Spain

Algeria halts gas exports to Spain via Morocco

Hungary's gas reserves consumption energy

On Sunday 31st October, Algeria refused to renew the contract for a gas pipeline supplying Spain as it passes through Morocco « the Gaz Maghreb Europe (GME) pipeline”.

Since 1996, Algeria has shipped approximately 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to Spain and Portugal via Morocco.

Algeria continues to make controversial and contradictory statements to justify his country’s decision to terminate the contract for the Maghreb Europe gas pipeline. For this Country, the decision to end the contract is a “tangible and realistic expression of Algeria’s conviction about the importance of regional integration and the added value represented by these completed infrastructures for the Maghreb integration.”

This controversial position came amid escalated tensions between Algeria and Morocco. On August 24, Algeria decided to cut diplomatic relations with Morocco.

The Algerian regime also decided to close its airspace with Morocco.

Morocco said that the Algerian decision would have no immediate effects on Morocco’s electricity system and the necessary arrangements have been made to ensure the continuity of the country’s electricity supply, and other options are being explored for sustainable, medium, and long-term alternatives.

Moreover, Algeria decided to disrupt the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, on the eve of winter and in the international context of increasing energy prices, with the aim to use gas supply for political purposes.

The Country is attempting to take advantage of rising energy prices, by resorting to a gas blackmail scheme with the aim to serve its political agenda and without any consideration to the EU’s energy security supply.

By venturing in this way, the credibility of Algeria, as an economic partner to Europe, is at stake.

FM Péter Szijjártó: Hungarian-Spanish relations rest on mutual respect

Hungary Spain Szijjártó 1

Relations between Hungary and Spain can be characterised as resting on mutual respect, the foreign minister said in Madrid after talks with Jose Manuel Albares, his Spanish counterpart.

A social democratic government in the Mediterranean region and a conservative, civic government in central Europe naturally have differing views on relatively many issues, primarily in the area of social policy, Szijjártó said. “We are however in agreement that we will focus on issues we agree on, and which serve both nations’ best interest,” he said.

The two countries will in this spirit continue to strengthen economic cooperation in the area of car manufacturing with a focus on Spanish companies that are important suppliers in the Hungarian market, Szijjártó said.

Hungarian passport ranked top 10 in the world

The foreign minister said there were common European Union-related issues Spain and Hungary could work together on in the coming years. These include the bloc’s enlargement in the Western Balkans which both Budapest and Madrid supports, he said. They also agreed that the situation in regions south of the bloc needed to be monitored closely, given the importance of stability and security in north Africa, he added.

Hungary Spain Szijjártó 2
Hungarian foreig minister Péter Szijjártó in Spain
Photo: facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official

Szijjártó said they both supported free trade and agreed that the EU should conclude as many free trade agreements as possible. He said that cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy were important EU policies for both countries and they would jointly endorse maintaining them.

He said they also discussed the coronavirus pandemic and agreed that it highlighted the need for closer cooperation within the EU in health care, as “the pandemic is an attack on the whole world, including Europe”.

“If we have no clear strategic cooperation in the EU, our response will be less effective,” Szijjártó said.

The foreign minister noted that Hungary will be in a “trio of EU Council presidencies” with Spain and Belgium. He said he agreed with his Spanish colleague to start preparing for their upcoming presidencies together as soon as possible. Spain will be EU Council president in July-December 2023, followed by Belgium and Hungary in 2024.

Viktor Orbán Family
Read alsoIs living in Hungary worth it? Prime Minister’s daughter moves abroad

Hungarian passport ranked top 10 in the world

passport-citizenship-Hungary

Despite the rather small size of Hungary, from time to time, it has made it onto the list of the best passports in the world, and in the past two years, it has been in the top 10 even. This year, Hungary has managed to improve its score, placing higher among the top 10.

The Henley Passport Index has been compiled by Henley & Partners since 2006. It ranks all 199 countries around the globe, utilising the data of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to Index, the list is compiled by taking into account where, out of the 227 destinations, a given country’s passport is allowed to travel without needing a visa.

If they allow travel there, they get a point, but if the destination requires a prior visa, then it does not get a point. In this way, it is possible to have multiple passports with the same score, so there are a couple of places in the top 10 where there are more countries tied for the rank.

