the first eight months of 2020, the statement added.

Police have been apprehending 300 migrants a day on average in the recent period, the KTK said, adding that migrants stranded on the Balkan migration route were making more and more attempts to enter the country forcefully and “regularly attack the police officers protecting the border”.

More than a dozen tunnels have been discovered on the southern border this year alone, they said, adding that the number of people smugglers caught by the authorities had also tripled compared with last year.

The KTK said that “economic problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the developments in Afghanistan will trigger a new migration wave which will lend an opportunity for Islamic extremists to make their way into the heart of Europe”.

The KTK concluded its statement by saying that the Hungarian government was sticking to its “open and unambiguous” migration policy. Hungary will maintain its fence along its southern border and continue to provide border protection, the statement said.

Also, the government will stand firm in its opposition to the resettlement of migrants and will continue to represent the position that Europe and Hungary must be protected against mass migration, the KTK added.

The government decree on the extended state of crisis will soon be published in the official gazette Magyar Közlöny.

The state of crisis was first introduced in March 2016 and has been extended several times.

Menekült Migrant Illegal Migration Human Trafficking
Read alsoAustrian politician blames Hungary for illegal migration?

Is Huxit supported by Hungarians?

budapest parliament pixabay

After Brexit and Hungary’s current situation in the European Union, many people wonder if Huxit could be an option. Recently, there was a survey in which Hungarian citizens expressed their opinion regarding this matter.

In an article, Daily News Hungary wrote that Minister of Finance Mihály Varga said that by the end of the 2020s, the European Union would have fewer benefits for Hungary than disadvantages. He also said that

despite the fact that 69% of Hungarians want to change the currency to the euro, it would be too soon to do so.

An anonymous political analyst stated in the past that “both the EU and NATO are more than favourable for us; they are the indispensable base of the Hungarian budget and the national protection and security politics.”

A political scientist named Tamás Fricz recently wrote that “…the time has come, now in July 2021, to seriously consider the possibility of our withdrawal from a union of states with a thousand bleeding wounds, showing imperial symptoms, and treating the Eastern and Central European countries incredibly arrogantly,” Daily News Hungary reported earlier.

But do Hungarians want to leave the European Union? Medián did a survey in July, and it turns out that

the majority of Hungarians do not want to leave the EU. Moreover, 79% of Fidesz supporters also want to stay.

There are many reasons behind this decision. The free movement of goods, persons, and services has a huge part in how people think of the benefits of being an EU Member State. There are few Hungarian families who do not have someone among their acquaintances, friends or family members who either work or study abroad. Compared to the United Kingdom, Hungary would be in a more difficult situation had Huxit happened, wrote napi.hu.

Fidesz MEP marks anniversary of Pan-European Picnic

pan european picnic

The Pan-European Picnic, a peace demonstration on the Hungarian-Austrian border in 1989 which involved the first opening of the communist Iron Curtain, carries the message that patriotism and European identity are reconcilable, a Fidesz MEP said in a statement on Friday, marking the picnic’s 32nd anniversary.

On August 19, 1989, the Pan-European Picnic was organised as a demonstration for European peace and included plans to symbolically open the Hungarian-Austrian border for a few hours. East Germans, spending their holidays at Hungarian camping sites, have caught wind of the event and hundreds left all their belongings behind to try and reach Western Europe.

“Today, with national sovereignty, mutual respect and tolerance under attack, and with many proclaiming those values incompatible, Hungarians have a historic obligation to stand by them and raise their voices to say that the key to European identity and cooperation between East and West is listening to each other and the will to learn from each other,” Lívia Járóka said in a statement.

“The 1989 opening ushered in a new chapter in European life, dismantling the walls of a decades-long regime based on oppression and discrimination,” Járóka said. Learning from past experience is essential to handling today’s challenges, she added.

“That experience is rooted in our faithfulness to our national identity and in the historic values of Europeanness. So today becomes a celebration of a Europe based on the mutual appreciation of nation states,” she said.

power-poles-electricity energy industry
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Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Thoughts on the aftermath of a huge failure in Afghanistan

Afghan conflict

Remarks from Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi:

Seeing the media photos on the Afghanistan situation, it’s hard to say anything. After failing in Afghanistan that was occupied by the Taliban within just a few days, the western countries are now fleeing in a chaotic mess, abandoning everything, including the people of Afghanistan.

