PM Orbán wants to build a stronger Europe with the new Czech PM
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has congratulated Czech counterpart Petr Fiala on becoming prime minister, the PM’s press chief said on Tuesday.
“We regard the Czech Republic as a friend and strategic partner,” Orbán said in his letter, adding that the challenges of recent years, such as the pandemic and the increasing pressure of migration, highlighted the importance of close cooperation between eastern European countries.
Orbán said that hopefully he and Fiala would further strengthen already excellent bilateral ties and expand comprehensive cooperation as part of the Visegrád Group.
Orbán assured Fiala that Hungary’s government was
Orbán assured Fiala that Hungary’s government was
ready to work together towards building a stronger Europe based on strong member states, giving priority to stability, competitiveness and respect for values based on Christian traditions.
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Most Instagrammable destination: Budapest or Prague?
The two Central-European cities, Budapest and Prague, are often compared to each other by the visiting tourists – not only because of their close proximity to one another but also for their similar historical background. Both Budapest and Prague used to belong to the Eastern bloc after World War II. Furthermore, both cities are known for their rich cultural background, picturesque sights, and for the fact that they draw a huge flock of visitors every year. Are you planning a trip with your camera in Central Europe? Find out which one is the most Instagrammable destination of these two stunning cities.
If you asked a group of tourists which one they prefer more, they would have a hard time choosing between the two cities. The votes would go most probably side by side. Prague offers delicious beers and has a smaller but beautiful city center. Budapest is a relatively bigger city which has a gorgeous promenade running along the Danube river. It is also famous for its unique thermal spa culture.
Both cities has a buzzing nightlife which attracts thousands of young travellers all year round. Along with Vienna, the Austrian capital city, Budapest and Prague form an unbeatable trio when it comes to the most popular tourist destinations in Central Europe.
Check out the 3 most romantic destinations in Hungary!
Not long ago, two reviews have been published to compare the popularity of the two cities, Budapest and Prague. They also wanted to find out which one is the most Instagrammable destination of these two stunning towns. The first review was conducted by the English website Stokemont. They rated the 30 most popular castles in the world by comparing the number of hashtags they received on the famous social media platform. It turned out that Prague Castle stands first among all the gorgeous examined castles with 700 thousand hashtags.The second place was taken by Scotland’s Edinburgh Castle (581 000 hashtags), and the third one was the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. As Kafkadesk reports,
Buda Castle also made it to the top 10, with 210 000 hashtags, on the list of the most beautiful castles.
However, there was another article published as well in which they compared all the sights of each city based on how Instagrammable they were. In this review, Dubrovnik in Croatia finished first while Budapest made it to the 4th place. Prague legged behind a little but still managed to take the 12th position. As the two reviews demonstrate, it is a tough choice to decide between Budapest and Prague as both two cities are stunning in their own unique way.
Written by Balázs Németh
Read alsoSecret places to discover underneath Budapest – PHOTOS, VIDEOS
Visegrad Group expresses solidarity with Poland in migration crisis
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia pledged solidarity with Poland in the migration crisis on its border with Belarus, at a summit in Budapest on Tuesday.
At the joint press conference after the talks,
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki thanked Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Eduard Heger of Slovakia and Andrej Babis of the Czech Republic for their support.
Morawiecki said the situation amounted to a “new political crisis” where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko “colluded with the mafia and people smugglers and used human beings to put pressure on the European Union.”
Babis noted that
Hungary had faced “all around criticism” when it built a fence to protect its borders in 2015.
By now, several heads of state have proposed that the EU should fund physical barriers, he said.
Heger called the protection of the European Union’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and member states a “joint task”.
He said he had talks with Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg on the situation earlier on Tuesday. The two leaders signed a declaration and pledged to provide help on the Polish-Belarusian border. They also condemned the exploitation of migrants, he said. Slovakia has already offered its Frontex officers to help manage the situation in Poland and Lithuania, and was one of the countries turning to the European Commission for help, he said.
Orbán: EU facing unprecedented levels of migration pressure
Speaking to the media with his Czech, Polish and Slovak counterparts, Orbán said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had briefed the rest of the V4 on the situation on his country’s border.
