Europe

Hungarian MEP: EP plan to change treaties would ‘destroy’ members’ sovereignty

Adoption of a recent proposal by the European Parliament’s constitutional committee (AFCO) aimed at amending the European Union’s treaties would “destroy the sovereignty of member states”, Kinga Gál, head of the EP group of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz, said in a statement on Thursday.

The proposal would not strengthen but weaken the EU at a time when “it would be crucial to make the EU more efficient in tackling hardships caused by war, terrorism, and migration”, she insisted.

The proposal is a “serious attack against nation states”, Gál said. The EU should seek common responses to shared challenges rather than “remove members’ sovereignty and steer European integration towards centralisation,” the MEP said.

Under the proposal, the EP would “seriously interfere with national competencies, curbing their sovereignty through establishing transnational lists, European constituencies, and an European election authority,” Gál said. The proposal is also aimed at removing the unanimous vote in the European Council, she added. “We firmly reject those proposals,” Gál said.

Rather than “humiliating member states and violating the principle of a loyal cooperation Europe’s strength, competitiveness and its due place in the world” should be regained, the MEP said.

October 26, 2023

445 Hungarian citizens have been rescued from Israel

Hungary continues to condemn the attack on Israel in the strongest possible terms, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office told a press conference on Wednesday.

Hungary’s government recognises Israel’s independence, Gergely Gulyás said.

The international community must do everything possible to avoid escalation and prevent an interstate war, he said.

Europe has a vested interest in the region’s countries preserving their freedom and security, he said. Unless Egypt and other countries are helped, “hundreds of thousands or even millions can make their way to Europe“, Gulyás said.

“We expect and request that everyone take the victims into consideration in this situation,” Gulyás said.

Hungary draws a clear line between exercising the freedom of assembly as enshrined in the constitution, and demonstrations in support of terrorism, he said. Hungary has banned all sympathy protests for terrorism, he said.

Illegal migration is behind the “alarming phenomenon of thousands or tens of thousands hailing terrorists.”, Gulyás said.

Altogether 445 Hungarian citizens have been rescued from Israel and brought home so far, he said.

Everything must be done to free the hostages held in the region, he added.

Hungary has done a lot to evacuate Hungarians who were in danger, he said, noting however that 15 Hungarian citizens, four families with ten children, were still stranded in the Gaza Strip. The youngest among the children is only four months old, he said.

All of the Hungarians are fine, Gulyás said, adding that Hungarian diplomats stayed in constant contact with them.

The government will do everything in its power to bring those families home as soon as possible, Gulyás said.

The conflict in Israel and the situation in the Middle East will be on the agenda of the upcoming EU summit, he said.

Hungary’s government does not support an amendment proposal to the European Union’s budget, and finds it “unacceptable that Brussels is asking for more money”, he said.

The implementation of the “migrant pact” is irreconcilable with Hungary’s interests as well as those of the EU, Gulyás said. “We can’t support wage hikes for Brussels bureaucrats either: these bureaucrats have failed to fulfil their most basic obligations towards Hungary,” he said.

The European Commission is trying to finance rising interest rates from resources it currently does not have, Gulyás added.

Meanwhile, the proposal would ensure support to Ukraine over four years, he said. That proposal is “unacceptable” as it would prolong the war rather than support a ceasefire, he said. “We do not think it is good that support for Ukraine should be integrated into the EU budget,” he said.

The government does not expect a consensus on these matters at an upcoming EU summit, he said.

October 26, 2023

Orbán miscalculated: He lost his biggest European ally

Viktor Orbán has once again found himself on the wrong side of shifting European political dynamics, this time concerning the recent elections in Poland.

Poland, one of Europe’s most influential middle powers due to its substantial economy and military strength, significantly impacts European politics through its elections. Until now, Polish and Hungarian politicians have generally stood together in European politics. However, the recent Polish elections might mark a swift change in this partnership.

Loss of an ally, strong adversary on the horizon

Hungary has long aligned itself with other illiberal democracies, including Poland. From Hungary’s perspective, the changes in Polish politics mean the loss of one of its most crucial traditional allies, putting the longstanding concept of Polish-Hungarian friendship in jeopardy, a concept Hungary vehemently supported.

