Thou shalt not judge

THE BUDAPEST TIMESVolume 11, No. 09 1 March – 7 March 2013 www.bzt.hu HUF 750/EUR 3Hungary’s English-language weekly.03 SPAGHETTI BOLOGNEIGHS Horse Meat Here 04 INTERVIEW The Rights Stuff 05 CAN BUY ME LOVE With EU FundsIntelligence chief says he’s fighting the foreign menaceThe Information Office (InformációsHivatal) is aware of foreigners with financialgrievances who want to disrupt thework of the government, according to the headof the foreign intelligence bureau. In an interviewwith weekly news magazine HVG this week,IH director István Pásztor acknowledged that hisAgree to pay to EUR 250,000 to live here? That IS suspiciousoffice “may be” investigating foreign transfers ofmoney to political organisations in Hungary.The intelligence chief revealed that the IH isdefinitely investigating individuals applying forpermanent residence status in exchange forpurchasing EUR 250,000 of government bondsunder a law that took effect this year and isthought to offer the cheapest such arrangementin the EU.Pásztor said applicants from Transylvania andthe Western Ukraine were currently beingvetted, but demurred when asked to commenton press reports that there had been considerableinterest from Iran: “We must pay attentionto any foreign intelligence,” he said.– Continued on page 5 as ‘Following’MobilemayhemGov’t bid to enter mobilemarket in doubt after courtupholds ruling cancellingfrequency rights saleMobile service providerVodafone has warnedthat large areas ofHungary could loseaccess to broadband internet in thewake of a Supreme Court ruling thisweek. The Kúria upheld on Tuesday aMunicipal Court ruling annulling theresults of a frequency auctionannounced early last year, therebypotentially scotching, and certainlydelaying, government plans for a stateownedconsortium to becomeHungary’s fourth mobile telecommunicationsfirm.Played with the bull...The initial legal action against thefrequency tender handled by statebroadcasting authority MNHH wasbrought by the three existing providers,which also include Norwegian firmTelenor and the largest by local marketshare, Magyar Telekom, a subsidiary ofGermany’s Deutsche Telekom.The court case was launched after theMNHH rejected an appeal against theaward of almost half of 10.8 MHz ofunused broadcasting spectrum to theMPVI consortium comprising MagyarPosta, state-owned development bankMFB and national grid operator MVM.... and got the hornAlthough the plaintiffs appealed onlyagainst certain provisions of thefrequency award, the Municipal Courtthrew out the whole tender ruling. Withthat decision now upheld by the Kúria,the end result is that the three existingmarket players lose the right to use thechunks of bandwidth that they securedin the auction, although they will berepaid the HUF 30 billion (EUR 101.52million) they paid for them.– Continued on page 6 as ‘Already’1222 Bp. Nagytétényi út 48-50 • Tel: (+36-1) 382-9000Fax: (+36-1) 382-9003 • e-mail: fox@fox-autorent.comwww.fox-autorent.com • open: 8am-8pm 7 days a weekRATESOut withThe Old& in withThe Who?Outgoing Central Bank Governor András Simor was asked to list the highlights of his six-year term as head of the Hungarian National Bank.He mentioned its efforts to help Hungary avoid becoming a victim of the global financial crisis and its assistance with the country’s recovery,the introduction of same-day settlement and the defence of the Central Bank’s legal independence. Noted for favouring a hawkish monetarypolicy, Simor said the Central Bank’s seven months of base rate cuts, often voted for by a narrow majority of its monetary policy council, haddone little to stimulate lending activity. “Credit supply, not interest conditions, are creating the bottleneck, especially with regard to corporatelending,” he was quoted as saying by statenews agency MTI after his last rate-setting meeting on Tuesday.Parliament’s budget andeconomy committee isexpected to interviewPrime Minister ViktorOrbán’s choice – whoeverit is will be a shoo-in – for the job ofCentral Bank Governor this Friday.Orbán said as much in a HírTV interviewa week earlier. The primeminister has kept the identity ofincumbent András Simor’s successora closely guarded secret in order, hesays, to prevent “speculation”(against the forint, presumably, asspeculation over who will succeed thehawkish Simor has been rampant formonths).338.4521 Feb.New Central Bank chief to be known this Friday342.4028 Feb.292.6221 Feb.296.2528 Feb.238.0221 Feb.242.7728 Feb.Matolcsy ‘almost certain’Despite this, the consensus amongdomestic media, citing leaks and anynumber of unnamed sources, is thatNational Economy Minister GyörgyMatolcsy will be the next head of theHungarian National Bank (MNB).Reports have surfaced recentlythat the government’s chiefInternational Monetary Fund negotiatorMihály Varga – who served asfinance minister under the last Fideszgovernment at the turn of thecentury – is preparing to take thereins at the National EconomyMinistry.221.7021 Feb.225.8028 Feb.STATS14,835Chinese officiallyliving in Hungary inDecember 2010.Ukrainians: 18,932This has only reinforced the feelingof inevitability about Matolcsy beingshoehorned into the Central Bankpost when Simor steps down Monday.Left-wing broadsheet Népszabadságand right-wing daily Magyar Hírlapreported Tuesday that the thing is“certain” or “almost certain”.Furthermore, the whispering campaignseems to have primed the evertwitchy“markets” not to react withshock if the architect of Hungary’s“unorthodox” economic policies(deeply unpopular in banking circles)ends up with control of the moneypress.– Continued on page 7 as ‘Little’90 OF 207cardinals can’t votefor pope becauseof being over 80.Oldest born 1914383 DAYSin office for SlovenePM Janez Jansa,ousted on Wed.over corruption2%Eurozone inflationin Jan. EU-wide:2.1%. Highest:Romania, 5.1%MTI/Noémi Bruzák501 DAYSmission to Marsplanned by USbillionaire DennisTito for 2018ThoushaltnotjudgeConstitutional Courtsmites new lawon official churchesThe Constitutional Courthas thrown out yetanother controversialpiece of governmentlegislation, this time onethat stripped dozens of religiouscommunities of official recognition, andthereby the right to tax breaks and subsidies.While few might mourn theunrecognition of the “Hungarian LateRain Community” and the “House ofUniversal Love”, the loss of special statusby Hindu, Methodist and other religionsdrew international condemnation.Picking & choosing not kosherAimed, the government said, atweeding out fake “churches” establishedfor financial gain, the law saw only 14 ofalmost 300 outfits retain official churchstatus, although several have since beenrecognised by parliamentary vote.Several mainstream religious groupswho lost official recognition petitionedfor the court review.The Constitutional Court found thelaw to be overly arbitrary and open topolitical abuse because the decision onwhether to recognise a church restedsolely with Parliament. This year thecourt scotched government legislationthat would have meant anyone whofailed to register two weeks or morebefore the next general election wouldhave been barred from voting.771785 110000 1 3 0 0 9

02 1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013 THE BUDAPEST TIMESPOLITICSFollowingthe money– Continued from page 1Pásztor – whom Prime Minister Viktor Orbánpersonally nominated for the top foreign intelligencepost in September – also said his office hadgathered “usable” information on money hidden inforeign banks by Hungarian citizens. The governmentdeclared in January that it plans to impose aheavy tax on as much as HUF 2 trillion (EUR 6.76billion) presumed to be stashed away in primarilySwiss accounts.While he acknowledged that it was “not customary”for secret services directors to give public interviews,Pásztor said recent changes in leadership meant it was“worth giving a little introduction to our activities”.The Information Office was recently placed under thedirect control of the Prime Minister’s Office, whereaspreviously it was subordinate to the Foreign Ministry.Far right’s foreign fearsThe day before the interview with the foreign intelligencechief was posted online, a member of far-rightparty Jobbik, Lajos Pörzse, had asserted duringparliamentary questions that numerous politicalgroups – among them former premier GordonBajnai’s E14 electoral movement and the studentunion HaHa – were being funded from abroad.Public Administration and Justice Minister TiborNavracsics, in his reply to Pörsze, said that politicalparties and civil organisations are required by law tokeep public accounts of their foreign income. As anMP, Pörzse is obliged to inform the authorities if hehas any information relating to criminal activity,Navracsics said.Look in the mirror: FieldPörzse further alleged that US businessman RichardField is one of Bajnai’s backers, an assertion that Fielddenied in an open letter to the nationalist MP thatconcluded: “I respectfully ask that you remove mefrom Jobbik’s list of scapegoats to be blamed for yourcountry’s problems.”PwC advises simplercash-for-residency schemeMultinational financial services consultancyPricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says a new cash-for residencyscheme could attract many wealthy individuals toHungary. However, in an emailed note on Tuesday it criticisedthe legislation for being “cumbersome” and potentiallyoff-putting to those seeking a toe-hold in the EU who cancurrently choose from among other, albeit more expensive,options.“With favourable legislation, the residency permit forinvestment purposes would be a tool in the hands of theHungarian government that could make Hungary an attractiveinvestment destination to investors with an interest ininternational business development,” said the manager ofPwC’s Tax and Legal Services, Attila Imecs.Government lawmakers pushed through in November alaw that allows Hungary to offer permanent residencystatus to anyone prepared to purchase EUR 250,000 ofgovernment bonds designed specifically for this purpose.Purchasers are obliged to hold on to the bonds for fiveyears but it is unclear how this might be enforced.A National Economy Ministry decree that took effect on20 February specifies the process by which the bonds willbe issued: by the state debt management company ÁAK viaforeign agencies in a given country.Missing the pointPwC questioned the logic of this arrangement, becauseit will mean the bonds will be held overseas and any interestand profit they generate will not be subject to Hungarian tax– a state of affairs seemingly at odds with the government’sstated intention to attract investment. It is unclear how toverify whether the foreign agencies have the necessarylicences, PwC wrote. “Nor has it been clarified what legaloptions are available to the Hungarian immigration controlauthorities checking such data management and the accuracyof data provided.”In the zoneHungary is not seen as a target country even by pooreconomic migrants and refugees, let alone cash-richforeign nationals. However, the holder of an EU residencypermit is entitled to visa-free travel throughout theSchengen zone.Inquiries to PwC suggest that the cash-for-residencyscheme could attract a large number of third-countrynationals to Hungary. Wealthy foreigners have hithertopreferred the UK but the cost of obtaining a residencepermit there is “significantly higher”, it said.Communist wrongsrememberedA participant lights a candle on the commemoration day for the victims of communism, at the central commemorationceremony by the Chain Bridge on the Buda side on Monday.PM criticises Constitutional Court decisionRemembrance ceremonies were held inBudapest and throughout the country onMonday to commemorate the victims ofcommunist dictatorships. At plot 300 ofRákoskeresztúr cemetery a monument at the nationalmemorial site was inaugurated by Prime MinisterViktor Orbán and former prime minister Péter Boross.On 25 February 1947, Béla Kovács, general secretaryof the Independent Smallholders’ Party, wasunlawfully arrested and deported to the Soviet Union.In 2000 a resolution adopted by the first Orbángovernment declared this day to be the annualMemorial Day for the Victims of Communism. Thenumber of people killed by communist dictatorships inCentral Europe is estimated at around one million.Symbols still hurt: PM“As long as a single person lives in Hungary whohad been prosecuted and tortured under communistdictatorship, the lifting of the ban on totalitariansymbols is not timely and opposes the provisions ofthe Fundamental Law on human dignity,” Orbán saidon Monday, referring to a recent ruling of theConstitutional Court that abolished a paragraph in thecriminal code banning the use of symbols associatedwith Nazi and communist dictatorships, because itCivil Code update oncouples, privacyPresident of the Republic János Áder has signedthe government’s new Civil Code into law and it willtake effect on 15 March, legislative gazette MagyarKözlöny reports.The civil law document comprising almost 1,600articles replaces one from 1959 that has beenamended over a hundred times. Under the new code,family law applies to couples with children or thosewho have lived together for a year or more.It also seeks to give redress to those whose privacyhas been invaded – a clause that raised concernsamong the press and civil liberties groups, although inprinciple public figures will enjoy less protection thanprivate citizens.US Ambassador, Ministerpraise aid for RomaUnited States Ambassador Eleni TsakopoulosKounalakis and Human Resources Minister ZoltánBalog visited government programmes supporting thesocial inclusion of Roma and participated in a regionalconference on the minority group’s integration organisedby the Ministry of Human Resources in northeasternNyíregyháza on Tuesday.While visiting Nyíregyháza’s Huszárvár Social andCultural Centre Tsakopoulos Kounalakis presentedHuman-Net foundation director Mária Lengyel with anActive Citizenship Award as part of an initiativelaunched last year by the US Embassy in Hungary torecognise citizens and organisations working to makea difference in their communities.“Providing an individual with the capacity to earn aliving and support his or her own family is key tobreaking the cycle of poverty, building a brighter futurefor coming generations and to fully integrate intosociety,” the ambassador said about Human-Net, afoundation that provides job training, counselling andsocial services.The visit included a tour of a primary school thatprovides education for both Roma and non-Roma childrenand a housing rehabilitation programme. “Whathas been carried out in Nyíregyháza under the HUF410 million (EUR 1.38 million) programme is exemplary,”Balog said about the rehabilitation programmeunder which 18 Roma families moved into newly refurbishedhomes.Building understanding between Roma and non-Roma is important, Tsakopoulos Kounalakis said,adding that “persistence does eventually win out overprejudice, and that talent only needs the opportunity tothrive”.“disproportionately limited freedom of speech”.“We must remember that the 20th century wasperhaps the bloodiest century in human history, whentwo terrible ideologies, Nazism and communism, wereassociated with the torture, damaging and destructionof millions,” Orbán said in Rákoskeresztúr cemetery atan event marking the national memorial day for thosewho suffered under the communist dictatorship of1949 to 1989.The Premier stressed that a country has to be builtwhere nobody can be discriminated against on thebasis of their gender, race, religion or political views.The Constitutional Court decision also removesrestrictions on the wearing of fascist symbols such asthe swastika and emblems of Hungary’s wartimefascist Arrow Cross party.It is thought likely the government – whichcommands the necessary two-thirds parliamentarymajority – will circumvent the ruling by incorporatingthe ban into the body of the Constitution, a manoeuvreit has already used to circumvent other unfavourableConstitutional Court verdicts.During the afternoon there was a special guidedtour of the House of Terror Museum for members ofthe diplomatic corps and foreign students studying inHungary, and on the evening of Memorial Day thevictims of communism were honoured by the lightingof candles at the Buda end of Chain Bridge.Protesters sign petitionbacking KlubrádióA demonstration in support of embattled oppositionbroadcaster Klubrádió attracted several thousand peopleon Sunday near Parliament.Organisers asked participants to sign a petitionaddressed to the Media Council (NMHH) to support theirdemands for the allocation of a permanent frequency forKlubrádió’s Budapest audience, for rebuilding its lostnetwork outside Budapest and for the right to free broadcastas a community radio station.Following the Media Council’s decision to declareinvalid the outcome of a bid submitted by Klubrádió forthe national 95.3 MHz frequency, the station has beenoperating under temporary licences for the past twoyears. Klubrádió is also involved in a lawsuit with theMedia Council over the latter’s failure to conclude acontract for the local 92.9 MHz frequency covering theBudapest region despite the station having beenawarded it by the Media Council’s predecessor, theORTT.The Media Council said last week that it willcontinue to ensure the radio station’s right to use the95.3 MHz frequency and will seek to resolvecontentious issues through legal channels within theshortest time possible. The final in a long series ofcourt rulings is expected this Tuesday.Milla stays out ofofficial politicsAnti-government protest group Milla, which evolvedin 2011 from a Facebook campaign against controversialmedia laws and has held several huge rallies in thecapital, will not become a political party, it announcedon Tuesday.The group-avowed neutrality from party politics hadbeen looking shaky since October, when it shared aplatform with former Socialist-backed prime ministerGordon Bajnai to launch electoral movement Together2014 (E14), whose aim is to defeat Prime MinisterViktor Orbán and his Fidesz party at the next generalelection. E14 is due to register as a new political partywithin weeks.MTI/Tibor IllyésMTIUS hears of racism“Jobbik is the only antisemitic party inHungary,” former development ministerTamás Fellegi said at the hearing of aforeign affairs subcommittee in the USHouse of Representatives inWashington on Wednesday.The subcommittee was set up toinvestigate antisemitism in and the influenceof Islam on politics in Europe.Fellegi noted that there is a clear lineof demarcation between Jobbik and thegovernment as well as the rest of theHungarian parties. “Antisemitism is onthe rise in Hungary,” he said, blaming adeep moral, political and economiccrisis. “Jobbik is openly antisemitic, anti-Roma but such parties have never beenable to become a governing force inHungary.”Jobbik politician Ádám Mirkóczki saidin response that “there is in fact a clearline of demarcation between Jobbik andthe rest of the political palette, but we donot care about Judaism because we donot differentiate based on one’s origin.”He said Jobbik divides Hungarians intwo groups. “There are people who buildand people who destroy. It is notJobbik’s fault that most Roma fall in thelatter category and that Israel is acountry leading the attempts onHungarian interests.”Fidesz leads in pollSupport for the ruling right-wingFidesz-Christian Democrat Alliance hasincreased slightly, according to aFebruary survey released this week bypollster Tarki, but the proportion ofrespondents who said they either do notplan to vote or are undecided remainsalmost half. Of the 54 per cent who saidthey would vote, 48 per cent backedFidesz, while the opposition SocialistParty got the nod from just 26 per cent.The extreme-right Jobbik registered 16per cent support among decided voters.Of the mainstream oppositionparties, former leftist premier GordonBajnai’s Together 2014 movement wasnine per cent among those identifyingthemselves as decided voters, while theformer socialist leader FerencGyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition registeredone per cent support. The LMPsaw support among committed votersfall from six to three per cent, reflectinga split that saw eight of its 15 MPs quitto form a new Dialogue for Hungaryplatform, forcing the dissolution of thegreen party’s parliamentary caucus.Altogether, centre-left and greenopposition partied were backed by 39per cent of decided voters, suggestingthey have a lot of work to do before the2014 election even if Bajnai’s groupsucceeds in forging a workable alliance.THE BUDAPEST TIMESISSN 1785-1106Published by: BZT Media Kft.1037 Budapest, Kunigunda útja 18Publisher: Jan MainkaSubscriptions, sales and editorial officesTel: 453-0752, 453-0753 Fax: 240-7583E-mail: editor@bzt.huInternet: www.budapesttimes.huManaging Editor: Allan BoykoNews Editor: Robert HodgsonWriters/editors: Attila Leitner, ChristopherMaddock, Bénédicte Williams, William Lower,Mary Murphy, Bob Dent, Ines Gruber, PeterBognarTranslator: Jacqueline WhiteLetters to the editor: We welcome letters tothe editor, analysis and opinion pieces. Theviews expressed by external contributors do notnecessarily reflect those of this newspaper.Advertising and Sales: Jan MainkaClassifieds & Distribution: Ildikó VargaAdvertising design: Zsuzsa UrbánAdvertising E-mail: verlag@bzt.huOn behalf of MAGPRINT KFT. printed by:Magyar Közlöny Lap- és könyvkiadó Kft., LajosmizseProject Manager /print/: Majláth Zsolt, General ManagerNewsstand Distribution: Hungaropress Kft.,1097 Budapest, Táblás u. 32Subscriptions:Call 453-0752 or e-mail verlag@bzt.huPrice In forints In euros(abroad)6 months 16,000 1201 year 30,000 210Pdf/1 year 12,000 50The Budapest Times is the partner newspaper ofBUDAPESTER ZEITUNGTHE BUDAPEST TIMESis read and archived byHungary’s largest media monitor1084 Budapest, Auróra u. 11.Tel.: 303-4738, Fax: 303-4744www.observer.hu

