Europe

Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: What did the Brexit teach the EU?

Brexit European Union Great Britain

Remarks from Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi:

Although it’s not part of our daily discourse, it’s important to note that European nations came to the EU with quite diverse legacies and historical backgrounds. However, if we can’t talk about different aspects and perspectives, we will unfortunately make an easy target for populists. The case of the United Kingdom is a good example of the serious price you may sometimes have to pay.

The idea of the European community naturally has a different meaning for a millennium-old trade city lying in the continent’s heart than for a citizen of an island country.

It is especially so if this island country is Great Britain whose political moves and views have been characterized by a certain amount of suspicion and reservation in terms of Europe for centuries. No wonder the United Kingdom’s entry into the EU’s predecessor was no walk in the park, either. Although the past decades have seen the Brits assimilating to Europe in many respects (now we can truly see how much), but they have always been able to maintain a sort of isolation.

On the other hand, the world has changed a lot since the UK’s accession in 1973, even if the public discourse or the people might not have fully recognized it. The mistaken belief that Brexit will restore “the things as they were” came with a huge cost.

Most of the political elite probably had no idea what would happen to the UK after the “Leave or stay” referendum of 2016. The government was likely just aiming to pull pro-Brexiters’ teeth by holding a referendum that was supposed to bring victory for the “Stay” side, thus settling the matter for at least a generation. Of course, David Cameron and his advisors had a reason to expect such an outcome, since the EU’s benefits were obvious for them. However, they failed to consider the power that lies in nostalgia, the ignorance of facts and the populist politicians willing to capitalize on both.

Five years into the post-Brexit era, the case seems to be closed for the European Union.

We have severed all ties, Brexit is legally completed, but as far as the United Kingdom is concerned, these years may have just been the beginning of a real chaos, adding to the tremendous challenge London already had to face in terms of tackling the existing problems.

The list of troubles includes such international matters as renegotiating the trade and business agreements with the EU or the recent fishing rights dispute between France and the Channel Islands. These cases clearly show that the United Kingdom was not prepared for Brexit at all. Mind you, a full preparation would have been impossible, because the relations between Great Britain and the continent have grown closer by now than anyone could have expected fifty years ago.

In addition to the above problems affecting the UK’s international affairs, Brexit has clearly brought serious internal problems to the surface in 2021, too.

The most evident one is Northern Ireland, where the relative calm of the recent years have been replaced by renewed tensions between the Catholics and the Protestants. If the United Kingdom wants to make a deal with the EU, they will obviously have to either upset the protocols settling the Irish issue, thus angering the Catholics of Northern Ireland, or start letting go of Northern Ireland together with its loyalist Protestants, thus giving a push to the country’s disintegration as well, not least because of what is going on in Scotland where the voices calling for independence are louder and louder again.

Many Scots feel it’s a blatant slap in the face that they are forced to leave the EU because of the English votes, even though Scotland is mostly in favour of staying in the European Union, just like they voted for staying in the United Kingdom when it came to the referendum on Scottish independence in 2014.

Anyone who thought in 2016 that leaving the EU would bring back the time when the United Kingdom was the world’s No. 1 power must now experience a rude awakening to see that the process might get to the point where the real question is if the United Kingdom can stay together or will fall apart completely.

What can we say about it here in continental Europe? First of all, we can of course hope for the best, which means that Britain will stay on our side as a good neighbour and ally, albeit no Member State any longer.

We can also hope that the Brexit-induced uncertainties are over, and we can start moving closer to each other again to make mutually beneficial deals and develop profitable relations now as two separate entities.

I’m sure that both the British and the European side are in sore need of those.

On the other hand, we need to learn the lessons of Brexit, especially when the leaders of some countries with perhaps historically different attitudes than Western Europe are trying to play the same cards that the pro-Brexit side used five years ago. We must always remember one thing: Europe is us, together. If we fail to take care of each other and do something to stop suicidal politics, we can very quickly destroy everything we built up together. I hope we won’t let that happen.

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Do Hungarian salaries compare to the EU average?

hungarian worker

Salaries have increased in Hungary in the past few years, but has that put us in a better position compared to the rest of the European Union?

G7.hu has analysed the relationship between the Hungarian salary percentiles and those of the European Union for every year from 2010 to 2019. It is not a surprise that Hungarians are among the lowest-paid citizens of the EU. As Telex reported some months ago, the net salaries of both unmarried individuals and two-parent families are the 4th lowest in Europe, according to the most recent Eurostat survey. But the difference is staggering: even with the so-called purchasing power standard taken into consideration, that is, the difference in cost of living between certain countries, the amount of money Hungarians make is minuscule. In 2019, the income of the median Hungarian household ranked at the 18th percentile in Europe, which means that while the members of that household made more money than exactly half of Hungarians (working full-time), 82% of Europeans earned more than them.

For a Hungarian household to reach the European median, they need to be among the most well-paid workers of the country, making more than 92-94% of their compatriots.

If we take a look at the crude numbers, disregarding the PPS and simply comparing how many euros members of different nations can take home on average, the enormity of the gap becomes even more evident. In that case, the Hungarian median salary is only enough for the 13th percentile in the EU, and only the top 1 per cent of Hungarians reach the European median salary. This is important because many products, such as iPhones, are sold on the international market without their prices being significantly adjusted to different salary levels.

Looking at the tendencies of the 10 years examined by g7.hu, there is not much change to speak of.