Not only does Hungary lose one of it’s allies, most likely it will also gain an adversary to be reckoned with. Especially considering the sway they wield in European politics and the almost certain appointment of Donald Tusk as their next leader. This will prove to be a problem for Hungary’s political leaders, writes 444.

Speaking of Hungary’s political leaders and their challenges, it is essential to consider the increasing isolation from the European Union as well as Viktor Orbán’s Russian friendly politics. These foreign policies pursued by Orbán further contribute to Hungary‘s isolation from the EU. Read more about Hungarian foreign policies HERE.

What comes next?

In the past, Hungary had enjoyed the support of Poland’s governing party, PiS, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski. However, this changed with a high turnout (estimated at 73%) in the Polish elections this year, ending the illiberal regime. The result of these events will inevitably lead to changes in the region, including the appointment of a new Prime Minister, likely Donald Tusk, who leads the Civic Coalition. You can read more about the Polish election HERE.

Tusk faces a challenging task navigating the complicated political landscape that has evolved, which consists of cooperating with the Civic Coalition and managing remaining PiS loyalists in key positions. Tusk’s primary internal policy goal is to discredit PiS and demonstrate that there is no future for EU member states that question the rule of law, which directly affects Hungary.

In other words, the primary internal policy for Tusk is to step up against Hungary.

Since he has an extensive political history, this is a feasible goal for him. Tusk used to be the president of the European Council and also served as a former Polish Prime Minister. In this regard, he has the same level of political experience as Viktor Orbán.

As for the leader of Hungary, Orbán is likely to face considerable embarrassment in response to the situation, as explaining the loss of a crucial traditional ally will not go down well.

It appears that the “Warsaw Express” has dismantled the Eastern European illiberal axis, leaving uncertainty about what else it may alter in its wake.

October 24, 2023

Orbán’s tactics failed again, PiS is angry

Kaczynski’s secret political weapon backfired. Turns out they employed Hungarian advisers for the failed campaign. At least that’s what a Polish newspaper said.

Seems like the Law and Justice (PiS) government that has been getting the most votes for the last 8 years will need even more to carry on now. Both the Sejm and the Upper House have opposition majorities. The Polish media is practically stating the change of government as a fact.

Naturally, Jaroslaw Kaczynskis’ party can still try stalling for time. To an equal degree, Andrzej Duda, president of the republic, can cause an inconvenience by entrusting the continuation to the forming of a minority government. It’s another can of worms that the next prime minister of Poland will most likely be Donald Tusk. He will govern the country as the head of a three-party coalition.

“The PiS has had better days: the party is trying to place the responsibility of this colossal failure. Names are being mentioned, including some who are advisers to the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.”

comments the Polish newspaper Polytika.

After the resignation of Tomasz Poreba, the ruling party’s election guru, the campaign landed in the hands of Joachim Brudzinski. He is a representative of the EP and has quite conservative views. It is said that this change of staff opened the door for the party advisers of Viktor Orbán. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, president of PiS, believed that the increased staff and Hungarian ideas will lead to victory.

The newspaper doesn’t say from whom exactly the party got their information, but the PiS argument was that they can use the Hungarian model with a little bit of translating and integrating. According to Polytika, representatives of Fidesz were never personally present. However, they held sway in the development of the campaign.

“They did whatever they wanted. Morawiecki’s people reasoned that they would help us win third mandate, and to do so, we would just have to adapt what worked for them,” a source told the paper. However, the Hungarians had not taken into account the specificities of the Polish electoral system and the public mood.

That’s how the Polish ruling party’s campaign focus points included a referendum against the compulsory resettlement of migrants. This referendum was, coincidentally, held on the same day as the elections. You can read more about it HERE.

This idea might ring a bell to our Hungarian readers, since in 2022, there was also a referendum on election day, only the topic was ‘child protection’.

The Hungarians also persuaded the PiS campaign advisers to give Donald Tusk a run for his money. According to the PiS allied politicians, this also backfired. They state that it only motivated those rooting for the opposition to mobilise.

The disillusioned PiS campaign advisers put the blame on Jaroslaw Kaczynski as well. “He agreed to the expanding of the staff and honestly believed that Orbáns’ advisers would bring him success. It’s a pity he wasn’t surrounded by people who would’ve told him this couldn’t work in our country.”