THE BUDAPEST TIMESHungarian dies inLuxor balloon fireA 34-year-old Hungarian womanwas one of 19 people killed in a hotairballoon accident in Luxor, Egypt,on Tuesday.Only two people on board – aBritish tourist and the captain –survived the crash, after the balloonexploded and caught fire in the air.Air balloon sightseeing is a popularway to discover the Valley of theKings at Luxor but it has its dangers:in 2009 six tourists suffered seriousinjuries when their balloon hit a cellphonetower. Authorities at the timedetermined that the accident wasthe result of too many people onboard, but this was not the case inthe latest tragedy, according topreliminary investigative reports.Egyptian police have ruled outterrorism.In autumn 2011, 11 Hungariansdied and 29 were injured when a bustransporting them to the airport atHurghada, Egypt, crashed.Soccer match fixeradmits wrongHungarian football player GáborHorváth – who played for top-leagueteams Diósgyõr, Siófok and REAC –has admitted to sports daily NemzetiSport that he and others at the clubswere part of the unfolding matchfixingscandal.Asked how the betting worked,Horváth told the paper he neverwagered, only “received a bunch ofEUR 500 bills and followed theinstructions”. He had not fearedbeing caught. “Matches were fixedlong before I was born, so I did notfeel the weight of it,” Horváth, whonow lives in Dubai, said. “This is athriving business in the world of football.”He is believed to have struck adeal with prosecutors and receivedimmunity in exchange for testimonyagainst others. Authorities this weeklisted 24 Hungarian matches wherethey believe the result was fixed.Shut your mouth orI’ll shut it for youA 27-year-old man who allegedlysewed the mouth of his 45-year-oldpartner in Budapest’s District XXIIon Saturday will face a charge ofattempted murder.A police report said the man hadnotified the authorities, originallytelling officers that the woman hadbeen kidnapped and he had foundher unconscious in their apartment.Police allegedly found a needle andthread, and said the unemployedman confessed.Neighbours asserted that thecouple had some fights but did notsocialise, and thus little was knownabout them except that they did notpay the common fees and some twoweeks ago their electricity wasswitched off.The accused allegedly said theact was a crime of passion. Thewoman suffered life-threateninginjuries and authorities were waitingto question her.May 2012 accidentwitness soughtA driver whose jaw was smashedin a road-rage incident in Budapest’sDistrict XII last May is seeking anEnglish-speaking young man whohelped to stop the assaulter, a 50-year-old, 180-centimetre tall, greyhairedman who drove a silver ToyotaAvensis Verso. The incident aroseafter a near-collision, with bothdrivers getting out and the attackerpunching the other motorist in theface. The two were eventually separatedby the young man, who keptshouting “Keep calm! Keep calm!”. Ifyou are the young man, or have seenor heard about the incident, pleasephone (+36) 20 455-0104 as soon aspossible.MTI1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013Trojan Horse: tainted meat in beef lasagneWasn’t supposed to bedelivered to HungaryBÉNÉDICTE WILLIAMSHungary was the latest member of theEuropean Union to admit to prepared beefdishes tainted with horsemeat on Mondayin a food scandal that is reaching across the continentto as far as Hong Kong.“It was inevitable that Hungary would be unableto avoid the fallout from the horsemeat scandal,”Hungarian National Food Chain Security Office(Nébih) director György Pléva told state news agencyMTI on Monday.He revealed that beef lasagne containing horsemeathad found its way onto shop shelves.Uncertainty remains over how the lasagne madeGigi Radics, 16, is in the finals.Eurovision’sHungariancrescendo arrivesThe final of the national sing-off tochoose Hungary’s participant in theEurovision 2013 song contest will beheld this Saturday with the broadcaststarting at 8.15pm on state televisionchannel m1. Of the eight finalists the jurywill pick the four best and the winner willbe determined based on viewers’ votes.Contestants will have to sing inHungarian but the winner will be allowedto perform in English at the Eurovisionfinal in Malmö, Sweden, in May.In a true measure of how far democracyhas come in Hungary, people areonly allowed 20 votes by SMS perevening of the Hungarian show.Won’t make spectatorsof themselvesThe Hungarian Football Federation(MLSZ) has filed a lawsuit at theLausanne-based Court of Arbitration forSport (CAS) to appeal against the decisionby the International Federation ofAssociation Football (FIFA), which finedMLSZ EUR 33,000 and decided that thenational team’s next home match – a WorldCup qualifier against archrivals Romaniaon 22 March – must be played withoutspectators.FIFA’s ruling was a result of some fanschanting antisemitic remarks anddisplaying offensive symbols at a gamebetween Hungary and Israel.In the 40-page document submitted toCAS, MLSZ has likely argued that theoffence was committed at a friendly andthat banning supporters from a game witha significant amount at stake is too severea penalty. In a CAS proceeding bothparties can request a judge, while the headjudge is appointed by the organisation.MTIits way to Hungary from the Czech Republic whereit should have been delivered, Pléva said. Theproduct, which arrived in Hungary in Decemberthrough import by Danish company Nowaco, is saidto have been supplied by Luxemburg firm Tavola.Other meat products are also being tested forhorsemeat, including another brand of lasagneand frozen beefburgers said to have containedPolish horsemeat and to have been shipped to arestaurant near Lake Balaton last year.Flood warningcomes trueSandbags are piled to protect housesfrom flooding in Ipolytarnóc, home to570 people in Nógrád county, northeasternHungary, on Monday. Eighthouses were flooded when the Ipolyriver broke its banks early in themorning, leaving their 29 residents totake temporary shelter in the school.Food and firewood were provided by theRed Cross, deputy mayor Mrs. GáborBolyós said. Ipolytarnóc mayor TiborSzabó, from governing party Fidesz,resigned in December over the absenceof measures to protect residents, mostlypoor Roma families, from regularflooding. The HUF 50 million (EUR168,956) requested from the governmentin December 2011 to move theaffected families to a drier location hadnot materialised, Szabó complained.Four hundred kilometres of watercoursealong the Ipoly, Sajó, Takta,Tarna and Zagyva rivers and their tributariesin northeastern Hungary havebeen put under first- and second-degreeflood alert and some roads closed, theNational Directorate General forDisaster Management announced onTuesday following heavy rain andmelting snow in Slovakia.Horse d’oeuvres a la IKEA?Swedish home furnishing chain IKEA, whichalso serves food at its in-store cafeterias and has itsown food shops, said on Monday it is withdrawingmixed beef and pork meatballs from sale in 14countries, including Hungary, after authoritiesfound batches in the Czech Republic containedtraces of horsemeat. IKEA had earlier said inhousetests had not detected any problem but itHacks like the taste of Goulash PopeCardinal Péter Erdõ has left forRome and the last public audienceby his outgoing boss Pope BenedictXVI, Budapest-Esztergom archdiocesesaid on Wednesday. Meanwhile, thisweek saw speculation grow as towhether Erdõ, 60, could be one of thefrontrunners in the race to fill theformer Joseph Ratzinger’s shoes. Erdõis the only Hungary representative inthe conclave that will elect the newpope, probably between 15-20 March.The important thing is “what thecandidate represents in the life ofthe church”, rather than his nationality,Erdõ told state news agencyMTI before setting off for theEternal City. The world is witnessingthe beginning of a new era with theinternet representing a “new level ofreality”, he asseverated. Theconclave would probably bear this inmind when picking a new pope.English-language daily ItalianInsider led on Tuesday with the headline“Hungarian Erdo tipped as‘Goulash Pope’”. Quoting a “wellplacedsource close to the papal apartmentin the Apostolic Palace”, thenewspaper reported that “CardinalErdõ looks very much like thefavourite to succeed Benedict amongEuropeans”. Other reports suggest,however, that there could be pressurefrom growth markets such as Africaand Latin America not to elect a thirdCentral European pontiff in succession.Others note that Europeans willmake up the majority of the conclave.The story appears to have caughtfire, with international hacks calling upour editorial office on Thursdaylooking for local experts on theapparent pope-in-waiting.Baby pachydermpacks a punchGiven the choice between Anita,Angyal, Amelie, Aishwarya, Aurora andAsha, some 200,000 people votedonline on the name to be given toBudapest Zoo’s newest animal star, anelephant born on 14 February. The poll,which closed on Monday, ended withover half of the votes going to Asha, aSanskrit word for “hope”.The first Asian elephant to be born inthe zoo since 1961, Asha came threemonths earlier than expected, weighed75 kilograms and was 85cm tall at birth.The calf is the first offspring of Angela, aFrench-born 12-year-old and resident ofBudapest Zoo since 2010.Assam, the 13-year-old father, lived inthe UK’s Chester zoo before turningHungarian in 2009. Both are part of anelephant-breeding programme managedby the European Association of Zoosand Aquaria.The calf is sprightly and interested inthe outside world, Budapest Zooannounced. The Elephant House, whichwas closed for the first few days afterAsha’s arrival, is now open to viewersbetween 1pm and 3pm every Monday.For information on opening times andprices see www.zoobudapest.comhas now joined a growing list of supermarkets andfood brands including Tesco, Nestlé, Findus andIglo that have had to recall products.Spreading like wildfireSome 19 countries have been affected by thediscovery of tainted products since British andIrish inspectors found horsemeat in frozen mealsand burger products in January. While fingers arebeing wagged at the long, convoluted and poorlyregulated supply chains used by the meat industry,the concern is that phenylbutazone, an antiinflammatorydrug for horses commonly referredto as “bute” and potentially harmful to humans, isfinding its way into some of the tainted products.Russia joined the ranks of those affected onWednesday when its agricultural watchdog,Rosselkhoznadzor, said it had found horse andpoultry DNA in a 20-tonne shipment from Austriaof sausages labelled as pork.Hope?Nope.Hungary amongEurope’s leaders– for pessimismEighty-eight per cent ofHungarians thought thecountry was in aneconomic crisis in the finalquarter of 2012, one percentagepoint less than in the thirdquarter and three percentagepoints lower than in Q4 2011.Based on the online surveyconducted by researcherNielsen, the ratio of pessimistsin Hungary is above theEuropean average of 75%.The most optimisticEuropean country is Norway,where only 16 per cent saidthere is an economic crisis.Pessimists, however, are in theminority in only two other countries:Latvia (43%) andSwitzerland (48%). The biggestworriers are Italians where onlytwo in a hundred said there is nocrisis, Croatians (3%),Portuguese (4%), Irish (5%) andGreeks, where 11 per cent stillthink the country is not in financialtrouble.Debt sweatOf the Hungarian respondentssaying that there is a crisis, thevast majority (85%) expressedworries about the turmoil notending in the next 12 months.Asked what is their biggestconcern for the next six months,21 per cent ranked not being ableto repay their loans in first place.This was followed by worriesabout the condition of theeconomy and job security (16%),the price increase of foodstuff(10%), education of children (8%),the increase of energy prices (7%)and health (4%).The global comparisonrevealed that Europeans are themost pessimistic about their futurewith 64 per cent saying that therecession will not end within ayear. The same response wasreceived from only 55 per cent ofNorth Americans, while the rest ofthe world has a more optimisticoutlook. Sixty per cent of Asians,Australians and Latin Americansbelieve that the financial crisis willsoon be over and the number iseven higher (64%) in countries ofthe Middle East and Africa.03NEWS

