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Government sends home all foreign construction companies from Hungary

Government sends home all foreign construction companies from Hungary

This was not the first time that Hungary’s construction and transport minister, János Lázár, talked about sending home all foreign companies active in the sector. Yesterday, he highlighted again that it would be better for them to just sell their subsidiaries and leave Hungary. War on the horizon between the Orbán government, the firms and their home countries, especially Germany and Austria?

According to Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, János Lázár, Hungary’s construction and transport minister, cleared at a yesterday press conference that foreign companies had no place in Hungary. He added the government had to end that the Hungarian economy works with foreign building materials and a high import rate in the construction sector.

He said that the construction sector was strategic in Hungary. He added that between 2010 and 2022, the government invested in the sector more than HUF 28,000 billion (EUR 73.6 billion based on today’s exchange rate), but 50% of the money went abroad.

French, Austrian, German construction companies in trouble

The time is over that Hungary struggles from a French, German, and Austrian conquest in the construction sector, he highlighted. Furthermore, he said it was in vain for German, Austrian and French construction companies to lobby in Western Europe or Hungary. They should sell their subsidiaries to the Hungarian state or businessmen, and leave the country once and for all.

He said that 50% of the building materials come from imports. Foreign companies take 80% of the raw materials from abroad. Provided they do not import, most of the raw materials are produced by foreign companies in Hungary. That has to be changed.

He cleared that in Hungary, Hungarian entrepreneurs should use Hungarian building materials. That is how the country can become powerful.

Read also:

  • Beautiful art nouveau hotel of Hungary is finally being renovated – Read more HERE
  • One of Hungary’s largest universities to expand with a new campus in the city centre – Details in THIS article

Bloomberg: Government couples with French airport to buy Budapest Airport

Budapest Airport travel tourism tax

The Hungarian government is working with France’s Vinci Airports on a plan to buy Budapest Airport. Thus, with French help, the plan to take Hungary’s main airgate into state ownership can be realised, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to Bloomberg, Vinci could acquire a significant minority stake of up to 49% in the purchase. However, the deal has not yet been reached and negoiations could fall through. In 2021, in a failed attempt to buy the airport, the value of the airgate was estimated at around EUR 4.4 billion.

According to Bloomberg, the Hungarian state wants 51% of the airport, with the remainder to be handed over to an operator. A source of Telex talked about this earlier. They said that the foreign partner (i.e. probably Vinci) would be a minority owner, but would come in with financing above the ownership stake.

Vinci came into the story of the state takeover of Budapest Airport back in September, when VSquare’s newsletter reported that the Hungarian government would buy the airport in alliance with a French partner. This partner would be Vinci Airports, with whom the Hungarian government has made an offer to the German AviAlliance to buy Budapest Airport, and which operates airports in 13 countries around the world.

A Bloomberg informant, who is also involved in the negotiations, said that the current goal is to reach a deal by the end of the year.

The purpose of buying the airport is to allow the government to increase the economic capital controlled by the state.

Read more news on Budapest Airport below:

US survey: Number of EU supporter Hungarians drastically dropped, Huxit follows?

Hungarians European Union EU presidency

Last week, we reported that even the wealthiest Hungarian, Thomas Peterffy, believes there could be a Huxit in the future, despite its potentially devastating impact on the Hungarian economy. Recently, the Pew Research Centre (Pew) has been monitoring changes in Hungarians’ attitudes towards the EU, revealing a significant decline in the number and proportion of supporters.

As previously noted, it’s not just Mr Peterffy who envisions a scenario where Hungary might exit the European Union; even a Hungarian university lecturer, András Hettyey, from Budapest’s University of Public Service, has expressed this sentiment. He likened the Hungary-EU relationship to a troubled marriage, suggesting that although a Huxit might not be feasible in the short term, in 5-10 years, as Hungary becomes a net contributor to the EU’s budget, this question may receive a different response.

Evidently, Hungarian society’s sentiment towards the EU has considerably changed. According to a recent survey conducted by the American Pew Research Center, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of Hungarians who support the EU. In contrast, Poland has witnessed the opposite trend, where nine out of ten people maintain a positive view of the European community. Even the former governing party, PiS, which campaigned with anti-EU slogans criticising Brussels for frozen funds and rule of law concerns, could not sway people’s attitudes.

Hungarians are more pro-Russian than the EU average

Pew’s findings indicate that Hungarians exhibit a more pro-Russian stance than the EU average, a perspective that has remained unchanged even in the wake of the turmoil in Ukraine.

However, the Orbán government’s anti-Brussels campaign, highlighting the importance of safeguarding Hungary’s sovereignty, appears to have been more effective. In Hungary, support for the EU has dropped by 10% in just one year. Consequently, Hungary stands as one of the most eurosceptic states in the European Union. While 59% of its citizens maintain a positive view of the EU, the EU average is 69%. Meanwhile, 39% of Hungarians hold a negative attitude towards the European alliance, in contrast to the EU average of only 31%.

Nonetheless, when compared to France or Germany, the decline is not that drastic. In France, the decrease is 9%, with only 57% of the population expressing a positive opinion of the EU. In Germany, the drop is 7%, but a significant majority, 71%, still maintain a favourable stance towards the EU, 444.hu wrote.

