01:Layout 1 6/10/11 5:03 PM Page 1
AsiA-europe meeting
one of the most importAnt events of the hungAriAn eu presidency SEE MORE ON PAGE
dt inside >
EU PRESIDENCY REAL ESTATE SUMMIT
>
COUNTRY FOCUS THE NETHERLANDS
>
MIGRATION PROBLEMS FOR THE EU POLITICAL ANALYSIS PAGE 17
>
AFRICAN DIPLOMATIC EVENTS IN BUDAPEST
>
>
ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATED TERRACOTTA ARMY
Former President Ferenc Madl Passes Away
PAGE 3
PAGES 4-11
PAGES 19-20
PAGE 21
PAGE 25
3.
The Hungarian Sea SUMMER BALATON SUPPLEMENT ON PAGES
> Former President of the Republic of Hungary, Ferenc Madl, died at the age of 80 on May 29 in Budapest. He was the president of the country from 2000 to 2005. His burial in the National Graveyard on June 7 was attended by Hungarian dignitaries, foreign politicians and hundred of other mourners.
13-16. country focus
SEE MORE ON PAGE
2. hollAnd
HUF 840, EUR 3
Ambassador of the netherlands > HAVING ARRIVED IN HUNGARY TWO YEARS AGO, Dutch Ambassador Robert Milders says he has witnessed exciting times, especially “the 180-degree turn in Hungarian politics”. Even under the circumstances of this radically changing Hungarian domestic political scenario, his fundamental aim as ambassador has not changed: “putting The Netherlands on the map in Hungary.” Although, it is a globalized world, “you still need eyes and ears abroad.” He believes that despite the fact that nowadays, all sorts of information is available in the newspapers and on the Internet, embassies are there to perform the task of “political exchange” between governments. Occasions like the Hungarian EU Presidency give the opportunity for more intense dialog even in amicable relations such as that of Holland and Hungary.
CONTINUED ON PAGE
4.
02 news:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:08 PM Page 1
{ news } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
NEW BMW MANAGING DIRECTOR
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER THE NETHERLANDS IS THE SECOND LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR IN HUNGARY. As our articles suggest, Dutch companies in Hungary primarily need a reliable, credible, sustainable and transparent economic environment. Among others, articles in the section cover Queen Beatrix, the powerful Dutch tulip business, Dutch migrants in Hungary and Hungarian footballers in Holland. Let me take the opportunity here to thank the Dutch Ambassador to Hungary, H.E. Robert Milders for the in-depth interview on the major aspects of bilateral relations. In this edition of Diplomacy and Trade, you can also find two other interesting sections: Lake Balaton, the ‘Hungarian sea’ always welcoming for the summer with bathing, yachting, wines and festivals, while the African continent came into focus through important international meetings in Hungary recently. On the news front, European and Asian officials met in Hungary as the country’s EU Presidency is nearing its end. In the meantime, Europe faces the challenge of legal and illegal immigration, the subject of our political analysis in the current issue. In the economy, we look at whether it was a good deal for Hungary to purchase back a significant stake in the oil and gas conglomerate MOL.
> Paul de Courtois has been named the new managing director of BMW Hungary Ltd. The current CEO, Henning Putzke – after five successful years at BMW Hungary – will continue his career at the group's German division. Paul de Courtois studied marketing and business IT at the Dauphine University in Paris, and – as an exchange student – in Oxford and Berlin. Then, in 1997, he was employed as an analyst for the BMW subsidiary in France. Until 2004, he worked in his native country in project manager and sales manager positions with the company. Later, he worked for the BMW headquarters in Munich where he was responsible for the markets of the African, Caribbean and the Eastern European regions. The official distribution of MINI models was launched in Tunisia and Algeria under his supervision, while the regions he was responsible for produced a higher-than-average, about 25% sales growth in the year 2010.
GKI ECONOMIC RESEARCH
Three Economic Policy Challenges
In our continuing interest in innovation, we cover the recent European Future Technologies conference in Budapest and a unique Hungarian invention to resolve parking problems. In culture, you can read about Chinese terracotta soldiers in Budapest, special events related to Israel in Hungary in the past month and Hungarian telephony celebrating 130 years of history.