October 24, 2023

MEP Gál marks 1956 anniversary in Strasbourg

Kinga Gál, MEP of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz said “Hungary would not allow others to decide about its fate, just as it will reject foreign ideologies forced upon it,” at a commemoration marking the anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolt, in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

“We must remember the events of 1956 to see what freedom means for us and why we have to fight for it again and again,” Gál told the celebration organised by Hungary’s permanent representation in the European Council building.

“When we enter into heated debates or disagree with the European mainstream on basic issues, it is because we put our national interests in the focus . this is the basis for the Hungarian nation’s survival,” Fidesz politician said.

“Hungary believes in a strong, prosperous Europe, which is able to protect its citizens, in which Christian traditions and such values as freedom, fidelity and heroism are respected, and where cooperation is based on mutual respect,” Gál said in her address.

October 19, 2023

PM Orbán meets ICBC chief in Beijing

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Chen Siqing, head of the board of directors of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the largest bank in the world, for talks in Beijing on Wednesday.

According to a press release from the prime minister’s press office, Orbán visited ICBC’s headquarters and discussed high-level cooperation within the Belt and Road initiative.

At the talks, Orbán highlighted ICBC’s role in the development of Hungary’s economy and trade, as well as in Hungary-China trade. The prime minister informed his partner about Hungary’s economic development and his government’s plans to support competitive industries and Chinese companies investing in Hungary. He encouraged additional Chinese investments in Hungary and said he counted on ICBC’s cooperation.

“China and Hungary are faithful partners in the Belt and Road initiative,” Chen said, adding that he saw great opportunities for further cooperation in all areas. He said his bank would promote a close tie between the Chinese initiative and Hungary’s national strategy, better financial services in Hungary and in central Europe, as well as contribute to economic, trade and a pragmatic financial cooperation between China and Hungary.

ICBC has 415 branches in 49 countries worldwide, including 20 countries in Africa.

October 18, 2023

Hungary beats the whole of Central Europe with its motorway network

Hungary has caught up with Austria in one crucial aspect, as it now boasts the most extensive motorway network in the region, although there remains room for improvements.

Hungary trails Austria

While Hungary’s economic development still lags behind that of Austria, our nation can take pride in its motorway infrastructure. According to the latest 2021 data from Eurostat, Austria has 1,749 kilometres of motorways, while Hungary has constructed 1,850 kilometres of dual highway.

Hungary has placed significant emphasis on infrastructure development in recent years, as reported by vg.hu. As a result, Hungary has not only surpassed Austria but also currently leads the entire region.

Is Hungary a motorway superpower?

Examining Hungary’s neighbouring countries, we find that Croatia has built 1,316 kilometres of motorways, Slovakia 849, Slovenia 616 and Romania 931.

These figures reveal that Central and Eastern Europe lags behind Western countries, a discrepancy that stems from economic and developmental disparities. The economic advantages of motorway construction are still debated in many places. However, it’s worth noting that developed Western European countries, such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, maintain motorway networks one and a half to two, or even three times denser than Hungary.

While Hungary has 20 kilometres of motorway per thousand square kilometres, Germany boasts 37, and Denmark and Spain maintain 31. The Benelux countries, in particular, excel with 58 kilometres of motorway per thousand square kilometres in Belgium and 67 in the Netherlands. To put this in perspective, the Netherlands, covering less than half the area of Hungary, counts nearly 1,000 kilometres more motorways.

On the absolute scale, Spain surprisingly leads in terms of total motorway length, with 15,860 kilometres by 2021, followed by Germany with 13,155 kilometres.

Further expansion on the horizon

Although Hungary takes the lead in the region, there is still room for improvement at the EU level. In terms of land area, Hungary can easily accommodate an additional 1,000 kilometres of motorways. While not all will be built immediately, according to the plans of the Hungarian Concession and Infrastructure Development Company, another 272 kilometres are certain to be constructed. This suggests that by 2030, Hungary’s motorway network could exceed 2,000 kilometres in length.

October 18, 2023

Delegates vouching for increased protection of journalists and media outlets in Europe

A new regulation about media transparency and independence has been accepted by the European Parliament on a Tuesday vote. Its objective is to keep the masses well-informed and maintain viability of the media as a sector.