Interestingly, in Greece, 50% of the population views the EU unfavourably, while 49% hold a favourable view, making them the most eurosceptic member state.

Thought-provoking statistics came from non-EU members. For instance, 83% of South Koreans, 70% of Kenyans and 66% of the British regard the EU favourably.

Hungarians are not the most EU-sceptics

It’s worth noting that in Hungary, the lowest favourable rating was recorded in 2018, at only 57%. The highest was in 2022, with 69%, but this declined to 59% in just one year, likely due to Viktor Orbán’s ongoing anti-Brussels campaign. This is corroborated by Pew’s ideology chart, which reveals that only 54% of right-wing voters in Hungary support the EU, while the figure is 81% for left-wing voters. This left-right divide is at +27, the second largest in the EU, surpassed only by the Netherlands (+29).

When considering the change from ’22 to ’23, the most substantial decrease was witnessed in Hungary, followed by France (-9%), Germany and the Netherlands (-7%) and Sweden (-6%).

For instance, in France (Orbán’s new ally, as discussed HERE), the lowest rating was in 2016, at only 38%, though it’s important to note that the UK departed from the EU when this figure stood at 44%.

You can access all the Pew data HERE.

ESSCA head: French students enjoy their time in Budapest – INTERVIEW

Jean Charroin

ESSCA School of Management creates knowledge and develops responsible managers and entrepreneurs, while fully considering the human, ethical and economic dimensions of organisations in a multicultural environment driven by technology and social innovations. The French university has one of the best management courses worldwide and operates a campus in Budapest. We talked about their mission, programs, how they use AI in education, the strengths of their Budapest campus and his impressions about the Hungarian capital with CEO and Dean Jean Charroin.

DNH: ESSCA has a French base, but it already has campuses in several countries. Can you tell us your secret?

Jean Charroin: 30 years ago, ESSCA began its internationalisation process by establishing its first European campus in Budapest. At the time, it was an ambitious strategy aimed at providing quality education and management skills to an economy that was in the process of opening up to the European and Western markets. Today we are proud that ESSCA is the only French business school in Hungary that provides a diploma labelled by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles.

I joined the school in 2018. At that time we were contemplating whether it is feasible to be a multicampus network with a large portfolio program or not. Michael Porter the famous professor of corporate strategy says: “When you do not make a choice you are stuck in the middle.” When we were at the crossroads of choosing between a multicampus organization or a multiprogram portfolio, I said that we have to make a tradeoff and we opted to develop a multicampus network with a very narrow portfolio program.

Read also:

  • French university with the best management courses worldwide celebrated Budapest campus – Read more HERE

ESSCA has 3 major programs, two of which recruit 90% of all students: the bachelor in management and the master in management. On top of this, the institution is about to launch an MBA program. Almost 95% of our students are in 3 programs at 10 different campuses. With such a narrow portfolio we were able to “copy and paste” a program to have a standardized and efficient approach. If you want to meet the international standards laid out by the most prestigious accrediting bodies in the world such as the American AACSB, the British AMBA and the European EQUIS, and also meet the guidelines of the French Ministry of Education, your institution has to be efficient. This means achieving operational and academic excellence. There are just over 110 business schools in the world that have received recognition from all three aforementioned bodies, i.e. that have been awarded the ‘Triple Crown’.

These accreditations can also serve as the basis of inter-institutional collaborations. For example, all our students have to spend at least one semester abroad, and thus, it is of the utmost importance to propose them international partners, which are of the same quality as ESSCA.

2023 is an exceptional year in the life of ESSCA, as – in addition to Budapest – the Paris Campus is also celebrating its 30th anniversary. The School opened its Luxembourg and Malaga Campuses this year, and will also inaugurate a new facility at its Bordeaux Campus.

DNH: Decades come and go in the life of the ESSCA, but you always teach to a high standard. How do you maintain this high level? Do you renew the university’s strategy from time to time?

Jean Charroin: The School continuously strives to integrate new practices, principles and challenges into all of its activities and to be a trend-setter in shaping the educational field. All of its instructors receive training from ESSCA on how to use the ever-creative and inventive methods it is developing for teaching, tutoring, teamwork, etc. in their varied roles.

The businesses are also effectively incorporated into the school’s operations: for example, they have seats on the Board of Trustees, test panels, curriculum development committees, etc. This proximity to the corporate world shows how diligently ESSCA works to ensure that students obtain the most up-to-date, relevant trainings, specializations, courses and skills.

DNH: How is sustainability integrated into the life of the university?

Jean Charroin: We work to broaden our students’ understanding of the significance and meaning of sustainable development as part of our efforts to make our campus a truly sustainable institution. We arrange at least one optional, CSR-related program each month that educates them on the various facets of sustainability.

