G4Media has reported on a recent emergency landing, involving a flight from Paris to Bucharest, which was scheduled to land at midnight on Monday but unexpectedly touched down in Budapest instead.
Lucian Mîndruță, a journalist, reported an emergency occurrence upon the aircraft’s descent over Budapest. Approximately 20-30 minutes following the emergency call, the aircraft landed at Liszt Ferenc Airport, as stated in his Facebook post. He obtained this information from a passenger aboard the aircraft.
According to the report on the emergency landing, upon touch-down, the pilots informed passengers of their location and the diversion due to an unspecified technical issue. It was later revealed that smoke was detected in the cockpit.
Budapest Airport has issued the following statement regarding the emergency landing:
“Air France flight AF1088 Paris – Bucharest was aborted due to smoke in the cabin and landed at 22:34 on Monday at Liszt Ferenc International Airport. The aircraft was inspected by firefighters at the scene and will fly back to Paris this morning without passengers. The airline sent a relief flight to pick up the passengers, which will continue to Bucharest in the morning on Tuesday.”
Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said at the 5th Budapest LNG Summit on Tuesday that security of supply and price are the sole factors determining the government’s energy policy. “We don’t take political or ideological considerations into account,” he said.
The crises of recent years could well have spurred “a return to common sense, but we have seen just the opposite”, he said, adding that treating energy as a political issue jeopardised the security of supplies, which should be based on “physical realities rather than political ideology”.
“We are not ready to give up any partnership that has proven reliable in terms of energy supplies, and we will not terminate any contracts that we benefit from,” Szijjártó said.
The minister highlighted the importance of diversification, explaining that the government’s interpretation of the term centred on “securing new resources rather than excluding existing ones”.
Given Hungary’s geographical location, the country depends heavily on the region’s infrastructure, so developing the regional network “is crucial, even if European politicians often disregard the fact that gas cannot be transported in a bag or backpack,” he said. “The infrastructure determines the energy mix and impacts on relevant decisions. Boosting capacities is of vital importance… For us there is no such thing as a redundant gas pipeline,” he added.
He called construction of the TurkStream pipeline “a success story”, and said Hungary would contend with severe difficulties without it. He highlighted Hungary was the first country apart from Türkiye’s neighbours to import Turkish natural gas. Read our latest news: gas supplies from Türkiye to Hungary to start in April.
He also mentioned achievements of the Slovak-Hungarian interconnector, enhanced pipeline capacity between Hungary and Romania, a supply deal with Shell on LNG, and cooperation with Azerbaijan in the area of gas supplies.
Szijjártó regretted that “Western partners” had “abandoned” Romania’s LNG project, adding that Romania would hopefully start production in the future and Hungary would be among potential purchasers of its LNG.
The minister accused the European Union of reducing aid for energy infrastructure developments in south-east Europe, insisting those projects were critical for diversification. He slammed the European Commission, saying its position was that “developing the network was unnecessary because natural gas had no future and it would not be in the energy mix in 15 years.”
“Even if that were true … what about supplies for the next 15 years? Hungary continues to reject aggressively and artificially removing natural gas from the energy mix… We consider this economic suicide and don’t want to compromise the competitiveness of the EU further,” Szijjártó said.
Following the incident, Hunor Kelemen, president of the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (RMDSZ), called for action by Romanian state leaders and punishment of those responsible in a video posted on Facebook on Friday.
“So far and no further”, said the President of the RMDSZ in a video message, reacting to the brutal abuse of a 15-year-old gymnast from Lugoj by his Romanian peers at a training camp “just because he is Hungarian”.
The abused boy was tied up, shaved bald, beaten, given alcohol to drink and ashes thrown on his head, and made to mime sexual games,
He said that as a father and as a leader of the Hungarian community, he finds what happened to the 15-year-old Hungarian boy unacceptable and “shocking”, Index writes.
The boy’s sin was being Hungarian
He said that it was the anti-Hungarian campaign of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and the fact that Romanian society had tolerated the hate-mongering for years without a word.
He called on his Romanian political colleagues and the leaders of the state to condemn the incident, because “this cannot be left without words or consequences, anti-Hungarianism must be repressed”.
He said he expects a “very swift” response from the head of state, the prime minister, the interior minister and the justice minister, and an investigation into the events by the national leadership of the gymnastics federation.
On behalf of the RMDSZ and on his own behalf, Hunor Kelemen expressed his condolences to the abused boy and his family and promised help for reparation.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will hold talks in Bucharest with Hunor Kelemen, the leader of Romania’s ethnic Hungarian party RMDSZ, on Wednesday afternoon, before meeting his Romanian counterpart as well as prime ministers of several EU member states and European Council President Charles Michel, his press chief said in a statement.
