Germany

Swiss, Germans, Austrians, and Belgians flock to this Hungarian village

Locals of the village

More and more foreigners fall in love with the small Hungarian village in Zala county, Southwest Hungary, only 15 kilometres away from Keszthely. Swiss, Germans, Austrians, and Belgians move to the settlement.

According to 24.hu, the local government no longer has territory to sell in Vindornyafok, a small settlement of more than 100 residents. The small village located in the Western parts of the Keszthely plateau is beautiful. The road leading to the settlement is guarded by blooming cherry plum trees in the spring and summer.

Interestingly, Vindornyafok is quite an old village. It was first mentioned in 1358 as a village belonging to a Hungarian noble family. In 1508, the magnate Sárkány family acquired a share in the village. But most of the settlement belonged to the Derecskei family. By the way, Derecske is on the other end of today’s Hungary: between Debrecen, Hungary’s second biggest town, and Berettyóújfalu.

Dwarf village foreigners fall in love with

Vindornyafok was a “dwarf village” even in the 16th century. Most of its residents worked in agriculture. They had a vineyard before the Ottoman occupation. Because of the continuous Ottoman attacks, by 1615, it had become depopulated.

Afterwards, history remains silent for more than a century about Vindornyafok. In a 1773 survey, it is mentioned as a German village. In the 19th century, the Hungarian magnate Festetics family got the settlement. The mansion in the centre of the village belonged to the family. That is now the mayor’s house.

Attila Hág told Zaol, a local newspaper, that they are carrying out several developments in the settlement, and many foreigners fell in love with the village, so their number was growing quickly there. For example, they got a bus for the village caretaker, carried out energy developments at the local government’s headquarters, the medical centre and the cultural centre able to receive 80 guests.

He said that the population reached 137, and they have 65 families. Swiss, Belgians, Austrians, and Germans live in the village in beautiful houses. He added that the village had only one free building site. Therefore, they are thinking about creating a new street. However, that would require land from the locals.

Sausage Festival in Vindornyafok:

Hungarian FM: Kirchhoff Hungaria to invest HUF 20 bn in parts production

Kirchhoff investment

German-owned Kirchhoff Hungaria will invest HUF 20 billion (EUR 53.5m) in hybrid and EV body parts production at bases in Esztergom and Dorog, in northern Hungary, the minister of foreign affairs and trade announced on Wednesday.

Competition for the investment was “enormous”, Péter Szijjártó said, noting that parent company Kirchhoff has plants in eleven countries.

The investment will boost Kirchhoff Hungaria’s headcount, which stands over 700, by 80, he said.

The foreign minister welcomed the investment as an evidence of “unwavering confidence of German investors in Hungary”.

German businesses continue to be the largest foreign investors in Hungary, Szijjártó noted, adding that 6,000 German-owned companies are operating in the country employing more than 300,000 people.

Bilateral trade last year totalled a record 60 billion euros, up 12 percent on the previous year. Its volume has totalled 24 billion euros already in the first four months, which points towards a new record to be reached at the end of the year, the foreign minister said.

According to Szijjártó, the ‘global peace majority’ is not loud enough

szijjártó in new york

It is time to “turn up the volume” of the voices of the global pro-peace majority, and Hungary will continue to call for a diplomatic resolution of the war in Ukraine, “despite all the attacks and pressure”, the foreign minister said in New York on Tuesday.

Péter Szijjártó said that Monday’s meeting of the UN Security Council had made it clear that the international community was grouped around two opposing approaches to the issue.

Proponents of the war continue to make statements that risk an escalation, even as the “overwhelming majority of the world” want a swift end to the conflict, the ministry cited Szijjártó as saying.

“Nevertheless, representatives of the transatlantic world made speeches and statements yesterday that clearly signal that the war would carry on, and bring a clear risk of escalation,” Szijjártó said.

Therefore, the pro-peace camp’s voice should be made louder and “we should make it clear that the overwhelming majority of the world finally wants peace,” he said.

Szijjártó rejected the “accusations” of John Asselborn, his Luxembourg counterpart, who said Hungary wasn’t showing enough solidarity with Ukraine. “We Hungarians have accepted more than one million refugees form Ukraine,” he said, adding that Luxembourg was “probably” lagging behind that number.