New Media Freedom Act

According to the website of the European Parliament, the amendment is expected to promote the various perspectives of society and to guard the sovereignty of media from any political, financial, economical or personal influence. Members of Parliament are defending journalists from violations such as: revealing their sources, being observed by spywares, such as Pegasus, or access to their top-secret contents. The first step in analysing the situation is to clarify who are the owners behind each media outlet. Therefore, the EU regulation would obligate companies to make this crucial information public. Other information concerning state advertisements and financial support might also become available.

BigTech decisions may also mean a threat to media sovereignty, and the European Parliament tries to regulate this overwhelming power by various mechanisms in order to control arbitrary content removals. First and foremost, these mechanisms differentiate between independent and non- independent media outlets, and in the case of a possible content removal it obligates online platforms to send a notification to the participant 24 hour beforehand, providing the necessary time for a reaction. After the 24 hours, the platform has the right to delete the post, article in question, however, the participant is able to file an appeal based on just basic principles, such as the freedom of media.

Ownership transparency

MEPs believe that every state member is responsible to provide the necessary, reasonable funds to media outlets in the given country with a clear and calculable annual budget plan. The idea is to prevent online platforms to become digital billboards and eliminate the dependency on governmental contracts by using merely the 15% of the funds for advertising activities, which amount is predetermined by the local authorities. The list of conditions about public money divisions of the state should also become traceable and public. The European Commission opts for establishing a new, independently managed institution in order to oversee how above regulations and mechanisms are being delegated. In addition, the complex job of the new organisation is helped by an independent group of people, whose members would be chosen among professionals of the media sector and the civil sphere.

According to Sabrina Verheyen, rapporteur (EPP, Germany) Europe cannot turn a blind eye to the concerning situation of the freedom of media across the globe. Verheyen emphasises that the question of the media sector is not merely an economical question, simply because media contributes deeply to our education, cultural processes and social changes. “Today, the parliament has demonstrated its strong commitment to the protection of free media,” she added while regarding the amendment as a ‘milestone’. Now, that the amendment has been accepted by the members of Parliament, a discussion starts about its precise phrasing with the help of the European Council.

Read also: Hungarian star journalist expelled from Golden Globe

Author: Zsófi Ökrös

October 16, 2023

How do Budapest rental prices fare compared to other European cities’?

Statista has released a new report based on HousingAnywhere’s rental price data. This new report reveals that the average rent price has surged by 43% since last year. More importantly, it reports that the average Budapest rental price is 1,100 EUR, roughly 430,000 HUF. We researched the most recent data to verify its accuracy and compared rental prices to those of other European cities.

As Telex report, according to the latest KSH reports from July, the average rent price in Budapest and Hungary overall has risen by 1.9% compared to June. It has increased by 14% in Budapest and 13% in Hungary overall since July 2022. The average rent is HUF 230,000 (EUR 591.84), with the II. and V. districts having the highest prices at HUF 350,000 (EUR 900.62) and the XXIII. district the lowest at HUF 150,000 (EUR 385.98).

This data suggests that Statista‘s report, which has gained popularity on social media with over 7,000 likes by 6 October 2023, is somewhat misleading because HousingAnywhere‘s data pool only includes about 125 rental properties in Budapest, targeting mobile, upper-class consumers aged 18-35, including some digital nomads who do not rely on Hungarian wages and are typically paid in euros.

According to Statista’s most recent 2022 Q3 report on European rental prices, Budapest is becoming more comparable to other European cities. The average rent in Turin is EUR 970, slightly higher than the average rent in Budapest’s most expensive districts, but almost 50% higher than the city’s overall average rent and nearly three times as high as the average rent in the cheapest district.

Although Turin has a per-capita GDP of only EUR 33,000, which is just 10% higher than Budapest’s, it commands significantly higher rent prices. Other European cities like Brussels and Berlin have much higher rent rates, averaging 1,100 and 1,695 euros, respectively, while even Ljubljana boasts a higher average rent of 700 EUR. Conversely, Warsaw has an average monthly rent of EUR 610, which is approximately EUR 50 lower than the price of a one-bedroom apartment in Budapest, Eurostat reveals.