Orbán travels to Romania
Orbánwill hold talks with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, and the meeting will be attended by Sorin Grindeanu, Romania’s transport minister, and János Bóka, Hungary’s EU affairs minister.
In the evening, the Hungarian PM will participate in a preparatory meeting of the EU’s Strategic Agenda 2024-2029, a five-year policy plan to guide the EU’s work covering the green and digital transitions and economy, security, enlargement and migration, and will be joined by the European Council president as well as the prime ministers of Croatia, Belgium, Slovenia and the president of Romania.
Russian discount chain Mere ventures into Hungary with intentions to beat German supermarket chains Aldi, Lidl and other rivals. Their strategy is ambitious yet straightforward: promising to undercut prices by 20-30%.
According to telex.hu, the success story of the Russian Mere began in Siberia, with aspirations not only to conquer Hungary but also Europe. Previously, they expanded into Romania and Great Britain. However, their ambitious plans were temporarily halted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nonetheless, it appears they’ve only paused temporarily. According to a leaked letter, they aspire to start operations in Hungary, a matter we have detailed in THIS article.
Telex reported that the Mere network is owned by Torgservis, with its first store established in 2009 in Krasnoyarsk, known for its WWI POW camp, where Hungarian soldiers were held captive. The company is under the ownership of brothers Sergei and Andrei Schneider, descendants of a German lineage. They don’t give interviews, instead silently constructing their supermarket empire.
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
Russian discount chain vows to be very affordable
The Russian discount chain, known as ‘Svetofor’ in Russia, boasts approximately 3,000 stores, mainly situated in small Siberian towns. Moreover, they have outlets in Kazakhstan, Belarus and China. Additionally, they’ve entered markets in Lithuania, Romania, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Britain. In Russia, their 2023 revenue totalled EUR 2 billion.
Their market strategy is straightforward: pledging prices 20-30% lower than competitors such as Aldi and Lidl. But how?
According to the manager of their Spanish subsidiary, they refrain from expenditures that would inflate costs. Consequently, there is minimal decoration or shelving, adopting a ‘Spartan’ approach. Furthermore, the absence of a warehouse means suppliers unload products directly into the shops. Naturally, employee numbers are kept to a minimum.
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
Consequently, Mere stores resemble warehouses rather than contemporary Western outlets. HERE are some additional photos.
Mere (or Svetofor in Russia) is very popular in the poorer regions. When they opened their first shop in Leipzig in 2019, the crowd was massive, and some people didn’t even have the chance to enter. Since customers emptied the local store, they had to close for days to restock their nonexistent shelves. A customer remarked that Mere is akin to Aldi in its early days.
Mere shifts its focus to Eastern Europe
In 2021, they aimed to expand into Western Europe, yet encountered obstacles; the Russian invasion of Ukraine thwarted their plans. In Great Britain, they established only one store in Preston, Lancashire, before withdrawing post-Putin’s attack. The conflict compelled Mere to exit Western Europe. Subsequently, following the war’s outbreak, they opened only two stores in Belgium, operating under the name My Price.
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
Expansion encountered difficulties for other reasons as well. Suppliers were displeased with unloading products in stores and receiving payment only upon sale, along with the obligation to retrieve unsold items.
In 2023, they announced they would like to focus on Eastern Europe. They opened stores in the Baltic states, Poland and Romania, so it makes sense to come to Hungary. They plan to open 200 shops and reach EUR 700 million in traffic. First, they want to make their stand in Budapest and the suburbs.
In 2023, they announced their intention to focus on Eastern Europe, opening stores in the Baltic states, Poland and Romania, rendering their arrival in Hungary expected. They aim to establish 200 outlets and achieve EUR 700 million in revenue. Initially, they seek to establish a foothold in Budapest and its environs.
In Hungary, nine food supermarket chains already exist, with industry players frequently asserting market saturation. Mere would become the 10th competitor.
However, the question arises: how does Mere’s market conquest align with the Hungarian government’s objective to safeguard the Hungarian food retail market for domestic companies?
Read also:
Mfor: Orbán cabinet will squeeze foreign supermarket chains, Spar remains a target – Read more HERE
Expert: Quality of food in Hungarian shops often worse than in Western Europe – Details in THISarticle
Featured image: Russian discount store Mere in Serbia, depositphotos.com
Hungary has a couple of interesting traditions that foreigners (or even younger Hungarians) might find weird. One of these is sprinkling on Easter Monday.
Even though Easter is a Christian holiday, Easter Monday traditions, including sprinkling, have no significance in the Christian church. What does sprinkling look like? – you might ask.
In the old days, girls were taken to a well or trough in the countryside and doused with buckets, which had fertility charms and also referred to the purifying properties of water.
