condolence

Funeral costs in Hungary skyrocket amid inflation: A call to plan ahead

funeral price skyrocketed in hungary

In Hungary, funeral services have seen price increases significantly above the average inflation rate. Over the past year, the costs of both traditional burials and cremations have risen by around 10%. According to Katalin Palkovics, president of the Hungarian National Association of Funeral Service Providers, these increases are driven by higher prices for essential materials, energy, and labour—costs that providers have had to pass on to customers.

Many Hungarians unprepared for a funeral’s financial burden

funeral price skyrocketed in hungary
Photo: depositphotos.com

This sharp rise in expenses, coupled with a severe labour shortage in the sector, makes it increasingly difficult for families to finance burial services, according to Pénzcentrum. Gergely Novák, owner of Télizöld Funeral Service Plc., noted that many Hungarians are unprepared for the financial burden of a funeral, which can place significant strain on family budgets. His company has recently launched an online service allowing clients to handle all funeral arrangements from home, a step towards modernising the industry and making the process more accessible.

In July 2024, consumer prices in Hungary were 4.1% higher than a year earlier, with services seeing a 9.1% increase. However, burial services have outpaced these figures, with a traditional burial now costing an average of HUF 442,080 (EUR 1,121), up 9.65% from HUF 403,500 (EUR 1,023) last year. Cremations have similarly risen by 10.44%, now averaging HUF 318,820 (EUR 808).

The growing preference for cremation is also notable, driven by its lower cost, smaller environmental impact, and reduced long-term expenses. However, the price gap between traditional burials and cremations has widened to over HUF 123,000 (EUR 312), reflecting the ongoing financial pressures in the industry.

Rising costs of raw materials, labour, and energy

Palkovics highlighted that the rising costs of raw materials, labour, and energy are significant factors behind these price hikes. The funeral industry, reliant on skilled and emotionally resilient workers, is facing a critical shortage of new entrants. This shortage is exacerbated by the physically and emotionally demanding nature of the work, along with limited career prospects and training opportunities.

The increasing costs are not just a local issue; across Europe, the average cost of a funeral equates to about two months’ salary. In Hungary, however, this cost is relatively lower, though still a considerable financial challenge for many families. The trend towards simpler, less formal ceremonies is growing, with many families opting for fewer supplementary services and smaller gatherings to cut costs.

To address these challenges, Palkovics and Novák both urge families to plan ahead, either through insurance or savings, to manage the financial impact of funeral expenses. As the economic situation remains uncertain, with ongoing inflation and other pressures, the cost of funerals is unlikely to decrease in the near future.

Don’t Take It Home!

Gergely Novák also mentioned a concerning trend: more people are choosing to take urns home without holding any ceremony, a practice funeral professionals discourage. To combat this, a campaign titled “Don’t Take It Home!” was launched last year, aiming to raise awareness of the emotional and social implications of such decisions.

Finally, Novák’s company has introduced a pioneering online service, SimpleTemetés.hu, offering a fully online funeral arrangement process. This innovative service is designed to assist those managing funerals from abroad or who prefer to handle arrangements in the comfort of their own home. The platform provides comprehensive information on available services and allows users to customise their plans while ensuring secure payments and 24/7 customer support.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com

Distinguished composer Péter Eötvös dies at the age of 80

Péter Eötvös

Celebrated Hungarian composer and conductor Péter Eötvös has died, his family told MTI.

Eötvös, an eminent personality of the Hungarian and international contemporary music scene, died on Sunday after a long illness at 80.

Born in 1944 in Transylvania’s Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely), Eötvös was admitted at the age of 14 to the Budapest Liszt Music Academy‘s class for outstanding talents by Zoltán Kodály. He later studied conducting on a scholarship in Cologne.

After 1967, he worked abroad on assignments in Cologne, Paris, and London and was a conductor of the Berlin, Munich, London, and Vienna symphonic orchestras over the past several decades.

He composed several operas, madrigals, and orchestra works and wrote scores for theatre and cinema.

His last opera, Valuska, written for Hungarian scores, had its premiere in Budapest on December 2 last year.

péter eötvös
Budapest, 14 March 2024. Ann-Yi Bingöl, daughter of Péter Eötvös, receives the Kossuth Grand Prize on behalf of her father on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence in the Dome Hall of the Parliament on 14 March 2024. Photo: MTI

Eötvös received the Hungarian state’s highest award, the Kossuth Grand Prize, for his lifetime achievement of “epochal significance” in 2024.