In addition to the migration pressure on the Polish border, “NGOs are continuously bringing migrants to Europe’s shores” and the Western Balkan route “is again full”, the prime minister said.
Orbán thanked Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis for his decision to send soldiers to the Hungarian border and their help in apprehending more than 4,000 illegal entrants.
He said people fleeing Afghanistan would also make their way to Europe via the Western Balkan route. Some 30,000-35,000 people are fleeing the central Asian country on a daily basis, so the EU should expect the pressure on the Western Balkan route to increase, he added.
“And the Poles are on the receiving end of the latest attack,” Orbán said.
“Our Polish friends are the ones under attack because of migration from the east.”
The prime minister criticised Brussels’s “flawed” migration policy, saying that the EU was prepared to fund “practically anything that increases migration pressure”.
Brussels supports NGOs and launches integration programmes, he added.
The one thing Brussels refuses to finance is border protection, Orbán said. Hungary insists that the EU should cover the costs of the protection of the European borders, he said, adding that countries located on the bloc’s periphery cannot be expected to bear those costs alone.
Hungary has always said that it would only be fair if the EU covered at least half of the costs of the country’s border protection efforts “given that we’re not just protecting ourselves but the whole of Europe”, Orbán said.
The V4 proposes that the EU should not support a single country that contributes either directly or indirectly to the migration pressure on the bloc’s external borders, including the pressure on the Polish border, Orbán said. He added that the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia had expressed their full solidarity with and support for Poland at the meeting.
Read alsoShould the EU pay for Hungarian border protection?
V4 countries back nuclear energy for climate protection
The Visegrád Group countries have signed a joint declaration that achieving climate goals cannot happen without nuclear energy, according to government website kormany.hu on Thursday.
The combined use of nuclear and renewable energy is vital for energy sovereignty and security, keeping energy prices affordable and decarbonising energy production, Janos Suli, the minister without portfolio responsible for the Paks nuclear plant upgrade project, said, speaking alongside representatives of the Czech, Polish and Slovak governments in Paks, in southern Hungary.
The V4 calls for greater energy efficiency and, as well as
increasing the share of renewable energy sources,
meeting the 2030 and 2050 carbon targets would require the development of electricity transmission networks and the use of gas-fired power plants in the medium term, as well as the flexible use of carbon quotas, it added.
The V4 welcomed the European Commission’s statement that nuclear energy is a safe technology and in full compliance with EU environmental standards. Brussels, the declaration added, should treat nuclear energy as a sustainable energy source, also from the point of view of financing, it added.
US Centre for Disease Control: Hungary among most dangerous destinations
The coronavirus has been present since its discovery in China in late 2019. It has hit the rest of the world at the beginning of 2020. Since its first appearance, we are currently in the fourth wave of the pandemic. The number of infections has surged in many regions around the world triggering stricter restrictions on travel and human interaction.
According to the latest information of the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday, Hungary is among the most dangerous countries in terms of Covid infection. Moreover, the health organisation discourages individuals from travelling to Hungary unless it is really necessary.
CDC Recommendations
The CDC has four tiers of risk assessment for COVID-19. Level one is the least risky while level four is the most dangerous in terms of contracting the virus.
On Monday, November 15, the CDC moved a total of four countries to level four, including Hungary, Iceland, Guernsey, and the Czech Republic.
As CNN reports, these countries now have been added to the other 70 unsafe countries among which there are many popular tourist destinations. These include Belgium, the Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey, and many more at level four.
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CDC recommendations about Hungary:
- Avoid travel to Hungary.
- If you must travel to Hungary, make sure you are fully vaccinated prior to your departure.
- Due to the current situation in Hungary, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.
- Travellers should follow all recommendations and requirements in Hungary, including wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from others.
Statistics
This new regulation is not that surprising since the number of infections has been steadily rising in the past few months in Hungary. According to the latest Hungarian data, 5,323 new cases of coronavirus infections have been registered with over 5,800 active infections treated in hospitals. Alarmingly, 545 people are on ventilators. On a more positive note, over 6 million people have received their first jab in Hungary.
Hvg reports, that recently the Czech Republic has also placed Hungary on the list of countries not recommended for unnecessary travel. According to the map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, almost all of Hungary is deep red which indicates a high rate of Covid infections.
