United Kingdom

PM Orbán’s son graduated from British RMA Sandhurst – Hungary paid his tuition fee

Gáspár Orbán graduated from the British Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December, where Prince William and Prince Harry finished their studies. The tuition fee of the institution costs close to EUR 100,000 per cadet. However, he did not have to pay for it himself since he received a Hungarian state scholarship.

According to telex.hu, PM Orbán’s son started his studies in the United Kingdom only two months after he became a member of the Hungarian Armed Forces. Interestingly, only three Hungarians got the chance to continue their studies in England where they graduated on 11 December 2020. Moreover, we know this only because the academy regularly publishes the names of their graduates in The Daily Telegraph.

Gáspár Orbán (28) started his military career in 2019 when he took part in a six-week basic training at the combat crew training group of the Vitéz Bertalan Árpád 2nd Special Forces Brigade of the Hungarian Defence Forces. He became a professional soldier in June that year.

The Hungarian Ministry of Defence said that the application for the British course had been open to any soldier meeting the requirements, including professional performance, training results, and attitude. Though the program in England is only nine months long, the cadets had to interrupt their studies because of the coronavirus pandemic, that is why Gáspár Orbán finished it only in December.

PM Orban church — Gáspár Orbán (left) as the leader of the Felház Christian Community.

Telex.hu tried to speak with the PM’s son, but they did not receive answers. Likewise,

the Ministry of Defence, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Sandhurst Academy did not reply either.

The Hungarian and the British embassies gave a general answer. Therefore, the news portal sent their questions to the government’s weekly press conference. However, these are organised online on Thursdays due to the pandemic, so a government spokesperson reads out the questions during the press conference. However, they modified the original questions of the Hungarian news website to a general one “concerning foreign training courses for Hungarian soldiers, and about who can receive such scholarships.” Therefore, Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, only said that they do not have the relevant information.

PM Viktor Orbán is a father of five, and Gáspár is his only son. He started his career as a football player and a substitute in Videoton FC in 2010. Gáspár continued his professional career in the Puskás Football Academy in Felcsút, created with his father’s contribution. However, he had to stop playing football because of a recurring injury. Afterwards,

he travelled to Uganda with the Empower a Child Christian charity organisation to teach football in the African country.

“It was in Africa that I met Jesus Christ the way that I’ve known him since,” he later told Radio Golgota.

After he returned home, he founded the Felház Christian Movement, which ceased its operations in 2019. During that time, he finished his legal studies at Eötvös Loránd University’s Faculty of Law and started his military career in 2019.

Now, he finished his studies at the British Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, an institution preferred by prominent politicians and monarchs.

Not surprisingly, the tuition fee is more than EUR 100,000.

According to telex.hu, “Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Alois, the Hereditary Prince and Regent of Liechtenstein, Hamad, the King of Bahrain, Jordanian King Abdullah II, several sheikhs, cabinet members, and emirs of Kuwait, the current Emir of Qatar, Tamim, and several sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates” graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the past couple of decades.

The alumni also include two grandsons of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Prince Harry, and a former British PM, Winston Churchill.

Furthermore, “several former and current heads of state or dictators from various countries, ranging from Brunei to Thailand, Nigeria, and Nicaragua, have studied at the prestigious institution, and rumour has it that Muammar Gaddafi did so too. However, the Sandhurst Academy consistently denies that the late dictator of Lybia had ever set foot in their halls.”

January 15, 2021

Chief medical officer: UK virus variant detected in Hungary – UPDATE

A fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus, first identified in the United Kingdom late last year, was detected in three patients in Hungary on Tuesday, the chief medical officer said.

As we wrote few day before, the Hungarian virus researcher, Dr Miklós Rusvai said that the coronavirus mutation, which is widespread in the UK, is also likely to be present in Hungary. That is why the epidemiological measures should not be eased yet.

“If the epidemiological restrictions would be eased, this mutation could start to spread, and the number of infected people would increase again at a high-speed rate”.

Cecília Müller on Wednesday told a press conference of the operative body responsible for handling the epidemic that the new variant was registered in surrounding countries earlier and therefore had been expected to appear in Hungary too.

The new variant is 50-70 percent more infectious than the “original” virus,

Müller said. However, several vaccine producers have said that their products were effective against it, she added.

Müller also called on health-care staff to get inoculated “so that we can move on along the vaccination list”.

Vaccines are being administered continuously, with the process only being slowed down by the shipment of new doses, she said.

Hungary used up its entire stock of Covid-19 vaccines by Tuesday evening, inoculating a total of 86,929 people, Müller said. Vaccine recipients will begin receiving their second doses on Jan. 18, she added.

Meanwhile, Müller said that

only 3 percent of those who have died from the disease were free of any underlying illnesses.

In response to a question, the chief medical officer stressed that those who have been vaccinated are still required to wear face masks and observe social distancing.

Coronavirus vaccines to be mandatory in Hungary?

According to the secretary of the Hungarian Chamber of Doctors, making the coronavirus vaccines mandatory in the country is absolutely possible, details HERE.

Latest news about Coronavirus in Hungary

Hungarian government grants EUR 138.5m over past 5 months to support health sector

The government has granted 50 billion forints (EUR 138.5m) to support 46 investments in the Hungarian health sector, resulting in new developments worth 65 billion, Mihály Varga, the finance minister, has said.

The ministry has been tasked with boosting domestic health-care manufacture, Varga said in a video on Facebook on Wednesday.

The support is for products that strengthen Hungary’s self-sufficiency while creating opportunities for domestic producers to enter foreign markets, he said, adding the focus is on manufacturing rubber gloves, masks, medicines, disinfectants, ventilators and other medical equipment.