These statistics alone do not paint the whole picture. As we mentioned earlier, the average rent price has risen by 14% in Budapest since last year. However, according to KHS’s report, the average net salary has only crept up to HUF 377,600 (EUR 971.64), a 17.9% increase. Real salary prices have actually dropped by 3% due to a 21.5% increase in average consumer prices. This has made it more challenging for people living on average Hungarian wages to afford rent in Budapest. In contrast, it has not significantly affected digital nomads, as most of them receive their salaries in euros.

Author: Máté Kollár

October 10, 2023

Fidesz politician calls for preventing humanitarian disaster in Chad

Hungary’s government has recognised that because the situation in central Africa impacts the future of the whole of Europe, everything possible must be done to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Chad, the state secretary responsible for aiding persecuted Christians said on Wednesday.

Tristan Azbej said in a Facebook video from Chad that he had joined the Hungary Helps humanitarian programme’s medical mission in the central African country involving doctors, health professionals, humanitarian operations managers and agriculture experts looking for ways to help the people living there and contribute to the country’s stability.

Armed conflicts are everyday occurrences in Chad’s neighbourhood, Azbej said, noting the civil war in Sudan and the recent military coup in Niger.

Chad, as the last remaining stable country in the region, is seeing an influx of people seeking safety for themselves and their families, the state secretary said, adding that about a third of the people in the country were in need of humanitarian aid given the ongoing problems related to medical care.

The members of the Hungarian medical mission provide them and the communities taking them in the care they need, Azbej said.

The humanitarian operations managers provide training for the local authorities who are in charge of caring for more than a million refugees, while the agriculture experts are exploring ways to make use of Hungarian irrigation technologies in a country battling desertification, a severe food crisis and child malnutrition, he said.

If the situation in Chad turned into a humanitarian disaster, it would trigger a migration wave towards Europe, including Hungary, Azbej said.

The Hungarian humanitarian mission in Chad seeks to find ways for Hungary to contribute to the country’s stability and prevent the humanitarian crisis there from escalating into a disaster, he added.

October 5, 2023

FM Szijjártó: European environment poor, Hungarian economic outlook positive

Hungary’s economic outlook is positive regardless of the poor European environment, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Tuesday, hailing the government’s strategy to make the country a meeting point for Eastern and Western investors.

Addressing a forum of the of the US-Hungary Business Council (USHBC), Péter Szijjártó noted that American companies make up the second largest investor community in Hungary, with 1,700 businesses employing 105,000-110,000 people.

This is especially important nowadays, “with the global economy having upturned twice in the past few years, most recently because of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine”, a foreign ministry statement quoted Szijjártó as saying.

The minister said intense debates had evolved in recent years over whether the government should change its economic strategy aimed at creating a labour-based society. Some, he said, had argued that the government should spend its resources on welfare payments for the jobless, but the government had instead focused on preventing unemployment.

It is because of this strategy that the government’s investment promotion scheme made 2022 “the most successful year in Hungary’s economic history”, leading to record investments, employment and exports, Szijjártó said.

Turning to the energy crisis, the minister noted the government’s factory-saving scheme aimed at reducing the energy dependence of companies. It is partly thanks to this programme, he said, that exports increased by 10% in the first eight months of the year, that new investments created 50% more jobs than last year and that last year’s record investments worth EUR 6.5 billion were expected to double this year.

He said Europe’s competitiveness had nosedived in the recent period, and its growth model had “collapsed” because Western technologies were tied to relatively cheap Eastern energy sources, but these had gradually severed due to the war in Ukraine.

He called it “problematic” that natural gas prices in Europe today are six times as high as in the United States, while electricity costs three times as much as in China.

Szijjártó called for reasonable energy cooperation to be maintained with Russia. “There’s currently no alternative to this from Hungary’s perspective,” he said.

The minister hailed the fact that Hungary has become a key meeting point for Eastern and Western investors, particularly in the automotive sector, which he said represented the backbone of the Hungarian economy. This industry, however, faces major challenges, given that Western carmakers have made the decision to transition to electric vehicles while becoming “completely dependent” on Eastern batteries, Szijjártó said.

“Whether we like it or not, the world’s ten biggest electric battery makers are Eastern companies with a combined 98% market share,” he said.