ESSCA was one of the first education institutions to integrate the topic of sustainable development into its educational and organizational portfolio. In addition our management considers one of its top priorities that all campuses organize their activities in accordance with sustainability guidelines. Sustainable development and social responsibility does not only part of the curriculum, as it also permeates many other aspects of the School’s operations. The university also serves as an outstanding example, even at international levels, for domestic educational institutions. At the School’s campus in Angers, following the assessment of its carbon footprint, energy consumption was effectively reduced. Furthermore, many new measures were introduced: their buildings were properly insulated, motion-detecting lighting and energy-saving light bulbs were installed, and computers in the classrooms are automatically shut down every night. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the minimization and recycling of waste can be mentioned among our active efforts we have been continuously exercising for years on our campuses. The ESSCA School of Management has achieved many milestones over the decades, such as assessing its ecological efficiency and establishing the ESSCA Sustainable Development-CSR Steering Committee.

DNH: AI has completely turned education systems upside down. How consciously is AI used in education?

Jean Charroin: In order to help students recognize the potential effects of new technologies and how to apply them from an economic, social, legal, and technological perspective, ESSCA places more emphasis on introducing cutting-edge technology into the classroom, such as artificial intelligence.

This September, at our Budapest Campus we hosted the first flagship event of a thought-provoking conference series on Artificial Intelligence titled ‘Leading the Way to Develop New Skills for Europe’s Digital Era’. This conference serves as a demonstration of ESSCA’s commitment to provide its colleagues and students with the tools necessary to succeed in the rapidly changing modern world.

DNH: What do you see as the strengths of the Budapest Campus? Why should talented students apply here?

Jean Charroin: Budapest is located in Central Europe. We made a strategic decision 30 years ago to expand here and this strategy still holds up till this day. The case is quite interesting for our Budapest campus, since it is in a Central European location and Hungary is an industrial country. This is why we wanted to provide a specialization in supply chain management, where students can receive in-depth knowledge about industrial operational efficiency. Within Hungary Budapest is located at a prime geological location where it can take advantage of the opportunities offered by industrial activities.

DNH: What is your impression of Budapest?

Jean Charroin: It is not the first time I have visited here. I am fascinated by history, culture and arts. The decision to have a campus in Budapest was made long time ago before I joined ESSCA. It is a beautiful place for its history, art, culture and its atmosphere. When we share with our French students that they would spend a semester in Budapest, initially they are surprised thinking about why we haven’t established a campus at a fancier location. Nonetheless, after having spent one semester in Budapest all of our students attest to that they enjoyed their time here and feel satisfied at the end of the semester. This can be attributed to the quality of life and the unique student experience they encounter here.

We already made an interview with Director of ESSCA Budapest dr. Zsuzsa Deli-Gray, read here.

Courting Macron? Orbán helps Chad, one of the world’s poorest and least democratic countries

Hungary helps Chad

Hungary supports Chad, one of the poorest and most autocratic states in the world with soldiers, a development centre, and even a model farm. What for? The connection may be Hungary’s developing ties with France.

We wrote in THIS article that Germany’s new political leadership no longer regards Hungary as a great ally as much as it did during the Merkel era. During their last summit, Scholz and Orbán did not hold a joint press conference and Orbán did not receive a military parade like close friends do. The frozen German-Hungarian political relationship does not mean that Hungary does not serve as the backyard of Germany’s economy, but the ties are slowly shrinking. Therefore, Orbán searched for new allies in Europe and found President Macron. Their developing friendship happens despite the fact that a government-close oligarch’s bank supported the presidential campaign of Marine Le Pen with preferential loans.

Surprising Hungarian help for one of Africa’s poorest, Chad

That developing relationship between France and Hungary might be the cause behind Hungary’s unique support towards an autocratic regime in Africa: Chad.

According to g7.hu, Hungary launched an unprecedented aid program for Chad, one of the most underdeveloped states in the world. 200 Hungarian soldiers will go there this spring out of the 800 soldiers serving abroad (500 in Kosovo, we wrote about them HERE). The Chad mission will precede the Bosnian (160) and the Iraqi (130).

Here is a video of the Hungary helps program in Chad:

Chad mission:

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary’s defence minister, said the reason behind the military operation is to help stabilise the autocratic regime. Otherwise, the Sahel region’s destabilisation would continue, and millions of people would leave their homelands.

Furthermore, Hungary will open a humanitarian and development centre in the capital, N’Djamena. Moreover, the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) will create a model farm and a knowledge centre in the country to help local food production. They will test irrigation technologies because drought, lack of water and poverty are everyday challenges. Meanwhile, a ministerial commissioner will be responsible for the Hungarian programs carried out in the Sahel region.

Chad is one of the last French allies in the region. Other countries, also under anti-democratic leadership, already turned to Russia.

Hungarian carpenter works on restoration of burnt Notre Dame

World-renowned Hungarian carpenter and restorer Árpád Rostás is also involved in the restoration of the burnt Notre Dame.

Árpád Rostás can make history by helping to restore the woodwork of Notre Dame in Paris.

It’s been more than four years since the emblematic Gothic cathedral of Christianity, Notre Dame, in the French capital, was destroyed by fire.

The flames started in the Hussars Tower late in the afternoon of 15 April 2019 and spread at lightning speed through the wooden ceiling. At the time, the President of the French Republic promised to rebuild the cathedral in five years.

World-renowned carpenter Árpád Rostás will be involved in these works. The Hungarian man is already preparing for the job, bringing hundreds of years-old wood from Hungary, which he bought when demolishing the cellar of a castle.