He also said that Hungarians were dying “in growing numbers” in the war.

Commenting on the collapse of the agreement allowing Ukraine to export grain through ports on its Russian-held Black Sea coast, Szijjártó said the agreement had been key to mitigating the conflict’s effects in “easily destabilising regions”.

Central Europe’s role in grain transits is expected to grow, and Hungary has completed serious infrastructural improvements in good time, he said.

Hungary is ready to allow grain transits to Africa and the Middle East to avoid a food crisis and the consequent new waves of migration from those regions. At the same time, it must be avoided that Ukrainian grain upends central European markets, “just because a neighbouring country doesn’t have to abide by EU regulations,” he said.

At the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Szijjártó said he would call on the meeting to “talk about peace now that war has dominated the discourse of international organisations for more than 500 days” since the war began.

“To achieve peace, we obviously need a ceasefire, negotiations and a peace agreement,” he said.

He welcomed all peace efforts and called on the UN to provide a platform for the discourse on peace, too.

Commenting on talks with company representatives, Szijjártó said US and German companies were “under a huge pressure, often amounting to blackmail”, to shun Hungary as an investment site. “The liberal US and German leadership do not agree with the direction the Hungarian people have set,” he said.

“It is clear to see, however, that German and US companies are not phased by that, and investments from those countries are growing constantly … I hope to conclude agreements on a few US investments in Hungary today,” he added.

The government will make foreign companies leave Hungary in this sector

Viktor Orbán Russia NATO secret plan PM Orbán

János Lázár, PM Orbán’s construction and transport minister, put it quite frankly in a press conference. They want foreign companies in the building material manufacturing sector to leave Hungary.

According to mfor.hu, Mr Lázár said their expressed purpose is to make foreign building material providers leave the Hungarian market. It was requested by many Hungarian professional organisations. He highlighted that the government would like Hungarian subcontractors to execute construction projects using Hungarian building materials. As a result, the profit could remain in the country. The time frame for that is only ten years, he added.

According to a chart made by ÉVOSZ (The National Federation of Hungarian Building Contractors), at the moment, only 10 percent of Hungary’s building material producers are Hungarians. In the case of building material traders, the rates are better (20 vs 80), while the subcontractors are mostly Hungarians (10 vs 90 percent).

The government would help Hungarian companies with direct money transfers and buy up foreign firms. Moreover, the cabinet is preparing a new construction bill in which they would like to clear the cornerstones of a patriotic economy policy. Lázár said he expected fierce attacks from Austrians and Germans in the issue.

 

Hungarian FinMin meets Audi Hungaria execs

Audi Győr Péter Szijjártó

Hungary’s economy and work force provide a good environment for Audi’s further development, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said on Tuesday, after meeting the car manufacturer’s executives in his office in Budapest.

Audi Hungaria, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is a “flagship” of Hungarian industry, employing some 12,000 people and ensuring the livelihood of another 50,000 families through its network of suppliers, Varga said.

Hungary’s economy grew by 4.6 percent last year and will avoid recession in 2023, to return to growth in 2024, he said. Low taxes on wages, supportive economic policy and the country’s stability are a good baseline for further development, he said. Germany is one of Hungary’s most important economic partners, with 2,700 companies employing 220,000 people in Hungary, he added.

Minister: New Chinese battery makers may come to Hungary

China Chinese investment

Terminating relations with China “would be a suicide committed by the European economy,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a video published on Facebook on Saturday.

He also said foreign direct investment to Hungary could double this year to total 13 billion euros. In an interview given to CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, Szijjártó noted an 865 billion euro annual trade volume between China and the European Union, and said ” how could you decouple without killing the European economy”, MTI wrote.

The Hungarian government considers China as a partner rather than as a “threat” or “a risk”, cooperation with which could give Hungary a lot of benefits. “For us China is an opportunity, but a must in the meantime as well”. Concerning Europe’s car making industry, Szijjártó pointed to “a revolution” and said while European manufacturing companies “can produce very good electric cars, they cannot produce batteries”. He insisted that cooperation between western European and Chinese companies was crucial “to make the new European industry operational”.

