Did PM Orbán and opposition leader Péter Magyar meet in Stuttgart earlier today? – UPDATED
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had a working lunch with Ola Kallenius, the chairman and chief executive of the Mercedes-Benz Group in Stuttgart on Wednesday, the prime minister’s press chief said.
The talks focused on the upcoming Hungarian EU presidency’s plans to improve Europe’s competitiveness and develop its economy, as well as the status of Mercedes-Benz’s current investment projects.
Here are the photos he shared of the meeting. Orbán said in the post that they “played a friendly match in Stuttgart” with the company CEO. Orbán referred to the EURO 2024 match of the Hungarian national team starting at 6.00 pm today against Germany. A lot depends on that. Chiefly, it may decide whether Hungary has a chance to emerge from its group to the Round of 16. The match will take place in Stuttgart’s Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Meanwhile, Péter Magyar, the rising star of the Hungarian opposition who garnered almost 30% at the 9 June EP elections, was also in Stuttgart today. That means Orbán and Magyar could have even met there. At the beginning of the 2010s, Magyar worked as a Fidesz MEP assistant in the European Parliament.
Magyar shared a photo with two of his kids before they visited the Mercedes-Benz Museum. He wrote that after the visit, they would go to the stadium. Orbán also shared a photo of the museum, which you can see above. Below is Magyar’s post:
FM Szijjártó holds talks with Mercedes top executives in Stuttgart
Investments by Mercedes-Benz are creating the largest-capacity car-manufacturing plant in Hungary, further strengthening the country’s economy and automotive industry, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after meeting the top executives of the company in Stuttgart on Wednesday.
“All this will help put Hungary among the winners of a new global economic era,” Szijjártó said, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.
The talks took place “in a fundamentally decisive period” in the automotive industry which is undergoing “a revolutionary transformation”, Szijjártó said.
“This is a situation when not only automotive companies, but also countries are competing for the opportunities, investments and developments that will decide which countries will be among the winners of the new era in the future, and which will either suffer a disadvantage or will be unable to take full advantage of this emerging industry,” the foreign minister said. He said Hungary was on the right track “to belong among the winners of the new era of the automotive industry,” adding that “this will bring several new jobs, modern technologies and economic growth to Hungary”.
Mercedes-Benz is a key stakeholder in the global automotive industry and a frontrunner in the global transition to electromobility, said Szijjártó. It is also key for Hungary’s economic growth as it is implementing an investments worth 600 billion forints (EUR 1.5bn) in the country, he added.
The investment being implemented in Kecskemet, in central Hungary, will create capacity to make conventional, hybrid and fully electric vehicles, Szijjártó said, adding that Mercedes-Benz would increase its workforce in Hungary to 8,000-9,000.
“The expansion of Mercedes’ capacities is good news for the entire Hungarian corporate sector, and the entire Hungarian economy, since 42 percent of Mercedes’ suppliers are Hungarian companies,” the foreign minister said.
Orbán meets Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg
PM Orbán on Wednesday attended an official reception organised by the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the city of Stuttgart ahead of a Hungary-Germany football match, the prime minister’s press chief said. On the sidelines of the event, Orbán held bilateral talks with Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann, Bertalan Havasi said.
Baden-Württemberg was Hungary’s 12th most important trade partner in 2023. Of all German states, it was the second largest trade partner for Hungary in terms of total turnover. A highlighted project in bilateral relations is the Andrassy University, the only German-language university outside German-speaking countries, he added.
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More foreigners come to tie the knot in Hungary, Budapest on the world’s top for luxury weddings
Concerning wedding tourism, Hungary is one of the world’s most popular places to tie the know not only for “ordinary” foreign couples but also for billionaires. Wealthy Indian, Vietnamese, and Chinese sweethearts come to Budapest to say ‘Yes’ because even their well-travelled relatives can experience something new. Budapest and Hungary are on the world’s top for luxury weddings.
Chinese, Indians, and Vietnamese come to tie the knot in Budapest, Hungary
Turizmus.com asked multiple players in the sector about their experience of how Budapest and Hungary became a world hot spot for foreign weddings. Nóra Kisfaludy-Tóbel, the CEO of Cinderella’s Day Ltd., said their first foreign contracts were from Anglosaxon countries. Later, Scandinavians joined the ‘club’, and from 2012-2013, Indians discovered the beauties of Hungary and Budapest.
