Heated situation: Hungarian transport minister Lázár sends open threat to Spar
Hungarian transport minister János Lázár sent an open threat to Spar on Thursday. This comes after we reported a few days ago that the CEO of Spar Austria told an Austrian news outlet that Hungarian PM Orbán wanted one of his relatives to invest in the company. Thus, the Spar started taking out capital from the country. Now, Lázár said the government would not tolerate threats from Spar, which sent a message to the government through the “corrupt Austrian press”.
We reported HERE that Spar has modified its operation to protect itself from PM Orbán and his oligarchs. They decided to take some of their capital to Switzerland from Hungary.
Today, János Lázár sent an open “declaration of war” to Spar at the Portfolio.hu construction conference. He said that the government would not tolerate threats from Spar, which he said had sent a message to the government through the “corrupt Austrian press”, mfor.hu reports.
Lázár: “We will stop tolerating lies”
János Lázár sent an open threat to Spar. Source: MTI/Máthé Zoltán
“Now that the Austrian “grocer” Spar has behaved in this way, I have asked the government to stop tolerating lies and unfounded allegations from them and buy them without hesitation,” Lázár said.
The Minister of Construction and Transport, however, correcting himself, made it clear that he did not want to squeeze out the Austrian company and the multinationals in general, of the country. He just wants to force them to “respect the people, the consumers, the government and the country where they make huge extra profits.”
“We can swim against Spar*. The company will pay the price for what it has done in the past few days,” Lázár said in his heated speech. (*In Hungarian, he said “a Sparral szemben”, which is a word play on “az árral szemben”, which means “against the current” – ed.)
Contradictory statements
Photo credit: Daily News Hungary
“Our problem is not with capital, but with the multinationals intervening, running the country and making extra profits, which they take away”, he added. In comparison, a few sentences later, he said that there were three major development directions to follow: the car industry, the defence industry and the food industry should be given a big boost.
The contradiction is that he said: “We want the three big German car companies to produce cars that are as expensive as possible and make as much profit as possible.”
Find the background to Lázár’s statement below:
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10 Comments
You can be guaranteed that every Western company will think twice before investing in Hungary. The Chinese won’t hesitate because they know that if Hungary ever tried anything like what they are doing to Spar the Chinese have ways to make life difficult for the Fidesz government. It’s only companies from fellow mafia countries that can really invest in Hungary. By the way, why is the transport minister making announcements about a grocer? What an amateur government!
you are right Larry,
look also about the richest Hungarians as reported here
https://dailynewshungary.com/in-2023-the-rich-got-richer-in-hungary/
unbelievable
Auchan agreed to take the Viktator as an investor (one of his monkeys) and now he is distroying it from the inside so he can take the entire operation for peanuts.
This “Exploding” subject matter, that the Orban / Fidez Government, again DISPLAY, there in-ability the “not of want” or believing they have NO need, to encourage enter into DIALOGUE.
Democracy is Dialogue,
In the “mounting” pressurization rightfully through there CREED as a Government – this Victor Orban / Fidesz led Government of Hungary – there way of DICTATING to citizens and all, the eradication distillation of “core” ingredients of DEMOCRACY, continues to shame & embarrass Hungary,
Larry – in commentary, makes VALID point(s).
Hungary, outside of China, the KNOWN Image reputation in practice of the Orban / Fidesz Government, from an INVESTMENT perspective is one that presents a humongous gargantuan position of TREPARTATION – in investing or dealing with the Orban / Fidesz Led Government of Hungary.
Spar – won’t rightfully “lie down” succumb to the DICTATORIAL “line” adapted taken by the Orbam / Fidesz Goverment.
“Our Way or No Way” – and in argument differences NEVER conducted nor is practiced DIALOGUE.
Orban / Fidesz Government, – the growing tension, on-going respect for Hungary, by the THREAT – term arising being communicated from the mouth of this Orban / Fidesz Minister, is APPALLING – that adds further nails into the “casket” – the nadir place it will sooner than later DESCEND.
So sad to the same negative comments from the usual suspects.
Like all foreign investors, SPAR came to Hungary to make a profit, not to benefit the locals, often crowding out small businesses and taking their profits out of the country. Let them go so less greedy companies can replace them.
Well if SPAR had come out in Hungary, stating it was subject to a “tap on the shoulder” from NER … Collective shrug and plod on, right? We, unfortunately, know how the system works in our country. And a lot of people (sheeple) just look away, because it is the way it has always been.
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/10cc/dreadlock-holiday – and we can just stay put!
“Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” Multinationals benefit a small country like Hungary by bringing economies of scale to the marketplace with large procurement chains that small companies don’t have. Spar has to compete with all of the others – Tesco Auchan Lidl, etc. Grocery is one of the smallest margin businesses around unless you drive out competition and concentrate the sector into mafia picked hands allowing them to dictate prices which is exactly what Fidesz is doing in every sector of the Hungarian economy. I live in Canada and shop at Walmart which is an American chain. I get my toothpaste, pet food, milk and kefir cheaper there than anywhere else. Why should I complain if a slice of the profits goes to the US? This kind of thinking is for nationalist idiots who would lead Hungary into a closed mafia world where everyone’s standard of living will be dismal
Freedomofspeech – “dangerous” mouthful’s of Crap, you contribute in your “veiled” commentary role, the Pseudonym, wrongfully, used as Freedomofspeech.
God forbid – if SPA as suggested by you was to pack up and leave Hungary.
Recommend you use your head rather than your tongue to STOP and really think long and hard, the broadsheet ramifications it would cause if SPA decided to.
Do you THINK that Hungarians would Supermarket Shop cheaper a week ?
Do you THINK we could revert back to past times, and have a “re-birth” of the “little” corner delicatessens / supermarkets, that PROFITABILITY remained in Hungary ?
Do you think HUNGARY would have WIDER choice of items to choose from in a “restructured” Supermarket environment ?
Answer to the above (3) three questions – No, No, No.
Interesting when you look at the BIG picture – the World and “physically” experience it.
We have just returned to our apartment, taking a break from Budapest, Hungary in Lisbon, Portugal.
Portugal population of 10,4 million.
Hungary population of 9.7 million.
Prior to the return to our apartment we went into the Supermarket of El Corte de Ingles, located in San Sebastian, Lisbon.
What a joy to shop in compared to what we have in Budapest, Hungary.
What CHOICE you HAVE – magnificent.
It’s TOTALLY a DIFFERENT World.
Freedomofspeech – you want SPA to just “piss off.”
WHAT a “bleaker” more costly experience it would be if your “kiss of death” eventuated.
HOW many decades under an Orban / Fidesz Government would it take for Budapest to have a place like El Corte de Ingles ?
Just a DREAM – it could and WOULD will NEVER Happen.
The ”Bloodsuckers” of any REAL Fat – profitability over the past (11) eleven years SUCKED taken out of Hungary – who ???
Don’t need to be a Rhodes Scholar l to answer that Freedomofspeech.
Mad pm will divide their country
Rich will get Richer the rest suffers
Well they get what they voted for.
Silly silly.
The government has no business interfering in where people shop. If people want to shop patriotically, they can. If they prefer modern standards of service, rather than the old-fashioned style that everyone knew and nobody loved then they will choose the international businesses. Aldi. Lidl etc offer a range of goods unavailable in the corner shop world, and train their staff to an approximaiton of Western style customer service. Thankfully it is now many years since I have been faced with a scowl and a whine of “Nincs ápró” at the checkout. Is that what Fidesz wants for Hungarians? Limited goods on the shelf, and a service with a snarl at the end?