“They approached me to apply because they had heard that I was a unique artist in the world. They said my expertise was indispensable. They added that the expectation was that the furniture should shine like the original,” Rostás told ripost.hu.

The Hungarian carpenter has already completed the trial work. He had to rebuild a rusty, broken chair made in 1880, and the master craftsman convinced his clients with his work.

“When I handed over the chair to the clients, they were teary-eyed with joy that they had finally found such a specialist, who is able to restore hundreds of years-old furniture in a unique way,” said Rostás. The Hungarian carpenter does not yet know when he will travel to Paris, but he would like to do a job that all Hungarians can be proud of.

Here is PM Orbán’s new ally to hack the EU: Macron and the French plutocracy

PM Orbán and Macron

It seems more and more French companies will get profitable business in Hungary due to the weakening German-Hungarian economic relationship. The cooperation spans from the energy sector to the buying up of the Budapest Airport, also in the ownership of a German company. Macron and Orbán will hack the EU together and pave the way for an unprecedented Paris-Budapest alliance changing the entire Central European region?

Historically, the French and Hungarians were never allies or even friends. Traditionally, Hungary is part of the German world. Now, we are the backyard of the astonishing German industrial power. However, reports say that Germany’s flagship, the carmaking industry is struggling. Furthermore, during the Merkel leadership, Hungary provided tax exemptions, administrational support, etc. for German companies to make huge profits here (and take it out from the country). In return, Merkel allowed Orbán to get all the EU funds, and Brussels’ criticism never crossed “the Rubicon”.

But Merkel is in the past, Olaf Scholz did show respect towards Orbán during the latter’s visit in 2022 in Berlin. A high-ranking government official said Orbán developed the impression that Hungary is no longer for the Germans, Válasz Online wrote. Therefore, he started to search for new ties.

Read also:

France can be a surprise for many, knowing the history of Hungary. In the 19th century, famous Hungarian poets, thinkers, writers, and politicians regarded France and the French Revolution as a pattern for Hungary. But by the end of the 19th century, that admiration was gained, and the Peace Treaty of Trianon (1920) after the lost WWI, during which Hungary lost 2/3rd of its territory and 1/3 of its Hungarian population, gave the final blow to it. Interestingly, there were negotiations in 1920 to e.g. sell the MÁV to the French to have favourable borders, but such plans died quickly. Hungary remained on the pro-German, anti-France side.

Orbán and Macron

After Orbán’s landslide victory in 2010, life for French companies became challenging. For example, the government put the French out of the cafeteria business in 2012 even though they had to pay a HUF 20 billion compensation later. That attitude changed after 2015-2016.

Macron and Orbán started to cooperate when they overthrew Manfred Weber from the presidency of the European Commission together. And after Merkel’s retirement, Scholz’s inauguration and Germany’s developing negligation, Orbán seems to have turned towards Paris.

Interested in the topic? We recommend two more of our articles:

The cooperation affects many sectors. One is the political sphere. Orbán no longer meets any of the leading European politicians regularly. The only exception is Macron: they met three times in the last four years for bilateral talks. Moreover, the French may provide nuclear fuel for the Paks NPP instead of Russia. Additionally, there are ambitious plans in the making. One is the joint buyup of the Budapest Airport with the French Vinci Airports. The other is an ultra-high-speed railway project connecting Bucharest with Budapest following the French dream of linking together Central European capitals with such trains.

France’s ally in the Central European region were Poland and Romania. But they became too “pro-USA” in the last few years. Therefore, Orbán’s turn is favourable for Paris for two reasons. They can break into “Germany’s backyard”, and find a new ally in the region. That plan may ricochet if Trump gets elected though because Hungary would probably order American F-35 fighters instead of the French Rafales.

French university with the best management courses worldwide celebrated Budapest campus

A distinguished place on the Financial Times’ list as being among the best management courses worldwide; the “Triple Crown” designation, the highest qualification of the profession; strong, humane values – all these characterize the institution of the ESSCA School of Management, which established its campus in Budapest thirty years ago. On the occasion of the anniversary, the School launched a series of exclusive festive events during the spring of 2023 showcasing professionalism, cultural diversity, vibrant student life, and sustainability.

“30 years ago, ESSCA began its internationalisation process by establishing its first European campus in Budapest. At the time, it was an ambitious strategy aimed at providing quality education and management skills to an economy that was in the process of opening up to the European and Western markets. Today we are proud that ESSCA is the only French business school in Hungary that provides a diploma labelled by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles” says Jean Charroin, the CEO and Dean of ESSCA.

“The ESSCA School of Management, founded 114 years ago, was built on stable, strong core values, which serve as the foundation of the School’s existence and operation to this day. However, ESSCA also places special emphasis on connecting these values with the constantly evolving technological, social, and economic expectations, solutions and challenges, and taking these into account, it implements its operations and contributes to shaping the trends of the education market.” says Dr. Zsuzsa Deli-Gray, the Campus Director of ESSCA Budapest, Professor.

