Hungarian government official: Hungary helps victims of the war
State secretary Tristan Azbej represented the Hungarian government at a meeting of development ministers of the European Union held in Stockholm on Wednesday and Thursday, the foreign ministry said.
The meeting focused on global health issues, the war in Ukraine and reconstruction efforts as well as a reform of multilateral banks, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
At the meeting, Azbej talked about Hungary’s humanitarian programme to help victims of the war, and said the Hungarian government “continues in its commitment to the Ukrainian people suffering from aggression”. Hungary urges an immediate ceasefire and peace talks, he added.
Participating in international development cooperation is a priority for the government, the official said, adding that Hungary had tripled its contribution to development initiatives in the past decade. The government also maintains its position to stop migration and is against any measures further boosting migratory trends, he said.
Defence minister in Sweden and Finland: Hungary deserves more respect!
Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky attended a meeting of EU defence ministers in Stockholm and held bilateral talks with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts on Wednesday.
Earlier, government communications had said that a so-called parliamentary delegation (in fact, only Fidesz politicians) would travel to Sweden and Finland to discuss the accession of the two candidates to NATO, Népszava writes. It seems that the Orbán government wanted to address someone at government level, and sent Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on a trip to Stockholm and Helsinki.
In his address at the meeting focusing on the Ukraine war, Szalay-Bobrovniczky reiterated the position that Hungary would not send weapons or ammunition that could lead to the escalation of the conflict, according to a statement by the defence ministry.
Another topic discussed at the meeting was the development of the defence industry. Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted the Hungarian government’s measures aimed at reviving the sector and integrating it with Europe’s defence industry.
At his talks with Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson and Finland’s Antti Kaikkonen, Szalay-Bobrovniczky reassured his partners of Hungary’s standing support to the two countries’ NATO accession. He added, however, that “over the past couple of years, politicians of the two countries made false accusations against my country which is regretful.”
“Hungary deserves more respect, therefore we would like to engage in a political dialogue as partners and allies cooperating on a basis of mutual trust in future once the ratification process is concluded,” the minister was quoted as saying.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky also held talks with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. They discussed Hungary’s role in the UN’s peace-keeping missions and explored the possibility of Hungary’s participation in further international missions, the ministry said.
Read alsoDiscovery in Hungary provides evidence for world’s first horse riders
Swedish newspaper: PM Orbán acts like a gangster
The Hungarian governing parties’ parliamentary delegation arrived in Sweden on Monday. Earlier to that date, Fidesz and KNDP MPs expressed serious doubts regarding Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession. The two Nordic countries “spread lies” about Hungary, the government parties believe. Now, they want to discuss those aforementioned allegations in Stockholm and Helsinki, but a Swedish newspaper already labeled Orbán a gangster.
Orbán is a gangster for claiming respect?
According to 444.hu, the parliamentary delegation of the governing parties is led by Zsolt Németh, the head of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee. He is a well-known ‘Atlantist’ and an old member of Fidesz. He told TT news agency they deserved more respect, 444.hu wrote.
Here is his Facebook post following the bilateral talks with the Swedish MPs. He said the Swedish parliament would create a Hungarian friendship group. He also highlighted the importance of mutual respect:
The Swedish Aftonbladet wrote that the Swedish politicians should not be as conciliatory as they were with Türkiye because that attitude only encouraged President Erdoğan to claim more. They added that the Hungarian government expects to respect instead of earning it, like a gangster. They also called PM Orbán Putin’s friend. Aftonbladet also wrote about the smear campaigns launched by the Hungarian government and the occupation of universities, media, and courts.
Finland and Sweden submitted their bid after Russia began the invasion of Ukraine. All member states accepted and ratified that except for Türkiye and Hungary.
Hungary supporting least developed countries
Hungary is ready to continue taking a fair share in supporting the world’s least developed countries to strengthen their stability and prevent future waves of migration, the foreign minister said in Qatar on Tuesday. Péter Szijjártó told a UN conference in Doha that the negative effects of the war in neighbouring Ukraine directly affected Hungary, the ministry said in a statement. Though regional, the war’s consequences are felt around the world, he added.
He said the war highlighted the fragility of the existing international system, with serious challenges appearing in global food and energy supplies which could lead to security risks. “Food shortages and increasing energy prices could lead to serious security risks in countries that have a low level of development and lack stability,” he said. This could easily lead to the spread of extreme ideologies and a growing sense of danger, which are among the main triggers of mass illegal migration, he said. Europe faces serious security risks from the east, and under such conditions, it would barely handle a challenge from the south in the form of increased illegal migration, he added.