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Mine explosion: Speaker sends condolences

Parliament Speaker László Kövér

House Speaker László Kövér on Monday expressed his condolences over an explosion that had claimed the lives of at least 36 miners in Kazakhstan.

In a telegram to Yerlan Koshanov, his Kazakh counterpart, Kover said he had “received reports of the disastrous gas explosion” that happened in the early hours on Saturday.

Kover expressed the Hungarian parliament’s sympathy with the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery to those that had been injured in the blast.

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  • Colonel Csongor Horváth dies in Kosovo

Colonel Csongor Horváth dies in Kosovo

kosovo hungary colonel

The 48-year-old officer died tragically outside his duty hours.

Colonel Csongor Horváth died tragically outside his duty time at the headquarters of the Kosovo mission, according to a Facebook post by the Hungarian Defence Forces.

Csongor Horváth had served as a soldier in the Hungarian Defence Forces for more than 26 years.

He first served in Kosovo 22 years ago, then took part in the mission in Afghanistan, and for four years he served as a staff officer at the land command of the allied armed forces in Spain. He began his second mission in Kosovo in October 2021, where he died tragically. His diligent and humble work was repeatedly acknowledged by his superiors.

gripen hungary
Read alsoHungary takes over the air defence duties over Baltic states, army to increase disaster management staff

Mourning in the EU: President of the European Parliament Sassoli has passed away

SASSOLI, David-Maria

David Sassoli, president of the European Parliament (EP), died on Tuesday as a result of a serious illness, EP spokesman Roberto Cuillo said.

According to Roberto Cuillo’s Twitter message, Sassoli died at a hospital in Aviano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, at 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday. The date and place of the funeral will be announced in the coming hours, he wrote.

The Cabinet of the President of the European Parliament announced on Monday that the President of the European Parliament had been hospitalized in Italy on 26th December in serious medical condition. He needed treatment because of serious complications due to a malfunction of his immune system, they said. At that time, all its official programs were canceled.

This is not the first time Sassoli has been hospitalized for health problems.

The EP president was taken to a hospital in Strasbourg in September for severe pneumonia. At that time, the politician was unable to perform his duties for more than two months.

David Sassoli was born on May 30th, 1956 in Florence.

He was a member of the European Parliament for more than 10 years after switching from journalism to politics. He began his career as a socialist politician as a journalist for Rome’s Il Tempo and then, among other things, hosted RAI’s Italian public service television evening news before he was elected a Member of the European Parliament in 2009 as a member of the Italian Democratic Party (PD). He was President of the European Parliament from 3rd July 2019.

He was a member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D), the second largest group in the EU Parliament after the European People’s Party (EPP).

He is married and has two children.

According to the available information,

the first round of voting on the election of Sassoli’s successor is expected to take place on Tuesday’s working day of the European Parliament’s meeting in Strasbourg next week.

 

Fidesz
Read alsoAttention! Foreigners can regain significant rights in Hungary

Zsazsa Gábor’s ashes laid to rest in Budapest

The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death.

The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death.

Prince Frederic von Anhalt, the Hollywood celebrity’s last husband, brought the Golden Globe Award-winning actress’s ashes from America, thereby fulfilling her wish to rest forever in her homeland. The National Heritage Institute and the Hungarian Hollywood Council were also involved in bringing her remains to Hungary.

A mourning ceremony for Gábor (originally Sári Gábor) was first held in Los Angeles in 2016.

The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death.
The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death. Photo: MTI

Von Anhalt said at today’s ceremony that the event marked a celebration of the life of the actress. He said she had never forgotten her homeland during her career.

Éva Vándor, the actress who dubbed Gábor’s voice into Hungarian said Gábor had been the first real celebrity, “a Hungarian diva” from whom the American dream had come true. She described Gábor as “cheerful, humorous and brave”.

The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death.
The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death. Photo: MTI

In his farewell speech, Balázs Bokor, the president of the Hungarian Hollywood Council, noted that Gábor hadn’t reached celebrity status via Facebook or Instagram. S

he had remained a Hungarian for her entire life, he said, and while “Zsazsa wanted to see the world, she always thought of Hungary.”

Bokor also noted that plans for a Hungarian film chronicling the life of Gábor was in the pipeline.