04POLITICS1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013The Office of the Ombudsman wasoriginally created to monitor thestate of basic and human rights inHungary. Current office holderMáté Szabó has frequently used hisposition to criticise Hungarian governmentpolicy. Unfortunately, his critique increasinglyfalls on deaf ears. The Budapest Times talked to himabout his office, his objectives and current situationof being constantly ignored and reviled bygovernment.Mr. Szabó, first we would like you to give us some backgroundon an ombudsman’s work.The Office of the Ombudsman is present inalmost all of Europe, with the notable exceptionsof Germany, Switzerland and Italy where theOffice of the Ombudsman is only implementedon the regional administrative level rather thanstate-wide. In Germany, for example, there is aspecialised ombudsman supervising theBundeswehr [Federal Defence]. On an EU-widelevel the ombudsman supervises EU policy,parliamentary affairs and is one of the few channelsthat citizens can use to directly appeal to ifthey suspect anything wrong within the EU institutions.An ombudsman can make recommendationsbut not issue any legally binding advice. Themost important role is to be the supervisor of theadministration apparatus.What is the connection to the other constitutional institutions?Since 1 January last year there is a new directconnection between the Constitutional Court andthe Office of the Ombudsman. Acting on motionsfrom citizens, the ombudsman can now directlyaddress the Constitutional Court if there are anyissues or questions to be resolved. There are noindividual proceedings any more but theombudsman functions as the middle manbetween citizens and the court. Since 1 January2012 we have forwarded some 25 complaints tothe court.What kinds of complaints do you usually receive?At the moment we are primarily working on transitionregulations for basic rights set down in theConstitution. Based on our argumentation andthe lawsuit by a legal scholar, the ConstitutionalCourt has struck down the former transitionregulations. The court made suggestions on howto amend the regulations in order to make themmore consistent and homogeneous. TheParliament will now try to amend the law accordinglyand hopefully the fourth try will be thecharm.A lot of problems are also highlighted by citizensthemselves. There are a number of problems withlegislation concerning churches as well as legislationconcerning families. For example, a questionaddressed to us could be: what is the legal situationof non-married couples with children? Thediscrimination of non-marital relationship wasoutlawed by the Constitutional Court and sincethen the governing coalition party KDNP hasbeen seeking out a compromise for the legal situationof civil unions. The current suggestion isthat civil unions are entitled to the same benefitsas married couples, if they also have children.Amendments such as this compromise are necessaryto make the civil legislation as well as inheritancelaws more consistent with the Constitution.We have also criticised the rather ad-hoc ban ofgambling machines since it meant big financiallosses for a lot of companies, who had no way toprepare for the changing legal situation.Similarly, the implementation of internationalarbitration panels in Hungarian legal disputeswas too hectic and ill-advised.Unfortunately, the government has frequentlyproven difficult to deal with when theConstitutional Court’s opinion did not matchgovernment policy. Rather than adapting to therecommendations of the Constitutional Court,the government has tried to make use of othervenues and thus circumvent the court’s decisions.The state of affairs in family law is a goodexample for that.The new Constitution was definitely passed tooquickly, there was no coherent strategy behind itand the consequences were not consideredadequately, which is why we have been dealingwith a number of issues raised by citizen inquiriesover the years.How difficult has it proven to maintain independencefrom party politics?Based on organisational and legal proceedinglegislation, the ombudsman is in a position ofconsiderable power, thus being able to defend hisposition against political or administrative pressure.Similarly, we have to make sure that wereceive income only through our own artistic oracademic work, so we cannot hold positions incompanies. Further, we have to make our incomepublic every year, which is why you will probablynever see anyone becoming ombudsman who isalso partner in a law firm.In many Western states, the best example beingScandinavia, there is considerable trust attributedto the position of the ombudsman by the citizens.In Eastern Europe, however, this relationship isdefined more by mistrust. In the past, partieshave been very attentive to their relationship tothe ombudsman. The legal side makes the officerather strong but our political culture makes itdifficult for the ombudsman, which is why we arevery happy to say that our office has received thebest trust-quotes in last year’s polls by Szonda-Ipsos. In contrast, in 2008, the citizens put moretrust into their respective parties than theombudsman.What is your reaction to your recommendations beingfrequently ignored by government?This would be unthinkable in Scandinavia. Buthere, the Parliament can pretty much do whateverit wants to. For five years now, there has notbeen a single ombudsman report discussed inParliament for a number of ever-more-flimsyreasons. This is a situation more reminiscent ofThird World Africa. In Hungary there is very littlelegislative work prepared in parliamentarycommittees. It is much more based on the partiesand coalition partners, so taking the reports fromthe ombudsman into account would be veryimportant for Parliament to arrive at consistentand coherent legislation.Your newest comment on the Magyar MûvészetiAkadémia (Hungarian Academy of Arts) is critical, asusual. How long do you usually spend on an issuebefore you publish?That very much depends on the issue but in thecase of the Hungarian Academy of Arts it was amedium-term issue. It was fairly obvious from theget-go that this was contrary to plurality and thusprobably contrary to constitutional principles. Intheory the academy should be based on theAcademy of Sciences but it is clear that this is notthe case. We will have to see how theConstitutional Court will decide, though. Sincethe recent changes in the appointments of thejudges, the consent-based decisions have becomefew and far between.On the topic of homelessness, the Constitutional Courthas only recently abolished the legislation outlawingliving on the street, yet a single district government inBudapest refuses to obey and still punishes the homeless.What is your opinion?The Constitutional Court has very clearly decidedthat nobody may be punished for having to live inthe streets. Misdemeanours, however, are stillpunishable, which means that if a homelessperson is loud or otherwise a threat to the public,he can still be punished for that. Consequently, itis pretty unnecessary to punish somebody solelyon the grounds of being homeless. So, if certainlocal governments start making legislation tooutlaw homelessness it is not only bad practicebut also a bad example for the citizens.Unfortunately, law can also be abused and brokenby government, and if even government does notbother respecting the law, why should the citizens?If a constitutional order from the court isbeing ignored too blatantly by government – evena local one – it destroys the already weak moraleof our citizens. This process is highly destructiveas it spreads out, beginning on local levels butspreading to regional and even state levels, as wecan see right now with the institutions just notpaying attention to decisions made by theConstitutional Court. If even the ConstitutionalCourt is not paid attention to, it is not difficult toimagine where we might end up. And unfortunatelythe government is not particularly dedicatedto improving this situation.How so?There seems to some sort of acompetition going on for violationof law in Hungary. Letus take the example ofminority rights. Rightnow we have a sort of“ethno business” inwhich companiesmake money off ofminority rights.The problem hasbeen discussed forsome 20 years nowand yet there is noend in sight.Domestic violence is stilla major problem inHungary – much likeanywhere in Europe. Theprotection of marriage andfamily is anchored into theConstitution. How do you view the protectionof children against their own parents?That is a very difficult and unfortunately a verysad question as there is a very obvious need foraction here. Two questions come together in thisproblem. On the one hand it is about the protectionof the individual child, but on the other handthis concerns the protection of the family as aninstitution as well. If a family is a threat to thechildren, there should theoretically be a warningsystem in place. But in our case there is the needfor much more expert knowledge. Our system isway too centralised to be effective. Our legislationdoes of course try to protect children against theirfamily members but in practice this has proven tobe quite difficult. In some cases even our staff isscared of family members.THE BUDAPEST TIMESIf gov’t doesn’t respect the law, should citizens?Interview with the Ombudsman for Human and Basic Rights Máté SzabóCivil rights ombudsman Máté Szabó: “If a constitutionalorder from the court is being ignored too blatantly bygovernment – even a local one – it destroys the alreadyweak morale of our citizens.”What strategy does the government have for thisproblem?Following EU regulations, government is tryingto decrease the size of institutions, make themmore transparent and establish a better sense ofcommunity within. From 2014 onwards there issupposed to be a new government initiative toincrease the number of foster families forminors as well. This means that children underthe age of 14 should not grow up in the institutionsany more but instead be integrated intofamilies with “profile-parents”. This regulationhas been implemented since 1 January but it iscompletely unrealistic. There is no solid basisfor the initiative, both in an institutional andfinancial sense. In theory we are always veryquick to adapt to EU regulations but practicefrequently proves to be lacklustre. We, as aninstitution, give recommendations but that doesnot really mean anything. Take barrier-freemovement for the disabled, for example. Therewere deadlines for implementation, whichpassed some time ago. Now there is new legislationthat overrides the deadlines. We want theConstitutional Court to annul the newer legislationand set new deadlines for the properimplementation of the original laws.What about legislation concerning the freedom toprotest? What is the situation in Hungary?In autumn 2006 there were violent clashesbetween demonstrators and the police, whichwas a new low for me. In 2007 I was thenelected to be ombudsman, as I was one of thefew experts for police force brutality and rightof assembly. In 2006 the issue was really at itsboiling point and there were two expertcommittees, both of which cited my work. Ithink this was a major reason for my election.From there on, we have spent a lot of time onthe issue of demonstrations and peacefulassemblies. Between 2007 and 2009 there wereconstant clashes and conflicts with demonstrations.The situation has only cooled down in thelast couple of years. We issued a number ofrecommendations on the topic and hopefullythis has helped easing the tension.This also means that the police forces have aneasier job adapting. The former communistpolice only knew the language “batons andrubber bullets”, the latter of which have beenbanned due to the great number ofinjuries. Coming to terms with ourmistakes in the past and trying“But here, theParliament can pretty muchdo whatever it wants to. For fiveyears now, there has not been a singleombudsman report discussed inParliament for a number of ever-moreflimsyreasons. This is a situation morereminiscent of Third World Africa. InHungary there is very little legislativework prepared in parliamentarycommittees. It is much morebased on the parties andcoalition partners... ”to improve on them hasdone a lot to reduceviolence and promotemutual respect, in myopinion. Unfortunatelythis doesnot mean thatthere are no problemsleft to solve.There will alwaysbe tension incertain situations,like we justwitnessed at the lastfootball game ofHungary againstIsrael. When tensionboiled over there, FIFA[International Federation ofAssociation Football] decided toban audiences from attending thegame in the stadium. This has been a greatburden on Hungary’s prestige and has alsobeen difficult to reconcile for Hungariannational pride. Nevertheless, we are now in amuch better position to de-escalate and reconcilethan we were between 2006 and 2009.We also do work on antisemitism. Last year weorganised an exhibition as well as a conferenceunder the name of Janusz Korczak, a politicseducator who worked in a Jewish orphanage andfollowed them into the concentration camps,where he died accompanied by the Polish andIsraeli ambassadors. This too has been a smallcontribution towards de-escalation, improvedcommunication and preventing discrimination.– Elisabeth Katalin Grabow

THE BUDAPEST TIMESPro-EU campaign launched in HungaryIn a 50-second clip as part of anadvertising campaign launched inFebruary under the name “MyEurope” with the aim of popularisingthe European Union, a youngHungarian moves abroad from thefamous Hortobágy plain and thenfinally returns to his origins. Nextviewers learn that the EU supportedthe development of HortobágyNational Park with over HUF 4.5billion (EUR 15.18 million) in the pastfive years, suggesting that precisely thiscould have contributed to the return ofthe young Hungarian.The main message of the campaignis that Hungarian and European identitiesare not exclusive but insteadcomplement and strengthen oneanother. “As Europeans we areHungarians and as Hungarians we areEuropeans,” says state secretary EnikõGyõri, responsible for EU affairs at theHungarian Foreign Ministry. Thecampaign is motivated by the impressionthat today, after almost a decadein the EU, many Hungarians take theadvantages of membership forgranted, she says.The campaign is also designed topresent the “massive EU funds” thatProfessor: accusations ofirregularities are bid tointimidate central bankHungarian National Bank (MNB) supervisorycommittee member Péter Róna said on Wednesdaythat accusations of wrongdoing against outgoingcentral bank director András Simor are designed to“intimidate the central bank organisation and staff”.Speaking on independent station ATV’s morningprogramme Start, the Oxford professor of economicssaid the bank was bound by the terms of the 20-billion-euro International Monetary Fund-led bail-outHungary received in 2008, and subsequent Viennaagreements to which all Hungarian banks are party.The MNB is required to provide the IMF with informationregarding the liquidity of Hungarian banks toensure they are honouring their commitment not towithdraw hard currency from the national bankingsystem, Róna said.The economist noted that all seven banksconcerned were aware the MNB was monitoring theiractivities and sending regular reports to the IMF. Hefurther pointed out that when asked to give theirwritten consent retroactively, none refused, and thatnone of the banks have complained.Rona said the attempts to instill fear in the directorsand employees would “paralyse the ability of the bankto function properly”. He closed by saying that a decisionto name National Economy Minister GyörgyMatolcsy as Simor’s successor, which many wereexpecting as this newspaper went to press onThursday, would be “a very serious mistake”.Russia burned inUkrainian gas buyUkraine is planning to finalise an agreement withSlovakia and Hungary about the delivery of seven billioncubic metres of gas annually, Vadim Chuprun, the CEOof the country’s state-owned oil and gas company, saidon Tuesday.According to Ukrainian news agency UNIAN,Hungary and Ukraine have already signed the technologicalagreement and both parties are ready to begindelivery. Ukraine would purchase one million cubicmetres a day in summer and three times as much inwinter.Somewhat oddly the former Soviet country will actuallypurchase gas from Russia via German energy firmRWE, which gets a significant discount from Russianenergy firm Gazprom. Based on reports, Ukraine paidGazprom USD 430 a cubic metre but will buy the samefor USD 360 from Germany via Hungary and Slovakia.Richter increasingpresence in ChinaHungarian drug maker Richter announced onMonday that as part of its efforts to establish a reshapedand stronger direct presence on the Chinese pharmaceuticalmarket, it has signed a series of agreementswith the owners of its marketing partner, RxmidasPharmaceuticals. Richter will have a 51 per cent stakein the joint venture plus seven regional offices and morethan 200 staff in China.Back to the Puszta after time abroad – thanks to the EUHungary has received in recent yearsin a form that is easier to grasp. Thenaming of the sum in EU funds thatbenefited Hortobágy National Park isfollowed by the information thatthroughout Hungary in the past fiveyears a total of 97 nature conservationprojects received EU fundingtotalling some HUF 25 billion (EUR84.38 million). The clip does notcontain more than these figures.Orbán promotes linkswith LebanonEconomic cooperation, visa waivers for holders ofdiplomatic passports, scholarships and the situationin the Middle East involving Syrian refugees were onthe agenda during Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’svisit to Lebanon on Wednesday and Thursday.A series of cooperation agreements on politicaland educational issues will be signed following thevisit, Orbán said after talks with Lebanese PresidentMichel Sleiman.Lebanon’s Daily Star reported Orbán as sayingHungary could be a partner in energy and militarytraining and cooperation, with Sleiman speaking ofthe importance of continuing to promote theexchange of expertise.Orbán was accompanied by a 36-strong delegationof Hungarian business people who attended aforum.Hungary considers Lebanon as one of the mostimportant countries for the region’s stability andplans to include Lebanon’s strategic role in theagenda of the next meeting of European Unionforeign ministers, state secretary for foreign affairsand foreign economy Péter Szijjártó said onWednesday.Stagnation inindustrial spaceThe national industrial property space marketstagnated at around 325,000 square metres with thevacancy rate falling by 1.4 per cent to 19.4 per centlast year, research by consultancy firm DTZ anddeveloper CA Immo has shown.Going DutchBudapest Transport Centre (BKK) has invitedbicycle firms to tender offers to create a publicbicycle hire network in the capital by spring 2014.The project, which has secured an EU subsidy worthHUF 900 million (EUR 3.04 million) to match the CityHall’s investment, calls for 1,100 bikes and thesetting up of docking stations around Budapest.The focus on a few, selected figuresis not a case of trying to divert attentionor conceal something, for whichthere would be no reason in any case,says Tamás Király, head of the departmentfor the EU Commission at theHungarian Foreign Ministry. He notes,for example, that EU membership costHungary EUR 0.84 billion in 2011,while during the same period thecountry collected a total of EUR 5.33MTIbillion in funding.The positive balance of some EUR4.5 billion could certainly have beenpresented in the campaign if it wereprimarily about the numbers, but “thistime we deliberately wanted to avoidswamping Hungarian citizens withfigures”, Király says.This and a further clip will be shownon television and the internet, and willbe supplemented by a radio campaign.MAL to be liquidatedMAL Hungarian Aluminium Ltd is to be dismantled bystate-owned liquidator Nemzeti ReorganizációsNonprofit by court order, the National DevelopmentMinistry said on Wednesday. The firm behind the lethal“red mud” toxic waste spill of October 2010 has been inan impossible financial position since local environmentalauthorities fined it a record HUF 140 billion(EUR 472.45 million) last year. MAL, whose bauxiterefinery in the western town of Ajka is the mainemployer in the area, wasdeclared a company ofstrategic importance lastSeptember. Directors andsenior management are ontrial facing charges of grossnegligence. The HungarianNationalAssetManagement Company(MNV) will provide funds tomaintain operation duringrestructuring, the ministrysaid.Meanwhile, MAL haswound up production at its bauxite mine in Halimba inthe northwest, CEO Zoltán Bakonyi told state newsagency MTI. The firm earlier announced that 200workers would be laid off due to the closure of theunprofitable mine. MAL, whose aluminium productionplants were set up during communist-era industrialisation,has hitherto mined some 80 per cent of its bauxite,aluminium ore, in Hungary.It also has lost an appeal against a compensationorder. A Budapest court of second instance ruled onTuesday that MAL Ltd must pay retired soldier JózsefKonkoly HUF 23 million (EUR 77,830). He had suedafter his home was ruined by a wave of caustic chemicalwaste that spilled from a huge storage pool near thewestern town of Ajka.AC Glass winds downcar window workJapanese car window manufacturer AC Glass hascompleted the installation of new machinery in itsTatabánya factory, increasing annual output from 13.5million to 14.7 million units.The HUF 1 billion (EUR 3.38million) development will be followed by the constructionof a 5,000-square-metre assembly hall, which isexpected to be completed next year.Better ties plannedwith SerbiaThe opening of new border crossings betweenHungary and Serbia and the renovation of theBudapest-Belgrade rail link were on the agenda duringa visit by state secretary for foreign affairs and externaleconomic relations Péter Szijjártó to the Serbian capitalthis week. “Once the renovation is complete, trains willhave a maximum speed of 160 km/h on the electrifiedtwo-way tracks,” Szijjártó told state news agency MTI,adding that the USD 3-4 billion (EUR 2.31-3.07 billion)cost could be partially financed by the USD 10 billion(EUR 7.67 billion) development credit line for the CEEregion announced by Chinese Prime Minister WenJiabao in Warsaw last year.1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013The publicity drive also has its ownwebsite, which features an “EU calculator”,enabling visitors to the site,after entering some data about themselves,to find out what tangible advantagesthe EU has brought or couldbring them.This is far from being the only interactivepart of the campaign. Visits byrepresentatives of the EU and theHungarian government to numerousHungarian secondary schools anduniversities are planned.The European CommissionRepresentation in Hungary, theForeign Ministry and the informationoffice of the European Parliament areresponsible for the campaign, which isfinanced by the European Commissionto the tune of around EUR 36 million(by comparison, the recent anti-International Monetary Fundcampaign of the Hungarian governmentcost some HUF 200 million(EUR 674,874).)The pro-EU campaign has beendeveloped and carried out by advertisingagency MEC Hungary,supported by Young & Rubicam indesign and implementation of thecreative elements.Fine brings Tesco campaignback down to earthThe State Competition Authority has fined retailchain Tesco HUF 20 million (EUR 67,500) formisleading advertising in a campaign in 2011.As part of its “Autumn Sale” Tesco offered 50 andlater 70 per cent discounts on garden machinery,but the products advertised were not available in anumber of stores and original prices were notdisplayed in the shops or the company’s leaflet.MOL profitnot predicted gusherHungarian oil corporate MOL posted a HUF 11.2billion (EUR 37.87 million) after-tax profit in the finalquarter of 2012, significantly lower than analysts’predictions of around HUF 44.4 billion (EUR 150.13million).One of the most important indicators for an oilcorporation – operating result adjusted for one-offitems”was HUF 58.4 billion (EUR 197.47 million),which was about 20 per cent below the analysts’consent, a 29 per cent decline compared to theprevious quarter and an 11 per cent drop year-onyear.“Despite the fact that the in the past weeks MOLalready under-performed on the stock exchange,we expect further negative reaction due to thedisappointing result,” an analysis by KBC Equitassaid.MOL CEO József Molnár, commenting on thefourth-quarter report, said the biggest achievementof 2012 had been that the company managed tomaintain financial stability. “We expect the yearahead to be difficult,” he said, stressing thatregional fuel markets had not reached bottom yetand the slow growth of Europe will likely causefurther challenges.One for the road, perhaps?The M5 approach road at Szentlõrinc út, DistrictXXIII, is blocked by hundreds of bottles of beer onTuesday night after a delivery lorry jackknifes.MTI05NEWS IN BRIEF