Comparing the PPS-based figures of 2010 and 2019, the situation of those in the lowest segment of the Hungarian labour market has, in fact, worsened over the years. For example, those who were at the 8th percentile in Hungary in 2010 reached the EU percentile of 5.41 that year, compared with the 3.35 of 2019. However, the top 30% of Hungarians seem to be catching up to the rest of the EU, slowly but surely. In 2010, being at the 85th percentile of the Hungarian salary scale was equivalent to a position of 33.27 on the EU one, which grew to 41.39 in 2019.

G7.hu points out that these changes are at least partially due to the government’s actions: by restructuring their tax policy and the family allowance system to aid those who make more money, by promoting the civil work program and supporting international companies who offer work opportunities with a low added value, and by worsening the state of the education system, they have most certainly contributed to the growing social inequality.

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Which countries do most Hungarians decide to move back home from?

airport

Fortunately, for the past couple of years, the tendency that many Hungarians have moved abroad seems to have slowed down. In fact, according to the most recent data of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), more Hungarians have returned from foreign countries than people moved away.

Portfolio reported that there has been a tendency not just about fewer and fewer Hungarians moving away from their home country, but rather that more Hungarians have moved back home than to any countries around the world. However, the statistics behave strangely in some areas, as well as having an unexpected result of where those Hungarians have come home from.

According to KSH’s data, 19,300 Hungarians have moved away, but luckily, 23,100 people have moved back to their home country.

That is a significant difference, and it is safe to say that it reflects a slight change in emigration tendencies. What is even better is that there has been no emigration below 20,000 since 2012.

Kivándorlási Statisztika
Data: Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH)

Although, the number of people coming back to Hungary seems to have reached a halt. According to Portfolio, the number of returning people has not changed considerably. It is also important to note that it appears that more and more Hungarians prefer closer destinations.

Before 2018, the most popular destination was Germany. Since then, Austria has taken that place probably because they have more options due to the closeness and travel is more accessible as well as less expensive.

Last year, 7,200 Hungarian have moved to Austria, which is a slight decrease in numbers compared to the year prior. The change, however, is somewhat noticeable in Hungarians moving to Germany and the UK, which dropped by almost 1,000 people. Portfolio highlights that Brexit was a huge dealbreaker, as people who would like to go there must undergo a much stricter process to receive a work permit since January 2020.

Last year, contrary to what was expected, more people had come home from Austria than from other countries. The Brexit did not end up launching an enormous wave of Hungarians moving back to their birthplace as was expected.

This date change can also be attributed to last year’s coronavirus outbreak, as many people have moved even within the country in fear of complete curfew. Since airports were closed down and regulated quite early, only people with more mobility could do that.

There is another strange thing that Portfolio highlights. The discrepancy between Hungarian and other countries’ data on Hungarian citizens’ movements. According to KSH, 5,250 Hungarians moved to Germany last year, while the German statistical office registered 13,670. A similar discrepancy can be seen in the case of the UK and the case of Austria as well.

Looking at the Austrian data, KSH says that 600 more people have moved back to Hungary than away, but the data from the Austrian statistical office shows an increase of 4,000.

What might cause this anomaly? Portfolio says that the main difference comes from how the data is registered.

The Hungarian statistical office only considers people moving away who terminate their Hungarian address(es). The foreign data, however, registers how many new citizens or address request there are.

This means that, especially in the case of people moving to Austria, many people keep their Hungarian residency as well, so that they have somewhere to travel back to. We will only see later how the bounce-back of the tourism industry changes emigration tendencies, however.

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Everything you need to know about travelling to and from Hungary

travel tourism airport passport

There have been many uncertainties since the coronavirus struck the world last year. Since then, many countries and pharmaceutical corporations have developed several types of vaccines to combat the coronavirus epidemic. Unfortunately, there are still some things that are uncertain, and so there can be a great deal of confusion between different countries’ restrictions. In this article, we would like to shed some light on what you might need to keep in mind when travelling to Hungary or other European countries from Hungary.

Let us start with the current restrictions concerning Hungary. After the vaccination programme reached 4 million inoculated people, the country had its largest reopening for a long time.

  • The curfew was pushed back to midnight.
  • Stores can be open until 11 pm.
  • Services and the outside areas of catering units are available for everyone.
  • With an immunity certificate, you can go to the inside areas of catering units as well as visit recreational facilities (zoos, wildlife parks, theatres, cinemas, baths, etc.)
  • Gyms can only be used by people with an immunity certificate or by an athlete certificate

You can read about the immunity certificate in more detail HERE, and you can find out the latest information concerning foreigners’ vaccination and certificates HERE.

There have been talks about a universal European Green Card that would confirm people’s inoculation, prior virus infection or test results so that those people can be exempt from certain restrictions when travelling between EU or Schengen countries.

According to Hvg, as it currently stands, the earliest this card can be expected to launch is the 21st of June, but due to diplomatic issues and disagreements about vaccines, this might be heavily delayed.

The current way to go, it seems, are bilateral agreements. This means that two countries agree with the other, independent of the EU, that they will accept each other’s certificates for vaccination, prior infection and negative results. Hungary has currently six such agreements:

  • Serbia
  • Slovenia
  • Montenegro
  • Bahrein
  • Turkey
  • Greece (2 weeks after the second jab)

Now, how can you travel to other countries from Hungary? This is the tricky part. There is no established basic system in the EU, and every country can decide on their own restrictions. According to Hvg, most countries, however, use the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s system. It has four levels: green, orange, red, and dark red.

Brussel’s main view is that EU countries should lift travel restrictions for those who come from regions with the green classification.