Gábor was among the few Hungarians to have received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death.
The ashes of Zsazsa Gábor were laid to rest on Tuesday in the Fiumei Street graveyard in Budapest, almost five years after her death. Photo: MTI

In 1936, Gábor became a Miss Hungary and moved to America with her family five years later.

She married nine times, tying the knot with Von Anhalt in 1986, and died on December 18, 2016.

Photo gallery

Zsa Zsa Gabor Gábor actress
Read alsoThe celebrated Hungarian actress, Zsa Zsa Gábor, and the secret for men’s heart

Mideast countries, Islamic organizations condemn terror attack in Vienna

Iran

Major Islamic organizations and countries in the Middle East on Tuesday joined a chorus of condemnation of the terrorist attack in Vienna, Austria, while voicing solidarity with the government and people of Austria in fighting terrorism.

On Monday night, gunmen opened fire at people in several locations in Austria’s capital Vienna, leaving four dead and 15 others wounded. One perpetrator shot dead by the police reportedly has a criminal record of contact with the terror group Islamic State.

The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Vienna, while reiterating its “firm position in rejecting the phenomenon of radicalism, extremism and terrorism in all its forms,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf also condemned the terrorist attack, while reiterating the GCC’s firm rejection of terrorism in all its forms and calling for drying up the sources of its support and finance, the SPA reported.

Egypt

Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the top religious institution in the Sunni Muslim world, denounced on Tuesday the deadly terror attack in Vienna.

“The killing of one human soul is just like the killing of all humanity,”

Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb said in a statement, while urging all people and all international bodies and institutions to stand together in the face of terrorism “in order to spread peace throughout the world and refute the rhetoric violence and hatred.”

Egypt condemned the terror attack in Vienna, while expressing its support for Austria and underlining confidence that the Austrian people are capable of overcoming such tragic attack, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Egypt rejects all kinds of violence, extremism and terrorist crimes, while urging the international community to rally efforts in the face of terrorism, it added.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned that attack, while affirming its “solidarity with the Republic of Austria in taking all necessary measures to maintain security and protect against extremist tendencies and acts of terrorism and violence in all its forms,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.

Turkey

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin condemned the attack in Vienna in a tweet, vowing that Turkey stands “in solidarity with Austria.”

“We will continue to fight against all forms of terrorism,” Kalin added.

“Once again we condemn this terrorist attack,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a press conference with visiting Sierra Leone’s counterpart Nabeela Tunis, noting two ethnic Turks in Vienna helped the victims during the attack.

No terrorist attack can be justified, Cavusoglu said, adding Turkey stands ready for close and sincere cooperation against all approaches that cause terrorism.

Iran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said

the bitter incident of terrorism in Vienna “once against proved the fact the extremism and terrorism know no boundaries” and interaction and cooperation within the international community are necessary to uproot terrorism in the world.

He stressed that Iran has always been a part of the attempts by the international community to confront the roots of terrorism.

Israel

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi tweeted on Tuesday that “Israel utterly condemns last night’s murderous attack in Vienna.”

“In these difficult times, Israel stands alongside the Government and people of Austria in the struggle against terror. Our friendship is as strong as ever,”

he added.

The United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed “strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at destabilising security and stability in contravention of religious and humanitarian values and principles,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.

Iraq

Iraq “expresses its strong condemnation to the terrorist attack that took place in Vienna,”

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf said in a statement.

Iraq also affirms its rejection of terrorism in all its forms and stands with the international community in the face of terrorism, in addition to its support for all efforts aimed at eliminating extremism and violence, al-Sahaf added.

Kuwait

Kuwait strongly condemned the “terrible shooting attack” in Vienna, while standing “in solidarity with Austria against these heinous acts,” the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Morocco

It also affirmed that “terrorism in all forms must be eradicated,” the ministry added.
Morocco “strongly condemned the appalling attacks” in Vienna, while expressing “all the sadness we felt” following the incident, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita was quoted by official media as saying.

“We stand with the Austrians in these moments of pain, as we stand against violence, hatred and rejection of otherness,” Bourita added.

Lebanon, Sudan, Palestine

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants slammed “the vicious terrorist attack” in Vienna, while expressing “full sympathy and solidarity” with Austria.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Sudan condemns the terrorist attack in Vienna, while voicing solidarity with the government and people of Austria.