Top 10 passports in 2021:

  1. Japan and Singapore
  2. South Korea and Germany
  3. Spain, Luxembourg, Finland, Italy
  4. Austria and Denmark
  5. France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden
  6. Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand
  7. USA, UK, Greece, the Czech Republic, Malta, Norway
  8. Australia and Canada
  9. Hungary
  10. Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia

As you can see, the best passports in the world are from Japan and Singapore. With these passports, you can visit up to 192 destinations without a visa prior to your travel.

Planning to come to Hungary? It might be difficult to find a tour guide!

This also includes destinations where you can acquire a visa at the border of the destination. If you want to travel, you need to keep that in mind. The second-best passports let you travel to 190 destinations, meaning that the competition is tough. In seventh place, where the most tied passports are, they let you travel to 185 destinations.

That is where Hungary comes in. According to Nlc, last year, Hungary’s passport allowed entry to 182 destinations, but this time, the country has improved on this by one point, which put Hungary from 10th place to 9th.

Index says that back in 2014, the list was led by Anglo-Saxon countries, but for the past few years and in 2021 as well, the top 10 passports have been dominated by European countries, save the first rank.

The three worst passports on the list are Syria with 29 destinations in 114th place. Iraq’s passport allows travel to 28 destinations without prior visa, and it was ranked 115th. The worst passport, according to 2021 data, is Afghanistan in 116th place, allowing entry only to 26 destinations out of the 227.

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Read alsoWizz Air announces expansion of Budapest network with exotic destinations

Hungarian minister calls for halting illegal immigration on land, at sea

Migration
Spain’s example demonstrates that illegal migration should be halted not only on land but at sea, too, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs and trade, said after talks with Santiago Abascal, leader of the Spanish right-wing VOX party, in Madrid on Thursday.
 
The minister noted that Spain has been exposed to strong migratory pressure over the past few years, with a 50 percent rise registered in the number of Africans arriving illegally in the country this year. For this reason, there is a pressing need to mobilise resources to stop migration through maritime routes, he said.

The best way to do so is to prevent illegal migrants from boarding ships heading for Europe, Szijjártó said. For this reason, European nations have a vested interest in cooperating with the north African countries and helping them retain their stability, he said.
 


“Defending borders, identifying terrorists among the migrants and tough action against human smugglers are priorities for Europe,” he said. Szijjártó praised the “increasingly robust” development of bilateral economic relations. Two-way trade, he noted, increased by 20 percent in 2021 and is expected to reach 5 billion euros by the end of the year.

Later today, Szijjártó is scheduled to meet his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Alvarez.
 
 
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Read alsoWestern Balkans crucial for European integration, says Hungarian FM in Warsaw

Is living in Hungary worth it? Prime Minister’s daughter moves abroad

Viktor Orbán Family

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán ‘s daughter and her husband have ties to and own many companies in Hungary, yet they decided to leave behind their homeland.

Ráhel Orbán and her husband, István Tiborcz, have a privileged lifestyle. The husband even owns a company that will expand in Spain and on the international market. BDPST Hotel Management Zrt. founded a type of affiliate that is running a four-star hotel in Los Alcazares. – writes hvg.hu. What is even more interesting is that they might soon write a contract, according to which Tiborcz will actually buy the hotel instead of simply operating it. The hotel in Murcia province is quite impressive with its 84 rooms, restaurant and bar, and its banquet room that can host 150 people.

As they announced, stepping out to the international market, which has the hotel in Murcia as the first step, is among the strategies of BDPST Group. Although enterprises in Hungary will remain a major part of their lives, it seems.

PM Orbán: Government policy geared towards supporting, protecting families

Tiborcz and the Prime Minister’s daughter have many businesses in Hungary as well.

Tiborcz has recently founded a company in Budapest called Leonstrella Kft., which is renting out and operating apartments as the main activity. IBC-Projekt Gazdasági tanácsadó Kft. is another company owned by him, and he also is the co-owner of 16 other companies. The Prime Minister’s daughter, Ráhel, also owns an enterprise named Odu Store Kft., making retail sales. She is furthermore the executive of BDPST Koncept Kft.

Their new location in Spain is surprising as well, as Marbella is one of the hotspots for European organised crime.