10 0 -10 -20
And don’t forget our slogan: monthly in print and daily on the web’: www.dteurope.com
-30 -40
Peter Freed
-50
PUBLISHER
Newsstand price: HUF 840, EUR 3 Subscriptions are available for an annual fee of EUR 33 in Hungary, or EUR 90 to all other destinations. Payment may be made with American Express, MC, Visa, and Eurocard. Send requests and inquiries to Duax Kft. 1034 Budapest, Bécsi út 60. Telephone [+36-70] 320-3051 Fax [+36-1] 350-5660 Email editor@dteurope.com Advertising adsales@dteurope.com
PUBLISHER I Peter Freed MANAGING EDITOR I Péter Kerényi EDITOR I Sándor Laczkó COPY EDITOR I Joyce Freed CONTRIBUTORS I Réka A. Francisck, Sándor Laczkó, Péter Kerényi, (portfolio.hu), Tamás Magyarics, (GKI), Rudolf Sárdi, Robert H.C. Kemkers DESIGN & PRODUCTION I Tamás Külkey PHOTO EDITOR I Dávid Harangozó PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS I László Beliczay/MTI, Hungarian Tourism Office (COVER), Barnabás Honéczy/MTI, Tamás Kovács/MTI, www.rnw.nl, www.byc.hu, www.europarl.europa.eu, www.voetbalmagazine.nl, UNHCR/A. Di Loreto, www.sziget.hu/balatonsound, Postamúzeum Picture Gallery, Bianka Májay, www.hamaariihindii.wikispaces.com, www.globalvoicesonline.org SALES MANAGER I Mónika Barbay MOBILE: 06 70 3203057 SALES REPRESENTATIVE I Gizella Balogh MOBILE: 06 70 3202865 DISTRIBUTION MANAGER I Tibor Ocsenás ADMINISTRATION I Judit Ludányi ASSISTANTS I Rózsa Budai, Katalin Gazdag Copyright ©2011 Duax Kft., all rights reserved ISSN 1589-8075 This magazine is produced by Duax Kft. The opinions published in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Duax Kft.
2011 JUNE
05.2011
01.2011
09.2010
05.2010
01.2010
09.2009
05.2009
01.2009
09.2008
05.2008
Consumer confidence index
IN MAY GKI-ERSTE ECONOMIC CONFIDENCE INDEX ADJUSTED for seasonal effects fell to its annual low. According to the empirical survey conducted by GKI (www.gki.hu) with the support of the EU the decrease recorded in March and the correction of April was followed by deterioration in May that was more pronounced in business expectations and somewhat slighter in consumer sentiment. In the business sector the value of industrial confidence index plummeted spectacularly, by nine points in one month compared with the previous one. This was without precedent in the history of the index. Following a continuous improvement of nearly two years, the deterioration of industrial expectations was an unexpected development. The negative change characterised all company groups and fields of activity. Industrial companies perceived the production of both the preceding and the next period more pessimistically than one month ago. The evaluation of the stock of orders including that of exports, too, became more downbeat. Nevertheless, respondents qualified the stocks of own production larger than earlier. Construction is still the most pessimistic industry. The deterioration of expectations continued in May. The evaluation of the production level and the stock of orders improved somewhat, but the intentions of employment deteriorated markedly. The confidence index of trade increased slightly, within this that relating to orders was up significantly. Respondents
>
01.2008
09.2007
05.2007
01.2007
09.2006
05.2006
01.2006
09.2005
Business confidence index
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
2
05.2005
-80
01.2005
-70
GKI-Erste economic sentiment index
recorded increasing stock levels and modestly improving sales positions. The confidence index of service companies grew slightly, the evaluation of the general business climate and sales of the preceding and the subsequent period improved. The intentions of employment weakened in industry and construction, they improved in trade and remained unchanged in services. The fear from unemployment of households strengthened. Intentions of price increases weakened in all industries. In industry the share of those planning price rises decreased from 21 per cent in April to 11 per cent in May and the share of those reckoning with price reductions, too, dropped. In construction those anticipating price decreases are in majority against those projecting price rises. The situation was similar in services in May. In trade the share of those planning price rises decreased in one month. The average size of price increases, too, diminished. The inflationary expectations of consumers eased as well. The evaluation of the prospects of the Hungarian economy has been deteriorating significantly in almost every industry and among consumers for the third month. The consumer confidence index of GKI has been decreasing continuously and significantly in 2011. In May households assessed their financial situation worse for the next 12 months than in April, and they considered the current conditions of purchasing highvalue durables substantially worse. Their expectations for the next 12 months turned slightly better concerning savings. <