06 1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013 THE BUDAPEST TIMESECONOMY/BUSINESS AVIATIONAlreadyin use– Continued from page 1Vodafone appears to be in the biggestquandary, as the only existing operator to havealready rolled out extended 3G coverage on the2MHz chunk of the broadcasting spectrum that itsecured in the initial auction. The firm said it hadused the additional capacity to extend its reachto 90 per cent of the population, and that now1.2 million potential users could lose access.However, Vodafone told state news agencyMTI it is “confident” it will reach an agreementwith the authorities that will allow it to maintainuninterrupted coverage.Competitive argumentsThe MPVI consortium said it had planned tolaunch a trial service in Budapest within monthsand a commercial service within a year. Thiswould have increased competition and reducedprices for domestic and business consumers,the firm told MTI, adding that it is currentlyweighing up its options.Magyar Telekom, however, said competition isalready strong on the Hungarian market and thatefficient management of frequency rights wouldbe a key component in promoting investmentand further development. Telenor called for morefrequency bands to be made available to operatorsas soon as possible.Vodafone, PM denystate takeoverThe idea that the state would be interested inbuying Vodafone Hungary is nothing but falsereporting, János Suba, the communicationsdirector of the telecommunications company,said this week after news portal origo.hupublished an article saying the government haddesigns on the British-owned firm.The rumour could have been started by anumber of facts. For one, Prime Minister ViktorOrbán recently met Vittorio Colao, the CEO ofthe Vodafone Group. For another, as expectedthe Hungarian supreme court, the Kúria, thisweek annulled the tender called to establish afourth Hungarian mobile provider, which wouldhave been a consortium owned by the state.Finally, Vodafone Hungary remains in lastplace in the market, with little hope of catchingrunner-up Telenor, and its financial performanceis far from satisfactory. The decision of the Kúriacould further reduce its market value becausethe ruling annulled the entire tender, whichincluded a 2MHz band already being used byVodafone for its mobile-internet services.Ring of truth: PwCAlthough the Prime Minister’s Office issued ashort statement saying that the purchase ofVodafone has never been on the agenda of anyof Orbán’s meetings, Péter Sere, the chief executiveat PricewaterhouseCoopers Hungary, didnot dismiss the idea, saying the company wouldbe an ideal acquisition target. Based onVodafone’s global business strategy, “it is notimpossible that Vodafone would be willing to partways with its Hungarian affiliate if a reasonableoffer is made”, Sere hypothesised.Air control updatemakes sky saferAir traffic control authorityHungaroControl’s new HUF 13 billion (EUR43.92 million) centre was inaugurated onWednesday. The ANS III project includedthe upgrade of the MATIAS control software,which has attracted interest fromaround the world since its introduction in2004. The software of the Hungarian airnavigation service provider draws hundredsof 4D profiles on the basis of flight plans andseeks potential conflicts among them, 20 to25 minutes in advance. Based on radar datait carries out short-term conflict search andre-evaluates the entire air space situationevery five seconds.From left: Thomas Faustmann, CEO of Audi Hungaria Motor Kft, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Frank Dreves, board memberfor production of Audi AG, development engineer László Hoffmann, National Economy Minister György Matolcsy, PéterSzijjártó, state secretary for foreign affairs and foreign economy of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Ákos Kara, Fidesz MPfor Gyõr in the Gobelin (Tapestry) room of Parliament, where the government and Audi Hungaria Motor Kft. signed astrategic partnership agreement on Tuesday.Audi signs strategic partnershipPrime Minister Viktor Orbán and German car manufacturerAudi’s board member Frank Dreves signeda strategic partnership agreement in Parliament onTuesday.The Premier said that thanks to the agreement,Hungary is likely to do well in the European tax, costand technology competition.“The government’s concepts of modern economy arestrongly related to the concept of Audi and leading Germanindustrial firms in general,” said Orbán, stressing that thiscompetition will continue in Europe in the future. “Audiregards Hungary as a network of high-tech enterprises andnot merely as an assembly line of large producers,” headded.Orbán also held discussions with the board of Audi toreview the developments of earlier arrangements and theprerequisites for expansion at the Gyõr plant.Go to work onairberlin, as newboss namedChristoph Horak has passed on dutiesas Hungary and Poland country managerof German budget airline airberlin toTamás Hanyi and will continue to overseeoperations in the Czech Republic andSlovakia.From 6 May the airline will operate twodaily flights from Berlin to Budapest onweekdays. “We are increasing the frequenciesof flights for the second time sinceestablishing the route in February 2012,”senior vice-president Otto Gergye said inBudapest.With a flight added on Tuesday andThursday evenings the airline offers theoption of commuting between Berlin andBudapest on working days at times thatfit in around working hours.Compared to other airlines flying fromBudapest, airberlin will be able to offerthe shortest travel and transfer time forflights between Budapest and New York,Gergye said.Airport’ssmaller stepfor mankindBudapest’s Liszt Ferenc Airportmanaged to reduce its annual carbondioxide footprint by 10 per cent, airportmanagement company BUD announcedthis week, noting that this was partiallydue to the decline in traffic but also aresult of conscious energy rationalisationefforts.It was an eight per cent declinecompared to the record traffic year of2011 and allowed the airport to save850,000 cubic metres of natural gas onHungarian supply chain“Audi is not simply a factory in Hungary but the factoryHungarians can trust,” Orbán said. “It is a factory whichpurchases EUR 1.5 billion worth of goods from Hungariansuppliers on an annual basis.” He noted that the Germanautomobile company first invested in Hungary in the 1990swhen nobody knew what the fate of the country would be,and in 2010, at the time of the European financial crisis, ithad announced further expansion.Dreves said the agreement celebrated and reinforcedseveral years of excellent cooperation between the governmentand Audi, the world’s leading engine manufacturer. Hecalled the decision to establish production “clearly a goodone”. In the 20-year history of the factory 23.6 millionengines and 580,000 vehicles had been manufactured.Magyar Telekom trims lossEnergy, TV and IT up, phone downHungary’s largest telecommunicationsprovider, MagyarTelekom, finished the fourthquarter of 2012 HUF 1.6billion (EUR 5.39 million) in the red, abig improvement on the HUF 40.3 billion(EUR 135.99 million) loss from Q4 of2011 but still slightly below whatanalysts had expected. The resultannounced Thursday was powered bynon-core activities lifting revenue andoperating costs falling.Net income increased mainly due totwo one-off items that negativelyaffected the Q4 2011 result: an impairmentloss related to Macedonia and aone-off deferred tax expense.Revenue increased 3.4 per cent inthe fourth quarter of 2012 year-on-year.The decline in fixed and mobile voicerevenue was more than offset by thesignificant increase in revenue fromenergy and IT services, while growingTV and mobile equipment sales revenuegenerated by higher smartphone salesalso contributed to the performance.MTILabour costs dearlyDespite lower salaries employeerelatedexpenses increased HUF 0.6billion (EUR 2.02 million), as thepreviously outsourced labour forcerelated to call centre customer care,sales and customer experience servicesbecame permanent employeesof Magyar Telekom in April 2012.In addition, higher severanceexpenses were accounted in thelatest quarter.“As a result of strong growth in ourretail gas and electricity revenuesand significant expansion of otherproducts including TV, mobile internetand IT services, we recorded positiverevenue growth in 2012,” CEOChristopher Mattheisen said.“The Christmas period in particularwas characterised not only by strongsales of TV subscriptions but alsotelevision sets. These fit well into ournon-core strategy and help to supportsubscription growth.”Smartphones sharpIn the mobile segment, MagyarTelekom continued to see focus onsmartphones during 2012, resulting insignificant sales and penetrationgrowth among the customer base.“Almost 90 per cent of the handsetssold to post-paid customers inthe fourth quarter were smartphones,and approximately 80 per cent ofsmartphone buyers also subscribedto a mobile internet package,”Mattheisen said.“In the short-term, we expectmarket conditions to remain challengingdue to sustained pressureson disposable income levels andcontinued intense competition, alongwith persistent negative impacts fromrecently introduced fiscal measures.Thus watchful cost management andidentifying new revenue sources willremain among our key priorities, butwe expect our overall profit margin todecline further in 2013.”an annual level.This is roughly the equivalent of whatthe airport uses in a month, or theannual usage of about 280 familyhomes.BUD announced its energy rationalisationin 2007, which was eventuallyrecognised by the “carbon accreditation”certificate of Airports CouncilInternational Europe. “Contrary topopular belief flying is one of thecleanest and most secure means oftransportation,” BUD environmentdirector Gábor Szarvas said. “Our goalremains to develop the airport consideringthe requests of nearby settlements.One of the improvements willinclude the construction of a jet enginetesting hall, which will significantlyreduce the airport’s noise pollutionlevel.”MTIHome foreclosureswell under limitBanks put 3,560 foreclosed homeson the market in the first quarter,considerably fewer than the 5000 ormore permitted under a quota imposedby the government in a bid to prevent aglut of cheap property for sale.Over 110,000 households foundthemselves in mortgage arrears of over90 days this quarter, news magazineHVG reported on its website, Whilebanks would normally have the right toforeclose and sell in this instance, aquota introduced in 2011 means theycan market only four per cent of themajority of homes that are valued atunder HUF 30 million (EUR 101,536).The limit was three per cent last yearand two per cent in 2011. Even incases of foreclosure and sale, homescannot be repossessed due to agovernment moratorium. The moratoriumwas due to end this Friday but theFinance Ministry has called for anextension.Red ink blot onbanking sectorHungarian financial institutionsbooked HUF 160.6 billion (EUR 544.83million) of after-tax losses in 2012, datapublished by the State FinancialSupervisory Authority has revealed.Most of the red ink was due to theoverall bad results of the fourth quarterand the HUF 271 billion (EUR 919.35million) total annual loss suffered bythree unnamed banks.Banks, governmentdiscuss forex loansThe Hungarian Banking Association(BSZ), the National Economy Ministry,state audit office ÁSZ, financial marketwatchdog PSZÁF and civil groups meton Wednesday to discuss the issue offoreign-currency loans. Hundreds ofthousands of households found themselvesin a debt trap when the globalfinancial crisis hit Hungary in 2008 asrepayments and principal on their lowinterestmainly Swiss franc loans shotup in forint terms.Government commissioner for financialprotection György Doubravszkysaid after the talks that he had called fora 45-day extension to a moratorium onrepossessions that is due to expire thisFriday. Noting that some 3,500 foreclosedproperties have been auctionedthis year, Doubravszy said “not a singleeviction should take place”, accordingto a statement from the ministry. Thegovernment commissioner also spokeof a key question that remained to beanswered: were the loans really foreigncurrency-based or merely forint loanswith repayments pegged to exchangerate movements? The parties are dueto reconvene on Tuesday.Honour big dealfor CitibankCitibank Europe was named the“Primary Government SecuritiesMarket Dealer of the Year” and thefinancial institution generated thelargest turnover in the primary marketof state-issued bonds, the GovernmentDebt Management Agency (ÁKK)announced on Tuesday.Wage pact endsDunaferr strikeUnions and management of steelcompany Dunaferr agreed onTuesday to a 3.5 per cent wage risefor the first half of the year and anadditional one per cent from July,ending a strike that began at theDunaújváros factory the previousWednesday. Employees haddemanded a 5.2 per cent increaseagainst the latest offer by thecompany of 3.5 per cent when thestrike began.

THE BUDAPEST TIMES1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 201307MTI/Zsolt SzigetváryCountingon theirpenniesPeople queuing at thecash desk of the NationalBank of Hungary onFreedom Square toexchange their remaining1 and 2 forint coins, whichare out of circulation, on28 February. Thursdaywas the last chance toexchange the coins.ECONOMYin association with:cordially invite you for theBudapest International Business Center Conference 2013Doing business from Budapest.Reasons for locating international and regional centres in Budapest.March 22, Friday, 2013 - Hotel SOFITEL BudapestThe conference focuses on the rationales and strategies of where to locate the headquarters, regionalcenters and business services of multi-national and international corporations. According to a surveycarried out in 2001 among over 130 foreign companies in Hungary, 69% of them had a regionalcenter, and 44% had already in Budapest. Budapest was followed by Vienna with 24%(see http://www.bibca.net/en/home ).The one-day event is aimed at people in middle to senior management positions in international companies,and will be of particular interest to companies looking to expand their presence in Central andEastern Europe, and to local business service providers.Speakers include representatives from international businesses and government..Please visit http://www.bibca.net/en/events to see the Agenda.The conference language is English.Participation fee: HUF 63.500 (EUR 225) (Two-three registrants: 10 % discount).For members of BIBCA, BCCH, CCIU, DWC: HUF 50.000 (EUR175) (please refer at registration)Online registration: http://www.bibca.net/en/registrationWe reserve our rights to change the agenda!Conference contact: Phone: 30-341-7318 - E-mail: office@bancraft.com www.bibca.netDiamond Sponsor:Golden Sponsors:Bronze SponsorMedia sponsor:Outlook negativeas retail sales fallContinuing the trend of theprevious eight months, the volume ofretail sales fell 2.1 per cent inDecember and 1.9 per cent in all2012 when measured against thesame periods of 2011, the CentralStatistical Office announced thisweek.The drop was powered by fallingsales in food, drinks and tobaccostores, petrol stations, furniture andelectrical goods shops as well as inbooks, computer equipment andother specialised stores, whichcould not be offset by the dynamicincrease in second-hand shops andmail order and internet retailing.Month-on-month, retail salesessentially remained unchanged inDecember. Though the confidenceindex – compiled by Erste andresearcher GKI based on theoutlook of businesses andconsumers – continued its upwardtrend from -19.6 points in January to-19.5 in February, the view for thenext six months remains generallynegative. This is especially true forbusiness sentiment, which droppedfrom -11.3 points to -12 pointsmainly due to the negative expectationsof the industrial and retailsegments.More wait longerfor their next jobUnemployment stood at 11.2 percent in November 2012-January2013, 0.1 percentage point higherthan a year ago, the CentralStatistical Office announced onTuesday. The unemployment rate ofmen rose while that of womenslightly improved.The average duration of unemploymentwas 16.3 months, with46.8 per cent of unemployed peoplesearching for a job for a year ormore.Slow green cars toget up to speedA HUF 870 million (EUR 2.94million) development programme ofelectric- and hybrid-poweredengines and vehicles was launchedat Széchenyi István University inGyõr on Wednesday.The aim of the EU- and statefinancedproject is to create a light –less than 500 kilograms – vehicle,which seats two adults, has amaximum speed of 70 km/h and arange of at least 50 kilometres.New rail line tospeed cargoThe government approved onWednesday the construction of atwo-way, electrified, high-speedcargo rail line to link Cegléd, southeastof Budapest, and Tatabánya,northwest of the capital.The 113-kilometre railway – estimatedto be completed by 2017 –will allow cargo trains to cross thecountry in a day instead of thecurrent four to five days.Littleleewayanyway– Continued from page 1Some analysts quoted this week were evendismissing the hysteria over the MNB succession –in stark contrast to the horror many expressed ayear or more ago when the idea of Matolcsy asnational bank chief floated to the surface amid ageneral outcry (and EU infringement proceedings)over the government’s attempts to limit the independenceof the bank.In any case, whoever takes charge will beconstrained by economic reality: a devaluation ofthe forint – such as might follow a drastic baserate cut or, more drastically, a rolling of theprinting presses – is no get-out-of-debt-free cardfor Hungary. Devaluation or quantitative easingis not an option for a country with half of its 80-per-cent-of-GDP government debt and aworrying proportion of its private debt denominatedin foreign currencies.Another rate cutWhat is more, the Central Bank’s MonetaryPolicy Council under Simor has already been asdovish as perhaps it could get away with recently.A seventh 25-basis-point cut in as many monthson Tuesday brought its benchmark lending ratedown to 5.25 per cent.Lastly, it appears that whoever replaces Simor,the government is likely to crow about his leavingunder a cloud, with an inquiry under way intoalleged irregularities over the passing of data ondomestic banks to the IMF. Facing Parliament’seconomics committee on Monday, Simor said theMNB’s operations have been “well planned,careful, compliant with regulations and, from theviewpoint of taxpayer interests, economical”,state news agency MTI reported.Simor denies allegationsRejecting the findings of a recent report byfinancial regulator PSZÁF – headed by a formerFidesz politician – Simor said the MNB waslegally obliged to furnish the IMF with informationon the financing situation, net foreignexchange position and foreign-exchange swaptransactions of Hungary’s seven largest banks.The data did not relate to private individuals ornon-financial firms, he said.Nevertheless the committee – dominated bygovernment lawmakers, a reflection of Fidesz’stwo-thirds parliamentary majority – voted 18 tofour for a declaration stating that the MNB hadviolated legislation governing credit institutions.Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has keptconstant pressure on Simor since his governmenttook office in 2010, and repeatedly refersto him as an “offshore knight”, a reference toSimor’s alleged overseas business interests.Whoever succeeds him, it will not be an“offshore night”. That is pretty much all Orbánhas divulged, repeatedly, about his plans forSimor’s replacement over the past year.