It is 500 kilometres from Los Alcazares, where their hotel is. But this is not the only information that might spark interest in their new location. “it is well-known that billionaire mobsters like to spend their time on the Italian, French and Spanish beaches. But Marbella is about more than this. Based on data of the Spanish secret service specialised on terrorism and organised crime (CITCO), the part of the beach called Costa del Sol and its centre of 148,000 residents is home to 113 criminal groups of 59 countries.”- writes 444.hu in a catchy paragraph of their article.

As for what the information above has to do with the decision of moving to Spain, it’s only speculation. One thing for sure is that according to LinkedIn, the PM’s daughter changed her location.

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Read alsoHungarian teachers flee their jobs! – Wages are outrageously low

Retiring in Málaga

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Nowadays, more and more Americans, among other citizens from other countries, are deciding to retire, move and start living a new stage in another country such as Spain. But, how to move to Spain from the USA?

If you are thinking of taking this big step, it is important that you know everything you need to know to undertake this new adventure. And the fact is that Spain is a dream country for many, either for its Mediterranean climate, its beaches, its culture, its gastronomy, its people… The landscapes differ greatly from one city to another in Spain, so whether you prefer the mountains or the beach, you can choose the place and the climatic conditions that best suit your preferences.

Everything you need to know you can find it in My Spain Visa, a visa boutique in Spain with more than 10 years of experience. They are a digitally progressive team with the best immigration visa experts that are going to give you the best guidance and a complete personalized service to achieve a successful resolution.

The process to travel to Spain and start living here is much simpler if the main requirements are met. Whether you only intend to stay for one year, or if your future vision is to live permanently in Spain, My Visa Spain will help you in either process. In the first case, you would need a Short-Stay Visa, and in the other case, a Long-Stay Visa. With the latter, you will be able to work, retire or study in Spain as a citizen. You will only have to contact the Spanish Embassy in the USA or the Spanish consulate to bring you the appropriate forms to fill in to get into the country.

On the other hand, it is crucial to choose a city or town to live in. In this sense, Malaga is one of the favourite destinations for many foreigners from the USA who have already gone through this process and are currently living in Andalusia, the autonomous community where this wonderful Mediterranean city is located. Therefore, you can start the whole retirement process in Malaga by My Spain Visa. In this article, you will get some hints about the process to follow to finally settle in Spain.

Malaga is an attractive port city with 300 days of sunshine a year. The climate in Andalusia is envied by many other territories, and this area, known as the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean, is becoming increasingly popular not only among Spanish citizens, but also among foreigners, such as citizens from the USA.

It is a city that has already reached 590,000 inhabitants, that is why it is the perfect place for an international life because it is a city that offers a lot to visitors and immigrants alike. It is also a big bustling city that still offers a quiet and relaxed small-town atmosphere, which makes it ideal for international living. For this reason, many Westerners have chosen to live here, retiring to Malaga and strong expatriate communities have formed.

Hungary in the safest green zone – where can we travel from now on?

aircraft travel flight

According to the freshly published epidemiological map of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Hungary is in the safest green zone. As a result, Hungarians can visit two more popular foreign destinations without any test or certificate.

In the last three months, the epidemiological data of Hungary has significantly improved. The low number of fatalities and new infections is probably due to the effective vaccination program of the country; as a result of which, Hungary has a 6-8-week advantage in vaccinations in the EU.

Thanks to the favourable epidemiological situation,

Hungary has entered the green zone on the epidemiological map of the ECDC.

As the Hungarian news portal Forbes reports, until last week, the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous two weeks had to be below 25 for a country to get into the green zone with a positive test rate of better than 4%. Since then, a modification has been made in the classification of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control; as a result of which, it is enough to go below 50 for the best classification (green zone). Accordingly, not only Hungary but several other European countries have become green.

Consequently, two popular summer destination countries have opened up to European visitors – including Hungarians – coming from green countries without any test or immunity certificate.

One of them is Croatia, whose regulations say that tourists coming from the green zone are free to enter. No certificate is required. In addition, Spain also considers the list of countries at risk based on the ECDC map. Thus, tourists arriving from any EU country listed in the green zone no longer need a certificate of recovery or vaccination, nor the presentation of PCR or antigen test results, in order to enter Spain. All they need to do is request a QR code using the health declaration completed on the Spain Travel Health website 48 hours before the flight. The list is reviewed weekly by the Spanish authorities; the current classification is valid until 27th June.

