THE BUDAPEST TIMES - Andrássy Universität Budapest
THE BUDAPEST TIMES - Andrássy Universität Budapest THE BUDAPEST TIMES - Andrássy Universität Budapest
THE BUDAPEST TIMES 02 WHISKEY ROBBERY Budai smells a bribe 08-09 GREAT DEBATE Fidesz & MSZP face off on policy 10 SPRING FEST Hot ticket T Volume 9, Number 9 www.bzt.hu 28 February – 6 March 2011 HUF 750/EUR 3 Russians fourth, but lead way in dangerous drinking ROBERT HODGSON Central and Eastern Europe is home to the hardest-drinking nations in the world, a report from the World Health Organisation made abundantly clear this month. The WHO’s Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2011 showed that Hungary came third in per capita alcohol consumption, behind only the Czech Republic and Moldova. Alcohol kills one-in-five Russian men Russia came fourth, with those aged 15 and over in the world’s largest country downing an average of 15.7 litres each of pure alcohol a year. This prompted the St. Petersburg Times to report last week that the WHO had “debunked a long-standing myth” about Russia. Unfortunately a closer look at the 286-page report shows that the Russian Federation still has the highest rate of alcohol-related mortality in the world, with one-in-five male deaths attributable to hard drinking (the figure is only 6 per cent for women). The WHO report suggests that it is an unhealthy “episodic drinking pattern” and a tendency to drink until drunk – added to the well-documented fact that much of what is sold as vodka contains poisons far more potent than mere ethanol – that lies behind Russia’s grim statistics. Not as harsh Hungary is hardly in a position to boast, having as it does one of the lowest life expectancy levels (70.8 years at birth for men, 78.6 for women) in the European Union. This is perhaps partly because it is home to the 27-member bloc’s second-heaviest drinkers and occupies the number three spot worldwide. While the bulk of Russian alcohol consumption is done through the medium of vodka – and often dodgy, illicit stuff at that – Hungarians hedge their bets by mixing the grape and the grain. Of 12.27 litres officially recorded and an estimated four litres of homemade and/or illegal alcohol consumed per head in a year, only a fifth comes from spirits, with the rest derived from wine and beer, and the grape narrowly in the lead. Home brew Hungary’s English-language weekly. Economic reform package expected Tuesday Disability pensions, unemployment benefits could be in for the chop he day the markets have been waiting for is nigh: this Tuesday, 1 March the government will announce a package of economic reforms, prime minister’s spokesman Péter Szijjártó said last Thursday. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told The Wall Street Journal in January that the forthcoming structural reforms would affect areas such as pension costs, social welfare, medicine subsidies and public transport. Little has been revealed since then although in www.takarékbank.hu recent weeks Orbán has repeatedly said that “all people who are capable of work should work”. (See analysis on page 4, 7). Disability stumbling block Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Economy last Thursday issued an analysis in which it questioned the “complicated and contradictory” system of disability pensions. A quarter of Hungary’s 3 million pensioners (in a country of 10 million) receive disability RATES 322.12 18 Feb. 323.64 25 Feb. 269.65 18 Feb. 272.80 25 Feb. 208.56 18 Feb. benefits, while half of those are still of working age. Twelve per cent of Hungary’s labour force has been written off as incapable of work, while the OECD average is 5.8 per cent, the ministry noted. 207.68 25 Feb. Markets’ baited breath There has been some confusion over the announcement of the long-awaited package of structural reforms, seen by international markets as a make-or-break moment for 198.67 18 Feb. 201.72 25 Feb. BSE Besides being clear winners in overall alcohol OPEN 22,548.10 21 Feb. Budapest Stock Exchange Hungary’s economic reputation. Economy Minister György Matolcsy announced in January that a package containing budget savings of HUF 600 to 650 billion (EUR 2.19 to 2.37 billion) by 2013 would be finalised on 28 February, but in recent weeks the date has been shifted as far as mid-March. Hungary required a 20-billion-euro international rescue in 2008 to avert sovereign bankruptcy. Though the “crisis” government in office in the year to the April 2010 general elections slashed spending to bring the intake, Moldovans lead in “unrecorded” consumption, with an estimated 22,548.10 10 of their annual 18.2 litres of alcohol coming from moonshine, home brew and hobby wine. Hungary is second with an estimated four litres of untraceable ethanol downed on average. It remains to be seen what effect the recent move to legalise home distillation has on the figures. BUX peak: 30,118.12 July 23, 2007 BUX low: 9,461 March 13, 2009 22,573.15 23,046.76 22,537.64 22,363.85 22,352.78 MON TUE WED THU FRI Nor is illicit alcohol consumption limited to the relatively deprived Central and Eastern Europe region: Swedes are thought to get through an annual 3.6 litres of ethanol that has bypassed the authorities’ books – perhaps a reflection of an expensive, statecontrolled market, dark Scandinavian winters and the sparsely populated nation’s abundance of hiding places for illicit stills. Other heavy drinkers The world’s second-heaviest drinkers, the Czechs, prefer beer to wine and spirits. Beer is the source of just over half of the 16.45 litres of pure alcohol imbibed by the average Czech in a year, equivalent to 340 half-litre pots of pilsner per head, with sundry chasers of Fernet, slivovice or Becherovka presumably bumping up the alcohol figure to earn the Czechs worldwide runner-up status. It might be assumed, therefore, that Czechs are the world’s number-one beer drinkers but they are not. That distinction goes to the denizens of the Pacific island nation of Palau, which enjoyed fame recently as backdrop to the reality TV show Survivor. Palauans absorb an annual 8.68 litres of alcohol per head from their own Red Rooster and other beers. Less surprisingly the French almost lead the way in wine consumption, from which the average over-14-year-old manages to imbibe 8.14 litres of alcohol, equivalent to 90 bottles of burgundy a year. The affluent Luxembourgeois pip them at the post for the gold medal, however, drinking the equivalent of 91 bottles each. For more detailed information of the undeniably serious health implications of all this, and a wealth of useful pub trivia, visit the WHO’s website, www.who.int. CLOSE 23,046.76 25 Feb. budget deficit down to 4 per cent in 2009, international agencies cut the rating of government bonds to just a notch above “junk” status late last year. This was a response to Orbán’s new conservative government employing mainly temporary “crisis taxes” to meet 2010 and 2011 deficit targets. The EU and IMF, as well as actors on the international financial markets, have stated that sustainable, credible spendingside cuts will be needed to restore Hungary’s creditworthiness. Hungarians third-highest alcohol consumers on the planet Ban on smoking in cafes and ‘shocking’ images on cigarette packets in July H ungary looked set last Friday to join the growing number of European countries to implement a blanket ban on smoking in indoor public places as a group of government MPs presented a petition in parliament. State secretary for health Miklós Szócska said at a press conference that 28,000 Hungarians die each year of smokingrelated disease. Another politician from the governing Fidesz party, Tamás Heintz, said “The pattern of drinking score, reflecting the frequency and circumstances of alcohol consumption and the proportion of people drinking alcohol to intoxication, is among the lowest, i.e. less risky, in western European countries, while it is the highest in the Russian Federation, and in some neighbouring countries. Risky patterns of drinking are also highly prevalent in Mexico and southern African countries.” – WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2011 the prohibition would come into force in July, after a three-month “tolerance” period. To further discourage smoking in Hungary plans are afoot to force manufacturers to put “shocking warnings, such as images of cancerous organs,” on cigarette packets, Heintz added. Pre-empting the inevitable cries of protest from the proprietors of bars and cafés, Szócska said that revenue in the hospitality sector did not fall in other countries that have already introduced a ban on lighting up indoors. Furthermore, countries that banned smoking in enclosed public places in recent years have seen marked improvements in the health of their populations, Szócska said. He added that passive smoking accounts for around 2,500 deaths a year in Hungary. “If we don’t want Hungary’s population to stay permanently below ten million (a level reached last year) then we must act with urgency,” he said. Soon smoking may only be allowed outdoors. 771785 110000 1 1 0 0 9 BZT/Aaron Taylor
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<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
02 WHISKEY ROBBERY Budai smells a bribe 08-09 GREAT DEBATE Fidesz & MSZP face off on policy 10 SPRING FEST Hot ticket<br />
T<br />
Volume 9, Number 9 www.bzt.hu 28 February – 6 March 2011 HUF 750/EUR 3<br />
Russians fourth,<br />
but lead way in<br />
dangerous drinking<br />
ROBERT HODGSON<br />
Central and Eastern Europe is home<br />
to the hardest-drinking nations in<br />
the world, a report from the World<br />
Health Organisation made abundantly<br />
clear this month. The<br />
WHO’s Global Status Report on Alcohol and<br />
Health 2011 showed that Hungary came third in<br />
per capita alcohol consumption, behind only the<br />
Czech Republic and Moldova.<br />
Alcohol kills one-in-five Russian men<br />
Russia came fourth, with those aged 15 and<br />
over in the world’s largest country downing an<br />
average of 15.7 litres each of pure alcohol a<br />
year. This prompted the St. Petersburg Times to<br />
report last week that the WHO had “debunked<br />
a long-standing myth” about Russia.<br />
Unfortunately a closer look at the 286-page<br />
report shows that the Russian Federation still<br />
has the highest rate of alcohol-related mortality<br />
in the world, with one-in-five male deaths<br />
attributable to hard drinking (the figure is only<br />
6 per cent for women). The WHO report<br />
suggests that it is an unhealthy “episodic<br />
drinking pattern” and a tendency to drink until<br />
drunk – added to the well-documented fact that<br />
much of what is sold as vodka contains poisons<br />
far more potent than mere ethanol – that lies<br />
behind Russia’s grim statistics.<br />
Not as harsh<br />
Hungary is hardly in a position<br />
to boast, having as it does one of<br />
the lowest life expectancy levels (70.8 years at<br />
birth for men, 78.6 for women) in the European<br />
Union. This is perhaps partly because it is home to<br />
the 27-member bloc’s second-heaviest drinkers<br />
and occupies the number three spot worldwide.<br />
While the bulk of Russian alcohol<br />
consumption is done through the<br />
medium of vodka – and often<br />
dodgy, illicit stuff at that –<br />
Hungarians hedge their<br />
bets by mixing the<br />
grape and the grain.<br />
Of 12.27 litres officially<br />
recorded and<br />
an estimated four<br />
litres of homemade<br />
and/or<br />
illegal alcohol<br />
consumed per<br />
head in a year,<br />
only a fifth comes<br />
from spirits, with<br />
the rest derived from<br />
wine and beer, and<br />
the grape narrowly in<br />
the lead.<br />
Home brew<br />
Hungary’s English-language weekly.<br />
Economic reform package expected Tuesday<br />
Disability pensions, unemployment benefits could be in for the chop<br />
he day the markets have been<br />
waiting for is nigh: this Tuesday, 1<br />
March the government will announce<br />
a package of economic reforms, prime<br />
minister’s spokesman Péter Szijjártó said<br />
last Thursday.<br />
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told The Wall<br />
Street Journal in January that the forthcoming<br />
structural reforms would affect areas<br />
such as pension costs, social welfare, medicine<br />
subsidies and public transport. Little<br />
has been revealed since then although in<br />
www.takarékbank.hu<br />
recent weeks Orbán has repeatedly said<br />
that “all people who are capable of work<br />
should work”. (See analysis on page 4, 7).<br />
Disability stumbling block<br />
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National<br />
Economy last Thursday issued an analysis<br />
in which it questioned the “complicated and<br />
contradictory” system of disability pensions.<br />
A quarter of Hungary’s 3 million pensioners<br />
(in a country of 10 million) receive disability<br />
RATES<br />
322.12<br />
18 Feb.<br />
323.64<br />
25 Feb.<br />
269.65<br />
18 Feb.<br />
272.80<br />
25 Feb.<br />
208.56<br />
18 Feb.<br />
benefits, while half of those are still of<br />
working age. Twelve per cent of Hungary’s<br />
labour force has been written off as incapable<br />
of work, while the OECD average is<br />
5.8 per cent, the ministry noted.<br />
207.68<br />
25 Feb.<br />
Markets’ baited breath<br />
There has been some confusion over the<br />
announcement of the long-awaited package<br />
of structural reforms, seen by international<br />
markets as a make-or-break moment for<br />
198.67<br />
18 Feb.<br />
201.72<br />
25 Feb.<br />
BSE<br />
Besides being clear<br />
winners in overall alcohol<br />
OPEN<br />
22,548.10<br />
21 Feb.<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong><br />
Stock Exchange<br />
Hungary’s economic reputation. Economy<br />
Minister György Matolcsy announced in<br />
January that a package containing budget<br />
savings of HUF 600 to 650 billion (EUR 2.19<br />
to 2.37 billion) by 2013 would be finalised<br />
on 28 February, but in recent weeks the date<br />
has been shifted as far as mid-March.<br />
Hungary required a 20-billion-euro international<br />
rescue in 2008 to avert sovereign<br />
bankruptcy. Though the “crisis” government<br />
in office in the year to the April 2010 general<br />
elections slashed spending to bring the<br />
intake, Moldovans lead in<br />
“unrecorded” consumption,<br />
with an estimated<br />
22,548.10<br />
10 of their annual 18.2<br />
litres of alcohol<br />
coming from moonshine,<br />
home brew<br />
and hobby wine.<br />
Hungary is second<br />
with an estimated<br />
four litres of<br />
untraceable<br />
ethanol downed<br />
on average. It<br />
remains to be seen<br />
what effect the<br />
recent move to<br />
legalise home distillation<br />
has on the figures.<br />
BUX peak: 30,118.12 July 23, 2007<br />
BUX low: 9,461 March 13, 2009<br />
22,573.15<br />
23,046.76<br />
22,537.64<br />
22,363.85<br />
22,352.78<br />
MON TUE WED THU FRI<br />
Nor is illicit alcohol consumption limited to the<br />
relatively deprived Central and Eastern Europe<br />
region: Swedes are thought to get through an<br />
annual 3.6 litres of ethanol that has bypassed<br />
the authorities’ books – perhaps a<br />
reflection of an expensive, statecontrolled<br />
market, dark<br />
Scandinavian winters and the<br />
sparsely populated nation’s abundance<br />
of hiding places for illicit<br />
stills.<br />
Other heavy drinkers<br />
The world’s second-heaviest drinkers, the<br />
Czechs, prefer beer to wine and spirits. Beer is<br />
the source of just over half of the 16.45 litres of<br />
pure alcohol imbibed by the average Czech in a<br />
year, equivalent to 340 half-litre pots of pilsner per<br />
head, with sundry chasers of Fernet, slivovice or<br />
Becherovka presumably bumping up the alcohol<br />
figure to earn the Czechs worldwide runner-up<br />
status. It might be assumed, therefore, that Czechs<br />
are the world’s number-one beer drinkers but they<br />
are not. That distinction goes to the denizens of<br />
the Pacific island nation of Palau, which enjoyed<br />
fame recently as backdrop to the reality TV show<br />
Survivor. Palauans absorb an annual 8.68 litres of<br />
alcohol per head from their own Red Rooster and<br />
other beers.<br />
Less surprisingly the French almost lead the way<br />
in wine consumption, from which the average<br />
over-14-year-old manages to imbibe 8.14 litres of<br />
alcohol, equivalent to 90 bottles of burgundy a<br />
year. The affluent Luxembourgeois pip them at<br />
the post for the gold medal, however, drinking the<br />
equivalent of 91 bottles each.<br />
For more detailed information of the undeniably<br />
serious health implications of all this, and a<br />
wealth of useful pub trivia, visit the WHO’s website,<br />
www.who.int.<br />
CLOSE<br />
23,046.76<br />
25 Feb.<br />
budget deficit down to 4 per cent in 2009,<br />
international agencies cut the rating of<br />
government bonds to just a notch above<br />
“junk” status late last year. This was a<br />
response to Orbán’s new conservative<br />
government employing mainly temporary<br />
“crisis taxes” to meet 2010 and 2011 deficit<br />
targets. The EU and IMF, as well as actors<br />
on the international financial markets, have<br />
stated that sustainable, credible spendingside<br />
cuts will be needed to restore<br />
Hungary’s creditworthiness.<br />
Hungarians third-highest<br />
alcohol consumers on the planet<br />
Ban on smoking<br />
in cafes and<br />
‘shocking’ images<br />
on cigarette<br />
packets in July<br />
H<br />
ungary looked set last Friday to join<br />
the growing number of European<br />
countries to implement a blanket ban<br />
on smoking in indoor public places as a<br />
group of government MPs presented a petition<br />
in parliament.<br />
State secretary for health Miklós Szócska<br />
said at a press conference that 28,000<br />
Hungarians die each year of smokingrelated<br />
disease. Another politician from the<br />
governing Fidesz party, Tamás Heintz, said<br />
“The pattern of<br />
drinking score, reflecting the<br />
frequency and circumstances of<br />
alcohol consumption and the proportion<br />
of people drinking alcohol to intoxication,<br />
is among the lowest, i.e. less risky, in<br />
western European countries, while it is the<br />
highest in the Russian Federation, and in<br />
some neighbouring countries. Risky patterns<br />
of drinking are also highly prevalent in<br />
Mexico and southern African countries.”<br />
– WHO Global Status Report<br />
on Alcohol and Health 2011<br />
the prohibition would come into force in July,<br />
after a three-month “tolerance” period. To<br />
further discourage smoking in Hungary<br />
plans are afoot to force manufacturers to put<br />
“shocking warnings, such as images of<br />
cancerous organs,” on cigarette packets,<br />
Heintz added.<br />
Pre-empting the inevitable cries of protest<br />
from the proprietors of bars and cafés,<br />
Szócska said that revenue in the hospitality<br />
sector did not fall in other countries that<br />
have already introduced a ban on lighting up<br />
indoors. Furthermore, countries that banned<br />
smoking in enclosed public places in recent<br />
years have seen marked improvements in<br />
the health of their populations, Szócska<br />
said. He added that passive smoking<br />
accounts for around 2,500 deaths a year in<br />
Hungary. “If we don’t want Hungary’s population<br />
to stay permanently below ten million<br />
(a level reached last year) then we must act<br />
with urgency,” he said. Soon smoking may only be allowed outdoors.<br />
771785 110000 1 1 0 0 9<br />
BZT/Aaron Taylor
02 28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
PPOOLIITICS<br />
T<br />
Bribe ‘stashed<br />
in whisky box<br />
for minister’<br />
he latest target of government accountability<br />
commissioner Gyula Budai, who is investigating<br />
possibly illegal activities during the previous<br />
administration, may be former minister of defence Ferenc<br />
Juhász, who has been accused of corruption by a brigadier<br />
general.<br />
Not exactly 100 per cent proof<br />
The potential scandal began when right-leaning TV<br />
station HírTV publicised a confession by János O., who<br />
alleged to investigators that when he handed over HUF 12<br />
million (EUR 43,900) of bribe money to former state secretary<br />
László Fapál, the politician had put aside HUF 4 million<br />
(EUR 14,650) in a whisky bottle box and noted that it would<br />
go to the boss, who at the time was Juhász.<br />
“These allegations are completely false and I will take the<br />
necessary legal steps,” Juhász told weekly Helyi Téma. Juhász<br />
said both he and his successor, Imre Szekeres, had done<br />
everything to put an end to such matters. “I’m sorry if<br />
corruption was present in the offices of the ministry,” he said.<br />
Investigation questioned<br />
Based on the allegation of the brigadier general, Fapál<br />
was declared a suspect and put under preliminary arrest for<br />
two months but Budai said the minister had not even been<br />
questioned as a witness. He said this was a serious mistake by<br />
the prosecutor’s office and he had invited Juhász to last<br />
Friday’s session of the parliamentary subcommittee investigating<br />
corruption matters, but the Socialist politician had<br />
not come.<br />
“There will be other rounds to this case because it is much<br />
more difficult than what can be explained in a single<br />
committee hearing,” Budai said. The accountability commissioner<br />
said he had been investigating the matter for two<br />
months and he estimated that some HUF 1 billion (EUR<br />
3.67 million) of state money could have found its way into<br />
private pockets, which would make it one of the biggest scandals<br />
of recent times.<br />
– Attila Leitner<br />
Outrage<br />
on Libya<br />
mid straitened economic<br />
A circumstances, EU and<br />
NATO countries will have to<br />
pool more of their military<br />
resources to maintain a credible<br />
defensive capability, NATO<br />
Secretary General Anders<br />
Fogh Rasmussen said after<br />
participating in an informal<br />
summit of EU defence ministers<br />
in Gödöllõ last Friday. “I call this<br />
new approach ‘smart defence’,”<br />
he said. “We have to make sure<br />
that we continue to invest in the<br />
most critical military capabilities<br />
so that the economic crisis<br />
does not turn into a security<br />
crisis.”<br />
The EU’s High<br />
Representative for foreign<br />
affairs and security policy,<br />
Catherine Ashton (pictured),<br />
said the issue of “pooling and<br />
sharing” had been on the<br />
agenda in the meeting and that<br />
“H<br />
ave your voice<br />
heard” is the slogan<br />
of the Hungarian<br />
Socialist Party’s (MSZP) new<br />
campaign, which is - among<br />
other things, says spokeswoman<br />
Kata Kormos - opposed<br />
to the unfair tax system of the<br />
government.<br />
Party activists have begun to<br />
collect signatures for a petition<br />
that demands the cabinet reinstall<br />
a fair tax system instead of<br />
“the crippling of the poor”.<br />
The petition is to support a<br />
socialist legislative agenda that<br />
proposes anyone earning more<br />
than HUF 5 million (EUR<br />
18,300) a year be put in the 32<br />
per cent tax bracket instead of<br />
the current 16 per cent. Kormos<br />
cited various union surveys that<br />
she says establish more than<br />
half of employees receive less<br />
salary because of the new tax<br />
discussions were ongoing<br />
between the EU and NATO, and<br />
the UN.<br />
However, the scheduled<br />
event on the calendar of<br />
Hungary’s six-month EU<br />
Presidency was overshadowed<br />
by the ongoing turmoil in Libya.<br />
In the morning, NATO had<br />
called an emergency meeting<br />
at its Brussels headquarters to<br />
discuss its response to Libya,<br />
while the UN Security Council<br />
was set to convene later the<br />
same day. “It is an absolute<br />
outrage that the Libyan regime<br />
system. “Although (prime<br />
minister) Viktor Orbán promised<br />
that no one will be worse off,<br />
those who make less than HUF<br />
290,000 (EUR 1,060) will<br />
receive thousands less than<br />
they did before,” she said.<br />
has approved the use of force<br />
against its own people,”<br />
Rasmussen said. It was “too<br />
early” to talk about imposing a<br />
no-fly zone over Libya, and the<br />
current focus was on evacuations<br />
and humanitarian assistance,<br />
he said.<br />
Ashton praised the joint<br />
efforts of EU member states in<br />
evacuating citizens trapped in<br />
the increasingly dangerous<br />
north African country. The EU<br />
foreign policy chief said the EU<br />
was planning to impose sanctions<br />
on Libya.<br />
Socialists speak out for tax reversal<br />
Opposition slams government<br />
for civil service dismissals<br />
The government should stop firing civil servants and apologise<br />
to those who have already been groundlessly sacked<br />
after the Constitutional Court ruling the previous week that<br />
struck down legislation allowing for their dismissal without<br />
justification, Socialist MP Mónika Lamperth said in parliament<br />
last Tuesday. State secretary from the Public Administration<br />
and Justice Ministry Bence Rétvári said the government<br />
would adhere to the letter of the law. Under the court ruling,<br />
the law allowing indiscriminate dismissals remains in place<br />
until the end of May.<br />
The campaign also<br />
demands the restoration of the<br />
sanctity of private ownership<br />
and the rights and decisions of<br />
the Supreme Court to help<br />
foreign-currency loan victims<br />
of the financial crisis.<br />
Esztergom council rebuked<br />
The city council of Esztergom violated laws between 2007 and 2010<br />
when the revenue side of its budgets never covered the expenses<br />
of the municipality, an examination by the State Audit Office (ÁSZ)<br />
has revealed. The city had issued bonds without specifying the<br />
appropriation or had offered restrictedly alienable properties as a<br />
guarantee, one of which was the Lake Balaton children’s camp of<br />
Esztergom, ÁSZ said. Initially the audit office declined to publish the<br />
findings of the study, citing technical excuses, but decided to do so<br />
after numerous requests from various media and civil organisations.<br />
According to the data, the municipality’s situation worsened considerably<br />
between 2007 and 2010 and previous mayor Tamás Megyes<br />
(Fidesz) and the notary broke the law numerous times. The publication<br />
noted that the latter was primarily responsible and the only<br />
reason for not launching an impeachment procedure is because he<br />
no longer works as a public servant.<br />
Fidesz pair in tit for tat<br />
Minister of Public Administration and Justice and former caucus<br />
leader of Fidesz Tibor Navracsics wants the party’s parliamentary<br />
faction to be more disciplined when it comes to individual<br />
proposals in parliament. In an interview with the weekly Figyelõ,<br />
Navracsics said it was normal that such a large caucus would<br />
have numerous such proposals but he emphasised that comprehensive<br />
codex-like legislation shouldn’t be submitted this way.<br />
Current caucus leader János Lázár said in response that he was<br />
thankful for the observations of the minister but noted that<br />
someone has to do the work. “The people want quick changes<br />
and they do not want to wait around for officers of ministries who<br />
are standing around in one place,” Lázár said. A joint study<br />
released last July by various civil rights organisations objected to<br />
the large portion of private members’ bills, which makes it<br />
possible for MPs to avoid allowing time for the public and the<br />
opposition to examine the legislative proposal.<br />
Foreign minister questioned<br />
in sale of Moscow trade office<br />
Former foreign minister Kinga Göncz was questioned as a<br />
witness last week by prosecutors investigating the suspected<br />
fraudulent sale of Hungary’s former foreign trade office in<br />
Moscow at below market value. The sale was transacted in 2008<br />
when Göncz was a cabinet member in the then Socialist-Liberal<br />
coalition government. The chief prosecutor’s office alleges that<br />
the sale cost the Hungarian state HUF 7 billion (EUR 25.69<br />
million). Hungary’s then ambassador to Moscow, Árpád<br />
Székély, told the daily Népszabadság this month that he had<br />
insisted on an international real estate consultancy valuing the<br />
building, and it had arrived at a figure of USD 19.9 million in<br />
2008. The property was sold to a Swiss-registered firm owned<br />
by a Russian businessman for USD 23.3 million, which subsequently<br />