Varga said the investments would protect jobs and help restart the economy amid the coronavirus crisis.

Read alsoAntibodies essential to coronavirus vaccines produced in this Hungarian village!

January 13, 2021

The world in awe by the Hungarian bride of an Italian football star – PHOTOS

The Hungarian model and influencer, Viktória Varga, and her partner, Italian footballer Graziano Pelle, are making more and more appearances on various media portals these days.

Viki is a top model born in Győr, Hungary. She is a successful and professional influencer and a businesswoman as well. Her Instagram page has more than half a million followers. She started her modelling career at the age of 16, first in Budapest, Hungary, but she soon switched to a modelling agency in Milan. She works with world brands such as Calzedonia and Intimissi. She is not a typical football player girlfriend since her career and fame existed long before her relationship.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIDAQigLx_w/

Of course, her relationship with Italian football player Graziano Pelle also helped a lot. Pelle began his career in Lecce in the Italian first division, Seria A. He played on loan in Catania, Crotone, and Cesena. Then he moved to the Netherlands and played for Az for 5 years. In the early 2010s, he played in Italy for Parma and Sampdoria and in the Netherlands for the team Feyenoord.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJVaBZ3ryiA/

Between 2014 and 2016, he played in the Premier League in England as a striker for Southampton. His coach was his former Az and Feyenoord coach, Ronald Koeman, who is at the moment the coach of one of the most famous football clubs, FC Barcelona.

In September 2014, Pelle won the Premier League Player of the Month award.

He scored Southampton’s first goal in a European competition since 2003, against Vitesse on 30 July 2015. He left Southampton and England for the Chinese club called Shandong Luneng in 2016. He has played for the Italian national football team several times. Pelle could easily return to Europe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJvWM72LtZa/

Several clubs would like to see him in their team, including Juventus and Inter in Italy, or the more likely choice: West Ham United in England.

However, that is not the only reason they are in the news. Pelle proposed to his gorgeous Hungarian girlfriend, Viki. The model revealed on her Instagram page that the footballer had popped the question with the “best proposal”.

“I want to thank @gpelle19_official for the best proposal and most gorgeous ring I could ever have imagined,”

wrote Viktóra Varga, then added: “you did such a great job at planning everything… I still can’t believe you managed to include our entire family and friends”. The engagement was not surprising in that the star couple has been together for over 6 years.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJwU-VpLWly/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

While Pelle was a topic of conversation in the media due to the rumours of his transfer from China to Europe, the Hungarian model tried to bring some Christmas vibes to the Maldives.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJQRPJ_LrTk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

January 10, 2021

Hungarians living in Great Britain talk about a crumbling country

The epidemic is raging in the UK. In the last 24 hours alone, more than 62,000 new infections have been registered, and never have as many people died from coronavirus complications as on Wednesday. The effects of the lockdown, the virus mutation, and Brexit are plaguing the country all at the same time.

On Monday, Boris Johnson sought to avoid a collapse in British healthcare by ordering a full lockdown. On Tuesday, Hungary unexpectedly lifted the ban on flights from the United Kingdom landing in the country. With the end of the airspace block, a WizzAir flight was launched from Budapest to London on Tuesday and Wednesday each. RyanAir also planned to send a plane to Britain, but they eventually decided not to. EasyJet cancelled their flight, writes Index.

The fact that the Hungarian-owned budget airline launched only one plane to London on its most used route, instead of the usual three flights per day, shows that only those who really needed to travelled to Great Britain, said aviation expert Gábor G. Varga. According to him, lifting the ban does not pose any risks because Hungarians working abroad would be willing to go through with the trip even with several transfers.

Business or pleasure visits are made almost impossible by the mandatory 10-day quarantine in Britain.

WizzAir also warned its passengers about the tightening of the conditions for entering the country. According to Index‘s information, there were no disruptions at either London-Luton Airport or Budapest Airport.

Schools were open for just one day when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced total lockdown. Hungarians living in Great Britain unanimously claim that the epidemic situation is out of control and that this is mainly due to the too loosely managed quarantine. As a result of the current tightening, it is only possible to leave your house for work and food.

A Hungarian living in the area of London reported that while in Hungary, the authorities strictly monitor compliance with home quarantine rules, in the UK, they do not pay as much attention. However, the streets of Basildon, a small town east of London, are already showing the effects of the rigour. Public spaces are empty, and there is little to no traffic on the roads. Although now, the shops’ stocks have not been emptied as they were in the spring, the accumulation of food at home began. Britons are buying non-perishable food, especially frozen goods. There is no shortage of toilet paper as of now.

According to Tamás, a reader of Index, during the holidays, young people did not comply with the protective measures at all. A lot of parties took place in Basildon, with a population of 107,000. Due to the total lockdown and the aggressive spread of the virus, people seem to take the restrictions more seriously.

Andrea, another reader of Index, has lived on the outskirts of Glasgow for 14 years. Although she lives only 5 minutes from her workplace, she could not enter the office even before the current restrictions were ordered. She has been working from home since the first wave of the epidemic. In Scotland, since the spring of 2020, the majority of office workers have switched to full-time home office work. Because of this, they find it increasingly difficult to withstand the lockdown. Andrea said the Scottish government reacted very consistently to the alternating waves of the virus, while London took confusing, belated, and ill-considered measures.

The number of infected people is so high because the English government did nothing when the spread of the virus mutation started during the holiday season.

Andrea finds it shocking that while the entire UK is under lockdown, the borders have remained open. And with air traffic, the new variant can spread easily. Moreover, the lockdown does not curb the British love of tourism. Overseas popular tourist destinations allow unrestricted vacations.