This is a sad conclusion to a nearly 20-year period and an important lesson for America and Europe. That’s why I think we need to face the reality no matter how hard it is.

We must face the fact that the West, which identifies with tolerance and diversity, has failed to understand Afghanistan’s diversity and culture. Despite the persistent export of western institutions, they failed to build a solid societal base in this country inhabited by so many different peoples and burdened by so much internal tension. Unfortunately, democracies are not built in a day, even in the more underprivileged part of Europe, let alone Central Asia. No matter how the institutions, the army and public order exist on paper, if there aren’t enough people to back them, they collapse. Just as we have witnessed it. It’s a painful lesson to learn.

We must also face the fact that the images of desperate Afghan people trying to get on the last planes fundamentally question the West’s belief in solidarity and its righteousness when it comes to holding itself accountable for the often-advertised ethical norms. Over the past twenty years lots of Afghans cooperated with the missions and the deployed armies of the western countries. Despite all the difficulties, countless Afghans tried to organize their lives in a new political system on the basis of what they learnt from the West. The West has abandoned these people in their time of need, which might even cost their lives. I believe if there ever was an absolutely justified time for western countries to help refugees, it would have been now.

However, they hardly did anything because the tragedy was not taking place on their borders. It was somewhere far, far away.

We must also face the fact that the Taliban has changed over the past 20 years, too: they seem to have realized they had better keep contact with the outside world. Russia and China are getting ready to take control in the vacuum left behind by the western exodus. If necessary, they will recognize the Taliban government. America and Europe lost once again, because they were unable to maintain their dominance while Russia and China appear to be increasing their power even more. This is a terribly disheartening message to those who, often risking their lives in different parts of the world, defy oppressive governments and fight for their freedom in the hope of western help and support to guide their countries to the path of democracy.

The West seems to have failed to live up to its own principles. Not only is this utterly sad, but I’m afraid it poses enormous long-term risks for us, too. If we are unable to protect our principles and guarantee the safety of the people who believe in western values, who will protect us from falling victim to authoritarian regimes? It’s time for the leaders of the western world to think about it. If they truly care, that is…

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Unique European bridge to be finished soon in Hungary – VIDEOS

bridge

The construction work of the Tisza Bridge in Tiszaug, situated in the Sothern Great Plain region, is going right according to plans.

Hungary has many unique features that cannot be found anywhere else. For instance, the country has a history of over 1000 years, Central Europe’s largest lake, and now, it

will soon be the proud owner of a bridge with an exceptional framework and mechanism that is like no other in Europe.

In fact, in the whole world, too, there are only a few similar designs.

The uniquely structured bridge has been under construction since January 2019. The contractor hopes to completely finalise the works by the last day of August. Duna Aszfalt KFt. asked magyarépítők.hu to shoot a brand-new video as they are getting closer to the handover and inauguration of the edifice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHdi4rNX6w0&t=97s

The one in a million structure “forms a deformed ellipse, so the appearance of the 556-metre-long bridge is reminiscent of one of the symbols of the Hungarian Great Plain, the “covered wagon,”

writes Peri on Facebook. “The final height of the bridge pylons is over 50 metres. The contractor used a total of about 70 tonnes of formwork material for concreting the arched pylons.”

The 10-kilometre-long distance of the M44 motorway is the investment of NIF (Nemzeti Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt.), carried out by Duna Aszfalt Zrt. for a price of 51.3 billion forints (146 million euros). The bridge built based on the plans of Uvaterv Zrt. is part of this project, writes Hello Magyar.

Once the bridge is finalised, the area under it will be next. The contractor will rearrange it, and the protection of both shores of the river in a 100-metre-long section will also be assured. It will require important fieldwork and the placement of riprap from the building contractor.

Balaton jetski
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Skytrax: Budapest Airport chosen the best Eastern-European Airport

budapest airport

Ferenc Liszt International Airport was once again chosen the best airport of Eastern Europe at the Skytrax 2021 World Airport Awards.