As the Hungarian news portal Magyar Nemzet reports, the practice of accommodation may differ from the entry rules (especially in the Canary Islands) regardless of the ease of restrictions. Therefore, it is highly recommended to contact the accommodation for further details and get informed about the expectations as hosts still have the right to ask for certificates or negative test results when handing over the keys.

The Spanish government is also preparing for further ease of restrictions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that thanks to advances in the vaccination protocol, mandatory outdoor masking is expected to end by 26th June. The final decision will be made on Thursday at the interregional meeting. If the majority votes yes, then the masks will only have to be put on indoors in Spain.

Just like in Hungary, where mandatory mask-wearing was abolished at the end of May. Still, Hungarian virologists draw attention to the importance of vaccination and precaution. According to the Hungarian news portal ATV, foreign examples show that the Indian mutant spreads faster and is much more dangerous to children than the previous variants. The loss of smell and taste is not a typical symptom as before. The currently spreading variant begins with cold flu-like symptoms.

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Read alsoWant to travel abroad from Hungary? – Here is everything you need to know

Spanish party leader in Budapest: his govt refuses to protect the borders against the migrants

Hungary Spain Abascal
The supporters of European federalism, including the head of the Spanish government, refuse to protect the borders of Europe, Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spain’s VOX party, told public news channel M1 on Friday.
 
The opposition right-wing politician visiting Hungary said that Pedro Sanchez, the left-wing Spanish prime minister, believes 250,000 new migrants are needed annually for his country’s pension system to be maintained.

Abascal said that at the same time,
Spain has the highest unemployment rate in Europe.
Commenting on his meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday, he said VOX had admiration and respect for ruling Fidesz and Orban for the courage taken to protect Hungary’s borders despite “international media attacks”.
Abascal said that Hungary serves as a model not only in terms of migration but also in family policy.
“It is also in Spain’s interest that have more Spanish children born because they will later have families and there will be no need to take in migrants to keep the economy going”, the VOX leader said.

PM Orbán held talks with head of Spain’s right-wing VOX party – UPDATED

Hungary Viktor Orbán Spain

Santiago Abascal, head of Spain’s VOX party, visited Hungary and met Prime Minister and ruling Fidesz’s leader Viktor Orbán in Budapest on Thursday, Orbán’s press chief said.

The meeting with the leader of the Spanish Christian-democrat party which opposes multiculturalism and migration was also attended by Fidesz deputy leader Katalin Novák, Bertalan Havasi said.

The sides were in agreement that parties promoting the freedom and traditions of European nations that represent many million European citizens dedicated to traditional values must have their voices heard in the debate recently started about the future of Europe, Havasi said.

Europe needs national sovereignty, border protection, proper family policy and respect for cultural roots,

they added.

Protecting the European Union’s external borders and lifting internal border controls will “remain a priority” after the coronavirus pandemic recedes, with a view to restoring free movement within the community, Katalin Novák, minister without portfolio and deputy head of ruling Fidesz, said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Röszke border station together with Santiago Abascal, head of Spain’s Vox party,

Novák highlighted Vox as a “notable voice against migration”. Controlling the external borders will “guarantee security for us all”, she added. Abascal said his party was seeking cooperation with other parties of the same standpoint that “protecting the borders is key for our future”.

Hungarian consulate opens in Malaga

Hungary diplomacy Spain
Hungary has opened a new consulate in Malaga, marking its third diplomatic mission in Spain after the embassy in Madrid and the consulate general in Barcelona, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at the inauguration ceremony of the consulate on Wednesday.
 
“In a world that is just restarting, when economic competition is picking up and people are again setting off on the road, there is great need for interest representation, assistance and diplomatic services on-site,” Szijjarto said.
 
He also said that tourism was among the greatest losers of the coronavirus pandemic, falling by 87 percent globally in the past year and revenues from the sector dropped by over a 1,000 billion dollars, endangering 100 million – 120 million jobs worldwide.
 
“People will now set off again and we must be prepared to be able to help our citizens when necessary during their travels abroad,”
he added.