offloaded it with a hefty mark-up. The former head of<br />
state asset management company MNV, Miklós Tátrai, was<br />
earlier questioned in connection with the case, along with a<br />
former foreign ministry state secretary and Székely himself.<br />
BZT/Robert Hodgson<br />
Constitutional Court<br />
may get powers back<br />
An MP from the governing conservative party<br />
Fidesz said last week that powers recently<br />
taken from the Constitutional Court may be<br />
restored. Recent constitutional amendments<br />
removing the court’s power to rule on budgetary<br />
legislation had been made at a time of<br />
economic “emergency”, Gergely Gulyás said.<br />
The government used the two-thirds majority<br />
it commands in the national assembly to<br />
make the amendments after the court struck<br />
off a retroactive tax on severance pay in<br />
October. “I think there is a real chance that the<br />
rule adopted by parliament in November is<br />
not written in stone,” Gulyás said on stateowned<br />
Duna TV last Tuesday. This was the<br />
only one of several demands made recently<br />
by the opposition green party LMP that the<br />
government was prepared to consider,<br />
Gulyás said. The LMP is boycotting a government-led<br />
committee drafting a new<br />
Constitution. So far only the far-right party<br />
Jobbik is cooperating with the committee,<br />
although it has said it will vote against the<br />
Constitution when it is put to a parliamentary<br />
vote, due in April. The Hungarian Socialist<br />
Party has refused to cooperate in the drafting<br />
of a document it has described as a “Fidesz<br />
Constitution” and is calling for a national referendum.<br />
Communist charge<br />
suspended by court<br />
Buda Central District Court last week<br />
suspended proceedings against Béla Biszku,<br />
who was minister of interior during the 1956<br />
Uprising, until it receives a decree from the<br />
Constitutional Court. The Buda court declined<br />
to elaborate why the official stance of the high<br />
court was requested. After a statement made<br />
last summer by Biszku in an interview, the<br />
Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment in<br />
January charging him with denial of crimes of<br />
the communist dictatorship. The basis of the<br />
prosecution is an amendment to the Criminal<br />
Code - proclaimed shortly before the interview<br />
- making such statements a criminal act.<br />
Another patriotic<br />
holiday mooted<br />
Hungary could have another national holiday<br />
if a draft resolution presented to parliament<br />
last Tuesday by the deputy caucus leader of<br />
the governing conservative party Fidesz is<br />
adopted. Sándor Lezsák noted that 22 June is<br />
the 555th anniversary of the siege of<br />
Belgrade, when Hungarian János Hunyádi<br />
saw off Ottoman Turk troops who had been<br />
laying siege to the border fortress in the city<br />
then known to Hungarians as<br />
Nándorfehérvár.<br />
The Turks subsequently defeated the<br />
Kingdom of Hungary at the southern town of<br />
Mohács in 1526, heralding the start of a 150year<br />
occupation. Mosques and minarets in<br />
Pécs and Eger bear witness to this period.<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong> was left with cupolaed thermal<br />
baths such as the Rudas and the Király, while<br />
the tomb of Dervish poet Gul Baba on<br />
Rozsadomb remains a place of Muslim<br />
pilgrimage.<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
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Road deaths slowing,<br />
alcohol in 1-in-10<br />
The decline in the number of road accidents<br />
has continued for the fifth year in a<br />
row, the Central Statistical Office<br />
announced last Tuesday. In 2010 the<br />
number of accidents decreased 9 per cent<br />
compared to 2009 and the toll also showed<br />
a favourable trend: fatalities fell 14 per cent<br />
and those involving serious injury dropped<br />
11 per cent. Alcohol-related accidents<br />
declined 17 per cent but around one-tenth<br />
of crashes were caused under the influence.<br />
Throughout last year 739 people –<br />
among them 20 children – died on public<br />
roads with 53 per cent of them blameless<br />
victims. Nearly half of the dead drivers<br />
were not wearing a safety belt.<br />
Three charged over<br />
Aquaworld tragedy<br />
Three employees have been indicted over<br />
the death in 2009 of a nine-year-old boy at<br />
the Aquaworld baths complex in District IV,<br />
state-owned Magyar Televízió (MTV)<br />
reported last Tuesday. The victim was<br />
sucked through a drainage hole into the<br />
wave machinery of a surf pool in July 2009,<br />
during the first summer season for the<br />
huge new indoor complex. The technical<br />
director, swimming pool superintendent<br />
and an engineer have been charged with<br />
causing death through professional negligence.<br />
All three had known for several days that<br />
the grill over the drainage hole had come<br />
loose, a spokesman for the <strong>Budapest</strong> Chief<br />
Prosecutor’s Office alleged on MTV’s afternoon<br />
news programme. Instructors working<br />
at the pool had informed their superiors on<br />
numerous occasions in the days before the<br />
death that the grating was moving,<br />
Gabriella Skoda said. “Through their negligence<br />
they created a dangerous situation<br />
which directly caused the death of the<br />
victim,” she alleged.<br />
Ocean’s Two in Pécs<br />
Two armed and masked men made off with<br />
HUF 18 million (EUR 65,806) from a casino<br />
in the Plaza shopping centre in Pécs last<br />
Tuesday morning. The robbers tied up two<br />
clerks before making good their escape.<br />
“The police are investigating an armed<br />
robbery and looking for the culprits,”<br />
Baranya County police said. No more information<br />
could be divulged at present<br />
because it might jeopardise the investigation,<br />
the police said.<br />
Zóna pulls out of<br />
crowded taxi market<br />
The operator of Zóna Taxi, which until<br />
December provided the airport taxi<br />
service, has shut down its transportation<br />
function, the company told state news<br />
agency MTI last Friday. CEO István Veres<br />
said the decision was reached because of<br />
the oversupply in the <strong>Budapest</strong> market and<br />
because executives did not see a chance<br />
to resolve a dispute with <strong>Budapest</strong> Airport<br />
within a reasonable time.<br />
Betting<br />
on a<br />
baby<br />
bonus<br />
Government<br />
seeks to reverse<br />
population<br />
decline after fall<br />
below 10 million<br />
ROBERT HODGSON<br />
T<br />
he population fell by 28,000<br />
last year to under the<br />
psychologically important<br />
10 million mark, according to<br />
figures released by the Central<br />
Statistics Office KSH last Monday.<br />
Only 90,350 children were born in<br />
2010, down 6.3 per cent on 2009.<br />
Junk bonds<br />
Cold can’t keep down<br />
flea market traders<br />
S<br />
Cash for kids<br />
The government has already<br />
made it clear that it aims to see “a<br />
million more jobs over the next ten<br />
years and a million more<br />
Hungarians by 2030”. Prime<br />
Minister Viktor Orbán’s conservative<br />
administration has rejigged the<br />
tax system to encourage larger families.<br />
An income-tax rebate of HUF<br />
ergey has been selling CDs at the flea market<br />
in front of Petõfi Csarnok for two years now.<br />
He would come here at least once a month<br />
anyway even if he didn’t have financial problems<br />
because it is his passion, he says (Sergey is not his<br />
real name). As it is he sells at the market every<br />
Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 2pm, although<br />
“only the first 20 minutes is bearable”. Shivering he<br />
hunches his shoulders and rocks back and forth on<br />
tiptoes.<br />
The weather is dry and piercingly cold but<br />
around Sergey is a hive of activity as goods are<br />
moved around in large checked carrier bags, on<br />
hand trucks or in suitcases.<br />
Bargain-hunters, collectors and nostalgics<br />
inspect the goods laid out, some in more orderly<br />
fashion than others, on trestle tables: second-hand<br />
mobile phones, screwdrivers, a set of gleaming<br />
surgical instruments and tattered top-shelf magazines<br />
featuring busty blondes. Fashionistas can<br />
purchase H&M tops with original price tags from<br />
last season’s party collection, while those with lower<br />
standards or less money to spare can rummage in<br />
the mountains of old and sometimes faded<br />
trousers, shirts and dresses. Cheap bright-red<br />
lingerie can be found next to wooden picture<br />
frames, aged Leica cameras, piles of yellowed<br />
books, polished Lenin busts, car keys and sepia<br />
family photographs with white borders carelessly<br />
stored in a dirty box like used paper.<br />
Behind the traders is the Petõfi Csarnok concert<br />
hall with its ochre and rust-red metal arches.<br />
Sergey, no longer the youngest, stands by his stall<br />
amidst all the hustle and bustle. Before him are the<br />
objects that make his eyes light up: countless CDs.<br />
He knows and likes every single one of them.<br />
“They may not be right up to date but they’re<br />
good,” he says with a laugh. The fact that they<br />
might soon no longer be his does not worry him.<br />
He loves good music and CDs but he also loves<br />
selling them to people who will value them.<br />
33,000 (EUR 120.19) a month per<br />
child was introduced this year for<br />
working parents with three or more<br />
children.<br />
The rebate clearly favours the<br />
middle classes, however. In order to<br />
benefit fully from the pro-family tax<br />
system, you have to be paying at<br />
least HUF 100,000 (EUR 364.21) a<br />
month in income tax. With a new 16<br />
per cent flat rate introduced, those<br />
in this category would be well above<br />
the average gross wage level of<br />
around HUF 200,000 (EUR 728.44)<br />
a month. Nevertheless, many low- to<br />
middle-income families will pay<br />
little or no income tax if they have<br />
three or more children. The rebate<br />
per child if you only have one or two<br />
is a relatively modest HUF 10,000<br />
(EUR 36.64): clearly the aim is to<br />
encourage wage-earning families to<br />
have more kids.<br />
Because he is always collecting and swapping with<br />
friends all over Europe, there is simply no more<br />
space for them all at home.<br />
Many making ends meet<br />
Already rather generous<br />
Whether the tax break will have<br />
a significant effect on population<br />
dynamics remains to be seen.<br />
Mothers have long enjoyed up to<br />
three years of maternity leave, with<br />
the first six months on 70 per cent<br />
of their full wage.<br />
Nevertheless, the country has<br />
one of the lowest fertility rates in<br />
Europe. An average Hungarian<br />
woman produces just 1.33 children,<br />
according to the most recent<br />
survey from the European Union’s<br />
number-crunching department<br />
Eurostat.<br />
Policies tried out in recent years,<br />
such as state subsidies for young<br />
married couples planning to start<br />
a family looking to buy a first<br />
home, appear to have yielded little<br />
in the way of a baby boom.<br />
Sergey estimates that only around a quarter of<br />
people selling at the flea market have made their<br />
hobby into a way of making money as he has. He is<br />
convinced that more than half of the traders would<br />
sell anything or even everything possible simply to<br />
be able to survive. The stall of an old married<br />
couple, well wrapped up against the elements,<br />
seems to confirm Sergey’s point: above a white<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
The government wants to have a million more Hungarians by 2030. Since the start of the year, families with three or more kids will<br />
receive an income tax rebate of HUF 33,000, provided they already pay a minimum of HUF 100,000 a month in income tax.<br />
Issue across Europe<br />
No EU country has a fertility rate<br />
as high as 2.1, which a demographic<br />
rule of thumb holds is the minimum<br />
needed merely to sustain a population<br />
level. Those that come closest are<br />
France, with a rate of two, and<br />
Scandinavian countries, all of which<br />
have long-standing systems of social<br />
support for mothers and children.<br />
The government is using<br />
Hungary’s six-month EU Presidency<br />
as an opportunity to raise the issue at<br />
the European level. A “Population<br />
Issues and Policies Awareness Week”<br />
will begin in late March to coincide<br />
with an informal meeting of ministers.<br />
Europe as a whole is faced with<br />
an ageing population and the<br />
prospect of having to rely on immigration<br />
in the coming decades to fill<br />
jobs and keep the economy afloat.<br />
Hawkers bring out their tables on weekends at the Petõfi<br />
Csarnok, Zichy Mihály út 14, District XIV.<br />
crocheted doily and fogged-up silver forks hang a<br />
fur cap and a black male g-string. And there are<br />
those traders who have shops but also sell their<br />
wares at the market at weekends. Sergey believes<br />
they make up 25 to 30 per cent of the sellers.<br />
His love of music has helped him to form links<br />
with many people. Born Russian, he speaks six<br />
languages: “I think people need to talk to understand<br />
each other,” is his simple explanation. Sergey<br />
has lived in <strong>Budapest</strong> for 12 years. Together with<br />
his wife he owns a small language school and<br />
teaches English and Russian.<br />
Although he has had to sell at the market since<br />
the peak of the economic crisis in summer 2009 for<br />
financial reasons, Sergey does not regard money as<br />
his top priority. “Sometimes I give CDs away if I see<br />
that somebody can’t afford them,” he says. If it were<br />
not for the music he would not come here, he says.<br />
“Money can stink, you know!” he rages. He spends<br />
two days here a week nolens volens, so to speak. But<br />
he may not do so for much longer. Sergey is confident<br />
that the economy will pick up next year.<br />
– Konstanze Faßbinder<br />
BZT/Aaron Taylor<br />
BZT/Aaron Taylor (2)<br />
03<br />
NNEWSS
04<br />
ANNAALLYYSSIISS CCOOMMMENNTT<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
ELENI TSAKOPOULOS KOUNALAKIS<br />
A<br />
gainst the backdrop of the<br />
Middle East and the historic<br />
changes taking place, we<br />
have seen the power of the internet<br />
to inspire, motivate, mobilise and<br />
transmit instantaneously pictures<br />
and eyewitness accounts.<br />
As a result, from Tunisia to Egypt<br />
to Iran, governments have<br />
attempted to shut down or severely<br />
restrict access to the internet. We<br />
join those voices calling for protection<br />
of the freedom to seek and<br />
share information over the internet<br />
or, as Secretary of State Hillary<br />
Clinton has termed it, the freedom<br />
to connect. Freedom of assembly,<br />
speech, expression and association<br />
need to apply in cyberspace just as<br />
they do in the physical world.<br />
It was just over 20 years ago that<br />
images plastered television screens<br />
around the world of Hungarians<br />
demonstrating for freedom. Who<br />
can forget the electric atmosphere –<br />
throughout the free world – of<br />
watching these protests against<br />
tyranny and oppression? Whether<br />
it was 1989, or 1956, Hungarians<br />
are well acquainted with the<br />
dangers associated with rising up<br />
against a totalitarian regime, even<br />
without the benefit of Twitter or<br />
Facebook.<br />
Global town square<br />
The internet has become the<br />
public sphere of the 21st century – it<br />
is the global town square. The kind<br />
of civic activism we have seen<br />
recently in Tahrir Square or saw back<br />
in 1989 in Heroes and Kossuth<br />
squares occurs increasingly on and<br />
through the internet. Through this<br />
discourse, new dimensions of<br />
debates that we have been having for<br />
centuries re-emerge: how best to<br />
govern, administer justice, pursue<br />
prosperity and create the conditions<br />
for long-term progress, both within<br />
and across borders.<br />
As we contemplate these questions,<br />
we should also recognise that<br />
they go beyond the sphere of human<br />
rights issues alone. Also at stake are<br />
our aspirations for mutual economic<br />
prosperity. The openness of the<br />
internet allows it to serve as an<br />
engine of innovation and economic<br />
growth. We have seen investment<br />
and prosperity flow to those nations<br />
that make openness the hallmark of<br />
their internet policy.<br />
Striking a balance<br />
So the stakes are high. And the<br />
choices we face are familiar. But the<br />
space in which we confront them is<br />
not. How do we balance liberty and<br />
security? Transparency and confidentiality?<br />
Freedom of expression<br />
while fostering tolerance and<br />
harmony?<br />
First, far too often liberty and<br />
security are seen as mutually exclusive<br />
but we need both; and we need<br />
to be governed by the rule of law.<br />
Our allegiance to it does not vanish<br />
in cyberspace nor does our commitment<br />
to civil liberties. Governments<br />
that arrest bloggers, pry into the<br />
peaceful activities of their citizens<br />
and limit or close off access to information<br />
under the guise of keeping<br />
people safe are fooling no one.<br />
Second, we must protect both<br />
transparency and confidentiality.<br />
Citizens have a right to information<br />
about their government, and governments<br />
should be held to a high standard<br />
when invoking confidentiality as<br />
they must serve the public. But all<br />
governments require a degree of<br />
confidentiality when dealing with<br />
matters such as public safety and<br />
national security. For example,<br />
should government plans on how to<br />
confront violent drug cartels be<br />
posted for those cartels to read?<br />
Third, we must seek to protect free<br />
expression while at the same time<br />
fostering tolerance. The best way to<br />
do this is to promote more speech<br />
not to limit it. Exposing and challenging<br />
offensive speech, rather than<br />
suppressing it, allows for public<br />
scrutiny and response. In the<br />
marketplace of ideas, those ideas<br />
with merit will become stronger and<br />
those without merit will in time fade<br />
away.<br />
1956 and 1989<br />
Hungarians have a proud tradition<br />
of encouraging and inspiring<br />
others to strive for democracy and<br />
individual liberties. The world<br />
remembers 1956 and 1989, and as a<br />
result there exists an expectation that<br />
Hungary can and should continue to<br />
play a leading role in advocating for<br />
freedom of expression around the<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
Austerity surely must come: the wait of the nation<br />
Policy Solutions: Fidesz must try its best to sell a U-turn in economic policy<br />
The Prime Minister caused some<br />
surprise earlier this month when<br />
he chose not to specify his government’s<br />
eagerly awaited economic<br />
reforms but simply prepared the<br />
ground for them. Viktor Orbán might not only<br />
leave the bad news for others but he also tries<br />
hard to divert attention from the most delicate<br />
issues. With careful planning he has a chance to<br />
make the reforms succeed, but it still looks as<br />
though this spring will be the most challenging<br />
period for his party’s honeymoon with voters<br />
since taking office.<br />
State of the Nation speeches have become<br />
established parts of the national political culture<br />
in the last 13 years. It was as prime minister that<br />
Orbán introduced this institution and set the<br />
frame of what to expect from these seasonopening<br />
addresses throughout the years. His<br />
speeches were never meant to be concrete policy<br />
guidelines for the upcoming months but were<br />
rather characterised by some general statements<br />
on the Fidesz vision for the country. Since he<br />
decided to evaluate the national political situation<br />
he has mostly opted for motivating his voting<br />
base with combative language and catchy<br />
metaphors, instead of trying to reach out to new<br />
target groups or to please analysts.<br />
Postponed reform details<br />
In spite of this past experience expectations<br />
were high before this year’s State of the Nation<br />
speeches because the Orbán cabinet had stressed<br />
that a substantial reform package would be<br />
announced in February. Moreover, when political<br />
commentators lamented about the lack of details<br />
regarding the government’s reform agenda after<br />
the first public speech to party faithful, some<br />
Fidesz politicians suggested waiting until Orbán’s<br />
second speech in parliament, which would<br />
contain the eagerly awaited economic measures.<br />
However, after two tries we still do not know how<br />
the government plans to fill the gap in the<br />
budget, which was adversely affected by the introduction<br />
of flat tax.<br />
Leaving the bad news for others<br />
There is a simple explanation for why the<br />
Hungarian public and many foreign investors<br />
and analysts should not have hoped for many<br />
new details. Orbán himself normally does not<br />
announce controversial measures. Even his short<br />
time in office since the landslide Fidesz victory<br />
has proved that these hard tasks usually fall to<br />
other leading politicians of his party, often on<br />
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán himself normally does not announce controversial measures: János Lázár announced<br />
the curtailment of the powers of the Constitutional Court; György Matolcsy, the nationalisation of the private<br />
pension savings; Antal Rogán, the media law.<br />
those who have been mentioned as his future<br />
rivals. It is probably enough to illustrate this by<br />
listing the three most influential victims of the last<br />
few months.<br />
It was János Lázár, leader of the Fidesz parliamentary<br />
group, who announced the curtailment<br />
of the powers of the Constitutional Court to the<br />
media. György Matolcsy, the Minister for<br />
Economy, got the “opportunity” to fight a few<br />
months for the nationalisation of the private<br />
pension savings. The party’s rising star and<br />
mayor of <strong>Budapest</strong>’s District V, Antal Rogán, was<br />
also given a part in announcing the difficult decisions.<br />
Rogán, who is usually held as a “liberal”<br />
within Fidesz, was the official presenter of the<br />
governing party’s most controversial legislation<br />
so far, the “not-so-liberal” media law.<br />
Preparing the ground<br />
That some heavy austerity measures will come,<br />
even if with some delay, is already known from the<br />
tone used by the Prime Minister. Orbán used his<br />
double opportunity to portray the image of a<br />
country that is only one step away from the abyss.<br />
For this reason, according to him, the right-wing<br />
government has to deal with “Hungary’s last<br />
chance” and save the country from complete<br />
failure.<br />
The dramatic words clearly indicate that<br />
Orbán has learnt the lessons of former PM<br />
Gyurcsány’s attempt to balance the budget with<br />
belt-tightening measures in 2006. At the beginning<br />
of the term the Socialist PM raised taxes and<br />
announced various cost-cutting measures despite<br />
not saying a word about the country’s economic<br />
problems in the electoral campaign. In<br />
Gyurcsány’s case there was a huge gap between<br />
the promises and the deeds, and such will be the<br />
situation for Orbán.<br />
However, it is a big difference that four years<br />
ago austerity came without any previous indication,<br />
but now Fidesz must try its best to sell the Uturn<br />
in economic policy as a must, driven by the<br />
realities of the world economy and the hard<br />
legacy of the former socialist-led governments. It<br />
is still a risky game for Fidesz though, and being<br />
aware of the materialistic values of the Hungarian<br />
society we believe that this spring will be tough<br />
for the cash-strapped government.<br />
It won’t be all about austerity<br />
In light of what can be expected in the<br />
economy it would be in the government’s best<br />
interest to focus the attention on other issues.<br />
There are some important signs that Fidesz has<br />
already elaborated a strategy to push other<br />
important topics into the limelight. One potentially<br />
interesting and on-going topic might be the<br />
government’s accountability agenda, since – as<br />
Orbán put it in his first State of the Nation speech<br />
The internet has become the global town square<br />
‘Exposing & challenging offensive speech, rather than suppressing it, allows for public scrutiny’<br />
Fidesz/Csaba Pelsoczy<br />
– “there is significant demand” concerning a<br />
couple of corruption scandals involving highlevel<br />
Socialist politicians.<br />
It is also hardly a question that the drafting<br />
process of the new Constitution is a topic that will<br />
be high on the media agenda. Moreover, parliament<br />
will be working similarly to a<br />
“Constitutional Assembly” from 15 March until<br />
the acceptance of the new document, which it is<br />
said will occur on 18 April. This means that<br />
parliament will not discuss any other important<br />
issue for more than a month, which makes it<br />
possible for Orbán to talk in public about<br />
symbolic issues rather than hard-core economic<br />
policies.<br />
We must also mention that writing a new<br />
Constitution does not seem to be an easy task for<br />
the government any more. Not only might<br />
tensions between the coalition parties be more<br />
severe in the next months, but it is also a huge<br />
question whether Fidesz can attract the opposition<br />
parties back to the process. The latter is<br />
extremely important if Orbán wishes to avoid<br />
adopting a Constitution with the least parliamentary<br />
support in the whole post-communist region.<br />
As our political research institute demonstrated<br />
in a study a few weeks ago, it is without<br />
precedent that a Constitution be accepted by only<br />
one party alliance, without the backing of any<br />
opposition party. Bearing this in mind, Fidesz<br />
launched several initiatives to broaden support<br />
for the new document: it started a national<br />
consultation by sending out questionnaires to all<br />
citizens and was successful in convincing ex-<br />
Hungarian Socialist Party member Katalin Szili to<br />
join its committee that oversees the consultation.<br />
The governing parties are trying hard to draw the<br />
green-left party LMP back to the table as well.<br />
These desperate attempts show that Fidesz is<br />
well aware of the risk of what can happen if it<br />
accepts a “Constitution of one party” instead of a<br />
“Constitution of the nation”. This would link the<br />
popularity of the new document to the popularity<br />
of Fidesz directly. For now, Fidesz’s lead in the<br />
opinion polls is not in danger but a Constitution<br />
in any democracy is designed at least for several<br />
decades. And thus the risk is high that with the<br />
possible decline of Fidesz’s popularity in the next<br />
years, the support of Hungarians for the new<br />
Constitution would slip as well.<br />
– www.policysolutions.hu<br />
world. Perhaps this is why the debate<br />
over the new media laws caused such<br />
widespread interest and concern. We<br />
welcome the government’s agreement<br />
with the European<br />
Commission on amendments that<br />
will bring the legislation into<br />
harmony with EU regulations.<br />
Opinions on media law<br />
What has been striking<br />
throughout this debate is how<br />
Hungarians have not been shy about<br />
making their thoughts known and<br />
voices heard. People are exercising<br />
their right to free expression,<br />
including on the internet. As we<br />
follow the adoption of the amendments<br />
and the implementation of<br />
the media laws, we expect people<br />
around the country will continue to<br />
speak their minds. Such a vigorous<br />
public debate is proof of<br />
Hungarians’ commitment to<br />
freedom. Every Hungarian can be<br />
proud of that.<br />
– Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis is the<br />
US Ambassador to Hungary. (Originally<br />
published in the left-of-centre daily<br />
Népszabadság on 22 February.)