Aid, water management, universities
“In the light of the war in Ukraine, it is more important than ever to support the least developed countries to prevent further mass waves of illegal migration,” he said. Hungary is ready to maintain its contribution to these efforts and support all UN and European Union initiatives aiming to increase support for the affected countries with a view to enhancing their stability, Szijjártó said. He cited among past government measures a 760 million US dollar credit line by Eximbank to the least developed countries in order to promote cooperation.
Additionally, 250 million dollars-worth of aid credit has been announced to improve the situation in water management, health care and food security, he said. The coronavirus pandemic has posed a huge challenge to poorer countries, and Hungary has contributed 1.7 million doses of vaccine to help protect the globe, he said. Considering that vaccine stocks are still abundant, Hungary is ready to increase this contribution, he added. He also highlighted the fact that 715 scholarships are offered in Hungary’s higher education for students from the world’s least developed countries. With 9,992 applications submitted this year, this number could be increased, he said.
Additionally, Hungary has supported Christian communities in the affected countries with around 8 million US dollars through 65 projects, he said. “As a country with one thousand years of Christian statehood, we feel responsibility for Christian communities in need around the world,” he added.
Message from Brussels: Orbán should be deprived of his voting rights
MEP Guy Verhofstadt has lashed out at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Twitter.
The Hungarian news site Index spotted the MEP and former Belgian Prime Minister’s harsh reaction to a Politico article on Social Media.
Verhofstadt’s outburst
Verhofstadt posted a screenshot on Twitter of Politico’s article “Hungary’s Viktor Orbán plays spoilsport on NATO accession for Finland, Sweden”. The picture includes the title and subtitle of the article. Although the title is relatively strong, the subtitle might cool tempers a bit, stating “Hungarian parliament set to open debate on Nordic countries’ bid to join military alliance.”
The Belgian MEP furiously added the following comment:
How long we going to tolerate Orbán’s obstruction in EU, NATO and beyond ?
Let’s strip him of his voting rights as foreseen in the treaties ! pic.twitter.com/431aUaw1J9
— Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) March 1, 2023
Hungary as Europe’s troublemaker
According to the article shared by the MEP, Hungary has gained a reputation as Europe’s troublemaker. The author goes on to add that this reputation has now been further strengthened by the inability to decide on the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO.
As we reported recently, the Hungarian parliament was due to hold a final vote on the ratification of the accession in early March. However, the vote has been postponed and now is planned to take place in the second half of March.
As Politico recalls, only Türkiye and Hungary are holding back ratification. As they write, Türkiye currently refuses to ratify the countries’ accession, claiming “that Stockholm is harboring Kurdish militants.” Hungary, meanwhile, is awaiting parliamentary approval. According to the article, Hungary, just like Türkiye, is stalling for time.
Politico has a good reason to draw a parallel between the leadership of the two countries. The Hungarian government is also holding back the vote because of its own grievances. According to the government, they have received false criticism several times from both Sweden and Finland over the past few years.
Nevertheless, Orbán recently noted that he personally is in favour of accession. But, according to him, many in his caucus do not support the ratification.
Although negotiations in the Hungarian parliament started on Wednesday this week, the vote is still a few weeks away.
Hungarian President: Now Sweden and Finland joining NATO is justified
Sweden and Finland joining NATO is “justified” in the current situation, President Katalin Novák said on Wednesday. “My position is clear-cut…” she said.
Parliament is debating the matter on Wednesday. Novák wrote on Facebook (original quote in English): “Some believe this is an easy, technical question. It is not. It is a complex decision, with serious consequences, so careful consideration is necessary. My position is clear-cut: in the present situation, the accession of Sweden and Finland is justified. I trust the National Assembly will make a wise decision as soon as possible,” Novák said.
Read alsoUkraine says Hungary supports the break-up of the Ukrainian nation
Sweden and Finland NATO accession: whose interests does Orbán represent?
After Sweden and Finland requested to join NATO, among the members, only Türkiye and Hungary did not ratify the membership of the two applicant countries. However, according to the Finnish Defence Minister, he has recently received a promise that Hungary would not hinder their accession plans. Furthermore, the Hungarian prime minister already stated that he had asked the parliamentary group to ratify the accession of the two countries.
However, the Hungarian parliament has now postponed the final vote, which was scheduled to be held in early March, Index reports.
The government’s explanation
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, partly blamed the EU last November for the failure to ratify the accession of the two countries, Index recalls. As he said at the time, he believed that the EU wanted to decide on this issue too hastily.