She said Budapest and the country can offer new experiences for even the wealthy Indians. Hungary has a high ‘wow’ factor, she highlighted. Furthermore, Budapest’s rich historical, architectural and cultural heritage and world heritage sites are highly praised by couples from China, Hongkong, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Here are the most popular places in Budapest
Couples and their guests regularly spend at least two but regularly 3-4 nights in the city. The venue is Budapest, but there are exceptions. In those cases, the families choose the wine region of Etyek, Lake Balaton or some of our renewed castles. In Budapest, the most popular places are the Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, the Castle of Vajdahunyad in the City Park, and the Museum of Kiscell (3rd district).
Sometimes there is a demand for traditional Hungarian programs (e.g. equestrian shows), but traditional local ruin pubs and panoramic places are much more popular. Danube boats are not among the target places for the wedding party, but reception parties often take place on their board.
Hungary competing with Portugal, Thailand
Nóra Kisfaludy-Tóbel said Hungary competes with countries like Portugal, Thailand and Spain concerning huge foreign weddings, and our biggest disadvantage is the lack of suitable venues. Meanwhile, Portugal has many places able to welcome even 4-500 guests near the seashore.
She said it is easier to meet the needs of the German or Scandinavian guests. Meanwhile, Asians regularly have several last-minute bids, and they usually cannot tell exactly how many guests they expect. Anglo-Saxons begin to organise the big event 1.5-2 years ahead, while Indians show up 6-8 months before the date.
Mega Indian luxury weddings in Budapest
We wrote about the first huge Indian wedding organised in Budapest in THIS article. We could take part in the magnificent event during which the son of one of the most important Indian families tied the knot in the Buda Castle. Do not forget to check out our exclusive ceremony photos at the end of the article.
Turizmus.com mentioned another wedding concerning one of the most important Indian families in the diamond industry. The wedding took place this May, organised by Liberty Hungary, a travel agency, and the above-mentioned Cinderella’s Day Ltd.
The number of guests reached 650, and they started to organise it in November 2023. Among the unusual needs, there was an Indian international chef and his team, an air show in the Lázár Lovaspark, stylists, hairdressers, performers, musicians from India, and even a white horse in front of the Four Seasons Budapest Hotel.
New horizons for tourism
Katalin Újbányai, the CEO of Liberty Hungary, said the costs could reach even billions of forints. However, such events could give a significant boost to Hungary’s tourism and economy.
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Hungary–Switzerland match 1-3
Hungary–Switzerland: Hungary starts the 2024 European Football Championship against Switzerland at 3 PM today. Follow the match with us!
HUNGARY-SWITZERLAND: 1-3
Thank you for following the game with us!
Switzerland scores: 1-3
The Swiss team scored its 3rd goal.
Added time: 5 mins
5 minutes extra.
Hungarian indicators improved
The Hungarian team improved in several indicators compared to the first half. Although the Swiss still have more shots (11-6) according to Whoscored.com, ball possession is leveling off (52.8-47.2 percent) and passing efficiency is nearly the same (85-83 percent).
Hungarian team finds itself
The Hungarian team is starting to recover, as Varga’s goal proves.
Barnabás Varga scores! 1-2
The long-awaited goal is here!
🚨🚨| GOAL: Varga pulls one back!!
Hungary 1-2 Switzerland
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) June 15, 2024
Second half starts
The Swiss started the second half. The Hungarian team has a big task ahead of them: they have to come back from a two-goal deficit.
Hungary is not doing too well
Hungarian attackers have so far gone almost unnoticed. The defence is also more vulnerable than usual, and the second goal was scored from an easy position.
Switzerland scores again
Switzerland (Michel Aebischer) scored its 2nd goal in the 45th minute.
The Swiss team is better in most indicators
According to Whoscored.com stats, the Swiss had much more possession (38.7 vs. 61.2 percent), better passing (86 vs. 76 percent), won more headers (8-6), and shot more (4-2) in the first half.
No spectacular change in the game since the goal
The Swiss didn’t give the initiative to the Hungarians after their goal, they continue to attack more and look more confident. The Hungarian team can’t even finish counterattacks, Telex writes.
Hungary–Switzerland: 0-1
Switzerland scores in the 12th minute. (Scorer: Kwadwo Duah)
Szoboszlai youngest ever captain in EC history
Dominik Szoboszlai just wrote history: he is the youngest-ever captain in European Championship history, Telex reports.