Andrea said that the rampant shopping fever before Christmas would have significantly worsened the epidemic situation even without the virus mutation. It was expected that following the holidays, hospitals would fill up, and the country would be closed down again. In Scotland, things are handled in a much more orderly fashion than how London is handling the epidemic situation nationwide. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are in control. In these three parts of the country, it was decided earlier and in a coordinated manner to take measures to slow down the spread of the virus.

Zoltán, another reader of Index, who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, says that people understand the restrictions and follow the rules, but it is very annoying to be locked in again. For those who had to be placed on leave due to lockdown, the state pays 80% of their wage. Although the Johnson government would, in principle, only maintain the current lockdown measure until the end of January, Zoltán said that everyone in Scotland is confident that this will drag on at least until the spring, and the only way out will be through vaccination.

Although the British were the first in the world to receive the vaccine, the vaccination plan is modified day by day by the London government.

It is not known who will be vaccinated after the elderly, and it is also unknown whether the vaccination will be repeated after 6 or 12 weeks. Politically, Brexit and the epidemiological situation reached their peak at the same time. And the two historic crises have given new fuel to Scottish independence aspirations.

January 9, 2021

Wow! Debrecen’s new spa featured in top journal of British architects

The Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects refers to Debrecen’s new spa, Aquaticum as “a mega-fun palace of wild experiences”.

Debrecen is the second biggest city in Hungary with its 200 000 residents. It is a cultural and scientific centre with a university, airport, located in the Great Hungarian Plain. Even though in 1930, the city was given a stadium, zoo, artificial lake, thermal baths and waterpark, by 2010 it all became abandoned and were in terrible conditions.

The area has been coming back to life as the mayor’s office organised ten international architectural competitions to transform the whole site of the municipality. The competition for the waterpark was launched in 2015. BOARD Architectural Studio won four of the competitions. The transformation started with the stadium between 2012 and 2014; then there was the enlargement of the artificial lake, the renewal of the open-air theatre and the establishment of the area’s first international school.

The journal interviewed the creators of Aquaticum, Péter Bordás, the director of BORD Architectural Studio and László Papp, the mayor of Debrecen. Papp is aiming to continue to reshape Debrecen as a gateway to Transylvania and beyond in order to boost tourism as well as business in the area.

“When I was younger, I couldn’t tolerate it if a building didn’t have dynamism. I liked mobility and visible structures. The waterpark didn’t need to reflect existing buildings around it because they are not valuable enough” – Bordás told RIBA.

The waterpark is located north of the city, in Nagyerdei forest. It has 5,624m2 total water surface, 11,900m2 total floor area, 4,008 visitor capacity, and 1,340m2 green surface.

“The plan was to create a popular spa suitable for all ages, but because the park is protected by the Natura2000 EU natural reserve programme the scheme could not extend beyond the 1930s plot. BORD’s concept was to distil the experience of everything you see and feel in the forest – the colour of water, the sky, greenery, trees up close – onto the site and ‘compress [it] into a pack’; ‘an oasis locked up in a box’.

aquaticum debrecen — Photo: https://www.aquaticum.hu/en

The 12m tall blue painted glass walls have water rippling over them to create moving reflections. The tall green walls opposite every blue one recreate the experience of being in a mountainous valley enveloped by luscious shrubbery and falling water. The triangular openings are the negative space you would create by using your hands to part open a waterfall, like passing through a curtain. Grey tiles in the swimming pools reflect the blue of the walls and sky. The looping rooftop sundeck is at tree crown level, giving visitors forest and city views. This vertical element is particularly thrilling in the context of being in the middle of a huge, waterless natural plain.” – they describe the waterpark.

According to RIBA, the waterpark is neatly packed with different architectural experiences which makes it unique and at the same time, it uses surplus heat and gas from the natural thermal water to power it, so in the summer 70 % while in the winter 50 % of renewable energy. During the design process, they also considered not to cut down any trees to change the site. Visitors can enjoy the water surrounded by trees and nature.

Visitors from Transylvania, Poland, Ukraine and the Western part of Hungary in the summer of 2020 already showed the project’s success.

Read alsoWow! Debrecen’s new spa featured in top journal of British architects

January 8, 2021

Brexit to influence higher education in Hungary

It barely entered into effect, but Hungary can already feel the downside of Brexit. It seems that Hungarian students feel less attracted by the universities of the United Kingdom despite those being very popular in the past years – according to a brand-new representative survey made by Engame Akadémia.

As we wrote it last week, the Brexit deal is done and ready to enter into force. With the first day of the year, it is already causing turbulences, as expected. As the United Kingdom decided to withdraw from the Erasmus program, Hungarian students will need to look for other possibilities to study abroad. Alternatives can be those countries that also provide high-quality education but with much favourable financial conditions.

In the 2019/2020 academic year, around 15 thousand Hungarian students studied in higher-education abroad, whereas, according to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), 24 thousand people continued their studies outside of the country, 6% of the total number of those enrolled in the higher education system.

There are no statistics yet about this upcoming 2020/2021 academic year, but last year’s 4% increase in the number of students is expected to keep growing. We know the number of those who applied to higher education in Hungary in 202, and that can give us a bit of perspective, and that number shows a decrease. Almost 20 thousand fewer students decided to apply to a university in Hungary, which can also mean that a part of this was planning to study abroad – said Balázs Lévai, co-founder and manager of Engame Akadémia to Világgazdaság.hu.

Universities of Austria and Germany are among the most popular ones; however, the United Kingdom has produced an incredibly dynamic growth over the past years in terms of popularity in higher education. The past decade tripled the number of those students who wished to deepen their academic knowledge in a foreign university, which is not very surprising if we consider the prestige and standards of British universities.

