After Putin invaded Ukraine, all EU countries cancelled all flights to and from Russia as part of the sanctions policy they introduced against the Kremlin. However, it seems a loophole will be opened in that system. And the key city in the new scheme will be Budapest.
Budapest will become the main EU transport hub to Russia?
According to telex.hu, it is not by chance that Air Serbia, Serbia’s national airline owned partly by the Serbian state and Etihad (United Arab Emirates), reestablished a connection between Budapest and Belgrade. The first aircraft is scheduled to take off in the Serbian capital on 13 March to Budapest, as we wrote in THIS article.
Furthermore, Air Serbia not only relaunches that flight, but will expand it to 17 per week in no time. Is there such an astonishingly high demand for travel between the two capitals otherwise connected by a not too crowded motorway? Probably not. Telex.hu at least has another solution.
Serbia did not join the EU sanctions against Russia. Therefore, their planes still commute between four Russian airports, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, and Belgrade. Not many airlines can do so. Their only competitor in the market is Turkish Airlines, operating flights to 36 Russian destinations. As a result, Istanbul and Belgrade became the main transport hubs of Russian tourists to Europe and foreign tourists and visitors to Russia.
And that is where Budapest Airport and Hungary may come into view. Telex believes that the reason behing the high number of Budapest-Belgrade flights is that they would like to open a window to Russia from the European Union. Air Serbia promoted its restart in the Hungarian capital with destinations like New York, Chicago, some popular Mediterranean holiday spots and some Chinese cities. They will be reachable for Hungarian travellers if they transfer in Belgrade.
However, in those relations, the Serbian airline has multiple competitors. Most are in a better position on the market than Air Serbia. Thus, Telex believes the reason might be creating an EU travel hub towards Russia in Budapest. As a result, EU citizens, including Hungarians, could travel to Russia from an EU country without any problems. Furthermore, Russian tourists could travel to Hungary, one of their favourite holiday destinations, with Air Serbia.
Air Serbia and Turkish Airlines have become Europe’s market leaders concerning Russian flights. Russia’s airlines cannot enter the airspace of most neighbouring countries. As a result, they cannot serve their citizens to travel to Hungary or anywhere else in the European Union. However, if they change flights in Belgrade, they may come to Hungary with just a one-hour-long additional flight and spend some time in their favourite baths. For example, in Hévíz.
Labour shortages and the growing demand for labour from new investments are driving the arrival of more and more guest workers in Hungary. In addition to Ukraine and Serbia, workers from 9 other third countries are already allowed to come under the new, relaxed rules.
More and more guest workers are employed in Hungary
24.hu asked temporary employment agencies about the employment of foreigners. According to Work Force, it is important to stress that foreign labour is needed mainly in shortage occupations where there are few domestic workers. The first to start using workers from third countries was in manufacturing and production. However, they expect that in the future they will be able to move into other jobs.
Trenkwalder does its utmost to ensure that foreign workers are seen by employers and their environment as seeking to thrive here. Just like Hungarians who go to work in Europe or other parts of the world. They therefore provide training to help newcomers. These initiatives will make it easier for the workers to settle in.
Temping agencies are expecting a boom this year. The main reason is that demand in the physical sector remains high and the labour shortage has not decreased in recent months. They mentioned that some of their partner companies have reported very positive news. They have reached production peaks with temporary workers in their second full week working there.
Foreign labour is essential
Prohuman estimates that today 80-100 thousand people are missing from the Hungarian labour market. For this reason, they see that the import of foreign labour will continue to be unavoidable. They say that labour shortages are so severe today that guest workers may be needed even in a recessionary environment.
The managing director of Prohuman, Csongor Juhász shared with 24.hu that they work for more than 800 clients in Hungary. On average, they employ 7,000 people in Hungary. In the domestic market, there are around 30-40 companies where Prohuman employees from outside the EU work. The exact figure is a trade secret, but it is in the thousands, he added.
How does this affect Hungarian workers?
Prohuman believes that the guest worker issue is also about keeping jobs for Hungarian workers. If a company is unable to solve its labour problems , it may decide to relocate production to another country. But then Hungarian workers will also have to look for other work.
We wrote earlier about several new destinations reachable from Budapest. Good news is that there is some progress concerning them, Budflyer, a Hungarian air travel news Facebook page, wrote. Furthermore, Air Serbia would like to make Budapest one of its most important European travel hubs providing North American, Middle-Eastern and African destinations.
Mongolia may become reachable from Budapest this year
According to Budflyer, a direct flight can be established between Hungary and Mongolia this year. Sandag Byambatsog, a member of the State Great Hural (the Mongolian parliament) and minister for transport development, wrote about the latest government session, during which the cabinet discussed options for air travel development. According to his statement, the Mongolian leadership would like to liberalise air transport and traffic. They would like to reestablish domestic trips and aim to make the Chinggis Khaan International Airport, also referred to as New Ulaanbaatar International Airport, an air travel hub.
Therefore, the cabinet would sign an air travel agreement with the Hungarian government. The statement of Mr Byambatsog did not talk about the airline that would commute between Ulaanbaatar and Budapest. It can be the Mongolian state airline, MIAT, or the Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air.