Read also:

Dr. Deli-Gray Zsuzsa. Photo: ESSCA Budapest

An excellent example of this is the School’s aim to reorganize its campuses and processes in accordance with the requirements of sustainable development, or the intentional integration of artificial intelligence into specific processes of ESSCA, including education. 2023 is an exceptional year in the life of ESSCA, as – in addition to Budapest – the Paris Campus is also celebrating its 30th anniversary. The School opened its Luxembourg and Malaga Campuses this year, and will also inaugurate a new facility at its Bordeaux Campus.

With an innovative approach ESSCA is launching a series of conferences during the fall of 2023, where the School’s colleagues and partners elaborate on the impact of artificial intelligence on various industries in many parts of the world. The first event of the series will take place at the Budapest Campus, where thought-provoking lectures will be followed by professional discussions. In order to expand on the topic, ESSCA invited a roster of prestigious speakers who originated from various professional fields and industries and who are looking for answers to which areas are most and least affected by the rapid development of artificial intelligence and how each industry should respond to this.

Photo: ESSCA Budapest

“The ESSCA School of Management does not regard artificial intelligence as a threat, but rather as an opportunity. If through careful consideration it is integrated into various processes of the School on the basis of professional aspects, it can bring benefits to all parties, whether it is about systematically preparing the students, teachers and researchers for the individual fields of application and methods or highlighting its economic, technical and ethical concerns and consequences.” says Dr. Zsuzsa Deli-Gray, the Campus Director of ESSCA Budapest, Professor.

“The impact of generative AI is undeniably profound” says Dr. Balázs Vaszkun, Alumnus, Managing Director of Galloman Translation and Interpreting Agency.
How each industry responds to the surge of artificial intelligence can vary greatly. However, according to experts, there is a consensus on one thing: artificial intelligence must not take over human competences. “Technological innovation inevitably pushes boundaries, but we must thoughtfully shape its trajectory rather than let it control us. While certain jobs will be automated by AI, the technology is also poised to create new kinds of jobs and change existing roles in ways that augment, rather than replace, human capabilities so fear of widespread unemployment is likely exaggerated.” says Dr. László Károlyi, CEO of LEGRAND Hungary and President of the French-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the invited speakers of the panel discussion.

Photo: ESSCA Budapest

“AI should be used as a tool to enhance human decision-making and not as a substitute for the expertise and judgment of climate and energy policymakers and scientists.” says Dr. Barbara Botos, Ambassador at- large for Climate, Ministry of Energy, Hungary. If you observe individual industries, you can see that all areas are effected in a varying degree. “Executive search organizations can often seem a bit conservative and classic. Based on their methodology, they rely heavily on individual connections, networks, market research activities with a consulting approach and an advisory mindset. At first, it may seem that the world of AI may have less impact on the ES methodology. But can something survive that does not change or progress with the times? Does AI threaten the raison d’être of executive search?” says Krisztina Dávidné Krokos, Managing Partner at Arthur Hunt Group.

“While important efforts have already been made, the objectives of Sustainable Development are more urging than ever. Still, there are a number of areas where our knowledge is not sufficient and Artificial Intelligence may play an important role. With the analysis and evaluation of big data and the building of appropriate scenarios, artificial intelligence may be able to fill some of these gaps, which may be crucial in our quest for survival on the planet.” says Dr. Gyula Zilahy, Full Professor of Business Sustainability at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

The future impact of artificial intelligence on certain areas cannot be unequivocally estimated. Witnessing its rapid development and expansion, we cannot even comprehend at what pace it will continue to spread. “While AI is very exciting and will undoubtedly change the world we live in, our expectations need to be tempered and we must acknowledge it is not a quick fix to society’s problems” says Dr. Kevin Jackson, Guest Professor of the Budapest Campus Educational and research institutions can have a prominent role in the analysis of challenges induced artificial intelligence, in the development of potential responses, and in the investigation of the impact mechanisms as well.

“At a time affected by international geopolitical tensions and the challenges of ecological and digital transitions, at ESSCA we are convinced of the fundamental role that higher education and research institutions must play in contributing to the strengthening of cross-border synergies and the development of cultural diplomacy cooperations.” says Jean Charroin, the CEO and Dean of ESSCA.

CHARROIN Jean Photo: ESSCA Budapest

About ESSCA

The institution was founded in Angers, France in 1909. The Budapest campus of ESSCA was founded in 1993, and welcomes 750 students from 30 different countries annually. The university has been a member of Conférence des Grandes Écoles since 1977. Uniquely among Hungarian universities it received accreditations from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA, otherwise known as „the Triple Crown”. The Financial Times has ranked its institution among the best business schools worldwide. With its campus located in the heart of Budapest and a vibrant student life the institution which represents international diversity, pure values and sustainability, alongside mental development also emphasizes on the physical wellbeing of its students.

European neo-Nazis to hold rally in Hungary in October

A three-day networking congress of European neo-Nazi organisations is scheduled to take place in Sopron from 6 October. Locals are organising protests, while the mayor has issued a statement clarifying that there is zero tolerance for all forms of anti-Semitism. All the while, local hoteliers are explaining themselves to their guests, saying that they are not aware of any such event.