In Europe it is Finland and Norway, but there are some non-EU countries which have similar classification:

  • Australia
  • New-Zealand
  • Ruanda
  • Singapore
  • South-Korea
  • Thailand
  • China, Hongkong, Macao (in case of reciprocation)

But again, using this system is not mandatory; Hungary, for example, does not use it, which can really complicate things, especially because Hungary is in the red classification, which means that travel restrictions are in effect if you would like to visit other countries from Hungary.

What can you do then to know what restrictions are in effect and where? Well, it is tough to say since there is no consensus on things.

The major things to look out for are the following:

  • Is there any required quarantine, and if so, for how many days?
  • What is the age of exemption?
  • Is a negative test required beforehand?
  • Is there any unique registration platform for travelling?

Hvg also suggests checking border crossings, as you may not pass at certain checkpoints. Public transportation might have a reduced schedule or other restrictions. And also, flight tickets are not necessarily a guarantee that the flight will not be cancelled.

Also keep in mind that some countries require different time periods to pass after receiving each vaccine.

Unfortunately, in this sense, the Hungarian certificate is not the best, as the date of complete inoculation is not printed on the card, nor the type of the vaccine. As for the EMA accepting certain vaccines, that might not be an issue. Recently, it accepted the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, which many countries did not seem to trust at first.

Tourist attractions might also have certain restrictions, so it is best to check before planning your travel.

Most countries require people to wear masks (some even the type: FFP2) at least indoors, and keeping the proper distance is also a widespread requirement.

For the best site to gather some information about the travel restrictions in the EU, you should visit Re-open EU, where you can find the latest news in a plethora of languages. A good source of information would be your country’s embassy in your destination or the target country’s government website.

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The re-ignition of economies might turn into a struggle for guest labour

Guest Worker Labour Workforce Shortage Vendégmunkás labour market

According to some statistics, in the past five to six years, the number of guest workers working in Hungary have significantly grown, In some sectors, guest workers were the only viable option instead of shutting down. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic that struck the world unprepared, many guest workers were stuck in their own countries unable to work. But as countries are reopening and the economy is starting to swing back up, a huge competition for workforce is expected.

There is the general belief among working people that guest workers take the job from Hungarians, but that is simply not true. It is quite the opposite. There have been entire sectors where the labour shortage was such a serious issue, that its operation was endangered, says Piacesprofit. There is nothing wrong with guest labour, but it should be adequately controlled and entirely transparent.

Csongor Juhász, the executive director of Prohuman, Hungary’s largest HR provider said that the current upsurge of labour is just the surface. He says that many people who have changed professions from services and the catering industry will, with the reopening of the country, go back to their original professions and in turn that will cause another labour shortage in some sectors.

There are already not enough workforce in sectors like the food industry, processing industry and in some commercial areas.

The above-mentioned re-distribution of the workforce will effect these sectors more severely and according to the professionals at Prohuman, that will cause a huge competition between Hungary and the surrounding countries looking for guest labour. In the Czech Republic, about 15% of the labour force are guest workers.

Csongor Juhász said to Piacesprofit, that Hungary is behind other countries in the labour competition.

It has to compete for non-EU guest labour with countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia. The executive director added that Hungary is in a disadvantageous position due to several factors;

naturally, Western European countries have a better chance of obtaining guest labour due to the higher wages, but other Central and Eastern European countries also have an upper hand. Most guest workers can communicate in those countries in their mother tongues much more easily. The language is a huge barrier for guest workers coming to Hungary.

Another limiting factor is the travel. The authorities in charge have to balance between the proper monitoring of guest workers, in particular to the still ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but must also satisfy the labour need of affected sectors.

The monitoring should not bottleneck the flow of labour, but it must also ensure that there is as few cases of illegal workers as possible, all this while complying to the measures of the coronavirus pandemic.

If the flow of labour stops for a substantial amount of time, then companies might close their businesses and move to another country.

If this would happen to the car industry and processing industry – which are both major contributors to Hungarian economy –, then Hungary might face severe consequences.

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Hundreds of people stormed the streets, beaches after curfew ended in Spain

spain coronavirus curfew ended party pandemic

Exhilarated Spaniards chanting “freedom” danced in streets and partied on beaches as a COVID-19 curfew ended in most of the country, but others feared it was too soon to let go.

In scenes akin to New Year’s Eve celebrations, hundreds of mainly young people gathered in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square to applaud the clock striking midnight while in Barcelona revellers headed to the beach with drinks in hand.

Some wore masks but there was scant social distancing as friends kissed, hugged, danced and sang.

“Young people, like everyone else, have been very restricted,” said shop worker Paula Garcia, 28, on the beach in Barcelona. “Now was time to give us a bit of freedom to enjoy a little of the summer.”

But in the Basque Country, where regional authorities had asked to keep the curfew but were rebuffed by a court last week, some locals were less excited.

“It’s very bad that there is no state of emergency,” said Asun Lasa, walking along San Sebastian’s seafront on Sunday. “People want to go out but the situation is not ready for that.”

The Basque Country has Spain’s highest infection rate at 448 per 100,000 against a national average of 199.

Social media videos of large groups paying little heed to distancing drew criticism on Sunday. “Freedom does not include breaking the rules,” said Madrid’s conservative mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, emphasizing that gatherings to drink on the street, known as “botellones”, were prohibited.