In the latter case, the start will need to wait until the arrival of the Hungarian budget airline’s brand-new A321XLR planes. That is because Wizz Air does not have suitable aircraft to serve the route without flight interruptions. Furthermore, the direct travel time between the two capitals is longer due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to the Facebook page of Egyptair, there will be “4 weekly flights from Budapest to Cairo starting from 26 March on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Budflyer wrote that the system of Wizz Air already has a route to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. However, the destination is reachable only from Abu Dhabi instead of Budapest. Thus, you can travel there only after a transfer in the second most populous city of the United Arab Emirates. The first flight will depart on 1 June.
Turizmus Online writes that the first direct flight of Air Serbia to Belgrade will take off from the Budapest international airport on 13 March (Monday). The frequency will gradually increase during spring. In May, there will be 17 flights from Budapest. As a result, you may reach 87 destinations from the Hungarian capital with a transfer in Serbia’s capital.
Bojan Arandjelović, the head of network planning and scheduling of Air Serbia, said they launched their first flight to New York before the pandemic. Now it commutes daily. By end-2023, they will have flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. He said that multiple exotic destinations would open up for passengers coming from Budapest, and the transfer time would be a maximum of 45 minutes, thanks to the size of their Belgrade HUB. Mr Arandjelović added they would serve Budapest with ATR 72-600 planes.
In the summer, they plan to launch new routes to, for example, Chicago, Tel-Aviv, Cairo, and several Italian, German, French and Mediterranean cities.
We interviewed Her Excellency Ambassador Gjeneza Budima, head of the Kosovan embassy in Hungary. During the interview she touched her possible Hungarian ancestors, Kosovan politics and history, the heritage of Hungarian national hero János Hunyadi, a future Budapest-Pristina flight, and the Hungarian attractions and dishes she would recommend for her friends.
Daily News Hungary (DNH): This year marks the 15th anniversary of Kosovo’s independence. What has the last 15 years been like?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: Last 15 years were full of hard work, reforms, state building processes, sacrifices, remarkable successes, but of course, there were also many disappointments and challenges! Kosova declared independence on 17 February 2008, after decade of talks and negotiations led by the UN and undoubtedly, after our liberation struggle, our just cause for self-determination and solidarity of the democratic world. In 2010, the International Court of Justice ruled that Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence did not violate international law or UNSC 1244.
Today, Kosova is the newest and youngest country in Europe, with 70% of the population under 35 years old. It is a progressive, pro-European and democratic state, recognised by majority, 117 of UN member states, by 22 out of 27 EU member states and by 26 out of 30 NATO member states. We are proof that democracy and economic development go hand in hand, with only last year’s 4% growth, exports +23%, foreign direct investments +47%. We keep improving our position in the Corruption Perceptions Index, the same for press freedom. We are in the first place in the Western Balkans for the rule of law.
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima. Photo: Kosovan embassy
Apart from yet having to apply for a visa to travel to most of European countries, our artists, film directors, athletes, writers, journalists keep making us proud by winning internationally recognised prices. As an example, our judoka Majlinda Kelmendi is one of the most accomplished judokas in the world. She won gold in the Rio Olympics in 2016, in what was a historic moment, since it was the first Olympics where Kosova participated as an independent country. Since then, our judokas brought home two more Olympics gold medals. As Dua Lipa, Kosova’s Honorary Ambassador said, “Give us a chance, and we will excel”.
DNH: And how has your career progressed since you came to Budapest as Head of Mission?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: I arrived in Budapest at the end of November 2021. I was lucky that the isolation caused by pandemic was ending, hence, I had the opportunity to immediately start my duties and join in the activities and in creating contacts and expanding our circle of friends and partners. So far, I am humbled with the progress and achievements in bringing our two countries even closer.
Photo: Kosovan embassy
Being posted to Budapest, for me as a carrier diplomat was a privilege and yet another opportunity to grow professionally and personally while exploring and learning from such a remarkable country and people. However, as this is my first posting as a Head of Mission, I can confirm that apart from the privilege and the honour that this position brings, it also brings much more responsibilities. Being a Head of Mission of a small Embassy, I am improving also my financial, procurement and office management skills. To sum up, for me Hungary will be the Mission closest to my heart, as it the first mission I am leading and it happens to be in a friendly and exceptional country Hungary! Might be a topic for yet another interview the coincidence that my family name means Budai, as my ancestors lived and worked in Buda sometimes by the end of the 19th century.
DNH: The ‘number plate’ issue have popped up in Hungarian media quite a few times recently. What exactly is it about?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: In 1999, when Kosova was liberated, majority of Serbs continued to have license plates of cars that were produced, issued and brought from Serbia. These license plates are an old legacy of the Milosevic regime, produced in Serbian to continue to be used only in Kosova. However, after talks in Brussels, finally, on 15 January 2018, Serbia no longer had to produce or issue such license plates, and at the same time, in September 2021, all deadlines for the use of such license plates and those of UNMIK – the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, have expired. So, since September of last year, even according to Serbia’s commitments to Brussels and the agreements, they no longer had to have these license plates. And no country, I assume not even Hungary, would accept it if a minority in the country drove with German or Serbian license plates for years.