The Austrian press had already reported in May that Europe’s neo-fascists were organising their 1st Gerd Honsik European Congress in Sopron. Nevertheless, the news blew the fuse in the city this week after an anti-fascist blog post about it appeared online. The residents of Sopron were practically united in their outrage, with the unexpected event even bringing the city’s Fidesz leadership together with the opposition, Telex reports.

kongresszus neonáci
billboard of neo-nazi congress/source: Infochannel telegram

Far-right groups coming from all over Europe

According to the information available on the telegram channel of Infokanal Deutschösterreich (German-Austrian Information Channel), which the newspaper cites as one of the organisers’ sites, far-right groups will gather in the western Hungarian city between 6 and 8 October. Although the detailed programme and the exact location are only available via email, it is clear from the information so far that the three-day event, which costs EUR 25 and is open to the public, will include lectures by Der III.Weg (Germany), the Nordic Resistance Movement (Scandinavia), Casa Pound (Italy) and one of the founding leaders of the Nouvelle droite/New Culture.

What are neo-Nazis doing in Sopron?

This is not the first time since the regime change that they have chosen to meet in the city. In the early 2000s, they met at a “musical gathering” in Harka, near Sopron. Moreover, the man after whom the far right named their congress, Gerd Honsik, had lived in the town for years.

Gerd Honsik’s father died in WWII, and his mother raised him in a “patriotic spirit”. He was, in fact, considered one of Austria’s best-known Holocaust deniers. The Austrian neo-Nazi was jailed several times. At the age of 70, he was released early from his last prison sentence, and shortly afterwards moved to Sopron, Hungary. The city’s proximity to the border and Vienna may have prompted his choice. He died there in 2018.

Hungarian press was brimming with reports that the neo-Nazi martial arts gala, European Fight Night would be held in the Hungarian capital. The event in question caused a lot of tension at the time as well, so the venue had to be changed. The new location was Csókakő, where the local authorities didn’t know what and who they had agreed to host.

Read also:

Another reason why Hungary may be considered a friendly location is because of the international meetings of the Day of Honour (Tag der Ehre in German). Every year in February, the European Nazis hold an international meeting (considered important by them) in Buda Castle, where far-right groups commemorate the joint breakout attempt of Hungarian and German troops on 11 February 1944.

becsület napja Wiki
“The Day of Honour” rally at the Buda castle/ Source: Wikipedia

By invitation only

Registration for the congress in Sopron was open until 22 September and the invitation was available on their Telegram channel. The exact location of the meeting, which is scheduled from 6 October to 8 October, is only revealed to those who buy a ticket. The site is no longer available. Several hotels in Sopron complained that they keep having to explain themselves: no, they were not aware of a neo-Nazi conference on their premises on 6 October.

Mérce wrote that Fidesz mayor Ciprián Farkas distanced himself from the far-right event. While the opposition Momentum party in Sopron is organising a counter-demonstration in front of the hotel where the event is supposed to take place on 7 October. They call on the mayor to prevent the conference.

This is how Hungary could be kicked out of the EU

european union eu flag hungary

The French and German governments have presented a joint agenda for EU reform. This includes the exclusion of Member States that do not respect the rule of law and the introduction of a semi-membership.

The EU is facing a transformation

The European Union has an important problem. It wants to expand, but it cannot do so in its current structure. Enlargement is important because the Balkan countries and former Soviet republics prefer Russian or Chinese patronage.

The EU’s outward-looking external borders would help the continent’s security and reduce the possibility of proximity wars. If there is peace in Ukraine, Hungary’s neighbour will also become an EU member. By 2022, it was clear for EU leaders that Ukrainians have redeemed membership with their blood.

If Ukraine is granted membership, it will be hard to say no to the other candidates waiting in the Balkans. Besides the moral imperatives, there would also be financial and security benefits from enlargement. However, EU decision-making is still cumbersome, especially compared to other major powers in the world. If there were 35-40 member states instead of the current 27 with which the EU is currently negotiating, the situation would be unmanageable, writes valaszonline.hu.

What about Hungary and the veto

A 60-page discussion paper on a possible solution was presented to the General Affairs Council by representatives of the German and French governments. The two most powerful governments in the EU did not formally adopt the positions themselves, but 12 independent experts wrote them.

“After a certain level and time of violations, a country cannot remain a member of the EU,” the text says. They say that a member state must stop dismantling the rule of law. In such cases, there is currently almost nothing the EU can do, and this is one of the most important things to be done before enlargement.

They would also take money from countries like Hungary under an even stricter and more pseudo-system. Poland and Hungary have been in proceedings for six and five years respectively, which could end in the loss of voting rights. However, this is unrealistic at the moment, because it would require the full agreement of the Member States, while the two countries have promised to protect each other.

The proposal now on the table is that a four-fifths majority of member states could be sufficient to block the vote. In fact, if for five years the Council is unable to decide whether or not to exonerate a Member State of the charges it made at the start of the procedure, they would automatically be penalised.

Multi-level membership

It is known that not everyone wants an integrated EU. It is suggested that the issue would be resolved at several levels, if their will goes through. First of all, there would be an Inner Circle. It would include countries that are in the Schengen area and the euro area, so Slovakia would be in the Schengen area while Hungary would be excluded.

The second level would concern the EU members. These member countries can vote, but they are exempted from some new rules. But only those who respect the rule of law would be allowed to stay.