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VIDEO: Thousands of Hungarian fans march to the stadium of the Hungary-Switzerland match in Cologne
The European Championship started yesterday. The Hungarian national team will start their part of the tournament against Switzerland in Cologne at 3 PM, and thousands of Hungarian fans are already on the spot.
This year as well, Hungarian fans are marching through the host city of the first Hungarian match.
Hungarian fans started to gather in the morning to walk to the RheinEnergie Stadion, two kilometres away. According to Telex, the march must have numbered in the thousands. The march was escorted by police, who pointed out at the beginning that the use of pyrotechnics was prohibited.
As we reported earlier, the Wizz Air flight that was supposed to take Hungarian supporters to Germany was delayed by two hours: it now emerged that the plane landed 1,5 hours after it was supposed to, and the airline also sent buses to pick up fans and take them to Cologne.
Photos taken by our editor-in-chief in Cologne:
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Huge delay at Budapest Airport: Many could miss the Hungary-Switzerland match
Today is the second day of the European Championship, and Hungary and Switzerland are playing this afternoon. For the time being, it looks like a huge delay at Budapest Airport may cause many people to miss the game.
Huge delay at Budapest Airport
Wizz Air flight W62291 Budapest-Dortmund is expected to depart from Budapest on Saturday with a two-hour delay, Index reports. Several Hungarian fans have also booked tickets for the flight. They are on their way to Cologne, about 100 kilometres from the landing point, for the Hungary-Switzerland match which starts at 3 PM.
Máté Szabó of Sport TV reported about this on his X-site (formerly Twitter), Nemzeti Sport noticed. Szabó later learned that a flight arriving from London to Budapest was going on to Dortmund.
“Organising a “fan flight” to a Hungarian match like this is a bad decision, to say the least,” he added.
2 órát késik a ma reggeli,magyar szurkolókkal teli Dortmund-Budapest @wizzair járat… Én tudom,mit tennék ilyen helyzetben a kiváló PR-ért a cég helyében:Buszokat küldenék a reptérre,ami elvinné a meccsjeggyel rendelkezőket Kölnbe….
— Mate Szabo (@mszabo10) June 15, 2024
He wrote “This morning’s Dortmund-Budapest Wizz Air flight full of Hungarian fans was delayed by 2 hours… I know what I would do in such a situation for excellent PR if I were the company: I would send buses to the airport to take people with tickets to the match to Cologne…”
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Orbán in talks with European business leaders
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with leaders of the European Round Table for Industry in his office on Tuesday as part of preparations for Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency.
Attending the talks centred on boosting the European Union’s global competitiveness — among the key goals of the Hungarian presidency — were the heads of Vodafone, BMW, Deutsche Telekom and MOL, the statement said.
Orbán hailed the input of European industry to the well-being of the continent’s people, while the company heads expressed satisfaction with Hungary’s business environment, it added.
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Euro 2024: the Hungarian national football team arrived in Germany to a huge crowd – PHOTOS
What Hungarian football fans have been waiting for has begun. The team has left for Germany to take part in the European Championship.
Until Monday morning, the players trained at the football training center in Telki, near Budapest, before having dinner at the weiler headquarters in the evening.
The team played their last preparation match on Saturday, where they beat Israel 3-0. Monday morning was still partly about regeneration, but there was also a ball training session in Telki led by national team captain Marco Rossi. Two players from the squad have not yet practiced with the rest of the team due to minor injuries, Callum Styles and Loic Nego.
After the training session, the team packed up, and the players shared photos and autographs with the children who had gathered to see them off, MLSZ said.
View this post on Instagram
The team’s flight to the European Championships was slightly delayed due to the European thunderstorms. It landed at Friedrichshafen airport just after 6.30 pm, where a large group of children was waiting for the team.
View this post on Instagram
Arriving in Weiler Simmersberg an hour later, the team was greeted by an even bigger crowd, meaning the locals had a way of welcoming the team.
On Tuesday afternoon, the national team will train in Weiler-Simmerberg, and the first press conference in Germany will be held at the team’s media centre.
Weiler-Simmerberg is a municipality of 6500 inhabitants in Bavaria, Germany. The national team will train and rest here between matches.