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THE BUDAPEST TIMESROBERT HODGSONBOB DENTHere comes... something a little differentWhile expats and anglophonenatives in Budapest are offereda variety of theatrical diversionsthis month (see page 13),here is a play that is not just forthem but about them. A new English-languagetheatre production opened last week at MÜSZI,a ramshackle arts centre in the defunct Corvindepartment store on Blaha Lujza tér (square).Despite the gratuitous use of brackets and exclamationmarks, the opening night of (Herecomes...) The English Department! was a sell-out,with a hundred or so turning up to follow thefortunes of three Brits who find themselvesliving in Budapest in the middle of the decadewithout a name.Relying heavily on culture-clash situationcomedy, first-time playwright Wayne Brett drawson many of the experiences that local expatriatesshare – from the classic two-fingers-meansthreemalentendu to a scene set in a candlelitcemetery that alone would justify the play’sbilling as “an absurd comedy”. And that isbefore we get to the sausage-and-gravy dinner.Some more recent arrivals might find theassumed knowledge of a smattering ofHungarian and recent history (the 2006 riotsthat form the backdrop to the play’s denouement)a little irritating – what is that Marlborogirl singing about? – but minor gripes aside, theamateur cast pulled the thing off with gusto.Hungarian Mark Bubno plays one of thethree Brit roles as the desperately-seekingsomething“artist” Matt (the author’s evidenttalent for mimicking accents, we are told,“quickly destabilised his national identity”);Bubno also shows up as Mátyás. Energetic expatIt is well-known that duringSpain’s bloody, murderouslydivisive civil war of 1936-39tens of thousands of volunteersfrom across Europeand North America flocked to theIberian Peninsula to fight for therepublic. They made up whatbecame known as the InternationalBrigades.What is not so well-known is thatthe other side also had its ownvolunteers. Their numbers werelower but were counted in the thousands.This book tells their story. Itssubtitle says it all – “Adventurers,Fascists, and Christian Crusaders inthe Spanish Civil War”. WhiteRussians, British conservatives,Romanian fascists and countlessindividuals looking for the thrills ofcombat were among them.Christopher Othen uncovers theirhistory in a highly readable, oftenentertaining manner.A host of bizarre charactersPerhaps one of the most bizarrestories concerns the volunteers fromIreland who went to fight for Franco.They were led by a 46-year-oldgeneral called Eoin O’Duffy, a formerIRA chief of staff who became thefirst commander of the Guarda,Ireland’s police force. Out of powerin later years he formed his ownmovement of “Blue Shirts”, whosemembers adopted the Nazi salute.entrepreneur Rob (his big idea is making Britishsausages in Budapest) is played by MoroccanNourrdine Hajhouj. When not indulging hispassion for drama and comedy, Hajhouj worksat one of the biggest multinationals in Budapest.The Scot, Neil, is played by Owen Good, anIrishman whose offstage life currently involvesspreading the word in the lucrative Englishteachingbusiness. There were also enjoyableperformances by Edina Nagy (Fruzsi), whom wemeet as a characteristically laconic Budapestbarmaid, and Lena Kalisch playing the cigarettegirl and enthusiastic sausage chewerRachel, who becomes Matt’s frustrated loveinterest (the role will be played by Swedish-bornMadeline Damasdi for the next two performances,for some reason).Gripping tale of other side of civil warReview: Franco’s International Brigades by Christopher OthenHe regarded himself as “Europe’sthird greatest man” – after Hitler andMussolini.Irish Brigade leader General Eoin O’Duffyin Spain in 1937 (Monaghan CountyMuseum).O’Duffy preached Catholic familyvalues of the traditional, conservativetype, though he was an active homosexual.“Hypocrisy ran like marrow inhis bones,” says Othen. Neverthelessit was the religious crusade aspectthat induced many Irish volunteers tohead for Spain and fight against therepublic. They were supported athome by the Church and the press. Atone rally, according to Othen, acrowd of 40,000 heard MonsignorPatrick Sexton, the Dean of Cork,blame the conflict on “a gang ofmurderous Jews in Moscow”.Initially Franco was just one of theleaders of the anti-republican insurrectionof July 1936 but eventually hebecame the supremo. He wasn’t alwayswelcoming towards the volunteershoping to fight on his side – he hadenough organised military supportfrom the troops and airmen sent byMussolini and Hitler. However, in thecase of the Irish he believed they couldhelp him win the support of theCatholic monarchists called Carlists,to whom O’Duffy was close.Anecdotes to bootNevertheless, not everything wentsmoothly. Ships expected in Irelandto pick up volunteers sometimesnever turned up. Once in Spain someof the 700 Irish were involved indrunken fights among themselves.Many were homesick and there weredesertions. There was even one incidentwhen they ended up fightingSpanish fascists by mistake.O’Duffy, says Othen, would bemore likely to be found drinking andchatting with journalists in hotel barsthan at the front, and at one point,leaving his followers behind, he wentsightseeing in Portugal.It is details like these that helpmake this book a fascinating accountof a little-known subject.Buy the bookFranco’s International BrigadesBy Christopher OthenPaperback, illustrated, 337 pagesHurst & Co., 2013GBP15.99Truth in fictionTo find out what The English Department is allabout, this newspaper spoke to its author. WayneBrett, who hails from London, is a long-termBudapest resident and jobbing actor who hasappeared frequently, if fleetingly, in numerousinternational productions filmed in Budapest.Back in 2005, it transpires, he had the idea towrite something tongue-in-cheek about thearrival of British sausages in Budapest (inspiredby a true story). “I then decided to use that as asub-plot and write a more general theme basedon expats moving to Hungary and finding theirindividual reason for existence here, if thereindeed was one to be found,” Brett said.During a question and answer session1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013Review: (Here Comes...) the English Department!, a new English-language productionNannette VinsonNourrdine Hajhoujand Lena Kalisch in(Here Comes...) theEnglish Department!following the the first performance, a member ofthe audience mentioned issues raised by the playand asked where the answers were, Brett recalled.“I said the play is meant to provoke this kind ofdiscussion in the audience’s mind, to get them tolook at and review themselves. This all makes forgood chat at the bar afterwards between audiencemembers, each seeing the play from their ownviewpoint.”Experience, not answersThis is off-beat, grass-roots theatre writtenfrom a local perspective, with the emphasis oncomedy rather than soul-searching gravitas. Ifyou are one of the many expatriates who are at aloss to answer the inevitable question of how youended up in Hungary, you won’t find any answershere. But you might find you’re not alone.The ticket(Here comes...) The English Department!Written by Wayne Brett, directed by PatrickMullowneyWhen: 6 and 7 March at 7.30pm, more dates tofollow.Where: MÜSZI Arts Centre, District VIII,Blaha Lujza tér 1 (third floor of formerCorvin department store. Entrance fromSomogyi Béla utca).Tickets: HUF 1,450 in advance, HUF 1,950on the doorAvailable over the bar at the Caledonia Scottishpub (District VI, Mozsar u. 9), online fromwww.tickets.DanubeEvents.com or at theYellow Zebra Bookstore (District VI, Lázár u16)09THEATRE BOOKS

10CULTURE1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013BÉNÉDICTE WILLIAMSBudapest’s ErkelTheatre was set toreopen for a trial runthis Friday after remainingclosed since June 2007 owingto its state of disrepair.Renovation for a total ofHUF 1.8 billion (EUR 6.06million) is still under way,culture state secretary LászlóL. Simon said last week, withthe official dedication of thetheatre due to take place on 7November, Hungarian OperaDay and the birthday ofcomposer Ferenc Erkel, afterwhom the venue is named.Set on the edge of DistrictVIII’s run-down II. János Pálpápa tér (formerlyKöztársaság tér/square), theErkel Theatre was built in1911 as an opera house forthe working class, for whichpurpose it was namedNépopera (The People’sOpera). Changing fortunesled it to be renamed VárosiSzínház (City Theatre) beforeit acquired its current namein 1953, two years after beingbrought under the managementof the State Opera.Despite being renovated inthe following decade, servingas Hungary’s largest theatrewith 2,400 seats and hostinga bevy of names includingviolinist Jasha Heifetz,French actor-singer YvesMontand and British popband The Nashville Teens, itwas considered unsafe andunsuitable for modern-dayaudiences by the time of itsclosure.Szilveszter Ókovács, thengovernment commissionerfor the State Opera and nowits general director sinceJanuary, billed the ErkelTheatre as “vital forHungarian opera” on thecentenary of its opening inDecember 2011, announcingat the time that renovationwork would be completed intime for re-opening on 8December 2012 with a budgetof HUF 1.7 billion (EUR 5.73million).Playing catch-upThe deadline was eventuallyovershot as efforts only startedTHE BUDAPEST TIMESTheatre waiting in wings for latest lease on lifeMTI/Zoltán MáthéErkel re-opening after six long yearsA warehouse for sets and scenery still under reconstruction at the Erkel Theatre on 14 February ahead of the venue’s opening on Friday 1 March.after the State Opera signed acontract with procurementprocess winner Laki Épületszobrászin early January thisyear. Work will begin “immediately”,marketing directorMonika Turkovics told statenews agency MTI at the time,adding that some 80 performanceswould be held at theErkel over the 100 daysfollowing the 1 Marchreopening.What’s on soonThe programme so farincludes three evenings ofdance with Pécs Ballet, GyõrBallet and the HungarianNational Ballet in Pas de Trois,a trio of works choreographedby Cameron McMillan, ZoltánFodor and András Lukács tomusic by Richárd Riederauer,Franz Liszt and Philip Glass.Performances of Mozart’sDon Giovanni, Puccini’sTurandot and works by Verdiand Pongrác Kacsoh are slatedfor the next few weeks.The ticketTickets for the openingnight were still available as thisnewspaper went to press lateon Thursday, from the StateOpera House (District VI,Andrássy út 22), at the ErkelTheatre (from 1 March,District VIII, II. János Pálpápa tér 30) or onwww.jegymester.hu. Forfurther information on theprogramme see www.opera.hu(performances at the ErkelTheatre are only listed in theHungarian version of thewebsite).

THE BUDAPEST TIMES1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 201311Friday 1 MarchClassical entertainmentBARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE AT 6PM: Eszter Perényi(violin), Miklós Perényi (cello) and Gyula Kiss (piano)perform works by József Soproni, Miklós Kocsár, JánosVajda, Emil Petrovics and Kamilló Lenday.ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE AT 7PM: MÁV SymphonyOrchestra conducted by Zoltán Kocsis performs Berlioz'Carnival in Rome, Liszt's Dance Macabre and Beethoven'sSymphony No. 2.STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 7PM: Puccini's Turandot.PALACE OF ARTS AT 7.30PM: Concerto Budapestconducted by András Keller performs Prokofiev's Peter andthe Wolf and Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor (piano: AnnaVinnitskaya) and Stravinsky's Petrushka.Popular entertainmentBUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE AT 7PM:The Beauty and the Beast, operetta theatre; AT 7.30PM:Baroness Lili, operetta fantasy.DÜRER-KERT AT 7PM: Anna and the Barbies, Mangod,Haelo, Wrong Side of the Wall, Csakazértis (rock, punk).NATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 7PM: For a Hundred Yearsby Háromszék Dance Ensemble.A38 AT 7.30PM: The Grenma, Nonverse (punk); AT 11PM:O.M.E.N. (electronica).AKVÁRIUM CLUB AT 9PM: Kid Koala (Canada), DJ BootsieTrio, Marcel.Saturday 2 MarchClassical entertainmentBARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE AT 11AM: Csaba Király(piano) performs 12 preludes and fugues from Bach's WellTempered Clavier.LISZT FERENC MEMORIAL MUSEUM AT 11AM: KárolyBotvay (cello), Márta Gulyás (piano) and Tamás Rónaszéki(violin) perform Beethoven's Serenade in D major for StringTrio and Sonata in F major for Cello and Piano, Popper'sRequiem and Liszt's Tristia and La Vallée d'Obermann.RÓZSAVÖLGYI SZALON AT 3PM: Students of the ViennaConservatory Budapest perform piano and violin works by19th century composers.PALACE OF ARTS AT 6PM: The Metropolitan Opera Live inHigh Definition: Wagner's Parsifal with Katarina Dalayman(Kundry), Jonas Kaufmann (Parsifal), Evgeny Nikitin(Klingsor) and René Pape (Gurnemanz).STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 7PM: Handel's Xerxes.Popular entertainmentPecek Lakatos TrioThe Budapest Jazz Club presents thePecek Lakatos Trio this Friday at8pm. The family affair is led by 22-year-old pianist Adorjan Pecek Lakatos,joined by his uncle who is an outstandingBUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE AT 3PMAND 7PM: The Beauty and the Beast, operetta theatre;AT 7.30PM: Baroness Lili, operetta fantasy.NATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 7PM: The Flowers ofthe Arabian Nights by Yvette Bozsik Company.SYMA CONCERT HALL AT 7PM: Deep Forest.ÖRKÉNY THEATRE AT 7PM: King John, performance inHungarian with English subtitles.Friday 1 March, 8pmbass-player of only 23, Krisztián PecekLakatos, and on the drums is their 31-yearoldcousin, András Pecek Lakatos. Venue:District XIII, Hollán Ernõ utca 7. Covercharge: HUF 1,400.A38 AT 8PM: Natacha Atlas (Egypt, Belgium, UK, worldmusic); AT 11PM: Kolombo (Belgium, electronica).AKVÁRIUM CLUB AT 9PM: Firewater (USA), PsychoMutants.Sunday 3 MarchClassical entertainmentSTATE OPERA HOUSE AT 11AM: Anikó Ecseki andDóra Hargitai (violin), Veronika Botos (alto), AnnaScholz (cello), István Lajkó (piano) and Erika Gál(voice) perform works by Respighi, Chausson, Berliozand Dohnányi; AT 7PM: Puccini's Turandot.PALACE OF ARTS AT 11AM AND 3PM: SinfoniettaErudita conducted by Ilona Meskó performs Mozart'sSerenade in C minor for Eight Wind Instruments andWebern's Concerto for Nine Instruments.Popular entertainmentNATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 10.30AM: Peter andthe Wolf by Yvette Bozsik Company.BUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE AT11AM: Musical Tales, theatrical magic; AT 3PM AND7PM: The Beauty and the Beast, operetta theatre; AT7.30PM: Baroness Lili, operetta fantasy.NATIONAL THEATRE AT 3PM: We Live Once or The SeaDisappears in Nothingness Thereafter, performance inHungarian with English subtitles.STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 7PM: Gone with the Wind,ballet by Lilla Pártay with music by Dvorak and ZoltánRácz.AKVÁRIUM CLUB AT 7PM: Wolfgang Haffner Band(Germany).Monday 4 MarchClassical entertainmentÓBUDA SOCIAL CIRCLE AT 10AM: Open rehearsal ofthe Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra; AT 7PM:Pianist Alejandro Vela performs works by Prokofiev andGranados.PALACE OF ARTS AT 11AM: Divisi Chamber Orchestraand Coincidance Company perform Ramuz andStravinsky's The Soldier's Tale; AT 7.30PM: CentralEurope Youth Orchestra conducted by OswaldSallaberger performs Günther Eisel's Concerto forString Orchestra, Alban Berg's Violin Concerto (violin:Pavel Miljukov) and Brahms' Symphony No. 4.Popular entertainmentSZKÉNÉ THEATRE AT 7PM: Muck, theatre play by BélaPintér and Company, in Hungarian with English subtitles.A38 AT 8PM: VIZA (US), Cayne (Italy), rock, worldmusic, folk.BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: István Tóth (guitar),Gábor Baris (saxophone), Tamás Klimász (doublebass) and Gábor Görgényi (drums) play music byCharlie Parker in accompaniment to readings of worksby Julio Cortazár and Péter Eszterházy (in Hungarian);AT 10PM: Open Jam with students of the Liszt FerencAcademy of Music.TEN-DAY GUIDECharity Concertfor the second anniversary of the Japan earthquakeSaturday 2-March 2013at 4pmWhere?Adina Apartment Hotel Budapest1133 Budapest, Hegedûs Gyula utca 52-54Performed by:Jenõ Jandó, pianoprofessor at Liszt music academyKálmán Dráfi, pianochief piano professor at Liszt music academyHiroko Ishimoto, pianoorganiser of the Hungarian-Japanese Music Circle in the Adina HotelNarihito Mukeda, pianoAyane Imai, vocalMakiko Yoshida, vocalAtsushi Hashimoto, celloMiho Morimoto, pianoOrganised by the Hungarian-Japanese Music CircleSupported by:

12 1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013 THE BUDAPEST TIMESTEN-DAY GUIDETuesday 5 MarchClassical entertainmentBARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE AT 6PM: FruzsinaVarga (flute) and Márta Gulyás (piano) perform MartinMarais' Les Folies d'Espagne, Schumann's ThreeRomances, Ibert's Pièce pour flute seule, BenjaminGodard's Suite de trois morceaux and Wilhelm Popp'sFeat fantasy.STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 7PM: Puccini's Turandot.CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY AT 7PM: ClassicusEnsemble performs Debussy's Sonata, Zemlinsky's Trioin D minor and Schönberg's Pierrot Lunaire.17 days, 70 events forBudapest Spring FestivalHuman Resources Ministry culture undersecretaryJudit Hammerstein (seated) praised thediversity of the Budapest Spring Festival at apress briefing on Tuesday. The festival opens on22 March for 17 days of culture with 70 eventsincluding three premieres. See next week'snewspaper for more on the programme.Popular entertainmentBUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE AT7PM: Rebecca, musical.NATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 7PM: Sleeping Beautyby Szeged Contemporary Dance Company.KATONA JÓZSEF THEATRE AT 7PM:Rattledanddisappeared, theatre performance inHungarian with English subtitles.PALACE OF ARTS AT 7.30PM: Kurt Elling Quintet(USA) and the Modern Art Orchestra with KornélFekete-Kovács (trumpet).A38 AT 8PM: Random Trip (hip hop, funky, soul).BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Budapest BossanovaQuintet with Gábor Hurták (voice, guitar), Csaba Tûzkõ(saxophone), Gábor Szalay (guitar), Balázs Földváry(double bass) and Balázs Bágyi (drums).Wednesday 6 MarchClassical entertainmentMUSEUM OF MUSIC HISTORY AT 6PM: Accord Quartetwith pianist Ehiro Mari (Japan) performs Debussy'sNocturne and L'isle joyeuse, Liszt's Impromptu andFaust Walz and Dohnányi's Variations on a Hungarianfolk song and Piano Quintet in C minor.PALACE OF ARTS AT 7.30PM: Purcell Choir and OrfeoOrchestra (on period instruments) conducted byGyörgy Vashegyi perform Pergolesi's Stabat Mater andHaydn's Stabat Mater.Popular entertainmentBUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE AT7PM: Rebecca, musical.KATONA JÓZSEF THEATRE AT 7PM: Slobodzianek: OurClass, theatre performance in Hungarian with Englishsubtitles; AT 8PM: Musik, musikk, musique, varietyconcert.NATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 7.30PM: Lights ofDistant Fires - What is Flamenco? by Andrea Lippai andthe FlamenCorazonArte Dance Theatre.MÜSZI ARTS CENTRE AT 7.30PM: (Here comes...) TheEnglish Department!, theatre performance in English.BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Szõke Quartet withSzabolcs Szõke (gadulka, sarangi, array mbira), KornélFekete-Kovács (trumpet), Gábor Juhász (guitar) andPéter Szalai (tabla, percussion).Thursday 7 MarchClassical entertainmentMUSEUM OF MUSIC HISTORY AT 4PM: Ágnes Beke(violin) and Erika Dallos (piano) perform excerpts fromBach's Goldberg Variations and works by Liszt,Rózsavölgyi, Erkel, Brahms and Hubay.Popular entertainmentNATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 10.30AM AND 3PM:Row-De-Dow, performance for children by HonvédDance Theatre.BUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE AT6PM: Wedding Dance, klezmer operetta.THALIA THEATRE AT 7PM: Bohém Casting, musicalopera.STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 7PM: Gone with the Wind,ballet by Lilla Pártay with music by Dvorak and ZoltánRácz.KATONA JÓZSEF THEATRE AT 7PM: Gypsies, theatreperformance in Hungarian with English subtitles.MÜSZI ARTS CENTRE AT 7.30PM: (Here comes...)The English Department!, theatre performance inEnglish.A38 AT 7.30PM: Fire! (Sweden), István Grencsó (jazz,rock).BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Gábor Éles Trio.COLUMBUS PUB AT 8PM: Jazz Steps Band.PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORTARÉNA AT 8PM: Abba- The Show.Friday 8 MarchClassical entertainmentSTATE OPERA HOUSE AT 3PM: Mozart's DonGiovanni; AT 7PM: Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.BARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE AT 6PM: ViolinistPéter Komlós and pianist Mária Kovalszki performBrahms' Sonatas in G major and A major.KLAUZÁL GÁBOR BUDAFOK - TÉTÉNYI CULTURALCENTRE AT 7PM: Budafok Dohnányi Orchestraconducted by Tamás Gál performs Beethoven'sLeonora Overture No. 3, Orbán's Violin Concerto(violin: Elina Harsányi) and Bruckner's Symphony No.4.DUNA PALACE AT 7PM: Duna Symphonic Orchestraconducted by Gergely Madaras performsMendelssohn's Ruy Blas overture, EndreSzervánszky's Concerto for Flute (flute: Noémi Gyõri)and Beethoven's Symphony in E minor.PALACE OF ARTS AT 7.30PM: Pannon Philharmonic -Pécs conducted by Tibor Bogányi performs Mozart'sPiano Concerto in C minor (piano: Dezsõ Ránki) andMahler's Symphony No. 9.Popular entertainmentBUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE AT7PM: Wedding Dance, klezmer operetta.THALIA THEATRE AT 7PM: Bohém Casting, musicalopera.NATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 7PM: Dance Petals byBudapest Dance Theatre.MOM CULTURAL CENTRE AT 7PM: Guitar concert withGyula Babos, Tibor Tátrai and Attila László.PALACE OF ARTS AT 7PM: Vuk, dance performancebased on the classic children's novel by István Fekete byInversedance - Zoltán Fodor Company.KATONA JÓZSEF THEATRE AT 7PM: Anamnesis, theatreperformance in Hungarian with English subtitles.A38 AT 7.30PM: Kerekes Band, Bohemian Betyars(world music, folk); AT 11.30PM: Matthew Dekay(Netherlands, electronica).A38 AT 8PM: Ágnes Lakatos Standard Zone and TheJazz Voices.PETÕFI CSARNOK MUSIC HALL AT 8PM: Mumford andSons (UK, folk, rock).Saturday 9 MarchClassical entertainmentLISZT FERENC MEMORIAL MUSEUM AT 11AM: Teachersand students of the Józsefváros Regional Music Schoolperform vocal and instrumental works from Bach toGershwin.STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 11AM: Mozart's Don Giovanni;AT 7PM: Puccini's Turandot.BARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE AT 11AM: TamásLakatos (cello) and Gabriella Szentpéteri (piano)perform Schumann's Five Pieces in Folk Style,Beethoven's Sonata for Cello and Piano in A major,Bloch's Prayer and Popper's Hungarian Rhapsody.PALACE OF ARTS AT 5PM: Budapest Strings conductedby Károly Botvay performs Pergolesi's Concerto No. 1 inG major, Zsófia Tallér's Concertino, Barbirolli-Arensky'sVariations on a theme by Tchaikovsky and RóbertGulya's Variations.KLAUZÁL GÁBOR BUDAFOK - TÉTÉNYI CULTURALCENTRE AT 7PM: Budafok Dohnányi Orchestraconducted by Gábor Hollerung performs Tolcsvay'sNemzeti dal (National Song), Tchaikovsky's 1812,Berlioz' Marseillaise and Rákóczi March.ÓBUDA SOCIAL CIRCLE AT 7PM: Anima MusicaeChamber Orchestra conducted by László G. Horváthperforms Endre Olsvay's Akrosztichon (première),Mozart's Piano Concerto in B major (piano: FerencRados) and Bartók's Divertimento.Popular entertainmentNATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 12NOON: Colores delTango by Johanna Kulik, Josip Bartulovic, SantiagoMaciel and the Budapest Tango Orchestra. Performancefollowed by a dance workshop.Mama mia!Still look,sound goodABBA - The ShowABBA still sell around two million records ayear despite having split up in 1982. Andstill tagging along in their wake are thevarious tribute shows touring the world,including ABBA - The Show, coming to Papp LászlóBudapest Sportaréna on 7 March.Featuring original ABBA band members UlfAndersson and Roger Palm, in other words a coupleof the musicians who backed Bjorn, Benny, Agnethaand Frida, and described by the Official InternationalABBA Fan Club as "absolutely the best ABBA sinceABBA", it can be presumed that ABBA - The Showmust at least have a certain credibility.A two-hour musical extravaganza, the productionfollows the ABBA story from their Eurovision successin 1974 to international chart domination. It isperformed by Swedish cover band Waterloo whobring ABBA back to life by not only sounding likethem but also resembling them.Plus there is backing from the National SymphonyOrchestra of London - or 16 of them, at least,according to some accounts - conducted by MatthewFreeman.It's said to be the world's biggest ABBA show, withsix trucks and a crew of 50 to cart it around theworld, including venues such as Wembley and theRoyal Albert Hall in London, and reaching a totalaudience of a million-plus, they say, in India, Spain,Canada, Japan, the Philippines and the USA, amongother countries.Hands up if you don't remember semi-classicsongs such as Waterloo, SOS, Mamma Mia,Dancing Queen, Money Money Money and KnowingMe Knowing You.The ticketABBA - The ShowPapp László Budapest SportarénaDistrict XIV, Stefánia út 2Thursday 7 March at 8pmTickets (061) 422-2600W H E R E I T ’ S A TA38 Boat moored on Buda side of Petõfi Bridge. Tel. (+36-1) 464-3940. www.a38.huAKVÁRIUM CLUB District V, Erzsébet tér 14 (ex-GödörClub).Tel. (+36) 30-860-3368. www.facebook.com/akvariumklubBARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE District II, Csalán u. 29.Tel. (+36-1) 394-2100. www.bartokmuseum.huBUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB District XIII, Hollán Ernõ u. 7. Tel.(+36) 70 413-9837. www.bjc.huBUDAPEST OPERETTA AND MUSICAL THEATRE Musicalshave English subtitles (above the stage digitally) andoperettas have German subtitles. District VI, Nagymezõu. 17. Tel. (+36-1) 353-2172, (+36-1) 269-0118.www.operettszinhaz.huCENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY District V, Nádor u. 9.www.ceu.huCOLUMBUS PUB District V, Vigadó tér, Pier 4. Tel. (+36-1)266-9013. www.columbuspub.huDUNA PALACE District V, Zrínyi u. 5. Tel. (+36-1) 235-5533. www.dunapalota.huDÜRER-KERT District XIV, Ajtósi Dürer sor 19-21. Tel.(+36-1) 789-4444. www.durerkert.comITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE District VIII, Bródy Sándoru. 8. Tel. (+36-1) 483-2040. www.iicbudapest.esteri.itJEDERMANN CAFÉ District IX, Ráday u. 58. Tel. (+36) 30406-3617. www.jedermannkavezo.blogpsot.comKatona József Theatre District V, Petõfi Sándor u. 6. Tel.(+36-1) 317-4061.KLAUZÁL GÁBOR BUDAFOK - TÉTÉNYI CULTURALCENTRE District XXII, Nagytétényi út 31-33. Tel. (+36-1) 226-5317, 226-0559. www.klauzalhaz.huLISZT FERENC MEMORIAL MUSEUM District VI,Vörösmarty u. 35. Tel. (+36-1) 322-9804 www.lisztmuseum.huMOM CULTURAL CENTRE District XII, Csörsz u. 18www.momkult.huMUSEUM OF MUSIC HISTORY District I, Táncsis Mihály u. 7.Tel. (+36-1) 214-6770. www.zti.huMÜSZI ARTS CENTRE District VIII, Blaha Lujza tér 1, thirdfloor of Corvin Shopping Centre, entry from SomogyiBéla u. www.muszi.orgNATIONAL DANCE THEATRE District I, Színház u. 1-3 in theVárszínház building. Tel. (+36-1) 201-4407.www.nemzetitancszinhaz.huNATIONAL THEATRE District IX, Bajor Gizi park 1. Tel. (+36-1) 476-6868. www.nemzetiszinhaz.huÓBUDA SOCIAL CIRCLE (Társaskör) District III, Kiskoronau. 7. Tel. (+36-1) 250-0288. www.obudaitarsaskor.hu/ÖRKÉNY THEATRE District VII, Madách Imre tér 7. Tel. (+36-1) 267-3770. www.orkenyszinhaz.huPALACE OF ARTS District IX, Komor Marcell u. 1. Tel. (+36-1) 555-3300. www.mupa.huPAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORTARÉNA District XIV,Stefánia út 2. Central Ticket Office (Ticketpro) Tel. (+36-1) 422-2682. www.ticketpro.huPETÕFI CSARNOK MUSIC HALL District XIV, VárosligetZichy Mihály út 14. Tel. (+36-1) 363-3730.www.pecsamusichall.huRÓZSAVÖLGYI SZALON District V, Szervita tér 5. Tel.(+36) 30 463-8822. szalon.rozsavolgyi.huSTATE OPERA HOUSE District VI, Andrássy út 22. Tel.(+36-1) 353-0170. Box office open Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-show time. (When there are noshows, open 11am-5pm). www.opera.huSYMA CONCERT HALL District XIV, Ifjúság u. 2. Tel.(+36-1) 471-4242. www.syma.huSZKÉNÉ THEATRE District XI, Mûegyetem rakpart 3, Kbuilding. Tel. (+36) 20-384-6049. www.szkene.huTHALIA THEATRE District VI, Nagymezõ u. 22-24. Tel.(+36-1) 312-4236. www.thalia.huTRAFÓ District IX, Liliom u. 41. Tel. (+36-1) 456-2040.www.trafo.hu