Since then, as it has recently become clear, the decision is still not easy for Hungary. In response to a question from Index a few days ago, Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, said that the Hungarian government had been subjected to a series of false criticisms from Sweden and Finland in recent years. To settle the differences, Hungary is sending delegations to both countries. According to him, once the differences have been settled, the vote on ratification will probably take place in the second half of March.
Whose real interest is the postponement?
Magnus Christiansson, a professor of military science at the Swedish National Defence University Försvarshögskolan, has expressed serious concerns about Hungary’s latest decision. The Swedish expert’s statement was spotted by Index in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. Christiansson said Hungary was trying to take the opportunity to promote its own position. Furthermore, he believes “it is entirely in Putin’s interest.” For, as he said,
Viktor Orbán shares much of Vladimir Putin’s attitude and values.
Despite all of this, the Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán recently said that he was personally in favour of ratification. He said that although he had asked the parliamentary group to ratify the accession of the two countries, the majority did not agree. While some of them argued that the accession could pose a great threat, the other half of them complained that the two countries were spreading lies about Hungary’s legitimacy.
Russia expert: Orbán’s work is useful for Putin
Recently, Mark Galeotti, a well-known expert on Russia, visited Hungary at the invitation of Political Capital. On this occasion, Telex had the opportunity to interview him, in which he also discussed the relationship between Orbán and Putin.
He explained that he had studied in depth the way the Russian media portrayed Hungary. Based on this, he believes that the Russian media grabs every chance to show how Orbán contradicts the EU. In each case, they are trying to prove that the unity of the West could collapse. Nevertheless, the expert says there is no sign that Orbán is a particularly popular figure in Russia. In his opinion, the Hungarian Prime Minister is merely a useful idiot for the Russians.
Read alsoPolitical analyst: EU should not allow Orbán to weaken all its sanctions against Russia
Hungarian, Swedish parliamentary delegations to meet within weeks
A meeting between the parliamentary delegations of Hungary and Sweden could take place within a week or two with the aim of clarifying issues concerning the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession and to discuss concerns linked to “unfounded lies about the situation of democracy in Hungary”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday.
Szijjártó said after talks with Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom in Stockholm that the discussion focused on Sweden’s NATO accession and its ratification by Hungary.
“I was able to tell my colleague that Hungary’s government submitted the proposal for ratification to parliament not by chance but because we support it,” he said. “The government’s support is based on a matter of principle, but the position of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat group, which holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, is much less clear,” he added.
Several lawmakers from these groups expressed doubt about the NATO accession of Sweden and, to a degree, that of Finland, he said. Some of these were connected to defence policy and professional issues that could be resolved by rational debate, but concerns of a political nature needed to be addressed on a political basis, he added.
Szijjártó said it was reasonable that certain lawmakers raised the question: “How can a country expect a favour from us when its politicians continually and repeatedly spread lies about Hungary.”
“How can they expect speedy and fair decisions when, during the recent period, all we were hearing is there’s no democracy in Hungary, the rule of law is not guaranteed in Hungary, there is no media freedom and the independence of justice is not guaranteed? These are obviously all lies and based on preconceptions that are untrue,”
Szijjártó said.
He said it was insulting to Hungarian lawmakers that accusations regarding the state of democracy also questioned the legitimacy of their election, Szijjártó said, adding that discussion were needed to clarify this issue.
Szijjártó said that Billstrom had welcomed that “we can sincerely discuss such difficult and complex issues”, and he promised to help to advance discussions between the two parliaments can as soon as possible.
The meeting also discussed the priorities of Sweden’s current European Union presidency, and the minister said it was important that the EU should support the competitiveness of the bloc in a similar way to the US.
He also said that Stockholm places equally strong emphasis as Budapest on the issue of national minorities and the systematic violation of the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine is unacceptable.
“We expect Ukraine to restore all of the rights that the ethnic Hungarian communities had eight or nine years ago. We expect nothing in addition, but we demand this most resolutely,”
he added.
Read also Hungary will veto Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession?
Here are the decisions of the ruling parties concerning the war, gender issues, NATO
The parliamentary group of Fidesz and its Christian Democrat ally plan to submit a political declaration to parliament stating Hungary’s commitment to the pursuit of peace in Ukraine, Máté Kocsis, the ruling party’s group leader said on Thursday. Also, the group has asked the speaker to send a delegation to Sweden and Finland for coordination talks regarding the NATO membership of the two countries, he said.