Make sure to observe safety regulations while travelling and interacting with people. Be safe and keep healthy.
Read alsoHungarian Christmas fairs that you can visit only with an immunity certificate
South Korean president advocates closer ties with Visegrád Group
Cooperation between the Visegrád Group and the Republic of Korea is gaining in intensity, and the political leaders of the five countries are committed to developing even closer ties, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in Budapest on Thursday.
With their open approach, the leaders of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have demonstrated the strength of V4 cooperation, the president told a press conference after their summit meeting in the Hungarian capital.
Moon Jae-in highlighted plenty of similarities between the Visegrád region and South Korea, including rapid transition to democracy and dynamic economic development after the Cold War.
He praised smooth V4-Korea relations, adding that the region is an
Moon Jae-in highlighted plenty of similarities between the Visegrád region and South Korea, including rapid transition to democracy and dynamic economic development after the Cold War.
He praised smooth V4-Korea relations, adding that the region is an
important trading partner for South Korea and a major destination for Korean investors.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stressed the need of close cooperation, especially in the field of innovative technologies. He said the summiteers had also discussed the climate crisis and soaring energy prices.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called South Korea a major trading partner for the Visegrad group. He said that developing ties with South Korea may help Europe to become more competitive in the global economy.
Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said that partnership, cooperation and friendship between nations are especially important now that the world is facing major health, economic and energy challenges. South Korea and the V4 countries share plenty of values, including democracy, a free market and the rule of law, he said.
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High-speed railway between Budapest and Warsaw to cut travel time from 12 to 5 hours
Trade turnover between the Visegrád Group (V4) countries and South Korea grew by 40 percent over the past five years, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Thursday, expressing hope that their cooperation could soon expand to the areas of science and technology as well.
Addressing a joint press conference of the V4 leaders and South Korean President Moon Jae-in after their summit in Budapest, Orbán said the central European economies had “strong years behind them” and good prospects, while South Korea was “a world champion” in economic growth and technological development.
The prime minister referred to the summit as “a meeting of five success stories”.
Trade turnover between the V4 and South Korea even increased “in the black year for the global economy that was 2020”, reaching 20 billion US dollars for the first time, Orban said.
South Korea has a GDP of 1,600 billion dollars, while the V4 have a combined GDP of 1,100 billion dollars, Orbán noted. “If we were one country, then the V4, like Korea, could be a member of the G20,” he said.
South Korea has a GDP of 1,600 billion dollars, while the V4 have a combined GDP of 1,100 billion dollars, Orbán noted. “If we were one country, then the V4, like Korea, could be a member of the G20,” he said.
Orbán said the reason behind the timing of Thursday’s summit was that all five countries believed that a new global economic order was taking shape and there was fierce competition for production capacities given that
after the pandemic, factories were not being reopened in the same countries where they had closed.
Most of those capacities are being taken elsewhere, “and we, the V4 have entered this competition and want to attract as big a share as possible of global investments”, Orbán said. South Korea is known for being a leader in innovation and the V4 want to take advantage of the emerging new era of the global economy, he added.
Orbán said the V4 leaders had asked Moon to
Orbán said the V4 leaders had asked Moon to
keep an eye on Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia’s biggest joint project that was the construction of the high-speed rail line connecting their capitals.
The 800 km line will cut travel time between Budapest and Warsaw from 12 hours to five, he said, and expressed hope that the project would attract the interest of South Korea’s industrial sector.
He said the V4 were hopeful that their cooperation with South Korea could expand beyond the economy to the areas of science and technology as well.
Orbán said it was “an honour” for the V4 that the South Korean president had joined their summit. “This is especially so for Hungarians because we see our peoples as being related,” he said. He noted that
He said the V4 were hopeful that their cooperation with South Korea could expand beyond the economy to the areas of science and technology as well.
Orbán said it was “an honour” for the V4 that the South Korean president had joined their summit. “This is especially so for Hungarians because we see our peoples as being related,” he said. He noted that
Hungary first established diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Korea in 1892.
Another unique aspect of the talks, Orban said, was that they had welcomed a president who himself had fought for freedom and democracy. Thursday’s talks also touched on global issues like climate policy and the situation in Afghanistan, Orbán said.