THE BUDAPEST TIMES1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 201313English-speaking theatre-goers will bespoilt for choice with the HungarianTheatre Showcase offering some 17national and international plays either subtitledor with simultaneous translation duringthe week starting this Saturday. The plays arecomplemented with talks and lectures aimingto introduce contemporary Hungarian directorsand actors to non-native audiences.Insightinto abillionsoulsIndia Festival,6-10 MarchThe Átrium Film Theatre takeson the colours of India for fivedays from 6 March, hostingfilms, puppet and dance shows,lectures, an exhibition and a touristpresentation.The festival will open thisWednesday at 6.15pm with a dynamicnorth Indian Kathak dance performanceby Jaipur-born SharmilaSharma and with the launching of theexhibition Life With Love byHungarian photographer EszterHorváth (open throughout thefestival).Seven films, including Bollywoodmusical-romantic comedy Om ShantiOm, will be shown during the festivalbut these are profitably only for thosewishing to hone their Hindi and/orHungarian skills.All the world's an English stageHungarian Theatre Showcase in English, 2-9 MarchDistrict VII's Örkény Theatre opens theball with a production of Swiss dramatistFriedrich Dürrenmatt's political-historicalfarce King John on Saturday at 7pm, followedby an opportunity to meet play directorLászló Bagossy and the troupe's actors.Béla Pintér's Muck, following the lives oftwo girls in an orphanage, at District XI'sSzkéné Theatre, Frenchman Alfred Jarry'sThere are other attractions forthose not able to speak thoselanguages, though: children will betreated to a Rajasthani puppet showfeaturing a pungi-player, a dancer,two swordsmen, a camel and more onthe Saturday at 10.30am, and familiesto a morning of child-friendlyactivities including puppet-making,henna painting and games on theSunday from 10am.For adults, a Bollywood-themedparty featuring Indian hits will closethe day next Friday from 10pm, whilethe following day at 5pm will seeAmbassador of India to HungaryGauri Shankar Gupta expound ontraditional knowledge and modernscience in a lecture on Body, Mindand Soul blending traditional knowledge.Both young and old can getfurther glimpses of India in the daylongfair with travel agencies, restaurantsand Indian products nextFriday between 10am and 7pm.satirical King Ubu at District VIII's MaladypeTheatre, and Tadeusz Slobodzianek's OurClass, a Polish play, charting the lives of agroup of children from that countrythroughout the 20th century, at District V'sKatona József Theatre, are among theproductions on offer.The full programme (in English) is availableat www.hungarianshowcase.com– Bénédicte WilliamsIndia FestivalWednesday 6 to Sunday 10 MarchÁtrium Film Theatre (Átrium Film-Színház)District II, Margit körút 55Friday fair and Bollywood party, Sundayfamily activities free; other programmesHUF 750 (HUF 1,000 for twoprogrammes, HUF 1,500 for threeprogrammes).Further information (in English) atwww.indianembassy.huThe ticketHungarian Theatre ShowcaseSaturday 2 to Saturday 9 MarchVarious locationsTickets available either through registration atwww.hungarianshowcase.com or directly fromparticipating theatres.BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 7.30PM: TheCaucasian Chalk Circle, musical play byBrecht.PALACE OF ARTS AT 7.30PM: Zita SwoonGroup: Wait for Me.BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: BudapestJazz Orchestra with Kálmán Oláh (piano);AT 10PM: Róbert Szakcsi Lakatos Trio.COLUMBUS PUB AT 8PM: KovácsÁgiBand.TRAFÓ AT 8PM: Mehliana (USA) with jazzpianist Brad Mehldau and drummer andpercussionist Mark Guiliana.A38 AT 11PM: Plump DJs (UK), Ed Solo(UK), electronica.Sunday 10 MarchClassical entertainmentITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE AT 11AM:Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra and theBudapest Academic Choral Societyconducted by Gábor Hollerung withMarianna Váradi (soprano), Lúcia MegyesiSchwartz (alto), László Honninger (tenor)and Anatolij Fokanov (bass) performRossini's Petite Messe Solennelle.STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 11AM:Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin; AT 6PM:Mozart's Don Giovanni.Popular entertainmentNATIONAL DANCE THEATRE AT 10.30AM:Around the World in 80 Days by BudapestDance Theatre.PALACE OF ARTS AT 7PM: The WoodenPrince and The Miraculous Mandarin, twodance performances by ExperiDance -Sándor Román Company (première).STATE OPERA HOUSE AT 7PM: Gone withthe Wind, ballet by Lilla Pártay with musicby Dvorak and Zoltán Rácz.TEN-DAY GUIDEStill holdin’ back the years?Piling on the polish: voice of Simply Red goes soloBENEDIKT DAMSFrom 1985 to 2010 SimplyRed sold around 40 millionrecords, with their firstalbum, Picture Book, occupyingthe British charts for a whopping30 months. A couple of yearsback singer Mick Hucknall saidgoodbye to the band and embarkedon a solo career. Can he recreatethe magic? See for yourself at PappLászló Budapest Sportaréna on 25March.Over those years Simply Redbecame a trademark for casualjazzy pop, with Hucknall's voicebeing the defining element. Thecontemporary dance rhythm withwhich the band routinely combinedtheir soul elements was very palatable.From mothers at home tostudents in the pubs, the remarkablevoice of the red-haired Britfound appealDespite his enormous success,or perhaps because of it, Hucknallisn't for everyone. Popular Germannewspaper Der Spiegel quipped:"Mick Hucknall is a professionallyboring person. You can dance to hismusic. Or wash your car. Or go for acar ride. It's a swell Bacardi-feelingfor credit card owners. Music for themodern individual, looking for tenminutes of emotion inbetweengoing to the gym and eating at asushi bar."Simply Red was frequently criticisedfor their covers of the big souland jazz legends, whose music theband broke down and reassembledinto a washed-down, radio-compatiblemishmash.Nevertheless, no matter howloudly people sniff, one has toacknowledge Hucknall's musicalintegrity. The majority of hislisteners will most likely not knowany of the originals he delivers. Forthem Hucknall will be a gateway tothe great classics of modern souland jazz. Even though the songsare usually polished to death, thereis often still a grain of genius in thecovers, which goes to show that hedoes indeed understand whatmakes them great.His new solo album is AmericanSoul and contains, true to its name,many classics of American musichistory. Twelve hand-picked songsinclude the legendary OtisRedding's “That's How Strong MyLove Is”, reworked into a poppyaffair, and Tyrone Davis' “Turn Backthe Hands of Time”.Mick Hucknall is no OtisRedding, and is probably wellaware of it. American Soul'sproblem is that the emotion andpower of the original are lost alongthe way and there is nothing muchmaking up for it. As another newspaperput it: "Otis Redding wasburning with passion on ‘That's HowStrong My Love Is’. Hucknall's is adecaffeinated version."Fans of Simply Red surely won'tmind the highbrow criticism and willjust kick back and enjoy the show.American Soul is easy-listeningmusic and as such it does awonderful job.Mick Hucknall , 25 March at 8pmPapp László Budapest SportarénaDistrict XIV, Stefánia út 2Tickets from HUF 9,900, available atwww.livenation.hu or www.ticketpro.hu

14 1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013 THE BUDAPEST TIMESMUSEUMS & GALLERIESGALLERIESART9 GALLERY: The exhibition Everything is All RightUntil Now by Péter Szalay runs until 8 March. OpenTues.-Fri. 4pm-8pm. District IX, Ráday u. 47.BÁLINT HOUSE: The exhibition Roma Icons by ErikaLakatos runs until 14 March. Open daily 9am-8pm.District VI, Révay u. 16. Tel. (+36-1) 311-9214.www.balinthaz.huCENTRÁLIS GALLERY: The exhibition Don - A Tragedyand its Afterlives on the 70th anniversary of one ofHungary's greatest military defeats runs until 3 March.Open Tues.-Fri. 2pm-6pm and Sat.-Sun. 10am-6pm.District V, Arany János u. 32. Tel. (+36-1) 327-3250.http://www.osaarchivum.org/DEÁK ERIKA GALÉRIA: The exhibition Strangers in theShooting Gallery by Gábor Pintér and Gergõ Kováchruns until 23 March. Open Wed.-Fri. 12noon-6pm andSat. 11am-4pm. District VI, Mozsár u. 1. Tel. (+36-1) 201-3740. www.deakgaleria.huERLIN GALLERY: The exhibition Remembrance Analysisby József Szurcsik runs until 9 March. Open Mon.-Fri.2pm-3pm. District IX, Ráday u. 49. Tel. (+36) 20 775-1711. www.erlin.huHUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY: "The Way We Are",Cartoons and Prints by József Faragó runs until 3March. World Models - Studio Experiments andDocuments from Kondor to the Present Day runs until 28April. The exhibition János Thorma, the painter of theHungarian Barbizon runs until 12 May. Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon. Wings B, C and D of the Royal Palace.District I, Szent György tér 2. Tel. (+36) 20 439-7325 or(+36) 20 439-7331. www.mng.huKASSÁK MUSEUM (BRANCH OF PETÕFI LITERATUREMUSEUM): Mainly works of Lajos Kassák (1887-1967),leading figure of the Hungarian avant-garde. The exhibitionThe Battle of Orgreave by Jeremy Deller is openuntil 3 March. District III, Fõ tér 1 (Zichy House). OpenWed.-Sun. 10am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 368-7021.www.kassakmuzeum.huKOGART: The exhibition "Romanticism" - Graphicgenres and their shared frontiers in the Kogart collectionruns until 30 April. Open daily 10am-6pm. District VI,Andrássy út 112. Tel. (+36-1) 354-3820. www.kogart.huLUDWIG CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM (PALACE OFARTS): The exhibition IPUT: Subsist,Ence LevelSt.Andard Project 1984W runs until 28 April. The OtherHalf of the Sky. Selection from the Ludwig Museum'sCollection is open until 1 January 2014. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. On the last Sunday each monthentrance is free for visitors under 26, and up to two adultrelatives accompanying a child under 18. District XI,Komor Marcell u 1. Tel. (+36-1) 555-3444 www.lumu.huMAI MANÓ (HUNGARIAN HOUSE OF PHOTOGRAPHY):shows works by Hungarian and foreign photographers.The exhibitions Green Silence by Dániel Kovalovszkyand Momentary Script II - Reaction is open until 3March. Open weekdays 2-7pm, weekends 11am-7pm.District VI, Nagymezõ u. 20. Tel. (+36.1) 473-2666.www.maimano.huMOLNÁR ANI GALLERY: The exhibition Ex Nihilo by OttóVincze is open until 29 March. Open Tues.-Fri. 12noon-6pm. District VIII, Bródy Sándor u. 22. Tel. (+36-1) 327-0095.MÛCSARNOK/KUNSTHALLE: Through a Glass Darkly -Faces Past and Present by Gábor Gulyás is open until 7April. District XIV, Dózsa György út 37. Open Tues.-Sun.10am-6pm except Thurs.12pm-8pm. Tel. (+36-1) 460-7000. www.mucsarnok.huMUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: Huge collection of Hungarianand international paintings. The exhibition Rodin and theMuseum of Fine Arts runs until 3 March. The exhibitionUecker. Material Becomes Picture runs until 17 March.The Way We Are - Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) TheMaster of French caricature is open until 17 April. Opendaily 10am-6pm except Mon. (ticket office closes at4.30pm). Ticket desk open Tues.-Sun. 10am-5pm, andon second Thursdays until 9pm with a Museum + eventsticket. District XIV, Hõsök tere. Tel. (+36-1) 469-7100.www.szepmuveszeti.huÁkos Bánki’s Dream of Dionysos, above, and Psychicspace no. 11, below.PARK GALLERY: The exhibition Kiosk (Buda) byAndreas Fogarasi is open until 16 June. Open daily7am-12pm. MOM Park, first floor, District XII, Alkotás u.53. Tel. (+36-1) 487-5500. www.mompark.huPLATÁN GALLERY (POLISH INSTITUTE): The exhibitionRelics of the Pan-Periphery by Tamás Kaszás is openuntil 15 March. Open Tues.-Fri. 11am-7pm. District VI,Andrássy út 32. Tel. (+36-1) 505-4660, 311-5856.www.lengyelkultura.huVASARELY MUSEUM: Large permanent collection ofworks by Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely, thefounder of op art. The collective exhibition Geo-Neo-Post runs until 28 April. Open daily 10am-5.30pmexcept Mon. District III, Szentlélek tér 6. Tel. (+36-1)388-7551. www.vasarely.huMUSEUMSB-sideB55: The exhibition B-side by Áron Baráth, ÁkosBánki, Dávid Szentgróti and Gergõ Szinyova runs until15 March. Open Tues.-Fri. 12noon-6pm, Sat. 10am-1pm. District V, Balaton u. 4. Tel. (+36-1) 354-1350.www.b55galeria.huAGRICULTURAL MUSEUM: Covering life in a medievalvillage, viticulture, plants and more with a temporaryexhibition on turn-of-the-century Agriculture MinisterIgnác Darányi. The exhibition Life-giving Water runsuntil 3 March. Open Tues.-Sun., 10am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1)363-1117. District XIV, Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park.www.mezogazdasagimuzeum.huAQUINCUM MUSEUM: Archaeological findings from theremains of the Roman military garrison and tradingsettlement Aquincum. The exhibition New Finds fromRoman-Era Budapest - Archaeological Excavationsbetween 2007 and 2011 is open until 7 April. The exhibitionTales of Finds. Archaeological Finds from aDifferent Perspective is open until 29 September. Opendaily 10am-6pm except Mon. The outdoor ruins areopen from 9am. District III, Szentendrei út 135. Tel.(+36-1) 250-1650. www.aquincum.huBÉLA BARTÓK MEMORIAL HOUSE: Concerts in onehall and a memorial room with original furniture andBartók's folk art collection, photos, letters and notes onhis life. Open Tues.-Sat. 10am-5pm. District II, Csalán út29. Tel. (+36-1) 394-2100. www.bartokmuseum.huBUDAPEST HISTORY MUSEUM: Covering the history ofthe capital. The exhibition The Capital's Treasury - 125years of the Budapest History Museum is open until 31March. The exhibition on the centenary of the Salesianorder in Hungary runs until 31 March. The exhibitionVotive Rituals, Ancient Feasts is open until 8September. Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon. BudaCastle building E, District I, Szent György tér 2. Tel.(+36-1) 487-8800. www.btm.hu/EVANGELICAL NATIONAL MUSEUM: Covering theProtestant faith in Hungary. The exhibition of watercoloursby János Szentgothai is open until 31 March.Open Tues.-Sun., 10am-5pm. District V, Deák Ferenctér 4. Tel. (+36-1) 317-4173. www.evangelikusmuzeum.huFERENC HOPP MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ARTS: Workscollected by the traveller Ferenc Hopp with an exhibitionon Land of the Morning Calm, Korean Art in the 18th-19th Centuries. Open Fri.-Sun. 2pm-6pm. District VI,Andrássy út 103. Tel. (+36-1) 322-8476. www.imm.hu(Museum of Applied Arts website)FERENC LISZT MEMORIAL MUSEUM: A reconstructionof Liszt's last Budapest flat containing his originalinstruments, furniture, books, scores, personal objectsand memorabilia. The exhibition Liszt and the FrenchMusicians of his Time is running until 19 October. In theOld Music Academy, District VI, Vörösmarty u. 35. OpenMon.-Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 9am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 322-9804. www.lisztmuseum.huGEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF HUNGARY: Collection ofrocks and fossils in a building by architect ÖdönLechner. Open Thurs., Sat., Sun. 10am-4pm. DistrictXIV, Stefánia út. 14. Tel. (+36-1) 251-0999. www.mafi.huHOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTRE: Open Tues.-Sun.10am-6pm. District IX, Páva u. 39. Tel. (+36-1) 455-3333. www.hdke.huHOSPITAL IN THE ROCK: Formerly secret undergroundair-raid hospital and nuclear bunker, with an exhibitionabout Friedrich Born, Swiss delegate of the Red Crossin Budapest from 1944-1945, who saved up to 15,000Jews by handing out protection documents. Flashlighttour daily at 7pm in quest of lost treasures of CountGorgey. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-8pm. District I, Lovas út4/C. Tel. (+36) 70 701-0101. www.sziklakorhaz.huHOUSE OF TERROR MUSEUM: Secret police headquartersduring both the fascist and socialist periods, with atemporary exhibition on Cardinal Mindszenty. OpenTues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District VI, Andrássy út 60. Tel.(+36-1) 374-2600. www.terrorhaza.huHUNGARIAN JEWISH MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES:Religious and historical collection at the GreatSynagogue in District VII, Dohány u. 2. Tel. (+36-1) 317-1377. www.dohany-zsinagoga.huHUNGARIAN MUSEUM OF TRADE AND TOURISM:Catering industry relics based on the private collectionof Frigyes Glück and extended to include posters,scales, furniture and a numismatic collection. SweetDynasty, an exhibition on the Auguszt confectioneryruns until 3 March. The exhibition "I went to the fair" -Fair, market, crowd runs until 17 March. The exhibition"I have never had a home..." - Scenes from GyulaKrúdy's Budapest Life runs until 31 December. OpenTues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District III, Korona tér 1. Tel.(+36-1) 212-1245. www.mkvm.huHUNGARIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM: Train buff's paradisewith many steam engines and carriages, operationalturntables, the largest roundhouse in Central Europewith interactive programmes such as a self-powered railcar and engine driving. Children's miniature rail line.Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District XIV, Tatai út 95.Tel. (+36-1) 238-0558. www.vasuttortenetipark.huKODÁLY MEMORIAL MUSEUM: Instruments, documentsand original furnishings on display in Kodály's formerflat. Open Wed.-Fri. 10am-12pm and 2pm-4.30pm byappointment. District VI, Andrássy út 89. (+36-1) 352-7106. www.kodaly-inst.huMEDIEVAL JEWISH HOUSE OF PRAYER: Collectionshedding light on the life of Jews during the MiddleAges. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District I, TáncsicsMihály u. 26. Tel. (+36-1) 225-7816. www.museum.huMEMENTO PARK: Communist statuary shunted out ofthe streets and into a field on the edge of town. Directbuses leave from Deák tér at 11am daily. Open from10am-dusk. District XXII, corner of Balatoni út andSzabadkai út. Tel. (+36-1) 424-7500. www.mementopark.huMILITARY HISTORY MUSEUM: Permanent exhibitions onthe Hungarian military from 1815 through the worldwars and the fall of the Iron Curtain. Open Tues.-Sun.10am-4pm. District I, Kapisztrán tér 2-4. Tel. (+36-1)325-1600. www.militaria.huMUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS: Permanent collection ofworks of applied art in an Art Nouveau landmark. Theexhibition on the 110th anniversary of the Halasi Csipkelace technique runs until 24 March. Open Tues.-Sun.10am-6pm. District IX, Üllõi út 33-37. Tel. (+36-1) 456-5107. www.imm.huMUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY: Covering traditionalcustoms and clothing. The exhibition The WaterfowlPeople - Lennart Meri's film expeditions 1969-1988runs until 31 March. The exhibition Saaremaa,Muhumaa and Hiiumaa. The Ethnographic images ofthe Estonian islands 100 years ago - the Aladár Báncollection runs until 5 May. The exhibition ObjectiveCase - Subjective Ethnography is open until 16 June.Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District V, Kossuth Lajostér 12. Tel. (+36-1) 473-2400. www.neprajz.huMUSEUM OF ÓBUDA: Permanent exhibition on Óbuda -Three faces of a town. District III, Fõ tér 1. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. Tel. (+36-1) 250-1020.www.obudaimuzeum.huMUSEUM OF TRANSPORT: Covering the history of roadand rail transport in Hungary. The aerospace collectionis in the nearby Petõfi Csarnok (Zichy Mihály u. 3).Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-4pm, and Sat.-Sun. 10am-5pm.District XIV, Városligeti körút 11. Tel. (+36-1) 273-3840.www.mmkm.huNAGYTÉTÉNYI CASTLE MUSEUM: Eighteenth-centurycastle restored to former splendour featuring a permanentexhibition on the art of furniture making from theGothic to the Biedermeier. Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm.District XXII, Kastélypark u. 9-11. Tel. (+36-1) 207-0005.www.nagytetenyi.huNATIONAL MUSEUM: Covering the whole of Hungarianhistory, from the ancient origins of the Hungarians, theirjourney to the Carpathian Basin and events until 1990.Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm. District VIII, Múzeum körút14-16. Tel. (+36-1) 338-2122/327-7749. www.hnm.huNATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: Covering botany andzoology. In the wake of white-tailed eagles, an exhibitionof photographs by Zsolt Kardos, runs until 5 March.Open daily 10am-5pm except Tues. District VIII,Ludovika tér 2-6. Tel. (+36-1) 210-1085. www.nhmus.huPETÕFI LITERATURE MUSEUM: Named after the poetSándor Petõfi (1823-1849). The exhibition on the 100thanniversary of the birth of István Örkény runs until 31March. District V, Károlyi Mihály u. 16. Open Tues.-Sun.10am-6pm. Tel. (+36-1) 317-3611. www.pim.huSTAMP MUSEUM: Items from around the world. OpenTues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District VII, Hársfa u. 47. Tel.(+36-1) 341-5526. www.belyegmuzeum.huUNDERGROUND RAILWAY MUSEUM: Commemoratesthe continent's first underground train line, the"Földalatti", which opened in 1896 (now Metro 1, theyellow line). In an original stretch of the tunnel at Deáktér metro station in District V. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 461-6500. www.bkv.huZELNIK ISTVÁN SOUTHEAST ASIAN GOLD MUSEUM:Collected by a diplomat/businessman over 45 years.Open Mon. 9am-6pm, Tues.-Sun. 9am-7pm (Fri. andSat. till 9pm). District VI, Andrássy út. 110. Tel. (+36) 30250-7210. www.zelnik-collection.comV. Zoltán u. 16(next to Szabadság tér)Reservations:331-4352 Arany KaviarRestaurantEat like a Russian Tsar...then call Robon 06-30-552-0840or visitwww.primecuts.huSpend a pleasant eveningon our cosy terrace.1015 Budapest, Ostrom u. 19Summer opening times: Mo-Sa: 6pm-12pmTel.: (+36 1) 201 6737reservation@aranykaviar.huwww.aranykaviar.hu

