Croatia

The re-ignition of economies might turn into a struggle for guest labour

Guest Worker Labour Workforce Shortage Vendégmunkás labour market

According to some statistics, in the past five to six years, the number of guest workers working in Hungary have significantly grown, In some sectors, guest workers were the only viable option instead of shutting down. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic that struck the world unprepared, many guest workers were stuck in their own countries unable to work. But as countries are reopening and the economy is starting to swing back up, a huge competition for workforce is expected.

There is the general belief among working people that guest workers take the job from Hungarians, but that is simply not true. It is quite the opposite. There have been entire sectors where the labour shortage was such a serious issue, that its operation was endangered, says Piacesprofit. There is nothing wrong with guest labour, but it should be adequately controlled and entirely transparent.

Csongor Juhász, the executive director of Prohuman, Hungary’s largest HR provider said that the current upsurge of labour is just the surface. He says that many people who have changed professions from services and the catering industry will, with the reopening of the country, go back to their original professions and in turn that will cause another labour shortage in some sectors.

There are already not enough workforce in sectors like the food industry, processing industry and in some commercial areas.

The above-mentioned re-distribution of the workforce will effect these sectors more severely and according to the professionals at Prohuman, that will cause a huge competition between Hungary and the surrounding countries looking for guest labour. In the Czech Republic, about 15% of the labour force are guest workers.

Csongor Juhász said to Piacesprofit, that Hungary is behind other countries in the labour competition.

It has to compete for non-EU guest labour with countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia. The executive director added that Hungary is in a disadvantageous position due to several factors;

naturally, Western European countries have a better chance of obtaining guest labour due to the higher wages, but other Central and Eastern European countries also have an upper hand. Most guest workers can communicate in those countries in their mother tongues much more easily. The language is a huge barrier for guest workers coming to Hungary.

Another limiting factor is the travel. The authorities in charge have to balance between the proper monitoring of guest workers, in particular to the still ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but must also satisfy the labour need of affected sectors.

The monitoring should not bottleneck the flow of labour, but it must also ensure that there is as few cases of illegal workers as possible, all this while complying to the measures of the coronavirus pandemic.

If the flow of labour stops for a substantial amount of time, then companies might close their businesses and move to another country.

If this would happen to the car industry and processing industry – which are both major contributors to Hungarian economy –, then Hungary might face severe consequences.

NOVÁK Katalin
Read alsoMinister: Jobs, family, innovation are Hungary’s solutions to social challenges

Want to get an immunity certificate? It costs EUR 3-600 in Hungary

Hungary great reopening

The more benefits those who have an immunity certificate acquire, the more people would like to have one, even if it is fake. 

According to euronews.com, the debate whether it is good to link “privileges” to the so-called green certificates started in January 2021. Then, most said that it would be discrimination to let only those enter a cinema, a restaurant or theatre who have an immunity certificate. However, this opinion faded with time and gave space to those who say that the vaccine should go hand in hand with privileges during the pandemic. 

The number of governments thinking so is rising even though most of them say that they will allow citizens to substitute the green certificates with negative tests. 

Interestingly, Hungary is at the forefront in acquiring Eastern vaccines and in making immunity certificates. The first ones appeared in February, and there are already significant privileges linked to them. For example, those can sit inside a restaurant, enter a cinema, bath, theatre, and gyms who have the card. Furthermore,

everybody can return from abroad or travel to Serbia, Bahrein, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Croatia with a Hungarian green certificate.

If there is demand, there will be support. Thus, it is not surprising that social media became flooded with advertisements about how to get a fake immunity certificate.

Euronews started to investigate the issue and found that the most expensive, but the most trustworthy, path is to get one with the help of general practitioners. GPs can send more names to the National Public Health Centre than they inoculated. Based on sources who wanted to remain anonymous,

the process costs HUF 100-200 thousand (EUR 300-600).

One can try to forge such cards, but it is difficult to include all the security elements. In Hungary, there have not been such scandals yet, but in the USA, it happened already, for example, in Chicago. Furthermore, there is a rise in the number of posts on Facebook or TikTok offering fake inoculation documents.

The easiest is to forge a positive antigen test,

send it to the authorities, and you will receive a card valid for four months. Another method is to send somebody who already got the infection before to the antigen test. Since social security cards do not contain a photo and nobody checks any other ID cards of the “patient”, such solutions are almost untraceable. 

That is why the Hungarian government acted quickly and,

from last Sunday on, all those who the authorities catch forging or using fake documents or cards risk a 5-year-long sentence in prison.

Moreover, all those who go into a community with such forged cards are risking lives, which is morally unacceptable. Nobody’s friend or relative will be protected by a fake card.

Where to travel with the Hungarian immunity certificate?

vaccination immunity certificate_hungary

More and more countries have announced that those possessing the holy plastic card will be able to cross their borders without restrictions. Still, there is no unilateral decision among European Union member states, let alone among the majority of the world’s countries on what measures will actually be implemented.

Even though a Hungarian decree issued at the end of April stated that those who have been vaccinated will be able to travel freely, in reality, this is hardly the case. Especially if we talk about foreign countries.