Hungary’s position is plain: the country does not want to drift into war, Kocsis told a press conference after a meeting of the ruling parties at the Lake Balaton resort. “This is not Hungary’s conflict,” he said. The decision to submit a political declaration to parliament was motivated by the “pressure” the government and country were under, he said, adding that parliament must “adopt a firm and clear position” on the issue. Noting that the war has lasted for a year, and no signs were apparent that it would end anytime soon, he added the conflict had claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and resulted in Europe’s biggest humanitarian crisis of recent times.
Europe, he said, was gradually drifting into the war as the European Parliament demanded additional arms deliveries, fighter jets, helicopters, missile systems, tanks and additional ammunition to be sent to the battlefield. Many EU member states have already committed themselves to additional arms shipments, he added. The ruling parties’ seven-point document states Hungary’s commitment to peace, its condemnation of Russia’s military aggression, its recognition of Ukraine’s right to self-defence, its rejection of EU sanctions, and the importance of helping refugees. Further, it noted how the war gravely affects the Transcarpathian Hungarian community, Kocsis added.
At the same time, it states that no one can force Hungary to put the interests of any other country before its own, he said. “We are committed members of NATO and the European Union,” he said, adding that as a full member of both organisations and as sovereign state, Hungary would do everything possible to promote peace.
Kocsis said the parties reject EU plants to broaden the range of energy sanctions, adding that it was unacceptable that Europe and Hungary should bear the economic burden of the war. Freezing gas and oil imports and banning nuclear fuel imports would disrupt energy supplies and provoke even higher inflation, he said. The outcomes of the April 2022 general election and the public survey on sanctions were clear, he said. Hungarians want peace talks as soon as possible instead of arms deliveries and they reject additional sanctions, he added.
Meanwhile, Kocsis noted that Fidesz and its Christian Democrat ally have asked the speaker of Hungarian parliament to send a delegation to Sweden and Finland for coordination talks regarding the NATO membership of the two countries. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán asked the ruling lawmakers to back Sweden and Finland’s membership of the alliance, though opinions on the matter were divided at their meeting Balatonfured, in western Hungary, Kocsis noted. “A serious debate developed, with several lawmakers making a point that politicians of Sweden and Finland had crudely and baselessly offended Hungary … over the past few years, and they are now asking a favour,” he said.
Kocsis said the move would fall into the course of normal parliamentary proceedings and it would not entail an extension of these. No postponement of the decision by parliament is expected, he added. He said that when the US ambassador to the United Nations informed the UN General Assembly about anti-Semitic crimes, he cited the vandalism of the Wallenberg monument in connection with Hungary when in fact the desecration took place in Sweden. An investigation is needed to establish the facts and whether the accusations are true, he added.
Commenting on Sweden and Finland, he said opinions were expressed that by joining the alliance the NATO aspirants may threaten the war’s escalation. “The Prime Minister’s position is clear, but that of the parliamentary group less so,” he said, adding that this fact, however, would not have a bearing on the accession procedure. In response to a question, he said existing political disputes must be resolved, though “we are essentially committed to maintaining, expanding and strengthening both NATO and the European community.” He said politicians of Sweden and Finland must acknowledge that it was unacceptable to make “insulting statements about a partner country and then ask it for a favour”.
Kocsis said the chance of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine was “slim”, adding that countries to the west of Hungary were “not working towards” bringing about peace. Regarding statements by the US ambassador to Hungary, Kocsis said: “We will put forward our argument against anyone who wants to drag Hungary into the war. We consider anyone who wants to drag Hungary into the war an opponent.”
Meanwhile, Kocsis said Hungary’s child protection system and rules must be tightened and “gender propaganda” in the country must be curbed. Fidesz and its Christian Democrat ally are in the process of drafting a proposal to be submitted to parliament in the autumn.
“It’s rather complex codification work covering several areas,” Kocsis said, adding that “every area that supports aggressive gender propaganda and poses a threat to our children must be considered.”
He said tough disputes were to be expected on the matter both in Europe and Hungary, adding that it was a topic kept on the agenda by the Hungarian left wing, as well as being “a priority issue for the Brussels elite”.
Referring to a recent case of a teacher revealing in a video message his “sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy”, Kocsis called it “outrageous” that the teacher “publicised the affair and was even proud of it”. “This is what we have been talking about for years: aggressive gender propaganda,” he said, adding that Hungarian law did not have an appropriate provision for a relationship between an adult and a minor.
He said it was not by accident that the teacher, who has since been sacked, had made reference to international rights organisations he had appealed to. “Those organisations are among the most vocal critics of issues that the majority of Hungarians support. Those are organisations financed from abroad … often exert political pressure,” he said. “Paedophiles are making reference to them because they have obviously pledged to protect them,” Kocsis said, adding there could be “no forgiveness” for paedophilia.