The Palestinian presidency said Palestine strongly condemns “this terrorist action and always rejects all types and forms of violence that contradict the religious and human values and principles.”

austria-terror-attack
Read alsoAustria declares three days of mourning; dead gunman has criminal contact record with IS

Hungary stands by Austria after terrorist attack

Austrian flag

President János Áder has sent a letter of condolences to Alexander Van der Bellen, his Austrian counterpart, over the deadly armed attack in central Vienna on Monday evening.

Heavily armed men opened fire around 8 pm in downtown Vienna on Monday, killing at least four and injuring many. By Tuesday morning, the police have killed one attacker and were on the hunt after at least one more.

“I was shocked to learn about the terrorist attack carried out in Vienna yesterday evening,” the president said in his letter. He said he was deeply saddened by “the barbarous attack that claimed several innocent lives and left others seriously injured”.

“Our hearts go out to the Austrian people and trust that the authorities will arrest the culprits within a short period of time,” Áder said.

The tragic event calls for strengthening the commitment of European member states to cooperate in fighting terrorism, Áder said.

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

Foreign Minister Szijjártó

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó on Tuesday expressed solidarity with Austria in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Vienna on Monday, and said that Europe should “sound the alarm” and stand together in the face of the “appalling wave of terrorism” threatening it.

In a Facebook post published after a series of shootings killed at least three people in Vienna on Monday evening, Szijjártó said “we must realise that Europe’s security, and with it the European lifestyle, is under attack.”

“Europe and the European nations have to defend themselves against the senseless aggression to avoid great calamity,” Szijjártó said.

Globally known Hungarian-American Historian John Lukacs passed away

Budapest John Lukacs Historian American

He believed that the Cold War was an unnecessary waste of American treasure and life and saw populism as the primary threat to modern civilisation. He published more than thirty books, and his favourite genre was the essay that was easy-to-understand even for non-professionals. John Lukacs was 95 years old, and he passed away in his Phoenixville (Pennsylvania) home because of congestive heart failure.

Hiding from the Wehrmacht

He was born on 31 January 1924 in Budapest in a Jewish civic family, and his father was a physician. Lukacs attended a classical gymnasium, had an English language tutor and spent two summers in a private school in England. After his graduation, he studied history at the University of Budapest. Though both of his parents converted to Roman Catholic faith after the German occupation of Hungary, he was forced to serve in a Hungarian labour battalion for Jews. From there, he escaped and was

hiding in a cellar until the end of the war, but he never saw his parents again.

Since he did not expect too much from the occupying Soviet troops, he left Hungary in 1946, went to the United States and worked there as a history professor at Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia) until he retired in 1994. Of course, he was visiting professor many times at Princeton, John Hopkins and Columbia universities, and from the 80s, at Hungarian universities as well – szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu reported.

He wrote more than 30 books and hundreds of papers. His main field of research was the history of WWII, but he published a lot about American history and philosophical issues, too. His favourite genre was the essay, and even though he wrote them with a high-level language and professionalism, they were understandable even for non-professionals.

The Soviet Union would have collapsed even without the Cold War

He regarded populism as the main threat to modern civilisation and identified it as the main essence of both Nazism and Communism. In his books,

Lukacs defended the Western civilisation against the mass culture and the rise of vulgarity.

He considered Sir Winston Churchill the greatest statesman of the 20th century. Even though he declared himself many times an anti-Communist, he claimed that the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapsing and thus the Cold War was an unnecessary waste of American treasure and life. Furthermore, Lukacs criticised the American intervention abroad and also condemned the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

He published “A History of the Cold War” in 1961 which is regarded as one of the best analysis of the era even today. “The Last European War: September 1939–December 1941” and “1945: Year Zero” are also very popular. He published “Outgrowing Democracy: A History of the United States in the Twentieth century” in 1984 while in 1988, he wrote about the past of the Hungarian capital in “Budapest 1900“.

PM Orbán sent his condolences

In fact, he was a president of the American Catholic Historical Association and

member of the Royal Historical Society.

In the United States, he was honoured with an Ingersoll Award in 1991 and a George Washington Award in 2001. In Hungary, he received – among others – the Hungarian Corvin Chain Award in 2001 and the Commander’s Cross with a Star of the Hungarian Order of Merit in 2011.

He declared himself to be a Hungarian-American. He said that his mother country was Hungary, but the USA was his home. “My mother is Hungary, and my wife is the United States,” he added in an interview.