The Associate Members comprise the economically connected countries, while the European Political Community members offer a foreign policy-military alliance to countries around the EU but far from membership.

Paul Taylor in Budapest, be part of a special gastronomic experience in Hungary

Paul Taylor Budapest

Paul Taylor’s Bisoubye x in Budapest! For this big event Tcholélé Production have the chance to team up with Tcholélé Productions to bring you this amazing experience to Budapest on the 22nd of September 2023.

The show will take place in the French Institute’s amphitheater with the capacity of 200 seats from 8 pm to 10 pm.

A bilingual show by an English artist living in France about the process of, as the title suggests it, letting go and moving on to a new chapter in his life. After the show we’ll organize a small talk at the bistrot with the artist. The tickets are selling fast, you can book your ticket here.

The location is the amphitheater of the French Institute of Budapest for the show: 200 seats. There will be:

  • At Le Troquet for a talk with the artist after the show.
  • Warm and cozy inside wine bar
  • 1 minute from Tram stop, 5 minutes from Batthyány tér metro station
  • Terrace with Parliament view
  • Friday, 22nd of September 2023, starting at 8pm.

The porgram:

  • Paul Taylor’s Bisoubye x show from 6pm in the amphitheater.
  • Talk with Paul Taylor at Le Troquet French Bistro.
  • Come join us and have a lovely time of laughter while enjoying delicious French wine.

Food and drinks

  • French Wine bar, of course
  • Gin Bar, coffee, and french cocktail
  • Croissant, croque-monsieur, French bakery & french board to share with ham & french cheese.

The event is open to all customers who want to have a great time full of laughter and joy, Paul Taylor fans, Comedy show lovers, English, French or bilinguals. Anyone who wants to have a great start to her/his weekend.
Don’t forget to buy your tickets in advance.

PM Orbán’s new allies: French companies conquer Hungary and buy Budapest Airport?

Orbán Macron France

The French want to do business in Hungary, while Hungarians want to establish good relationships with a great power of the European Union. Historically, that kind of cooperation showed up already once before. In 1920, the Hungarian government offered the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) to the French to keep more territories inhabited by Hungarian communities in the Carpathian Basin. Now, they would like to buy Budapest Airport with French investors.

Chilly French-Hungarian relationship takes a turn

According to telex.hu, French companies pop up in more and more business deals in Hungary. Framatome may supply Paks with nuclear fuel rods, and Veolia became active in Hungary’s energy sector. According to the latest newsletter of VSquare, the French Vinci Airports would partner with the Hungarian government in buying Budapest Airport at the end of this year.

The relationship between Hungary and France was chilly after the regime change. That is because of historical reasons: the peace treaty of Trianon, during which Hungary lost 2/3rd of its territories and 1/3rd of the Hungarian communities, was France’s will. After 1989, French companies came to Hungary in the cafeteria, construction, and energy sectors but lost ground and left loudly by initiating several legal procedures against the state.

Following negotiations between PM Orbán and President Macron, all of that changed. FM Péter Szijjártó slammed German Siemens and called the French Framatome Hungary’s friend. In the energy sector, Veolia became co-owner of the company operating the CHP Power Plant in Budapest. Their partner was Fidesz spin doctor Árpád Habony’s business circle. Rumours started circulating about a cooperation in the acquisition of Budapest Airport.

Read also:

Budapest Airport purchase: only technicalities are ahead

The airport is now in the ownership of the German AviAlliance. Vinci Airports operates 65 airgates in 13 countries. HERE is a list of them. It includes airports in Central and South America and even Japan. Based on the newsletter, Orbán wanted to cooperate with Qatar, Chinese, etc. partners. But the EU exercised some pressure not to do so. Interestingly, sources said that Vinci would become a minority owner but would give more money than its possible share rate would indicate.

However, they would get the management rights and could operate the airport. Telex sources said the German owner and the Hungarian government had a deal concerning the price, but only some technicalities remained open. The deadline for presenting the purchase framework is this December.

What happened between France and Hungary is a diplomatic miracle. In 2021, the bank of Orbán’s friend, Lőrinc Mészáros, supported Macron’s competitor, Marine Le Pen with loans. In return, Macron said he sympathised with the Hungarian opposition before the 2022 elections. Months later, everything turned upside down. Telex wrote that turn could be at least partly thanked to the previous French ambassador, Pascale Andréani, who works for Framatome. And one of her designated tasks was to lubricate French-Hungarian nuclear cooperation.

Government kicks out the Russians from the Paks nuclear fuel business?

fuel_rods_reactor_paks_nuclear_power_plant

Energy Minister Csaba Lantos on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the CEO of French nuclear industry giant Framatome, with an aim to step up and expand cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the ministry has said.

While the first agreement between the government and the Hungarian branch of Framatome in 2021 focused on training and R+D, Tuesday’s agreement signed by Lantos and the parent company’s CEO Bernard Fontana included cooperation on prolonging the lifespan of nuclear plants and fuel supplies, the ministry said in a statement.

Climate friendly, sustainable nuclear energy plays a great role in Hungary’s energy mix and in fulfilling its climate protection goals, the ministry cited Lantos as saying. France, and Framatome, are also key to Hungary’s efforts to promote cooperation among European Union member states in using nuclear energy, he said. It has a large role in maintaining European energy sovereignty and competitiveness, he said.