Kocsis said it was easy to anticipate the “public outrage over the disgusting and unacceptable case” when politicians were coming up with proposals for a solution. Meanwhile, there would be expressions of outrage in Brussels, followed by a delegation visiting Hungary, investigating something and concluding violations of law. They will then try to pressure the Hungarian government and parliament,” he said, adding that left-wing politicians always came “to the enthusiastic defence of gender propaganda”.
Kocsis said price caps must be maintained until inflation is on a downward path, and the aim is for inflation to be in the single digits by year’s end. Hungarian inflation is now peaking, he added.
Commenting on the planned battery plant in Debrecen, the Fidesz group leader said the plant would have to operate under the same strict environmental protection rules that apply in the European Union. Regarding demands for a referendum on any further construction of battery plants, he said a plebiscite was a matter for the Election Committee not Fidesz, but generally the party supported consultative exercises.
On the topic of the 2024 European Women’s Handball Championship, citing high energy and other costs, he said the government had accepted the party’s recommendation to withdraw from organising the event. Given the penalties and compensation involved, they also discussed the possibility of taking on a smaller role in hosting the event, he said.
Kocsis denied a press report that plans were afoot to nationalise public lighting, saying this was not discussed at the group meeting, and no such proposal was on the agenda. Local councils will continue to be responsible for public lighting, he added.
Asked about the European Parliament committee investigating Pegasus spyware, Kocsis said the government had not engaged with the committee, since it was with parliament that the EP should engage. He insisted that the EP committee had come to Hungary “with preconceptions”, and since 2010, no illegal wiretapping had taken place in Hungary.
Hungary will veto Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession?
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán noted in a today morning interview that the government has asked parliament to support Sweden’s and Finland’s applications for NATO membership. He added, however, that “some deputies of the ruling parties are not overly enthusiastic”, because the accession of these Nordic states would mean that the NATO-Russia border will be extended by hundreds of kilometres. Furthermore, “these states spread obvious lies about our democracy and the rule of law here”.
The decision needs a majority, the governing parties have 134 deputies out of the 199, so they will decide about the fate of Stockholm’s and Helsinki’s NATO bid. PM Orbán told public radio on Friday that if Sweden and Finland “expect Hungary to be fair and agree to their NATO accession, then those countries must also be fair and stop spreading false information about Hungary.” Orbán said Türkiye was concerned about “Sweden harbouring terrorist organisations” opposed to Türkiye, which was “also an ally whom we must listen to”.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary group of the ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat parties have asked the speaker of Hungarian parliament to send a delegation to Sweden and Finland for coordination talks regarding the NATO membership of the two countries, Fidesz group leader Máté Kocsis said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán asked the ruling lawmakers to back Sweden and Finland’s membership of the alliance, though opinions on the matter were divided at their meeting Balatonfüred, in western Hungary, Kocsis told a press conference.
“A serious debate developed, with several lawmakers making a point that politicians of Sweden and Finland had crudely and baselessly offended Hungary … over the past few years, and they are now asking a favour,” he said. Kocsis said the move would fall into the course of normal parliamentary proceedings and it would not entail an extension of these. No postponement of the decision by parliament is expected, he added. According to napi.hu, the Hungarian parliament will decide in the matter on 1 March, the third day of the spring season starting next Monday.
Wizz Air passengers acted weird on ground: after the take off, all hell broke loose
Based on a recently published statement of the Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air, some passengers threatened and scolded crew members and fellow passengers on a Budapest-Stockholm flight.
Pénzcentrum summed up the statement of the budget airline concerning the incident. The flight concerned took off yesterday early morning. But three passengers were already behaving rowdily in Budapest. They disturbed the crew during the safety demonstration. Then they blocked the emergency exit. After that, they occupied their seats for the take-off.
However, after the plane reached its flight height, they started to scold and threaten members of the aircraft crew and the flight attendants. Furthermore, they tried to ignite their cigarettes which is against the rules of the Hungarian airline. Moreover, their behaviour disturbed other passengers.
Therefore, the crew notified the Swedish authorities following the protocol in such situations. As a result, police officers took one of the passengers in handcuffs after the plane landed in the Swedish capital. Because of that procedure, other passengers could leave the plane only 10 minutes later than usual.
Wizz Air apologised for the inconvenience and the delay. They highlighted that the safety of their travellers and crew is the most important in each case for them. Therefore, they implement zero-tolerance against every kind of aggression committed against them. Furthermore, they act against both physical and verbal aggression.