Read alsoPM Orbán admires the success story of South Korea
Palkovics: V4 to boost cooperation on higher education
The Visegrád Group (V4) countries last week signed a letter of intent on the mutual and automatic recognition of each other’s higher education degrees.
Addressing a V4 summit organised by the Széchenyi István University in Győr, in north-western Hungary, Innovation and Technology Minister László Palkovics said that though cooperation between Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia on higher education was effective, there was still room for improvement. Hungary has therefore made it a goal to improve relations between the four countries’ universities during its V4 presidency, he added.
Palkovics noted that
the Hungarian government in 2014 embarked on a programme to bring universities and colleges closer to market players.
Another aim, he said, had been for Hungarian higher education institutions to strengthen cooperation with their international partners. Since then, participation by Hungarian students in Erasmus programmes has increased by 65-70 percent and international students now make up at least 15 percent of all students at Hungarian universities and colleges, the minister said.
As a first step in its higher education reform, the government in 2014 transformed the university research system, with the second phase encompassing a restructuring of the country’s universities, Palkovics noted.
So far 21 Hungarian universities have shifted from being state-run to being operated by an asset management foundation, as modelled after private universities in Finland, Austria and other countries, he said, adding that six universities were still operated by the state.
Slovak education ministry official Marek Moska said the mutual recognition of V4 degrees would contribute to the establishment of a European Education Area by 2025.
Tibor Bial, the Czech Republic’s ambassador to Hungary, said the Czech education ministry was working on a plan to automate the recognition of European Union degrees.
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50 Czech policemen help Hungary’s border patrol
Fifty Czech police officers arrived in Budapest on Friday to help protect the European Union’s Schengen borders in southern Hungary.
Zoltán János Kuczik, the deputy of the national police chief, noted the increasing migration pressure as a “serious security threat for Europe” in his address at the reception ceremony.
Protecting the southern borders serves security in the whole of Europe, he said, adding that international cooperation was crucial for efforts against illegal migration.
Kuczik noted that the number of attempts at illegal entry had been 17,000 in 2019, 46,000 last year, and 90,000 in the first nine months of 2021.
He also added that 915 legal proceedings had been launched against human smugglers this year, nearly three times as many as in the same period of 2020.
He said that Austrian and Serbian police were also working together with Hungary’s border police, while Hungarian police officers were serving in North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia, as well as 157 officers in Frontex operations.
Read also Brutal video shows how migrants attack the Hungarian border fence
Egypt’s foreign minister meets with V4 countries counterparts
Stemming the waves of illegal migration requires external allies such as Egypt, an “extremely important partner”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after talks with his Visegrad counterparts and the foreign minister of Egypt in Budapest on Monday.
According to a foreign ministry statement, Szijjártó said Europe had been under constant pressure from migration since 2015.
The minister insisted that the Visegrad Group countries had cooperated and thwarted plans to introduce migrant quotas in Europe, adding that “had we not succeeded, thousands or even tens of thousands of illegal migrants would now be living in our countries”. Close cooperation is still needed, he said, adding that “one mistake is being made after another” on the international stage and “irresponsible remarks are threatening even greater migration waves.”
Referring to a potential 4 million refugees leaving Afghanistan, Szijjártó said:
“We now hear proposals that those migrants will have to be redistributed.” He added that Europe was now facing migration pressure from the East, too, at Poland’s borders.
Concerning Egypt, Szijjártó said the country had proven that migration by sea could be stopped by shutting maritime borders and eliminating human smuggling rings. “It would be to good purpose if the EU changed its attitude towards Egypt accordingly. It would be good to turn down the volume of statements condemning Egypt, and it would be also good if the European development funds for Egypt in fact arrived,” Szijjártó said, adding:
“We will continue to rely on Egypt in the future”.
V4 countries will assess whether Egypt is being hindered by European sanctions in obtaining technologies that would make its border controls more effective, Szijjártó said.
The talks, attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jakub Kulhanek of the Czecz Republic, Mariusz Blaszczak of Poland, and Slovak foreign affairs state secretary Martin Klus, were held in preparation for a V4-Egypt summit on Tuesday.
Blaszczak underlined the importance of protecting the external borders of the EU in Poland.