Indeed, since this is an age-old tradition, many Hungarians do not keep it. As for those who do, the implementation has changed quite a bit. Men who still prefer to keep this convention sprinkle some perfume or cologne on girls and women instead of dousing them with buckets full of cold water (for which many of them are grateful).
In turn, men usually receive painted eggs and some hearty treats (sometimes some coins) from girls and women.
Check out some photos below:
Sprinkling in Nyíregyháza. MTI/Balázs Attila
Sprinkling in Nyíregyháza. Photo: MTI
Sprinkling in Nyíregyháza. Photo: MTI
Girls offering painted eggs to boys who sprinkled them. MTI/Balázs Attila
New photos:
Easter Monday sprinkling in Hungary. MTI/Balázs Attila
Easter Monday sprinkling in Hungary. MTI/Balázs Attila
Easter Monday sprinkling in Hungary. MTI/Balázs Attila
Easter Monday sprinkling in Hungary. MTI/Balázs Attila
Sprinkling in Szeklerland
Watch a videobelow of a (lot more peaceful and comfortable) Easter Monday sprinkling in Szeklerland, Transylvania, Romania:
In many countries, Easter egg decorating has become an established tradition, and Hungary is at the forefront of this too. Read our guide on how to master the art of traditional Hungarian Easter egg painting HERE!
Romania and Bulgaria partially joined the Schengen Zone today. As a result, plane arrivals at Budapest Airport will change.
From today on, border control will cease for commuters on air and sea routes. According to Budflyer, a Hungarian air travel news outlet, Bucharest, Târgu Mureș (Marosvásárhely), Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár), Brașov (Brassó), Sofia and Burgas flights will arrive at Terminal 2A. That is because authorities will not check the travel documents of Romanian nationals coming from or going to a Schengen Zone country. They will only need a security check before boarding.
Photo: Budapest Airport/FB
According to Budflyer, a new Italian F&B bar will open at Budapest Airport’s Terminal 2A. Bottega Prosecco aims to share the exquisite wines of Italy with some authentic local dishes, providing a traditional Italian lifestyle experience to everybody. They are present at several airports, hotels and malls in Europe.
Before, they opened bars in Dubai, Istanbul, Venice, Bologna and Rome with a similar concept.
Hungary supports Romania’s, and Bulgaria’s Schengen Zone accession
We wrote multiple times that Hungary is a supporter of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full membership of the Schengen Zone. However, there are influential adversaries of the project in the Schengen Zone. Austria is one of the opponents. Vienna worries about the many Romanian potential jobseekers who would flood Austria’s labour market if visa-free travel was granted.
Photo: Creative Commons
According to Maszol, a Hungarian newspaper operating in Romania, in 2023, 23 million passengers arrived at the airports of Romania. The number of flights landing and taking off exceeded 160 thousand. 66% of the latter were flights commuting within the Schengen Zone.
Transtelex.ro wrotethat Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu highlighted in a speech in Timișoara (Temesvár) that the Romanian government had a plan for full membership in the Schengen Zone until the end of 2024. Ciolacu claimed in his speech that Romania’s partial Schengen accession was a victory.
Photo: FB/Magyar Rendőrség
Thanks to the Schengen Zone, 400 million citizens can travel visa-free in Europe.
Read also:
New era for investors: Golden Visa Law enters into force in Hungary – Read more HERE
Schengen in serious trouble: strict control prolonged at Hungarian border again – Details in THISarticle
Eurostat released its latest report on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, measured in purchasing power standards, yesterday. According to the new data, Romania has surpassed Hungary, indicating that Romanians may enjoy a higher standard of living as they can afford more with their salaries compared to Hungarians. Hungary stands at 76% of the EU average.
According to the Eurostat, “in 2023, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita expressed in purchasing power standards ranged between 64% of the EU average in Bulgaria and 240% in Luxembourg.” These figures are based on Eurostat’s flash estimates of purchasing power parities and GDP for 2023, released yesterday. See their chart below:
Source: Eurostat
“Luxembourg and Ireland had the highest levels (140% and 112% above the EU average, respectively), well ahead of the Netherlands (30% above the EU average), Denmark (+28%), and Austria (+23%),” Eurostat highlighted.
Romania surpasses Hungary for the first time
At the other end of the spectrum, Bulgaria (36% below the EU average), Greece (-33%) and Latvia (-29%) were positioned.
Hungarians often draw comparisons between themselves and their Eastern neighbour, Romania. In this instance, Romania has outpaced Hungary. The GDP per capita, expressed in purchasing power standards, stood at 78% in Romania, while Hungary lagged at 76%. 2023 marked the first year Romania managed to overtake Hungary, as reported by portfolio.hu. While there may be revisions, the Hungarian media outlet does not anticipate Romania falling behind Hungary as it did in 2022.