Szijjártó said Hungary was an attractive destination for big Chinese investors because of the presence of German carmakers in the country. “While the German foreign minister speaks about decoupling, the CEOs of German carmakers usually call me to convince their Chinese suppliers to come to Hungary,” he said. A cessation of ties with China would “kill the European economy” and “it would be very harmful to the German economy as well”, he said.

According to the foreign minister, apart from CATL and EVE Energy the Hungarian government had agreements with “two other top 10 Chinese battery manufacturers”. They are going to announce soon their investments, Szijjártó said.

PHOTOS: President travelled to Berlin with the Hungarian Special Olympics team

President Katalin Novák

President Katalin Novák has traveled to Berlin to participate in the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games.

Novák will lead Hungary’s 77 Special Olympians into the stadium in Saturday evening’s ceremony. She is the first president to accompany a Hungarian Special Olympics team. The president on Saturday opened a new exhibition of the Hungarian embassy presenting the history of Hungary’s Special Olympics movement through the works of Hungarian painter Gyorgy Soós and Chinese painter Wei Xiang, who lives in Hungary and is a major supporter of the Special Olympics association.

Lajos Lengyel, president of Special Olympics Hungary, said at the exhibition’s opening that the president’s attendance would give “great motivation” to the Hungarian athletes, which they would repay with “a slew of medals”. He said Novák’s backing of the Special Olympics movement showed that she stayed true to her promise to support those in need and those with disabilities.

Hungary’s Special Olympics movement comprises over 1,000 licenced athletes. The 16th Special Olympics World Games in Berlin will feature some 7,000 athletes from 200 countries competing in 26 disciplines. The Hungarian athletes are set to compete in 15 disciplines.

Here are some photos:

She also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier:

 

Cultural customs and traditions: Rituals and festivals in German culture

reichstag-germany berlin flag

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Here we would like to give you an insight into the diverse rituals and festivals that shape the culture. From regional celebrations to national holidays – there is so much to discover and experience. We invite you to join us on a journey through the German cultural landscape and gain exciting insights into the traditions.

Why are cultural customs and traditions important?

Cultural customs and traditions have a long history in German culture. For many generations, people have revered the rituals and festivals that make this country so unique. Today, these are still an important part of the German understanding of culture. These traditions offer us a way to connect with the ancestors and pass on the experiences.

Through cultural customs and traditions, we gain insights into the past, which helps us deepen the knowledge of history. They are also part of the cultural memory and help us appreciate the value of community and cohesion. This helps us learn how to treat each other with respect and interact with other cultures.

Cultural customs and traditions also play an important role in promoting stability and identity in the society. They help strengthen cohesion between different groupings and provide a source of inspiration for future generations.

To learn more about current festivals in German culture and be up to date with German news, you can check for example Aussiedlerbote.

Easter: Easter fountains, Easter bonfires & Easter walks

One of the most famous traditions in Germany at Easter is decorating Easter fountains. Here, fountains and springs are decorated with colorful Easter eggs, garlands and flowers. The magnificently decorated fountains in Franconian towns such as Heiligenstadt or Bad Staffelstein are particularly beautiful to look at.

Another custom that is celebrated in many places is the Easter bonfire. Fires are lit on the Saturday before Easter Sunday and then the end of winter is celebrated together. Especially in northern Germany, these fires are very popular and are often organized by entire village communities.

Last but not least, there is the famous “Easter walk” described by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his work “Faust”. This walk through nature is an integral part of the Easter weekend for many Germans.

The carnival season in Germany – a time full of colors, music and costumes

In German culture, rituals and celebrations are an important part of everyday life. One of the most exciting celebrations is undoubtedly the carnival. All over the country, colorful and imaginative events take place on carnival days, where people can show their creativity.

During carnival, colorful costumes take center stage. People like to dress up as princesses, pirates or animals, go to parties or parade through the streets in groups with partner or family costumes. There is cheerful music on every corner and people dance until the sun goes down.