The vast majority of Serbs in the north of our country have no problem with Kosovo license plates. A small group is instrumentalized from Belgrade. The armed people behind the barricades are not interested in human rights, but in territory. They want to protect the north of Kosovo as a lawless zone. We have destroyed six drug labs in the northern municipalities and cryptocurrency production labs that have taken advantage of the free electricity. Nobody pays electricity bills there.
Everyone, each and every citizen of Kosova, no matter of the ethnicity or any other difference, is equal and have the same rights and obligations towards the rule of law. Moreover, Serbs who agreed to convert their car plates to the legal ones were exempted from VAT, from customs and excise duty, amounting to around 5000 euros per car. We are on the side of the people, not of criminals and violators of laws or foreign regimes and interests.
Photo: Kosovan embassy
DNH: In recent years, both Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó have stressed that relations between Serbia and Hungary are at a historic high point. This certainly has an impact on relations between Kosovo and Hungary. How would you describe the relationship between the Orbán government and your government?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: Albanians and Hungarians share an ancient tradition of friendly and cordial relations, dating back to the time of the strategic partnership and alliance between our National Hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, and the Hungarian National Hero János Hunyadi. Beyond the historical aspect, the stability of Kosova is viewed as very important for Hungary. The European integration of Western Balkans is of an utmost interest for Hungary.
Hungary has helped and continues to help Kosovo in many processes. We are working and collaborating on many initiatives and projects of common interest. While Hungarian soldiers guarantee peace in Kosovo, we are grateful that our students are learning and receiving knowledge from the best Hungarian universities, and that we have a hard-working and well-integrated diaspora here. Strengthening and intensifying relations between the two countries is our commitment and mutual interest.
DNH: Not long ago, Foreign Minister Szijjártó stated that the Hungarian government would not support Kosovo’s admission to the Council of Europe. How did your government comment on this statement? Does your country still have a chance to be granted accession?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: We are counting on the support of our partners and friends so that the vote for our admission to the Council of Europe (CoE), takes place as soon as possible. And we have support for the membership, but we still have to go through some procedures.
In September 2022, the Secretariat of the CoE issued a legal interpretation on the application of the Republic of Kosovo, which clearly confirms that there is no legal obstacle to the membership of Kosova as a full member of the CoE.
Citizens of the democratic states of Europe have the undeniable right to access the instruments of the CoE, especially the European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg Court). Hence, other processes that are not the standards of the CoE cannot condition this right of the citizens of the most democratic state in the region, with extraordinary progress in the rule of law and justice reforms.
It is important to clarify that there are three stages of voting for a country’s membership in the CoE. In the first phase, the Committee of Ministers starts the membership procedure. In the second phase, the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) of the CoE sets relevant standards and gives the recommendation for membership. In the third stage, the Committee of Ministers decides after the opinion of the PACE.
The application of the Republic of Kosovo is in the first phase. Any possible conditionality at this stage would be against the Statute of the CoE, the membership practices and the values of the organization. The Government of the Republic of Kosovo is committed joining organizations from which all our citizens have benefits. The process of membership in the CoE is irreversible and we count on our partners and friends, including Hungary, to support us so the first phase of the process passes as soon as possible.
DNH: Is there any economic cooperation between the two countries? Can you mention any successful Hungarian companies operating in Kosovo?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: Although we still have to succeed in convincing big investors from Hungary to come to Kosova, there are already 58 Hungarian successful companies with a capital of 42 million euros. It is important that, 15 years since the independence, the positive trend of export-import growth between Kosovo and Hungary continues even today. We are very positive that this year, the volume of trade may set a historical record and exceed one hundred million euros. Last year the volume of bilateral trade increased to 96.1 million euros.
My country is very much committed to deepen bilateral trade relations with Hungary. I am thrilled that on 2nd and 3rd February, here in Budapest, the second session of Kosovo-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Development took place, 5 years since the first Session held in Prishtina, in 2017. A new protocol of cooperation is signed with important steps and projects to be taken for increasing not only trade exchanges, but also collaboration in many sectors of mutual interest. Important that on the margins of JEC Session, HEPA, with assistance of their sister agency Kosova Investment and Enterprise Support Agency organized a Business Forum with B2B meetings, with 40 Hungarian and 15 Kosovar companies participating, what reflects the intention to strengthen cooperation. A new MoU between KIESA and HEPA was signed too and I am very positive that we will soon have concrete results of such collaboration.
DNH: One of the keys to closer cooperation between the two countries is direct flights between the two capitals. Can we hope that there will soon be a direct Budapest-Pristina flight?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: In the past two years Prishtina International Airport has had one of the best performances in the region, and year by year is having an exponential growth. Last year, the number of passengers reached around 3 million according to my information. In parallel to this growth and the Government’s interest to expand the network and flow of the flights from and to Kosova, there are concrete plans and steps being taken to increase number of flights and number of new destinations as well (last year in the season a new destination was introduced to Warsaw from Prishtina). I believe that soon we can see developments in this area, including here with Budapest as well.
DNH: It is worth to note that a series of events is planned in Hungary this year to mark the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Hungary. Could you list the major events?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: Hungary is one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kosova on 19 March 2008, for what people of my country will forever be grateful. Diplomatic relations were officially established on 27 June 2008, while the Embassy of Kosovo in Budapest began work in March 2010.