People at Keleti Railway Station in Budapest. Photo: Daily News Hungary
In Hungary, the economy contracted by 0.8% in 2023. Consequently, there is little anticipation of a rise in the GDP per capita, expressed in the purchasing power standards index. As a result, Croatia has caught up with Hungary, and Slovakia is only 3% behind.
A lot depends on the methodology, thus the index does not perfectly reflect the economic development level of a country. For instance, Luxembourg’s considerable divergence is attributed to its unique economic structure.
Read also:
New Hungarian regulation would ban guest workers’ employment in more jobs – Read more HERE
Ambitious plans: these are the economic goals the Orbán cabinet wants to achieve by 2030 – Details in THISarticle
A Hungarian food rescue startup called Munch is expanding its operations into Romania starting in March, intensifying its efforts to ease food waste in the region. While already established in Bucharest, the startup aims to broaden its reach to additional cities across Romania this year.
In the summer of 2020, four young students in Budapest developed an app to combat food waste in Hungary’s catering industry, aiming to introduce eco-friendly practices. The startup company has grown significantly globally ever since.
In 2022, the company merged with Nesnezeno, a Czech-founded company, and now has over 3,500 partners across Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to tackle food waste. Starting in March this year, their food rescue service will expand to Romania, according to Piacesprofit.hu.
About Munch
As stated on their website, Munch is driven by a mission to revolutionise our approach to food waste and foster a sustainable future. Their vision aims to maximise the value of every food item produced and consumed and they are actively seeking passionate and innovative individuals to join their expanding team.
Munch provides a straightforward yet effective solution to address the issue of food waste with approximately one-third of food produced going uneaten. By offering a platform for restaurants and shops to sell unsold yet quality food at discounted prices, Munch contributes to making food production more sustainable across environmental, social and economic dimensions.
Munch’s next destination: Romania
Grand Hotel Continental, Bucharest, Romania. Source: Wikimedia Commons/Mihai Petre
European Union statistics indicate that approximately 2.2 million tonnes of food are discarded annually in Romania with around 30% of this waste originating from the catering sector.
Munch presents a solution to mitigate this issue offering a means to eliminate food waste. The startup’s expansion in Romania marks a pivotal moment for the company, representing a valuable opportunity to reduce food waste in the region substantially and actively contribute to enhancing sustainability efforts.
In its quest for successful expansion, Munch has strategically assembled a local team boasting extensive local expertise, led by Alexandru Turcanu, who previously served as the Head of Strategic Sales at the Dutch-based multinational Just Eat Takeaway. While the food rescue service presently operates solely in Bucharest, ongoing opportunities are available for restaurants to join forces with the rapidly expanding company.
Moreover, the company has numerous open positions, both domestically and internationally, reflecting its dynamic growth trajectory.
How can you use Munch yourself?
There are two options for using Munch; either through a web browser by visiting their website or by downloading the app onto your smartphone (the app is simply called Munch). Upon registration, you gain access to browse the discounted products, similar to other ordering apps. Alongside purchasing food items, the platform also allows its users to make donations directly within the app or through the web browser.
Read also:
Mouth-watering: This is the tastiest Hungarian food according to foreigners – HERE
Top 10 worst Hungarian dishes according to foreigners – HERE
In Praid (Parajd), the centre of the Salt Region in Transylvania, an indoor spa was inaugurated in 2015. After more than six months of closure, the Praid Wellness Center reopens this week. The year-round facility offers an extensive array of services to guests.
Special saltwater spa in Transylvania
Praid Wellness Center. Source: wellnesspraid.ro
Praid Wellness Center. Source: wellnesspraid.ro
The newly opening Wellness Center offers a saltwater pool, a freshwater pool, a children’s pool, two jacuzzis and a sauna area for guests, Termál Online reports. The main attraction of the spa, which is owned by the municipality of Praid, is its special saltwater. It is mainly used to treat musculoskeletal and articular problems, dermatological, gynaecological and respiratory diseases.
Although it is a young facility, a major renovation was needed. Thus, the spa, which welcomes 120-140,000 guests a year, closed in mid-September last year. It was estimated at the time that the works would take two to three months, meaning that even in the worst-case scenario they could reopen for the end-of-year holidays.
Renovating the Praid Wellness Center
However, unexpected defects were found during the works, so this deadline could not be met. There were also serious structural problems, with some columns requiring structural reinforcement. According to Termál Online, this was probably due to the fact that the saltwater had eroded many of the building elements over the years.
Promised to reopen in February at the beginning of the year, it was once again delayed, this time by a month.
Praid Wellness Center. Source: wellnesspraid.ro
The Wellness Center in Praid is opening again on Saturday, 23 March.