The European Parliament made a decision last week:

only those who were vaccinated with a jab approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be entitled to certain easements when it comes to international travel.

The Chinese Sinophram and the Russian Sputnik V, the vaccines that are majorly used in Hungary, did not make the list. Nevertheless, the EMA has been investigating the Chinese jab, so the declaration of PM Viktor Orbán saying that this serum will be approved soon and used for travel this summer might come true in the near future.

When it comes to the immunity certificate and how to travel to Hungary’s neighbouring countries, here is a very detailed article containing all the information you need to know.

How to travel to Hungary’s neighbouring countries this summer

On the other hand, some important novelties came to life since then. Apart from Serbia, Slovenia, and Montenegro,

Bahrein also signed a bilateral agreement with Hungary, accepting one another’s immunity certificates.

This bilateral agreement will be key, and probably the only way for a while, to fight the issue of which vaccines accepted by the EU will be also accepted by individual countries.

There is another major issue with the plastic card, regarding travelling abroad. The reception date of the second jab is not included on the immunity certificate, not even when the QR code is scanned. This can cause quite a problem at the borders, since

Greece, for instance, does accept all vaccines used in Hungary, BUT only 2 weeks after receiving the second jab.


Hvg.hu asked the consular centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding this inconvenience. Even they said that the police in another country will not understand the Hungarian plastic card, the policeman either accepts it or not. For this reason,

they advise everyone to also take the documentation received together with the second vaccine when travelling abroad since this paper does contain the actual date of inoculation.

Truth be told, it is also in Hungarian, but as the consular centre said, it will “probably” be accepted.

On a more positive note, Hungary is currently conducting negotiations with Israel and Greece to set up the aforementioned bilateral agreement.
As of today, Israel is taking the situation and all measures very seriously. Entering the country right now is only possible in certain situations and under strict circumstances. The approval of the Migration Office of Israel and a PCR test taken 72 hours prior to the travel are both needed. Right now, the Hungarian immunity certificate or a document proving that you suffered through covid do not absolve you from taking the tests. The 14-day-long quarantine can only be shortened with a test taken in Israel.

Those inoculated with both doses of a vaccine accepted by the EU can travel to Poland without restrictions.

The plastic card needs to contain the type of vaccine and the dates of both inoculations. Moreover, it needs to contain the stamp of the doctor who inoculated you, and most importantly, the documentation needs to be written either in English or in Polish. None of these conditions is met by the Hungarian immunity certificate or the document proving the vaccination.

We should forget about Germany for now, as no travel for touristic purposes is allowed, and you would need to register your trip in advance anyway.  

Italy, as of today, does not give any easement to those with an immunity certificate. Nevertheless, this might very easily change on May 15 since the country desperately needs tourism.

The most exciting, breaking news is probably from Croatia, which we also reported yesterday.

Those who have a Hungarian immunity certificate will be able to travel to Croatia, free of restrictions.

The rule does not only apply to Hungarian citizens but to anyone who was inoculated in Hungary and thus has a plastic card issued by the country. The agreement is said to enter into force already this week.

How to travel to Croatia 

Flexibility will definitely be the most important adjective describing this summer, as new restrictions, easements, and decisions are announced every single week.

immunity certificate hungary
Read alsoRules on Hungarian immunity certificate have changed!

You can travel to Croatia with a Hungarian COVID certificate!

Croatia sea coast

Hungary has agreed with Croatia to mutually recognise immunity certificates allowing holders unrestricted travel between the two countries, the foreign minister said on Facebook on Wednesday.

Under an agreement reached earlier today,

“Hungarian nationals who have been vaccinated can travel to Croatia with no obligation to isolate or get tested,”

Péter Szijjártó said.

The technical details will be posted on the Hungarian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Service website during the week, he said.

Talks with other neighbouring countries are ongoing on the matter of accepting certificates, Szijjarto said.

The first neighbour Hungary agreed with on mutually recognising immunity certificates was Serbia last week.

As we wrote in THIS article, in case you already got your immunity certificate, you can profit from certain advantages when travelling to a neighbouring country of Hungary and when returning. As all countries are trying to boost their vaccination programme to return to normality and have a relatively free summer, some of them already grant certain advantages and easement to those possessing the holy certificate.

Here is a comprehensive guide to crossing the Hungarian border and to know what to prepare for in these neighbouring countries. First of all,

even if you do not have a social security card (TAJ), you can still be vaccinated in Hungary.

The inoculation of foreigners without TAJ card will begin mid-May, and registration already started yesterday. It is very important to note that the rules of the immunity certificate and how to obtain it have changed!

Now, let us focus on the rules and exceptions when crossing the Hungarian border to go to a neighbouring country.

Further details in the ARTICLE.

How to travel to Hungary’s neighbouring countries

In case you already got your immunity certificate, you can profit from certain advantages when travelling to a neighbouring country of Hungary and when returning.

As all countries are trying to boost their vaccination programme to return to normality and have a relatively free summer, some of them already grant certain advantages and easement to those possessing the holy certificate. Here is a comprehensive guide to crossing the Hungarian border and to know what to prepare for in these neighbouring countries.