We started this festive year with a premiere screening in Budapest of Sundance Triple Award-Winner and Oscar shortlisted movie HIVE. It was a great honour to cooperate, for the first time, with Urania National Film Theatre, and bring this moving and inspiring true story to the Hungarian movie enthusiasts.
We will continue our festivities with a reception for the Independence Day for our Hungarian friends and colleagues, and yet another for our diaspora and students. We will also celebrate the establishment of first ever twining cities partnership between a city of Kosova and a city of Hungary. Moreover, also for the first time, we will have a movie shown as part of the Francophone Film Days in Budapest.
We plan in participating in various cultural and trade fairs and festivals through the year, as well as organizing a couple of cultural activities open to public with the aim to bring the 15 years old Kosova’s achievements and progresses to the Hungarian public in a sign of gratitude for their friendship and support.
DNH: What are the unique touristic highlights of Kosovo that only exist there? (atmosphere, gastronomy, prime tourist spots etc)?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: Kosova does not have a coast, same as Hungary, hence it took her some time, apart from being rebuild after the war, to get its deserved place as a country very much worth of the visit. Nowadays, prestigious magazines, such as National Geographic, highlight its natural wonders, rich and diverse cultural heritage, traditions, gastronomy and the unique yet ancient generous hospitality as per the old-age adage that “the house of the Albanian belongs to
God, the guest, and the master of the house”.
However, being the country with youngest population in Europe, it is the youth, their energy, creativity, easy to communicate with in various foreign languages, what impresses the tourist visiting Kosova the most. Then, as reviewed by visitors, Kosova is considered a country where one can have the best macchiato in the world, that’s maybe the coffee culture is very old or it has to do that many baristas have university degrees. Being myself from the western part of Kosova, one cannot not mention here also the natural and unique Rugova Canyon, 25km long and 1000m deep, considered one of Europe’s longest and deepest canyons.
DNH: I am sure you already know Hungary well. What would you tell your friends in Kosovo about Hungarians and Hungary’s attractions?
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: I can say that during my first year here, I did bike between cities, villages and around lakes, walked a lot and climbed some hills. During all these travels and encounters, I can say that the people are the richness of the country, with their politeness and modesty make you feel welcomed everywhere you go. When we add to this the culture, traditions, architecture and yes, thermal baths, Hungary indeed is a great place to be.
To be very frank with you, many of my friends and family members have seen and enjoyed visiting Hungary before me, hence I learned a lot from them and I was so much looking forward to discover it myself. Kosova and Hungary are very close, geographically, historically and traditionally, and I wish this friendship will get even stronger and we will have even more Hungarians visiting Kosova and visa versa!
DNH: In terms of gastronomy, there are certainly a number of similar dishes in both countries. What are they? And what Hungarian delicacy have you tasted here that people in Kosovo would appreciate too.
H. E. Ambassador Gjeneza Budima: Oh yes, I can confirm that if you go to Kosova you will find very similar dishes to Gulyás like Gjyveq, and many rich meat dishes common to your gastronomy. Pickled vegetables like cucumbers, peppers and cabbage are a side dish that are part of our everyday meals too.
Photo: Kosovan embassy
Hungarian delicacy? Kürtőskalácsit is! Whoever brings Kürtőskalács to Kosova will have a guaranteed success. I just cannot resist it whenever I walk around the city streets. Its smell and taste, together with its history and tradition would be a highly appreciated by everyone in Kosova. Let’s bring Kürtőskalács to Kosova! And I would not be surprised to have it next time I am back home as the country is so vibrant and developing with such a speed that every time I go back there is something new to explore!
As the summer season approaches, more and more airlines announce that they would like to return to the Hungarian capital. Thanks to a destination network extension, Air Serbia decided to create a new home at Hungary’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport near Budapest. They will operate 15-17 flights and open almost 100 destinations for the passengers boarding their planes in Budapest.
According to turizmus.com, Air Serbia is reestablishing its Budapest-Belgrade direct flight from 13 March. The first plane will come from the Serbian capital that day. Afterwards, the airline plans to operate 15-17 flights between the two capitals. That will mean that they will open almost 100 destinations reachable from Belgrade after transfer.
That is good news because Air Serbia’s network includes even New York and Chicago in the United States. Furthermore, you will be able to travel from Budapest with one transfer in Belgrade to several European destinations like Tivat and Podgorica in Montenegro, Tirana in Albania, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca in Spain. Moreover, there are Rome, Milan, Naples, Florence and Palermo in Italy, and Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece.
Before, Air Serbia operated direct flights between Belgrade and Budapest between 2014 and 2016. HERE you can already book your ticket. Based on a December post shared on the official Facebook site of the Budapest Airport, the airlines will operate three flights each day.
According to exyuaviation.com, Air Serbia not only opens new destinations. It will also grow frequency in some of its existing routes from 26 March. Based on the website’s information, the carrier will increase the number of flights to Zagreb, Skopje, Tirana, Pula, Larnaca, Barcelona, Rome, Vienna, Prague, Bologna, Madrid and Düsseldorf.
“A number of destinations will now have the same number of frequencies or exceed the number of flights which were operated during the pre-pandemic 2019 summer season. The frequency growth will complement the airline’s plans to inaugurate 22 new routes over the coming months”, they wrote.