“Indoor pools in spacious enclosed areas are open all year round for those who prefer a healthy lifestyle and those who want to recover,” the Wellness Center’s official website reads.
Thermal water with high salt and mineral content
The spa’s greatest treasure is its thermal water, with a high salt and mineral content, which comes from a depth of 1,000 metres and is stored in a 10×20-metre pool. The beneficial effects of the saltwater can be experienced by those suffering from musculoskeletal and joint problems, but it is also recommended for skin diseases, gynaecological problems and respiratory diseases, the operator writes.
In accordance with today’s needs, in addition to the spa pool, you can find additional services in a spacious area of almost 1000 sqm:
10x20m freshwater swimming pool
3x8m, 60cm deep warm freshwater children’s pool
2 jacuzzis
2 steam baths
1 infrared sauna
2 Finnish saunas
Cold splash bath
Play area
Summer terrace
Fitness room
Bathtub
The recommended bathing time is 20-30 minutes, which can be repeated 2-3 times with at least 20-minute breaks.
A full-price day ticket costs RON 120 (EUR 24), while a discounted day ticket costs RON 90 (EUR 18).
Opening hours:
Weekdays: 12:00–21:00
Weekends: 10:00–21:00
During school holidays and public holidays: 10:00–21:00
Special occasional opening hours for night bathing: 22:00–00:00
In 2023, more than 300 houses were sold to Romanians in towns on the eastern border. Some work in Romania and live in Hungary, while others have moved to the country permanently. Hungarian towns on the border may see more and more Romanians arriving every year, as both the price of real estate and utilities are cheaper here than in their own country.
Világgazdaság spotted a video on a Facebook page titled “Timisoara, the European Capital of Culture”, in which a Romanian man claims to be driving in a small Hungarian town “where half the houses have been bought by Romanians.” The most liked comment under the video is from another Romanian and reads:
“I live in Battonya and am very happy. Utilities are cheaper than in Arad, it is clean and quiet here, the locals are nice people.”
Other commenters share the sentiment, with one person writing:
“This is exactly what the people from Nagyvárad do, too, half an hour from the Hungarian border. They are very satisfied, impeccable cleanliness, cultured village of Ártánd, Biharkeresztes…”
Real estate prices in Hungary vary
As we reported earlier, Hungary is one of the least desirable countries for real estate buyers in Europe due to steeply rising prices on the market. Indeed, in 2023, there was a 27% drop in the volume of real estate investment transactions compared to the previous year.
However, it seems that Romanians in particular are quite fond of Hungary, with many choosing to relocate to the other side of the border. Világgazdaság highlights the findings of the Romanian Digi24, which describes how interest in Hungarian real estate first peaked in 2007 after Romania joined the European Union. As prices remained relatively low in the area, business remained steady. In 2007, average house prices in local Hungarian towns were around EUR 2,500. Today, there are properties selling for EUR 10,000, but Világgazdaság quotes a real estate agent who just last year sold a 4,000-square-meter plot with a 100-square-meter, 3-bedroom property for the price of only EUR 5,000.
Border regions are appealing to Romanians
Located just a few kilometres away from the border, therefore very easily reached on the highway, the low prices and the good condition of the properties in these areas are appealing to Romanians looking to buy new homes. The pandemic played a crucial role in the housing market as well: many could work from home, which made moving across the border much easier. Another important factor is the price of utilities in Hungary, which might be as low as half of that in Romania.
Census data from 2022 shows that Hungary has a Romanian population of around 36,000 people, with most of them living close to the Romanian border, especially in Gyula and Battonya. In many cases, these communities have their own Romanian-language kindergartens and schools, as well as local Minority Self-Governments.
See our other reports on the real estate market in Hungary:
New survey: Hungary is among the least desirable countries for homebuyers – HERE
Positive changes at Lake Balaton: Far more holiday homes for sale than in 2023 – HERE
The message of Hungary’s 1848 revolution is that Hungarians must join together and “each of them is counted on in improving our nation’s future”, the foreign minister said in Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy), marking the 176th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1848-49 revolution and war of independence, on Friday.
Péter Szijjártó said Hungarians must join their forces in the interest of their nation and “act together, by helping one another in cooperation across the border”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
At the same time, he said, there were “traitors paid by large powers to divide Hungarians in the mother country and beyond the borders”, adding that “all of them will end up being washed away by history” because “the ideal of the Hungarian nation does not exist without Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy), Lendava (Lendva), Osijek (Eszék), Mukachevo (Munkács), Dunajska Streda (Dunaszerdahely), Senta (Zenta) and without the diaspora”.
“This is why it is our duty to firmly stand up for the rights of the Hungarian communities which we have done and will also do in future.”