‘TIME TO LET US OUT’

One of Europe’s worst-hit nations, Spain has suffered 78,792 coronavirus deaths and 3.6 million cases. But infection rates have fallen and vaccinations are progressing fast, enabling most of the 17 regions to scrap the curfew.

Only four regions were keeping it: the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Navarra and Valencia.

“It was time they let us out,” said store clerk Andreu Pujol, 25, also on the beach in Barcelona.

“Even so, I am still very unhappy with the handling (of the pandemic). You can see that in this country all they do is make things up as they go along,” .

As impromptu parties sprung up in town centres around the nation, police reminded some revellers that drinking on the street was prohibited.

While the curfew has been lifted, most regions have kept limits on opening hours for bars and restaurants, forcing people onto the streets.

“There is no consistency between the end of the state of emergency and the opening times of shops and bars,” said Mikel Martinez, a barman in San Sebastian.

“It doesn’t make sense that a bar has to close at 10 p.m. while people can be in the street together without any controls.”

Madrid’s right-wing regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso has won reelection after campaigning on looser measures, but the city has the second highest infection rate in Spain and was still ordering bars and restaurants shut from midnight.

Even so, there was joy at the end of curfew.

“The right to move freely is fundamental,” said Madrid resident Luis Rigo in the Puerta del Sol.

“I’m happy, I’m delighted of course.”

Viktor Orbán vaccine Chinese Sinopharm
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Russia celebrates WWII victory anniv with military parade – tension with West rises

Russia-Military-Parade-Anniversary

President Vladimir Putin reviewed Russia’s traditional World War Two victory parade on Sunday, a patriotic display of raw military power that this year coincides with soaring tensions with the West.

The parade on Moscow’s Red Square commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two featured over 12,000 troops and more than 190 pieces of military hardware, including intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, and a fly-past by nearly 80 military aircraft under cloudy skies.

Putin, who has been in power as either president or prime minister since 1999, stood beside Soviet war veterans on a review platform set up on Red Square.

“Unfortunately there are once again attempts to deploy many things from the ideology of the Nazis, those who were obsessed with a delusional theory on their exclusiveness. And not only (by) all sorts of radicals and international terrorist groups,” Putin said in what appeared to be a common denunciation of the West but what the Kremlin said was aimed at the rise of neo-Nazism in Europe.

“Russia will again and again uphold international law, but at the same time we will firmly protect national interests (and) ensure the security of our people.”

This year’s parade precedes parliamentary elections in September and comes at a time when Moscow’s relations with the West are acutely strained over issues ranging from the conflict in Ukraine to the fate of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

The United States and Russia have expelled each other’s diplomats in recent months in a series of retaliatory moves and Moscow and EU member states have been involved in a similar tit-for-tat diplomatic dispute.

Sunday’s parade follows a massive show of Russian military force near the borders of Ukraine and in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Kyiv in 2014, and an uptick in fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

Moscow said the build-up, which alarmed the West, was a training exercise in response to activity by the NATO military alliance and Ukraine. It has since ordered a withdrawal of some troops.

Smaller military parades took place on Sunday in cities across Russia and in annexed Crimea, and at Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria.

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Thousands of guests will arrive in Budapest: the European Aquatics Championships

swimming-man-pool-sport

The European Aquatics Championships will be held in Budapest, confirmed the President of the European Swimming Association (LEN) in February. Almost every single LEN member state decided to come to Hungary.

Ninety-nine per cent of LEN member states chose to come to Hungary because they feel safe. The vaccination data in Hungary is the best in Europe, and they believe that we are well-organised,

says Sándor Wladár from the Hungarian Swimming Association (MÚSZ). From Monday, the Danube Arena and Lake Lupa will host the European Aquatics Championships for two weeks.

The responsibility is huge because no world event of this volume has been organised in Europe since the pandemic, said Sándor Wladár at the press conference on Friday. He is confident that in a good two weeks, the teams will part with the mindset that it was worthwhile to travel to Budapest again.

According to Napi.hu, following the protocol developed for the coronavirus epidemic, those arriving in Hungary must have a negative PCR test, they will be tested on arrival at the hotel, and then they will be tested every 3-5 days.

The 2020 continental race will start in 2021, which is very characteristic of our last year,

said Balázs Fürjes, the government commissioner responsible for international sports events, co-chairman of the organising committee of the European Championships.

Together, we will defeat the pandemic and restart life, sports events, and the economy in Hungary. Part of this, the sign and an important step is the European Championships […] This event will put Hungary on the map again at the best time –

Balázs Fürjes emphasized that successes also increase the sense of belonging and national self-esteem.

According to him, the swimming world championships always occupy a special place among the world competitions for Hungarians.

According to Fürjes, the government supported the organisation of the European Championships because it offers various benefits to both Hungary and Budapest.

In two weeks, a total of 4,000 official participants from 51 nations – 1,100 athletes – will be present at the European Championships, which will be viewed on television by hundreds of millions worldwide. That equals 20,000 guest nights in hotels, helping the currently quite stagnant tourism.

In the first week of the continental race, competitions for synchronised swimmers and divers will be held in the Danube Arena, while open-water swimmers will compete on Lake Lupa. The pool swimming races will take place on May 17, MTI wrote.

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Hungarian justice minister on the future course of the European Union

Varga Judit Justice Minister

Marking Europe Day, Hungary’s justice minister, Judit Varga, said on Sunday that instead of an ever closer union the EU should strive to be ‘multipolar and smart’.

Regarding the conference on the future of Europe, Varga said in a video posted on social media that everyone’s voice deserved to be heard in debates at European level, and this was also true of the voice of the Hungarian people.