First of all, even if you do not have a social security card (TAJ), you can still be vaccinated in Hungary.

It is very important to note that

the rules of the immunity certificate and how to obtain it have changed!

Now, let us focus on the rules and exceptions when crossing the Hungarian border to go to a neighbouring country, summed up by index.hu.

If you wish to travel to Romania, get ready for quarantine. Usually, it is 14 days, but if you have a PCR test that you are obligated to do in 72 hours anyway before entering the country, lockdown decreases to 10 days. You do not need a PCR in 4 cases:

  • kids under the age of 3,
  • those who received their second jab at least 10 days earlier
  • those who suffered through the virus at least 90 days before entering the country and can officially prove it
  •  commuting workers.

You do not need to go to quarantine in the following cases:

  • you travel through the country and spend less than 24 hours and do not show any symptoms
  • those who spend less than 72 hours in the country and have done a PCR maximum 72 hours earlier
  • those who already had covid at least 14 days earlier but not earlier than 90 days.

In case of a special occasion (funeral, getting married, childbirth or emergency medical appointment), you will need to submit a request in advance to avoid quarantine.

Based on the latest news, a bilateral agreement is to be signed between the two governments in days, which might enable Hungarian, Romanian citizens having an immunity certificate to travel free between the two countries.

Ukraine does not take any chances. You need a PCR test conducted 72 hours before your entry into the country, together with a certificate stating the objective of your travel and an insurance covering a possible covid treatment you may need in the territory of the country, and you also need to download a “stay at home” quarantine monitoring application. In case you deny all these above, a 14-day-long quarantine awaits, but you are still obligated to get a test in 24 hours. If negative, you are free to go.
Of course, in case of a special occasion, like a funeral or a business trip, you can skip quarantine with the appropriate documents. However, border control officials will decide whether they grant or deny entry to the country.

Slovakia also plays safe and sends you to quarantine for 14 days, even if you have the immunity certificate.

The only exceptions are:

  • at least 14 days have passed since you received the second dose of an mRNA-based vaccine
  • more than 4 weeks have passed since receiving the first dose of a vector vaccine
  • at least 14 days have passed since receiving the first jab of a vaccine, after having been through covid
  • in case you have been through covid in the last 180 days, and you can prove it.

You can enter without a test, but you are obligated to take one 8 days later. Commuters and students will need a negative PCR or antigen test from the past 7 days. On the other hand, those travelling through the country, cargo shippers and diplomats are not required to have a test.

Slovenia is free for those Hungarian citizens who have the immunity certificate, thanks to the two countries’ bilateral agreement.
Those, however, who do not have the plastic card will need to spend 10 days in quarantine, except for the possession of a negative PCR test taken a maximum of 48 hours earlier. (The test needs to be taken in an EU or Schengen country, USA, UK, Australia, Israel, Canada, Russia, New-Zealand)
Quarantine is also ruled out for those:

  • who have been through the virus between the past 21 and 180 days
  • who have been vaccinated at least 14 days earlier with the second jab of the Moderna, Sputnik V, CoronaVac, Sinopharm, or with the Janssen vaccine
  • who got the first shot of the AstraZeneca or the Covishield at least 21 days prior
  • who were completely vaccinated by the Pfizer serum at least a week earlier.

Commuters will need a PCR or a quick antigen test from the past 7 days. The same rules apply to special occasions when you return in 72 hours.

Serbia welcomes those Hungarians who were fully vaccinated and have the immunity certificate. Arriving from Hungary, you either need a negative PCR test from the last 48 hours, or else you are subjected to 10 days in quarantine. This, however, can be skipped with a test taken in Serbia.
In case you would travel for business, you do not need a test, but you have to notify authorities 24 hours prior with a written request submitted to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Serbia.
Children under the age of 12 do not need a test in case you have a negative one or a temporary or permanent residence permit. The same applies to agricultural and humanitarian workers.

Austria is much stricter. You will need a negative PCR not older than 72 hours or a negative antigen test not older than 48 hours. The country still obligates you to a 10-day-long quarantine that can be left the earliest 5 days later with a negative test in your pocket.
When it comes to students, commuters, anyone wishing to visit a family member, or if you travel for business reasons, you will still need a test.
Restrictions are only lifted in case of:

  • an unforeseen or urgent family matter (serious sickness, death, funeral, childbirth)
  • a family matter than can be previously planned (birthday, marriage, baptism)
  • agricultural work or animal care
  • maintaining the traffic of passengers and cargo.

Commuters need to re-register every 28 days apart from needing a negative test 72 before entering. It can also be taken in Austria in the next 24 hours.

And finally, the most awaited country, Croatia. They are earnestly waiting to welcome Hungarian tourists. If you travel from Hungary, you will need a negative PCR or antigen test from the last 48 hours. You can also take the test in Croatia, but in this case, you will need to register the place where you start your quarantine. If you do not test, a 10-day-long quarantine is mandatory. These restrictions stay in effect even if you only travel for some days for personal matters.
No restrictions apply for those who:

  • received the first dose of the vaccine
  • have the immunity certificate
  • have been through covid the past 180 days and can prove it with a positive test taken at least 11 days before travelling.