At the commemoration of the battle of Simeria (Szemerja), Szijjártó said “we here stand together and declare that we are proud to be Hungarian”. “We are proud of what we have achieved through history. That we are the inheritors of a Christian culture which is older than a thousand years… we have continued to always exist as Hungarians midst the big hurdles and uncertainties we faced in history.”
“And above all, we Hungarians are proud to be free,” the foreign minister said and called for peace in Ukraine.
Addressing a commemoration in Oradea (Nagyvarad) later on Friday, Szijjártó said Hungarians’ freedom meant “we can decide about our own future”. He said the revolutionaries in 1848 had fought for “the obvious, clear and much desired goals of freedom, peace and consensus, goals that we want here, today, too.”
“We have always been ready to fight for our freedom and independence, even when facing the biggest, most dangerous and brutal and massive forces including the Ottoman and the Habsburg empires and later the Germans and the Soviets. We took up the fight against them, and stood our course,” Szijjártó said.
Góbéfest, Manchester’s original urban folk music and dance festival with strong Central and Eastern European leanings, is back!
Established in 2017, Góbéfest has its roots firmly in Transylvania and Hungary, but over the years has expanded its reach to cherry pick some of the finest performing artists from around the Carpathian Basin and beyond.
Returning to Cathedral Gardens from Friday 21-Sunday 23 June 2024, the festival will for the first time be selling day or weekend tickets for the Friday and Saturday. Sunday – which has become known as Dance Day – will remain free.
The weekend promises an expertly curated mix of bands and solo artists, folk dance troupes, choirs and more. Independent food and drink traders will be serving up favourites from around the Carpathian Basin, from giant pans of goulash, to the fried flat breads known as lángos and Transylvanian barbecued chimney cakes.
Alongside craft beer, there will also be a Hungarian wine stall and a palinka (Hungarian fruit brandy) bar. Free activities in the family tent include music and dance workshops, storytelling and crafts.
Friday’s headliner, Parno Graszt has been described as ‘the source of gypsy music’ and will be performing exclusively at Góbéfest in what will be the band’s first UK appearance in a decade.
Saturday’s dual headliners are klezmer and Balkan music supremos She’Koyokh and Manchester’s own Rioghnach Connolly and Honeyfeet.
On Saturday 22 June 2024, Márta Sebestyén, Judit Andrejszki & Béla Szerényi Jr. will be in concert at Hallé St Michael’s as a Góbéfest special event.
Keep an eye on the Góbéfest website or socials for updates as more acts are added to the bill.
Early bird tickets for Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June are £25 (£12.50 child over 5) until the end of March. After that, tickets are £35 (£17.50 child over 5). Family tickets are also available for £60 (early bird) and £80. Sunday 23 June is free entry all day. Tickets at gobefest.com/tickets.
The stronger the ethnic Hungarian RMDSZ party becomes in Romania, the easier it will be to lean on it in developing Hungarian-Romanian ties, the foreign minister said on Friday in Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy), in Romania.
According to a ministry statement, at a joint press conference held with RMDSZ head Hunor Kelemen, Péter Szijjártó said Hungary had strategic and economic interests in strong ties with Romania. Bilateral trade hit a new record last year, making Romania Hungary’s third largest export market, he said. “We have more than doubled our trade volume as well as exports to Romania in the past decade,” Szijjártó said.
Hungary also has a vested interest in Romania’s integration into the Schengen Area as soon as possible, and will use its EU presidency starting on 1 July to do everything it can to speed up the procedure, he said.
“That is in our economic interest, but contact between Hungarians in the homeland and in Romania’s Transylvania region and Szekler Land will also become much easier.”
Post by Hunor Kelemen, RMDSZ head
Thanks to the lobbying of RMDSZ, the cooperation of Hungary’s government and Wizz Air, and Romania’s partial Schengen membership which allows easy travel by plane, Brasov will have a direct flight to Budapest from June, he said.
Noting that Romania will see four elections in 2024, Szijjártó said Hungary would “naturally” not try to influence the ballots, “but we maintain the right to root for candidates”. “We will root for RMDSZ because the stronger RMDSZ is in Romanian political life, the stronger we can lean on it to improve and strengthen the ties between Hungary and Romania even further.”
“I respectfully ask Hungarians in Szekler Land, Transylvania and the whole of Romania to cast their ballots at all of the elections in as large numbers as possible.”
He said he hoped the election campaigns would be free from incitement against the ethnic communities, especially Hungarians. “We Hungarians base our foreign policy on mutual respect, and hope that will be mutual.”
Asked about President Klaus Iohannis’ candidacy for the post of NATO’s Secretary-General, Szijjártó said the results of the election were impossible to foresee. Hungary will “definitely not support” the candidacy of outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who called for Hungary “to be brought to its knees”, the foreign minister said.