The Day of German Unity: National Holiday with Symbolic Character

German Unity Day on October 3 is an important part of Germany’s culture and tradition. October 3, 1990 marked the end of German division and the reunification of the country. Since that day, it has had a special symbolic meaning for the German people. This national holiday offers us the opportunity to remember the past, but also to celebrate the effort to achieve freedom and solidarity.

France to take over Germany’s role in Paks II control system supply

szijjártó framatome paris paks

France’s Framatome is set to take over the role of Germany’s Siemens Energy in the supply of the operational control system for the new blocks of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Paris on Wednesday.

The expansion of nuclear energy production is the best way to guarantee Hungary’s long-term energy security and sustain the achievements of the scheme capping household energy prices, Szijjártó said after talks with the CEO of France’s EDF electric utility company, according to a ministry statement.

Szijjártó said the European Commission’s recent approval of the modifications to the contracts of the Paks plant’s upgrade could now accelerate the expansion, adding that the Hungarian government now expected a greater French presence in the project.

Hungary had intended for the control system to be supplied by a German-French consortium, but the German government is not allowing the German company to participate, the minister said. Therefore, their role will most likely be taken over by the French, he added.

The minister noted that US engineering giant GE, which has been contracted to manufacture and supply the turbines for the new blocks, has been acquired by a French company.

“And this means that French value added, French participation and French contributions to Hungary’s nuclear industry will increase significantly,” he said.

Szijjártó said this was in line with Hungary’s interests, arguing that Budapest and Paris were in agreement on the strategic importance of protecting nuclear energy.

“Certain European political players and Brussels bureaucrats are trying to push nuclear energy out of the European energy market,” the minister said. But, he added, France had organised a coalition of 12 European countries that firmly support the use of nuclear energy.

“We don’t accept negative discrimination against nuclear energy,” he said. “Nuclear energy is indeed a clean, cheap and safe way of producing electricity.”

Szijjártó on Wednesday morning also held talks with the director general of the European Space Agency as well as leaders of Thales Alenia Space and Servier. Hungary is intensifying its cooperation with the ESA after having shortlisted the final four candidates to become the country’s next astronaut to participate in a mission on the International Space Station, he said, adding that the contract on the mission will be signed with US-based Axiom Space in September.

Orbán agrees on long-term strategic cooperation with German telecommunications giant

telekom logo

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed the outlooks, challenges and achievements related to digital developments in Hungary with Timotheus Hoettges, chief executive of German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, in Budapest on Friday.

According to the press release on the meeting, Orbán and Hoettges were in agreement that digitalisation was of “key importance” to maintaining Hungary’s and Europe’s competitiveness and continue to consider each other “strategic partners” in the endeavour.

Promoting investments and supporting infrastructure development is of fundamental importance to meeting the European Union’s 2030 Digital Decade targets, they said.

Hoettges highlighted Deutsche Telekom’s role in Hungary’s digital development and in giving households and businesses access to the advantages and opportunities offered by the digital world. He noted that Deutsche Telekom’s local unit, Magyar Telekom, had spent over HUF 1,000 billion (EUR 2.7 billion) on capital expenditures in 2014-2022, of which 800 billion had been spent on fixed and mobile network upgrades.

Thanks to the developments of recent years, Magyar Telekom now offers Gigabit internet to more than 3.4 million households and businesses, he said, adding that it has increased its outdoor 5G coverage to 60 percent of the population. Advancing developments further will require a tax policy that encourages investments, Hoettges added.

In addition to infrastructure development, Telekom, in cooperation with the Hungarian government, supports the integration of technology, using innovative solutions and education platforms to encourage digital developments in small businesses, corporations and industry, he said.

Hoettges emphasised Magyar Telekom’s “strategic role” in the Deutsche Telekom Group and highlighted its long-term commitment to boosting the performance, productivity and competitiveness of the Hungarian economy.

Friday’s meeting was also attended by Economic Development Minister Márton Nagy and Magyar Telekom CEO Tibor Rékasi.

Brand new giga investment announced in Budapest

dmg mori

The number of high value-added investments is growing in Hungary, and R and D spending exceeded HUF 1,000 billion (EUR 2.7 billion) last year, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Friday, announcing an investment of German-Japanese machine manufacturer DMG MORI in Budapest.