The Hungarian national team will play in Group A:
- Switzerland on Saturday, 15 June at 15:00 in Cologne
- Germany on Wednesday, 19 June at 18:00 in Stuttgart
- Scotland on Sunday, 23 June at 21:00 in Stuttgart
Read also:
- Euros 2024: These are Hungary’s opponents in group A
- Hungary men’s football coach Marco Rossi names 26-Man Squad for Euro 2024 – details HERE
La Estancia: we visited a professional polo club in Hungary
On the outskirts of Etyek lies the La Estancia Polo Club, a private estate of the Zimmermann Family and one of the strongholds of the Hungarian polo sport. The owners breed and train Argentinian polo horses, and as the sport is not very common in Hungary, the professionals and their horses attend mostly international competitions.
Polo – from the beginnings to Hungary
Horse polo is a sport that is still rarely practised in Hungary but has a long tradition and history. Since not many people are really familiar with it, we thought we would introduce it briefly.
Its name comes from the Tibetan word pulu, meaning ball. The history of polo dates back to 600 BC, and Persia was its birthplace. It became a national sport in the Persian Empire and spread throughout the empire. Later, polo became popular in other areas, such as India, with the spread of Islam. The British cavalry officers stationed there quickly took a liking to it, and then it was introduced to Europe. From the latter half of the 19th century, the term polo was regularly used by Indians and Englishmen. It was even an Olympic sport before the Second World War, with a total of five Olympic Games (1900, 1908, 1920, 1924, 1936).
Surprisingly enough, there used to be a dominant polo scene in Hungary before WWII. The regiments fielded 16 teams, and there was an intense competition scene. For instance, at the 1936 Olympics, the Hungarian team (Kálmán Bartalis, István Bethlen, Tivadar Dienes-Öhm, Dezső Kovács, Imre Szentpály) finished 4th. After the political changes, the sport was revived in the early 1990s, mainly by foreigners working and living in Hungary and some Hungarian enthusiasts.
Currently, there are 4 polo clubs in Hungary.
Polo in brief
Polo is a team sport, with teams of 4 to 4 riders competing against each other. Due to the high performance of the horses, the size of the field is much larger than, for example, a football pitch: a standard field is 300 yards (about 274 m) long and 200 yards (about 182 m) wide, with a goal at each end to hit a hard ball into. The ball can accelerate up to 150 km/h, making it dangerous for players. Thats why the sport has strict rules to avoid possible accidents and injuries for players and horses. The standard equipment is a helmet and knee pads. White trousers to play is a must! Each player uses several horses in a match and changes after each quarter. 1 or even 2 referees ensure the rules are respected during the game.
Social manners are expected from the players on and off the field!
La Estancia Polo Club
We accepted Uwe Zimmermann’s invitation to visit the La Estancia Polo Club. The Zimmermann Family purchased the then-grassy land in 1997. Since then, they have built and improved the stables, clubhouse, and fields, establishing the place as a meeting point for horse lovers, polo enthusiasts, and family and friends. Currently, 20 horses, all of Argentinian blood, and most mares call Etyek home. La Estancia is a kind of equestrian paradise, with expert staff looking after the animals, constantly training them for competition, and providing polo on an international standard level, attracting players and teams worldwide. Over the last 25 years, polo players from all continents visited the club and competed in famous tournaments. We were able to personally experience how well-organised and family-friendly the club is.
It is safe to say that horse polo is an elite sport requiring mental and physical fitness. The sport provides an unbelievable network around the world. The players take their own horses to European competitions, but they usually hire horses overseas. The polo season is only six months long in Europe, so the horses can enjoy a rather long holiday after a busy season in Hungary and Europe.
The polo ground also needs constant maintenance despite being used relatively scarcely. The 2 fields at the Etyek premises are nestled in a park-like, manicured ambiance surrounded by trees. They allow spectators to follow the game from a higher position while sitting in the shade.
Polo Cup in Etyek
La Estancia holds several competitions yearly, with competitors and spectators only arriving by invitation. The early summer and autumn tournaments, organised by the Zimmermann family, bring together a crowd of 400-500 guests and enjoy the support of many high-class sponsors and international brands. They attract the local and expat society of Hungary and the neighboring countries.
The generational change at the polo club and family polo team is also well underway, as both sons of the family are already playing at a high level. Thus, we can be sure that the Etyek-based La Estancia will continue to enrich the Hungarian sporting scene for many years to come. The Zimmermann family is all driven by the love of polo, and there’s no question about it—it’s felt in every square meter of La Estancia.