Brexit, however, draws up a completely different image.

According to the British government’s decision, after 31st December 2020, the same conditions apply to students coming from the EU, and thus to Hungarian students, than those that apply to students coming from outside of the EU.

Among other things, this means that the current EU price of an academic year of 9250 pounds (roughly 3.6 million forints) will change to 10-38 thousand pounds (around 4-15 million forints) a year for those who would like to do their studies in the British higher education system starting from September. This can on its own double or even triple the prices. Balázs Lévai added that, however, there are already more and more universities that announce scholarships for EU students which can be kept closer to last year’s tariffs.

On the other hand, paperwork becomes more complicated and costly. Students who wish to stay for longer than half a year for an educational purpose will need a student visa which further increases expenditures by 812 pounds (300 thousand forints). Moreover, students arriving from the EU lose the possibility to ask for a student loan with favourable conditions.

According to the survey made by Engame Akadémia asking 156 students and 96 parents,

27.6% of students that previously considered applying to the United Kingdom will no longer do so, because of Brexit.

When it comes to solely parents, an even more significant proportion, 36.8% said that their children would not apply to the UK because of Brexit.

Balázs Lévai said that for those who wish to learn in English, the Netherlands could be an alternative and solution. According to statistics, the past five years produced a 20% increase in the number of Hungarian students studying at a Dutch university. He adds that because of Brexit, the popularity of those countries that offer the possibility for students to learn in their second language will grow. Austria and Germany still lead in this respect, but Italy, Spain, France and Scandinavian countries can expect a growing interest.

Read alsoNew Authority for EU Citizens’ Rights after Brexit

January 7, 2021

Important video message for British nationals living in Hungary – Watch here!

For those eligible under the UK/EU Withdrawal Agreement, the Hungarian government has now opened the applications for British citizens and their family members to apply for residency.

The process is free and simplified, and you have until the end of 2021 to apply. In the meantime, existing documents remain valid. Everyone needs to apply, even if you already have a registration certificate or permanent residence card. For more information, please watch the message of Paul Fox, British Ambassador to Hungary.

For full details on applying, please see the website of the immigration authority HERE.

For further information on the actions British citizens have to take, please check living in Hungary guide HERE.

Rules on entry of UK citizens into Hungary to change from Jan 1

Read alsoWhy do more and more people move to Hungary?

January 6, 2021

UK virus mutation not identified in Hungary, says medical officer

The mutation of the coronavirus that originates from the UK has not yet been identified in Hungary, the chief medical officer said on Wednesday.

Cecilia Müller also said that almost 21,000 health-care staff have been inoculated against the virus so far at 25 vaccination points. She told a press conference of the operative body responsible for handling the epidemic that the network of immunisation points will be expanded to more city hospitals, and GPs are planned to get involved in the campaign, she added.

Following health-care employees, social workers and residents of care homes will get vaccinated with the help of mobile vaccination teams, she said.

Some 39,000 doses of vaccine arrived in Hungary on Tuesday and total supplies received so far are sufficient to inoculate 78,000 people, she added. Further shipments of the vaccine are expected to arrive weekly starting next week, Müller said.

As we wrote yesterday, the Hungarian government has decided to lift the ban on passenger flights arriving from the United Kingdom from midnight on Tuesday, details HERE.

Vaccine passports to bring back Hungarian tourism?

She also said that that health authorities have so far received just five reports of side effects from the vaccine, mainly of muscle tremors and rashes, which are being looked into.

Müller said

Hungary should extend its Covid-related restrictions beyond Jan. 11, adding at the same time, that the decision will be up to the government.

Europe is still grappling with the epidemic, she said, noting that cases have been surging in Hungary’s neighbouring countries.

January 6, 2021

Breaking news! UK planes allowed into Hungary from midnight

The Hungarian government has decided to lift the ban on passenger flights arriving from the United Kingdom from midnight on Tuesday, a member of the operative body responsible for handling the epidemic response said.

Róbert Kiss told a regular press conference on Tuesday that Hungarian passengers will be subject to restrictions already in force and will be required to enter mandatory self-quarantine.

The government will soon make further decisions on other restrictions such as the night-time curfew, mask-wearing, and limits on shopping and attendance of events, he said.

As we wrote before, The government has extended the temporary border control introduced on the full length of Hungary’s internal Schengen border until midnight on Jan. 31, read more details HERE.

Rules on entry of UK citizens into Hungary to change from Jan 1

Vaccines available for all health-care workers

Hungary now has enough vaccines to inoculate all health-care staff against the coronavirus, and 15,000 have already received their first jab, the chief medical officer said on Tuesday.

Hungary currently has enough of the vaccine to inoculate 78,875 people, now being rolled out to city hospitals besides the 25 vaccination points, Cecilia Müller told a press conference of the operative body responsible for handling the epidemic.

General practitioners, pharmacologists and dentists can now receive the vaccine, Müller said, adding that appointments can be made over the phone or via email. In the next step, workers and residents of elderly care homes will be inoculated, she said.

Law enforcement officials directly involved in the protection efforts also have priority in the vaccination plan, she said.

Those who received the first jab will also be given a certificate containing the date of the second injection, she said.

January 5, 2021

London Luton: Hungarian passengers stuck at the airport, stopped from flying

About 30 Hungarians were stopped from getting on the plane to Bratislava from London Luton on Monday. It is not precisely known why.

Due to the rapid spread of the new coronavirus variant in England, Hungary does not allow planes from the UK to enter since 22 December 2020 until 8 February 2020. The Hungarian citizens, therefore, were about to fly to Bratislava and then to travel to Hungary. Apparently, they did not find any information against doing so, Telex reports.