Illegal migration and terrorism pose serious threats, he said, adding that responsible governments must do everything to protect their citizens.
Shoukry also underlined the importance of efforts against illegal migration. Egypt currently accommodates between 5.5-6 million immigrants and needs assistance from the international community, he said. Egypt is making great efforts to fight extremist ideologies, he added.
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Agrarian summit held in Budapest – V4+4 ministers on the challenges of the region
István Nagy, Hungary’s minister of agriculture, held talks with agrarian leaders of seven central European countries on challenges to the region on the Budapest fairground Hungexpo on Friday.
Addressing top officials of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, Nagy called for closer cooperation in agricultural research and joint actions so that the member states could implement the EU’s common agricultural policy under national control, in line with their national characteristics.
180 degree turn: the government backs global minimum corporate tax!
Photo: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
Brussels’ will often runs counter to local agrarian interests, he said, adding that the EU partners should understand that rural regions “are not the periphery but the very heart of the European way of life,” he said.
The minister said that food waste and loss were declining in Hungary but still amounted to 88 million tonnes a year in the European Union. The best way to reduce it, he said, would lie in the digitalisation of the food chain.
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Hungarian official: Visegrád is the symbol of democratic intl cooperation
Visegrád is a symbol of democratic international cooperation between equal partners which Hungary has held important over many centuries, an official of the Human Resources Ministry said on Sunday, greeting a bureau meeting of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
State secretary in charge of European Union development policy Eszter Vitályos said Visegrád Group cooperation was a mark of joining forces and sharing a common past.
The members are linked not only by a common past and the River Danube but also by the nationalities that live in the area, she added.
Finance minister: Visegrád countries poised to be Europe’s engines of growth again
The role of local authorities in the green economy will get special attention at the two-day meeting starting on Monday and Hungary is one of the main advocates of developing a green economy, she said.
President of the Chamber of Local Authorities Bernd Voehringer said that relations with the Hungarian delegation were excellent and the fact that the meeting was held in Visegrád was a strong sign from the Hungarian presidency.
Hungary fulfils the presidency of the CoE Council of Ministers between May 21 and November 17.
Read alsoVisegrád Group Held First Joint V4 Defence Ministerial Meeting in Erdőbénye
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s views on European issues – Part 1
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently gave an interview to the Czech conservative daily Lidove Noviny. You can read about the Hungarian Prime Minister’s views on European and Worldwide problems.
Central Europeans need more clout in European Union policymaking because the German-French axis has become outdated, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said. The Central European region enjoys the highest economic growth rate in Europe, Orbán said in the interview published on Saturday, adding that without it Europe would fall into stagnation.
Conventional wisdom used to be that central Europe needed Westerners to function, he said. But the situation has turned on its head, he said, adding that it was no longer inconceivable that Europe’s future success would be shaped by Visegrád Group countries. “That’s what I call new reality in Europe,” he added.
The prime minister said Hungary must remain a part of the European Union since the common market was in the country’s interest. But central European interests now must be taken into greater consideration than before and in proportion to its economic performance, he said.
“Set against our real economic performance and weight, our influence in EU decision-making is disproportionately small, and this has to change,” Orbán said.
Commenting on the protection of traditional national identity, he said whoever managed to be more persistent should win. Issues of education, family policy, schooling and media regulation are all national competences which “nobody can take away from us”, he said.
Orbán said the “woke movement” in the West was increasing in popularity. The words used, he added, may be new but they followed “the same intellectual pattern as Marxism”.
PM Orbán: three major battles have to be fought with Brussels to build a successful Central Europe
Whenever there is a prolonged period of liberal governments that neglect culture, traditions, history and religion, Marxism grows more popular, Orbán said. “We, in central Europe, are vaccinated against Marxism.” The prime minister added that for Westerners, Marxism was an intellectual matter. “But central Europeans know that the Marxist basis for organising the economy and society results in dictatorship; Marxism and democracy cannot work together.”
Orbán said the West had grown out of Christianity, becoming inseparable from the enlightenment and rationality. That combination had resulted in the most competitive and successful form of life in the world, he said. “But it’s being lost now because we are giving up the historic foundations of Christianity.”