Those provenly travelling for emergency business purposes do not need a test. This exception involves students, health care workers, paramedics, daily commuters, cargo shippers, or those travelling to attend a funeral or an emergency medical treatment.
However, everyone needs to give a statement on the length of their staying, including the address they will stay at, in case we talk about several days.

As seen above, the immunity certificate is a very useful plastic card. Nevertheless, trying to trick the authorities with a fake certificate is not worth it at all.

Here is what you can expect if you do so against our warning and get caught.

employee mask covid coronavirus
Read alsoHungarian employees among the least willing to get vaccinated

Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Redrawing the borders of Balkan underway?

orbán announcement

Remarks from Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi:

Nowadays we rarely reflect on what an enormous challenge the European Union took on with the eastern enlargement project in the 2000s. Unfortunately, most of the countries admitted in that decade rather added to the existing problems. Due to all the negative experience, we got to the point where the EU is now unable to offer real prospects for the West Balkan. EU politicians are not without blame for the Balkans policy, just like they had their fair share of responsibility in the failures of the enlargement in 2004 and 2007. If we keep sweeping the mistakes under the rug instead of admitting and correcting them, the ideological, political and economic void created by Europe’s passivity will be filled by others: for instance, the illiberal Central European and Balkan advance party of such foreign powers as Russia and China.

The other day, the Croatian media reported that Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša allegedly handed European Council President Charles Michel a document supposedly urging for redrawing the Balkan borders, including the partition of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

The media suspected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić as the backers of the plan. Although the parties later denied even the existence of the document, let alone having shared it with each other, allegations of this nature are rarely raised in connection with such politicians who nobody could possibly imagine to be spending their time on redrawing Balkan borders.

Even though they have not reorganized any borders yet, the activity of the “network” characterized by Orbán, Janša and Vučić is very visible and palpable both within the European Union and outside of it, too. The three politicians came from very different backgrounds: Janša used to be an opposition journalist, Orbán was a liberal politician while Vučić worked as the propaganda minister for one of the darkest war criminals of the 1990s, Slobodan Milošević. However, they all ended up on the same side eventually.

What they have in common is patriotic rhetoric; aggressive, authoritarian practices and, first and foremost, corruption.

When it comes to words, they are the protectors of Europe, but in reality they constantly work on undermining the European Union and function as Russia’s and China’s Trojan horse in our continent. They maintain excellent relations with such political “pariahs” as Bosnian Serbian leader Milorad Dodik or the fallen North Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski who, with the efficient assistance of the Hungarian foreign ministry, managed to escape the prison sentence imposed on him in his homeland and currently lives in Budapest.

Right under the nose of the European Union and its politicians, this illiberal network has created a media empire stretching from Ljubljana to Budapest and Skopje over the past decade. Consisting of “businessmen” with ties to the right politicians, this conglomerate operates fake news factories, typically following the Russian example and applying Moscow’s “intellectual patterns” to constantly attack and defame the EU. Sadly enough, while all this was going on, Orbán’s and Janša’s parties were full members of the European People’s Party (EPP), whereas Vučić and Gruevski enjoyed the benefits of associate membership of the largest European party family.

Consequently, I believe we must not shrug off such news as the Croatian media report on redrawing the Balkan’s map.

These politicians have betrayed Europe whenever and wherever they could in the past years, and their countries have substantially strayed away from the great objectives they set out to reach after the collapse of Communism. 

With its ever pro-West approach and fairly proportional electoral system, Slovenia is the least affected, but the groups linked to Janša and especially Orbán have already made a visible impact on the country’s media. Over the past eleven years, Hungary has seen the establishment of a quasi one-man rule which functions in a Mafia-like manner and violates every democratic norm, but the country still has a chance to oust the government as long as the Hungarian opposition forms an alliance and runs the election race together in 2022. In contrast, the Serbian parliament no longer has any opposition parties and Belgrade conducts perhaps the most obvious cooperation with Moscow and Beijing (although Serbia is not an EU member yet).

These politicians pose a threat to Europe as well as their own countries because their regimes kill democracy and freedom, root out innovation and drive their most talented citizens away, thus ultimately turning their own environment into a lagging region characterized by a high risk of destabilization. 

I believe this trend is very dangerous for Europe, despite any potential momentary economic benefits for certain countries. That’s why I am convinced that the European Union, no matter how difficult it is, should indeed take active steps in the Balkans and work hard to offer some real prospects for the West Balkan countries, which can hardly be achieved as long as such autocracies as the Fidesz regime are tolerated within the European Union.

As a Member of the European Parliament, I believe Europe has a responsibility to stand up for her own principles and values, and prevent such politicians as Orbán, Janša or Vučić from shaping Central Europe and the Balkans to their own image. This must be avoided, not just because it would be unfair for the people living there but also because the advance party of these politicians is always followed by foreign powers. If we let that happen, Europe’s fate will be at stake.

orbán air force
Read alsoPM Viktor Orbán to join the European far-right?