Barnabas Honeczy/MTI, Courtesy picture
> Former President of the Republic of Hungary, Ferenc Madl, died at the age of 80 on May 29 in Budapest. He was buried on June 7. He was the president of the country from 2000 to 2005. Beforehand, he was minister without portfolio in the first post-communist government, headed by Jozsef Antall, and was education minister in 1993-1994.He graduated
-60
PHOTOS BY
FORMER PRESIDENT FERENC MADL DIES
in 1955 in the public-administration and law faculty of Budapest's ELTE University before completing a law degree in Strasbourg, France between 1961 and 1963.Between 1956 and 1971, he worked in the law department of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and later headed the department before pursuing a distinguished career in law. Madl's predecessor as President, Arpad Goncz, was "greatly shocked to hear of the former head of state's sudden death." Goncz's secretariat said in a statement that Goncz greatly esteemed Madl's presidential endeavors, his academic work, and his charming and approachable personality. Current President Pal Schmitt expressed his "deep pain" at learning of Madl's death, the presidential office said in a statement. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on his Facebook page: "We are shocked to hear the news. May he rest in peace!" The leader of Hungary's main opposition party, the Socialists, Attila Mesterhazy, expressed his "sincere condolences" in a statement. He said the nation would preserve the memory of Madl in its heart. Ferenc Madl is survived by his wife Dalma, a son and three grandchildren.
03 eu presidency:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:08 PM Page 1
{ eu presidency } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Fostering Closer Asia-Europe Cooperation MARTONYI: OPENING TOWARDS ASIA IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF BOTH HUNGARIAN AND EU FOREIGN POLICY FOREIGN MINISTERS AND REPRESENTATIVES of 27 countries of the EU and 19 countries of Asia gathered for the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Godollo, east of Budapest, to discuss ways to cope with non-traditional security challenges. Vice-president and high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, was of the view that the dialogue between European and Asian
>
Foreign Ministers "reflects the solid engagement between the EU and Asia". She went on to say that “Asia and Europe face many common security challenges as well as share many interests," calling the 15-year-old ASEM framework "essential." The agenda also included "non-traditional" security challenges like climate change, food and energy security, and the fight against piracy. "These problems cannot be addressed alone, only with a joint effort,"
Ashton said. "The people recognized the importance of working together to prepare for crisis management and the unfortunate disasters that can and will happen. The more we can collaborate on these kinds of issues and in crisis and disaster management, the more we can respond to our people's needs in advance," she added. Japanese foreign minister Matsumuto Takeaki pointed out that the dialogue also covered counter terrorism, disaster
management, nuclear safety and security, and nuclear non-proliferation. Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi stressed that opening towards Asia is an integral part of both Hungarian and EU foreign policy. "If you look at recent trade and investment with countries like China, Japan, Korea and most of the Asian countries, the figures have increased dramatically even in the most difficult years after the economic crisis," Martonyi said. <
Real Estate Business is Mirror of Society INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY FORUM IN BUDAPEST – GATEWAY TO EUROPE UNDER THE HIGH PATRONAGE OF THE HUNGARIAN PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, in May, the Hungarian capital hosted the Budapest European Real Estate Summit 2011 organized by the Federation of Hungarian Real Estate Associations (MIT) and the European Property Federation (EPF). “In the real estate business, everybody has problems, not just Eastern Europe,” EPF President John R. Frederiksen told Diplomacy and Trade. He pointed out it was important to hear, from a state secretary, the Hungarian government’s wishes and that new jobs should be created in the productive industries. “We are a mirror of the society around us. If business, especially the service industry is successful, the demand for premises, for property increases. If service industry jobs are created, people have more money to pay the rent, buy or build a house. Then, again, construction creates new jobs and more purchasing power. That is the good spiral we all hope for,” Frederiksen stressed. He went on to say that “the government can help indirectly, by creating jobs, and
PHOTOS BY
David Harangozo
>