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong> 28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011 05<br />
Fidesz<br />
director<br />
steps into<br />
FTC hot seat<br />
SEAN SAMPSON<br />
M<br />
G<br />
Minority hires will have to work in future<br />
Money for nothing to end soon for Macedonian civil servants<br />
acedonia’s government has<br />
promised to give minority<br />
employees work to do after<br />
two years of getting paid for staying<br />
at home, Balkan Insight reported last<br />
Tuesday.<br />
Around 700 minority civil servants<br />
will be affected by the back-to-work<br />
Newer EU members suffer<br />
in the loo, bath<br />
Forty-three per cent of Romanians live in homes with<br />
no indoor flushing toilet, the Romanian Times reported<br />
last Wednesday, citing figures from Eurostat. A chilly<br />
night run to the loo is also reality for 26 per cent of<br />
Bulgarians and 17 per cent of people in the Baltic<br />
states of Latvia and Lithuania. In 15 wealthier<br />
European Union countries the proportion is under one<br />
per cent. Romania also leads the way in the lack of<br />
bath or shower, with 41 per cent of dwellings having<br />
neither. It was followed in the unhygienic stakes by<br />
Latvia (18 per cent) and Lithuania and Bulgaria (16<br />
per cent). The Eurostat figures revealed that 58 per<br />
cent of Latvians live in overcrowded dwellings followed<br />
by Hungary and Romania on 55 per cent, Poland and<br />
Lithuania on 49 per cent and Bulgaria on 47 per cent.<br />
ábor Kubatov, the party<br />
director of the governing<br />
Fidesz, announced on<br />
Facebook last Friday that he will<br />
accept the nomination to become<br />
the new president of Hungary's<br />
most popular football club, FTC.<br />
Kubatov was asked to lead the<br />
organisation after the previous<br />
head quit when the British owner of<br />
the club's football section decided<br />
not to finance the team any longer.<br />
order. “We expect them to be<br />
assigned to their work posts within 30<br />
to 45 days,” government spokesman<br />
Muhamed Hoxha said.<br />
Price of peace<br />
The non-working employees got<br />
their jobs as a result of the 2001<br />
Ohrid Peace Accord, in which the<br />
government agreed to increase the<br />
The new leader faces difficult challenges<br />
with numerous sport<br />
sections of FTC in disarray and the<br />
company managing the football<br />
team seeking a new owner.<br />
UK businessman Kevin McCabe<br />
had announced in the previous<br />
week that he was ready to give<br />
away the squad for a symbolic<br />
amount but he wanted to negotiate<br />
on the property surrounding the<br />
stadium. Kubatov, who at the time<br />
Russian patriarch denies<br />
luxury house allegations<br />
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church,<br />
Patriarch Kirill, is the latest public figure to ruffle<br />
feathers by allegedly getting a luxury residence,<br />
The Moscow Times reported last Tuesday. The<br />
church said the building near Divnomorskoye in<br />
the Krasnodar region was intended as a “spiritual<br />
and cultural centre” but critics have labelled it the<br />
“Patriarch’s Dacha”.<br />
The news followed allegations that a palace is<br />
being built at Gelendzhik for Prime Minister<br />
Vladimir Putin at an estimated cost of around USD<br />
1 billion, which caused outrage in Russia.<br />
“Of course, the ‘Patriarch’s Dacha’ looks much<br />
more modest than ‘Putin’s Palace’ but it’s clear<br />
that it’s expensive,” Dmitry Shevchenko, an activist<br />
was simply a member of the<br />
presidium, replied: "The club (which<br />
is a separate entity from the football<br />
team) is certainly interested in<br />
buying back the team and the property<br />
but this is only possible if the<br />
current owner maintains the<br />
financing until the deal happens."<br />
After his election Kubatov held a<br />
short press conference at which he<br />
noted that the only way forward for<br />
FTC was order. "There will not be<br />
number of employees from minorities<br />
who were under-represented in<br />
the state apparatus.<br />
The deal mainly affects members<br />
of the disgruntled Albanian minority.<br />
Earlier there had been six months of<br />
clashes between Albanian rebels and<br />
state forces. At present ethnic<br />
Albanians make up 25 per cent of the<br />
population but fill just 17 per cent of<br />
posts in the civil service.<br />
Bloated bureaucracy<br />
Critics said the government is<br />
already overstaffed and cannot<br />
absorb more employees.<br />
“The whole process is heading in<br />
the wrong direction,” political<br />
analyst Sefer Tahiri said. “Although<br />
some institutions have marked an<br />
increase in ethnic Albanian workers<br />
this is all superficial because they<br />
with Environment Watch North Caucasus, told The<br />
Moscow Times. The group said the construction of<br />
the patriarch’s building violated Russian environmental<br />
laws.<br />
Winter kills 179 in<br />
Poland thus far<br />
A total of 179 people have frozen to death since<br />
the onset of winter in Poland. Most deaths<br />
occurred in December (134) with lower numbers<br />
succumbing in January (22) and February (23).<br />
The threat of severe frosts last week prompted<br />
police to ask the public to help the elderly and<br />
inform officers about anyone they see asleep or<br />
unconscious in parks or underground passages,<br />
Polish Radio reported last Monday.<br />
any secrets," he said, adding that<br />
he expected the new leader of the<br />
team to cooperate with the club.<br />
A day before his election, former<br />
CEO of the team Krisztián Berki<br />
announced that his company and<br />
McCabe had signed a letter of<br />
intent about transferring ownership,<br />
which would be handed over after<br />
the next general meeting of the<br />
company in two weeks.<br />
Shortly after Kubatov was<br />
elected president of FTC, agents of<br />
the National Customs and Excise<br />
Office (NAV) carried out a search<br />
at Albert Stadium, which is the<br />
headquarters of both the club and<br />
the football team. It was reported<br />
that they were looking for various<br />
documents but NAV had not<br />
commented before The <strong>Budapest</strong><br />
Times went to press last Friday.<br />
– Attila Leitner<br />
stay at home. This benefits no one,<br />
neither them nor the administration.”<br />
The government has not given<br />
any information on the cost to the<br />
taxpayer of the idle state<br />
employees. But the daily newspaper<br />
Dnevnik calculated that most receive<br />
EUR 200-400 a month, making<br />
their total cost some EUR 4 million<br />
per year.<br />
Take a pay rise and don’t<br />
call me in the morning<br />
The Czech Republic last week approved a pay rise<br />
for doctors who had threatened to resign en<br />
masse in protest at their low salaries, Radio<br />
Prague reported.<br />
The deal between the minister of health and<br />
unions representing doctors will mean a pay<br />
increase of some 10-16 per cent. Annual<br />
increases of around 10 per cent will continue until<br />
a doctor’s salary reaches three times the national<br />
average.<br />
Around 3,800 doctors had handed in their resignations,<br />
threatening the collapse of the health<br />
system, but most have now agreed to stay.<br />
– Sean Sampson<br />
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06<br />
WHHAATT LIIEESS BEENNEEAATTHH<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
W<br />
Hidden depths<br />
hen I was seven, my 22-year-old<br />
cousin was old, which made my 40year-old<br />
aunt very old and my<br />
grandmother positively ancient. Age was<br />
relative – relative to me. If I were to apply this<br />
same logic today, I’d have just passed the<br />
“very old” mark and would be making slow<br />
but steady progress towards antiquity.<br />
I have an inbuilt “carbon-dating” mechanism<br />
when it comes to putting an age on<br />
something, or someone. It doesn’t work very<br />
well; I’m rarely right. But that doesn’t stop<br />
me from attempting to date-stamp people,<br />
places and things. I grew up with expressions<br />
that lent credence and respect to the ageing<br />
process and helped somehow to give register<br />
to age: as old as Methuselah, as old as the<br />
hills, as old as humanity. The fact that I didn’t<br />
know who Methuselah was, or which hills or<br />
when humanity actually began was irrelevant.<br />
These expressions gave voice to the sentiment<br />
that age could be referenced; it could<br />
be put into context without having to know<br />
the exact “when”.<br />
Age is relative<br />
The concept of age fascinates me, not so<br />
much as a labelling device but more as a testimony<br />
to endurance. In today’s throw-away<br />
society there’s something very comforting in<br />
knowing that some things have been<br />
around… well, forever. They have a fixed<br />
place in our collective memory and indeed in<br />
the memories of all those who have gone<br />
before us.<br />
On my register, Hinduism is the oldest religion,<br />
Damascus is the oldest city and<br />
wrestling is the oldest sport. Ireland has the<br />
oldest-known fields in the world (the céide<br />
fields which come complete with original<br />
stone walls), Hungary has the second-oldest<br />
metro system and Oxford the third-oldest<br />
university.<br />
It wasn’t until I moved to the USA that I<br />
fully appreciated the newness of old. I lived<br />
in Longview, Washington, a city the same age<br />
as Northern Ireland. The idea of someone<br />
planning and building a city as recently as<br />
1921 surprised me. I visited a plantation<br />
house in South Carolina with furniture roped<br />
off to preserve it because it was so old; that<br />
same furniture would have looked at home in<br />
my grandmother’s sitting room.<br />
Words like “vintage” and “antique” hold a<br />
certain appeal for me. The Hungarian word<br />
antikvárium trips off the tongue with the same<br />
sprightliness as the English word antiquarian,<br />
despite there being a world of<br />
difference between second-hand and<br />
antique.<br />
Standing the test of time<br />
I’m used to old. I like old. And some days<br />
I feel old. And yet, despite my penchant for<br />
all things aged, my first visit to the megalithic<br />
Mnajdra temples in Malta left me<br />
strangely unmoved. It was perhaps their<br />
crudity: post and lintel construction with<br />
large slabs of limestone? Yep, about as interesting<br />
as a pile of rocks in a field. Ditto with<br />
Hagar Qim. I learned something new about<br />
myself. “Old” has to go hand-in-hand with<br />
“interesting” – age for age’s sake just doesn’t<br />
cut it any more. So when a friend suggested<br />
visiting the hypogeum at Hal-Saflieni I<br />
wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit. Malta<br />
and her ruins just weren’t registering!<br />
The hypogeum is an underground temple<br />
consisting of three floors with a series of<br />
interconnecting chambers, the most stunning<br />
of which is the “Holy of Holies”, a<br />
beautifully carved replica of a temple<br />
facade. Hewn from rock using stone<br />
hammers, chisels, flint blades and antler<br />
picks nearly 5,000 years ago, it is a true<br />
testament to patience and perseverance. It<br />
personifies the best of both worlds – old and<br />
interesting. When it was first discovered,<br />
back in 1902, the remains of over 7,000<br />
people were found deep in its chambers.<br />
But even more amazing still, it’s in the<br />
middle of the town of Paola, down a side<br />
street, beneath a row of houses!<br />
Eyes to heaven<br />
When I walk, I tend to look up, at<br />
gargoyles, at rooftops, at church steeples. But<br />
since my visit to the hypogeum I’ve been<br />
thinking a little more about what I might be<br />
walking over. Little did I know that all those<br />
times I walked across the Charles Bridge in<br />
Prague I was actually walking on eggshells.<br />
Or that while strolling along Via Appia in<br />
Rome, a parallel world of catacombs snaked<br />
beneath my feet. Strolling through the old<br />
city of Mdina last week I was surprised to<br />
hear that there is an ancient Roman city lying<br />
underground.<br />
It’s made me look at <strong>Budapest</strong> in a new<br />
light. So much of what I see in this city is<br />
above ground: spectacular buildings,<br />
contemporary graffiti, myriad statues. But<br />
what lies beneath? Underground? Is there a<br />
depth to this city, as is so often found in her<br />
people, that remains largely unexplored?<br />
– Mary Murphy is a freelance writer who will be<br />
paying more attention to potholes and pincék as she<br />
wanders around the city. You can contact her at<br />
mary@irjjol.com<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong>
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
1222 Bp. Nagytétényi út 48-50 • Tel: (+36-1) 382-9000<br />
Fax: (+36-1) 382-9003 • e-mail: fox@fox-autorent.com<br />
www.fox-autorent.com • open: 8am-8pm 7 days a week<br />
Staff, earnings<br />
show mediocre rise<br />
The average number of employees in<br />
corporations employing at least five<br />
persons and in budgetary institutions<br />
increased by 1.5 per cent last year<br />
compared to 2009, the Central Statistical<br />
Office has announced. Over 2010<br />
average gross and net earnings rose 1.4<br />
per cent and 6.9 per cent respectively and<br />
real earnings grew 1.9 per cent, mainly<br />
due to the change in measures<br />
concerning personal income tax.<br />
Comparing December 2010 to December<br />
2009 real wages declined 3.8 per cent,<br />
which analysts attributed to the postponement<br />
of bonus payments.<br />
Suzuki falls far<br />
from top sales spot<br />
Based on preliminary data, the Hungarian<br />
affiliate of car maker Suzuki closed 2010<br />
with HUF 428 billion (EUR 1.57 billion) in<br />
revenues, similar to 2009, business daily<br />
Napi Gazdaság said last Wednesday.<br />
While the 170,000 cars rolling off the<br />
production line was somewhat of an<br />
increase, Suzuki finished only seventh in<br />
last year’s ranking, after leading sales for<br />
a decade and a half. It said the reason<br />
was that the new car market was mostly<br />
powered by fleet sales, which is not a<br />
strong area for Suzuki. It is starting to<br />
produce vehicles with diesel engines and<br />
will introduce a new model next year.<br />
Caviar keeps<br />
Silver Fish buoyant<br />
Export demand has prompted Vésztõbased<br />
Silver Fish to begin construction of<br />
a sturgeon-processing and caviarproducing<br />
plant in March, business daily<br />
Napi Gazdaság said last week. Sixty per<br />
cent of the HUF 220 million (EUR<br />
803,000) investment will be financed by<br />
EU subsidies and sales are expected to<br />
reach 1.5 tons by the end of the year.<br />
Bulgarian reflects<br />
well for Elmib<br />
The Bulgarian affiliate of Hungarianowned<br />
Elmib will construct a EUR 30<br />
million solar plant in Sungurlare, company<br />
chairman Péter Reicher announced last<br />
week. The plant, to be completed by<br />
autumn 2012, will have 15 MW capacity<br />
and capitalise on the region having<br />
among the most hours of sunshine in<br />
Bulgaria.<br />
Retail sales slump<br />
stretches into fourth year<br />
The volume of retail sales fell 1.7 per cent in December and by 2.3<br />
per cent in all 2010 compared to the same periods of 2009, the<br />
Central Statistical Office announced last week. It means domestic<br />
retail turnover continued the declining trend that began in 2007 and<br />
followed drops of 3, 3.9 and 5.2 per cent in the previous years. In<br />
2010 the volume of sales in non-specialised stores (hypermarkets,<br />
supermarkets, groceries - having a major, 91 per cent market share)<br />
declined 3.3 per cent. According to a Eurostat first estimate, in<br />
December 2010 the yr-on-yr volume of retail sales decreased 0.1 per<br />
cent in the 27 member states of the European Union and by 0.9 in the<br />
eurozone compared to December 2009.<br />
Official banks chosen to<br />
bring home the illicit bacon<br />
State Financial Supervisory Authority PSZÁF last Wednesday named<br />
the ten banks that individuals can use to bring home money kept in<br />
offshore accounts or offshore companies. As an incentive, parliament<br />
decided last year that private persons who repatriate their finances<br />
from abroad will have to pay only a 10 per cent tax. Other banks can<br />
be used but only clients of those on the PSZÁF list are eligible for the<br />
discounted tax rate. The 10 are <strong>Budapest</strong> Bank, CIB, Erste, FHB,<br />
K&H, Volksbank, MKB, OTP, Raiffeisen and UniCredit.<br />
H1 profit evaporates<br />
as crisis tax on banks clicks in<br />
The bank sector recorded a HUF 58 billion (EUR 211.81 million) pretax<br />
profit and a HUF 38 billion (EUR 138.77 million) after-tax profit in<br />
2010, declines of 76 and 82 per cent respectively, the State Financial<br />
Supervisory Authority announced last Wednesday. In Q3 the segment<br />
posted a HUF 60 billion (EUR 219.12 million) loss and the fourth<br />
quarter was HUF 41 billion (EUR 149.73 million) in the red. According<br />
to financial website portfolio.hu, in the second half of the year the<br />
bank tax put a HUF 120 billion (EUR 438.25 million) burden on the<br />
sector, without which the bankers could have had another profitable<br />
half.<br />
The new majority will rule<br />
T<br />
he national assembly voted last<br />
Monday to change the rules on<br />
appointing central bank rate setters.<br />
Hitherto the four “external” members of the<br />
Hungarian National Bank’s (MNB) ratesetting<br />
Monetary Policy Council were<br />
appointed two each by the prime minister<br />
and the governor of the bank.<br />
New rules voted through by Prime<br />
Minister Viktor Orbán’s conservative<br />
government mean that parliament will<br />
appoint all four new MPC members when<br />
The announcement of the long-awaited<br />
structural reforms and expenditure<br />
cuts has been delayed once again.<br />
Last week indicated a muddle in the<br />
Orbán administration as the spokeswoman<br />
for the government and the spokesman for<br />
the prime minister promised different deadlines for<br />
publishing details of the so-called reform package.<br />
It is a portentous reminder of the way the<br />
Gyurcsány government dealt with reforms; unable to<br />
make up its mind to take the necessary and expected<br />
steps, and to gather professional allies such as<br />
doctors and teachers for its restructuring.<br />
Words not worth much any more<br />
The markets are waiting for the Orbán government<br />
to fulfil its promises, highlighted in an interview<br />
in The Wall Street Journal more than a month<br />
ago. In this article in January a few words about the<br />
expenditure cuts were enough to reassure the<br />
markets and investors about the fiscal sustainability<br />
of Hungary. Now investors say beautiful words are<br />
not enough and they are fed up with the apparent<br />
indecisiveness. The main problem is that if a general<br />
scepticism arises on the investor side, the market<br />
simply won’t believe the government’s will to implement<br />
its strict measures when it does finally<br />
announce them.<br />
Cannot get there without any pain<br />
There are some general, long-lasting reasons<br />
behind the delay that are important to notice.<br />
Authorities are still working on the package but<br />
there is no consensus behind them even within the<br />
the tenure of the incumbents<br />
expires at the end of March. As<br />
the government controls twothirds<br />
of seats, it will effectively<br />
be able to hand-pick the new<br />
members.<br />
At odds over policy<br />
Orbán and senior members<br />
of his Fidesz party, both in oppo- András Simor<br />
sition and since taking office last May, have<br />
government and the parliamentary majority. The<br />
Ministry for National Economy led by György<br />
Matolcsy is struggling to identify the most suitable<br />
and politically acceptable means of economic governance<br />
and the least painful ways of saving money.<br />
Although the main problems identified in a short<br />
study published by the ministry (e.g. high indebtedness,<br />
low activity rate) are the same as months and<br />
years ago, it seems that there are no radical new ways<br />
of therapy. It also means that political storms after<br />
announcing the programs will be inevitable.<br />
Principles fall in face of popularity<br />
Orbán was fast to defend the public transport<br />
allowances of pensioners (three million people), thus<br />
revealing an obvious fear of popularity loss by the<br />
government. The most specific measure published<br />
so far by the end of February has been the<br />
“hamburger tax”, an extra tax paid by persons who<br />
live a harmful life, for example eating too much fast<br />
food. The hesitation is understandable because the<br />
number of voters who will feel the negative consequences<br />
of these measures is vast.<br />
The government wants to reduce the number of<br />
people on disability pensions, about 800,000.<br />
Cutting welfare rolls is a recurring topic: there are<br />
about 300,000 people receiving unemployment<br />
benefits and long-term welfare. The reducing of<br />
drug subsidies announced several weeks ago will<br />
save HUF 100 billion (EUR 366.17 million) a year.<br />
Plus there was a HUF 250 billion (EUR 915.26<br />
million) ban regarding government spending to<br />
keep the deficit under its projected level.<br />
While the specific measures are under elaboration,<br />
the preparation of the new Constitution is<br />
serving as a means to calm investors. Deputy prime<br />
minister Tibor Navracsics said the new document<br />
will impose a cap on state debt of around 55-60 per<br />
cent, in a similar way to Poland.<br />
Car insurance sector the worst off<br />
but life insurance has a heartbeat<br />
The nominal worth of insurance revenues increased 1.6 per cent in<br />
2010 but due to the 4.9 per cent inflation the real value of the market<br />
declined, National Association of Insurers MABISZ announced last<br />
week. According to its data the car insurance sector suffered the<br />
biggest drop, and although the value of life insurances increased<br />
overall, revenues from perpetual contracts declined and the amount<br />
of cancelled long-term insurances was also high.<br />
Surgut keeps MOL stake<br />
Russian energy giant Surgutneftegaz has no intention of selling its<br />
large stake in Hungarian peer MOL, Russian deputy prime minister<br />
Igor Sechin told business daily Vedomosti last week. The Russian<br />
firm considers MOL as one of its best investments, the senior politician<br />
responsible for the Russian energy sector said. There has been<br />
speculation in Hungary recently that the state might be considering a<br />
buy-out of Surgut's stake in the nation's largest going concern. The<br />
Russian firm, which is presumed to have close ties to the Kremlin,<br />
acquired its 21.2 per cent stake in MOL in 2009 from the Austrian firm<br />
OMV after the latter's failed hostile takeover bid.<br />
One-fifth of 2011 city budget<br />