Wizz Air closes flights from Budapest, Debrecen
The Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air, is to close two flights from Hungary, one departing from Budapest, while the other from the Debrecen International Airport. Furthermore, the latter is a well-functioning holiday flight.
Göteborg and Mallorca out
Okosutas.hu, a Hungarian travel news website, found out that Wizz Air is to close two Hungarian flights soon. The first one departs from Budapest and lands in Göteborg, Sweden. The company closed that route among the firsts when the COVID pandemic started in March 2020. Moreover, Wizz Air reopened it among the last ones in 2021. However, it seems that the flight’s utilisation remained low.
In January and February, Wizz Air did not fly between the Hungarian capital and the Swedish city. However, days earlier, spring flights also disappeared from the airline’s booking system. The last flight took off in mid-January. But people aiming to travel from Budapest to Göteborg with a budget airline can choose Ryanair.
The other cancelled flight of Wizz Air is much more painful, okosutas.hu believes. The moment the airline started its flight from Debrecen to Antalya, Türkiye, they dropped their regular one to Mallorca, Spain. You can still reach the jaw-dropping destination on the Balearic Islands from Budapest by Wizz Air and Ryanair. However, the route is expensive from the capital, while from Debrecen it was considerably cheaper. And you can travel to Debrecen from Budapest in only two hours by train.
Wizz Air more expensive than Ryanair
Hvg360, the paid version of the famous Hungarian online and offline news outlet, HVG, compared Ryanair and Wizz Air, considering multiple factors. Since the content is available only to subscribers, we cannot share the factors why an airline can sell cheaper tickets, whether the plane number or the type is more important regarding profitability. The article also details why Ryanair and Wizz Air claim they are market leaders in Hungary and gives answers on whether Wizz Air will be bought or will acquire other airlines.
However, the following information is accessible. First, there are more differences between the two companies than one might think at first glance. Secondly, as Gábor Bukta, a shares analyst of Concorde, explained, Wizz Air suffered a considerable disadvantage due to an erratic decision of its management during the COVID pandemic. As a result, the Hungarian low-cost airline bought fuel for a much higher price than their Irish competitor. That is why Michael O’Leary, the CEO of the latter, said at his Budapest press conference that the operation of Wizz Air was more costly than that of Ryanair.
The balance will be reestablished this spring, Mr Bukta added. Afterwards, only two factors will matter in their contest: the utilisation rate of their planes and the profitability of the operation scheme.
Read alsoPopular airline returns to Budapest Airport with new routes!
650 employees fired, Swedish appliances maker ceases production
Electrolux will discontinue production at its refrigeration products factory in Nyíregyháza, in northeast Hungary, from the beginning of 2024, the Swedish appliances maker said on Wednesday.
“The decision follows a review of production capacity needs including an investigation into the competitiveness of the Nyiregyhaza factory, which employs around 650 people,” Electrolux said. “Electrolux is exploring possibilities to divest the factory in Nyíregyháza and is committed to collaborating with relevant authorities and stakeholders to support its employees in the best possible way during this phase,” it added.
Hungary January PMI drops to 55 points
Hungary’s seasonally adjusted Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell to 55 points in January from 59.3 in December, Halpim, the organisation that compiles the index, said on Wednesday. PMI over 50 signals expansion in the manufacturing sector. Among the PMI sub-indices, the new orders index fell from the previous month but remained over 50 points.
Hungary November trade deficit EUR 1.415 billion
Hungary posted trade deficit in November of 1.415 billion euros, up from 923 million in the previous month, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Wednesday, presenting a second reading of data. The value of exports grew by an annual 19.1 percent to 13.272 billion euros, while those of imports rose by 31.2 percent to 14.687 billion.
Read alsoNobody thought this could happen in Hungary’s property market
Hungarian foreign minister furious because of hanged Erdogan
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó harshly condemned on Friday the hanging of a puppet depicting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by its feet by Kurdish protesters in Stockholm the previous day, the ministry said.
At a press conference with Turkish Education Minister Mahmut Ozert, Szijjártó said the actions had been “shameful and distasteful”, prompting the most resolute objection. Making jokes about hanging anyone is shocking in and of itself and the action was seriously disrespectful of not only the president but all the people of Turkey, he said.
“I think it is a fair expectation that such actions should not be allowed in the European Union which prides itself on its moral standards,” he said.
Hungary expects the local authorities to find the perpetrators, he said, adding that “we are certainly expressing solidarity and sympathy with the people of Turkey and President Erdogan”.