Hungarian travel agencies ready for a surge of foreign tourists

tourism Budapest Hungary Chain Bridge kató alpár

The whole World has met with a threat never seen before, and it forced almost all of us to stay in our homes for more than an entire year now. People could not really travel abroad, and this may affect the number of people willing to travel, but also their budget on where to travel.

According to Vg, this is where Hungary might come into the picture. Although the situation is not bright at all, according to Hungarian Inbound Professionals’ Association (Mabeusz) member

travel agencies have been hoping to achieve the movement of 50,000 tourists who would have brought approximately HUF 1.8 billion (€ 5 million), but since this expected number, only 35,000 remained which barely hit the HUF 1 billion (€ 2.78 million) mark,

but nothing guarantees that it will not decrease further. As a base for comparison, the same group of agencies have arranged the travel of 260,000 tourists to Hungary, who have approximately spent around HUF 16 billion (€ 44.4 million) in 2019, one year before the coronavirus pandemic.

There are several problems to combat for these agencies but they are still hoping for a good summer season. One of the problems is that many major events, such as Balaton Sound and Telekom VOLT festival, not to mention other regional and cultural events have been postponed to 2022, some to 2023, and there are events scheduled only by 2024 with some even having been cancelled altogether.

If the tourism would get a green light, the Hungarian Inbound Professionals’ Association (Mabeusz) expects visitors mainly from the European Union, but there is some demand for travelling to Hungary from the British and Scandinavian markets.

With only a scarce number of visitors from overseas countries as the future of long-distance travel via aeroplanes is still uncertain due to the pandemic restrictions.

Until the travel agencies do not know exactly what the conditions to travel to Hungary or to Europe in general will be,

they cannot advertise any travels or programmes and if or when they do get this information, there will be a huge competition for tourists. Some countries like Greece, Croatia, Malta and Thailand have already started to communicate their conditions towards those who would like to spend their vacation there, but Hungary has not done so yet. Also, it would probably be in line with the conditions of other countries of the European Union, which have also not crystallised yet.

Another possible issue that could hinder tourism is that there are rumours that some foreign travel agencies that have been in contact with Hungarian ones and helped to get more tourists for Hungary have gone bankrupt due to the pandemic. The Hungarian agencies are not untouched either.

Some necessary people who spoke many languages have either went away looking for a job to sustain themselves, or the agencies had to cut some people due to the hardships. This accounts for almost 40% of the employees according to the estimations of Judit Lázár, the head of the Hungarian Inbound Professionals’ Association (Mabeusz).

According to a survey, about 71.7% of Hungarians are planning to travel somewhere. The most bellowed destinations seem to be Lake Balaton and the capital, Budapest. Everguest and Tárki have asked Hungarians who have been on more than a single night long vacation in the past two years. According to those who have made the survey, Hungarians will have a higher travel spirit after the restrictions and would even consider spending more.

10.7 % of people would travel abroad if the pandemic would tame and 40.2 % would travel domestically and 20.8 % would travel to both domestic and foreign locations.

It seems that the percentage of people who do not want to travel is also quite high; 18.4 % are certain will not travel and 9.8% think are undecided on the matter.

chain bridge budapest hungary buildings panorama
Read alsoHungary to reopen fully in June?

Two ex-Milosevic aides played pivotal role in 1990s Balkan wars: U.N. prosecutors

Daily News Hungary

U.N. prosecutors told judges Monday that two former Serbian security officials who served under Slobodan Milosevic helped train and equip ethnic Serbs to conduct brutal ethnic cleansing campaigns against non-Serbs in the 1990s Yugoslav conflict.

The re-trial of Jovica Stanisic, former head of Serbia’s state security service, and his subordinate Franko “Frenki” Simatovic is the last major case at the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to crimes including murder and persecution as crimes against humanity. They are on provisional release in Serbia and did not attend the closing arguments in person.

In closing, prosecutors stressed that separatist Serb forces in Bosnia and in Croatia were totally dependent on Serbia under then-strongman President Milosevic.

“This campaign was carried out by a variety of Serb and military, police and volunteer units that were trained and equipped by these accused,” prosecutor Douglas Stringer said.

The prosecution is seeking a life sentence for both ex-associates of Milosevic, who stood trial for genocide and crimes against humanity in the Yugoslav conflict but died in his tribunal cell in 2006 before the verdict.

Stanisic and Simatovic’s defence is due to respond later this week. Both men were acquitted in 2013, but appeals judges ordered a re-trial in 2015.

Stringer said the two men were vital cogs in a criminal enterprise led by Milosevic and the Serbian state, together with Serb forces in Bosnia and Croatia, to expel Croats and Bosniaks from Serb-claimed lands as Yugoslavia fell apart in the 1990s.

Judges have not set a date for the Stanisic and Simatovic verdict.

Daily News Hungary
Read alsoTwo ex-Milosevic aides played pivotal role in 1990s Balkan wars: U.N. prosecutors

Syrian smugglers charged in Hungary

police-hungary

Five Syrian men have been charged with trafficking migrants as part of a criminal organisation, a district prosecutor’s office in southern Hungary said on Wednesday.