focuses on metro, bus lanes<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong> plans to spend HUF 117 billion (EUR 428.11 million) on<br />
various transport projects in 2011, with the bulk (some 63 per cent)<br />
to be spent on construction of the fourth metro line and an additional<br />
HUF 17.5 billion (EUR 64.03 million) allocated to buy new subway<br />
cars for the red line. Above-ground transportation improvements will<br />
receive HUF 970 million (EUR 3.55 million), mostly to develop bus<br />
lanes. Other projects include completing the first phase of Csepel's<br />
new bypass road, the erection of numerous noise protection walls<br />
and 15 kilometres of new bicycle lanes to be constructed from HUF<br />
782 million (EUR 2.86 million). Last Thursday the city council<br />
approved its 2011 budget. It plans to spend HUF 503 billion (EUR<br />
1.84 billion) and run up a deficit of HUF 55 billion (EUR 201.97<br />
million), with scant reserves of HUF 4 billion (14.65 million). The<br />
opposition members either voted against the budget or abstained<br />
been severe critics of what they<br />
see as overly hawkish central<br />
bank policy. Earlier last Monday,<br />
the Monetary Policy Council<br />
voted at a monthly rate-setting<br />
meeting to keep the base rate<br />
on hold at 6 per cent. This came<br />
after three consecutive months<br />
of 25-basis-point raises.<br />
Analysts have noted that more<br />
doveish, pro-Fidesz appointees<br />
could now be appointed to the council, of<br />
Deficit figures out<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
Parliament to appoint 4 out<br />
of 7 central bank rate setters<br />
which central bank governor András<br />
Simor and his two deputies make up the<br />
“internal” members.<br />
Those polled by local media such as<br />
financial news website portfolio.hu generally<br />
think it likely that the bank will immediately<br />
embark on a series of rate cuts.<br />
Simor warned before the vote in parliament<br />
that a perception of any government<br />
encroachment on the independence of<br />
the MNB could lead to an adverse reaction<br />
by the international markets.<br />
Uncertainty as markets await reform<br />
Analysis: Confused atmosphere offers fertile ground for fear, conjecture<br />
Ideological divide in coalition<br />
The economic package seems to be highly<br />
uncertain in itself, but there are other conflicts<br />
within the government and about other possible<br />
fields of structural reform that may hinder the<br />
introduction of the measures mentioned so far.<br />
There is a slow rapprochement regarding education<br />
policy between the ideologically strictly<br />
committed Christian-democratic (KDNP) politicians<br />
and the more pragmatic view of Fidesz. The<br />
smaller coalition partner may also feel effaced<br />
because in preparing the Constitution Fidesz is<br />
attempting to include the opposition as well to<br />
broaden the legitimacy of this epoch-making move.<br />
Opposition outside parliament<br />
However, that means compromises are needed<br />
regarding abortion and the emphasis on traditional<br />
Christian-democratic values. An extraparliamentary<br />
opposition is forming as well to<br />
tackle the effects of the income tax cut that<br />
favoured mostly high-income earners but which<br />
means less income for others. Unions will launch a<br />
loud campaign on this issue, while healthcare<br />
reform is also unsolved and the patience of doctors<br />
is over.<br />
The delay in Orbán’s state-spending reforms<br />
does not mean he will ultimately try to avoid<br />
making the tough but necessary decisions.<br />
However, the atmosphere of uncertainty offers<br />
fertile ground for fear and conjecture, which may<br />
damage Fidesz’s standing in the markets and<br />
consequently, in the long run, among voters. It is<br />
not a question of what to do but rather of when and<br />
how. According to a Hungarian saying (Az ördög a<br />
részletekben rejlik), the devil is hiding in the details.<br />
Hungary ran a budget deficit of HUF 122.8 billion (EUR 448.81 million)<br />
in January, preliminary figures from the economy ministry showed last<br />
Tuesday. Income tax revenue was down almost 20 per cent to HUF<br />
172.2 billion (EUR 629.59 million), mainly due to the abolition of the<br />
upper tax band and introduction of a flat rate of 16 per cent.<br />
Crisis puts a new home<br />
out of reach for many<br />
In 2010, 20,823 new homes received occupancy permits, a 35 per cent<br />
drop on 2009, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) announced last<br />
Wednesday. The number of construction permits declined by an even<br />
steeper 39 per cent to 17,353 for the entire year. The economic crisis thus<br />
had a bigger effect in 2010 than in 2009 when the number of new homes<br />
declined 11 per cent. KSH said the end of the 1990s was the last time<br />
when the number of new dwellings fell to such a low level and the issuing<br />
of new permits is the lowest ever experienced. The slightly more than<br />
20,000 occupancy permits is more than a 50 per cent drop compared to<br />
2004 when more than 44,000 new homes welcomed their occupants.<br />
Magyar Telekom puts brave<br />
face on declines<br />
– Péter Krekó<br />
Although the revenues and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes,<br />
depreciation and amortisation) of Hungary's biggest telecommunications<br />
service provider, Magyar Telekom, were down by 5.3 and 5.5 per cent<br />
respectively, the decline was smaller than expected by the company and<br />
analysts. Retail voice revenues, both fixed and mobile, fell in all three<br />
countries in which the company is present and Hungarian data revenues<br />
dropped as well. The declines were partly offset by growing domestic TV,<br />
mobile internet and IT revenues. "The promising trends can mostly be<br />
observed in the Hungarian residential market," chairman and CEO<br />
Christopher Mattheisen said. "Mobile usage clearly increased in 2010<br />
and churn due to non-payment significantly declined in the last quarters."<br />
Mattheisen said the number of mobile subscribers returned to growth<br />
after a slight drop in 2009. "The stronger-than-expected results are also<br />
driven by the lower than expected impact of government austerity<br />
measures," he said. As indicated earlier, rather than taking one big hit in<br />
2010 the impact would be spread over several years.<br />
07<br />
ECONNOMY//BBUSIINESSS
08<br />
BUSINEESSSS/ECONOOMY<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
In addition to the many well-known problems of a<br />
largely economic nature such as the excessively high state debt<br />
and too-low employment rate, Hungary has serious political problems,<br />
not least the inability and unwillingness of the various camps<br />
to openly debate their differences of opinion in a<br />
civilised manner directly with one another.<br />
Last Wednesday the German<br />
Business Club (DWC) provided the<br />
forum for such a debate. In the framework<br />
of a podium discussion titled<br />
“Quo Vadis Magyarország?”<br />
members of the government and<br />
opposition expressed their thoughts<br />
about the situations and prospects of<br />
their country under more relaxed<br />
circumstances than usual.<br />
The government was represented<br />
by Dr. Zoltán Kovács (Fidesz), state<br />
secretary in the Ministry for Public<br />
Administration and Justice. He was<br />
backed up by media lawyer Márk<br />
Lengyel. Their counterpart was<br />
another Kovács, namely the<br />
Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)<br />
veteran László Kovács, currently<br />
deputy chairman of his party and<br />
formerly party chairman, foreign<br />
minister and EU commissioner, to<br />
name the more important of his many<br />
previous offices.<br />
The evening was moderated by<br />
Professor Dr. Ellen Bos, political<br />
scientist at the <strong>Andrássy</strong> University<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong>. The panel was flanked by<br />
DWC board member Dr. Arne Gobert<br />
(solicitor of the law firm Gobert, Fest<br />
& Partners) and Jan Mainka<br />
(publisher of <strong>Budapest</strong>er Zeitung and<br />
The <strong>Budapest</strong> Times). The session<br />
was opened by DWC president<br />
Manfred Bey, who in his welcoming<br />
speech made no secret of his delight<br />
that the club was providing the stage<br />
for one of the rare meetings between<br />
the government and opposition<br />
outside parliament.<br />
In the discussion lasting just under<br />
two hours the topics of crisis<br />
management, structural reforms,<br />
democracy and media law were<br />
systematically addressed. Below are<br />
extracts from the debate, in which the<br />
opinions of the two leading politicians<br />
naturally took precedence. Since<br />
Zoltán Kovács as representative of<br />
the government was asked for his<br />
views more frequently than László<br />
Kovács, the state secretary features<br />
more heavily in the extracts. First the<br />
opening remarks:<br />
Zoltán Kovács: Nine months ago<br />
there was an unusual result, even for<br />
the Hungarian election system: a<br />
party alliance made up of Fidesz and<br />
the KDNP achieved a two-thirds<br />
majority, allowing it to start working<br />
through the necessary tasks, some<br />
of which have been known for a long<br />
time and result from the experiences<br />
of the past 20 years. (…) Our aims<br />
are incredibly ambitious. Behind<br />
them lies above all the recognition<br />
that our country has somewhere got<br />
off track and lost its way.<br />
In our view Hungary has reached<br />
a crossroads, where we have to<br />
break with a form of politics resting<br />
merely on illusions and empty words.<br />
Instead action and genuine change<br />
must take centre stage. In the past<br />
eight years Hungary forfeited its<br />
leading role in the region and lagged<br />
behind in Europe. It even came to<br />
such regrettable events as 2006,<br />
when the government turned against<br />
its own people. Our government has<br />
taken over the helm with the determination<br />
to press ahead with renewing<br />
the country and perform the tasks<br />
that no government was willing to or<br />
able to carry out in the past 20 years.<br />
We want to create the conditions<br />
for Hungary’s sustainable development,<br />
a development that in every<br />
respect corresponds to the norms<br />
that Hungary has committed itself to,<br />
and to the expectations that Hungary<br />
wishes to live up to as a member of<br />
the EU and numerous other international<br />
organisations.<br />
László Kovács: I certainly agree<br />
with the state secretary on one point,<br />
namely that such encounters are<br />
very useful. (…) If somebody had<br />
asked me at the time of the accession<br />
negotiations how far away<br />
Hungary was from being a member<br />
state capable of fitting in harmonically<br />
with the European community, I<br />
would have said: “We are not far off<br />
now. We are on the threshold.” If I<br />
were asked the same question today<br />
I would say that we have got further<br />
away from that.<br />
(…) It is not possible to deliver a<br />
final verdict about a government that<br />
has only been in power for ten<br />
months. Our serious economic problems<br />
remain unsolved and in some<br />
cases have even deepened. Social<br />
differences have grown significantly.<br />
The gap between the top 10 per cent<br />
and the rest of the population has<br />
expanded. For many the standards of<br />
living have worsened. Democracy<br />
and constitutionality have suffered<br />
serious damage. Hungary’s international<br />
position has been somewhat<br />
shaken, which I find particularly<br />
painful as a former foreign minister.<br />
Let’s trust that Hungary will find its<br />
way back to the right path. The<br />
current path is certainly not the right<br />
path to meet the interests of the great<br />
majority of the Hungarian people. In<br />
terms of the previous eight years,<br />
Fidesz would not have won such a<br />
clear victory if our eight years had<br />
been irreproachable. It is certainly the<br />
case that the reforms intended by the<br />
previous governments were<br />
announced but not implemented.<br />
That was also due to the strong resistance<br />
of the then opposition.<br />
The second reason is the international<br />
financial and economic crisis,<br />
which even affected the strongest<br />
countries. Between the government<br />
and the opposition there was dissent<br />
regarding how the country could be<br />
helped. The then opposition claimed<br />
that the answer was not reducing<br />
spending but tax cuts and<br />
programmes to boost the economy.<br />
In my opinion that path would have<br />
been suicidal. It gives me a certain<br />
belated satisfaction to see that even<br />
the current government cannot avoid<br />
taking the path that we set out on of<br />
reducing spending.<br />
(…) I cannot accept the accusation<br />
that the government turned<br />
against its own people in 2006. It<br />
turned not against its own people but<br />
against demonstrators who were not<br />
protesting with peaceful aims. During<br />
my time in Brussels I experienced<br />
many such clashes between the<br />
police of the democratic Belgium and<br />
certain demonstrators.<br />
Arne Gobert: The big picture that<br />
Hungary presents to many investors<br />
provides grounds for a certain degree<br />
of uncertainty. In some cases it is so<br />
strong that it overshadows the good<br />
news. If you attend international<br />
investor conferences on Hungary<br />
abroad today, then the main questions<br />
asked are not about how high<br />
the company tax is or what investment<br />
incentives are available but<br />
about legal security and constitutionality.<br />
I think that if such questions are<br />
at the top of the agenda regarding a<br />
country that is a member of the EU,<br />
then there is a small problem somewhere<br />
in terms of how the country<br />
presents itself to the outside world.<br />
Two questions occur to me: is the<br />
uncertainty justified and what can be<br />
done about it? I think it’s important for<br />
all of us for Hungary to remain an<br />
attractive investment location where<br />
investors are happy to come and for<br />
them to invest here rather than in the<br />
neighbouring countries. (…) I think<br />
we are all agreed that action needs to<br />
be taken if the state budget is in a<br />
precarious situation. The question is,<br />
however, how these measures are<br />
approached. For example, levying<br />
taxes with retrospective effect can<br />
seriously damage Hungary’s image<br />
and prevent more investments from<br />
coming to Hungary.<br />
Ellen Bos: Are the government’s<br />
measures against the economic<br />
crisis effective?<br />
Zoltán Kovács: In May 2010 the<br />
new government took over control of<br />
the Hungarian economy in a seemingly<br />
orderly state. However, it soon<br />
emerged that the last year’s budget<br />
could not be kept.That is why we had<br />
to resort to drastic measures. (…)<br />
The crisis caught Hungary in 2008 in<br />
a very vulnerable state. For that<br />
reason its effects were much more<br />
severe than they would have been<br />
otherwise.<br />
The crisis not only showed that the<br />
economy is ailing but also highlighted<br />
the presence of many unsustainable<br />
structures. It demonstrated that not<br />
only are there serious problems<br />
within the economy but that the legal<br />
and social circumstances also need<br />
no crisis<br />
of democracy<br />
“There is in Hungary”<br />
Crisis management, structural reforms, democracy and<br />
the media law were addressed at the DWC’s podium<br />
discussion “Quo Vadis Magyarország?” From left: DWC<br />
board member Dr. Arne Gobert (solicitor of the law firm<br />
to be improved. I see the institutionalisation<br />
of corruption as a particular<br />
problem. In any case the circumstances<br />
that we discovered required<br />
and justified the steps that we have<br />
taken so far. The measures that we<br />
have introduced in the past nine<br />
months prevented the budget deficit<br />
from climbing to over seven per cent.<br />
We need more legal security<br />
again. In terms of legal practice, I<br />
think a revision of the legal system is<br />
definitely necessary. In that context I<br />
believe that a new Constitution needs<br />
to be developed. (…) Incidentally, I<br />
don’t find it normal at all for the police<br />
to shoot at peaceful demonstrators,<br />
as independent experts have also<br />
confirmed. Such a thing must not<br />
happen in a democratic country.<br />
László Kovács: At the beginning<br />
of September leading representatives<br />
of the government described<br />
Hungary as one of the world’s most<br />
stable economies. Allegedly there<br />
was order in the economy. Then<br />
suddenly there was talk of the deficit<br />
spiralling to over seven per cent. (…)<br />
A few weeks after the election Prime<br />
Minister Viktor Orbán boasted that<br />
Hungary was the record holder within<br />
the EU in terms of budget deficit<br />
reduction. I am happy to agree with<br />
that but it was the achievement of the<br />
Bajnai government.<br />
(…) Now it looks as though it has<br />
been possible to rescue the budget in<br />
the short term through measures like<br />
levying special taxes and expropriating<br />
private pension monies. My<br />
concern, however, is that the<br />
European Commission will express<br />
doubts about the sustainability of the<br />
convergence programme that the<br />
Hungarian government is to submit<br />
shortly. If structural reforms are not<br />
carried out, then all the measures<br />
taken will have achieved only temporary<br />
successes.<br />
Zoltán Kovács: The pension<br />
funds in question were not genuine<br />
private pension funds. The genuine<br />
private pension funds will not be<br />
touched by anyone in Hungary. We<br />
respect them and support their existence.<br />
The system of individual<br />
savings is an important pillar of the<br />
Hungarian pension system. The<br />
mandatory private pension funds are<br />
the problem.<br />
It has been shown that this system<br />
does not work well in Hungary. It took<br />
significant funds away from the first<br />
pillar of the pension system, i.e. the<br />
state pillar. This is a step that should<br />
have been taken a long time ago. We<br />
will use the resulting revenues to<br />
reduce the state debt, rather than<br />
speculate them away.<br />
László Kovács: The pillar of the<br />
pension system that is criticised<br />
relates to people taking responsibility<br />
in advance for their lives after retirement.<br />
As I recall Fidesz agreed with<br />
creating that pillar of the pension<br />
system at the time. Not long ago<br />
Viktor Orbán even remarked that the<br />
issue of the pension system is solved<br />
for the next 30 years, and said that it<br />
“What we are currently experiencing is not a tax<br />
reform. It is a redistribution of taxes. It does not<br />
even involve substantial tax cuts despite the earlier<br />
promises of the government. Only those citizens<br />
with a gross income of over around HUF 300,000<br />
are enjoying tax cuts. For those people with<br />
monthly income lower than that amount the<br />
changes lead to a reduction in their take-home<br />
pay. From a social point of view that is hardly fair.”<br />
– László Kovács, former EC Tax Commissioner<br />
Gobert, Fest & Partners), Hungarian Socialist Party<br />
(MSZP) veteran László Kovács, Dr. Ellen Bos, political<br />
rests on three solid pillars and should<br />
not be interfered with.<br />
In the meantime there has been a<br />
change of opinion simply because<br />
the money was needed. It would<br />
have been a more elegant and more<br />
consistent solution for the money<br />
from the half-state pillar to have been<br />
reallocated not to the state pension<br />
scheme but to the voluntary pension<br />
pillar. The monies have been taken<br />
away and it is only later that we will<br />
see what they will really be used for.<br />
Currently it looks as though the funds<br />
are being used to cover current<br />
expenditure and only in small part to<br />
reduce the state debt.<br />
Ellen Bos: What is the situation<br />
regarding structural reforms?<br />
Zoltán Kovács: I am not very fond<br />
of the word “reform”. I prefer to speak<br />
about paradigm change. We have a<br />
different approach from that of the<br />
previous government in this respect.<br />
What is decisive is not how much<br />
money can be saved in an individual<br />
case but for systems to emerge that<br />
function in a more rational, economical<br />
and efficient way. If cost savings<br />
result by way of those steps, then so<br />
much the better.<br />
In our view Hungary’s renewal<br />
means that all welfare systems must<br />
be self-sustaining and economical in<br />
their use of tax money. They should<br />
also live up to expectations at the<br />
beginning of the 21st century. (…)<br />
When we speak about paradigm<br />
change, it needs to be appreciated<br />
that it is not only a question of<br />
Hungary. (…) 2008 was a serious<br />
warning sign for the EU. It is very<br />
likely that it is no longer possible to<br />
carry on just as before.<br />
Big shifts and reorganisations are<br />
taking place in the world economy.<br />
Europe is not in a good position. The<br />
steps that Hungary is taking, partly<br />
as a member of the EU and partly as<br />
a Central European country affected<br />
by the crisis, should be seen in an<br />
international context as well as a<br />
national context.When the crisis hit in<br />
2008 Hungary had few possibilities to<br />
take any other path than that taken.<br />
For a country with state debt of<br />
over 80 per cent and the lowest<br />
employment rate after Malta the<br />
classic recipes for recovery are not<br />
applicable. That’s why the government<br />
is trying to bring Hungary out of<br />
the current precarious situation by<br />
creating jobs and reducing state<br />
debt. The details of the steps taken<br />
can be criticised but the past years<br />
have proven that the classic solutions<br />
don’t work.<br />
László Kovács: What we are<br />
currently experiencing is not a tax<br />
reform. It is a redistribution of taxes. It<br />
does not even involve substantial tax<br />
cuts despite the earlier promises of<br />
the government. Only those citizens<br />
with a gross income of over around<br />
HUF 300,000 are enjoying tax cuts.<br />
For those people with monthly<br />
scientist at the <strong>Andrássy</strong> University, Dr. Zoltán Kovács<br />
(Fidesz), state secretary in the Ministry for Public<br />
income lower than that amount the<br />
changes lead to a reduction in their<br />
take-home pay. From a social point of<br />
view that is hardly fair.<br />
(…) In terms of self-sustaining<br />
distribution systems I am pleased to<br />
hear the plans of the government. In<br />
its time the Gyurcsány government<br />
wanted the same thing. The introduction<br />
of the visit fee and daily hospital<br />
fee were intended to be a very<br />
modest step towards creating a selfsustaining<br />
health system. At that time<br />