“At the same time, we are happy there is a central European candidate. NATO has never before had a central European Secretary-General,” Szijjártó said.
The Orbán cabinet has previously indicated its reluctance to back Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the top position within the military alliance. However, a new applicant has emerged in the form of Romanian ethnic German President Klaus Iohannis. It’s crucial to note that unanimous support is required for the appointment of the new NATO head.
According to 444.hu, Mark Rutte has previously applied for the top position of the military alliance but now faces competition from Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
Iohannis has asserted that he would make an ideal NATO leader based on Romania’s 20-year NATO membership, the country’s performance and his own presidential track record.
Previously, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, said that Budapest would not endorse Rutte’s aspirations due to his consistent criticism of Hungary. In contrast, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany have thrown their weight behind the Dutch politician.
Could Iohannis become the first Eastern European secretary-general of NATO?
However, Rutte also requires Hungary’s approval. Consequently, we may witness a similar standoff to that seen with Sweden’s NATO accession. The Hungarian parliament delayed voting on Stockholm’s bid for nearly two years, preventing Sweden from joining the military alliance, despite Hungary’s purchase of Swedish aircraft for its expanding air force. This underscores the robust military cooperation between the two nations.
While the North Atlantic Alliance has previously had three Dutch heads, no secretary-general has come from Eastern Europe. Iohannis, who has served as Romania’s president since 2014, could potentially be the first. The Hungarian government has yet to comment on his application.
Read also:
Hungary celebrates the 25th anniversary of its accession to NATO – Photos and details in THIS article
Did Czech, Polish prime ministers shoutat PM Orbán due to Sweden’s NATO accession?
The Szeklers, like other Hungarian communities in the Carpathian Basin, can count on the support of the Hungarian government, the state secretary for Hungarian communities abroad said on Sunday.
Marking the Day of Szekler Freedom, Árpád János Potápi said Hungarians today commemorated the Szekler martyrs who were executed in Targu Mures on March 10, 1854.
“This day is a tribute to our Szekler compatriots fighting for national self-determination,” Potápi said.
He said the Szeklers’ demand for self-determination “is not an unprecedented desire” in the European Union, citing the examples of the Austrians in South Tyrol and the Swedish-speaking residents of the Åland Islands in Finland.
If an ethnic community can freely practice its identity, culture and traditions, as well as operate its own institutions, not only does the given community benefit but so does the successor state too, Potápi said.
He said territorial autonomy entailed protection, self-organisation and local legislation, which was “good for everyone” and “not directed against anyone”.
Potápi urged as many people as possible to participate in the events commemorating the Day of Szekler Freedom, emphasising that this was a common cause of all Hungarians.
Read also:
Hungary’s iconic spa renewed – PHOTOS and more HERE
Culture Palace of Marosvásárhely became sublime – Details in THISarticle
We wrote last week that a Reddit user stated that a group of “nationalist Hungarians” rewrote Wikipedia articles related to the History of Romania and the Romanians following the immigration theory instead of Bucharest’s official Daco-Roman Continuity Theory. Days later, we received a detailed rebuttal concerning the issue. Its essence was that “rewriting Romanian history on Wikipedia is fake news and agitation”.
Busa78, another Reddit user, submittedthe refutation on the website three days ago, which you can read HERE, but unfortunately, it is in Hungarian.
He calls himself a Wikipedia editor and said everything started with THISRomanian-language article covering the topic and stating Hungarians try to rewrite Romania’s history and erase the Daco-Roman continuity from it.
Hungarians do not accept the Daco-Roman continuity theory
In short, the continuity theory says Romanians are the descendants of the Dacians and their conquerors, the Romans. Despite the Roman legions leaving Dacia in 271, the Dacians remained there Romanized, using Latin language and preserving the culture. They became the Romanians.
Another theory, the immigration theory says Romanians only arrived in the 12th century to the north of the Danube. The dispute is crucial for Bucharest because the former theory is one of their supporting arguments for why Romanians are superior to Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin (Hungarians came “only” in 895-896).
Busa78 says that the Wikipedia report the Romanian Reddit user refers to is from 2021, and they already lost the case. In the report, they were against two Hungarian Wikipedia users, Borsoka and Fakirbakir, who represented the official Hungarian standpoint in the debate, the immigration theory. Busa78 highlighted that the English admins of Wikipedia rejected the claims against two Hungarian users, and even Romanian admins did so. Finally, the user submitting the report withdrew that.
Only full victory is an acceptable outcome
In the 2021 debate, a Romanian user summed up the aim of some Romanian nationalist users as they wanted a 100% victory. Otherwise, they believe they will lose Transylvania. That is why they want to conduct 100% nationalist propaganda, even concerning the genesis of the Romanian people on Wikipedia.