The HUF 4 billion-investment will be supported by a HUF 870 million government grant, and will create 50 jobs in a research and development project focusing on developing a software for machine manufacturing, Péter Szijjártó said.

Hungary is the third R and D site of DMG MORI, after Germany and Japan, Szijjártó said.

The research and development sector has grown by 15 percent within the last year and has given 1.6 percent of Hungary’s GDP, he said.

The sector now has 4,000 more employees than a year ago, and the number of jobs in R and D is now above 90,000, he said.

German companies continue to be the largest investors in Hungary, and Japan is also in the top ten, he added.

Shame: Hungary has the strongest antisemitism in Europe

antisemitism holocaust 1944

Bad news came out about Poland and Hungary’s antisemite sentiments. According to a recent survey of ten European countries, more than a third of the population in Hungary and Poland hold explicitly anti-Jewish views.

According to a survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in ten European countries, a significant percentage of the population agrees with certain anti-Semitic views and stereotypes, The Jerusalem Post reports. The ADL poll ran from November last year to January this year. It covered Belgium, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Russia, Spain and Ukraine, rtl.hu writes.

The questions that helped determine the populations’ antisemitism

The questions covered eleven commonly held anti-Jewish views, such as the following:

  • Jews have too much power in business.
  • Jews are the cause of most wars in the world.
  • Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their homeland.

Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with statements such as the above. If someone agreed to some extent with at least six of the 11 statements, they were classified as holding antisemitic views.

According to the survey, 37 percent of the population in Hungary hold anti-Semitic views.

What about the rest of the countries examined?

This figure is 35 percent in Poland, 29 percent in Ukraine, 26 percent in Russia and Spain. It is 24 percent in Belgium, 17 percent in France, 12 percent in Germany and 10 percent in the UK. According to the ADL, the Netherlands has the lowest level of antisemitism at just 8 percent.

The survey data show that while the proportion of people who hold antisemitic views is relatively high in Poland and Ukraine, around one third, the situation has improved since the last survey in 2019. Antisemitism fell from 48 to 35 percent in Poland and from 46 to 29 percent in Ukraine. In Hungary, antisemitism has fallen by a smaller amount, from 42 to 37 percent. Thus, the five-percent drop has seen Hungary jump to the top.

Emigration: where are Hungarians going? These are their target countries

tourism-women-airport-info-travel

Once again, more and more Hungarians are emigrating from Hungary. The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) has now published the countries to which people are going. Let’s take a look at the places that Hungarians choose as their new home.

More and more Hungarians are leaving Hungary

Last year, more Hungarians left the country than before. According to data just released by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 44 percent of Hungarians who emigrated chose Austria, 25 percent Germany, 5-5 percent the Netherlands and Switzerland, and 4 percent the UK as their new home, Portfolio writes.

The United Kingdom used to be a key destination for people moving out of Hungary. While the number of migrants to the UK has fallen year on year, the number of migrants to Germany has increased slightly. When it comes to Austria, the number of migrants has increased significantly compared to the previous year, the KSH report highlighted.

The reversal of a positive trend

Back in April, Portfolio reported that 26,500 Hungarian citizens emigrated abroad last year. The last time we saw a higher number was in 2017, based on preliminary data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. This reverses the positive trend of 2021, when more people returned home than left Hungary. The good news is that the migration gap has not worsened significantly, with considerably more foreign-born Hungarians moving to Hungary than in previous years.

The last time we saw higher emigration was in 2017.

This breaks an important positive trend, as the balance between returnees and recent emigrants has gradually improved in recent years. In 2021, more people returned home than decided to emigrate, after a long period of time. Last year, however, for 21,900 returnees, there were 26,500 emigrants, a reversal of the trend.

The good news is that the overall balance of international migration of Hungarian citizens has still barely deteriorated, from a surplus of 96,702 in 2021 to 94,450. This was due to the fact that 14,000 more Hungarians born abroad moved to the country than before. This is the highest number we have seen in this indicator since 2015, Portfolio concludes.