Szijjártó noted that all three premium German car manufacturers have set up plants in Hungary and have based key elements of their electromobility strategy here. Also, five of the world’s top ten battery manufacturers will soon be present in Hungary, making the country the world’s fourth-biggest, and soon the second-biggest battery maker, he added. He said this strategy was Hungary’s guarantee for long-term growth.

The future of the European economy depends mainly on the success of the auto industry’s electric transition, “and this transition is happening in Hungary”, he said.

Read also:

October 3, 2023

Creating CEElicon Valley – The HVCA held its annual investment conference

The Hungarian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HVCA) held its 24th annual investment conference on 21 September, 2023, which is the largest and most prestigious professional event of the Hungarian VC/PE market. The international presenters and experts discussed the future of the venture debt market, changed thoughts about how to create the regional CEElicon Valley, tasted wine and awarded EIF with the John Harsanyi Prize.

The conference provided a forum for the most prominent players, investors, executives and business decision-makers of the Central and Eastern European venture capital and private equity sector to share and discuss market trends and presented the most topical issues with prominent players in the sector.

The first panel discussion focused on non-conventional venture debt, where financial experts consulted about the current role of venture debt in early-stage firms’ life cycle, outlining a number of positive synergies and the nature of complementarity between venture debt and venture capital finance.

What ingredients does CEE needs to replicate the success of Silicon Valley? – that was the main question in the panel, where the region’s experts was looking into latecomer advantages of CEE Europe’s venture capital market and its capacity to catch up with the mature venture capital market of Silicon Valley.

By exploring the region’s current resources, regulatory environment, infrastructure and culture, as well as targeted actions needed to be taken, the discussion highlighted that processes in CEE Europe’s venture capital market can be radically improved as the region climbs the steep development curve.

EIF won Harsanyi Prize

One of the largest Fund of the Funds is the European Invetmenst Fund on behalf Cyril Gouiffes, the Head of Social Impact Investing took the John Harsanyi Prize, which is HVCA’s award to one individual or an organization recognized for its exceptional contribution to the development of entrepreneurial processes worldwide. This year EIF earned this prize.

„So far, we have supported through our investments more than 15,000 hungarian SMEs corresponding to a total amount of 332 million in equity, guarantees, and securitization in Hungarian financial intermediaries. Receiving the John Harsanyi Prize is an enormous honor and even more so a very special recognition of EIF’s role to the Hungarian and wider European economy” – said Gouiffes at the award ceremony.

As in previous years, a social issue indirectly related to the private equity sector was also part of the full-day conference: Áron Szilágyi, a three-time Olympic champion saber fancer introduced MEEF, the Hungarian Elite Athletes’ Interest Protection Forum, an association with a purpose to develop programs for Hungarian elite athletes in cooperation with business partners and educational institutions and provide them with financial and legal advice during their active years and after retirement.

There was also an exciting panel discussion on how to explore the effects and benefits of featuring start-ups on TV, like SharkTank, Dragons’ Den, 2 Minuten 2 Million. The participants of the roundtable discussed what’s the benefit of such show for the investor community, or is it even an effective way of promoting entrepreneurship.

The leaders of HVCA/HunBAN/StartUp Hungary highlighted the role and initiatives of individual organisations within the regional VC and PE community including highlighting the impact of the three organisations on the startup ecosystem.

September 26, 2023

This is why Hungarian is the strangest language in Europe

According to linguistic history research, the Hungarian language has been independent for 2500-3000 years. The survival of Hungarian is almost unprecedented on the continent, just as the survival of the Hungarian state born in the South-East was not a matter of course.

“When we tell our history, the most important thing is to be authentic and, as we say, to convey the most up-to-date knowledge according to the current state of science,” said documentary filmmaker Krisztián Bárány, speaking about the film The Rise of the Árpáds.

Together with his fellow artists, Bárány works on less well-known or controversial subjects. These can help promote joined-up thinking. These days, many people are no longer bound by “talking head” documentaries, even if the story itself is interesting. However, a live-action approach, which also shows the material environment and way of life of the time, can be digested by the masses.

Visuals give you more and more impact than 20 pages of text, and they also open up other perspectives more effectively.

For example, in the school presentations of the film In Search of the Holy Crown and our Coronation Treasures, students were given questions to answer, which they could use to further develop their knowledge according to their own interests.