Fidesz used a referendum to thwart<br />
those intentions. Education was also<br />
to be put on a healthier financial<br />
footing through the introduction of<br />
tuition fees. That was also foiled by<br />
the referendum.<br />
I would be happy if the government<br />
would take steps in that direction,<br />
regardless of whether we<br />
describe it as a reform or as creating<br />
a new order. (…) The release of the<br />
structural reforms seems to keep<br />
being delayed. The fact that we as<br />
the opposition are impatiently waiting<br />
for their publication is the least of the<br />
problems. More important is that<br />
investors and international financial<br />
circles are also being kept waiting. I<br />
hope their patience will continue.<br />
Zoltán Kovács: When Mr Kovács<br />
says that it is not a tax reform I must<br />
beg to differ. It is the beginning of a<br />
tax reform, a tax revolution even,<br />
which we hope in the medium term<br />
will make Hungary one of the most<br />
competitive countries in Central<br />
Europe, in terms of both tax levels<br />
and the administrative burdens on<br />
companies. Or to be more precise,<br />
we hope that it will make Hungary<br />
once again one of the most competitive<br />
countries.<br />
At the time of the millennium<br />
under the first Orbán government we<br />
had already reached that stage.<br />
Undoing the effects of the past eight<br />
years will not be easy. Mr Kovács<br />
spoke about what his government<br />
wanted to achieve. In our case we do<br />
not just have wishes, we have actually<br />
begun putting our wishes into<br />
practice. In the past ten months we<br />
have brought more than 170 amendments<br />
through parliament.<br />
Admittedly those big changes could<br />
not be carried out without hurting<br />
some people’s interests.<br />
(…) I would not say that foreign<br />
firms have been discriminated<br />
against. In levying the special taxes<br />
our main focus was that those<br />
sectors that in the past years profited<br />
greatly from Hungary’s advantages<br />
should contribute to the costs of<br />
reviving the economy.<br />
Ellen Bos: Does Hungary need a<br />
new Constitution?<br />
Zoltán Kovács: There is no crisis<br />
of democracy in Hungary. In the past<br />
two months there have been enormous<br />
efforts to prove that there is<br />
such a crisis. However, our government<br />
does not need to be taught<br />
about democracy by advisers that<br />
were partly involved in the old<br />
system. Hungary had a gentle<br />
change of regime but it left numerous<br />
problems open that are still waiting<br />
for a solution today.<br />
Lengthy processes cannot be<br />
skipped over. If we speak of Hungary<br />
having a democracy deficit, then that<br />
has less to do with current measures<br />
than with the structure that still shows<br />
the after-marks of 40 years of<br />
communism. Hungary needs to get<br />
over that legacy with its own strength.<br />
That is why we need a new<br />
Constitution.<br />
Arne Gobert: I am reluctant to<br />
express an opinion on the question of<br />
the Constitution. It is for the<br />
Hungarians to decide what their attitude<br />
to history is and what they would<br />
like to express with a new<br />
Constitution. Enacting a new<br />
Constitution can sometimes be very<br />
important for the self-concept of a<br />
country. The key issue is how that<br />
framework is used. (…) A constitutional<br />
court is part of the separation<br />
of powers. It is an abstract and<br />
concrete judicial review. In my view it<br />
is an expression of democracy. The<br />
courts with the constitutional court at<br />
the top as part of the separation of<br />
powers are the most important<br />
element in terms of legal security.<br />
László Kovács: When we gained<br />
72 per cent of mandates in the 1994<br />
general elections we did not want it to<br />
be possible to amend the<br />
Constitution with a two-thirds<br />
majority. Instead we wanted there to<br />
be a requirement for at least a fourfifths<br />
majority. We limited our own<br />
powers. (…) Today Hungary is<br />
heading in the direction of a de facto<br />
one-party system.<br />
Ellen Bos: Will consensus be<br />
sought beyond the Fidesz camp in<br />
the processes of coming up with a<br />
new Constitution?<br />
Zoltán Kovács: First, the MSZP<br />
wanted to change the Constitution in<br />
1994 not least because the<br />
Constitution, which was amended at<br />
the change of regime and was in<br />
force then and still is today, was<br />
thought of as a provisional<br />
Constitution. That fact is studiously<br />
overlooked by the Socialists today.<br />
(…) But it is still an amended version<br />
of Constitution that is Stalinist at core.<br />
For symbolic reasons alone it is<br />
therefore high time to change it.<br />
(…) As I recall the reason why the<br />
Constitution was not changed in<br />
1994 was not because of the government<br />
wishing to limit its powers but<br />
because of problems with the coalition<br />
partner. The idea of a new<br />
Constitution was also on the agenda<br />
in 2002 at the beginning of the<br />
Medgyessy government’s term but<br />
the necessary two-thirds majority<br />
was lacking then. (…) Aside from the<br />
symbolic aspects, there are also<br />
Administration and Justice, media lawyer Márk Lengyel<br />
and Jan Mainka, publisher of The <strong>Budapest</strong> Times.<br />
numerous other reasons for a<br />
forward-looking government to<br />
change the Constitution.<br />
(…) I would like to emphasise<br />
three things with regard to the new<br />
Constitution. First, the Constitution<br />
will be based firmly on European<br />
values and will respect the Charter of<br />
Fundamental Rights of the European<br />
Union. Second, there will not be any<br />
major institutional changes. The institutions<br />
that were created in the<br />
framework of a democratic Hungary<br />
will be respected. Third, a passage of<br />
the new Constitution will prevent<br />
BZT/Aaron Taylor (3)<br />
Hungary from again becoming so<br />
indebted that it is on the brink of<br />
collapse.<br />
Ellen Bos: Will a referendum be<br />
held with the aim of giving the new<br />
Constitution greater legitimacy?<br />
Zoltán Kovács: Like the whole<br />
process of creating the Constitution<br />
the question of a referendum is still<br />
open. The government is part of the<br />
process only in a technical sense.We<br />
will provide all the political forces with<br />
any help that could be expected of a<br />
government in such a situation. The<br />
amendment of the Constitution is the<br />
task of the members of parliament.<br />
My private opinion – I am not an<br />
MP – on the question of holding a<br />
referendum is as follows: the amendment<br />
of the Constitution is too<br />
complex an issue for a referendum,<br />
where effectively people can only<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
“For a country with state debt of over 80 per cent and<br />
the lowest employment rate after Malta the classic<br />
recipes for recovery are not applicable. That’s why<br />
the government is trying to bring Hungary out of the<br />
current precarious situation by creating jobs and<br />
reducing state debt. The details of the steps taken<br />
can be criticised but the past years have proven that<br />
the classic solutions don’t work.”<br />
– Dr. Zoltán Kovács, state secretary in the<br />
Ministry for Public Administration and Justice<br />
answer yes or no. I would prefer to<br />
leave the decision to parliament. (…)<br />
Incidentally I don’t take the view that<br />
four-fifths or even stronger support<br />
should be made necessary to amend<br />
a Constitution.<br />
The power relations that exist in<br />
parliament today did not arise by<br />
chance. They are the expression of<br />
what the voters want.The power relations<br />
are not such that there need to<br />
be fears of a one-party system reemerging.<br />
Voter favour can change<br />
and lead to a completely different<br />
balance of power in the next general<br />
elections. The governing parties<br />
know that the current two-thirds<br />
majority is not only an opportunity but<br />
also a huge responsibility. The negative<br />
consequences will have to be<br />
faced if they don’t live up to that<br />
responsibility.<br />
ON <strong>THE</strong> WAY<br />
TO MACAU...<br />
– Jan Mainka<br />
The second round of Global Management Challenge Hungary 2010 is over and eight<br />
teams have battled through to the National Final which will take place on March<br />
22nd.<br />
The eight teams come from <strong>Budapest</strong>, Miskolc and Szeged, with one team being<br />
made up of Hungarians studying in Vienna. The finalist teams are partnered by BP<br />
EBSC (4), Ernst & Young (3) and UniCredit Bank (1).<br />
Prior to the National Final, the teams will make a presentation to a GMC Panel Of<br />
Experts, in order to demonstrate their teamwork and presentation skills and, hopefully,<br />
to impress the panel with their vision and ambition. The Panel is chaired by<br />
Gábor Bojár, founder of Graphisoft and the Aquincum Institute of Technology, and<br />
representatives from Ernst & Young, Philip Morris Hungary, BP Business Service<br />
Centre, Sanoma <strong>Budapest</strong> and UniCredit Bank.<br />
The winners of the Hungarian Global Management Challenge (GMC) will travel to<br />
Macau in April and test their skills with teams from 30 countries around the world.<br />
GMC is the biggest online business skills competition in the world, linking business<br />
and academia by offering a practical and interactive method of communicating with<br />
the student world.<br />
For information about how to participate or how your organisation can be involved<br />
in GMC, please email the GMC Project Manager at info@gmchungary.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>ER ZEITUNG<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
09<br />
BUSINESS/ECONOMY
10<br />
CUULLTTUURREE<br />
CAR RENTAL<br />
PRESS<br />
MOVING<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
BÉNÉDICTE WILLIAMS<br />
T<br />
REAL ESTATE<br />
Apartment with panoramic<br />
views to Danube to let! 87 sqm,<br />
furnished, newly renovated, 400<br />
EUR+low utility costs.<br />
www.budapestnet.de SK0509<br />
Out with the cold, in with the bold<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong> Spring Festival ratcheted up in honour of Hungary’s EU Presidency<br />
he by-now traditional<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong> Spring Festival will<br />
take place from 18 March to 3<br />
April with close to a hundred music,<br />
theatre, dance and exhibition events<br />
awaiting visitors.<br />
Long Liszt<br />
Franz Liszt will be impossible to<br />
miss this year, the 200th anniversary<br />
of his birth, with at least one related<br />
programme per day, says Zsófia<br />
Zimányi, artistic director of the<br />
festival.<br />
Of note<br />
A new opera commissioned by the<br />
festival, Gyula Fekete's Excelsior!, will<br />
be premiered at the Thalia Theatre<br />
on the opening day. Mixing historical<br />
facts with fantastic elements, it is a<br />
work on an intense and tormented<br />
period in Liszt's life.<br />
Other anniversary dates promise<br />
to make this year's festival special.<br />
Béla Bartók, whose 130th birth<br />
anniversary is celebrated on 25<br />
March, will also feature prominently,<br />
with a performance of his<br />
First Orchestral Suite by the National<br />
Philharmonic Orchestra. On the<br />
folk music front, prominent artists<br />
such as Márta Sebestyén, Ferenc<br />
Sebõ and the ensembles<br />
TUTORING<br />
The European Union Youth Orchestra performs at the Palace of Arts, Béla Bartók National Concert Hall on 3 April at 7.30pm.<br />
Muzsikás and Csík Zenekar will<br />
mark the 30th anniversary of the<br />
Dance House movement that<br />
sparked the rebirth of folk music.<br />
The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble<br />
will concomitantly celebrate its 60th<br />
year with a special festival<br />
programme.<br />
FLUTE LESSONS. Be creative<br />
and learn classical, jazz or<br />
ancient music from Prof. Mate<br />
Palhegyi. Beginner, advanced<br />
and university level classes.<br />
www.flute.hu<br />
mate@flute.hu<br />
<strong>THE</strong> ENGLISH MAN: Native<br />
English journalist/broadcaster<br />
giving conversational and<br />
grammar lessons. Proof-reading<br />
also.<br />
Tel:+36 30/ 507 6077<br />
DANCE CLASSES<br />
BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT<br />
TO BEAUTIFUL MUSIC,<br />
THAT’S DANCE.<br />
Learn Latin-American,<br />
ballroom and many other<br />
dances with a young<br />
professional dance teacher.<br />
Private lessons just as in<br />
Saturday Night Fever.<br />
Try it for free!<br />
Tel.:+36/70-2-77-77-11<br />
KP01520099<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
EU Presidency angle<br />
On the occasion of the Hungarian<br />
Presidency of the EU, the festival is<br />
making a slight change to its tradition<br />
of hosting a different country, region<br />
or city each year.<br />
The 2011 edition will be dedicated<br />
March<br />
NAWA<br />
General Meeting<br />
When: March 25th, 2011, 10am to Noon<br />
Where: Franciscan House (Kájoni János Ferences Ház)<br />
II. Szilfa utca 4<br />
(see www.nawabudapest.com for directions)<br />
Price: Free for members; 2,000 HUF for<br />
non-members (which goes towards<br />
NAWA's charities).<br />
Easter falls late this year…and we'll be<br />
prepared! Join us to learn how the<br />
gorgeous and colorful Hungarian Easter<br />
eggs are created. Egg artist Edit Rózsa<br />
(and her mother) will be with us once again<br />
to demonstrate two traditional egg decorating<br />
techniques: the batik style and<br />
karcolas (which is scratching designs onto<br />
the eggs). Pay close attention, because<br />
every member (and guest) will get two<br />
eggs to decorate for themselves!<br />
They will also be selling their egg decorating<br />
kits and their own beautiful eggs. As<br />
usual, there will also be time to catch up<br />
with NAWA friends (and make new ones!),<br />
shop with our vendors, grab a bite to eat,<br />
and win great raffle prizes! Pagony Kert will<br />
be generously supplying us with snacks.<br />
Guests are welcome!<br />
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS English<br />
Speaking group meets 3X per week in<br />
central <strong>Budapest</strong> location (21st year).<br />
For information: 06 30 576 0977.<br />
TRANSLATION SERVICE<br />
to EU member countries, with a<br />
number of international co-operations<br />
bringing in an impressive cast from the<br />
world art scene. Mischa Maisky, a<br />
Latvian-born Belgian cellist, will<br />
perform with the Prague Chamber<br />
Orchestra, and German-Japanese<br />
pianist Alice Sara Ott with the Wiener<br />
NIGHT CLUB<br />
NIGHT CLUB<br />
www.mamboclub.hu<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong>, I. Hegyalja út 2.<br />
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING<br />
Text only: 30 Ft/character,<br />
50Ft/chtr. – both papers<br />
Advert with picture:<br />
4,000 Ft / column cm<br />
50 x 92 mm<br />
English OR<br />
German<br />
English AND<br />
German<br />
50 x 42 mm<br />
English OR<br />
German<br />
English AND<br />
German<br />
40,000 Ft<br />
60,000 Ft<br />
20,000 Ft<br />
30,000 Ft<br />
To advertise in<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
call 453-0752<br />
HEALTH<br />
CHURCH<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
Symphonic Orchestra under Ádám<br />
Fischer. The European Union Youth<br />
Orchestra, the Maggio Musicale<br />
Fiorentino conducted by Zubin Mehta,<br />
guitar player Pepe Romero and the<br />
Antonio Gades Dance Co. will also<br />
appear on the festival's various stages.<br />
Theatre festival<br />
The International Theatre Festival,<br />
launched two years ago as part of<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong> Spring Festival, will feature<br />
performances of Macbeth by the<br />
London company Cheek by Jowl,<br />
Ferenc Molnár's Liliom by the<br />
Schauspielhaus Graz and Ingmar<br />
Bergman's Persona by the Slovenian<br />
Mini Theatre, among other performances.<br />
Usually sells out<br />
Macbeth, a<br />
guest performance<br />
by Cheek<br />
by Jowl, is at<br />
the National<br />
Theatre’s Main<br />
Stage on 22<br />
March at 7pm.<br />
With 150,000 tickets sold last year,<br />
one third of them to tourists, the event<br />
is usually a sell-out and it is wise to buy<br />
well in advance. Information on ticket<br />
prices and venues can be found at<br />
www.btf.hu (in English).<br />
The International Baptist<br />
Church of <strong>Budapest</strong> is an<br />
interdenominational<br />
church. All are welcome<br />
to join us for coffee before<br />
worship at 10am.<br />
www.ibcbudapest.info<br />
06-30-641-5001<br />
Services every Sunday at 10:30am<br />
at 1025 Bp. Törökvész út 48/54
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
Monday, 28 February<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
ÓBUDAI TÁRSASKÖR at 7pm: Nándor Götz<br />
(saxophone) and his students with the<br />
Weiner Saxophone Ensemble and Saito<br />
Misako (piano) will perform Rossini’s The<br />
Barber of Seville. Venue: District III,<br />
Kiskorona utca 7. Tel. (06-1) 250-0288.<br />
www.obudaitarsaskor.hu<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL<br />
at 7.30pm: Second of two concerts in which<br />
organist Xaver Varnus performs works by<br />
Mozart. Venue: District IX, Komor Marcell<br />
utca 1. Tel. (06-1) 555-3300. www.mupa.hu<br />
HUBAY MUSIC ROOM (HOTEL VIKTORIA) at<br />
7.30pm: Pál Éder, Ágnes Beke (violin),<br />
Ágota Temesváry (viola), Eszter Baráti<br />
(cello) and Géza Bánhegyi (clarinet) will<br />
perform Schubert’s Quarttetsatz in C minor,<br />
Mozat’s Clarinet Quintet in A major and<br />
Schubert’s String Quartet in D minor “Der<br />
Tod und das Mädchen”. Venue: District I,<br />
Bem rakpart 11. Tel. (06-1) 457-8088.<br />
www.hubayzeneterem.hu<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
PALACE OF ARTS FESTIVAL <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at<br />
8pm: Haitian singer David Mettelus “Ti<br />
Coca” and his band Wanga-Nègès. Venue:<br />
District IX, Komor Marcell utca 1. Tel. (06-1)<br />
555-3300. www.mupa.hu<br />
OLD MAN’S MUSIC PUB at 9pm: Ferenczi<br />
György és a Rackajam (blues). Venue:<br />
District VII, Akácfa utca13. Tel. (06-1) 322-<br />
7645. www.oldmans.hu<br />
INSTANT at 9.30pm: Egy Kiss Erzsi Zene,<br />
followed by Various Tilos DJ selection at<br />
11pm. Venue: District VI, Nagymezõ utca<br />
38.<br />
Tuesday, 1 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
HÁLÓ at 7pm: Eszter Krulik, Angéla Bálint<br />
(violin), Péter Tornyai (viola), Balázs Kántor<br />
(cello) will perform works by Bartók. Venue:<br />
District V, Ferenciek tere 7-3, stairwell 3.<br />
www.halo.hu<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Venue: District VI,<br />
<strong>Andrássy</strong> út 22. Tel. (06-1) 353-0170. Box<br />
office open Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-show<br />
time. (When there are no shows, open 11<br />
am – 5 pm). www.opera.hu<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: The MÁV Symphony Orchestra with<br />
Zoltán Gyöngyössy (flute) conducted by<br />
Gergely Kesselyák will perform Iván<br />
Madarász’s Flute Concerto No. 2 and<br />
Mahler’s Symphony No.5. Details: Monday, 28<br />
February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: Faun<br />
performed by the Éva Duda Company (for<br />
ages 16 and over). Venue: District I, Színház<br />
utca 1-3 in the Várszínház building. Tel. (06-1)<br />
201-4407 www.nemzetitancszinhaz.hu<br />
PALACE OF ARTS at 7pm: Zorba – ballet in<br />
two acts composed by Mikis Theodorakis and<br />
choreographed by Gábor Keveházi. Venue:<br />
District IX, Komor Marcell utca 1. Tel. (06-1)<br />
555-3300. www.mupa.hu<br />
SZIMPLA KERT at 9pm: Lounge Night DJ Set.<br />
Venue: District VII, Kazinczy utca 14. Tel. (06-<br />
1) 352-4198. www.szimpla.hu<br />
Wednesday, 2 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
The Kamarazovs – ballet set to the music of<br />
Rachmaninov, Mogyest Mussorgsky, Wagner<br />
and Russian Gipsy music and choreographed<br />
by Boris Eifman. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: The Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra<br />
with Gautier Capucon (cello) will perform<br />
Shostakovich’s Chamber symphony, Op. 110,<br />
Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a rococo theme,<br />
Op. 33 and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for<br />
strings in C major, Op. 48. Details: Monday, 28<br />
February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: Essence<br />
performed by ExperiDance – Sándor Román<br />
Company. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
A38 SHIP at 8pm: <strong>Budapest</strong> Bár. Hungarian<br />
chansons from the ‘30s and ‘40s revived by<br />
the Gypsy band of Róbert Farkas. Venue:<br />
Ship moored on Buda side of Petõfi Bridge.<br />
Tel. (06-1) 464-3940. www.a38.hu<br />
SZIMPLA KÁVÉZÓ at 9pm: Jazz pianist Dezsõ<br />
Oláh. Venue: District VII, Kertész utca 48.<br />
www.szimpla.hu<br />
Thursday, 3 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
HUNGARIAN RADIO MARBLE ROOM at 6pm:<br />
The Egri & Pertis Duo (Mónika Egri and Attila<br />
Pertis (piano)) will perform works by Liszt.<br />
Venue: District VIII, Pollack M tér 8. Tel. (06-1)<br />
328-8388<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
The Kamarazovs – ballet set to the music of<br />
Rachmaninov, Mogyest Mussorgsky, Wagner<br />
and Russian Gipsy music and choreographed<br />
by Boris Eifman. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: The Hungarian National<br />
Philharmonic Orchestra with Kristóf Baráti<br />
(violin) conducted by Alexandr Vedernikov will<br />
perform Liadov’s Nenie, Op. 67, Glazunov’s<br />
Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82 and<br />
Scriabin’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op.<br />
43. Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 10.30am and<br />
3pm: Peter and the Wolf performed by the<br />
Compagnie Yvette Bozsik. Details: Tuesday, 1<br />
March<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> JAZZ CLUB at 9pm: Panchan –<br />
Édenkelet album release concert. Venue:<br />
District VIII, Múzeum utca 7. Tel. (06-1) 267-<br />
2610 (5pm to 11pm on concert days), (06-70)<br />
413-9837 (10am-3pm on weekdays).<br />
www.bjc.hu<br />
Friday, 4 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE at 6pm:<br />
Márta Ábrahám (violin), Péter Bársony (viola)<br />
and Ditta Rohmann (cello) will perform string<br />
trios by Beethoven. Venue: District II, Csalán<br />
utca 29. Tel. (06-1) 394-2100. www.bartokmuseum.hu<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
Puccini’s La Bohéme. Details: Tuesday, 1<br />
March<br />
ÓBUDAI TÁRSASKÖR at 7pm: Concert to raise<br />
money to renovate the organ of the Sárospatak<br />
Basilica. The Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra<br />
will perform Tchaikovsky’s String serenade in<br />
C major, Op. 48, Shostakovich’s Chamber<br />
symphony, Op. 110 and Liszt’s Hungarian<br />
Rhapsody No. 2 transcribed by Wolf. Details:<br />