Szijjártó said opening a foreign mission in Andalusia was also a reasonable move in terms of economic interest representation considering that Andalusia, being the second largest autonomous community in Spain, contributed 15 percent to the country’s GDP. Additionally, it has significance for sports diplomacy because many first-class Hungarian football teams choose the region for training during the winter, he said. “We would like to see this also apply the other way round and sports cooperation to become bilateral,” he added
 
He also said that the consulate could
help the around 4,000 Hungarian citizens living in Andalusia to maintain active relations with their motherland.
Deputy government commissioner Teofilo Ruiz Municio said Spain would like to see Hungarian tourists return as soon as possible, adding that before the pandemic in 2019, some 300,000 Hungarians visited Spain.

Featured image: illustration

Street named after football legend Puskás opened in Madrid

Puskás Hungary Spain
A street named after legendary footballer Ferenc Puskás, a member of Hungary’s 1950s Golden Team and also Spanish football club Real Madrid, was inaugurated in Madrid on Wednesday.
 
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told the ceremony in the Vicalvaro district of Madrid that “we are proud of Ferenc Puskás as the most well-known Hungarian who had a remarkable career in a historic period full of difficulties and challenges”. The street sign was unveiled in the company of György Szőllősi,
the official ambassador of Hungarian football tradition and affairs concerning Puskás.
Szijjártó noted that Puskás was still remembered around the world despite having died 15 years ago. He said Puskás was a link between Hungary and Spain and he expressed thanks to the Spanish people, to Real Madrid and the city of Madrid for nurturing his memory.
 
Emilio Butragueno, international director for Real Madrid, said Puskás had been an
essential figure in the history of Real Madrid
and the legendary story of the club could not be understood without him. Puskás was a member of an “unforgettable generation that contributed to Real Madrid growing into a myth”, he added.

Puskás went to Spain after Hungary’s failed 1956 anti-Soviet uprising and he played in Real Madrid between 1958 and 1966.
 

Back to the beach: Spain welcomes all vaccinated tourists from June 7

ibiza spain

Tourist magnet Spain will let people from anywhere in the world who are vaccinated against COVID-19 enter the country from June 7, hoping to galvanise a recovery in the devastated tourism sector.

The world’s second most visited country before the pandemic hit, foreign tourism to Spain plunged 80% last year as restrictions brought leisure travel to a virtual standstill, leaving its beaches, palaces and hotels almost deserted.

Entry will be allowed to vaccinated travellers regardless of their country of origin, and notably from the United States, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Friday at Madrid’s FITUR international tourism trade fair.

Spain will also permit tourists from 10 non-EU countries deemed low-risk to enter without a negative PCR test for coronavirus from May 24.

Britain, Spain’s largest market for foreign tourists, will be included on the list, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Israel, among others.

“They’re welcome – more than welcome – without restrictions nor health controls,” Sanchez told reporters.

Spain was one of Europe’s worst-hit nations in the pandemic, recording over 78,000 coronavirus deaths and 3.6 million cases. But infection rates have fallen and vaccinations are progressing fast, enabling most of its regions to scrap curfews.

Speaking a day after the EU reached a long-awaited deal for digital vaccine certificates, Sanchez said the return of tourism would be the key driver of Spain’s economic recovery. The sector previously accounted for 12% of output.

Health Minister Carolina Darias said Spain was working with the EU to extend the bloc’s vaccine certificate programme, due to launch on July 1, to third countries.

Spanish hotel reservations are already rising since a state of emergency expired earlier this month and Sanchez said the new travel regime would allow arrivals to reach up to 70% of pre-pandemic levels by the year’s end.

This summer he forecast arrivals could reach 30%-40% of 2019’s levels.

TOO LATE, TOO NARROW

While the Spanish arm of global airline association ALA welcomed the news, president Javier Gandara said obstacles remained, noting Britain had yet to include Spain, or at least its lowest-incidence regions, in its “green” list, meaning Britons still have to quarantine upon returning.

Gandara called for Spain to renew travel from Latin America, where many of the vaccines being administered have not been approved by the World Health Organisation nor by Europe’s Medicines Agency.

“We ask that Latin Americans be allowed to travel to Spain on condition they present a negative PCR test result,” he said.