As Hungary is finally open for travellers, its biggest airport is slowly recuperating its complete operational system. After a terrible year that paralysed tourism everywhere, it was finally time to go around the world again and name the best airports out there. 

These are currently the best destinations from Budapest Airport

Skytrax is a UK-based consultancy running an airport review and ranking site. Their work is based on tens of thousands of verified traveller reviews and ratings, fully independent from the rated airports. Every year they chose the best airports in the world based on criteria, such as check-in, travelling services, quality, and the level of security. Despite the coronavirus situation, this year was no exception.

The World Airports Awards is one of the most prestigious in the aviation sector, quotes bud.hu the words of Budapest Airport. 

Ferenc Liszt International Airport has won the best Eastern-European Airport Award for the eights time in a row!

On the complete list, the Hungarian airport sits in the 97th position, a bit behind last year (93rd position). The airport of Vienna, which is considerably more extensive and more significant, also slid back seven places since 2020. The other two competitors of the region, Prague and Warsaw, did not make it into the top100. 

Chris Dinsdale, general manager of Budapest Airport Zrt. told turizmus.com that “the past 18 months were the most challenging times of the aviation sector, that required extra performance from everyone. Because of this,

this year’s award plays a special role for us, since passengers did not only appreciate the general performance of the airport but also the answers we gave to the pandemic situation.”

CEO of Skytrax Edward Plaisted said that “With many airports around the world having seen a 70-80% drop in passenger numbers during our survey period, we considered that our 2021 awards should reflect these conditions, and whilst many customers voted for their favourite airport without visiting there in the last year, we had a very large survey response for airports where users have been travelling during COVID-19.”

Here is the top10 list of the Skytrax 2021 World Airport Awards

  1. Hamad International Airport
  2. Tokyo Haneda Airport
  3. Singapore Changi Airport
  4. Incheon International Airport
  5. Narita International Airport
  6. Munich Airport
  7. Zurich Airport
  8. London Heathrow Airport
  9. Kansai International Airport
  10. Hong Kong International Airport

If you are interested in the top100, click on this link to reach it. 

Budapest Airport Hungary
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“Homophobic law” completely divided Hungarian society?

Budapest Pride Hungary

The new Hungarian paedophile law, also labelled as the “homophobic law” due to the modifications added to the original bill, completely divided Hungarians.

Lately, many internal issues and conflicts of Hungary have received international attention and reaction. The “homophobic law” is one of them.

Everything to know about the Hungarian “homophobic law”

Since the question of LGBTQ people’s rights causes problems on an international level, it was natural that the passing of the bill would get some sort of reaction from other countries. Several governments and the European Union itself stood up to discrimination, creating a common standpoint and opinion.

The harsh answer of America to the Hungarian “homophobic law”

In Hungary, however, the reaction of people is not that one-sided, writes index.hu.


“The law completely divides Hungarian society,”

shows the research of Median, the most important independent public survey company in the country. The results were published by hvg360.

The proportion of those accepting or refusing the details of the law is almost equal, 47% against 42%.

Whether someone is for or against the details infringing upon the rights of homosexuals greatly depends on the age and educational background of the person. Those who have finished secondary school and most of those with a university degree tend to refuse the law as such.

Under the age of 30, the proportion of those against it is higher than in any other age group.

The point of view of those supporting the government and those belonging to the opposition perfectly reflect the side they are on. Two-thirds of the former support the law, while two-thirds of the people not agreeing with the current government do not agree with the “homophobic” modifications of the law either.

Participants of the survey were also asked about their opinion on the EU membership and how they would vote in the case of a referendum deciding whether to stay or leave the community. In this case, the answer was more unilateral. Two-thirds would absolutely participate in the referendum, and 80% of them would vote to remain part of the European Union.

When it comes to

Hungarian membership in the EU in general, 83% of people asked are in favour, while 11% are against it.


79% of the government’s supporters see membership as a positive thing, as opposed to 17% who would rather be independent.

On the side of the opposition, the viewpoint is much more unilateral. 90% is in favour as opposed to 7% who would rather leave.