Monday, 28 February<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: The Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra<br />
of Pécs with Ildikó Komlósi (voice) conducted<br />
by Tibor Bogányi will perform Webern’s<br />
Passacaglia No.1, Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder<br />
and Dohnányi’s Symphony No. 2 in E major,<br />
Op. 40. Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM at 7.30pm:<br />
The Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra<br />
conducted by Stephen D’Agostino will perform<br />
Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony, Op. 25,<br />
Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll and Bartók’s Suite No.<br />
2, Op. 4. Venue: Múzeum körút 14-16. Tel. (06-<br />
1) 318-6599. www.hnm.hu<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: Carnival<br />
performed by the Central Europe Dance<br />
Theatre (Performance followed by fancy dress<br />
party.) Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
PALACE OF ARTS FESTIVAL <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm:<br />
Premiere of Dózsa, dance chronicle about the<br />
deeds of György Dózsa performed by the<br />
Honvéd Dance Theatre. Details: Monday, 28<br />
February<br />
A38 SHIP at 8pm: Jazz/electronic band Bin-Jip<br />
celebrates its first birthday, supported by<br />
Czech band Lesni Zver. Details: Wednesday, 2<br />
March<br />
Saturday, 5 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
OLD MUSIC ACADEMY at 11am: Ksenia<br />
Nosikova (piano) will perform works by Clara<br />
Schumann, Schumann and Meyerbeer-Liszt.<br />
Venue: District VI, Vörösmarty utca 35. Tel. (06-<br />
1) 322-9804<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: Concerto <strong>Budapest</strong> with Miklós<br />
Perényi (cello) conducted by András Keller will<br />
perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter<br />
Festival Overture, Op. 36, Shostakovich’s Cello<br />
concerto No. 2, Op. 126 and Tchaikovsky’s<br />
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64. Details:<br />
Monday, 28 February<br />
HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES GREAT<br />
HALL at 7.30pm: Katalin Szutrély, Péter<br />
Bárány, László Kálmán, Dávid Csizmár (voice),<br />
the Purcell Choir and the Orfeo Orchestra<br />
conducted by György Vashegyi will perform<br />
Bach’s Was willst du dich betrüben, Was frag<br />
Ich nach der Welt, Nimm von uns Herr, du<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
Drummer’s versatility difficult to beat<br />
E<br />
Brian Blade<br />
at the Palace<br />
of Arts<br />
xceptional American jazz<br />
drummer and composer<br />
Brian Blade will perform at<br />
the Palace of Arts on Sunday, 6<br />
March. Blade is the very opposite of<br />
all the clichés about drummers. His<br />
latest production Mama Rosa is intimate<br />
and subtly crafted. He not only<br />
plays drums but also sings and plays<br />
acoustic guitar. Backing will be<br />
provided by his Fellowship Band (Jon<br />
Cowherd, Chris Thomas and Kurt<br />
Rosenwinkel).<br />
Notable contributions<br />
Blade began his career in New<br />
Orleans and has played with stars of<br />
the jazz world including Kenny<br />
Garett, Joshua Redman and Brad<br />
Mehldau as well as world music notables<br />
such as Norah Jones, Bill Frisell,<br />
Seal and Bob Dylan. He has<br />
contributed to several Grammywinning<br />
albums and is a member of<br />
the Wayne Shorter Quartet.<br />
Bin-Jip Friday<br />
Mama Rosa marks a new direction<br />
for Blade. The album is named after<br />
his grandmother and the lyrics bring<br />
to life the story of his whole family.<br />
Love, acceptance, faith, memories<br />
and home all form part of the subject<br />
A38 SHIP at 8pm on Friday, 4 March: Jazz/electronic band Bin-Jip celebrates its first birthday,<br />
supported by Czech band Lesni Zver. Venue: Ship moored on Buda side of Petõfi Bridge. Tel. (06-<br />
1) 464-3940. www.a38.hu<br />
material. Stylistically it is a move<br />
towards folk music with a mixture of<br />
pop and jazz elements. Blade’s<br />
gentle, melodic singing is in the foreground,<br />
while the drums are less<br />
prominent.<br />
Album not jazzed up<br />
Hardcore jazz fans might miss<br />
his spectacular, colourful jazz<br />
improvisations. His voice remains<br />
in mid-scale and it is noticeable<br />
that he is not a singer.<br />
However, the lack of jazz improvisations<br />
is clearly deliberate.<br />
Blade has avoided the duels<br />
between instruments, variations on<br />
themes and atmospheric instrumental<br />
passages that are characteristic<br />
of jazz. The songs are instead<br />
almost spartan in style.<br />
Nevertheless, or precisely for that<br />
reason, the album is very<br />
convincing.<br />
Anyone whose favourites include<br />
Bob Dylan or Jack Johnson will<br />
surely enjoy the concert.<br />
The ticket<br />
treuer Gott and Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes<br />
Gut. Venue: District V, Roosevelt tér 9.<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: The Black<br />
Mill performed by the Company Dezsõ Fitos.<br />
(Performance followed by carnival dance workshop.)<br />
Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
ÓBUDAI TÁRSASKÖR at 7pm: Róbert Rátonyi<br />
Kr. (piano), Gyula Csepregi (saxophone),<br />
Ferenc Gayer (double bass) and György<br />
Jeszenszky (percussion) will perform jazz<br />
adaptations of popular songs by Rezsõ Seress<br />
and other Hungarian composers of the 1920s<br />
and 1930s. Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
A38 SHIP at 8pm: Steve Lukather Band.<br />
Details: Wednesday, 2 March<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> CONGRESS CENTRE at 8pm:<br />
Ghymes album release concert with guest Kati<br />
Wolf. Venue: District XII, <strong>Budapest</strong> Jagelló út 1-<br />
3. Tel. (06-1) 372-5429<br />
Sunday, 6 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
– Ines Gruber<br />
Brian Blade – “Mama Rosa”<br />
Sunday, 6 March at 7.30pm<br />
Palace of Arts,<br />
District IX, Komor Marcell utca 1<br />
Tickets: HUF 1,800 – 5,900.<br />
www.mupa.hu<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE at 11am:<br />
Mária Kovalszki, Bálint Zsoldos (piano), Gábor<br />
Devich (clarinet), Anita Miskolczi, Gergely<br />
Devich (cello) and their students Júlia Pusker<br />
(violin), Balázs Dolfin (cello) and Krisztina<br />
Kocsis (piano) will perform excerpts from<br />
works by Handel, Brahms, Debussy, Sibelius,<br />
Kodály, Bartók and Piazzolla. Details: Friday, 4<br />
March<br />
OLD MUSIC ACADEMY at 4pm: Renáta<br />
Darázs, Ildikó Gaál (voice), Gábor Galavics<br />
(clarinet), Angéla Bálint (violin), János Kéry,<br />
Dalma Lendvai, Sándor Leschák, Gábor<br />
Monostori, László Stachó (piano), the<br />
THReNSeMBle Contemporary Music Group<br />
conducted by Balázs Horváth will perform<br />
works by Grieg, Kókai, De Falla, Beethoven,<br />
Kodály, Máté Szigeti and Bartók. Details:<br />
Saturday, 5 March<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
Puccini’s La Bohéme. Details: Tuesday, 1<br />
March<br />
OLD MUSIC ACADEMY at 7pm: The Kelemen<br />
Quartet will perform works by Haydn, Ligeti<br />
and Mendelssohn. Details: Saturday, 5 March<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 10.30am and<br />
3pm: Sleeping Beauty performed by the<br />
Honvéd Dance Theatre. (Performance followed<br />
by costume competition and dance workshop.)<br />
Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
11<br />
FFOURTTEEN--DDAY GGUUIDDE
12<br />
FOOUURRTTEEEENN-DAAYY GUUIIDDEE<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
PALACE OF ARTS FESTIVAL <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at<br />
7pm: Dreamtime performed by the Hungarian<br />
State Folk Ensemble. Details: Monday, 28<br />
February<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: Jazz drummer Brian Blade: Mama<br />
Rosa. Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
Monday, 7 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
URÁNIA FILM <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 2pm: Dance and<br />
music from Lully to Piazzolla, from the<br />
Baroque to the 20th Century performed by<br />
the Pest County Symphony Orchestra<br />
conducted by Tibor Noseda (conductor) and<br />
the Company Canario Historic Dance<br />
Ensemble (artistic director: Ágota Aranyos).<br />
Works by Lully, Purcell, Corelli, Handel,<br />
Haydn, Beethoven, Rózsavölgyi, Ruzitska,<br />
Péter Pál Domokos, J. Strauss Jr., J. Strauss<br />
Sr., Lanner and Piazzolla. Venue: District VIII,<br />
Rákóczi út 21. Tel. (06-1) 486-3400.<br />
www.urania-nf.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> OPERETTA AND MUSICAL<br />
<strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: The MÁV Symphony<br />
Orchestra conducted by Tamás Vásáry<br />
(piano) will perform Mozart’s Don Giovanni –<br />
overture, Liszt’s Piano concerto in A major,<br />
No. 2 and Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 in B<br />
flat major, Op. 38, “Spring”. Venue: District VI,<br />
Nagymezõ utca 17. Tel. (06-1) 312-4866.<br />
www.operettszinhaz.hu<br />
ÓBUDAI TÁRSASKÖR at 7pm: Csilla Varga<br />
(piano), Eszter Perényi (violin) and Judit Kiss-<br />
Domonkos (cello) will perform works by<br />
Louise Farrenc, Cecile Chaminade, Fanny<br />
Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann. Details:<br />
Monday, 28 February<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: Grigory Sokolov (piano) will perform<br />
works by Bach and Schumann. Details:<br />
Monday, 28 February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
MARCZIBÁNYI TÉR CULTURAL CENTRE at<br />
7pm: Calcutta Trio’s Indian music club. Venue:<br />
District II, Marczibányi tér 5/a. Tel. (06-1) 212-<br />
2820. www.marczi.hu<br />
PALACE OF ARTS FESTIVAL <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at<br />
7pm: Carmina Burana performed by the<br />
Szeged Contemporary Dance Company.<br />
Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
Tuesday, 8 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: Les Arts Florissants with<br />
Emmanuelle de Negri, Hanna Bayodi-Hirt,<br />
Virginie Thomas, Ed Lyon, Alan Buet and<br />
Jean-Yves Ravoux (voice) conducted by<br />
William Christie will perform Rameau’s<br />
Anacréon and Pygmalion. Details: Monday,<br />
28 February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 10.30am and<br />
3pm: Snow White performed by the <strong>Budapest</strong><br />
Dance Theatre. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
A38 SHIP at 8pm: Solo acoustic concert of<br />
Danny Cavanagh (from British art rock band<br />
Anathema). Details: Wednesday, 2 March<br />
GÖDÖR CLUB at 8pm: Mardi Gras Mese –<br />
Pribojszki Mátyás Band, Jambalaya and<br />
guests, Ferenczi György és a Rackajam.<br />
Venue: District V, Erzsébet tér. Tel. (06-20)<br />
943-5464. www.godorklub.hu<br />
PAPP LÁSZLÓ <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> SPORTARÉNA at<br />
8pm: Troy – Dance Show. Venue: District XIV,<br />
Stefánia út 2. Central Ticket Office (Ticketpro)<br />
Tel. (06-1) 422-2682. www.ticketpro.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> JAZZ CLUB at 9pm: Thea Soti<br />
Quartet (Jazz Icons series: Nina Simone).<br />
Details: Thursday, 3 March<br />
MOST! at 9pm: Vörös Niki Trió (jazz). Venue:<br />
District VI, Zichy Jenõ utca 17. Tel. (06-70)<br />
248-3322<br />
Troy<br />
The Hidden Men<br />
horeographer Pál Frenák has a<br />
reputation for making sensual, Chighly<br />
aesthetic shows that don’t<br />
shy away from provocative scenes. His<br />
dance company’s style combines classical<br />
and modern techniques with mimicry<br />
and sign language, and takes inspiration<br />
from circus, theatre and fashion. At Trafó<br />
on Thursday and Friday audiences can<br />
watch the remake of one of his most<br />
acclaimed pieces, The Hidden Men (Les<br />
hommes cachés), which premiered in<br />
2004.<br />
The one-hour choreography holds up<br />
a mirror to male character types from<br />
Hercules to Narcissus, with a heavy dose<br />
of black humour. Grown men spitting out<br />
dummies and a dancer rolling about in a<br />
satellite dish as a symbol of the womb are<br />
all part of the show. The mix of dance and<br />
acrobatics on ropes (pictured top) is<br />
described as creating a dream-like piece<br />
that immerses viewers in the unconscious<br />
mind of boys and men.<br />
Wednesday, 9 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE at 6pm:<br />
András Csáki (guitar) will perform works by<br />
Bach, Britten, Paganini, Mertz, Farkas,<br />
Malats, Rodrigo and Tarrega. Details: Friday,<br />
4 March<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL<br />
at 7.30pm: The Ernõ Dohnányi Symphonic<br />
Orchestra of Budafok with Xavér Varnus<br />
(organ) conducted by Gábor Hollerung will<br />
perform Miklós Csemiczky’s Scherzo alla<br />
ungherese, Kodály’s Háry János – suite and<br />
Saint-Saens’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor<br />
“Organ”, Op. 78. Details: Monday, 28<br />
February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
PALACE OF ARTS FESTIVAL <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at<br />
10.30am and 3pm: Magic Circus performed<br />
by the Compagnie Yvette Bozsik. Details:<br />
Monday, 28 February<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: Gipsies<br />
of Nagyida performed by ExperiDance –<br />
Sándor Román Company. Details: Tuesday, 1<br />
March<br />
LADÓ CAFÉ at 8pm: Hot Jazz Band. Venue:<br />
District VII, Dohány utca 50. Tel. (06-70) 350-<br />
3929. www.ladocafe.hu<br />
Turkey’s Fire Of Anatolia Dance Group presents An Anatolian Legend – Troy – A Dance<br />
Show from its Native Land complete with 85 dancers and an eight metre-tall wooden horse.<br />
Tickets for the performance at Papp László <strong>Budapest</strong> Sportaréna at 8pm on Tuesday, 8<br />
March are available from eventim.hu<br />
Frenák’s sensibility to body language<br />
and gesture is often attributed to being<br />
brought up by deaf-mute parents, which<br />
meant that his first means of expression<br />
was sign language. Following the early<br />
death of his father, he spent several<br />
years in a state-run institute, where he<br />
practised dance moves in front of the<br />
mirror. Later he studied classical ballet,<br />
folk dance and modern dance in<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong>, before moving to France in<br />
the 1980s where he worked with several<br />
stars of classical ballet and studied new<br />
dance techniques.<br />
The Compagnie Pál Frenák was<br />
established in Paris in 1989 and became<br />
a joint Franco-Hungarian company based<br />
in both the French capital and <strong>Budapest</strong><br />
ten years later. Les hommes cachés (or<br />
Fiúk in Hungarian) won the prestigious<br />
Rudolf Lábán award in 2006 and was<br />
made into a film in 2008. The piece was<br />
remade with two new dancers in 2010.<br />
– Jacqueline White<br />
The ticket<br />
The Hidden Men (Les hommes<br />
cachés) – remake<br />
Compagnie Pál Frenák<br />
3 and 4 March at 8pm<br />
Trafó House of Contemporary Arts<br />
District IX, Liliom utca 42.<br />
Tel. (06-1) 215-1600 www.trafo.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> JAZZ CLUB at 9pm: Sárik Péter<br />
Trió feat. Edina Szirtes and Balázs Cserta.<br />
Details: Thursday, 3 March<br />
JAM PUB at 9pm: Latin Combo Trió (salsa<br />
party). Venue: District II, Lövõház utca 1-3.<br />
Tel. (06-1) 345-8301. www.jampub.hu<br />
PORTH ART PUB & RESTAURANT at 9pm:<br />
DJ and prímás Szilva (Goulasch Exotica).<br />
Venue: District VII, Dohány utca 7. Tel. (06-1)<br />
351-4806. www.portside.hu<br />
Thursday, 10 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE at<br />
6.30pm: Péter Somodari (cello) and Katalin<br />
Csillagh (piano) will perform works by Bach,<br />
Schubert and Chopin. Details: Friday, 4 March<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.30pm: Pálúr János (organ), the Kántus<br />
Choir of Debrecen, the Choir of the Christian<br />
University of the Partium (choir master:<br />
Sándor Berkesi) and the Ewald Brass<br />
Quintet) will perform works by Noordt, Bach,<br />
Zoltán Gárdonyi, Mozart, Liszt, Dupré and<br />
Durufle. (Artistic director: Levente Bakó).<br />
Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: Dance,<br />
Dance, Dance performed by the Hungarian<br />
Dance Academy, Faculty of Folk Dance.<br />
Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
PALACE OF ARTS FESTIVAL <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at<br />
7pm: Stravinsky Evening: The Wedding /<br />
Firebird performed by the Compagnie Yvette<br />
Bozsik. Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
A38 SHIP at 9pm: Ladánybene 27 pres –<br />
Ride Di Riddim Vol. 2 (reggae/dancehall/ska).<br />
Details: Wednesday, 2 March<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> JAZZ CLUB at 9pm: Tóth Viktor<br />
Tercet. Details: Thursday, 3 March<br />
JELEN at 9pm: Cabaret Medrano. Venue:<br />
District VIII, Blaha Lujza tér 1-2. Tel. (06 20)<br />
344-3155<br />
MOST! at 9pm: Fábián Juli & Sárik Péter Duo<br />
(jazz). Details: Tuesday, 8 March<br />
Friday, 11 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA MEMORIAL HOUSE at 6pm:<br />
Balázs Fülei (piano) will perform Grieg’s<br />
Improvisations on two Norwegian folk songs,<br />
Op. 29, Bartók’s 15 Hungarian peasant<br />
songs, Grieg’s 19 Norwegian folk songs, Op.<br />
66 and Bartók’s Improvisations on Hungarian<br />
peasant songs, Op. 20. Details: Friday, 4<br />
March<br />
DUNA PALACE at 7pm: The Danube<br />
Symphony Orchestra with Livia Galambos<br />
conducted by András Deák will perform works<br />
by Johann Strauss Jr., Johann Strauss Sr.,<br />
Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss. Venue:<br />
District V, Zrínyi utca 5. Tel. (06-1) 235-5533.<br />
www.dunapalota.hu<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Details: Tuesday, 1<br />
March<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.45pm: The <strong>Budapest</strong> Festival Orchestra<br />
with Petra Lang (voice) conducted by Iván<br />
Fischer will perform Wagner’s Siegfried –<br />
Idyll, Tannhäuser – overture and bacchanalia,<br />
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – prelude,<br />
Götterdämmerung – Dawn and Siegfried’s<br />
Rhine Journey, Funeral March and Finale.<br />
Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
HOUSE OF HERITAGE at 7pm: Verbunkos<br />
performed by the Hungarian State Folk<br />
Ensemble. Venue: District I, Corvin tér 8. Tel.<br />
(06-1) 225-6077. www.hagyomanyokhaza.hu<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: Chess<br />
Game performed by the Gyula Castle Theatre<br />
– Forte Company. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
SPINOZA at 7pm: Klezmer Friday with dinner<br />
– SabbathSong. Venue: District VII, Dob<br />
utca15. Tel. (06-1) 413-7488. www.spinozahaz.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> JAZZ CLUB at 8.30pm: Dés<br />
András Quartet, followed by the Gyárfás<br />
István Trio’s jam session at 11pm. Details:<br />
Thursday, 3 March<br />
Saturday, 12 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
OLD MUSIC ACADEMY at 11am: Members of<br />
the Falvai family (piano) will perform works by<br />
Liszt (Ave Maria, Waldesrauschen,<br />
Funérailles, excerpts from the oratorio The<br />
Legend of Holy Elizabeth – for four hands,<br />
Tarantella, Petrarch sonnet in E major, Ballad<br />
in B minor). Details: Saturday, 5 March<br />
HUNGARIAN RADIO STUDIO 6 at 2pm and<br />
4pm: Animals in Music (family concert). the<br />
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and<br />
the Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir<br />
conducted by Gabriella Thész and Stephen<br />
D’Agostino will perform Prokofiev’s Peter and<br />
the Wolf, Bartók’s Bread-baking, Kodály’s<br />
Katalinka and Stork song. Venue: District VIII,<br />
Pollack M tér 8. Tel. (06-1) 328-8388<br />
HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES GREAT<br />
HALL at 7pm: The <strong>Budapest</strong> Chamber<br />
Symphony (Weiner-Szász Orchestra) with<br />
András Csáki (guitar) conducted by Péter<br />
Csaba will perform Mozart’s Symphony in D<br />
major, K.297, “Paris”, Rodrigo’s Fantasia para<br />
un gentilhombre – for guitar and orchestra,<br />
Boccherini’s La Musica Notturna delle Strade<br />
di Madrid, G. 324 and Mehul’s Symphony No.<br />
1 in G minor (1808). Details: Saturday, 5 March<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
Bellini’s Norma. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE at 7.30pm: The<br />
MÁV Symphony Orchestra with Xiayin Wang<br />
(piano) conducted by Marlon Chen will<br />
perform Weber’s Oberon – overture,<br />
Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.<br />
54 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E<br />
minor, Op. 64. Venue: District VIII, Bródy<br />
Sándor utca 8. Tel. (06-1) 318-8144. www.italcultbudapest.hu<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL at<br />
7.45pm: The <strong>Budapest</strong> Festival Orchestra<br />
with Petra Lang (voice) conducted by Iván<br />
Fischer will perform Wagner’s Siegfried –<br />
Idyll, Tannhäuser – overture and bacchanalia,<br />
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – prelude,<br />
Götterdämmerung – Dawn and Siegfried’s<br />
Rhine Journey, Funeral March and Finale.<br />
Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
IBS STAGE at 11am: Kolompos zenekar (folk<br />
music). District II, Tárogató út 2-4.<br />
Tel. (06-1) 391-2525<br />
HUNGARIAN RADIO MARBLE ROOM at 5pm:<br />
Péter Szendõfi (drums) and Transition<br />
(Róbert Szakcsi Lakatos (piano), Gergõ Mits<br />
(electric bass) and Árpád Dennert (saxophone).)<br />
Details: Thursday, 3 March<br />
NATIONAL DANCE <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at 7pm: The<br />
Winds of Spring performed by the Duna Art<br />
Ensemble. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
PALACE OF ARTS FESTIVAL <strong>THE</strong>ATRE at<br />
7pm: Avishai Cohen: Seven Seas. Details:<br />
Monday, 28 February<br />
FONÓ BUDA MUSIC HOUSE at 8pm: Kazai<br />
Ágnes Quartet, Harcsa Veronika Quartet.<br />
Venue: District XI, Sztregova utca 3. Tel. (06-<br />
1) 206-5300. www.fono.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> JAZZ CLUB at 9pm: American<br />
saxophonist, arranger and composer Tim<br />
Ries and Oláh Kálmán Quartet, followed by<br />
the Bolla Gábor Trio’s jam session at 11pm.<br />
Details: Thursday, 3 March<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
Sunday, 13 March<br />
Classical entertainment<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at<br />
11am: Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Details:<br />
Tuesday, 1 March<br />
BARTÓK BÉLA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL<br />
at 3.30pm: The <strong>Budapest</strong> Festival<br />
Orchestra with Petra Lang (voice)<br />
conducted by Iván Fischer will perform<br />
Wagner’s Siegfried – Idyll, Tannhäuser –<br />
overture and bacchanalia, Die<br />
Meistersinger von Nürnberg – prelude,<br />
Götterdämmerung – Dawn and Siegfried’s<br />
Rhine Journey, Funeral March and Finale.<br />
Details: Monday, 28 February<br />
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTRE at 7pm:<br />
Orsolya Korcsolán (violin), Péter Bársony<br />
(viola), István Varga (cello) and Márta<br />