The Hungarian citizens have already been through the security check. Some had their luggage checked in too, but when they themselves were trying to check in, they found out that with a Hungarian passport, they are not allowed to enter Slovakia – not even if they had a PCR test done in not earlier than 72 hours.

The majority of them were from Hungary, but two other non-Slovakian people were stopped as well. The police in the meantime also arrived at the airport, but still, only those were allowed on the plane who were travelling home directly. The earlier checked-in luggage was taken down, and then the plane took off with an hour delay.

One of the Hungarian citizens said they let them know about this only half an hour before the plane was supposed to take off.

Another citizen also called the airport in Bratislava the day before, and they were not informed about any restrictions that would stop them from entering the country. As they told the newspaper, most of the Hungarians were about to go to Hungary from there anyways.

The Embassy of Hungary in London warned people about the rapidly changing restrictions on entering and leaving countries. On the site of the Hungarian consular service, they wrote about new quarantine measures when entering Bratislava from the UK, from 23 December, even with a negative PCR test. They also suggested planning to go to another country next to Hungary. But there was no information available on whether Hungarian citizens are not allowed to fly to Bratislava from the UK.

The Hungarian citizens asked the foreign services for help, but they did not understand why they were not allowed on the plane either.

Later in the afternoon, the airline allowed to reschedule the tickets of the 15 people that stayed there, for Tuesday to Košice. Wizz Air, in the end, apologised that the passengers were not let on the plane by mistake and offered compensations.

January 5, 2021

New Authority for EU Citizens’ Rights after Brexit

The rights of millions of citizens from European communities who continue to live and work in the UK and Gibraltar are now protected by the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA), launched at the end of the Brexit transition period.

The IMA monitors UK public bodies to make sure they are upholding the rights of citizens. It reviews complaints and has powers to launch inquiries and take legal action.

Citizens have broadly the same rights as before Brexit, if they were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 and if they register with the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021. The Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and EU broadly covers four areas:

Residency – The right to live in the UK and Gibraltar.
Workers and self-employed – The right to work in the UK, including self-employed people, and frontier workers who live in the EU but work in the UK.
Recognition of professional qualifications – The right for specified EU professionals, such as doctors, nurses and architects, to be recognised in the UK, if they have registered their qualifications by 31 December 2020.
Social Security – The right to access housing, healthcare, education, benefits and other state services.

The right to equal treatment and the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of nationality apply to all these rights. Reciprocal arrangements are in place for UK citizens resident in EU and EEA EFTA countries.

The IMA works closely with governments and parliaments in the UK and Gibraltar, as well as with advocacy groups, charities and regulatory bodies to reach as many citizens as possible and inform them of its role. Citizens’ complaints and intelligence received from representatives will play a crucial role in shining a light on the issues that most affect people’s daily lives.

Sir Ashley Fox, Chairman of the IMA said:

“People from the EU should have confidence to get on with their lives – safeguards are in place to protect them.

The IMA provides an extra level of assurance, on top of existing tribunal and ombudsman services, to expose and challenge patterns of discrimination. I’m proud we’re doing our bit to uphold the UK’s commitments to its citizens from the EU.”

Dr Kathryn Chamberlain, IMA Interim CEO said:

“Implementing rights won’t always be straightforward. Even well-meaning organisations may make mistakes or interpret law differently – that’s why a monitoring authority, independent of government, is essential.

“It’s my hope that most issues can be resolved quickly through working with public bodies. We will, however, use our legal powers whenever necessary to ensure the rights of citizens affected by the Withdrawal Agreement are being upheld.”

The IMA exists to tackle systemic issues, practices and behaviours that cause widespread or persistent infringements of rights, for the benefit of the whole EU community in the UK. This includes people who come from the 27 EU Member States as well as the EEA EFTA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Citizens’ complaints and intelligence received from representatives will play a crucial role in shining a light on the issues that most affect people’s daily lives. Inquiry reports will be published and annual reports made to Parliament via the Secretary of State for Justice.

The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford estimates that

there are around 3.6 million EU-born migrants living in the UK, making up 5.5% of the UK population.

Poland is the top country of birth among those from the EU, followed by Romania and Ireland. ONS figures reveal the UK local authority areas with the highest numbers of EU nationals include London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester.

Rules on entry of UK citizens into Hungary to change from Jan 1

Read alsoWhat does the Brexit deal mean for Hungary from an economic point of view?

January 4, 2021

Hungarian doctor was awarded the British Empire Medal by Queen Elizabeth II

Dr Tamás Szakmány was appointed MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II. The Critical Care Consultant was recognised for his work during the pandemic in a hospital in Wales: for the coordination of medical attendance for severe patients.

The British Empire Medal is awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government.

Professor Szakmány finished his secondary studies in Érd and became an anesthesiologist at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Pécs. He went to England in 2004 to gain professional experience. He was working in Liverpool when he heard about the plans to reduce personnel at the university clinic of Pécs, so he decided not to return to Hungary.

He became the Critical Care Consultant of severe patients at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital.

A little later, the University of Cardiff invited him to be one of their professors, writes 444.hu.

Dr Szakmany shared his experience with his Hungarian colleagues on several platforms. It was rather shocking when he drew a comparison between the Hungarian and the Welsh medical attendance at the critical care unit, highlighting the high number of doctors, nurses, and professionals working there, as opposed to Hungarian hospitals. One of his Hungarian colleagues, after hearing about the situation, said that “Tamás should not talk about it anymore because our hearts are crying.”