Orbán said he had hoped the EU accession of central European countries would add an anti-Communist, anti-Marxist and anti-Leninist culture to current pan-European culture. “But they did not want this.” Commenting on Hungary’s child protection laws, Orbán said Hungary had approved legislation stating that parents have the exclusive right over their children’s school and sex education, and LGBTQ activists or representatives of any other ideologies had no business in this area.
Two LIBE delegation members call for stopping ‘witch-hunt’ against Hungary
Brussels wants to change this and their position is that LGBTQ activists must be allowed in schools, he added. Orbán said the Hungarian legislation did not apply to adults above 18 years of age and only concerned the protection of children.
Orbán said French president Emmanuel Macron’s recent call for an independent EU foreign policy was an “exciting and interesting idea”. Hungary would be glad to participate in debates regarding strategic autonomy and sovereignty, he added.
He said existing differences between V4 members’ positions regarding the approach to Russia may be resolved. One of the most important tasks for the EU would be to give European security and military guarantees to Poland and the Baltic states, he added.
Commenting on disputes concerning gas supplies, Orbán said the reality was that Europe could not function without Russian gas.
Commenting on a recent visit by Pope Francis to Budapest, Orbán said people who believe in Christianity as a part of the future and not only of the past should join forces. There are many power groups that want to push the European continent to a post-Christian era, he said, which is especially popular among Brussels bureaucrats, he added. Since the Vatican is still the greatest Christian power in global politics, Orbán said he had humbly asked the Holy Father to help Christians survive.
Read alsoParamilitary group planned to assassinate PM Orbán and opposition leaders! – VIDEO
Visegrád Group Held First Joint V4 Defence Ministerial Meeting in Erdőbénye
Defence ministers and deputy ministers of Visegrád Group countries held the first joint V4 defence ministerial meeting in Erdőbénye, in northeastern Hungary, on Friday to discuss military and defence policy issues, the challenges of hybrid warfare and planned cooperation in military health care.
Hungary’s Tibor Benkő told a press conference after the meeting that the defence ministerial programme for Hungary’s V4 presidency had been discussed and action plans had been approved for coordinating various procedures.
The importance of national defence capabilities was discussed with Slovak counterpart Jaroslav Nad, Polish deputy minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz and Czech deputy minister Jan Havranek, he said.
The strength of the defence system rests on nation states and national army development programmes are also built on them, he added.
Each country pays special attention to hybrid warfare, including cyber operations, and there was consensus about the importance of maintaining a system of reservists, he said.
Hungarian investor acquires majority stake in Czech military aircraft manufacturer
Check out some astonishing photos taken of the Breakthrough 2021 military drill!
The Hungarian, Slovak, Czech and Polish delegations reviewed the experiences to be drawn from the Afghanistan mission and each of the four countries stated that they paid special attention to participation in African missions, such as the Takuba operations. The sides were also in agreement about the importance of maintaining peace in the Western Balkans which is also a priority for Hungary, he added.
Nad said the past 18 months revealed the importance of the army’s medical efforts and thanked Benkő for Hungary’s sending experts to Slovakia.
Havranek said the meeting confirmed that V4 cooperation was working well and while the V4’s joint efforts aim to promote an independent Europe, the participants do not want to weaken transatlantic ties either.
Hungarian investor acquires majority stake in Czech military aircraft manufacturer
Aero Vodochody, a Czech manufacturer of light combat and training aircraft, has been acquired by HSC Aerojet, in which the Hungarian investor Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky holds an 80 percent stake and Czech company Omnipol owns 20 percent, the website of local business daily E15 said on Thursday.
HSC Aerojet’s acquisition of 100 percent of Aero Vodochody, which includes the Vodochody airport, was based on a contract signed in July.
With the change in ownership, Vodochody head Dieter John has been replaced by Viktor Sotona, the chief executive of Omnipol group member ERA, which makes surveillance and reconnaissance technology.
“Aero will continue to develop all three pillars of its business: development and
With the change in ownership, Vodochody head Dieter John has been replaced by Viktor Sotona, the chief executive of Omnipol group member ERA, which makes surveillance and reconnaissance technology.
“Aero will continue to develop all three pillars of its business: development and
production of its own aircraft,
repair and maintenance of aircraft, and the aerostructures programme,” Sotona said.