The decision to reopen routes between Spain and Latin America should come within weeks, Iberia airline CEO Javier Sanchez-Prieto said on Thursday.

Spain’s hotel federation CEHAT also reproached domestic and European officials for the delay in rolling out the digital COVID passport.

“If the certificate had been launched earlier, perhaps the months of May and June – vital for Spanish tourist activity – would not be lost,” CEHAT stated on Friday.

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Read alsoHundreds of people stormed the streets, beaches after curfew ended in Spain

Police cleared 9,000 partygoers in Barcelona a week after lockdown easing

Crowd Party Festival

Spanish police said they cleared 9,000 revellers from Barcelona’s city centre streets and the nearby beach on Sunday to prevent dangerous overcrowding on the first full weekend after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

Many in the crowd had taken part in mass drinking sessions known as “botellones”, police said.

Culture Minister José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, speaking at an event in Madrid, urged young people to continue to follow social distancing rules.

“I know what it means to have lived with lots of restrictions and that need to go out, but I ask you to do it carefully, to enjoy yourself, but to be very careful and to continue to respect security measures,” Rodríguez Uribes said.

The government lifted a six-month state of emergency on May 9 at midnight (2200 GMT), so this was the first chance for revellers to party throughout the weekend.

There are still some restrictions in place. In Catalonia whose capital is Barcelona, bars and restaurants are open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. and the maximum number of people allowed at tables is four.

With no more curbs on moving around the country, many Spaniards took a mini-break over the weekend.

Traffic authorities reported a 42% rise in cars leaving major cities on Friday compared with the same time the previous week. Tourist chiefs in the southeastern resort of Benidorm said hotel bookings were at 60%.

One of Europe’s worst-hit nations, Spain has recorded 79,339 coronavirus deaths and 3.6 million cases, according to health ministry data on Friday. But infection rates have fallen and nearly a third of the population has had at least one vaccination dose.

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Read alsoMasks to soon become non-obligatory in Hungary?

Perpetrators arrested for movie-like car robbery on the Hungarian highway – VIDEO

armed robbery

The movie-like incident happened in April 2019 when two perpetrators – disguised as police officers – stopped a car and robbed its passengers with a weapon on the M5 motorway in the Hungarian Bács-Kiskun county.

The fake police officers threatened and abused the Romanian driver and his two passengers and then took their money. One of the suspects also had a gas and alarm weapon that were fired several times. The roadblocks eventually forced their victims to hand over the vehicle and then drove it away from the scene. Investigators later found the victims’ car that was looted and abandoned along the highway.

The authorities immediately began the investigation to find the unknown perpetrators. As a result of extensive data collection, it has been revealed that

the crime was committed by two Romanian men who falsified the license plates of their own cars during the robbery.

As the news portal Telex reports, the perpetrators immediately left the country after the incident; therefore, the Hungarian police issued an international arrest warrant against them.

Related article: Polish man arrested in Budapest for kidnapping, hostage-taking, armed robbery – VIDEO

One of the perpetrators, a 26-year-old Romanian man, was arrested in Romania in October 2019. His extradition and detention took place in November 2019.

His accomplice, a 35-year-old man of Romanian nationality, was found in Madrid this March.

Following a successful extradition procedure, the suspect was handed over to the investigators of the Bács-Kiskun County Police Headquarters on 7th May 2021.

According to Police.hu, the man was interrogated, detained, and his arrest has been initiated with the charge of robbery, arbitrary seizure of a vehicle, and misuse of unique identity proof.

Read alsoHungarian bus driver saved an elderly woman from robbery in Miskolc

Hundreds of people stormed the streets, beaches after curfew ended in Spain

spain coronavirus curfew ended party pandemic

Exhilarated Spaniards chanting “freedom” danced in streets and partied on beaches as a COVID-19 curfew ended in most of the country, but others feared it was too soon to let go.

In scenes akin to New Year’s Eve celebrations, hundreds of mainly young people gathered in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square to applaud the clock striking midnight while in Barcelona revellers headed to the beach with drinks in hand.

Some wore masks but there was scant social distancing as friends kissed, hugged, danced and sang.

“Young people, like everyone else, have been very restricted,” said shop worker Paula Garcia, 28, on the beach in Barcelona. “Now was time to give us a bit of freedom to enjoy a little of the summer.”