Gulyás (piano) will perform works by<br />
Elemér Gyulai, György Justus, Imre Sárosi,<br />
Ferenc Weisz, Arvo Part and Brahms.<br />
Venue: District IX, Páva utca 39. Tel. (06-1)<br />
453-333. www.hdke.hu<br />
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE at 7pm:<br />
Erkel’s Bánk bán. Details: Tuesday, 1 March<br />
NÁDOR ROOM at 7pm: The Accord String<br />
Quartet (Péter Mezõ, Csongor Veer, Péter<br />
Kondor and Mátyás Ölveti) will perform<br />
works by József Bujtás. Venue: District XIV,<br />
Ajtósi Dürer sor 39. Tel. (06-1) 344-7072<br />
Popular entertainment<br />
GÖDÖR CLUB at 8pm: Athe Sam (Roma)<br />
talent contest. Details: Tuesday, 8 March<br />
DOWN <strong>THE</strong> ROAD<br />
MONDAY, 21 MARCH at 8pm: Faithless –<br />
The Dance Never Ends at the Papp László<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong> Sportaréna<br />
MONDAY, 4 APRIL AND TUESDAY, 5 APRIL<br />
at 7pm: Rhoda Scott and Xaver Varnus<br />
“battle of the organs” concert at the Dohány<br />
utca Synagogue<br />
TUESDAY, 5 APRIL at 8pm: Duke Ellington<br />
Orchestra at the <strong>Budapest</strong> Congress<br />
Center<br />
FRIDAY, 8 APRIL at 8pm: Miyavi at Petõfi<br />
Csarnok<br />
FRIDAY, 8 APRIL at 8pm: Slayer and<br />
Megadeth concert at the Papp László<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong> Sportaréna<br />
SUNDAY, 7 MAY at 8pm: Gipsy Kings at the<br />
Papp László <strong>Budapest</strong> Sportaréna<br />
Waka Waka<br />
T<br />
ickets for Shakira’s The Sun<br />
Comes Out World Tour 2011<br />
show in <strong>Budapest</strong> on<br />
Thursday, 5 May went on sale last<br />
Friday. Superlatives are the norm for<br />
the international star, who has won ten<br />
Grammy Awards, 15 Billboard Music<br />
Awards and four MTV Music Awards.<br />
She is the only artist from South<br />
America to have reached the numberone<br />
spot on the US and UK charts.<br />
Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time For<br />
Africa)” was chosen as the official song<br />
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and has<br />
become the biggest selling World Cup<br />
song of all time. Her videos recently<br />
surpassed a billion views on YouTube,<br />
making her the third most-viewed<br />
artist of all time.<br />
The ticket<br />
Shakira: The Sun Comes Out World<br />
Tour 2011<br />
Thursday, 5 May, 6pm<br />
Papp László <strong>Budapest</strong> Sportaréna<br />
Stefánia út 2., District XIV<br />
www.eventim.hu
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
MUSEUMS<br />
AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM Permanent exhibitions<br />
covering life in a medieval village, viticulture,<br />
plants and more.The temporary exhibition<br />
A Taste of Europe runs until 31 August. Open<br />
Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun, 10am-5pm.<br />
Closed on Mon. District XIV, Vajdahunyad<br />
Castle in City Park. Tel. (06-1) 363-5099.<br />
www.mezogazdasagimuzeum.hu<br />
AQUINCUM MUSEUM Archaeological findings<br />
from the remains of the Roman military<br />
garrison and trading settlement Aquincum. An<br />
exhibition of the most impressive archaeological<br />
finds in <strong>Budapest</strong>, focusing particularly on<br />
the M0 motorway runs until 31 March. Open<br />
daily except Mon. 10am-5pm. The outdoor<br />
ruins are open from 9am. District III,<br />
Szentendrei út 139. Tel. (06-1) 250-1650.<br />
www.aquincum.hu<br />
BÉLA BARTÓK MEMORIAL HOUSE Concerts<br />
featured in one hall, also a memorial room with<br />
original furniture and Bartók’s folk art collection,<br />
photos, letters and notes on his life. Open<br />
10am-5pm Tues. to Sat. Closed Sun. and Mon.<br />
District II, Csalán út 29. Tel. (06-1) 394-4472.<br />
www.bartokmuseum.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> HISTORY MUSEUM Permanent<br />
exhibitions covering the history of the capital.<br />
An exhibition of 18th to 20th century paintings<br />
of the city runs until 8 May. “Armales<br />
Transylvanorum” – an exhibition of coat of<br />
arms letters patent issued by Transylvanian<br />
rulers runs until 13 March. Open 10am-6pm.<br />
Closed on Mon. Buda Castle building E,<br />
District I, Szent György tér 2. Tel. (06-1) 375-<br />
9175. www.btm.hu<br />
CAVE HOSPITAL A formerly secret underground<br />
military hospital and nuclear bunker.<br />
Open daily except Mon. 10am-7pm. District I,<br />
Lovas utca 4/C. Tel. 06-30 689-8775 www.sziklakorhaz.hu<br />
ELECTRO-TECHNICAL MUSEUM Open Tues.-<br />
Fri. 10am-5pm and Sat. 9am-4pm. District VII,<br />
Kazinczy utca 21. Tel. (06-1) 342-5750<br />
EVANGELICAL NATIONAL MUSEUM Permanent<br />
exhibition covering the Protestant faith in<br />
Hungary. Open Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm. District<br />
V, Deák Ferenc tér 4. Tel. (06-1) 317-4173.<br />
www.evangelikusmuzeum.hu<br />
FERENC HOPP MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN<br />
ARTS Works collected by the traveller Ferenc<br />
Hopp. The current temporary exhibition is<br />
When the Gates of Asia Opened – The Travels<br />
and Treasures of Ferenc Hopp. Open daily<br />
except Mon. 10am-6pm. District VI, <strong>Andrássy</strong><br />
út 103, Tel. (06-1) 322-8476. www.hoppmuzeum.hu<br />
GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF HUNGARY The<br />
museum has a huge collection of rocks and<br />
fossils, but for many visitors Ödön Lechner’s<br />
exquisite building is the highlight of a visit.<br />
Open Thurs., Sat., Sun. 10am-4pm. District<br />
XIV, Stefánia utca 14. Tel. (06-1) 251-0999<br />
www.mafi.hu<br />
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER Museum<br />
covering the fate of Hungarian Jews in the<br />
Holocaust. Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon.<br />
District IX, Páva utca 39. Tel. (06-1) 216-6557.<br />
www.hdke.hu<br />
HUNGARIAN MUSEUM OF TRADE AND<br />
TOURISM “The Dobos cake is 25 years old!”<br />
runs until 7 March. Open daily except Tues.<br />
11am to 7pm. District V, Szent István tér 15.Tel.<br />
(06-1) 212-1245. www.mkvm.hu<br />
HUNGARIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM Over a<br />
hundred railway vehicles, ancient steam<br />
engines, operational turntables, the largest<br />
roundhouse in Central Europe with entertaining<br />
interactive programmes like driving a<br />
INTERNET GUIDE<br />
General<br />
WWW.<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>INFO.HU: Advice for visitors,<br />
events, sights, tourism info<br />
WWW.<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>.HU: Info, news, culture<br />
WWW.BZT.HU: Daily news updates, archive<br />
WWW.GOTOHUNGARY.COM: General tourism<br />
info<br />
WWW.TOURINFORM.HU: General tourism info<br />
WWW.HUNGARY.COM: Tourism, hotels &<br />
festival info<br />
Travel<br />
WWW.VOLAN.HU: Bus timetables<br />
MAV-START.HU: Hungarian railway timetables<br />
and information<br />
WWW.TRAVELPORT.HU: Hotels, restaurants,<br />
travel in and out of Hungary<br />
WWW.WIZZAIR.COM, WWW.RYANAIR.COM,<br />
WWW.JET2.COM, WWW.EASYJET.COM:<br />
locally based budget airlines<br />
WWW.BKV.HU: Urban transport in <strong>Budapest</strong><br />
Classical music<br />
WWW. KONCERTKALENDARIUM. HU:<br />
Comprehensive classical listings (in English<br />
and Hungarian)<br />
WWW.OPERA.HU: Detailed programme of the<br />
State Opera at the Opera House and the<br />
Erkel Theatre in English. Booking online<br />
WWW.MUPA.HU: Classical concerts and other<br />
entertainment at Hungary’s principal venue<br />
for the performing arts<br />
WWW.OBUDAITARSASKOR.HU: Concerts at<br />
the Óbudai Társaskör. Online reservation<br />
possible.<br />
hand cart and travel on a self-powered rail car<br />
and engine driving. District XIV, Tatai út 95. Tel.<br />
(06-1) 238-0558 www.vasuttortenetipark.hu<br />
LISZT FERENC MEMORIAL MUSEUM A reconstruction<br />
of Liszt’s last <strong>Budapest</strong> flat on the first<br />
floor of the Old Music Academy containing his<br />
original instruments, furniture, books, scores,<br />
some personal objects and memorabilia. Open<br />
Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 9am-5pm. Closed<br />
Sun. and on national holidays. District VI,<br />
Vörösmarty utca 35. Tel. (06-1) 3229-804.<br />
www.lisztmuseum.hu<br />
MEDIEVAL JEWISH HOUSE OF PRAYER The<br />
collection sheds light on the life of Jews during<br />
the Middle Ages. Open Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm.<br />
Closed Mon. District I, Táncsics Mihály utca 26.<br />
Tel. (06-1) 225-7816<br />
MEMENTO PARK Huge Socialist-realist statues<br />
of Marx, Lenin and other Communist-era<br />
figures in a park on the edge of town. Direct<br />
buses leave from Deák tér at 11am; look for the<br />
bus stop with the Memento Park timetable.<br />
Open daily from 10am till dusk. District XXII,<br />
Balatoni út, corner of Szabadkai utca. Tel. (06-<br />
1) 424-7500. www.mementopark.hu<br />
MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS Open daily except<br />
Mon. 10am-6pm. The exhibition Aristocratic<br />
Textiles from the Esterházy Treasury runs until<br />
4 September. The exhibition On the Border of<br />
Two Ages – Persian Art in the Qajar Period<br />
(1796-1925) runs until 18 September. An exhibition<br />
of works by 2010 László Moholy-Nagy<br />
scholarship-holders opens on 25 February and<br />
runs until 3 April. District IX, Üllõi út 33-37. (06-<br />
1) 456-5107. www.imm.hu<br />
MUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY The permanent<br />
exhibitions cover traditional customs and<br />
clothing. The temporary exhibitions are Living<br />
Folk Art 2010, which runs until 24 April and<br />
Jazz, blues, folk, rock<br />
WWW.PESTIEST.HU: In depth, what’s on guide<br />
to popular culture in <strong>Budapest</strong><br />
WWW.<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>BLUES.COM: Upcoming<br />
blues performances<br />
WWW.PECSA.HU: Rock gigs at venue in the<br />
City Park<br />
WWW.A38.HU: Ship which hosts gigs on the<br />
Danube<br />
WWW.NEMZETITANCSZINHAZ.HU: Goings on<br />
in the National Dance Theatre<br />
WWW.OPERETTSZINHAZ.HU: The programme<br />
of the Operetta Theatre in English<br />
WWW.HUNGARIAKONCERT.HU: Folk events,<br />
organ concerts, concerts of the Danube<br />
Symphony Orchestra and boat trips can be<br />
booked on the website<br />
Culture<br />
Nation and Art<br />
HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY Nation<br />
and Art, Portrait and Self-portrait runs<br />
until 3 April. Pictured is Pál Jávor’s<br />
Vásárfia (Fairing), circa 1910. Mihály<br />
Munkácsy’s Christ Trilogy is on show until<br />
WWW.FESTIVALCITY.HU: Info on the capital’s<br />
wide range of seasonal festivals<br />
WWW.HUNG-ART.HU: A guide to the fine arts<br />
WWW.MUSEUM.HU: Links to <strong>Budapest</strong>’s<br />
museums<br />
WWW.<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>SPAS.HU: Guide to bathing in<br />
the capital<br />
Food and drink<br />
WWW.<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>.COM/RESTAURANTS.HTM:<br />
Links to lots of restaurants in <strong>Budapest</strong><br />
WWW.<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>-TOURIST-GUIDE.COM: Food<br />
and wine info in addition to usual tourist advice<br />
30 April. Open 10am-6pm. Closed Mon.<br />
Wings B, C and D of the Royal Palace.<br />
District I, Szent György tér 2. Tel. 06-20<br />
4397-325 or 06-20 4397-331.<br />
www.mng.hu<br />
How We See the Finns? – Finland: A<br />
Hungarian Perspective, which runs until 1 May.<br />
Open 10am-6pm daily except Mon. District V,<br />
Kossuth Lajos tér 12. Tel. (06-1) 473-2400.<br />
www.neprajz.hu<br />
MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY The history of<br />
mankind at its most inventive. Open daily<br />
except Mon. 10am-4pm. District I, Tóth Árpád<br />
sétány 40. Tel. (06-1) 325-1647. www.militaria.hu<br />
MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT Permanent exhibitions<br />
covering the history of road and rail transport<br />
in Hungary. The aerospace collection is in<br />
the nearby Petõfi Csarnok (Zichy Mihály utca<br />
3). Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-4pm, and Sat.-Sun.<br />
10am-5pm. Closed Mon. District XIV,<br />
Városligeti körút. 11. Tel. (06-1) 273-3840.<br />
www.km.iif.hu<br />
NATIONAL MUSEUM Permanent exhibition<br />
covering the whole of Hungarian history, from<br />
the ancient origins of the Hungarians, their<br />
journey to the Carpathian basin and events<br />
until 1990. The temporary exhibitions are The<br />
Worlds of Széchenyi, which runs until 6 March<br />
and The Gold Treasure of Kassa – one of the<br />
most sensational archaeological finds of the<br />
last century, which runs until 20 March. Open<br />
daily except Mon. 10am-6pm. District VIII,<br />
Múzeum körút 14-16. Tel. (06-1) 338-2122,<br />
(06-1) 327-7749. www.hnm.hu<br />
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Permanent<br />
exhibitions covering botany and zoology. The<br />
temporary interactive exhibition Empire of the<br />
Six-Legged Creatures runs until November.<br />
“Camera Naturae et Artis Productorum” –<br />
Natural History in the 19th century runs until<br />
November. There is something new under the<br />
earth – Minerals discovered in the<br />
Carpathian region runs until 21 November.<br />
The Future Vision – North Pole exhibition of<br />
QUICK GUIDE<br />
Important numbers<br />
All emergencies: 112<br />
Police: 107<br />
Ambulance: 104<br />
Fire: 105<br />
Domestic directory: 198 Intl: 199<br />
Where to find what 198<br />
Foreign language police hot line:<br />
438-8080<br />
Fault-clearing service: 143<br />
24-hour pharmacies<br />
ARANYHORGONY PATIKA:<br />
IV. Pozsonyi út 19 Tel.: 379-3008<br />
DÉLI GYÓGYSZERTÁR:<br />
XII. Alkotás út 2. Tel.: 355-4691<br />
ÓBUDA GYÓGYSZERTÁR:<br />
III. Vörösvári út 86 Tel.: 368-6430<br />
SZENT MARGIT PATIKA:<br />
II. Frankel Leó út 22 Tel.: 212-4311<br />
TERÉZ GYÓGYSZERTÁR:<br />
VI. Teréz krt. 41 Tel.: 311-4439<br />
MÁRIA GYÓGYSZERTÁR:<br />
XIII. Béke tér 11 Tel.: 320-8006<br />
Taxis<br />
6x6 266-6666<br />
Budataxi 233-3333<br />
City Taxi 211-1111<br />
Fõtaxi 222-2222<br />
Taxi 2000 200-0000<br />
Taxi Plus 8888-000<br />
Tele5Taxi 355-5555<br />
the Canadian Embassy runs until 6 March.<br />
Open daily 10am-5pm, except Mon. and<br />
Tues. District VIII, Ludovika tér 6. Tel. (06-1)<br />
333-0655, (06-1) 313-0842. www.nhmus.hu<br />
PALACE OF MIRACLES Interactive games,<br />
experiments and laser shows on scientific<br />
and technological themes. Open Mon-Fri<br />
9am-6pm, Sat.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District III,<br />
Fény utca, 20-22, Building C. Tel. (06-1) 350-<br />
6131<br />
STAMP MUSEUM Permanent exhibition of<br />
stamps from around the world. Open daily<br />
except Mon. 10am-4pm. District VII, Hársfa<br />
utca 47. Tel. (06-1) 341-5526<br />
GALLERIES<br />
ARTBÁZIS “Attention” – exhibition of works<br />
by new members of the Studio of Young<br />
Photography Artists runs until 10 March.<br />
Open Tues.-Fri. 4pm-7pm or by prior appointment.<br />
District VIII, Horánszky utca 25. Tel.<br />
(06-20) 461-6919. www.artbazis.hu<br />
BARTÓK ‘32 GALLERY The exhibition The<br />
Journey of W.G.M. Sebald by painter Miklós<br />
Szüts runs until 12 March. Open Mon.-Fri.<br />
12pm-6pm and Sat. 10pm-2pm. District XI,<br />
Bartók Béla út 32. Tel. (06-1) 386-9038.<br />
www.bartok32.hu<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong> GALLERY Posters and Visual<br />
Graphics – works by graphic artist Ferenc<br />
Baráth runs until 16 March. Open Tues.-Sun.<br />
10am-6pm. District V, Szabad Sajtó út 5. Tel.<br />
(06-1) 317-1321. www.budapestgaleria.hu<br />
FÉSZEK GALLERY An exhibition of pieces by<br />
fashion designer Anna Latin runs until 25<br />
March. District VII, Kertész utca 36. Tel. (06-<br />
1) 341-5527. www.feszek-muveszklub.hu<br />
KISCELLI MUSEUM Permanent exhibitions of<br />
paintings. Amnesia temporis – an exhibition<br />
of works by photographer Endre Kovács runs<br />
until 6 March. Desire – an exhibition of works<br />
by Eszter Csurka runs until 20 March. Open<br />
daily except Mon. 10am-6pm. District III,<br />
Kiscelli út 108. Tel. (06-1) 388-7817.<br />
www.btmfk.iif.hu<br />
KOGART GALLERY An exhibition of works<br />
purchased in 2010 by the Gábor Kovács Art<br />
Foundation opens on 4 March and runs until<br />
27 March. Open Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm. District<br />
VI, <strong>Andrássy</strong> út 112. Tel. (06-1) 354-3839.<br />
www.kogart.hu<br />
LUDWIG CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM<br />
PALACE OF ARTS Collection of contemporary<br />
art with temporary exhibitions. The exhibition<br />
Taiwan Calling – Elusive Island runs<br />
until 1 March 2011. Open daily except Mon.<br />
10am-8pm. On the last Sunday of every<br />
month entrance is free for visitors under 26,<br />
and up to two adult relatives accompanying a<br />
child under 18. District XI, Komor Marcell<br />
utca 1. Tel. (06-1) 555-3444 www.ludwigmuseum.hu<br />
MAI MANÓ HUNGARIAN HOUSE OF<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY Shows works by Hungarian<br />
and foreign photographers. András Balla’s<br />
The Fragrant Garden runs until 20 March.<br />
Gábor Kasza’s Y runs until 20 March. Szami’s<br />
Glaze runs until 20 March. Open weekdays<br />
2pm-7pm, weekends 11am-7pm. District VI,<br />
Nagymezõ utca 20. Tel. 473-2666<br />
www.maimano.hu<br />
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS Huge collection of<br />
Hungarian and international painting. The<br />
temporary exhibition Lucien Hervé 100 runs<br />
until 30 April. Closed Mon. Open 10am-<br />
5.30pm (ticket office closes at 4.30pm). On<br />
Thurs. the museum is also open until 9.30pm<br />
with a Museum + events ticket. District XIV,<br />
Hõsök tere. Tel. (06-1) 363-2675. www.szepmuveszeti.hu<br />
Embassies<br />
AUSTRALIA: XII. Királyhágó tér 8- 9.<br />
Tel.: 457-9777<br />
BRITAIN: V. Harmincad utca 6<br />
Tel.: 266-2888<br />
CANADA: II. Ganz utca 12-14<br />
Tel.: 392-3360 Fax: 392-3390<br />
FINLAND: XI. Kelenhegyi út 16/A<br />
Tel.: 385-0700<br />
IRELAND: VII, Szabadság tér 7-9.<br />
Bank Center. Tel. 301-4960<br />
ITALY: XIV, Stefánia út 95.<br />
Tel.: 460-6200<br />
KOREA: VI. <strong>Andrássy</strong> út 109.<br />
Tel.: 351-1179<br />
SWEDEN: II, Kapás u. 6-12.<br />
Tel.: 460-6020<br />
TAIPEI REP.OFFICE: VIII Rákoczi út<br />
1-3. 2.emelet. Tel: 266-2884<br />
UNITED STATES: V. Szabadság tér<br />
12 Tel.: 475-4400<br />
COMMONWEALTH NATIONALS<br />
without an embassy can register at<br />
www.britishembassy.hu to be<br />
eligible for emergency assistance.<br />
Airlines<br />
Air Berlin 06 (80) 017-110<br />
British Airways 411-5555<br />
Delta Airlines 296-8860<br />
KLM (SMS f. #)+44 77 81 488747<br />
Lufthansa 411-9900<br />
Luxair (35) 2 2456-4242<br />
Malév (40) 212-121<br />
Airport numbers<br />
Arrivals: 296-8000. Departures: 296-<br />
7000 Lost & Found: 296-8108<br />
Community<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011<br />
PLATÁN GALLERY (POLISH INSTITUTE) “Tell<br />
me” – an exhibition by Estonian artist Marge<br />
Monko runs until 25 March. Her work consists<br />
mainly of photo series and videos focusing on<br />
women in Estonia. Open Tues.-Fri. 11am-7pm.<br />
District VI, <strong>Andrássy</strong> út 32. Tel. (06-1) 331-<br />
3911. www.lengyelkultura.hu<br />
SLOVAKIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE Towards the<br />
Essence of Things – an exhibition by Slovakian<br />
sculptor Milan Lukac runs until 4 March. Open<br />
Mon.-Thurs. 10am-6pm and Fri. 10am-2pm.<br />
District VIII, Rákóczi út 15. Tel. (06-1) 327-<br />
4000.<br />
VASARELY MUSEUM Huge permanent collection<br />
of works by the Hungarian-French artist<br />
Victor Vasarely, the founder of op art. The<br />
temporary exhibition Transparency featuring<br />
works by contemporary artists runs until 1 May.<br />
Open daily except Mon. 10am-5.30pm. District<br />
III, Szentlélek tér 6. www.vasarely.tvn.hu/<br />
VINTAGE GALLERY The exhibition Postcards –<br />
works by Dezsõ Szabó runs until 4 March.<br />
Szabó, who began his career as a painter,<br />
combines painting and photography in these<br />
experimental works from 1992. Open Tues.-Fri.<br />
2pm-7pm. District V, Magyar utca 26. Tel (06-1)<br />
337-0584. www.vintage.hu<br />
VÍZIVÁROSI GALLERY A temporary exhibition<br />
of works by glass sculptor Zoltán Bohus runs<br />
until 10 March. Open Tues.-Fri. 1pm-6pm and<br />
Sat. 10am-2pm. District II, Kapás utca 55. Tel.<br />
(06-1) 201-6925. www.vizivarosigaleria.hu<br />
A<br />
BRITISH WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION:<br />
Meets last Friday of every month<br />
10am – noon. Contact Fiona<br />
Whiteside (chair) on +36 30 569-<br />
9767, bwahungary@hotmail.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL WOMAN’S CLUB<br />
FOUNDATION: IWCA Office; Hajós<br />
utca 1. 1065 Bp. Tel./fax: 321- 4604<br />
www.iwc.org.hu<br />
ROTARY CLUB <strong>BUDAPEST</strong>-CITY:<br />
First Tuesday of the month 19:30<br />
Dinner. Other Tuesdays 12:30<br />
Lunch. Location: Hotel Kempinski<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong>, Erzsébet tér 7-8<br />
Church in English<br />
A BIBLIA SZÓL VIII. Golgata ut. 3.<br />
Rhema Community Center. Sun.<br />
@ 10:30am & 6pm & Wed. @<br />
6.30pm.<br />
DANUBE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH:<br />
District XI, Etele út 55. Sunday at<br />
10:30 a.m. www.danubechurch.org<br />
GREATER GRACE INTERNATIONAL<br />
CHURCH: XII. 22/b Szilágyi E. fasor<br />
Now open:<br />
Hungarian<br />
Tragedy<br />
temporary exhibition on the<br />
massacre of ethnic Hungarians<br />
in Vojvodina in 1944 and 1945<br />
was unveiled at the House of Terror<br />
Museum last Tuesday. Some 15,000-<br />
20,000 of the 500,000-strong<br />
Hungarian population were killed by<br />
Yugoslav communists with another<br />
84,000 fleeing for their lives. The<br />
massacre was payback after occupying<br />
Hungarian forces in 1942 killed<br />
thousands of Serbs, Jews and resistance<br />
fighters, according to historians.<br />
Venue: Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm,<br />
and Sat.-Sun. 10am-7.30pm. Closed<br />
Mon. District VI, <strong>Andrássy</strong> út 60. Tel.<br />
(06-1) 374-2600. www.terrorhaza.hu<br />
13<br />
GGAALLLLEERRIIEESS ANDD MUUSSEEUUMMS<br />
Sunday at 10:30 am. Sunday school<br />
INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST CHURCH<br />
OF <strong>BUDAPEST</strong>: II. Móricz Zsigmond<br />
Gimnázium, Törökvész út 48/54.<br />
Services @10:30 am, Sunday. 06-<br />
30-641-5001, lee@leepowell.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF<br />
<strong>BUDAPEST</strong>: Óbuda Culture Center<br />
District III. Kiskorona u. 7. 10:30 am<br />
Sundays www.church.hu<br />
KAPOSVÁR INTERNATIONAL<br />
CHURCH: Hotel Kapos, Ady Endre<br />
u. 2 in Kaposvár @11 am Sundays<br />
ibck@t-email.hu 06-30-255-5014<br />
NEW COVENANT CHURCH: 10 am<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong>i Módszertani Szociális<br />
Központ, District XIII, Dózsa György<br />
u. 152. Tel.: 06-30-624-0599<br />
<strong>THE</strong> REDEEMED CHRISTIAN<br />
CHURCH OF GOD 11-13 Üllõi utca.<br />
10 am Sundays. Tel. +3630 737-<br />
7543<br />
ST. COLUMBA’S CHURCH OF<br />
SCOTLAND: VII. Vörösmarty utca<br />
51 Tel.: 246-2258<br />
ST. MARGARET’S ANGLICAN/<br />
EPISCOPAL CHURCH: District VII.,<br />
Almássy u. 6. Sundays @10:30 am<br />
Tel.: 06-23-452-023.