The Penta Group bought Aero Vodochody when it was privatised in 2007.
The Penta Group bought Aero Vodochody when it was privatised in 2007.
High-speed railway will link Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland
The railway transport of Chinese goods offers profitable opportunities for the Hungarian railway system, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, told an event of railway association HungRail on Thursday.
Hungary has already started revamping the Budapest-Belgrade rail line with a view to transporting Chinese goods from Greek ports to Europe via Hungary, a statement of the foreign ministry cited Szijjártó as saying. While that project will be operational by 2025, it would also be “important to draw direct railway cargo traffic from China to the European Union to go via Hungary”, thus “monetising” the country’s geographical position, he said.
Such traffic would warrant further infrastructural development in the northeast of the country, such as the intermodal centre already under construction at Fényeslitke, he said.
The 12 billion forint (EUR 33.3m) investment
will be operational by the end of 2022, Szijjártó said.
Another intermodal centre, planned in the west of the country, would be key to help exports reach sea ports swiftly, he said. Szijjarto again welcomed the construction of a container terminal in Zalaegerszeg, in southwest Hungary, saying the facility will draw further investments to the region.
At the same time, Szijjártó said central Europe was at a competitive disadvantage due to a
lack of high-speed railway lines in the region.
Regional cooperation now aims to construct railway lines linking Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, he said.
Szijjártó praised railway cargo transport for withstanding well the coronavirus crisis. That makes it all the more important for Hungary to take its share from the growing traffic, he said.
Read alsoHigh-speed rail link to connect Prague and Budapest?
PM Orbán: three major battles have to be fought with Brussels to build a successful Central Europe
The next decade will offer central Europe “fantastic opportunities”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Usti nad Labem, in the Czech Republic, following talks with his Czech counterpart Andrej Babis on Wednesday. Speaking at a joint press conference with Babis, Orbán said that while central Europe had earlier been thought to be helpless without Western Europe, it was now the Western European economies that could not do without central Europe. “There is not even a successful German economy without central Europe; central Europe is in fact the locomotive of the EU’s economy,” he said.
The political and economic weight of the region will further increase, but it requires the Visegrad cooperation to continue, he said. Orbán said that in terms of reducing unemployment, the Czech Republic “is one step ahead of us”, adding that Hungary also wanted to have a debt rate as slow as its northern neighbour.
He said his visit today was aimed at strengthening the Czech-Hungarian axis of the Visegrád Four cooperation, arguing that without the Czech Republic’s commitment towards the V4 the group cannot function.
He said his visit today was aimed at strengthening the Czech-Hungarian axis of the Visegrád Four cooperation, arguing that without the Czech Republic’s commitment towards the V4 the group cannot function.
“The Visegrád Group needs the strength and political influence of the Czech Republic,”
Orbán said.
In connection with migration, Orbán said a new, massive wave of migrants could not be avoided with millions of people leaving Afghanistan. Many of them will choose a route through the Balkans and Hungary, he said, adding that Hungary would continue to protect its own borders, as it will also protect Europe. On the topic of Czech-Hungarian economic cooperation, Orbán noted that it had reached record levels. The volume of bilateral trade this year has gone up by 26 percent, Hungary has currently 330 Czech companies as foreign investors employing several thousands of people, he said, adding plans for Hungary to extend cooperation in the areas of telcom, agriculture, energy and defence.
Hungary is ready to work in close, friendly cooperation with the government of Andrej Babis
based on mutual respect in future, Orban said. In reply to a question, Orbán said that the gas purchase agreement Hungary signed with Russia earlier this week is a matter of Hungary’s sovereignty, and Ukraine has nothing to do with it. Hungary is a sovereign state and will purchase gas from whichever country it chooses. “It is up to us alone to decide which route we use to bring this energy to Hungary,” he said, adding that in selecting the route the only criteria is that it should provide the greatest security.
“We wish that the Ukrainians should cope with their own problems and leave us out of it,”
Orbán said. “We, central Europeans are destined to success and will prosper if we are allowed to. We do not ask for extra assistance but fair treatment,” he said.