You can read this article in Hungarian on HellóMagyar – La Estancia: meglátogattunk egy profi magyarországi lovaspóló klubot
Hungary takes delivery of more Leopard tanks
Hungary has taken delivery of two new Leopard 2A7HU tanks that will be added to the fleet put in service at the army base in Tata, in northern Hungary, the defence ministry said on Monday.
The ministry cited Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky in a statement as saying that with the new tanks added, the army now has 13 of the armoured vehicles developed for Hungary.
With the arrival of the so-called Leopard 2A7 Driver Training Tank, the production training of tank officers and non-commissioned officers who have been successfully trained in Germany in recent years can now continue in Tata. This professional training course, which will last several months, will ensure that the personnel have the professional skills to use the new equipment, the Defence Minister said.
The number of tanks developed according to Hungarian requirements at the 11th Tank Battalion of the Vitéz Tarczay Ervin has thus increased to thirteen.
Hungary has procured altogether 44 “top-notch-technology” Leopard tanks to be delivered by 2028, the minister said.
The armoured body of the vehicle is 7.7 metres long, and with the gun forward, the length of the tank is 10.97 metres. The width without additional armour is 3.76 metres and the height is 3.03 metres. Its firepower is provided by an L55A1 type Rheinmetall tank gun with a length of L55 gauge and a 120 millimetre gauge, allowing accurate firing from a range of up to 5,000 metres.
The tank is also equipped with a 7.62 millimetre parallel-mounted machine gun, a 12.7 millimetre remotely operated machine gun and 16 76 millimetre smoke grenade launchers capable of firing fragmentation grenades.
read also:
- Hungary welcomes first KC-390 military transport aircraft – PHOTOS, VIDEO
- Two more Airbus H225M helicopters added to Hungarian fleet, details HERE
Wizz Air launches new flight to German city, may receive giant fine from Spain
Wizz Air, Hungary’s budget airline, launched its brand new flight to Stuttgart, commuting five times a week. Meanwhile, they may get an incredible fine in Spain for their luggage policies.
New Wizz Air flight to German city
According to Budflyer, a Hungarian aviation news Facebook page, the first Wizz Air flight took off from Budapest Airport to Stuttgart, Germany. The flight will carry passengers five times a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Such flights are crucial because tens of thousands of Hungarians work in Germany, and they regularly come back to visit family or do official business.
According to the German Statistical Office (Destatis), more than 210 thousand Hungarian nationals lived in Germany in December 2023. That is a 3,230 decrease compared to 2022, but still very high.
Spain may fine Wizz Air for millions of euro
Spain’s social affairs ministry fined four budget airlines. One of the reasons for the brutal 150-million-euro fine is that the airlines should enable passengers to bring trolley bags on board for free. Based on Okosutas, such a measure would make boarding longer and plane circulation more difficult. Furthermore, it would increase the aircraft’s weight due to the many bags, which will impact its emission.
Okosutas argues that budget airlines introduced the payable trolley bag scheme in the 2010s to decrease ticket costs. That is because those who do not carry large bags on their journey can travel cheaply. For example, with Wizz Air, one carry-on bag (max 10 kg and 40 x 30 x 20 cm) is free, which is enough for half the passengers. Other budget airlines have similar regulations concerning luggage.
Four airlines were fined 150 million euros: Ryanair, Easyjet, Vueling, and Volotea. Wizz Air and Norwegian are also present in the Spanish market, but they did not receive a fine in this round. Okosutas wrote that all low-cost air travel sector functions follow the free carry-on and payable trolley bag rule. If that changes, plane ticket prices will increase. The airlines concerned did not accept the Spanish decision, they appealed to local courts.
Internationally renowned street artist’s work decorates the passenger pier at Budapest Airport
According to Budapest Airport, “passenger pier at Terminal 2 is adorned with the artwork of internationally renowned street artist Gergely Void, created in collaboration with children living in state care. With the purchase of the painting, Budapest Airport Plc. supported the Foundation for Children in State Care (Világszép AlapÃtvány), which helps young people living in children’s homes in Hungary, and Unicef Hungary”.
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Orbán’s cabinet says UK, Germany, France have fallen, Islam is there
At stake in the European parliamentary election will be whether war or peace prevails, Zoltán Kovács, the state secretary for international relations and communications, said during a campaign tour on Thursday.