THE BUDAPEST TIMESBÉNÉDICTE WILLIAMSImaginative ideas outside the squareOrigo sounds like just the kindof word that might catch theattention without needing tocarry any specific meaning.But for those who missed thatparticular point in their geometry studies, origois actually the Hungarian for the point of intersectionbetween the vertical and horizontal axesin a coordinate system (in English: origin).Putting two and two together, then, it’stempting to assume that District II restaurantOrigo’s name refers to its location at the cornerand at the back of one of Budapest’s neaterBKV public transport offices on Pasaréti tér’ssmall bus transfer hub.At the corner and the first to catch the traveller’ssight when alighting on this square isOrigo’s café (which also serves breakfast andlight dishes). For the bistro, one has to go to theback and down a few steps to reach a space thatfits neatly in the 1930s, modernist and functionalfeel of the building.With its sparsely adorned, dark grey andwhite painted concrete floor, this could be avery cold room if it were not for the periodtouches (down to the salt and pepper shakersand one-of-a-kind oil and vinegar measurers)and the set-up of the place with long, 10-seattables radiating on either side of the bar.The lucky end of each table looks outthrough the quasi-continuous, semi-circularwindows to the terrace, which must be pleasantlysecluded when the sun shines and isitself prolonged by a greenReview: Origo Bistro, District II(or snow-covered, depending on the season)garden patch with a few trees and bushes.The menu is best described as internationalwith a touch of Hungarian and a further touchof daring in, for instance, the “kéfir potatocream soup with red tuna” or the “pineappleand green chili turkey with cabbage pasta”.Choices this day veer towards the moresedate, opening for instance with tramezzini,Italian sandwiches normally presented in crustlesstriangles but here in thick strips of soft rollslathered with cream cheese, liberally stuffedwith salad, slices of tomato and mozzarella anddrizzled with balsamic vinegar. It’s a good ideafor an easy starter but it suffers from a touch ofblandness on the part of the mozzarella andbread, which the somewhat flavourless tomatoand the vinegar can’t quite dispel.The cajun chicken soup, with its thick brothenriched by small pieces of soft meat, potato,carrot, sweetcorn and celery, and by a goodseasoning of ground pepper, is a more livelyand warming choice, though the cajun spicingcould certainly be more pronounced.Apart from the turkey mentioned above orthe beef steak with boursin, roast tomato andcelery-potato puree, mains also feature salmon,served in small bites in a classic combinationwith porcini mushrooms and tagliatelleenriched with a gorgonzola sauce and a liberaldose of parsley sprigs. The fish is good and sois the balance of all the other ingredients,making this a plentiful and satisfactory dish.Likewise for the chicken breast, served in thinpieces that avoid the usual dryness of that meatthanks to having been dipped in sour creamand herbs before cooking, It’s accompanied bya mound of wild rice, at once firm and creamyand dotted with pieces of vegetable includingcarrot and dried tomato, and herbs.Though the various guests coming and goingat lunch are mostly young professionals, afamily with a small child on a high-chair testsout items from the children’s menu (the usualarray of pasta with tomato, breaded meat andbreaded cheese), clearly to the child’s satisfaction.Back to the grown-ups’ menu, dessertoptions are not only Hungarian but also of thekind least easily translatable. One is császármorzsatorta,a compound offering made ofemperor’s crumbs (császármorzsa, baked andbroken semolina-based batter, here livened withdried and confit fruit) turned into a baked piethanks to the addition of an egg mix.1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013Emperor’s crumbs is not what would becalled a light dish, and adding yet more to itmight seem like overkill, but this slice of tortaactually works quite well, especially as it isserved with thick, tangy apricot jam (the plaincsászármorzsa’s usual sidekick).The same trick of serving jam to outweigh apotentially heavy dessert is used with thevelencei fánk (venetian doughnut), chocolate,raisin and orange peel-flavoured frieddumplings served with raspberry jam for ahefty but cheerful end to the meal.Price pointsStarters and soups: . . . . . . . . HUF 990-2,990Mains: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 1,490-3,790Desserts:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 1,190Children’s menu: . . . . . . . . HUF 1,290-1,39015EATING OUTOrigo BistroJulián S. Montoni (3)District II, Pasaréti út 100Open Mon.-Fri. 12noon-midnight, Sat.-Sun. 10am-midnight(Café open daily 7.30am-midnight)Tel. (+36-1) 376-6040www.origobisztro.hu (in English)

16FAITH MATTERS WHAT LIES BENEATH1 MARCH – 7 MARCH 2013BRADLEY BELCHERAs we continue our serieson parenting, it seemsappropriate to considersome thoughts from awell-received andrespected authority on the subject. Inhis book Successful Christian Parenting,American pastor and founder ofMasters College and Seminary inSanta Clarita, California, John F.MacArthur Jr. suggests some biblicalstrategies on how we can be betterparents.In his letter to the Ephesians, Paulencourages fathers not to provoketheir children to anger through howthey parent. Rather, fathers are to raisetheir children in the nurture andadmonition of the Lord. For this to beaccomplished John MacArthursuggests that parents should employseveral strategies to help keep fromprovoking such anger.Freedom: neither toomuch nor too little1) Avoid over-protecting your child.This is really an issue of overcontrollingyour child. If parents aretoo zealous in their parenting effortsmost children will come to resentthe extended control over time.There needs to be a happy mediumon the amount of freedom and theamount of restraint that is given to ourchildren. If we keep pulling back onthe reins for too long with them, whenthey finally are given freedom they willnot know how to handle it, and theywill run for their lives from the barn.So be careful not to be overly protective.Encourage them to experiencethe world along with its joys and itssorrows so that they are well-preparedfor adulthood.WILLIAM LOWERNurturing and admonishing your childAfter much hand wringing, sleeplessnights, stomach-churningagony and careful deliberation, Ihave decided I am not going todo it. I know my decision willdisappoint some and, to those, I offer mysincerest apologies. I would also say to them,there is no point in trying to have me changemy mind. My mind is made up. My decision isfinal.I am not forming a political party andrunning for prime minister in 2014. Andthat's that.Did I come to this decision simply because Iam not Hungarian and don’t speak thelanguage? Of course not. The way they arehanding out Hungarian passports these days,I think with a little manoeuvring I could layclaim to some Hungarian lineage. Mydaughter, by way of her grandmother, hassome Hungarian blood in her, so since she ismy daughter, I think with a good lawyer and acrash course in Hungarian I could clear thattrifling obstacle.The name gameNo, there are more significant reasons forthis important decision. The first is a creativeissue. With so many parties being formed, we'rerunning out of names.Old-school thinking would have someonename a party after what it stood for. Democrat.Liberal. Conservative. The obvious flaw in thisGetting a handle on parenting: Part VIII2) Avoid over-indulging your child. Ifyou give them everything they everwant, they will have a rude awakeningin adulthood when they findthat they aren’t able to have whatthey want.Everything in moderation is thepolicy here. Too much of a goodthing just isn’t always a good thing.So be careful as you dole outresources and privileges. We havealways found it beneficial for our childrento earn the privileges they enjoy,whether through good behaviour orthrough various assigned responsibilitiesfrom time to time.A poor price to payOf course, children who are overindulgedwill likely end up becomingincredibly selfish, discontented,unappreciative and spoiled. Thiskind of child always reminds me ofVeruca Salt from the original WillieWonka movie with Gene Wilder. Hersong went like this:I want a feast. I want a bean feast.Cream buns and doughnuts and fruitcakewith no nuts so good you could go nuts. No,now! I want a ball. I want a party. Pinkmacaroons and a million balloons andperforming baboons and Give it to me now.I want the world, I want the whole world. Iwant to lock it all up in my pocket. It’s mybar of chocolate. Give it to me now! I wanttoday, I want tomorrow, I want to wearthem like braids in my hair and I don’t wantto share them. I want a party with roomfulsof laughter. Ten thousand tons of ice-cream.And if I don’t get the things I am after, I’mgoing to scream! I want the works, I wantthe whole works! Presents and prizes andsweets and surprises in all shapes and sizes.And now! Don’t care how I want it now!Don’t care how I want it now!Nobody wants a kid like this, so becareful not to over-indulge your child.3) Avoid playing favourites. Thereprobably isn’t anything more hurtfulto children than when they see theirown parents favouring theirsiblings. It is a delicatedance but it is possibleto share the love thatyou have for yourkids in the mostuniform andunqualified wayyou possibly can.Not playingfavourites will alsohelp bring peaceinto your household.If everyone isequally loved, thenthere is no need forour children to exercisetheir own siblingrivalries for attention andfavour.Spreading the loveAgain, showering affection overone child and neglecting the others isjust incredibly hurtful for those leftout in the cold. This childhood painand anguish is often carried intoadulthood, being manifested in overtresentment, anger and relationaldysfunctionality toward siblings andparents.I have seen this kind of relationaldysfunctionality rear its ugly head atthe funerals of the parents who didn’twork hard at alleviating sibling rivalries.So don’t play favourites. Everychild of yours needs to be loved byyou equally as much as possible.4) Avoid setting unrealistic goals. Weall know the kind of parents whobelieve their kid is going to be anNBA star or the next DavidBeckham. Unfortunately manyparents place many unwarrantedParty Party Partythinking is that you actually have to stand forsomething and who knows what the futureholds?You may want to be conservative this week butwhat happens if circumstances change nextmonth and you want to appear liberal? It is apolitical pickle.Some airlines created a similar mess forthemselves by naming themselvesafter geographic regions. Eastern.Southwest. Northwest. Howcould so many bright peoplebe so stupid? Airplanes areknown to fly longdistances. What happenswhen you're Northwestand want to open routesin the southeast?Naming a politicalparty is tricky. The namehas to be memorable, notcommit you to anythingyou might later regret, andit has to be a strong word.Words like "together'' are softand almost reminiscent of 1960slove-ins. "Together' could even betarred with a communist brush. Not good.Some names are ego driven. When ThomasWatson was fired from National Cash Register, hedecided he wanted to start a company thatsounded bigger than his nemesis. So what did hecall it? International Business Machines, whichshortened to IBM.So we can see that finding an elastic politicalplatform with a strong, sticky name is no smallchallenge.It'shard to blameOrbán for wanting toavoid austerity measures. Ishe unraveling some fundamentalsof democracy in Hungary?No doubt. And it's disturbing. Ishe preventing Hungary fromturning into another Greecewith riots and cars burningon the streets?Possibly.I liked to buildthings but that didn’tmean I wanted to be anengineer too. I am now apastor. Am I buildingthings? Yes, in a way. I longto build people’s lives, nottractors or buildings,through the Gospelof Jesus Christ.pressures on their children to bevarious things that the parents areenvisioning for them.When these pressures are brought tobear on a child who really has nodesire for the activity or thecareer choice, great frustrationand conflict canensue.Children have anatural desire to bepleasing to theirparents. Whenthey feel inadequateor unable toplease mom anddad, they can endup wrestling withgreat guilt, shame,resentment andbitter frustration. Justbecause your kid is thesmartest in the classdoesn’t mean that they aregoing to want to become a lawyeror a doctor.Again, be careful with your expectations.Is it possible that you are tryingto live vicariously through your child?Kids will take a lot upon themselves inhopes of pleasing their parents. Becareful what burdens you place on yourchild.My dad was an engineer and noneof my older brothers or sister followedin his footsteps with the family trade.However, even at a young age as theyoungest of four siblings I showed agreat interest in building models anddrawing things. So my dad assumedthat I would be the family engineer.My senior year in high school hemade a drafting table for me and heeven hooked me up with a very nicedrafting machine. But the reality is yes,I liked to build things but that didn’tmean I wanted to be an engineer too.I am now a pastor. Am I buildingthings? Yes, in a way. I long to buildPop starThe bigger challenge is defeating ViktorOrbán (although his popularity is slipping a bit,depending on which pollster you choose totrust). You might have a slight, marginal chanceif you named your party after his platform. Aparty called “Populist” could be popular.And it certainly gives you lots of roomto manoeuvre.But even by trying to stealhis thunder, he would bedifficult to defeat.Certainly, there are lots ofpeople in the EU, particularlyin Brussels, whoare not terribly fond ofhim. However, thesepeople don't vote inHungary.He is annoying thecorporate world withsurprise taxes and he isannoying the EU with hiscrafty avoidance of austeritymeasures. But if you look at thenumbers you can see that as apopulist leader he is in an unenviableposition.Double-digit unemployment (11.2 per cent)and just 3,821,600 people between the ages of15 and 64 are working. Granted, some may bepaying taxes but certainly not all. Salaries aren'thigh in Hungary so the tax base earned tosupport a country of just under 10 million isn'tmuch.It's hard to blame Orbán for wanting to avoidTHE BUDAPEST TIMESpeople’s lives, not tractors or buildings,through the Gospel of JesusChrist. So I am an engineer in a sense,a spiritual engineer.5) Avoid discouraging your child. It isvery easy for us as parents to be adiscouragement to them. Theycome and show us their scribbledpicture of a pony and we say, “Oh,that’s nice. It really doesn’t lookmuch like a pony”.All in good timeWell, what do you expect from a fiveyear-old,a Rembrandt? I do believethat we need to be realistic but would ithurt much to faun over our child’s firstattempts at art, or sports, or chores?It is very easy to be hypercritical,and if we are this way, our children willdetermine that there really isn’t anyway to please mom and dad. They willeither quit trying or find someone elsewho really does care.So work hard at encouragement.Continue to guide, train, correct anddirect but give appropriate praise andencouragement along the way. We allare longing for encouragement.We will look at a few more tips nextweek from John MacArthur Jr. But fornow you have plenty to work on. Ourchildren are longing to be encouragedand loved. So be careful not to overprotectthem or over-indulge them orplay favourites or set unrealistic goals.Rather seek to be your child’sbiggest fan as you encourage themwith your interaction and presence intheir life. You really only have one shotat this. Be sure and make it a good one.– Reverend Bradley S. Belcher is the seniorpastor with the International BaptistChurch of Budapest, www.ibcbudapest.org.Should you have a question or commentregarding this column, emaileditor@bzt.hu.austerity measures. Is he unraveling somefundamentals of democracy in Hungary? Nodoubt. And it's disturbing. Is he preventingHungary from turning into another Greece withriots and cars burning on the streets? Possibly.Therein lies the real reason I am not forminga party and running for prime minister ofHungary. Look at the job. It sucks. Perks bedamned.You have to fly all the way to Moscow for ahalf-hour meeting with Putin and you probablyhave to be on your best behaviour. You have torepeatedly travel to Brussels and be on yourbest behaviour. Even with the French.You have to entertain and host officials fromthe IMF and be on your best behaviour whileyou politely decline their requests (yet at thesame time, trying to keep the IMF door open).At home you have to fend off a constant barragefrom parties that pop up like mushrooms whileyou were off having tea and discussing gas withPutin.No, I don't think I want the job. Thepsychotic ballet of Hungarian politics is bestenjoyed as a spectator rather than a participant.– Go cult. Be a follower. www.ThreeYearsOnMars.comMTI