MTI reported that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his condolences over the death of Hungarian-born US historian John Lukacs. In his letter of condolences to Lukacs’s family, Orbán said he was shocked to learn that “the internationally-renowned figure in historical studies and recipient of the Hungarian Corvin Chain Award, John Lukacs, is no longer with us”. The prime minister said that Lukacs, “with his wide-ranging knowledge and perception, served not only his homeland and adopted home, but the whole world.”

Hungary sends condolences over Moscow aircraft fire

candle lights

Hungarian President János Áder on Monday expressed his sympathies to the casualties and families of the victims of an accident at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, where an aircraft bound for Murmansk burst into flames during a crash landing, killing at least 41 on board.

“I was deeply shaken by news of the disaster claiming so many lives,”

Áder wrote in his telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sending his condolences in the name of the Hungarian people to the families of the victims, the president said that “our hearts go out to those injured and the passengers suffering the trauma, and wish for a speedy physical and psychological recovery.”

The accident happened when an Aeroflot SSJ-100 passenger plane attempted a crash landing at the Moscow airport on Sunday with 78 people on board.


NOTRE-DAME FIRE: HUNGARY SYMPATHISES WITH FRANCE

Hungary expresses condolences over Madeira bus crash – UPDATE

candles-condolence

President János Áder, in a letter to his German counterpart, expressed his condolences to the families and friends of victims in a bus accident on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has expressed condolences as well.

Twenty-nine people were killed and 27 injured when a bus carrying German tourists veered off the road and rolled down a hillside in Madeira on Wednesday evening. According to Portuguese news agency Lusa, the accident happened in the evening when the driver lost control of the bus at a junction and went off the road. An investigation into the crash has been launched with the bus company.

President Áder condolences

“I was shocked to hear the news of the tragic bus accident on the island of Madeira, which claimed the lives of many German citizens,”

Áder wrote in his letter to Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The president wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the accident.

FM expresses condolences over Madeira bus accident

Speaking to public current affairs channel M1 on Thursday, Szijjártó voiced hope that those injured in the crash would recover quickly and that the death toll would not rise.

Referring to a bus crash that killed 16 Hungarians near Verona in 2017, Szijjártó said he knew the kind of pain such an accident could cause.

Twenty-nine people were killed and 27 injured when a bus carrying German tourists veered off the road and rolled down a hillside in Madeira on Wednesday evening.


NOTRE-DAME FIRE: HUNGARY SYMPATHISES WITH FRANCE – UPDATE


Orbán expresses sympathy to Chancellor Merkel

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his sympathy on behalf of the Hungarian people to German Chancellor Angela Merkel over a bus accident that had happened in Madeira.

Orbán told Merkel in his letter that he was deeply shocked to learn about the tragic bus accident “which claimed the lives of a number of your compatriots”.

“We will pray for the quick recovery of those injured and for the families of the victims,” he added in the letter.

Notre-Dame fire: Budapest to contribute to Notre-Dame reconstruction, Orbán expresses sympathies

Notre-Dame 2019

Budapest is ready to contribute to the reconstruction of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris which was heavily damaged by fire on Monday, Mayor István Tarlós said in a letter to Anne Hidalgo, his Parisian counterpart.

“Notre Dame is an important symbol to us all and an important piece of universal Christian faith and culture,” Tarlós said in his letter. “With Easter approaching… unity and cohesion carry an even more important message,” the mayor added.

Budapest will do everything it can to support the refurbishment of Notre-Dame to the best of its ability, Tarlós wrote.

Asked by MTI how much the Budapest city council would contribute, Tarlós declined to specify the amount and argued that one “does not wave around the money he puts into the donation box in church, either”.

Tarlós said the capital’s contribution was not a “political move” but more of a “spiritual” question.

He pointed out that within a certain limit, Budapest‘s mayor has the authority to decide on the use of city council funds.

“It’s an interpretable sum,” Tarlós said, adding that he did not want to “advertise” Budapest’s contribution.

As we wrote before, the municipality of Szeged has offered 10,000 euros to aid the reconstruction, details HERE. The local authority of the city in southern Hungary said in a statement today that Paris had come to Szeged’s aid after one of its largest floods 140 years ago, and now Szeged is repaying the French capital in the spirit of European solidarity. Szeged is also launching a donation drive to raise funds for reconstructing the damaged parts of the cathedral, it added.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Hungary
Cathedral of Our Lady of Hungary, photo: MTI

The municipality of Székesfehervár has also offered 10,000 euros towards the cost of reconstructing the damaged parts of the building.