The Hungarian language is unique in Europe

According to the history we know today, the history of the Hungarians begins with Álmos and Árpád at the end of the 9th century. However, language historians can look back even further, because Hungarian has been a language for 2,500-3,000 years, which means that it was separated from the last “language relative” at that time and has not been split off since.

By comparison, the Czech and Slovak diverged just a few hundred years ago. But the modern Romance languages also started to become independent between 1000 and 1500 years ago. There is no link between the independence of a language and national or ethnic unity, adds historian Balázs Sudár.

However, the Hungarian language certainly became important in the Carpathian Basin: behind the Latin literacy of the Middle Ages, we can recognise a Hungarian mother tongue – similar signs suggest that the mother tongue of Mátyás Hunyadi was Hungarian.

An important indicator, however, is that we now speak Hungarian, and its survival as a language in its own right, as an unrelated “immigrant” language in the area, is almost unprecedented in Europe, writes 24.hu.

September 26, 2023

Sorrowful prediction: Pines to disappear from Hungary

According to a WWF programme manager, a significant proportion of pines and pine forests will disappear, radically transforming Hungary’s forests. Pines have been languishing for years, living under climate stress in large parts of Europe – including Hungary.

Spruce to disappear from Hungary with time

As InfoStart writes, pines have been under climate stress for many years in large parts of Europe. According to Dr László Gálhidy, increasingly hot and dry summers, storms with extreme weather and the emergence of insect pests not previously typical of the area are all contributing to the death of trees.

The head of WWF Hungary’s Forest Programme points out that in 2019, a tenth of the black pine (Pinus nigra) population was lost in one year. Similar trends can be observed in neighbouring countries. In Germany, more than 110,000 hectares of forest were lost in 2018: an area the size of Hamburg and Bremen combined.

Damage by climate change

The damage to trees is caused by drought, storms and bark beetle damage. It mainly affects spruce trees, as drought and lack of water mean that trees cannot produce enough resin to help them control pests, according to an interview with Dr Gálhidy, published on wmn.hu.

According to the expert, “many pine trees have been planted in places where they would not otherwise have been, and many forests that were previously mixed forests or beech forests have been planted with pine. And this has happened not only in Hungary but also in neighbouring countries”.

No spruce for Christmas, but fear not

According to Gálhidy, from a nature conservation point of view, it is important to restore the original vegetation cover in areas where the pines will soon disappear.

As for Christmas, he also has some bad news. Spruce “will have to go, but not all conifers will disappear from the country. There will be some that can adapt to the changed conditions and some that would have survived naturally in this area before”.

Read also:

September 25, 2023

Hungarian border protection cure for illegal migration

Hungary migration southern border fidesz

Border protection is the cure for the illegal migration organised by NGOs both at the southern border of the United States and in Europe, the head of the Center for Fundamental Rights told The Washington Times journalist Tim Constantine’s Capital Hill Show.

“This mass migration that we see in Europe and the United States as well is organised illegal mass migration,” Miklós Szánthó told Constantine, according to a Thursday statement by the think-tank.

“Look at the participants, look at the actors! There are the warlords in Africa or the South American drug cartels in Mexico, the human traffickers, the human smugglers. There are the so-called human rights NGOs, who act as some kind of travel agencies, who are trying to organise the trips of these migrants,” Szánthó said.

Although these NGOs regard themselves as civil organisations, Szánthó said, “in reality those are political actors, mostly financed by the Open Society Foundation, by the Soros network.” Illegal mass migration becomes fully organised in such a way that “at the end of the day, there are the progressive liberal elites of the Western European countries, who promote this idea of Europe without borders.”

“But we do know that a nation is not a nation without borders,” Szánthó said. “And this is the Hungarian experience, and this is why we are trying to protect our borders on the south. And in that way we are also protecting the borders of Europe.”

September 21, 2023

President Novák: Hungary ready to take part in any peace initiative for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine

Hungary supports and is open to take part in any peace initiative that creates a feasible environment for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine and creates a roadmap towards a sustainable and just peace, President Katalin Novák said in her address to the United Nations’ Security Council in New York on Wednesday.