The EU membership overall causes much less division than the contents of the new law, and its perception is quite independent of people’s political views.

Four-fifths of Fidesz voters also stand for EU membership.

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CEO of Hungarian Wizz Air: “People’s desire to travel is unstoppable”

Wizzair tourism

According to József Váradi, the CEO of Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost airline is already performing at the pre-crisis level thanks to the unstoppable desire of people to travel as soon as it is allowed by countries’ epidemiological measures. As a result, by the end of the month, Wizz Air will reach its 2019 capacity and may even exceed it this summer.

According to József Váradi, as soon as any ease of restrictions is announced, dozens of people reserve their flight tickets for the summer which shows that travel today is not a question of desire, much more a question of possibility based on countries’ epidemiological measures. The CEO argues that life will not be the same after the pandemic. As he says, this year’s booking numbers show that people’s desire to travel is not diminishing.

Currently, Wizz Air already meets 90% of its weekly capacity of 2019. Moreover, based on the trends,

the CEO is confident that they will fully return to pre-epidemic levels by the end of July.

However, he also added that the current situation is like a roller coaster for all the players in the tourism sector. Therefore, it is worth being aware of the worrying news on how different viral mutations affect pandemic numbers that might become a political factor sooner or later. Accordingly, despite the growing demand for travel in the summer, the post-summer period should also be considered, which may still hold unexpected difficulties.

Read also: Tourism model to change in Budapest?

The CEO hopes that thanks to the increasing vaccination rate in several countries, of which Hungary is one of the pioneers, and with Western Europe also catching up, the population will be much more protected after the summer, which might result in more balanced decision-making by governments.

“I do not think we are at the end of this story yet,” says the company’s executive, adding that at some point, we must accept that we need to live with these viruses while minimising their effect.

As the Hungarian news portal hvg reports, together with last year’s summer growth, industry turnover fell 73%. Wizz Air also incurred a loss of EUR 600 million, which could only be offset by a Hungarian government subsidy of EUR 2 million. As far as other national airlines are concerned, Lufthansa received 10 billion, Air France-KLM 12 billion, and LOT 800 million from national governments.

According to József Váradi, thanks to the efficient operation of Wizz Air, they can start the reopening in good condition, including high-level administration, employing roughly 300 people, an efficient online booking system visited by one billion people, and modern aircraft with 20% lower fuel consumption. The latter is also more economical due to the high occupancy of the machines; therefore, the ticket price is cheaper, which increases the occupancy rate.

It has also been revealed that the Hungarian low-cost airline does not plan to enter the US market. According to the CEO, short, medium-haul and long-haul flights should be selected separately, and in the latter, Wizz Air would not be able to gain an advantage based on the fact that several companies have already given a try, unsuccessfully.

“I think our time has come,” said the CEO ambitiously, adding that despite the crisis, Wizz Air is one of the four airlines in the world that keep credit rating agencies in the recommended investment range, and they also have good liquidity, which they try to take advantage of.

In addition to fleet development, the airline has entered several new markets, opening a total of 17 new operating bases during the pandemic.

Presumably, the current fleet of 140 aircraft will be expanded to 500 aircraft within 5 years. However, the company is not considering taking part in the purchase of Budapest Airport which – according to the CEO – is out of the company’s profile. As József Váradi says “Wizz Air is good at taking people from A to B, efficiently, safely, cheaply,” which they will try to take to an even higher level in the future.

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Government declares Hungary one of Europe’s safest countries

hungary summer bp

Hungary continues to be one of the safest countries in Europe in terms of Covid-19, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office told his weekly press conference on Thursday.

Gergely Gulyás said the government had evaluated the coronavirus situation in Hungary and in Europe, and established that “the Hungarian dimension continues to be the best”.

Hungary has retained its second place in Europe with regard to the ratio of fully inoculated residents, while the country has sufficient reserves of coronavirus vaccines, he said, adding that “we are in the position to inoculate anybody at any time”.

The government will take steps to further increase Hungary’s vaccination rate in the coming weeks, Gulyás said.