“We Hungarians have always had sober views concerning Europe,” she said. “We’ve always drawn attention to the … dangers affecting it in a timely manner,” she added.

Varga said that Europe’s success formulas for the 20th century were no longer fit to meet “the challenges of the new era”, adding that what had been a thriving economy was now in decline.

She said answers were needed as to the question of why EU responses to challenges were constantly delayed and flawed. “Why is our Union drifting from crisis to crisis?”

The minister said that absent of respect for national constitutions and a culture of equality between member states, Europe’s future could not be planned for.

She said the relevant Hungarian proposals will be outlined in the coming weeks, with a view to setting the foundations for a successful and pro-active alliance.

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Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Could this be the end of the European Union?

European Union Flage

Remarks from Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi:

As 9 May approaches, the anniversary of Robert Schuman’s Declaration always reminds us to reflect on such questions as where the European integration started out from and how far it got over the past seven decades as well as where the EU is going right now. The issue is more important than ever, because there are more and more angry voices, and not only among the often criticized populists but among the leading Western European political stakeholders as well, which suggests that if we are not careful, we may easily have to witness the failure of the European project.

Typically enough, we politicians often like to believe the current challenge to be the greatest, the most dangerous and most complex, too. In our defence, the past is already final, we know the outcome, so we can pass quick judgements, since we are armoured with the full knowledge of the events. However, the present and the future are always unknown and the information is never enough.

So I don’t want to sound the alarm bells or overestimate the threat, but I have to say that Europe either demonstrates unity and solidarity, or the EU as we know it will disappear.

Let me discuss a few facts and correlations in the hope that Europe will be able to cope with the challenges, just as it has always been, fortunately.

The idea of a united Europe was conceived in a difficult historical period: our continent was in ruins and the Soviet occupation of the Central European countries prevented any integration whatsoever. In fact, Europe was facing the impending doom of a third world war. Schuman and his partners “had to cook with what they had”. That’s how six European states began their cooperation. Of course, there were some more ambitious plans to implement the cooperation of European nations, as demonstrated by the series of later enlargements and reforms that helped the EU gain its current form.

The community always faced great difficulties, but always overcame the obstacles, because its members had the faith and the will to bring the European idea to success.

This faith and will seems to have run out or somewhat faded by now. On the surface, everything may appear to be all right: the new European Commission was even dreaming of a geopolitical role until very recently, while the European institutions are operational. Under the surface however, one warning sign is followed by another: the stagnation of the enlargement process, the scuttling of the Spitzenkandidat system, the appearance of populists and yes, I put the advocates of the two-speed Europe idea in this category, too. Why?

I don’t want to waste too many words on populists in this post. I’ve written a lot about them and if you are interested in politics, you are very well aware of the problem already. The promoters of the two-speed Europe idea are a more complicated case. They declare and believe themselves to be pro-Europe on the grounds that they urge for an ever closer cooperation. Except that they don’t want to involve everyone in it. According to the two-speed Europe advocates, when it comes to populists, you don’t need to engage them in a political battle. Instead, you should just avoid them and deepen the integration without them and their countries. If they don’t want to participate in this integration, they can stay in the periphery.

There are some obvious reasons why such a thought may seem justified: the Western European frustration and the realization that the integration of the former Communist countries was a failure despite the Euro billions poured into it. Another reason may be the annoyance of having to deal with the scheming of autocrats like Orbán and wasting precious energy on engaging in debates with obviously sabotaging political forces.

However, I am convinced that the two-speed Europe, no matter how attractive it may seem in Western Europe, is a bad idea.

A two-speed EU would clearly mark the fall of true Europeanism, demonstrating that the reason why we were unable to build a united and cooperative Europe of welfare and solidarity was not a foreign occupation or an unfortunate geopolitical environment, but the lack of will on the Europeans’ part. Considering how laboriously Europe moves in the international arena, such an act would drive the final nail in our continent’s coffin: who would want to negotiate with a community that is unable to solve its own problems? Beside the remote regions and world politics, there’s another area where Europe would lose all its weight if it chose the two-speed road: the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries, with their already diminished hopes, could hardly expect anything from a community that simply shakes off its poorer and more problematic members. Their already remote chance of an EU integration would truly drop to zero. That’s exactly what Russia, Turkey or China are waiting for, right at the borders…

In return for all these losses, what benefits could be enjoyed by the block that wishes to keep the accelerated integration within the confines of a small circle? None, because the EU’s current institutional structure would still remain.

In fact, the two-speed Europe would just duplicate an already complicated system.

Furthermore, if there is a way to leave the populists and the “problematic” states to their fate, why stop there? Why not squeeze out some other countries that eventually prove too sluggish for the fast lane?

I think the two-speed Europe idea will ultimately get us back to where Europe started out from in the 1950s: a fundamentally divided and fragmented continent, but this time because that’s how the Europeans wanted it. It would be a gargantuan failure and a disavowal of everything the EU’s founding fathers believed in.

I stand for a united Europe that shows solidarity for its members, and I believe in a Europe that truly aims to achieve equality for its citizens, eliminate societal gaps, help the weak and, of course, get rid of populist and selfish political tendencies. Regardless how attractive and pragmatic their packaging may seem.

European Union Flag
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Spain tests new digital pass – Participants were able to party and eat out

concert-crowd-people-joy-summer

Mandatory face masks could not conceal their delight as clubbers in the Spanish city of Girona moved to the thumping beats of house music put on by a live DJ.