He gave an interesting interview to Válasz Online, together with a colleague of his also working in Great-Britain. He said that it would be good if the hospital staff knew about the quality of medical attendance and the number of beds, nurses, and ventilators compared to other institutions. This way, it would be easier to decide whether a method said to be successful really was working, or there is another hospital doing something better.

“Without this, colleagues working back home are like pilots who need to find the runway without the ground-lights. Maybe he will be lucky, but when it comes to intensive medical care, it is better to minimise the luck factor.”

He gave an interview to Szeged TV back in December where he was straightforward and said that

“The same patient suffering from coronavirus has a lower chance of survival in Hungary than in England.”

He added that twice as many patients end up on a ventilator in Hungary than in Wales. The problem is that in Hungary, even up to 80-90% of coronavirus patients who need artificial ventilation will die.

Hungarian hospitals are trying to overcome this issue with a new method of ventilation.

Read alsoHungary to develop its own coronavirus vaccine

January 3, 2021

What does the Brexit deal mean for Hungary from an economic point of view?

It has already been 4 and a half years since, with the Brexit referendum, the country decided to leave the European Union; moreover, the transition period ends with the last day of this year, so dealing with the issue has been quite urgent for a while now. A week ago it seemed impossible that the two parties would reach an agreement before we enter 2021, but a Christmas miracle happened when, on the 24^th, Boris Johnson announced on Twitter that “The deal is done.”

We already discussed that the United Kingdom and Hungary both aim to strengthen their ties in several sectors, such as security, education, and tourism. Details of the deal are extremely important as based on numbers, the UK is one of the most important economic partners of Hungary. So what will happen to British companies based in Hungary?

According to Péter Goreczky, a leading analyst of the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (KK),

“Even if there will be no comprehensive agreement on commerce between the EU and the UK, it is still very unlikely that British companies would leave Hungary. Nevertheless, without a doubt, there will be factors making the situation more complicated.”

Choosing Hungary as a destination to invest in was not solely based on the country’s EU membership. Accessibility to professionals, favourable operational costs, and the eco-system of industries all play an important role when it comes to a strategic decision of such magnitude. The investment itself is also influenced by the future role of the affiliate.
“For instance, if a British company supplies the whole EU market from a Hungarian station, there is no point in moving its distribution centre or the production to another member country,” Péter Goreczky told Index.
To illustrate the example, he mentioned that the British pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), announced back in 2017 the extension of its factory in Gödöllő producing vaccine ingredients. This shows that when such a huge investment is carried out, there are years of preparational work and technological and business developments behind it, which make it complicated to move these projects to other countries.

Zoltán Gálik, adjunct professor of the Corvinus University of Budapest, said that despite the almost 4-year-long Brexit-saga, these companies had probably taken the necessary steps and created their affiliates or partner companies registered in the European Union.

What about an example closer to everyday citizens, products we order from the UK? For now, when we order something from a British webshop, and the price is over 22 euros, we pay 20% of VAT. With Brexit entering into effect starting from next year, we will need to pay the Hungarian VAT of 27% on these products. Or we thought so.

On Friday evening, the British government issued details on the agreement that contain the decision on preserving the country’s zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the bloc’s single market of hundreds of millions of consumers.

However, a product would attract tariffs under the agreement if more then 40% of its pre-finalised value was either not of British origin or from a non-EU country.
Moreover, “if we order something through Amazon, for instance, and the product is produced in a partner country part of the free trade agreement with the EU, there will be no tariff imposed on this product, contrary to a product that would arrive from the UK,” Zoltán Gálik gave the example. On the other hand, he goes on to add that phone calls to the UK can become more expensive as it will not be part of the free roaming area of the EU anymore.

JOHNSON, Boris — London, UK. Photo: MTI/AP/Paul Grover

It seems like the two parties have managed to reach an agreement on all points of discussion, and the only thing left is to ratify it, which does require some time as the more-than-1,200-page-long document first needs to be translated to all the official languages of the EU before passing it to the European Council as the first step to accepting it unanimously.

Read alsoIs Brexit going to kill Hungarian second-hand shops?

December 28, 2020

Huge mess at the Port of Dover! – Hungarian drivers tell all

Thousands of trucks are stuck and waiting in huge lines at the Port of Dover. France opened its borders for freight transport, but the testing of drivers takes a lot of time, while drivers get more and more frustrated.

As we reported earlier, a new coronavirus variant was detected in the UK which spreads a lot faster than the formerly known variants. Parts of Great Britain immediately went into complete lockdown, and many countries banned the entrance of planes and ships coming from the UK, Telex reports.

France completely banned the entrance of any kind of vehicles, including freight transport, from Great Britain for 48 hours starting from Sunday midnight which caused huge rows of trucks stuck in the otherwise very busy Port of Dover:

On Monday, the Port of Dover shared on their Twitter account that the ferry transport between the EU and the UK stopped and asked everyone to stay away until the situation clears. A huge line of trucks formed already on Monday, and by Tuesday, there were thousands of them.

On Tuesday afternoon, the European Commission had to ask member states to open their borders or else there will be a cut in supply chains and to free people that work in transport from restrictions such as quarantine and testing.

Ferenc Kumin, the Hungarian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, said that the restrictions caused a lot of trouble to many – long lines of trucks were stuck at the Port of Dover, and a lot of drivers spent more than one nights in their trucks.

The British and French governments agreed by Tuesday night that freight transport between the two countries could restart from Wednesday morning. But France only lets people in with a negative rapid coronavirus test, so only those who have it can enter the terminal in Dover. The drivers receive their test results via text that the French authorities will check, and they are allowed to cross the border for 72 hours with a negative test. Testing is done by the British NHS and professionals from the army.