The Hungarian government has been called a homophobic, kleptocratic, Putinist lapdog in the EU

european union eu flag hungary

The European Parliament may adopt a position in the coming days on the unsuitability of the Viktor Orbán government to hold the EU presidency. The Hungarian government has come under attack from other EU countries including the Netherlands and Germany.

Brussels is contemplating an unprecedented move

More and more countries and politicians want Hungary to be excluded from the rotating presidency of the European Council in 2024. A resolution is already being drafted in the EU saying that it would be unacceptable for the Viktor Orbán-led government to take over the representation of EU member states due to rule of law concerns.

Petri Sarvamaa, the EPP spokesman on budgetary control and rule of law issues, has expressed major concerns about Hungary’s ability to fulfil the role because the country does not respect EU laws, portfolio.hu reports.

It is important to note that, although the political influence of the rotating presidency has diminished, it still plays a role in shaping the negotiations on EU legislation.

Harsh criticism from Germany and the Netherlands

“It is clear that the Orbán government is totally unfit to chair the Council for six months. Europe cannot be led by homophobic, kleptocratic, Putinist lapdogs,” said Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld.

“A Hungarian EU presidency would be like electing Orbán, a schoolyard bully, as headmaster. Holding the rotating presidency means speaking on behalf of the 27 member states, and he is not the right person for the job,” said German MEP Moritz Körner.

The Renew Europe Group is urging the Council to find a solution to the problem, index.hu reports.

Hungarian reaction

“Once again the European Parliament wants to take something away from Hungary. Next week, the EP will again vote on a resolution against Hungary, in which they want to block the Hungarian EU presidency in the second half of 2024″ – Judit Varga, Minister of Justice, wrote in a Facebook post.

Commenting on the expected decision of the European Parliament, Prime Minister Gergely Gulyás said that there is a draft decision before the European Parliament, but they do not have the power to make such an action.

PHOTOS: EUR 56.4m German investment inaugurated in W Hungary

Litér German investment

German-owned steel structure maker Termelés-Logistic-Centrum (TLC) inaugurated a 21 billion forint (EUR 56.4m) investment at its base in Litér, in western Hungary, on Friday.

The state supported the investment, which is creating 80 jobs, with 2.2 billion forints, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at the ceremony. Below you may check out some photos from the official Facebook page of Károly Kontrát, the MP of the district. He wrote that the new production hall is 29 thousand sqm where they will make the steel structures of the loading and hoisting machines the company produces. He added their aim is to provide favourably conditions, political stablity and trained workforce for investors like the TLC, MTI wrote.

Significants changes coming to Aldi stores in Hungary

Inflation

Aldi has announced changes in its Hungarian stores. The German parent company is changing the name of one of its most popular product families.

Aldi Hungary is introducing a new, unified milk brand, the retail chain announced on its website.

It was pointed out that in the future, the dairy products will be marketed under the name Milsani instead of Milfina. The packaging of the goods will also be renewed.

The decision was taken to make it easier to identify dairy products. In addition, the German parent company, ALDI SÜD expects further cost reductions from the unification of the brand, Index writes.

“Apart from the packaging, neither the recipe nor the contents of the products will change,” said Bernhard Haider, the company’s national managing director.

As described, the brand, which is made with Hungarian sourcing and Hungarian raw materials, will continue to be available in the company’s Hungarian stores.

Diplomats leaked: Germany and Hungary had heated argument over Ukraine behind closed doors

Viktor Orbán Olaf Scholz Germany Hungary

The Hungarian government is rather proud of its amicable rapport with Germany that extended throughout the Merkel era. However, after the “regime change” in Europe’s biggest economy, the cooperation remained purely economic. In the political sphere, the two leaders are yet to meet for a bilateral negotiation. FM Szijjártó and his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, had a heated discussion during a closed-door meeting yesterday in Brussels. The topics of the dispute included Ukraine and the EU military aid for Kyiv.

As we wrote earlier, Hungary had announced that it would block a EUR 500M military aid package for Ukraine last week. Following FM Szijjártó’s relevant announcement, the forint started to plummet. Later, news came that Hungary will not support the latest EU sanctions concerning secret service agents and jurisdiction officials taking part in the condemnation of a well-known Russian opposition journalist. Since Hungary is an equal member of the European Union (and NATO), it can veto all decisions that need a consensus.