For the first time in eight months, Girona had some of its nightlife back this weekend thanks to a pilot digital pass scheme which authorities hope will allow for socialising without spreading coronavirus.

Since October, concerts have been banned in the northeastern region of Catalonia, while restaurants and bars were required to close at night since December.

But under a scheme to revive the hospitality sector, residents in Girona could for one evening obtain a digital pass allowing them to go to a concert or dine out at five restaurants.

For this, they had to download an app to their mobile phones and undergo an antigen COVID-19 test, show a negative PCR test or proof that they had already had coronavirus.

About 250 people snapped up the tickets for Saturday’s clubnight in 20 minutes.

“It seems great to me, because all of this is affecting us mentally. We might be physically well, but not psychologically, so I think this kind of activities, controlled and with security measures, are great,” said Susana Bergaz, 26, a factory worker from Girona.

The five restaurants which took part were allowed to operate at 80% capacity.

The pass is valid for up to 36 hours and costs between 2.50 euros and 8.50 euros ($3-$10.50).

“The Open Girona initiative is a project that aims to test a model of digital testing and vaccination passes in order to reopen Girona in a safe and controlled way,” organisers Blockchain Centre of Catalonia, a public body, said in a statement on Sunday.

A trial concert in Barcelona in March where 5,000 people took rapid COVID-19 tests and crammed into a venue without social distancing did not drive up infections, organisers said earlier this month, giving hope to the moribund live-music sector.

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Featured image: Pixabay (Illustration only)

Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: How politically relevant is the EU in the world?

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Remarks from Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi:

Many things have gone through a fundamental change over the past centuries but Europe’s economic and cultural weight, apart from a few downturns, has never been questioned in the world. In spite of that, our continent has never been able to become a united dominant political force. And if you look at the foreign policy fiascos of the past months, what you see is, unfortunately, that the European Union is still far from being able to step up as a real actor on the stage of international diplomacy. If that’s the real goal, that is…

Three leading European politicians had to endure weeks of embarrassment after travelling outside the community’s borders to conduct negotiations.

Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative Josep Borrell received very serious criticism after his February visit to Moscow. In fact, it was suggested that he should perhaps resign from his office because, contrary to his earlier promise, he failed to represent the EU’s opinion with the necessary assertiveness regarding the Russia-related issues that our community is concerned about at the moment. In fact, you can safely say that the negotiations were dominated by Moscow, and then Borrell was even humiliated in the international press conference.

Hardly had the Borrell scandal died down, when the next affair, commonly referred to as “sofagate” broke out in April: EC President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel got into an embarrassing situation during their visit to Ankara. The hosts simply left von der Leyen without a chair, so she had no choice but to sit on a sofa, thus being quasi ranked the same as the Turkish foreign affairs minister who has a lower standing (or in this case sitting) than her according to the protocol. As a result, she got into a subordinated position compared to Michel and Turkish president Erdoğan. Of course, you can argue how Charles Michel (or perhaps the Turkish president) could have softened the edge of this embarrassing diplomatic faux pas by offering their seat to von der Leyen at least until the protocol department finds a third armchair, but the case clearly demonstrates that neither the world, nor the EU itself is ready for the European Union’s presence as a political actor.

Although it’s easy to criticize Josep Borrell for his laxity, Charles Michel for his discourtesy or even Ursula von der Leyen for her resigned silence, the underlying problem is much more serious: it’s a systemic one, because the European Union, as a community, still lacks unity.

It has confusingly many leaders who tend to struggle with a grave legitimacy crisis, too.

European position?

While European values and European positions are often cited by many, these issues raise serious questions even within Europe, unfortunately, as the European Union is still somewhere halfway between an international organization and an alliance of states. As a result, even though it has bodies typical of a close alliance (such as the European Parliament), the final say is always expressed in agreement with the Member State governments in nearly all major issues. However, these Member State governments have several disputes and differences of opinion today, perhaps the most spectacular of which is the confrontation of the “illiberals” and the western liberals, but there are many other divisive issues, too. While Orbán’s and his friends’ spectacularly anti-EU position indeed weakens the community (e.g. in the Russia relation) significantly, the fact of the matter is that even the most fervently pro-EU governments are still fighting tooth and nail to keep their national jurisdiction and control over EU matters, which leads us to the other big problem, i.e., that not only are we sorely missing united European positions, but real European leaders as well.

Leaders without legitimacy

No matter how often democracy is cited as the European Union’s fundamental value, most EU leaders are elected in a way that is not democratic at all.

The greatest promise of the latest EP elections in 2019 was the so-called Spitzenkandidat system, which would have enabled the party family gaining the highest number of seats to delegate its pre-nominated candidate to the presidential seat of the European Commission. This arrangement would have allowed the candidate to run a real election campaign, too. This idea would have already been a major step forward, but the nation states conducted a political bargaining process behind closed doors, which led to Ursula von der Leyen being given the seat as a result of the deal between French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel, instead of Manfred Weber who had seriously prepared for the position. However, von der Leyen got her seat without any votes other than those of Merkel and Macron, and so did the other members of her Commission. The true nature of the bargaining process is clearly revealed by the case of Hungarian commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, a former career diplomat with no political weight whatsoever, who was delegated to the body by Viktor Orbán out of revenge and to openly express his opinion about the matter.

The lack of democratic legitimacy, the indebtedness and in fact, vulnerability to the delegating states or national leaders are all excellent “guarantees” to prevent these politicians from having any freedom of action in the international arena in their own right. Consequently, the system is bound to have inherently embarrassing situations when the EU leaders are too afraid to take a clear stance or are dominated in international meetings by such politicians who gained their power through their own political performance (regardless how it measures to our moral values), and not as a result of a compromise.