The European Union’s migration policy has failed, a state secretary of the interior ministry said on Wednesday, greeting a contingent of policemen leaving to relieve colleagues working in border protection in Serbia.
Bence Rétvári said 30 Hungarian policemen were leaving for Serbia on Thursday, as part of the cooperation between Austria, Hungary and Serbia, to cooperate with local authorities there. “Putting defence lines as south as possible” eases the pressure on the policemen working at the Hungarian-Serbian border, he said.
Hungarian authorities thwarted 270,000 illegal entry attempts last year, twice as many as in 2021, he said.
The EU’s policy to “allow everyone in and then decide whether they are in the EU legally” has failed, he said. Less than 10 percent of those expelled from the EU return to their homeland, he said.
Despite the Ukraine war’s dramatic effect on the security of energy supplies, Hungary and Serbia “have helped each other preserve their energy security within friendly and strategic cooperation and will continue to do so in the future”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Belgrade on Tuesday.
The war has seriously harmed both countries, and “both Hungary and Serbia are interested in achieving peace as soon as possible,” Szijjártó said. “We regret that the rhetoric of war is far louder than the voice of peace and regret that a number of decisions and statements are currently made that pose a risk of prolonging and possibly escalating the war,” he added. At talks with Dubravka Djedovic, Serbia’s mining and energy minister, the ministers councluded that their countries had successfully coped with issues around energy supplies “in an extremely uncertain environment of energy supplies impacted by the war and related sanctions”.
Szijjártó said Serbia was a “fair partner in terms of imported gas transits”, adding that Hungary had received 4.8 billion cubic metres of gas last year via the Turkish Stream pipeline crossing Serbia. At the same time, Hungary stored 300 million cubic metres of gas in its facilities for Serbia and is ready to extend last year’s agreement and store another 500 million cubic metres in 2023, he added.
According to Szijjártó, the “most realistic scenario” for achieving long-term energy security through diversification of supplies was to import larger amounts of gas from Azerbaijan, which, in turn, required major infrastructural developments such as further pipelines and interconnectors in the region. He welcomed the upcoming completion of an interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria, and also announced that negotiations on a long-term gas purchase agreement with Azerbaijan were at an advanced stage. Gas from Azerbaijan could reach Hungary via Turkiye and Bulgaria and then via Romania or Serbia, he added.
A current project aimed at doubling the capacity of electric links between Serbia and Hungary is being implemented on schedule, Szijjártó said, adding that it would also contribute to the security of power supplies for both countries.
The Serbian minister highlighted the “excellent cooperation” between her country and Hungary on the Balkan Stream gas pipeline construction, which ensures secure supplies to both countries.
Violence broke out between two armed migrant groups near the Hungarian-Serbian border, close to Zombor. Zombor is a small town of almost 50 thousand residents, including amost 3,000 Hungarians. The incident happened on a bridge on the Bácska Great Canal (Bácskai Nagycsatorna) and left one dead. Media reports talk about ten partakers in the shootout.
Serbian media wrote about vendetta between two migrant groups on the Serbian side of the Hungarian-Serbian border. One of them died, while three illegal migrants were taken to hospital, Magyar Szó wrote. There are a lot of migrants stuck in North Serbia, close to the Hungarian border. They would like to enter the EU through Hungary, but Budapest built a fence in 2015 and 2016, so they cannot trespass. Therefore, they live in North Serbian cities and villages, many populated by indigenous Hungarian communities.
Hungarian government official slams the new Frontex head
Remarks by Hans Leijtens, the new head of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, about the tasks of the agency “are dangerous” because they suggest that instead of protecting Europe’s borders, he wants to focus on providing legal services to illegal migrants, an interior ministry official said.
Bence Rétvári said after a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Stockholm that illegal migration was among the topics discussed, and Hungary maintained the view that instead of opening up Europe, its borders must be protected.
Rétvári said Leijtens’ remarks were “very dangerous” because he “expressly attacked the notion of turning back illegal migrants at the borders”. Speaking as if Frontex were an immigration agency, the new leader considers it most important to work together with NGOs, and help illegal migrants, informing them about their rights, he added.
Hungary is protecting its southern borders
“It is totally absurd that those originally placed at the border to protect it are not actually protecting the border, turning back people who want to cross it illegally over the green border, but providing legal assistance with entering the country,” he said. Hungary is protecting its southern borders, and together with Austria and Serbia, it also maintains a presence at the southern border of Serbia, he said.
Rétvári also said it was “perverse” that Frontex had a Dutch leader, because the Netherlands had no land border affected by migration. The new leader of the border protection agency should come from a country that is closer to a migration route, he added.
He said another topic discussed at the meeting was deportation. When people staying illegally in the European Union are deported to the Western Balkans, the success of deportation is usually below 50 percent; if they are deported to Asia, then the success rate is only 5-8 percent. “This also shows that deportation is not an effective method for stopping illegal migration”, he added.
The number of lorries entering Hungary from Serbia at the Röszke border station was up by 23 percent between 2019 and 2022, while Tompa station saw an increase of 55 percent, the customs and border control authority said in a statement on Monday.