Yesterday there was a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels concerning issues related to ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine and the EU’s answers. The meeting was behind closed doors, but some diplomats who asked to remain anonymous revealed some details to Politico. They mentioned a dispute between Hungary and pro-Ukraine EU member states, but it was “civilized and in a normal framework of the discussion.”

Sweden and Estonia also slammed Hungary for its stance concerning the latest EU aid for Kyiv and the aforementioned sanctions package. Needless to say, Germany’s standpoint is most important when it comes to resolving the issue. Berlin is Europe’s greatest economic power. German companies have multiple investments in Hungary. We wrote HERE that, allegedly, Hungarian secret services often take profitable foreign companies by force, but they have never interfered with German interests. On the contrary, the government even helps decrease the rights and powers of the trade unions to ease the operation of German firms in Hungary.

End of good relationships with Germany?

It appears that the economic cooperation between Hungary and Germany remained untouched. But in diplomacy, there are undeniable tensions. There are no bilateral summits, and the German foreign minister slammed FM Szijjártó yesterday for the Hungarian government’s stance towards Hungary’s OTP Bank. Kyiv added the Hungarian bank on the list of war sponsors last week. Mrs Baerbock cited unspecified reports that OTP recognises “Russian-occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk — contravening international law — and has extended credit lines to Russian soldiers”, Politico wrote. Szijjártó fired back fiercely, saying that those are fake news and cited an OTP announcement in that regard. Placing OTP to the list of war sponsors harms the institution’s interests. That is why the government wants its prompt removal.

Josep Borell, the EU’s top diplomat, said after the meeting that they will continue to work through the differences. “We have to do everything we can to [get] the next package of military support to Ukraine … approved,” he told reporters. “If one member state has a difficulty, let’s discuss it, that’s what we are going to do.” EU defence ministers will meet today to discuss Ukraine’s military support.

 

German princess saves Hungarian man’s life in Tápióbicske

German princess saved Hungarian man

We present you a fairytale-like story directly from the Great Plains of Hungary, where a German princess saved the life of a Hungarian man. Considering that, we can say that the story even follows the abolition of traditional gender roles. It is not the male prince rescuing the female lady in trouble, but the other way round. Furthermore, in our story, the man is drunk. Too drunk.

According to index.hu, he fell into the Tápió River because of the amount of alcohol he consumed. Thankfully, a German princess, Maja von Hohenzollern (51), was walking his dogs there and spotted the man with his face down into the river. She did not hesitate but helped him. That is how she could rescue his life. Maja von Hohenzollern shared the details on her Instagram account in a post.

Maja von Hohenzollern:

She said she was walking dogs when she saw a man riding a bike along the banks of the small Tápió River in Tápióbicske. The aristocrat came to Hungary to meet with Péter Ovádi, Hungary’s ministerial commissioner for the renewal and implementation of the National Animal Protection Programme. Furthermore, they visited the animal shelter of Tápióbicske, which is under construction.

After the official program, the German princess went home with her dogs, saw the man, but continued her journey. “I brought the dogs home and felt weird. I ran back to the little river and only saw the bike. The man lay face down under the water in the river and was motionless!!

I jumped into the river and pulled the lifeless man onto the bank. He wasn’t breathing, and his face and lips were blue. I slapped his back and laid him on his side to get the water out. I did CPR with him, and after a short while, he was coughing. He started breathing again. He was apparently drunk and in bad shape. I called the ambulance and held his cold hands until the doctor came. He’s fine now so far”, the princess wrote. She added she would like more people to act like her in such situations. “There are so many people who go through the world apathetically. I’m so thankful that I could save this man’s life. Please do not hesitate to help anyone in need”, she concluded.

Maja von Hohenzollern (born Maja Synke Meintert) was born in Dresden in 1971. In 1991, she married Ferfried Prince von Hohenzollern and became a princess. They divorced in 2007, but she kept the title. She lives in Marbella, Spain, and has been active in animal protection issues for decades. Her Heart 4 Strays Foundation saved the lives of hundreds of dogs and cats.