But in the Basque Country, where regional authorities had asked to keep the curfew but were rebuffed by a court last week, some locals were less excited.

“It’s very bad that there is no state of emergency,” said Asun Lasa, walking along San Sebastian’s seafront on Sunday. “People want to go out but the situation is not ready for that.”

The Basque Country has Spain’s highest infection rate at 448 per 100,000 against a national average of 199.

Social media videos of large groups paying little heed to distancing drew criticism on Sunday. “Freedom does not include breaking the rules,” said Madrid’s conservative mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, emphasizing that gatherings to drink on the street, known as “botellones”, were prohibited.

‘TIME TO LET US OUT’

One of Europe’s worst-hit nations, Spain has suffered 78,792 coronavirus deaths and 3.6 million cases. But infection rates have fallen and vaccinations are progressing fast, enabling most of the 17 regions to scrap the curfew.

Only four regions were keeping it: the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Navarra and Valencia.

“It was time they let us out,” said store clerk Andreu Pujol, 25, also on the beach in Barcelona.

“Even so, I am still very unhappy with the handling (of the pandemic). You can see that in this country all they do is make things up as they go along,” .

As impromptu parties sprung up in town centres around the nation, police reminded some revellers that drinking on the street was prohibited.

While the curfew has been lifted, most regions have kept limits on opening hours for bars and restaurants, forcing people onto the streets.

“There is no consistency between the end of the state of emergency and the opening times of shops and bars,” said Mikel Martinez, a barman in San Sebastian.

“It doesn’t make sense that a bar has to close at 10 p.m. while people can be in the street together without any controls.”

Madrid’s right-wing regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso has won reelection after campaigning on looser measures, but the city has the second highest infection rate in Spain and was still ordering bars and restaurants shut from midnight.

Even so, there was joy at the end of curfew.

“The right to move freely is fundamental,” said Madrid resident Luis Rigo in the Puerta del Sol.

“I’m happy, I’m delighted of course.”

Viktor Orbán vaccine Chinese Sinopharm
Read alsoIs Hungary really at the forefront of worldwide vaccination?

Spain tests new digital pass – Participants were able to party and eat out

concert-crowd-people-joy-summer

Mandatory face masks could not conceal their delight as clubbers in the Spanish city of Girona moved to the thumping beats of house music put on by a live DJ.

For the first time in eight months, Girona had some of its nightlife back this weekend thanks to a pilot digital pass scheme which authorities hope will allow for socialising without spreading coronavirus.

Since October, concerts have been banned in the northeastern region of Catalonia, while restaurants and bars were required to close at night since December.

But under a scheme to revive the hospitality sector, residents in Girona could for one evening obtain a digital pass allowing them to go to a concert or dine out at five restaurants.

For this, they had to download an app to their mobile phones and undergo an antigen COVID-19 test, show a negative PCR test or proof that they had already had coronavirus.

About 250 people snapped up the tickets for Saturday’s clubnight in 20 minutes.

“It seems great to me, because all of this is affecting us mentally. We might be physically well, but not psychologically, so I think this kind of activities, controlled and with security measures, are great,” said Susana Bergaz, 26, a factory worker from Girona.

The five restaurants which took part were allowed to operate at 80% capacity.

The pass is valid for up to 36 hours and costs between 2.50 euros and 8.50 euros ($3-$10.50).

“The Open Girona initiative is a project that aims to test a model of digital testing and vaccination passes in order to reopen Girona in a safe and controlled way,” organisers Blockchain Centre of Catalonia, a public body, said in a statement on Sunday.

A trial concert in Barcelona in March where 5,000 people took rapid COVID-19 tests and crammed into a venue without social distancing did not drive up infections, organisers said earlier this month, giving hope to the moribund live-music sector.

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Read alsoWhen will Hungary lift travel restrictions?

Featured image: Pixabay (Illustration only)

Soccer Super League shelved as clubs continue to withdraw

neymar focitorna

The European Super League can no longer proceed, Juventus boss Andrea Agnelli confirmed on Wednesday as Italian club Inter Milan joined the six English teams in withdrawing from the controversial breakaway competition after intense criticism.