Borsoka said Romanian nationalists tried to remove immigration theory from the relevant articles, so they wanted to create unbalanced texts depicting only the continuity theory and excluding everything else. They tend to transform King Mathias (1458-1490) into a Romanian monarch or write that Transylvania always had a Romanian majority.
Fake Romanian maps, stories
For example, Romanian nationalists even tried to upload a map showing Romanians populating all corners of the Carpathian Basin between 800 and 1400, even in Croatia, Serbia, or Czechia. Even Transdanubia is full of Romanian place names. The map’s title suggests it is the area where Romanians dwelled according to the names of settlements. Its creator is N. Draganu. Here is it is:
Photo: Creative Commons
And here is another map about the “Romanian states” between the 9th and 13th centuries. Of course, these states never existed. A Hungarian chronicler, Anonymus, wrote about e.g. Menumorut in his Gesta Hungarorum. But we know that Anonymus made that name up to make the Conquest of the Carpathian Basin a much more heroic deed than in reality.
Photo: Creative Commons
Wikipedia editors keep complaining that some Romanians regularly redraw academic maps to promote such ideas.
Having written all that, we may conclude there are no Hungarian “nationalists” rewriting Romanian History. But Hungarian Wikipedia editors do not follow Bucharest’s non-academic continuity theory and its exaggerations. Therefore, they may become an enemy in the eyes of those Romanian nationalists. Such people tend to believe that their theory’s victory is a must, provided they want to hold Transylvania and other former Hungarian lands within their country’s borders.
Read also:
Hungarian nationalists rewrite Romania’s history on Wikipedia? – HEREis our previous article in the issue
World’s highest denomination banknote is Hungarian: it’s worth a small fortune – Details in THISarticle
A Reddit user complained that a group of Hungarian nationalists rewrote history articles about Romania and the Romanian nation on the English Wikipedia. The group aims to present Romanians as immigrants in the Carpathian Basin, arriving from the Balkans only in the 12th century. The official Romanian historiography says that Romanians are the descendants of the Romans, who conquered Dacia in the 2nd century and remained there until 271 AD.
Romania consists of four historical regions: Wallachia, Moldavia, Dobruja, and Transylvania (with Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș). Out of those four regions, Transylvania belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary for more than a millennium (896-1918), populated by Hungarians, Germans, and Romanians.
In 896, during the Conquest of the Carpathian Basin by Árpád, the Hungarian conquerors found Romanians in Transylvania, Romanian historians claim. They regularly refer to the Hungarian Anonymus’s Gesta Hungarorum, which depicts the conquest of the Carpathian Basin as fights and victories against the indigenous people. They forget that Anonymus made up a lot of things in his gesta to make Árpád and his leaders bigger heroes than they were in reality.
The official Romanian historiography promotes the Daco-Roman continuity, which says that the Romans Romanized the entire populace of Dacia in less than two centuries. When the legions left the province, the Romanized population remained and survived for centuries. Therefore, when Hungarians arrived, they found Romanians in Transylvania and defeated them, just as Anonymus wrote in his gesta.
Meanwhile, the immigration theory says that Romanians arrived in the Carpathian Basin only in the 12th century from the Balkans. The theory claims Romanians did not exist north of the River Danube until the 12th century.
Hungarian Wikipedia users and admins promote the immigration theory?
According to a Reddit user, a circle of Hungarian Wikipedia users promote that theory in many articles about the history of Romania or Romanians. The Reddit user says they delete or rewrite everything that says Romanians were in the Carpathian Basin before the 12th century.
Furthermore, the Hungarian nationalists promote false narratives about Romanians, the Reddit user says. “They either try to give the appearance that Romanian is derived from a Slavic language or Albanian, or rewrite historical events where they were oppressors and turn it on Romanians as if they were oppressed by the Romanians or to portray the Romanians as robbers, subhumans, etc.”, he wrote.
The Reddit user brought the “Vlachs” article as an example. He claims that 53.9% of the article has been rewritten by two Hungarian users, CriticKende and OrionNimrod. They delete everything that would put Romanians (Vlachs) north of the Danube before the 12th century and support their theories with various sources to comply with Wikipedia rules.
The Reddit user claims the two Wikipedia users are part of the Hungarian nationalist network. Thanks to their work, Romanians who think about Wikipedia as a reliable source start to believe that they came only in the 12th century to the Carpathian Basin.
He also writes about two Wikipedia admins operating under the usernames Borsoka and Fakirbakir. Those users also rewrite everything on Wikipedia and promote the immigration theory, the Reddig user says.
Read also:
Why are more than a million Hungarians very sad today, while Romanians celebrate? – Read more HERE
Was Hungary’s greatest king Romanian? – Details in THISarticle