Orbán expresses sympathies over Notre Dame fire

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a message of condolences to French President Emmanuel Macron and Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, president of the French bishops’ conference, over the fire that devastated the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Monday.

Orbán said

the cathedral was a symbol to every Christian and a “shared refuge of our faith”.

The prime minister praised the “heroic efforts” of French firefighters in putting out the flames and “saving one of the symbols of European Christianity from complete devastation”.

Orbán wished France strength and asked for God’s blessing for the cathedral’s reconstruction.

Notre-Dame fire: Hungary sympathises with France – UPDATE

Notre-Dame

Hungary feels sympathy for France over the fire that engulfed Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, has said in a statement.

“We sympathise with our French friends when we watch the painful scenes from Paris. Notre Dame is an important Christian and cultural symbol to all of us; it shows us who we are. We wish the firefighters strength and perseverance”, the Minister said in his statement.

The fire in the gothic cathedral, one of the French capital’s emblematic buildings, began in the early hours of Monday evening, and the flames ravaged the upper part of the world-famous church. It’s spire, which was under renovation, collapsed and the cathedral’s whole roof structure was destroyed.

At a press conference on a different subject, Szijjártó said later on Tuesday that Hungary was always ready to aid Christians in need, and so it was “naturally” ready to provide aid to the reconstruction, should that be needed. Besides financial aid,

Hungary offers experts to coordinate parts of the reconstruction project, he said.

City of Szeged offers EUR 10,000 for Notre Dame reconstruction

The municipality Szeged has offered 10,000 euros to aid the reconstruction of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris which was heavily damaged by fire on Tuesday.

The local authority of the city in southern Hungary said in a statement today that Paris had come to Szeged’s aid after one of its largest floods 140 years ago, and now Szeged is repaying the French capital in the spirit of European solidarity.

Szeged is also launching a donation drive to raise funds for reconstructing the damaged parts of the cathedral, it added.

 

Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities is collecting donations

The Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz) said in a statement that it is also collecting donations to aid the reconstruction. Mazsihisz head Andras Heisler, the vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, said in a statement that he had proposed to the WJC’s president, Ronald S. Lauder, calling on Jews worldwide to contribute to the cause.

Heisler expressed his sympathies to the Catholic community and the French nation.

“There is no person of faith in the world whose heart is not wrenched by such destruction,” the statement said.

Székesfehérvár offers EUR 10,000

The municipality of Székesfehérvár has also offered 10,000 euros towards the cost of reconstructing the damaged parts of the building, the local mayor, András Cser-Palkovics, said today. He added that he urged all town mayors to make similar donations if they had the means to do so.

Photo: MTI/EPA/Julien De Rosa

Hungarian parliamentary speaker sends condolences over Ethiopian plane crash

candles-condolence

Hungary’s parliamentary speaker has sent condolences to his counterparts in Ethiopia, Kenya and Canada over the plane crash that killed 157 people on board.

In his telegram to Justin Muturi, Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, House Speaker László Kövér said he was deeply saddened to learn about the crash that claimed the lives of 32 Kenyans, Parliament’s press office said.

“In these difficult times our thoughts are with the families of the victims,” Kövér said.

He sent condolences to Tagesse Chafo, Speaker of the House of Peoples Representatives of Ethiopia, on his and the Hungarian people’s behalf to the families of the nine Ethiopian victims.

Kövér also telegrammed his condolences to George J. Furey, Speaker of the Senate of Canada, and Geoff Regan, Speaker of the House of Commons, over the death of 18 Canadians in the crash.


MEMORIAL PLAQUE TO HUNGARIAN EXPLORER OF THE SOURCE OF NILE INAUGURATED IN UGANDA

uganda hungary plaque

Hungarian Speaker of Parliament László Kövér on Tuesday inaugurated a memorial plaque to Hungarian-born explorer Lady Florence Baker at the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda.

Hungary sends condolences over Indonesia tsunami

tsunami Indonezia

The Hungarian president has sent his condolences to Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo over the tsunami that killed more than 200 people in the coastal towns of the Sunda Strait on Saturday night, his office said on Sunday.

János Áder said he was deeply saddened to learn about the disaster in which another 843 people were injured.

“In these difficult times our thoughts are with the families of the victims and the Indonesian people,” Áder said.

Government condolences on the tsunami in the Sunda Strait

On 22 December 2018, the coastline around the Sunda Strait which lies between Java and Sumatra experienced a tsunami. 222 people lost their lives.