Here is a photo of the incident:
Read alsoErdogan’s wow: Turkey remains a safe background to Hungary’s energy security
Here is when the Hungarian Parliament can vote on Finland and Sweden’s NATO accession
The Hungarian Parliament could vote on the last possible day on the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. Earlier, foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said that they could not vote on it because of Brussels, because they did not have the time.
On 7 December, the Hungarian Parliament may vote on the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, Szabad Európa reports. The paper says the statement was made at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Madrid.
The last possible day to decide
MSZP MEP Tamás Harangozó was surprised to hear the head of the Belgian delegation say in his speech that his Hungarian friends had informed him that they could vote on ratification on 7 December. The date has also been confirmed to the Hungarian politician by the government MPs.
The last sitting of the Parliament this year will be on 5-6-7 December. This means that they have pushed it to the last possible day to decide on the issue.
28 out of 30 NATO members already voted yes
Finland and Sweden are waiting for ratification of their NATO membership applications. By 16 October, 28 of the 30 NATO member states had already completed the formal procedure, supporting the admission of Finland and Sweden to the military alliance, hvg.hu writes.
However, two Member States have not yet ratified the agreement. One is Turkey, the other Hungary. Earlier, Péter Szijjártó said that the Parliament is discussing the draft legislation submitted at Brussels’ request at such a fast pace that it does not have time to deal with the question.
Read alsoHungarian government: Germany is blocking Paks power plant development
All eyes on Hungary: PM Orbán will baulk NATO expansion?
Sweden and Finland decided to join NATO months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. The Nordic neighbours’ applications were supported by 28 member states, excluding Orbán’s Hungary and Erdogan’s Turkey. Before, opposition politicians believed Orbán did not want the Fidesz-led parliament to discuss the issue because the European Union did not give Hungary access to billions of euros in the recovery and resilience fund.
However, it seems that Finland and Sweden are running out of patience. Sanna Marin, the prime minister of Finland, urged Hungary and Turkey today to approve the Swedish and Finnish applications as soon as possible. “All eyes are now on Hungary and Turkey. We are waiting for these countries to ratify our applications. I think it would be important that this would happen preferably sooner than later,” Marin said during a joint news conference with other Nordic leaders, Reuters wrote.
The two Scandinavian countries expressed last week that they would like to join the US-led alliance together and at the same time. That statement served the purpose of showing a united front to Turkey, the alliance’s strongest European member, having several controversial points with Sweden. Istanbul accuses Stockholm of harbouring groups Erdogan’s government deems terrorists.
Read alsoSweden and Finland afraid that Hungary will veto their NATO-accession
On the last regular government info held on 22 October, Gergely Gulyás, the prime minister’s chief of staff, said that the parliament would discuss Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO accession during the fall session of the parliament, atv.hu wrote. The delay’s cause was that the priority in September and October were the bills concerning the EU’s infringement and rule-of-law procedures to access the billions of euros withheld by Brussels due to corruption accusations against the government. Furthermore, he expressed that the government supports the bid of the two Nordic countries.
Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO, tweeted today that he spoke with Finnish PM Sanna Marin and Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson via phone. “As NATO invitees Finland and Sweden have proven that it’s every country’s right to choose its own path, Russia must respect the rights of other countries and stop its war of aggression in Ukraine”, he added.
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RoadPol elects Hungarian officer head
The executive board of RoadPol, the umbrella organisation for the traffic police of 26 European countries, has unanimously elected Hungary’s Elvira Zsinkai as the network’s president, the daily Magyar Nemzet reported on Tuesday.
Zsinkai told the paper she would promote adopting best practices from other countries to improve traffic safety.
She said Sweden, Denmark and Norway had managed to reduce the number of fatal road accidents to nearly zero, which she said could be achieved in other countries.
Zsinkai said the foundations had been laid by adopting the 3E principle of enforcement, education, and engineering, and made a special mention of Hungary’s “traffic boxes” as a best practice. The boxes placed by busy roads may contain a camera recording speeding drivers, but “drivers will not know if there is indeed a camera in the box, so they will slow down,” she said.
Zsinkai also mentioned the practice of the United Kingdom and Netherlands, where cyclists are required to take an exam and obtain a licence, whereas in Hungary “anyone without any training could take to the road”.
As for engineering, Zsinkai said the Scandinavian police routinely informed road managers if technical aspects of the road could contribute to accidents, and the manager could make repairs or even redesign the given section. The system could be introduced in all countries “but this also has financial considerations,” Zsinkai said.