Europe cannot be strong without unity

It is clear for everyone that if the EU stays as it is and fails to undergo a political evolution, it will be dominated by other powers in a long-term political competition.

No matter how strong Europe’s economy is, it will not be invited to the negotiating table where the fate of the world is decided, or even if it is, Europe’s role will be reduced to merely acknowledging the decisions. None of the European nations is interested in such an outcome in the long run.

The solution clearly lies in reinforcing Europe’s democratic nature, which would involve eliminating the subversive elements, since it’s hard to demonstrate your power to the outside world while your community is being destroyed by Trojan horses. It would also involve making each Member State understand that they will ultimately lose if their alliance is led by weak, unassertive politicians. Last but not least, it would also involve gradually replacing closed-door deals with the true representation of the people, by reinforcing the EP’s role and introduce the concept of real political competition into the election of the European Commission. This is the only way for Europe to have a future.

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Read alsoJobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Is there a chance of Palestine – Israel peace?

Ukraine signs additional contract with Pfizer

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Ukraine has signed a contract with Pfizer for an additional 10 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine, brining the total number of doses to 20 million, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said on Saturday.

“We signed a contract. Hence, we will receive a total of 20 million doses of Pfizer vaccine this calendar year,” the presidential office quoted Health Minister Maksym Stepanov as saying.

Ukraine is expecting to receive the first 500,000 doses in the next few weeks, with a further 4.5 million doses in the third quarter and the remaining 15 million doses in the fourth quarter, the statement said.

The first contract with Pfizer for 10 million doses was signed last month.

Ukraine also plans to source vaccines from AstraZeneca, China and the global COVAX scheme.

A total of 752,293 Ukrainians have received their first vaccine dose as of May 1, according to health ministry data.

The country has registered more than 2 million infections and 44,436 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year.

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Read alsoRussia orders troops back to base after buildup near Ukraine

Justice Minister Judit Varga: “without Hungary, there is no united Europe”

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Justice Minister Judit Varga marked the anniversary of Hungary’s joining the European Union on May 2004, on Saturday.

“Europe used to be a dream of an alliance of Christian nations,” Varga said in an English-language post on Facebook, adding that “for us, it is no longer a dream but a reality, a goal that we will always work for”.

She also said that “without Hungary, there is no united Europe”.   

When Hungary joined the EU “we believed we had joined a European community that, carrying on the spirit of the EU’s founding fathers, would form a strong Europe based on strong nations.”

https://www.facebook.com/VargaJuditMinisterofJustice/posts/4358468267505429

“Over time, however, it has become clear that it is not in everyone’s interest to preserve the legacy left by our ancestors,” she added.

“From 2010, instead of constructive debates, a political witch-hunt began, whereas common sense no longer matters while dialogues have been replaced by smear campaigns motivated by ideological reasons,” Varga said.

“Despite all the difficulties and hostility, we remain, even though many in Brussels want the opposite,” she added.

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Germany struggles to keep down infection cases – stricter measures are needed

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Germany’s coronavirus infection rate rose at the weekend despite stricter restrictions and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said he did not expect moves to ease curbs before the end of May.

“We need a timetable how to get back to normal life, but it must be a plan that won’t have to be revoked after just a few days,” Scholz told Bild am Sonntag.

The federal government should be able to outline “clear and courageous opening steps” for the summer by the end of May, allowing restaurants to adjust reopening plans and citizens to plan holidays, he said.

Scholz said the steps would also clarify when visits to concerts, theatres and soccer stadiums would be possible.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged Germans to stick to tougher rules imposed in areas with high infection rates, saying measures imposed at the weekend were needed to break a third wave of infections.

Germany is struggling to contain infections, complicated by the more contagious B117 variant that first emerged in Britain. It also follows a relatively slow start to Germany’s vaccination campaign.

Germany’s seven-day average of cases per 100,000 people rose to 166 at the weekend, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Sunday.

Parliament approved amendments to the Infection Protection Act last week to give the federal government more powers in the pandemic. Merkel drew up the changes after some of the 16 federal states refused to implement tougher measures.

The new law enables the government to impose curfews between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in districts where cases exceed 100 per 100,000 residents on three consecutive days. The rules also include stricter limits to private gatherings and shopping.

Schools will have to close and return to online lessons if cases reach 165 per 100,000 residents on three consecutive days.

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Read alsoHungary opens services next week, but only for those who have a certificate of immunity

2020 was Europe’s hottest year on record

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Europe experienced its hottest year on record last year, while the Arctic suffered a summer of extreme wildfires partly due to low snow cover as climate change impacts intensified, the European Union’s observation service said on Thursday.

As world leaders prepared to brandish their plans to fight climate change at a U.S.-led summit on Thursday, EU scientists issued a stark reminder that the impacts of a warmer world are already here.

Europe’s average annual temperature in 2020 was the highest on record and at least 0.4 degrees Celsius above the next five warmest years — all of which took place in the last decade, the Copernicus Earth observation service said.

“Temperatures are increasing in all seasons in Europe,” said Freja Vamborg, senior scientist at Copernicus.

It was the hottest winter on record, at 3.4 degrees Celsius above the average European winter temperature seen during 1981-2020. Weather is more variable in winter, so extreme temperatures tend to play out most starkly in that season.