According to the statement, a daily 459 vehicles crossed into Hungary at Röszke in 2022, and 344 at Tompa.
Leaders of the authority met their Serbian counterparts last week to review a 2020 agreement, aimed at increasing border traffic between the two countries. They reinforced both countries’ commitment to further increase the capacity of border stations through bilateral cooperation. They also decided to set up a team of experts, scheduled to meet in Budapest in April.
Hungary and Serbia are directly and severely affected by the war in Ukraine and illegal migration, and they both have an interest in the armed conflict ending as soon as possible, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after meeting his Serbian counterpart on Tuesday.
Serbia’s Ivica Dacic returned
Few other countries in Europe are affected by the two simultaneous security challenges to such an extent, the ministry said, citing Szijjártó, who addressed a joint press conference with Ivica Dacic. “The prologation of the war and its possible escalation pose severe risks for both countries,” he added.
Neither Hungarians nor Serbs are responsible for the war, but both nations are paying its price, he said. “We understand that it does not appear such a severe issue from hundreds or thousands of kilometres away, but those that cause an extension or escalation of the war act against our national interests,” Szijjártó added.
He said both countries profited greatly from bilateral cooperation, as demonstrated by the record-high 75 percent increase in Hungary-Serbia trade last year.
“The pledge to Hungary’s energy security” currently lies with Serbia, he said, with the TurkStream the only east-west gas pipeline on the continent which operates at 100 percent capacity, he said. Last year, 4.8 billion cubic metres of natural gas came to Hungary from Serbia, nearly half of total consumption, and some 438 million cubic metres flowed in the other direction, he added.
Hungary is ready to carry out new infrastructure developments towards enhancing the security of Serbia’s crude oil supplies, and the sides will double the capacity of electricity links between the two countries within five years, he said.
In response to a question concerning turmoil between Serbia and Kosovo, Szijjártó said Hungary had an interest in a peaceful solution and compromise through dialogue. Accepting Kosovo into various European organisations prematurely would destabilise the path towards achieving a compromise, so the government will vote against Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe if a vote is held on it, he added.
Archaeologists found traces of an antique Sarmatian village under a segment of the Belgrade-Budapest railway before its construction started. The village is close to Kishegyes, a small town of approximately 5,000 residents, almost 90 percent of which are Hungarians.
Balázs Szűcs, the director of the Szabadka Cultural Heritage Institution, highlighted that they knew where they had to search for the village thanks to examinations conducted with modern equipment. Therefore, they expected that there would be something under the construction sites.
Now it is clear that an antique Sarmatian village existed near Kishegyes. He added that they do not regularly do excavations during the winter period. Currently, it was urgent to help the construction project continue. Thanks to the mild weather, they could carry out the work easier.
They removed the upper layer of the soil. Drone images show the shape of the antique buildings, ditches, and ovens the Sarmatians built between AD 1st and 5th centuries. They will be able to say precise data in the project’s second phase when they dig everything out, analyse and organise them systematically. Finally, of course, they will be exhibited.
Here are some photos about the sensational discovery from the Facebook page of the mayor of Kishegyes, István Sárközi:
The mayor said in his post that archaeologists expect Sarmatian and early-medieval findings in a territory that is almost 10 thousand square metres.
The Sarmatians were nomadic people, arriving to the Carpathian Basin in AD 1st century. There they settled down and merged with other peoples during the following centuries.
The protection of the Hungary-Serbia border also serves the protection of Europe, President Katalin Novák said after inspecting Hungary’s southern border with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and former Czech prime minister Andrej Babis on Thursday.
The border is a symbol of sovereignty “which guarantees our ability to preserve our security”, Novák told a press conference in Kelebia.
In order for Europe to remain “an island of peace” in the long run, a distinction must be made between illegal immigrants and refugees, Novák said. Hungary takes in the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine and helps them in every way it can, she said, noting that more than a million people have been admitted since the start of the conflict.
But Hungary has been taking the firmest possible action against illegal immigration “from the very first moment”, Novák said. Migration pressure is rising, she added, noting that 261,000 migrants had attempted to enter Hungary illegally so far this year, which was twice as many as last year.
Novák said there was a growing number of human smugglers and those that want to cross the border illegally are more aggressive than ever before. Attacks against border patrols have become frequent, she added.
Some 90 percent of border violators arrive from the direction of Serbia which makes the two countries’ cooperation in protecting the borders especially important, she said. Hungary and Serbia also act together against illegal migration at the border between North Macedonia and Serbia, she added.
Babis said that illegal migration was organised by human smugglers who collect billions of euros from those that flee their countries and are encouraged to leave their home with promises of a better life.
Vucic said Serbia had introduced two measures against illegal migration. In line with an EU request, it stopped the issuance of visas for the citizens of four countries, and strengthened the protection of borders with North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
In response to a question, Novák said it was not in Europe’s interest to keep Romania and Bulgaria outside the Schengen area. “This is also connected with migration because external borders are easier to protect if they are closer to the countries of origin,” she added.
In response to another question, Novák said the war in Ukraine posed a serious challenge to Europe and a great part of the world. In addition to the direct effects of the war, challenges include inflation, economic difficulties and hitches in energy supply, she said.