Those who receive positive results will have to quarantine for 10 days. Britain will provide accommodation in this case.

The opening, however, was not so smooth, as the waiting drivers became more and more frustrated because of the delays. The testing of thousands of drivers will probably take more than one days. As the video shows, some even got into fights with the police:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1341662341566492672

“I was supposed to go to Folkestone, towards the Chunnel, yesterday around noon, but the road was closed, and we were led to an airport that is out of use near Ramsgate. Thousands of truck and van drivers are waiting here. Some say we are 4,000, others say 10,000. A lot of us do not even have food and drinks anymore. Luckily, I stocked up.

Hungarians living in London would have brought us food, but they are not allowed to come in, so they give it to the arriving drivers who then distribute it at the airport. The toilet is at the front of the row, it takes 20 minutes to walk there and, apparently, they also offer warm meals there. I talked to the police this morning, and they said they would start testing everyone at 6 am, and those who are negative could go to the ferry or train. It is 10.30 now, and they are still not here. I am somewhere in the middle of the row,” said one of the Hungarian truck drivers that got stuck in Great Britain.

“Everyone is stressed and angry. We do not know when we will get home, especially if they don’t remove the truck ban in the EU that would end on the 27^th at night.”

The drivers are helped by Facebook and drivers’ groups, and Hungarians living in the UK are also helping them with food, interpreting, or accommodation. The authorities distribute water, warm food, and supplied mobile toilets to the drivers. At the same time, Waberer’s, for example, is waiting at Calais with buses for its 200 stuck drivers, but no one knows when they will arrive.

The Hungarian Embassy in London informed the drivers on their Facebook site that tests done at locations determined by the British authorities will be accepted, too. Testing so far takes place at Manston Airport and will soon start in Dreamland Park, Margate.

According to the embassy, the supply and completion of tests in the area of Dover are very difficult now, plus the hygienic and meal facilities are limited, too, and will probably stay like this for some days. They ask drivers to arrive at the border with tests possibly made at testing points outside of the area.

Read also“The situation is chaotic!” – Hungarians living in the UK are upset about the latest British restrictions

December 24, 2020

All about the ban on flights between the UK and Hungary!

Many are concerned about and interested in the duration of the ban on passenger flights from the UK landing in Hungary, which was ordered following several other countries because of a faster-spreading variant of the coronavirus discovered in London and the south of England.

Government Decree 623/2020 was published in Magyar Közlöny on the 21st of December. It reveals details of the ban on flights departing from the UK announced on Monday, writes airportal.hu.

“Civil aircraft engaged in scheduled air passenger services from the territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland may not land in the territory of Hungary, with the exception of aircraft at risk,”

says a government decree issued on the day following its promulgation, entered into force on the 22nd of December from midnight. Airlines operating on routes between Budapest and the United Kingdom cancelled all their affected flights on Tuesday. Although the ban does not apply to departures from Hungary, flights to the island country do not run from Budapest either, as the planes could only return without passengers.

Ryanair’s planes to Bristol and London-Stansted no longer departed on Tuesday, and Wizz Air also cancelled its flight to and from Luton. EasyJet has not cancelled its flights from Budapest to London-Gatwick; the planes will fly empty to Budapest Airport and then return with passengers. The situation is considered vis major; the passengers on the flights concerned will not be compensated.

However, airlines must reimburse the fare for cancelled flights in the form of cash, credit, or rebooking must be provided.

Regulations shall expire on the 8th of February 2021. The third paragraph, on the other hand, will enter into force on the 1st day after the promulgation of the decree, only on the 5th of January 2021, while the decree itself will enter into force today. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday that epidemiological preparedness for the coronavirus (although not an emergency) in 2021 is likely to persist throughout the year.

The NOTAM notice on the ban was published in the official aviation notification system at 11:52 pm local time on 21 December. The description of the travel restrictions in force since September has been supplemented by a ban in a government decree, according to which passenger flights departing from the territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland may not land in Hungary.

The ban on passenger flights from the UK to Hungary may last until the 8th of February 2021, unless lifted earlier by revoking Regulation 623/2020 or extending it in a new government decree. Several European countries took similar measures.

No flights from UK, Hungary suspends curfew for Dec 24

December 24, 2020

Rules on entry of UK citizens into Hungary to change from Jan 1

Hungary’s National Police Headquarters (ORFK) has released a guide on the post-Brexit rules on the entry of UK citizens into Hungary that will enter into force on Jan. 1.

Based on a 2020 law governing the residency rights of UK citizens and their family members, those who have already been living in Hungary for an extended period of time prior to Dec. 31, 2020 will retain the rights they were entitled to as European Union citizens after Jan. 1, 2021, according to the guide posted on the ORFK’s website. They may also apply for preferential status from national immigration authority OIF.

UK citizens whose family members are not entitled to the right to the freedom of movement will be subject to the general rules applicable to third-country nationals.

The ORFK noted that

UK citizens are exempted from a visa requirement when travelling to Hungary.

The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016. It officially left the bloc in January 2020, entering into a post-Brexit transition period which expires on Dec. 31.

Brexit won’t have big impact on Hungary

Read also“The situation is chaotic!” – Hungarians living in the UK are upset about the latest British restrictions

December 23, 2020

Will COVID-19 vaccine become mandatory to attend social events in Hungary?

The coronavirus has turned our lives upside down; as a result of which a number of new regulations are expected, which must be complied with in order to be able to live a social life in the future.

From 2021 onwards, we might not be able to use a range of services without an official ID or QR code, verifying that we have been vaccinated against the coronavirus – reported by the Hungarian news portal Portfolio.