He said the Vietnam and Cambodian wars started when French military experts were sent out to these countries, and now French trainers “are going to Ukraine”.
Also, when it came to war, a similar situation prevailed as in 2015 in relation to migration, he said, citing a former Economist journalist who told him that everything the Hungarian government had predicted about migration in 2015 was now happening in Britain.
“London has fallen, there’ll be a general election on July 4, there’s an Islamist organisation, and the country’s culture is changing,”
Kovács said, adding that much the same was true in Germany and France and everywhere illegal migration was prevalent.
From the outset the Hungarian government has promoted peace and an immediate ceasefire, while the West had “pushed” Ukraine into a “deadly war”, he said, adding that this could have been prevented.
read also:
- Hungarian minor detained on charges of promoting Islamist propaganda – VIDEO
- Government family-friendly measures fail as Hungary sees declining birth rates – latest figures
German defendant in ‘antifa case’ sentenced to 22 months in prison
A Budapest appeals court sentenced the secondary defendant in the so-called “antifa case” to one year and ten months in prison in a binding ruling on Tuesday.
The German national Tobias E. had previously pleaded guilty to the charges and waived his right to a trial. On Jan. 29, the Budapest Municipal Court sentenced the defendant to three years in a maximum security prison for attempted battery and ruled that he be expelled from Hungary for a period of five years.
According to the first-instance sentence, the defendant was a member of “an organisation of young adults sympathising with far-left ideologies” who had planned on “taking the ideological fight to militant far-right sympathisers who espoused fascist views” by carrying out violent attacks and taking part in demonstrations and protests.
The court said the members of the organisation had travelled to Budapest to take part in coordinated attacks in connection with the anniversary of the Nazi breakout of the Castle District during the siege of the capital on Feb. 11, 1945.
On February 9-10 last year, the members of the organisation used telescopic stun batons and pepper spray to attack several people whom they picked because they were wearing clothing indicating far-right views.
The prosecution appealed for a harsher, and the defence for a lighter sentence. On Tuesday, the Budapest Court of Appeals reduced the first-instance three-year prison sentence to one year and ten months.
On May 15, the appeals court decided to release the case’s primary defendant into criminal supervision on bail of 16 million forints (EUR 41,600).
The police said earlier that five coordinated attacks had been carried out on Feb. 9-11 in 2023 in Budapest, leaving four victims with serious and another five with light injuries. Three suspects were arrested on Feb 11, including a 38-year-old Italian woman, a 29-year-old German man, and a 26-year-old German woman.
As we wrote a few days ago, an Italian Antifa activists in Hungary are to be released on bail; read details HERE.
As we wrote earlier, an Antifa activist’s father launched unfounded political attacks against Hungary, read details HERE.
Hungary is one of the best choices for tourists concerning purchasing power
Only if you get your salary in euros though! The German Bild magazine asked Kathleen Altmannt, an Association of German Banks official, where the value for money and cost-effectiveness is the best for German nationals. Hungary is at the top of the list.
Hungary is safe and cheap
Foreign travellers and students regularly say that Hungary is one of Europe’s safest countries. For example, we republished an interview with a Kazakh student praising Hungary’s safety and good public transport. Furthermore, if you get your salary or pension in euros, Hungary is one of the best choices for you this summer to spend your holiday.
German magazine Bild talked to an official of the Association of German Banks. She recommended German nationals to travel this summer to Hungary concerning the value for money ratio. According to the official, there are differences even inside the eurozone concerning purchasing power. However, the best choice is the countries outside the zone.
Türkiye, Poland and Hungary on the top for German holidaymakers
According to Mrs Altmann, Türkiye, Poland, and Hungary are the best holiday destinations if you consider purchasing power. She said Türkiye is on the top since one euro is worth 2.63 euros in the country. That is chiefly because of the value drop of the Turkish lira. The second place went to Poland, where that number was 1.52 euros.
Hungary stands in third place, which is good news for German holidaymakers but not that good for their Hungarian counterparts working for forints. Here 1 “German euro” is worth 1.43 euros. That is because Hungary is cheaper than Germany.
Altmann mentioned Spain, Portugal and Greece among the best value-for-money choices for Germans. On the other end of the list, there are Switzerland (EUR 0.61), Denmark (EUR 0.78) and Norway (EUR 0.86).