According to the information provided by our Embassy in Jakarta, no Hungarians were affected.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has expressed his condolences to his Indonesian counterpart, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, with relation to the tragedy.

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Photo: MTI/AP

Orbán writes message of condolence at US embassy

Orbán Bush US Embassy

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote a message of condolence in a book opened for President George H.W. Bush at the US embassy in Budapest on Thursday afternoon, Bertalan Havasi, the PM’s press chief, told MTI.

Orbán was welcomed at the embassy gate by David Cornstein, the US ambassador. After expressing his condolences, Orbán and Cornstein held talks, Havasi said.

Orbán CornsteinThe Hungarian nation will always be grateful to President Bush

On Monday Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a letter of condolence to the bereaved family of the late George H. W. Bush.

“It is with deep sorrow that we have heard that George Herbert Walker Bush, an outstanding American patriot and a friend of Hungary, has left us. Please accept my deepest personal condolences and those of the whole Hungarian nation”, the Prime Minister wrote.

Mr. Orbán continued:

“The Hungarians will always remember him and be grateful for everything that President Bush did for the dismantling of the Iron Curtain, and to free Hungary and Central Europe from Soviet oppression.”

“His visit to Hungary in 1989 gave us hope and encouragement at a critical moment”, Mr. Orbán wrote, adding that “We will never forget his noble and firm determination to ensure historic changes in our region”.

In closing the Prime Minister wrote,

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bush family at this difficult time”.

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HUNGARY SENDS CONDOLENCES OVER BUSH’S DEATH

President János Áder has sent condolences over the death of former US President George H.W. Bush to his US counterpart Donald Trump, Áder’s office said on Saturday.

Photo: MTI

Hungary sends condolences over Bush’s death

bush

President János Áder has sent condolences over the death of former US President George H.W. Bush to his US counterpart Donald Trump, Áder’s office said on Saturday.

Hungraian president Áder said he was deeply saddened by learning about the death of the US’s 41st president, calling him a highly regarded statesman.

George H.W. Bush played an outstanding role in shaping the history of the late 20th century, Áder said, noting the former US president’s immense contribution to a peaceful ending of the cold war and support for post-Soviet states in building a free and democratic system.

The Hungarian people will keep special memory of his visits to Budapest during which he spoke out as an advocate for multiparty democracy. George H.W. Bush was the first US president to visit Hungary, in 1989.

The passing of Bush is a great loss not only to the US, but to all of its allies and friends, Áder said.

photo: MTI/EPA/LEHTIKUVA/Kimmo Mantila

Hungary sends message of condolence after Pittsburgh shooting

candles-condolence

Hungarian President János Áder has expressed condolences to the families of victims in a shooting on Saturday that claimed eleven in a Pittsburgh synagogue.

Áder, who is visiting Florida, sent a message to US President Donald Trump late on Saturday, saying that he was deeply shocked by the senseless act of violence that killed so many innocent US citizens.

On behalf of the Hungarian people, Áder expressed his deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. He wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

The president expressed hope that

such hate crimes would never occur again and that people would be allowed to exercise their religion freely, without fear, all over the world.

The Federation of Jewish Communities

Hungarian Jewish organisations on Sunday said

they were praying for and commemorating victims of the shooting in Pittsburgh.

The Federation of Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz) said that “no matter where a Jewish community is exposed to attack, it is equal to an assault on the Jewish people as a whole.” What happened in Pittsburgh on Sunday is a “bloody example” of the consequences of hate.

The Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation (EMIH) said that “the bloodiest anti-Semitic attack in US history has unified the Jewish communities of Hungary and the world against all forms of anti-Semitic hate-mongering.”

The shooter, 46-year-old Robert Bowers, opened fire during the Sabbath service at the Tree of Life synagogue, killing eleven and wounding six.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

As government’s official site said, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was deeply shocked to hear of the terror attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

It is particularly abhorrent and shocking that a terrorist attacked and killed people who were gathered to celebrate a baby’s naming ceremony. We hereby express our deepest condolences to the relatives of the victims who died in the shooting and wish the injured a speedy recovery. Hungary has proclaimed a policy of zero tolerance towards Anti-Semitism; we reject and condemn all forms of racism and Anti-Semitism. Hungary stands by the United States in these difficult hours following the tragedy; our American friends can always count on Hungary in the fight against terrorism.

According to the information provided by the American authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has no knowledge of any Hungarian victims.