At today’s Government Info, the press was interested in the plans concerning:

regulation that differentiates people according to whether they have been vaccinated with a coronavirus vaccine or not;
the rules of attending social events later on;
the introduction of vaccine passport.

According to Minister Gergely Gulyás, “there will certainly be such rules, not only in Hungary, but everywhere in Europe, so I think

the vaccination certificate, in addition to the passport or identity card, will be an important document in the months following the mass vaccination.

It is almost sure that airlines will prescribe such rules, there may be such rules both in Hungary and abroad.”

Vaccination certificate for football matches, theatre performances and other events

By way of example, the British government have already introduced that only those people can attend football matches, theatre performances and other events, who have been vaccinated and can reveal a vaccination certificate, a unique QR code on their mobile phone – reported by Daily Mail. Even though, the plans are still at an early stage, according to Nadhim Zahawi, the British Minister for Vaccination, “it is likely that restaurants, bars and cinemas, as well as other facilities such as sports centres, will use this system, just like they used the app”.

Vaccination certificate for festivals

If the coronavirus vaccine is to become widespread in the Netherlands, festivals and concert venues should differentiate between those who have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus and those who have not. This was stated by Berend Schans, director of the Dutch Association of Concert Venues and Festivals, adding that the access of unvaccinated people to festivals can be denied. This is also recommended by their association – reported by Alkhaleej Today. Both the RAI in Amsterdam and the Ahoy conference centre in Rotterdam would ask participants for a negative test or vaccination certificate.

Vaccination certificate for concerts

According to Billboard, Ticketmaster company, who sell tickets, plan to check participants before the concerts to see if they are vaccinated against the coronavirus. A mobile phone solution would also be introduced, but in addition to the vaccination certificate, a negative coronavirus test carried out within 24-72 hours would also be accepted. The plan, which has not yet been finalised, rests on three pillars: in addition to the digital application from the California-based company, a third-party information provider (such as CLEAR Health Pass) and a test or vaccine distributor (such as Labcorp or CVS) would be involved.

Fly with a vaccination certificate

Australia’s national airline, which is also considered the safest airline globally, has announced that only foreigners who can prove they have received the coronavirus vaccine can travel on board. The airline believes that others will follow their example.

Vaccination certificate at your workplace

As HuffPost UK reports, the British Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat has gone so far that those who will refuse to be vaccinated may face exclusion from their jobs and cannot enter the office, for example. In his opinion, in many social areas, it will be possible to use services with a vaccination certificate.

Based on a freshly published survey carried out by the Central Statistical Office (KSH), most Hungarians are uncertain about the coronavirus vaccine.

Accordingly, less than 15% of Hungarians would get vaccinated with the new coronavirus vaccine.

Read alsoCoronavirus – Vaccine to be voluntary, free of charge in Hungary

December 23, 2020

“The situation is chaotic!” – Hungarians living in the UK are upset about the latest British restrictions

“It is a series of unconsidered, sudden decisions” – this is how Hungarians living in England characterise the British government’s epidemic management and the chaotic situation that can be experienced as a result.

As the Hungarian news portal Index reports, Hungarians living in the UK are extremely upset about the freshly introduced closure announced by the British government which was justified by the spread of a more contagious mutation of the coronavirus in London and the South East of England.

Breaking! Read also: New coronavirus mutation: Hungary bans flights from UK

According to Amanda, a Hungarian mechanical engineer living in Nottingham, most Britons feel distrustful of the government because they think the measures are unpredictable.

The closure has brought even more immense chaos; as a result of which, everyone goes after their own head; there is no order.

“Apparently everyone is angry as suddenly millions of people have their Christmas plans cancelled. Since the pandemic occurred, it has been a characteristic of decision-making that everything is changed in the very last minute” – commented Amanda. Even though, she planned to spend Christmas with her family in Hungary; as a result of the restrictions announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, she has been forced to rethink Christmas plans and return much earlier to London.

Not only Amanda expressed such indignation. According to Máté, who also lives in London, the British Prime Minister does not reconsider his decisions at all, as if he would not consult with experts. And when he does, it is preceded by a long hesitation. This is why the restrictions that affect the lives of millions have such a sudden effect. Máté was not surprised that after announcing the austerity, tens of thousands of Britons fled to escape the restrictions on London.

“The situation is totally chaotic” – commented the Hungarian man.

“At first hearing, not everyone understood what level four meant” – said Natalia from Hampshire. According to the Hungarian woman, unpredictability is shown by the fact that the British counties were first classified into three levels and then suddenly another level was announced. After that, they changed the restrictions for the holidays: in the areas covered by the first three categories, members of three different households can only meet until 25th December, instead of the previously announced period from 23rd December until 27th December.

“It is almost untraceable, but you cannot do anything, you have to try to adapt” – sums up the chaotic situation Natalia, which, in her opinion, is only intensified by the ineffectiveness of the Brexit negotiations so far.

Prohibition list

The following rules apply to the new Tier 4 “stay at home” classification:

Everyone should stay at home who doesn’t go to work or shop and has no immediate action to take.
Whoever has the opportunity to work from home, it is mandatory; he/she can go to work for compelling reasons.
Gyms, hairdressers and shops selling non-essential items will be closed.
People are forbidden to leave the area affected by the level four restriction, and anyone who does not live there can only go there for a good reason. In any case, entry is not recommended.
No more than one person from another household can be met, and only in an open area.
Everyone needs to sleep at home.
Worshipers can still attend worship services.

The British government will review the categorisation of the parts of the country every two weeks, according to which the further fate of the severe restrictions announced over the weekend is expected to be decided next on 30th December.

Read alsoBreaking news! No flights from UK, Hungary suspends curfew for one night on Dec 24

December 22, 2020