Read also:

New flight will connect Budapest and France

New flight Budapest Airport France

Air Corsica, the flag carrier of the French insular region of Corsica, announced a new flight between Budapest and the French island.

Air Corsica‘s head airport is in Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte, who the airgate was named after. The main scope of the airline is to operate planes between mainland France and the island. However, they decided to open up to other regions, including Budapest, Hungary’s astonishing capital. We wrote HERE that Debrecen may become the second capital of Hungary.

Turizmus.com, a Hungarian travel news outlet, said the Corsican flag carrier will launch a new flight between the island and Budapest in December. Unfortunately, only one pair of flights will commute between the two places. The aim is to bring Corsican tourists to the famous Christmas fairs in Budapest. We wrote HERE that Budapest has the best Christmas fair in Europe. Thus, it is not surprising that even Napoléon’s late descendants would like to visit Hungary.

The Corsican airline will carry 180 passengers to Hungary with an Airbus A320 plane. The flight will depart on 13 December from Ajaccio and fly back on 16 December. The return ticket costs EUR 299, which is considerably high. Apart from Budapest, they offer similar Christmas fair flights to Köln, Munich and Cracow in December.

Read also:

FM Szijjártó: Africa’s Sahel region stability important to us

Szijjártó urgently phoned his Russian counterpart

The stability of Africa’s Sahel region is critically important, the Hungarian foreign minister said on Tuesday, arguing that stability in the area made it less likely that large groups of migrants would set off for Europe again.

The situation in the region’s key country, Niger, remains “critical”, with the military having “practically taken the president hostage”, Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook.

The minister said he had discussed on the phone the situation in Niger with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, on Tuesday, adding they were in agreement on the need to stand by the country’s democratically elected president and the restoration of constitutionality, in line with the international statements made in the matter.

The international community and most regional organisations have expressed support for Niger’s president, Szijjártó said. “We have done likewise, as the region’s stability is critically important for us, too,” he added.

Because if there is stability in the Sahel region, then it is far less likely that more migration waves will start making their way towards Europe, and a further aggravation of the threat of terrorism can be prevented, Szijjártó said.

Iconic Budapest landmark among the most beautiful viewpoints in the world!

Fisherman's Bastion Budapest

The list of the world’s most beautiful viewpoints has been compiled by Buildworld. The company has taken TripAdvisor user reviews into account when compiling the ranking. The top spot goes to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Budapest’s iconic landmark, the Fisherman’s Bastion, has also made the list.

Buildworld‘s list of the world’s most beautiful viewpoints has been topped by the symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, with its 360-degree panoramic view from its observation deck, Travelo reports.

Another Parisian landmark, the Sacré Coeur, has made it to the list as well. But there’s also the Hallgrímskirkja tower in Reykjavík, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the London Eye, and the viewing decks of the Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest.

The full list of 10

Which viewpoint would you most like to visit?

  1. Eiffel Tower, Paris
  2. Empire State Building, New York
  3. Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, Paris
  4. Top of the Rock, New York
  5. Fisherman’s Bastion, Budapest
  6. Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík
  7. London Eye, London
  8. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
  9. Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona
  10. Burj Khalifa, Dubai

First two Airbus H225M helicopters have arrived for the Hungarian Defence Forces – PHOTOS

First two Airbus H225M helicopters have arrived for the Hungarian. Defence Forces.

The Hungarian Armed Forces took delivery of its first two Airbus H225M multi-purpose helicopters at an army base in Szolnok, in central Hungary, on Monday.

The two troop transport helicopters were welcomed at the base with a water cannon salute. The Hungarian military has ordered a total of 16 H225M aircraft.

The helicopters were welcomed by Brigadier-General József Koller and Colonel Zsolt Simon among others.

The two helicopters were inaugurated at the Airbus Helicopters plant in Marignane earlier this month. The H225M helicopters are designed and manufactured according the needs of the Hungarian military.

The suitability test of the H225M helicopter began in 2021, with special attention given to the particularities of the aircraft’s Hungarian configuration.

The Ministry’s experts first visited the manufacturer in March 2022, where they held a technical meeting with the experts responsible for the design and production of the helicopter type, as well as its operation and maintenance system. At the end of the process, type certification test flights were carried out on the helicopter with the manufacturer’s identification number IRO 011 between 28 February and 1 March 2023.

 

As we wrote a week ago, the first Hungarian-developed drone inaugurating flight takes place, details and photo HERE.

Air France to launch 18 flights between Budapest and Paris!

Air France Budapest Airport

France’s national airline, Air France, will launch 18 flights per week between the Hungarian and the French capital during the winter season.

According to airportal.hu, Air France shared its winter schedule. The airline is to extend its offer to North America. Furthermore, they will operate 18 direct flights between Paris’s Charles de Gaulle International Airport and Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport. The winter timetable will kick off in end-October. There will be three flights daily on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. On Thursday and Saturday, there will be two flights each day. The altogether number of flights will be 18 between the two capitals each week.

The French national airline will operate 212 flights weekly to 21 American, Canadian, and Mexican destinations in the 2023/24 winter season.