The government has discussed issues around a possible third coronavirus shot, mandatory vaccination, as well as increasing the vaccination rate of the elderly and of the 12-16 age group, Gulyás said, adding that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will make relevant announcements on Friday.

All jabs used in Hungary effective

All Covid-19 vaccines in use in Hungary are effective and capable of providing protection in the event of a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister’s chief of staff said on Thursday.

Addressing a regular press briefing, Gergely Gulyás said that “those working to create distrust in vaccines” were discouraging people from getting inoculated, thereby putting them at risk of dying.

The government considers the efforts to create distrust in certain vaccines for political gain “extremely harmful”, Gulyás said.

“The benign assumption is that there are political interests behind these efforts, while the malicious one is that it’s about the business interests of pharmaceutical companies,” he said.

Gulyás urged political players and journalists to accept the findings of science and not to use the issue of vaccines to help certain political parties.

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Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: The true values of the EU are right in front of us

European Union Flag

Remarks from Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi:

While Europe has recently been engaged in endless skirmishes over its values on the stage of world politics, Pope Francis’ decree to recognize the heroic virtues of EU founding father Robert Schuman has almost gone unnoticed. The news was overshadowed by the vivid reports on the boisterous insults and outraged retorts, even though Schuman’s work is the first thing we should look at when we want to talk about European values. We should do so even if he, unfortunately, might not be the most popular figure on either side of the current war trenches. In fact, that’s exactly why we should look to him for inspiration now.

I’m sure we’ve all had that experience when you have been looking all over the place for an important document or other thing while it was lying right in the middle of the dining table. I’ve had that same feeling about Europe recently.

I don’t think we have ever seen so many disputes and political skirmishes regarding the objectives of the European Union and the definition of its values. In the meantime, we have hardly talked about Pope Francis’ decree to recognize the heroic virtues of EU founding father Robert Schuman, which is the first step in a process that may lead to canonisation – provided that Schuman “meets” all the requirements.

We hardly noticed it, even though it should have given us enormous pride and it should have deserved an exclamation mark in the notebooks of all the people who care about Europe – regardless of their political views. Somehow we seem to have forgotten Schuman more and more over the nearly six decades that passed since his death. Of course, his picture is in the history books, we like to keep repeating some of his thoughts or cite them in EU brochures somewhat mechanically, and the intersection in front of the European Commission is also named after him – symbolically. Apart from the usual trains of thought however, we hardly mention him at all.

Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Digital COVID Certificate is sign of EU togetherness

Robert Schuman’s life was always determined by the fact that he was born on the frontier between France and Germany, with the scenes of the major events in his life being passed from one hand to the other within a few decades, due to the animosity between the two nations.

Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Europe fell short of being equal to the US and Russia?

He achieved his greatest successes as a post-war French politician with his idea that the two great enemies, France and Germany must be reconciled, and this reconciliation must become the foundation for building a new Europe whose nations could finally live in harmony, safety and liberty.

He started working on the implementation of his plan, in spite of the many grievances people must have been harbouring on all sides just a few years after the cataclysm. Schuman however, as a man of deep Christian faith, decided not to choose the path of grievance politics. That’s why we now live in a Europe that is one of the happiest and safest places in the world, despite all of its faults and shortcomings.

The question is: will we be able to live up to this legacy when we need an Argentinian-born pope to call our attention to something that has always been right in front of our eyes – while politicians spout on about the values Europe should represent? Of course, Schuman’s legacy is hard to live up to.

He envisioned a socially sensitive Europe that relies on Christian values and respects the legacies of its nations.

In contrast, today’s Europe seems to be characterized by two irreconcilable camps facing each other. One side talks about rights and democracy, while constantly forgetting the reason why it was our continent that first gave rise to such values as the respect for human rights, democracy or diversity: because there was a Christian philosophy and a national diversity to serve as the foundation for them. In the meantime, the politicians of the other side keep blaring about defending Christianity and national values – forgetting that Christianity involves the tolerance and respect for others, while our nations will have no future if we fail to cooperate. If we remain disunited, we will fall.

I hope we will recognize our true values in time, especially if they are right in front of our eyes. That’s what I strive for as a member of the European Parliament.

orbán walking
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