14<br />
CUULLTTURREE<br />
28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
One, two, unbuckle my shoe<br />
One could listen for<br />
hours to Anna<br />
Zaboeva as she talks<br />
with animated<br />
gestures and laughs<br />
readily. The lively 26-year-old<br />
Russian shoe designer with cropped<br />
blonde hair plays with crayons as she<br />
tells us about hitchhiking from<br />
Siberia to <strong>Budapest</strong> and establishing<br />
her own shop in Wesselényi utca.<br />
Why and how did you come to <strong>Budapest</strong>?<br />
I had studied film back at home but<br />
who makes films in Russia? I was<br />
afraid that I wouldn’t be able to identify<br />
with my work, which is why I<br />
simply wanted to get away and escape<br />
everything. When I was 20 I travelled<br />
around Russia for a year and decided<br />
that I wanted to live abroad. When I<br />
left I had just one euro in my purse<br />
but I was young and I thought “what<br />
does it matter?” The journey itself<br />
was rather adventurous. I didn’t really<br />
have a plan. I travelled by train and<br />
hitchhiked. At that time <strong>Budapest</strong> was<br />
the only place where I could imagine<br />
living. I had visited <strong>Budapest</strong> before<br />
because of a film festival so I already<br />
knew the city. And now it’s my fourth<br />
year here.<br />
What happened after you arrived in<br />
<strong>Budapest</strong>?<br />
I got the possibility to take part in a<br />
post-graduate programme for Russian<br />
students and study textile design at the<br />
Moholy-Nagy University. It wasn’t easy<br />
because I didn’t speak any Hungarian<br />
at that time. I just did my thing. My<br />
degree project consisted of nine pairs<br />
of shoes. My friends thought they were<br />
great but the teachers absolutely didn’t<br />
know what to make of them. Not a<br />
single one of the teachers came to the<br />
presentation of my degree project. My<br />
friends thought I should try selling<br />
them online. And people were crazy<br />
about them. Demand was huge. At that<br />
time, however, I didn’t have the tools<br />
to make shoes, so bit by bit I tried to<br />
purchase everything I needed to satisfy<br />
all the orders. I got to know some<br />
shoemakers, who gave me advice. And<br />
then suddenly, without knowing what<br />
was happening, I won first place in a<br />
shoe-design competition. That gave<br />
me publicity and, most importantly,<br />
new customers. That’s when I realised<br />
that my kitchen wasn’t the ideal place<br />
to make my shoes.<br />
Designers in Hungary – Part II: Anna Zaboeva – founder of Pleasemachine<br />
And was that when you opened the shop?<br />
No, not quite yet. First I opened a<br />
small workshop with a good friend of<br />
mine. It wasn’t suitable as a shop,<br />
however, because it was in a bad location<br />
and didn’t attract any walk-in<br />
customers. It was incredibly lucky that<br />
we found the shop in Wesselényi utca<br />
a few months ago but it also meant<br />
that I had to do an awful lot of things<br />
at once. I was the shoe designer, shop<br />
manager and production manager.<br />
My friend did all the paperwork.<br />
Before we opened the shop, everybody<br />
told me that I mustn’t be disappointed<br />
if we made a loss in the first<br />
year. But right from the very first<br />
month we were able to balance the<br />
books, which was great. Especially<br />
given that I’ve never invested in<br />
advertising. But of course being a<br />
shoe designer means that I don’t have<br />
a fixed salary. It’s impossible to<br />
predict how much will be left at the<br />
end of each month. But the important<br />
thing is that I’ve fulfilled my dream.<br />
What exactly do you sell in your shop?<br />
Mainly the shoes of my<br />
“Pleasemachine” brand. The name<br />
comes from the fact that via my<br />
webshop customers can order shoes<br />
in various colours and sizes and have<br />
them made according to my design.<br />
It’s important to me, however, that<br />
the shoes remain affordable. In my<br />
shop the average price is around<br />
EUR 100. I think that is absolutely<br />
reasonable for handcrafted designer<br />
shoes. For that customers get an individual<br />
design, regardless of whether<br />
we are speaking about trainers, boots,<br />
sandals, ballerinas or Oxfords. In my<br />
shop, which is called “Siberia” – I<br />
don’t think I need to explain the<br />
name! – I also sell some items made<br />
by my friends such as jewellery,<br />
purses and ties.<br />
Where do you get your ideas from?<br />
From everywhere, really. I am often<br />
inspired by quite simple things, such as<br />
BZT/Aaron Taylor (6)<br />
discarded clothing. I like the idea of<br />
letting those textiles live on in my<br />
shoes. In Slovakia, for example, I<br />
recently found a beautiful material in<br />
the street. It comes from a 1970s<br />
dressing gown and I want to work it<br />
into a whole series of shoes. It’s funny<br />
because most people probably<br />
wouldn’t suspect that they are wearing<br />
things from a rubbish dump but I like<br />
to recycle. I also take the leather for the<br />
shoes, if possible, from old leather<br />
jackets. However, quality is very important<br />
to me, both in terms of the materials<br />
used and how the shoes are made.<br />
I want to offer quality at a fair price.<br />
A<br />
First steps<br />
– Lisa Weil<br />
nna Zaboeva is 26 and<br />
comes from Russia. She was<br />
born, as she says, in the<br />
“deepest Siberia”. She studied<br />
textile engineering and film<br />
directing in Novosibirsk before<br />
moving to <strong>Budapest</strong> in 2007. Here<br />
she studied leather design at<br />
Moholy-Nagy University of Art and<br />
Design.<br />
In 2010 she opened her shop<br />
“Siberia”. She also sells handcrafted<br />
footwear shoes based on<br />
the wishes of customers.<br />
Webshop:<br />
www.erayo.com/Pleasemachine<br />
Siberia:<br />
District VII, Wesselényi utca 19
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong> 28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011 15<br />
Too much emphasis on Hitler rather than Nazis<br />
German foreign office taken to task by historian for attempting to wipe out Nazi history<br />
DOMINIK KRANZER<br />
P<br />
rofessor Dr. Hans Mommsen<br />
tackled aspects of Germany’s<br />
attempts to face its Nazi past<br />
when he delivered a lecture titled<br />
“Coming to terms with the Nazi past in<br />
the Federal Republic of Germany.<br />
Burden and Obligation” at <strong>Andrássy</strong><br />
University last Tuesday.<br />
Ellen Bos, head of the political<br />
sciences department at the university,<br />
expressed her delight at the historian’s<br />
visit: “It has been planned for many<br />
years and has finally happened.” She<br />
praised Germany’s honest and<br />
unsparing way of coming to terms with<br />
the past and pointed to its significance<br />
for Hungary.<br />
The myth of passivity<br />
Mommsen began by describing<br />
various aspects of facing up to the<br />
past, beginning with the post-war<br />
orientation phase when Germans<br />
developed a new national consciousness<br />
and prominent figures such as<br />
writer Martin Walser assumed that<br />
after a certain time had elapsed there<br />
could be a return to normality.<br />
Mommsen noted that the German<br />
population for a time saw itself as a<br />
passive part of the Nazi period.<br />
He said that projecting guilt onto<br />
representatives of the Nazi period<br />
BOB DENT<br />
O<br />
n 30 January 1933 Adolf Hitler<br />
became chancellor of Germany and<br />
the Nazi Third Reich was born. Two<br />
days later the radio station in Berlin’s<br />
Potsdammerstrasse broadcast a talk by a 26year-old<br />
theologian. The address had the dry<br />
title of “The Younger Generation’s Altered<br />
Concept of Leadership” but it was political<br />
dynamite because it dealt with the so-called<br />
Führer principle. It was an idea, popular in<br />
Germany since the end of the First World War,<br />
that what the country needed was a new,<br />
strong leader to guide it back to greatness.<br />
The young theologian explained how such a<br />
leader inevitably becomes an idol and a “misleader”.<br />
Before he could finish, the speech<br />
was cut off.<br />
Whether there had been some kind of technical<br />
mix-up or the speech was censored by<br />
the Nazis is not known. What is a fact,<br />
however, is that 12 years later in April 1945<br />
the young theologian, whose name was<br />
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, would be executed by<br />
hanging at Flossenbürg concentration camp<br />
just weeks before the Nazis were finally<br />
defeated. His crime had been to get involved<br />
with the German resistance and its attempts to<br />
assassinate Hitler.<br />
At the time of the broadcast Bonhoeffer was<br />
certainly an anti-Nazi, but he would have<br />
some way to go before crossing the Rubicon<br />
and moving from opposition in principle to<br />
resistance in practice. Eric Metaxas’ lengthy<br />
biography explains the developments in<br />
Bonhoeffer’s thinking and activity, both<br />
before and after Hitler came to power.<br />
The poster behind historian Dr. Hans Mommsen reads: “Coming to terms with the Nazi past in the Federal Republic of Germany. Burden<br />
and Obligation.” Mommsen accused modern-day historians of “starting again from scratch” in order to justify state funding.<br />
was a form of defence. “It is a myth<br />
that the population was neutral at<br />
that time,” the 80-year-old historian<br />
said. He highlighted the Adolf<br />
Eichmann trial in 1961-62, which<br />
was seen as drawing a line under the<br />
past because from that time onwards<br />
Faith...<br />
What emerges is the story of a man driven by<br />
his Christian beliefs, but that simple statement<br />
is not enough to characterise Bonhoeffer. There<br />
were many Germans who claimed to be driven<br />
by Christian beliefs but had nothing to do with<br />
opposing Hitler. Indeed, as Metaxas describes,<br />
many in the mainstream Lutheran church were<br />
fairly active supporters of the Third Reich, or at<br />
least were prepared to go along with it. So what<br />
made Bonhoeffer different?<br />
The answer contains some surprising and<br />
paradoxical elements. Bonhoeffer did not come<br />
from a particularly religious family. He decided<br />
to become a theologian and a pastor of his own<br />
volition. He was a serious thinker, deeply interested<br />
in exploring questions of ethics and<br />
belief. He was an orthodox theologian in many<br />
respects, even a fundamentalist in the sense of<br />
taking his stance from the word of the Bible. At<br />
the same time he was highly critical of what<br />
might be called pious church-goers and even to<br />
an extent of organised religion itself.<br />
...and action<br />
Bonhoeffer’s explorations into the Bible<br />
made him look outward to the world. Faith, in<br />
his view, should relate to and be reflected in<br />
everyday practice, not relegated simply to<br />
Sunday worship. That looking outward took<br />
him beyond the boundaries of conventional<br />
denominations, which meant Bonhoeffer was a<br />
great ecumenist, finding common ground with<br />
Anglicans and Roman Catholics, and even with<br />
non-Christians. Though he never made it, he<br />
once planned a trip to India to meet Mahatma<br />
Gandhi.<br />
no more Nazi perpetrators were to<br />
be pursued.<br />
Historians’ debate in 1986<br />
Mommsen described what has come<br />
to be known as the “historians’ debate”<br />
of 1986 as having the most marked<br />
impact on the process of dealing with<br />
Germany’s Nazi past. One German<br />
historian, Ernst Nolte, described<br />
Nazism as a defensive reaction to the<br />
threat of Bolshevism. Other historians<br />
took issue with that position, reawak-<br />
God before state<br />
Crucially, Bonhoeffer’s theology rejected all<br />
forms of anti-Semitism. In fact it embraced the<br />
Jews as full members of God’s family. That put<br />
him some distance from the thinking of Martin<br />
Luther, the founder of German Protestantism,<br />
who, as the author of this work documents, was<br />
no friend, to put it mildly, of the Jews.<br />
Hitler’s attitude towards and treatment of the<br />
Jews, the Poles, the infirm, the mentally disabled<br />
and all those regarded as “other” was anathema<br />
to Bonhoeffer. They were all God’s children and<br />
for him allegiance to Christ, the son of God, was<br />
more important than allegiance to the state –<br />
another aspect which put him at odds with many<br />
in German society, which traditionally exhibited<br />
strong patriotic, if not nationalistic, sentiments.<br />
Bonhoeffer didn’t believe you could be a true<br />
Christian and a nationalist – it’s an issue that still<br />
has resonance in many parts of the world today.<br />
Assassination plot<br />
As the political situation in Germany deteriorated<br />
during the 1930s and anti-Semitic attacks<br />
were clothed in legal forms, and then when the<br />
war broke out and news trickled through about<br />
atrocities committed in Poland and elsewhere, a<br />
number of outraged German army officers<br />
communicated in secret and planned a coup to<br />
rid the country of Hitler by assassinating him.<br />
Bonhoeffer got involved through family and<br />
other personal contacts. He wasn’t one of the<br />
bomb-makers or planters of explosive devices<br />
but he worked in the background on what might<br />
be called the information and propaganda<br />
front. In the end all the plots failed and the<br />
plotters were executed.<br />
ening interest in the topic and leading<br />
to the Nazi period being addressed<br />
more extensively in schools. “It is<br />
always important to explain and not to<br />
judge,” Mommsen stressed.<br />
Hitler did not work alone<br />
He warned of “the moralising interpretation<br />
of the period by the media<br />
as a reversion to the 1950s”. And<br />
Mommsen criticised the excessive<br />
emphasis on the person of Hitler. He<br />
took Germany’s foreign office to task,<br />
describing the book it commissioned<br />
titled The office and the past: German<br />
diplomats in the Third Reich and the<br />
Federal Republic as an “attempt at<br />
wiping out history” and a setback in<br />
the process of coming to terms with<br />
the Nazis. Care should be taken that<br />
the government does not get too<br />
involved, he said.<br />
Mommsen commented that the<br />
new generation of historians seems to<br />
have forgotten the work of the<br />
preceding generation. That barb was<br />
directed at the authors of the book,<br />
who made no mention of earlier<br />
studies. Mommsen described this<br />
approach of “starting again from<br />
scratch” as a way of justifying state<br />
funding. “Institutions close to the<br />
government commission historians in<br />
a targeted way. I think it would be<br />
better to leave such initiatives to independent<br />
research.”<br />
Christian driven to rebel at Hitler’s atrocities<br />
Review: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas<br />
BZT/Aaron Taylor<br />
Buy the book<br />
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy<br />
by Eric Metaxas<br />
Paperback, 591 pages, illustrated<br />
Thomas Nelson, 2010. USD 29.99<br />
How a Christian pastor could come to condone<br />
the deliberate killing of another person, however<br />
evil, is one of the themes of Eric Metaxa’s story. It<br />
is a heroic tale but a tragic one, given the nature<br />
of its ending. The author’s own Christian beliefs<br />
are clearly reflected in his work but this<br />
“ideology” is not rammed down your throat.<br />
Indeed, whether you agree with his assertions and<br />
nuances or not, he provides a good insight into<br />
the contradictions of what often comes under just<br />
one umbrella, labelled “Christianity”.<br />
HHIISTORRYY BBOOKS
16 28 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH 2011 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>BUDAPEST</strong> <strong>TIMES</strong><br />
EAATTIINNGG OUUTT<br />
Versatile kitchen fares well delving<br />
into rarer side of national cuisine<br />
Review: Bock Bisztró, District VII<br />
BÉNÉDICTE WILLIAMS<br />
S<br />
et in the same cluster of<br />
buildings as the Corinthia<br />
Hotel <strong>Budapest</strong> along the<br />
Nagykörút, Bock Bisztró offers fine<br />
food in a classy but relaxed environment,<br />
half-way between open-plan<br />
bar and restaurant. It has recently<br />
branched out into Hungarian and<br />
Asian-influenced breakfast offerings.<br />
But its mainstays remain<br />
Hungarian cuisine, often of the<br />
kind that is least likely to figure<br />
among <strong>Budapest</strong>’s top-end restaurants,<br />
such as the humble but nutritious<br />
hurka (blood sausage) or the<br />
cracklings currently on the menu.<br />
Hungarian gastronomic tradition<br />
is not renowned for its friendliness<br />
to vegetarians, a point that is driven<br />
home by a quick perusal of the<br />
menu and the specials on the board,<br />
although there is also a number of<br />
shellfish, and freshwater and<br />
seawater fish options on offer. The<br />
wine list, exclusively Hungarian, is<br />
excellent. Service, too, is polite and<br />
attentive.<br />
The amuse-bouche of herby pork<br />
fat served with sliced raw red onion,<br />
strong green pepper and good,<br />
homemade bread reveals some of<br />
the roots of Bock’s inspiration in<br />
upmarket peasant food. The<br />
starters show the versatility of<br />
Bock’s kitchen: the smoked trout<br />
with its vegetable garnish, and<br />
smoked paprika and Hungarian<br />
sturgeon egg sauce, is firm and delicately<br />
tasty.<br />
The beef carpaccio, served in a<br />
thin roulade with goose liver,<br />
extremely soft and crumbly in<br />
texture, and just relieved by a touch<br />
of salt flakes, is in itself delicious with<br />
its light salad and cheese shavings.<br />
Its accompaniment of goose liver,<br />
topped with sushi ginger, smoked<br />
eel and wasabi sauce is imaginative<br />
but perhaps somewhat too complex<br />
and overwhelming for the delicate<br />
taste of the carpaccio.<br />
From the specials board, the<br />
lobster cappucino with its tiger<br />
prawn cheviche provides an<br />
intriguing take on the coffee<br />
concept, while the creamy meat stew<br />
with porcini mushrooms and celery<br />
offers a really delicious alliance of<br />
tastes and textures.<br />
Among the main courses, the<br />
pike perch, served on a bulgur<br />
base, is again a nice, firm, well<br />
cooked and delicately flavoured<br />
fish dish. The neatly presented ox<br />
cheek in sauce, with dumpling,<br />
lightly fried onion and garlic, and<br />
bone marrow, is rather rich, naturally<br />
because of the meat (which is<br />
very well cooked, just tender<br />
enough) and because of the dry<br />
nature of the dumpling, where<br />
extra vegetable content would help<br />
to lighten up the whole dish.<br />
The honey-drizzled, dillflavoured<br />
cottage-cheese pie is<br />
perhaps not the most obvious<br />
dessert choice, especially after a rich<br />
meal, but the dill does bring a<br />
refreshing note; the croquambouche<br />
base, made of a nut and crumbled<br />
cake mix, is crunchy and flavourful,<br />
and balances well with the compact<br />
nature of the cheese part.<br />
Price points<br />
Starters & soups: ....HUF 950-3,700<br />
Mains: ..................HUF 3,400-6,700<br />
Dessert:...................HUF 350-1,100<br />
Wine (bottle):.....HUF 3,700-21,000<br />
Bock Bisztró<br />
District VII, Erzsébet körút 43-<br />
49 (entrance on the street)<br />
Mon-Sat 12.00-24.00<br />
(+36-1) 321-0340<br />
www.bockbistro.hu<br />
BZT/Aaron Taylor (9)<br />
V. Zoltán u. 16<br />
(next to Szabadság tér)<br />
Reservations:<br />
331-4352<br />
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RESTAURANTS<br />
call 453-0752<br />
w breakfast from 9am<br />
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SUNNY LOUNGE<br />
Bp., 1035 Szentendrei út 36/a<br />
Tel.: +36-1-367-3494<br />
info@sunnylounge.hu<br />
www.sunnylounge.hu