Sweden and Finland afraid that Hungary will veto their NATO-accession
If a state wants to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, all the existing member states must give a green light. Up to now, all members did that in the case of Finland and Sweden but Hungary and Turkey. Ankara’s goal is clear for Helsinki and Stockholm since Turkey would like to hammer out favourable deals with the two Scandinavian nations. Meanwhile, the EU member Hungary’s standpoint caused incomprehension and even outrage after a Finnish politician and tabloid misunderstood a recent decision of the Hungarian parliament. They believed that Hungary vetoed their NATO accession. Below you may read the details.
Everybody has to accept
According to 24.hu, journalists and politicians do not understand why the Hungarian parliament has not yet discussed the NATO accession of the two Scandinavian countries. That is because László Kövér, the speaker of the House (Fidesz) does not include the issue on the agenda of the legislation. Of course, that is not his decision but probably PM Orbán’s. Helsinki and Stockholm would like to know the answers as to why the Hungarian prime minister delayed the decision. Some already have theories about that.
Among the 30 members of the US-led military alliance, only Hungary and Turkey did not give the green light for their NATO accession. Furthermore, the Hungarian government submitted the relevant bill to the parliament 2.5 months ago. Moreover, the Socialists would have liked to accelerate the decision-making process, but the speaker refused to do so. When the Socialists initiated a vote about that, MPs of the government parties said Nay. Bertalan Tóth, the chairman of the leftist party called the move shameful.
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Fidesz and KDNP voted ‘Nay’
Finland and Sweden have been cooperating with NATO for decades. The first Orbán government bought the Hungarian Air Force’s Gripens from Sweden in 1999. The Finnish PM is a devoted supporter of Ukraine and Finland is about the build a border fence to stop the Russian refugees. Both Sweden and Finland decided to join NATO this spring.
Finnish politics is utterly different from that of Hungary, so they did not understand why the government parties refused to accept the Socialists’ proposal about the acceleration. Many even misunderstood that. A Finnish politician tweeted that “family is the worst”, referring to the Hungarian-Finnish language kinship. That is because the Ilta-Sanomat, a local tabloid misunderstood the voting and wrote Fidesz rejected the NATO accession of the country.
Blackmailing the EU?
Meanwhile, the Finnish president highlighted that their NATO accession depends mostly on Turkey. About Hungary, he only said that Budapest had disputes with the EU. Therefore, he does not consider Hungary’s approval an automatic decision but he does not worry because of Budapest.
Rudolf Berkes, an analyst of the Political Capital said the Orbán government did not want to allow the opposition to be successful in the issue. Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper, reminded that Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó expressed his backing towards their NATO accession before.
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Mika Aaltola, the director of FILA, said Turkey would accept the countries by the end of this year.
One of the most prestigious Swedish newspapers, the Dagens Nyheter, wrote that Hungary might slow down the accession process based on what Márton Tompos, a politician of opposition Momentum told them. Tompos believes that Orbán uses the Finnish and Swedish NATO accession to blackmail Brussels. Orbán wants access to the EU funds denied because of the corruption in Hungary. He does not think the government will veto it, but Orbán will use it to reach their own goals, Tompos said.
Zsolt Németh, the head of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee (Fidesz) could not tell the Swedish paper when the parliament would decide. However, he cleared they were positive about the NATO accession of the two countries.
Hungarian Parliament not yet to vote on ratification of Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO
The majority of the governing party voted down the MSZP motion that would have set the parliamentary vote on Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership for Tuesday 4 October, according to a Facebook post by the proposer of the motion, Bertalan Tóth.
For a new member state to join NATO, it must be ratified by all existing member states in their parliaments. According to 24.hu, apart from Hungary, Turkey is the only NATO member that has not yet ratified the two countries’ accession to the military alliance.
The Hungarian government tabled a proposal to support Swedish and Finnish accession two and a half months ago, but it has still not been put on the agenda for adoption.
The opposition Socialist Party (MSZP) would have accelerated the adoption of the two proposals and asked for them to be put on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
This was rejected by Speaker László Kövér on his own authority, and when the MSZP asked for an open vote on the issue, he voted it down together with the Fidesz majority.
The Parliament’s press department told Telex earlier that the vote on the two countries’ NATO membership is on the autumn parliamentary agenda, but did not say when exactly it would take place.
It was announced before the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June that all member states had agreed to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. However, to finalise the process, not only do the leaders of the countries have to agree, but the parliaments of the countries also have to sign the laws to this effect. This has now been done by all except Turkey, which is already opposed to accession, and Hungary, which is waiting for an unknown reason.
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