One of the solutions is to strengthen Europe’s energy independence, she said, adding that leaders who are able to effectively handle economic difficulties were needed.
Novák said she agreed with a journalist’s suggestion that stronger police presence was needed along the Hungarian-Serbian border.
Budapest Airport is one of the most popular travel hubs in Central Europe since many tourists come to the Hungarian capital, even during the winter. Of course, Hungary can offer a lot to foreigners even when the temperatures are around 0 °C, from its historic baths to the excellent cafés and pubs of the downtown. Thus, it is not surprising that new flights will connect Budapest with the rest of Europe, and even an airline will return to the Liszt Ferenc International Airport.
Budapest-Cluj Napoca (Kolozsvár) flight to commute again from mid-December
The newly-founded Hungarian regional airline, Aeroexpress, will restart its flights between Budapest and Cluj Napoca (Kolozsvár in Transylvania, Romania) between 16 December and 15 February. The planes will depart on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The operator of these will be the Hungarian-owned BASe Airlines, a co-owner of Aeroexpress.
Furthermore, according to plans, flights between Budapest and Debrecen, Budapest and Targu Mures (Marosvásárhely, Transylvania, Romania) will restart next spring. Moreover, they plan to launch flights to other cities in the Carpathian Basin and establish a regional travel network in the Carpathian Basin and Central Europe. Therefore, they are in talks with the operators of the big Hungarian and Transylvanian airports.
Air Serbia to return to Budapest, making even the USA accessible
From 13 March next year, Air Serbia will again operate flights between Budapest and Belgrade, up to three times a day. The total number of plane pairs commuting between the two capital will be 17 per week, airportal.hu said. The carrier offers connections to nearly 100 cities from Belgrade, making Spain, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and even America easily accessible. You can book tickets on Air Serbia’s website HERE.
Air Serbia launched its first flight to the USA in 2015 between Belgrade and New York-JFK. From 17 May, it offers flights to Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Uniquely in Europe, the airline travels to Tianjin, China, airportal.hu wrote.
Budapest Airport awarded Family-friendly Venue Certification mark
Budapest Airport has introduced numerous family-friendly services for parents with young children and the youngest passengers, whereby it has earned the certification. These developments include six nursing rooms, two kids’ play areas, four stroller storage units, 12 free strollers, and 13 water fountains available at the airport.
The airport operator is constantly monitoring passengers’ needs and expanding its services accordingly, to make the journey even more convenient and enjoyable, for young and old alike, Budapest Airport wrote on their Facebook page.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Tuesday that Hungary has a vested interest in the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the European Union as soon as possible.
In a video posted on Facebook ahead of a EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, Orbán said he would represent a “firm and strong position” as regards the Western Balkan countries’ EU integration.
Their integration is for Hungary essential in terms of the country’s security because “we can close off the migration route entirely only with Serbia’s help” and in terms of its energy security because “Hungarian families and businesses receive gas from the south, via the Balkans and Serbia”, he said.
“Serbia and the Western Balkans could serve as a gate for cheap energy coming to central Europe from the south, and this could ensure the energy independence of Hungary and the entire region,” said Orbán.
“The time has come, and this is what we are going to press for. Let’s not hesitate any longer! It is time for the EU to include Serbia and the other Western Balkan countries among its members,” the Hungarian prime minister said.
In Serbia, 600 illegal migrants were discovered near the Hungarian border last Friday after a shooting in the Serbian town of Horgos, close to Hungary.
The incident happened in the early hours of the morning in a northern Serbian town and one man was shot dead, Reuters reports.
Authorities have received reports of migrants in the streets shooting at each other. Two migrant groups opened fire on each other on the streets of Horgos, video HERE. Authorities started searching for the shooters and eventually found six migrants, one of whom was in his 20s and lying with two gunshot wounds in his chest.
During the police operation, they eventually found around 600 migrants in the area, including weapons and some of those involved in the shooting.
The Western Balkan route, which passes through Turkey, Bulgaria, northern Macedonia and Serbia, remains the main migration route into the European Union, the border agency Frontex said in September. Many migrants cross borders through a complex, sometimes armed, network of smugglers. Last week, Serbia agreed with Hungary and Austria to set up more joint border patrols and coordinate its visa policy with EU policy to stem the flow of illegal migrants westwards through the Western Balkans.
Two migrant groups opened fire on each other on the streets of Horgos, a Hungarian town a couple of hundred metres south of the Hungarian-Serbian border. One of the migrants was hit on his chest, so the ambulance transferred him to the local hospital.
The violent events unfolded yesterday evening in the small Hungarian town of Horgos in Serbia. However, the armed conflict lasted until late at night, terrorizing the peaceful local community.
As surveillance camera footages show, hooded men armed with machine guns marched on Béla Bartók Street minutes before 6 PM, szmo.hu said.
In another video uploaded to a local Facebook group, you may hear the shootout. Below, you may watch the almost 1-minute-long footage taken from a bike or a motorcycle. There are multiple shots and a group of running men on it. Shockingly, the shootout happened near a kindergarten, which was, of course, closed in the evening.
Pannon RTV in Szabadka, the cultural and economic centre of the Hungarians living in Serbia, said a bloody vendetta happened between two migrant groups. The shootout started after sunset on Thursday.