German pensioners move to Hungary
We wrote multiple times that not only German tourists like to come to Hungary but also German pensioners choose to live in the country. According to the Central Statistical Office, last November, more than 22 thousand German citizens lived in Hungary. Pensioners come here because the cost of living is significantly lower. Furthermore, the Hungarian overhead cut is a fifth of what the Germans have to pay.
The most popular area is Lake Balaton for them. Inflation does not bother German pensioners since they can afford to spend more money on food and other necessities.
Germans only complain because of the language barrier, especially in the healthcare system.
Read also:
- German companies push for euro in Hungary – will PM Orbán introduce it? – Read more HERE
- Breathtaking hotel awarded the title of Hungary’s Leading Luxury Hotel 2024 – PHOTOS and more HERE
Featured image: depositphotos.com
Siemens’ new plant inaugurated in Hungary
Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said that the new investments by Siemens Energy “are of special significance” in Hungary, in his address at the inauguration ceremony in Budapest on Thursday.
The local unit of the German-owned company inaugurated a production hall and a training centre and installed a 1.5MW solar park in a 26 billion forint (EUR 67m) investment at its base in the capital.
The investment was supported with a 900 million forint government grant, Szijjártó said.
Inauguration of new Siemens factory
The new unit will make gas turbine burner heads, the minister added.
He noted that Siemens Energy’s revenue from its Hungarian operations has doubled, its headcount increased by 400 and the company has spent close to 50 billion forints on capital investments since it signed a strategic partnership with the government.
He noted that Siemens Energy, jointly with France’s Framatome, won the contract to supply the control system for the new blocks of the Paks nuclear power plant.
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Hungarian minister Nagy meets German industry representatives
National Economy Minister Márton Nagy met for talks Philipp Haussmann, Deputy Chairman of the German Committee on Eastern European Relations, and Barbara Zollmann, Executive Board Member of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK), in Budapest on Tuesday, his ministry said.
At the talks, the minister noted that Germany is Hungary’s most important trading partner, accounting for 24 percent of the country’s foreign trade, the ministry said in a statement. German companies employ over 220,000 people in Hungary and represent 18.7 billion euros worth of foreign direct investment out of a total of 100 billion, he said.
The sides reviewed bilateral economic and business relations and cooperation. Nagy said collaboration with German companies remains close and thriving in the vehicle, retail, telecommunication and defence industries, among other sectors. Thanks to the favourable business environment, four-fifths of the German companies present here would choose Hungary again as an investment destination, the minister said.
Regarding Hungarian-German relations, Márton Nagy pointed out that, despite the fruitful ties, there is a false and misguided sentiment in certain circles. He made it clear that it is not true that there are problems in the food industry or retail trade in terms of cooperation, and that the airport buy-back is on schedule in a spirit of partnership. He added that the only sector with a conflict was cement, where the companies concerned had abused their dominant position.
read also:
- Hungary’s Minister of Economy talks about cooperation between Hungary and the German automotive industry, details HERE
- Representatives of the Bavarian Christian Social Union in Budapest, details HERE
Hungary’s government rejects pressure on energy policy
Hungary’s government rejects all attempts at political pressure on where it buys its energy, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Tokyo on Tuesday, adding that national interests would always determine the government’s energy policy.
The three major crises faced by the world over the last five years all had a negative impact on energy markets, putting countries without a coastline or an abundance of gas or oil fields in an especially difficult situation, Szijjártó said at the Global Energy Security Talks conference, according to a ministry statement.
In his address, Szijjártó warned of mounting ideological and political pressure on energy markets, saying the recent period had demonstrated the importance of carrying out a responsible energy policy. He said this involved the government ensuring a country’s uninterrupted energy supply while also taking into consideration environmental protection aspects.
Szijjártó said this was only possible “if we get rid of the ideological approach and . if we get rid of hypocrisy”. Hungary, he added, stood by its position that energy supply was not a matter of ideology or politics, but one of physics and mathematics.
He noted that the sanctions imposed in response to the war in Ukraine had resulted in an energy crisis, while western Europeans “are proud of themselves that they got rid of Russian energy sources”. He added, however, that in reality, they were instead importing oil through third countries like India, and Russia also had the biggest share of western European LNG imports.