The suspects are accused of smuggling more than 60 migrants, who crossed the Serbian-Hungarian and Croatian-Hungarian borders illegally to western Europe, as members of an organised criminal group over the past two years, with Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden as final destinations.

A Syrian man suspected of having set up the criminal group had a residence permit in Germany, while the other suspects had residence permits in other western European countries.

Before reaching the Hungarian-Austrian border, the suspects told the migrants to cross the border on foot, and then they all met up at a pre-arranged location in Austria for their onward bound journey.

The organiser provided the migrants with mobile phones and sim cards, while the suspects regularly changed their phones to avoid detection by the authorities.

The migrants paid for the illegal services using Hawala via a person known to the organiser. One of the suspects used a fake Greek driving licence as well as a rented car with fake registration documents for which forgery charges also apply.

The prosecutor’s office in Baja is seeking prison sentences without parole for the accused.

After serving their sentences, the suspects would be expelled from the country.

Police Rendőrség Fire Tűz
Read alsoHuman trafficking van burst into flames while Hungarian police inspected it – PHOTOS

Six EU countries raise concerns over COVID jabs distribution

Koronavírus Coronavirus Vaccine Vakcina Hand Needle Tű Kéz

Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovenia raised concerns over COVID-19 vaccine distribution in a call with the head of the European Council on Wednesday, a European Union official said.

European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs EU summits, discussed the matter with leaders from the six countries on Wednesday. The bloc’s 27 EU ambassadors will address this later in the day, the official said.

“Leaders shared their concerns with (Michel) on possible gaps in the vaccine distribution between member states following the fact that one company has not respected its commitment,”

the official said, under condition of anonymity.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday he and allies from eastern Europe were pushing for the EU to adjust the way it distributes COVID-19 vaccines. The EU faces an acute squeeze of COVID-19 jabs due to reduced deliveries by AstraZeneca.

Latest numbers: Covid-19: Hungary daily deaths at record high – March 17, 2021

budapest airport passport check
Read alsoHungary offers to vaccinate foreign diplomats working in the country

Croatian bishop thanks Hungary for aid to earthquake victims

Bishop Vlado Kosic, leader of the Roman Catholic diocese of Sisak (Sziszek) in central Croatia, has thanked Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for their efforts in aiding those affected by a deadly earthquake late last year, Orbán’s press chief said on Wednesday.

In a letter, the bishop praised Hungary as the first EU member state to have extended the fastest and most extensive help to the diocese hit hard by the December earthquake.

The bishop said Hungarian government officials had recently informed him about a decision to rebuild a school in the town of Petrinja and a church in Zazina, in the region.

“I take this opportunity to express my respect to you and thank you for your standing up for the cause of national and Christian identity in the European Union,” the bishop concluded his letter.

Powerful earthquakes hit central Croatia on December 28-29, killing seven people and injuring 28.

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Read alsoHungary to aid reconstruction in earthquake-hit towns in Croatia

Volkswagen’s Porsche AG to raise stake in Croatia’s Rimac to 24%

rimac

Volkswagen’s luxury division Porsche AG has agreed to raise its stake in Rimac Automobili to 24%, the companies said on Monday, in a deal that values the Croatian electric hypercar maker at 795 million euros ($947 million).

According to the official website, Rimac Automobili was founded in 2009 from a love for automotive and with the vision to create high-performance cars for the electric era. Today, they are an 850-people strong technology powerhouse focused on designing, engineering and producing electric hypercars and high-performance EV components for the global automotive industry.

The original idea was to create the most powerful (electric) hypercar, Rimac said.

Porsche AG first bought a 10% stake in Rimac in 2018, raising it to more than 15% a year later. Under the latest deal, it is buying a further 8.8% for 70 million euros.

“Rimac is excellently positioned in prototype solutions and small series,” Porsche AG finance chief Lutz Meschke said in a statement.

“Rimac is well on its way to becoming a Tier 1 supplier for Porsche and other manufacturers in the high-tech segment.”

Since Porsche’s first investment, Rimac’s workforce has nearly doubled to 1,000 employees. It is collaborating with carmarkers including Hyundai, Kia and Aston Martin.

“Porsche has been a big supporter of our company since 2018, and it has always been a privilege to have one of the world’s most iconic sports car brands be a part of Rimac.”

said Mate Rimac, the group’s founder and CEO.

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Read alsoDid you buy a used car in Hungary? – Its mileage meter might have been rewound

Croatia’s drugs wholesalers cut deliveries to 15 hospitals

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Croatia’s drugs wholesalers have reduced medicine deliveries to 15 hospitals that have fallen behind in their payments, blaming the government for not giving the health system enough funds.

Croatia plans to run a budget deficit of below 3.0% of gross domestic product this year to remain on the track to join the euro currency in 2023.

However, the economic costs of the COVID-19 pandemic and reconstruction after two devastating earthquakes last year, together with the debts of the health sector, are weighing heavily on the government’s budget plans.

“Each day the debts of hospitals and pharmacies towards the drugs wholesalers rise by 20 million kuna and on March 1 surpassed six billion kuna. The government has not responded to our warnings … the wholesalers are not able to finance the state any more,” a group of drugs wholesalers said on Tuesday.