A man in his twenties was shot in the chest during combat. Therefore, an ambulance transferred him to the hospital. The Serbian police reestablished order on the streets of Horgos by late at night, the TV channel added.
Here is another video of the shootout:
Based on local news, police officers and agents of the interior ministry are transferring the migrants taking part in the armed conflict today. According to local news outlets, police arrested more than 600 illegal migrants and even the interior minister arrived to Horgos today.
Here is a video about what the police do:
After a border fence was built on the Hungarian-Serbian border in 2015-2016, migrants cannot get through to enter Hungary (and the European Union). Therefore, large groups are stuck in the Northern regions of Serbia, and this was not the first time they were involved in brutal armed conflicts. We reported about the last similar case this July.
Horgos had a population of 5709 in 2011. 5302 of them (83.82%) were Hungarians. That is why we wrote Horgos is a Hungarian town which happens to be in Serbia.
Fidesz MEPs and Olivér Várhelyi, the commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, have called for the enlargement of the European Union as a key measure to ensure the bloc’s security.
Fidesz MEP Kinga Gál told the European Parliament’s plenary session that strategic enlargement on the Western Balkans was vital to long-term energy security and to handling the migration crisis. “The politicised tightening of conditions to EU integration is sending the wrong message, and may sway candidate countries like Serbia,” she said.
Meanwhile, she welcomed an agreement between Austria, Bulgaria and Hungary last week on turning illegal migrants back from the external borders. Gál also slammed the proposal to scrap the condition of unanimity in EU decision-making, saying it would severely infringe on the sovereignty of smaller states.
Fidesz MEP Andor Deli said the EU “can’t afford to put off the integration of the Western Balkans any longer.” He insisted the European Parliament’s decisions had contributed to weakening the EU’s influence in the region. The EU will not increase trust and influence by making conditions to integration stricter, he said. The conditionality mechanism, which links EU funding to adherence to the rule of law, “is based on faulty logic” and should not be extended to new cases for accession, he said.
“Serbia and other Western Balkans countries need genuine support and an accession date, rather than EP decisions like this one,” he said. The decisions before the body will hamper rather than aid enlargement and the EC’s work, he said.
Várhelyi called enlargement the “most effective tool of EU foreign policy, a key contributor to the continent’s security.” EU unity and good relations with neighbours are indispensable in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he said. The bloc’s enlargement strategy should be adapted to the situation, and allow accession to proceed if the candidate countries are fulfilling requirements, he said.
As we reported yesterday, PM Viktor Orbán wore a Greater Hungary scarf on Sunday’s Hungary-Greece friendly football match. The scarf depicts the silhouette of the borders of the Hungarian Kingdom, and neighbouring countries reacted harshly to what happened. Here is what the Slovaks and the Austrians said.
But why did Orbán wear such a provoking scarf? We do not know. But the fact is that he uploaded a video on his official Facebook page of the meeting with Balázs Dzsudzsák (whose last professional match was on Sunday against Greece) in the VIP lounge after the match wearing the scarf is questionable.
Of course, some neighbouring countries reacted quickly. First was the Romanian foreign ministry condemning the act. The second was Croatia, where the president said it was laughable and Hungary was the best neighbour of his country. Meanwhile, Ukraine summoned the Hungarian ambassador to Kyiv. Furthermore, Ukraine is waiting for an official apology from Hungary, Dmytro Kuleba, the country’s foreign minister, added.
The Slovak and Austrian reactions came later yesterday. A spokesperson from the Austrian foreign ministry shrugged the issue off with a joke. “A quick glance at historical maps in the Viennese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed initial suspicions, according to which Transleithania (the Kingdom of Hungary) ceased to exist around 100 years ago,” politico.eu quoted him. “We will inform our Hungarian neighbours of this development at the earliest opportunity” he added.
However, the Slovaks were not in a humorous mood. Rastislav Káčer, the Slovak foreign minister, said the Hungarians living in Slovakia were at home and were citizens of the country. But irredentism and revisionism had no place in Slovak-Hungarian relations. He referred to the ongoing war in Ukraine and highlighted where such feelings might lead. He said the prime minister’s behaviour was disgusting, 444.hu said.
Andrej Stančík (OľaNO), Slovakia’s foreign secretary, also referred to Russia’s war in Ukraine and talked about the independence of Slovakia. He added he could not imagine why Orbán picked this particular neckwear. The Slovak vice president of the European Parliament, Michal Šimečka, said such scarves deny the existence of Slovakia. Therefore, they were dangerous symbols.
The Czech foreign secretary, Jan Lipovsky, talked about provocation and expressed their understanding towards their Slovak friends in the issue.
Viktor Orbán tried to cut the story short with three short sentences he wrote on his Facebook page. He said that football was not politics and that the national team was the team of all Hungarians living all around the world. The prime minister will travel to Kassa (Kosice, Slovakia) on Thursday for a Visegrád Four summit, where he will probably have to explain the issue.
Interestingly, Serbia has not reacted yet on the issue despite having a Hungarian community of more than 200 thousand souls thanks to the Trianon and Paris treaties. Orbán said on Sunday that their football team would win the UEFA championships in Qatar. Maybe that is why Belgrade chose to remain silent on the matter.