It is unfair, however, that eight member states haven’t yet got access to the post-pandemic recovery fund the EU decided to grant to each country, Orban said. “This is not a matter of money but lack of equal terms in competition,” he said. The European Commission is making a difference between member states and those who get assistance later fall behind in the competition, Orban said. If the EU guarantees equal treatment, abstains from abusing its powers and acts correctly, central Europe will continue its success story, he added.
It is unfair, however, that eight member states haven’t yet got access to the post-pandemic recovery fund the EU decided to grant to each country, Orban said. “This is not a matter of money but lack of equal terms in competition,” he said. The European Commission is making a difference between member states and those who get assistance later fall behind in the competition, Orban said. If the EU guarantees equal treatment, abstains from abusing its powers and acts correctly, central Europe will continue its success story, he added.
“We have three major battles with Brussels,”
Orbán said, referring to migration, the involvement of “LGBTQ activists in the education of our children” and green policies which could bring about exorbitant energy prices. “We should win these three battles for the central European success story to continue,” he said.
Orbán said that the western countries are unable or unwilling to protect their boundaries, and let migrants in without any control. Later on, however, they complain about all migrants staying on their territory and call for distributing them. But this is a wrong approach. All countries should defend their borders and if they are unable to, then they should ask for assistance,” he said.
Orbán reiterated that Hungary rejected the compulsory migrant quotas and welcomed that the Czech Republic shared its position. Addressing the press conference, Babis said the Czech Republic owed it to Hungary that there are no illegal migrants in the country today. “In 2015, Hungary was the only EU member state to protect the bloc’s Schengen borders. Thanks to the fence Hungary then erected at its border, the Czech Republic today does not have to struggle with the problem of illegal migration,’ he said.
Orbán said that the western countries are unable or unwilling to protect their boundaries, and let migrants in without any control. Later on, however, they complain about all migrants staying on their territory and call for distributing them. But this is a wrong approach. All countries should defend their borders and if they are unable to, then they should ask for assistance,” he said.
Orbán reiterated that Hungary rejected the compulsory migrant quotas and welcomed that the Czech Republic shared its position. Addressing the press conference, Babis said the Czech Republic owed it to Hungary that there are no illegal migrants in the country today. “In 2015, Hungary was the only EU member state to protect the bloc’s Schengen borders. Thanks to the fence Hungary then erected at its border, the Czech Republic today does not have to struggle with the problem of illegal migration,’ he said.
Read alsoPM Orbán was right? Marriage boom in Hungary
Kiev started taking “revenge” on ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine?
Gergely Gulyás, leader of the Prime Minister’s Office, said on today’s government info that Ukraine had started taking “revenge” on ethnic Hungarians during Hungary’s talks with Russia on gas supplies, and the Hungarian government would thwart association talks between Ukraine and NATO. He said, however, that “we would like to resume dialogue”, adding that Hungary would continue to make humanitarian and political gestures towards Ukraine.
PM Viktor Orbán added following talks with his Czech counterpart Andrej Babis that the gas purchase agreement Hungary signed with Russia earlier this week is a matter of Hungary’s sovereignty, and Ukraine has nothing to do with it. Answering a question, Orbán said
Hungary is a sovereign state and will purchase gas from whichever country it chooses.
“It is up to us alone to decide which route we use to bring this energy to Hungary,” he said, adding that in selecting the route the only criteria is that it should provide the greatest security.
Gergely Gulyás said on the government info that illegal migration to Hungary was eight times as high as in recent years, adding that border controls needed to be reinforced. On another subject, Gulyás said that the government supported that teachers’ wages should be raised, but added that a relevant decision had not been adopted. Concerning meals to students at school, Gulyás said that the government was working to ensure that their price should not be raised above inflation, and noted that most children from kindergarten throughout secondary school were receiving those meals free of charge.
Answering a question about an investigation into the finances of the Antall József Knowledge Centre, Gulyás said that though the centre had not violated the rules of law, some of its purchases were “unjustified” and certain payments it had made were “morally questionable”, therefore it would not be subsidised from public coffers in future. In another development, Gulyás said
Concerning the coronavirus situation, Gulyás said
he did not see “an urging demand” to lift restrictions
so that by-elections could be held, but added that it was “inconceivable” that next year’s parliamentary elections should be postponed because of a coronavirus-related emergency.