A government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The health sector’s record debts of around 6 billion kuna ($950 million) equate to about 4.1% of budgetary revenues planned for this year.

Last month, the wholesalers urged the government to settle at least 2.7 billion kuna of debts owed by hospitals and pharmacies.

“There are hospitals with delays in payments longer than one year. To the hospitals with the longest overdue debts from now on we deliver only as much as they pay us,”

said Diana Percac, a representative of the group of wholesalers.

($1 = 6.3099 kuna)

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Read alsoPolish and Chinese presidents discuss buying Chinese COVID vaccine

What are they up to? Hungary’s neighbours arm heavily

Hungary military Romania Ukraine

According to the latest report of the Global Firepower, all neighbouring countries made remarkable progress in armament. The institute regularly measures the military potential of different countries. Looking beyond the Central European region, it is interesting that Pakistan made it to the top 10 most powerful states in terms of military. Islamabad preceded not only Iran or Turkey but also Italy. 

According to Magyar Hang, only Hungary and Slovakia retained their 2019 places in the Central European region (55th and 58th). Taking the size and population of the states into consideration, it is not surprising that the army of Ukraine is the biggest in the region. Romania comes after Hungary’s northeastern neighbour. However, the latter fell back some positions on the list in the last few years. All the same,

Bucharest still has twice as many fighter jets and 15 times as many tanks as Budapest does.

In the case of Croatia, the trend is the same, even though they could not buy the MiG–21s they planned before. However, Zagreb managed to acquire Black Hawk helicopters and Bradley fighting vehicles.

Interestingly, Serbia showed significant progress in the last few years. Belgrade has been developing its army for years because, as a neutral state, they need to defend themselves. First, they bought Russian MiG-29s,

then they acquired Pancir-SZ1s, a modern air protection system. 

The Pancir system did very well in the civil war in Eastern-Ukraine, Lybia, Yemen, and Syria before offering protection against fighter jets, helicopters, and even autonomous robotic planes. Serbia plans to buy even the Sz-400 system from Moscow, disregarding American complaints and envisaged sanctions on the issue.

Hungary did not make any progress on the latest list of the Global Firepower, even though

the Hungarian army plans to buy the radar system of the Israeli Iron Dome air protection system

that is doing well against short-range surface-to-air missiles.

We reported before that, according to the German armed forces, Hungary is the first to join an international, but mainly military, air transport service. Index spotted on the website of Bundeswehr last September that Hungary is the first country to become a partner of the new Luftwaffe Multinational Air Transport Unit (MNAU). In 2017, the German Luftwaffe ordered 40 Airbus A400M propeller-driven military transport aircraft. After that, the German Federal Ministry of Defence proposed to establish a new, international air transport unit (MNAU).

“With the establishment of the executive group, the first proper positions have been formed at MNAU’s base in Wunstorf, which is an important milestone in the realisation of the multinational military air transport project. As the first officers of the Hungarian Air Force have been integrated into the project, the cooperation between the Hungarian and German forces has begun,” said Ingo Gerhartz, Lieutenant General of Luftwaffe, on the occasion of MNAU’s establishment. It is rumoured that another ten Airbus A400M aircraft will join the unit’s ranks.

Government official delivers charity donations to Croatia earthquake victims

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Miklós Soltész, the state secretary for church and ethnic relations of the Prime Minister’s Office, on Thursday delivered charity donations collected by the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid for the victims of an earthquake that hit central Croatia last December.

Soltész handed over the 5 million forints (EUR 14,000) raised by the charity organisation to Vlado Kosic, the bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Sisak (Sziszek).

Hungarian charity organisations have raised more than 100 million forints for those affected by the earthquake, Soltész said.

He noted that alongside charity groups, the Hungarian government and Hungary’s ethnic Croatian community are also providing aid to the Balkan country.

The government has committed to rebuilding a school in the town of Petrinja and a church in Zazina, in central Croatia, the state secretary said. It is also supporting the renovation of a Carmelite church together with Croatian organisations in Hungary using 15 million forints, he added.

Hungary is also providing humanitarian aid to Croatia by organising summer camps for Croatian children in Hungary, Soltész said.

István Oláh, head of the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid’s board of trustees, said the 5 million forints had been raised from small donations over the course of a month.

The 5.2 and 6.3 magnitude earthquakes hit central Croatia on Dec 28-29, killing seven people and injuring 28.

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Read alsoThe Croatian earthquake seriously rocked Hungary as well – VIDEOS, PHOTOS – UPDATE

Ethnic minority culture, education institutions to receive HUF 1.4 bn this year

Daily News Hungary

Public educational and cultural institutions maintained by local ethnic self-governments will receive central funding of 1.36 billion forints this year, Miklos Soltész, the state secretary for Church and ethnic minority relations, said on Tuesday.

National minorities, he said, formed a natural part of the Hungarian nation.

“It’s important they survive and pass down their language and culture,” he said.

The government, he added, had recognised this by increasing state funding for national minorities fivefold over ten years while handing over institutions to be run autonomously.