It was also Europe’s warmest autumn, while summer heatwaves were not as intense or prolonged as in recent years, despite pockets of record-breaking heat in places including Scandinavia and France.

Meanwhile, the Arctic saw a “spectacular year”, Vamborg said, pointing to a summer of record-breaking wildfires in Arctic Siberia, which were exacerbated by high temperatures and lower-than-average snow cover.

The average temperature in Arctic Siberia last year broke records by a large margin at 4.3 degrees Celsius above the 1981-2020 average.

Globally, Copernicus Earth said 2020 was one of the world’s three hottest years on record, confirming findings released this week by the World Meteorological Organization.

The EU on Wednesday set a target to slash emissions faster this decade, and the United States is expected to do the same on Thursday, hiking the pressure on countries including China and India. [mL1N2M81NI]

Currently, countries’ combined pledges fall far short of the rapid emissions cuts scientists say are needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and stave off the most severe impacts of climate change.

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Read also2019 hottest year in Hungary since 1901, says weather service!

Hungary to comply with NATO decision on Afghanistan troop withdrawal

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Hungary will comply with NATO’s decision concerning a military pullout from Afghanistan, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, told MTI before a special ministerial session of NATO on Wednesday.

Szijjártó said he agreed with the approach that the simultaneous entry of NATO troops into Afghanistan should be followed by their simultaneous withdrawal.

Hungary used to station 120 to 130 soldiers in Afghanistan while its present contingent has nine members, he said.

Szijjártó said NATO should pass a decision which guarantees that the efforts of the past twenty years do not go to waste.

He stressed the need of guarantees so that Afghanistan should not become once again a hotbed of terrorism and a source of massive migration. If Afghans are again exposed to the threat of terrorism, hundreds of thousands or even millions of them may leave their homeland, he said.

Szijjártó insisted that Afghanistan’s neighbours willing to cooperate with NATO, such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, should be assisted in defending their borders.

He said NATO should cooperate with Iran so as to prevent the flow of migrants through that country to Europe.

Afghanistan’s security is more directly connected with European security than one may think, he said.

The European NATO allies also need guarantees for preventing a growing threat of terrorism and new waves of illegal migration, he said.

In a move to help maintain stability within Afghanistan, Hungary will continue to support the Afghan security and defence forces with half a million dollars a year up until 2024, Szijjártó said.

Read alsoBiden to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and proposes summit with Putin over Ukraine

Hungarian travel agencies ready for a surge of foreign tourists

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The whole World has met with a threat never seen before, and it forced almost all of us to stay in our homes for more than an entire year now. People could not really travel abroad, and this may affect the number of people willing to travel, but also their budget on where to travel.

According to Vg, this is where Hungary might come into the picture. Although the situation is not bright at all, according to Hungarian Inbound Professionals’ Association (Mabeusz) member

travel agencies have been hoping to achieve the movement of 50,000 tourists who would have brought approximately HUF 1.8 billion (€ 5 million), but since this expected number, only 35,000 remained which barely hit the HUF 1 billion (€ 2.78 million) mark,

but nothing guarantees that it will not decrease further. As a base for comparison, the same group of agencies have arranged the travel of 260,000 tourists to Hungary, who have approximately spent around HUF 16 billion (€ 44.4 million) in 2019, one year before the coronavirus pandemic.

There are several problems to combat for these agencies but they are still hoping for a good summer season. One of the problems is that many major events, such as Balaton Sound and Telekom VOLT festival, not to mention other regional and cultural events have been postponed to 2022, some to 2023, and there are events scheduled only by 2024 with some even having been cancelled altogether.

If the tourism would get a green light, the Hungarian Inbound Professionals’ Association (Mabeusz) expects visitors mainly from the European Union, but there is some demand for travelling to Hungary from the British and Scandinavian markets.

With only a scarce number of visitors from overseas countries as the future of long-distance travel via aeroplanes is still uncertain due to the pandemic restrictions.

Until the travel agencies do not know exactly what the conditions to travel to Hungary or to Europe in general will be,

they cannot advertise any travels or programmes and if or when they do get this information, there will be a huge competition for tourists. Some countries like Greece, Croatia, Malta and Thailand have already started to communicate their conditions towards those who would like to spend their vacation there, but Hungary has not done so yet. Also, it would probably be in line with the conditions of other countries of the European Union, which have also not crystallised yet.

Another possible issue that could hinder tourism is that there are rumours that some foreign travel agencies that have been in contact with Hungarian ones and helped to get more tourists for Hungary have gone bankrupt due to the pandemic. The Hungarian agencies are not untouched either.

Some necessary people who spoke many languages have either went away looking for a job to sustain themselves, or the agencies had to cut some people due to the hardships. This accounts for almost 40% of the employees according to the estimations of Judit Lázár, the head of the Hungarian Inbound Professionals’ Association (Mabeusz).

According to a survey, about 71.7% of Hungarians are planning to travel somewhere. The most bellowed destinations seem to be Lake Balaton and the capital, Budapest. Everguest and Tárki have asked Hungarians who have been on more than a single night long vacation in the past two years. According to those who have made the survey, Hungarians will have a higher travel spirit after the restrictions and would even consider spending more.

10.7 % of people would travel abroad if the pandemic would tame and 40.2 % would travel domestically and 20.8 % would travel to both domestic and foreign locations.

It seems that the percentage of people who do not want to travel is also quite high; 18.4 % are certain will not travel and 9.8% think are undecided on the matter.

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Read alsoHungary to reopen fully in June?