The minister also discussed the problem of pressure to diversify energy sources when the European Union did not want to contribute to infrastructure developments and spoke out against discrimination against nuclear energy.
Szijjártó said the Hungarian government rejected all forms of political pressure on where it chooses to buy its energy from and would always choose the best solution according to national interests.
He said decisions concerning the energy mix must remain within the EU’s national competence, and they should also consider a member state’s circumstances.
Hungary, he said, viewed the green transition as a means to preserving the planet rather as a political ideology or a monopoly. He added that Hungary was one of 21 countries that had managed to increase its GDP while reducing its harmful emissions.
Szijjártó underlined the need to find a balance between boosting competitiveness and environmental protection.
He highlighted three prerequisites for a responsible, carbon-neutral global energy policy of the future. The first, he said, was to ensure the role of nuclear energy, arguing that industrial growth would double the demand for electricity by the end of the decade, and nuclear reactors were the cheapest, safest and most sustainable energy sources for satisfying it.
He noted that the ongoing upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant involved a Russian general contractor in addition to American, German and French companies, adding that this could offer hope for a return to peaceful international cooperation.
Szijjártó said the second requirement was the transport sector’s transition to electric vehicles, on which a political decision has already been made in Europe. He added that this was also impossible without global cooperation, highlighting Hungary as a key meeting point for the sector’s Eastern and Western players.
Thirdly, Szijjártó underlined the need infrastructure developments related to energy supply, saying there was “no unnecessary infrastructure”.
He said the Hungarian government understood “diversification” of its energy supply to mean tapping new sources rather than replacing existing ones. He said this process was under way despite the EU not financing infrastructure developments in southeast Europe, arguing that gas would no longer be part of the energy mix in 15 years’ time.
“They might be right . but there are 14 winters to go, for which we have to ensure the safe supply of energy,” he said, adding that it was important to “avoid any kind of aggressive, artificially quick phase-out of gas from the national energy mixes”.
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Hungary’s Minister of Economy talks about cooperation between Hungary and the German automotive industry
Márton Nagy, the national economy minister, has discussed the transition to electric vehicles and related matters with German car industry executives over the past two days.
Cooperation between Hungary and Germany
He met Audi chief executive Gernot Dollner, BMW board member Frank Weber, and Mercedes vice president Eckart von Klaeden, the ministry said in a statement.
Ahead of Hungary’s turn at the EU rotating presidency, they discussed the competitiveness of the German and European automotive industry, especially regarding the electric vehicle industry and the transition to electric vehicles, and agreed that electric cars would be an inextricable part of Europe’s future.
Cooperation between Hungary and the German automotive industry played a decisive role in this, the statement said.
Nagy stressed the need for an action plan to speed up the adoption of electric cars and fulfill the 2035 green transition, covering the whole of Europe. Related infrastructure such as a long-distance, fast and hassle-free continental network must be developed with EU and private investments, they agreed.
The officials also discussed reforming the regulatory environment to ensure more fast charging points along the trans-European transport (TEN-T) network installed every 50 kilometers. Another goal would be to locate fast charging points at many petrol stations on the continent, the statement added.
They also agreed on the need for an EU incentive scheme for car purchases aimed at both manufacturers and customers, and this would require changing rules on state support.
In addition, Nagy advocated providing support for the trade of used electric cars by developing new standards.
A draft of the action plan will be presented to EU member states as a white paper at the meeting of the Competitiveness Council on July 8–9 under the Hungarian EU presidency, the statement said.
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German software company Evosoft invests €8.7 million in a new R&D project in Hungary
The government is focusing on a paradigm change in the Hungarian economy, and on transforming Hungary into the most innovative economy of Europe as swiftly as possible, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said in Budapest on Monday.
Péter Szijjártó announced that German-owned software developer Evosoft is investing 3.4 billion forints (EUR 8.7m) into a new R and D project developing the effectiveness of installing production lines. The project has received a 682 million forint government grant and will create 75 jobs, 57 of them in Budapest and 18 in Miskolc, in north-east Hungary, a ministry statement quoted Szijjarto as saying.
He said Evosoft, a member of the Siemens Group, operates several R&D facilities in the region, and Hungary won the investment amid stiff competition.
German companies remain the largest group of investors in Hungary, with some 21 percent of all investments linked to German companies, Szijjártó said. He said that Germany is also Hungary’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing 70 billion euros last year.
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