In her address, delivered by the head of the Hungarian state in the UNSC for the first time in several decades, Novák said that Hungary welcomed the Ukrainian peace initiative and was open to join the process. The personal presence of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, in the UN is also an indication that “the moment has come to be serious about peace”, she said. Novák said she counted on Zelensky “to take action and facilitate the restoration of rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine” as he personally promised at their meeting in Kyiv before and also in New York.

Novák said the war in Ukraine directly threatened Hungary as a neighbouring country, pointing out that Hungarians were also fighting and dying on the battlefield. The war in Ukraine directly threatened the security architecture of Europe, she added.

The Hungarian president urged cooperation in promoting peace and security in Ukraine. “We need organisations, countries and personalities who can invite the warring partners to peace negotiations,” she said, adding that “we acknowledge the United Nations and the UN Security Council as essential actors in this process”.

“We need countries, we need strong nations, for example the United States, China and Turkiye that are capable or ready to set the table for a possible solution, are capable or ready to talk with both sides and have the potential to influence the continuation further,” Novák said.

She underlined the importance of personalities, saying that “I’m convinced that Pope Francis is someone who can facilitate peace in Ukraine”. “Our history gives us so many examples that a small group of people, or even a single person can have an effect or turn the flow of history.”

In her speech, Novák emphasised the role of women leaders in promoting a solution to conflicts. “Women leaders who join their forces to contribute to peacemaking can have a substantial contribution to this process,” the Hungarian president said.

September 21, 2023

Minister: Hungary taking over rotating presidency of CEEPUS education scheme

Hungary has formally taken over the rotating presidency of the Central European exchange programme for university studies (CEEPUS) from Poland, János Csák, the minister for culture and innovation, said in Warsaw on Wednesday, following a meeting of representatives of the scheme’s member states.

Speaking at a press conference, Csák noted that the CEEPUS programme had been launched in Budapest in 1993 with the aim to promote mutual knowledge sharing among university students, teachers and other fellows in central and eastern European and Western Balkan countries.

The scheme has been highly successful with the number of participants increasing steadily over the past years and spending several months in host countries, Hungarian minister for culture and innovation said.

The scheme will be expanded to have new members such as Ukraine offering participation of Ukrainian students in its programmes, the minister added.

Representatives of the member states signed at the meeting an international agreement on the new CEEPUS programme for 2025.

September 21, 2023

Hungarian FM: ‘Terrorism, illegal migration form vicious circle’

Intensifying migratory waves towards Europe pose a great threat to the continent and reflect that terrorism and illegal migration form a “vicious circle”, the Hungarian foreign minister said in New York on Wednesday.

The foreign ministry cited Péter Szijjártó as stating that despite all efforts, the threat terrorism poses globally is currently more serious than ever before, with various terrorist attacks claiming 6,700 lives last year. Szijjártó is scheduled to participate in a meeting of the group supporting victims of terrorism held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

He noted that the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) received only 3 percent of its budget from the global organisation with the rest to be provided by the member states. Hungary has made a great contribution by Budapest hosting the second largest UNOCT centre, Szijjártó said. Some 25 international experts work at the centre and its role is planned to be further strengthened, he added.

“Hungary’s role in the global fight against terrorism will further increase in the upcoming period which will contribute to increasing security in Hungary,” he said.

Szijjártó said that he would meet eight of his counterparts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, including the foreign ministers of Bahrein, Chad, Moldova and the Vatican. The talks will focus on challenges posed by the war, he added.

Hungary’s pro-peace position is met with great respect all over the world, Szijjártó said.

Commenting on business negotiations held on Wednesday, he said that US companies were the second largest group of investors in Hungary, with 1,700 companies employing 105,000 people. “They have very positive feedback on the economic environment and do not allow being misled by various political attacks,” he added.

“Instead of getting information from the US or German press, they make decisions based on their everyday experiences and they clearly see that the investment environment in Hungary with the lowest taxes in Europe, highly-skilled workforce and excellent infrastructure represents the best investment opportunity in Europe,” he said.

Commenting on a meeting on Sudan, he expressed regret over disruptions in food supplies and added that grain exports from Ukraine should be started as soon as possible.

He said that last year, the Hungarian government had donated 3.5 million euros from taxpayers’ money to help the delivery of 10,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain to Sudan but “not even a single gramm reached its destination”. “Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the approval of the Ukrainian authorities,” Szijjártó added.

September 20, 2023