While in 2010 there were only five public educational institutions managed by local ethnic self-governments, there are now around 60, he said.

The government is providing support for renovations involving 60 institutions in 13 counties,

he said, adding that 55 institutions maintained by German, one by Croatian and four by Slovak national minorities will be refurbished in 2021.

As we wrote on Sunday, unknown perpetrators damaged and brought down the statue of one of the greatest Hungarian poets, Sándor Petőfi, in Haraszti, Eastern Slavonia, Croatia, details HERE.

Read alsoUkraine to ban Hungarian national anthem and flag?

Breaking – anti-Hungarian attack in Croatia?

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On Sunday, unknown perpetrators damaged and brought down the statue of one of the greatest Hungarian poets, Sándor Petőfi, in Haraszti, Eastern Slavonia, Croatia. Péter Szenn, the bishop of the Calvinist Church in Croatia, said that it is the only statue of Petőfi in the country.

According to 444.hu, the bronze statue of the Hungarian poet is the artwork of László Hunyadi, a sculptor living in Marosvásárhely, Romania. Petőfi’s only Croatian statue was erected in 2014 following the initiative of the Calvinist Church, from public donations, in Haraszti. 

The local Hungarian bishop said that

they do not know whether non-ferrous metal thieves wanted to steal the statue or it was an anti-Hungarian act,

but public outcry is significant in the village. He added that they called upon the police to find the perpetrators as soon as possible.

As we reported before, in Ukraine,

anti-Hungarian acts and measures happen almost every day.

For example, it seems that the country’s parliament will ban the Hungarian national anthem and flag.

Kyiv is to accept a bill which would regulate the use of different state symbols, including national flags and anthems. If accepted, the Hungarian flag could not be placed on public buildings, and representatives would be allowed to sing only the Ukrainian national anthem when they start and finish their sessions. Ukraine would like to become a member of the European Union and NATO, which Hungary vetoes as long as the country’s ethnic policy does not change. It seems, however, that the administration of

Volodymyr Zelensky remains on the track of former president Petro Poroshenko in this respect.

The document has many supporters in war-torn Ukraine where the coronavirus is spreading unstoppably. The “patriots” say that such bills serve Ukraine’s interests. However, politic.karpat.in.ua says that if the bill was accepted, it would provoke conflicts with a lot of the country’s neighbours, starting with Hungary. The website adds that

the “problem” with the Hungarian flags is not new in Transcarpathia,

a Western county of Ukraine populated by – among others – almost 150 thousand Hungarians. Ethnic Ukrainians coming from other parts of the country often ask why there are so many red-white-green flags on the different public institutions and buildings.

However, locals always say that those are not the official flags of Hungary but the flag of the Hungarian nation (the official flag contains the coat-of-arms as well). Furthermore, local leadership allowed the flags to be placed on public buildings in 2008, and everything the law does not forbid is lawful.

Hungary to build a fleet in its new seaport on the Adriatic?

Hungary port sea navy

According to index.hu, the project of building a “Hungarian port” in Trieste is already in the preparation phase. It came to light a couple of days ago that the transaction with which the Hungarian state bought a small maritime territory in Trieste, Italy, was successfully finished.

According to index.hu, the state-owned Adria Port Ltd. bought a 32-hectare territory in Trieste with a 300-metre-long seashore and the relevant concession rights. The purchase

cost EUR 25 million,

which is a bit more than nine billion forints. The deadline for the concession rights is 60 years. As it was known already before, the territory needs to be recovered because of its industrial past. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told index.hu that they increased the authorised capital of the company from EUR 1.8 million to EUR 16.8 million in December which will be used in the next phase of the project. The goal of the investment is to strengthen Hungary’s position in the international logistic chain and contribute to developing the country’s foreign trade. The ministry added that the government continues to investigate all other opportunities to reach its goal. However,

they do not want to create a fleet on the Adriatic Sea.

Based on the plans, the port will welcome small and medium cargo ships from where companies will forward their goods on railway and trucks towards Hungary and other countries. However, index.hu received a reader’s letter to which a map was attached showing that the sea near the port is very shallow. That means that even small ships will be unable to dock there. The ministry said that the map is not up to date and

everything is OK with the seashore their company bought.

As we reported before, the Trieste port will provide reliability and predictability for Hungarian firms, which will guarantee profitability, Szijjártó said last July. He added that the interest generated by the project among exporters made it “obvious” that it would be profitable, arguing that Hungarian and international companies would pay significant sums of money for storage and shipping at the site.

Szijjártó said at the time that the government had chosen Trieste because

it is one of the closest ports to Hungary with enough capacity to meet the needs of Hungarian exporters.

He said the port would be used by medium/large freight vessels. The largest ships tend to dock either in Rotterdam or Piraeus where they transfer their goods onto smaller vessels before sending them off to Trieste, he added. The turnover of goods between Trieste and Hungary has grown four-fold in recent years, with at least one freight train a day running between them.

Hungary expects this to double once the Hungarian port starts operating, he added. The minister said Hungary had also been in talks with Slovenia on setting up a port in Koper. However, those talks fell through due to opposition from some of the parties in Slovenia’s minority government, he added.