The project was announced on Sunday with 12 founding members but 48 hours later the English clubs capitulated under massive pressure from fans, politicians, soccer officials and even British royals. Agnelli said he remained convinced about the merits of the Super League despite the overflowing criticism.

“I remain convinced of the beauty of that project,”

Agnelli told Reuters, adding that it would have created the best competition in the world. “But admittedly … I mean, I don’t think that that project is now still up and running.” A source close to Inter Milan earlier confirmed to Reuters they were no longer interested in the project “in light of the latest developments”.

Italian side AC Milan, Spain’s Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and the six English clubs were the other founding members of the league.

Liverpool’s principal owner John Henry apologised in a video on the club’s website and social media on Wednesday. “It goes without saying but should be said that the project put forward was never going to stand without the support of the fans,” he said.

“I alone am responsible for the unnecessary negativity brought forward over the past couple of days. It’s something I won’t forget. And shows the power the fans have today and will rightly continue to have.” Having triggered an enormous backlash from players, fans and football authorities, the Super League said late on Tuesday it would reconsider and look to “reshape” the project, while stopping short of throwing in the towel.

‘BEAUTIFUL DAY’

The Super League had argued that it would increase revenues to the top clubs and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game.

However, the sport’s governing bodies, other teams and fans organisations said the breakaway move would only boost the power and wealth of the elite clubs,

and that the partially closed structure goes against European football’s long-standing model. Players, fans and pundits celebrated the U-turns of the English teams, with some declaring the Super League dead in the water. “This is the right result for football fans, clubs, and communities across the country. We must continue to protect our cherished national game,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

“What a beautiful day for football. Let’s keep playing, let’s keep fighting, let’s keep dreaming,” said Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy. The British press also cheered the move of the Premier League clubs and the news dominated the front page of Wednesday’s newspapers.

“Their knees have gone all trembly,” screamed the headline on the front page of the Daily Star while the banner on the paper called the withdrawal as “Own Goal”.

A top official from the Council of Europe termed the project an “unfortunate initiative”

and called on an inter-governmental sports co-ordination body to urgently discuss the ramifications of the proposed breakaway European Super League. Amid fans’ celebrations, anger remained. Some pundits said the owners of the English teams would never be forgiven and called on them to pull out. “They were going to sell the souls of our major football institutions,” said Liverpool great Graeme Souness.

“I don’t know how these clubs will manage to get back on-side.”

Featured image: illustration

Spain to trial mixing COVID-19 vaccines

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Spain will study the effects of mixing different coronavirus vaccines, government researchers said on Monday, responding to shifting guidelines on the safety of the AstraZeneca’s shot.

Along with several other European countries, Spain has restricted vaccines produced by the Anglo-Swedish drug maker to people over 60 after regulators linked it to a rare form of brain blood clots, mostly in younger women.

“After decisions by various European public health authorities to suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in under 60-year-olds, we are setting out to urgently find scientific evidence to support decision-making around possible alternatives,” Raquel Yotti, director of the Carlos III Health Institute, told a news conference.

The trial will draw on a sample of 600 people of all ages from across Spain, said Jesus Frias Iniesta, clinical research coordinator at Carlos III.

“The study’s objective is…to determine within 28 days whether a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine can be given to patients who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine,” he said.

A British study on mixing vaccines was expanded last week to include shots made by Moderna and Novavax, while France and Germany are considering giving an alternative to under 60s who received a first dose of AstraZeneca.

Separately, Spain’s El Mundo newspaper reported the health ministry was considering delaying second doses for under 80-year-olds to maximise the number of people who received at least one injection.

Patients would receive a second shot of vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna eight weeks after the first, El Mundo said. The European Medicines Agency recommends a 28-day gap between Moderna shots and 21 days between Pfizer.

The proposal would signal a sharp departure from Spain’s current strategy, which favours giving vulnerable age groups a full course of two shots as quickly as possible.

The health ministry said it was studying various proposals without giving any details.

Asked about the report at a news conference, health official Fernando Simon said it was best not to start a media debate based on a draft proposal.

Several real-world studies have shown a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provide a high level of protection.

Despite delays to the deployment of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine and supply disruptions at AstraZeneca, Spain still expects to have half its 47 million population fully inoculated by late July.

By Monday, 7.2% of the population had received a full course, while almost 20% had received at least one dose.

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