stimulating the construction of environmental friendly buildings. You need organizations like the European Property Federation to offer explanations and give advice to legislators in a serious and constructive way: what is good and bad and why. We should be trustworthy to the European Parliament, as well. There are property federations in a number of European countries but each of these in itself does not have a strong enough voice. The European Property Federation does.” 2011 JUNE
He pointed out that the real estate situation in Hungary is very much like in other countries of the region. It is hard to find tenants everywhere but “if you look at Budapest, it is a fascinating city. Those living here probably don’t realize this but coming from a foreign country, people are amazed. If you want to attract international organizations you have to have a very nice city, a good environment. The same is true when multinational companies look for headquarters in the region. They want
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
3
to go where they find well-educated people, a government creating proper business conditions for investors and there is a nice environment to live in,” he suggested. As for lessons to be learned from the world financial crisis that has also very much been a real estate crisis, as well, John R. Frederiksen said “it is natural that property developers want to have access to financing in a not too difficult way, but if you look back, it has been too easy.” Lots of people, who were not property people, jumped into the real estate boom. They could go to the bank and have all the money they wanted, financing a development project 110%: 100% for the property and 10% to spend. Price went up, up and up and suddenly, the bubble burst. They didn’t have the equity, their own money, only the bank’s money, they went bankrupt as the value of the property then was not enough to pay the loan back…” He was of the view that, in the future, banks must be very cautious and conduct a background check before financing, and should have the advice of property professionals on each project. “Lending 80%, instead of 110%.” <
04 country focus:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:07 PM Page 1
Facts and figures on the lady leading the Netherlands, a country where there is strong page 6 support for the monarchy.
Tulip Flower Power
Dutch in Hungary
Magyars in Holland
An ambassador with a green thumb and the practice of tulip speculation - the flower page 9 associated with Holland .
About 5,000 Dutch people have settled in Hungary to find inexpensive but enjoyable page 10 life in this country.
Eight Hungarian footballers played in the Dutch top division in this past season but none page 11 may continue in the next one.
For a Reliable and Sustainable Environment DUTCH COMPANIES IN HUNGARY WISH TO HAVE MORE DIALOG WITH THE GOVERNMENT C O U N T I N U E D F R O M F R O N T PA G E >
BY SAN DOR L ACZKO
AMBASSADOR MILDERS STATES THAT IN BILATERAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Hungary “continues to be a key player not so much in doing business – that is the job of the companies, of course – but in seeing that the business environment is reliable and sustainable. The new Hungarian government has taken strict measures to curtail the deficit. It is their responsibility how things work out. My responsibility as Ambassador is to see how the interests of Dutch – and in general, international – companies can be safeguarded under these circumstances. I think that it is also in the interest of Hungary to see how to make them remain in the country.” He often hears the criticism from Dutch companies that “we have to take our share of the burden by paying in taxes but we don’t hear anything from the government, there is no dialog. That is one of the signals that we
>
have given to the Hungarian government and they listen because they realize the importance of foreign investments in getting out of the pit. Such a role is one of the added values of embassies.” A related issue where the Dutch Embassy takes the initiative is transparency. In late 2009, Robert Milders was one of the ambassadors in Budapest to issue a joint statement to call for more transparency in the Hungarian economy. Recently, The Netherlands has passed a law allowing whistle-blowers to come forward without the fear of losing their job. Hungarian government officials showed interest in the matter. “The EU Presidency is a big challenge for Hungary as this is the first time this country fills the role of the rotating presidency. It is a handicap that a new government came in half a year before the official start of the Presidency and even less before the related preliminary talks. I have heard a lot of compliments regarding the way Hungary is doing its job, especially in organization and logistics. It is also a good opportunity for
officials of the different EU countries to visit Budapest and see the city and its surroundings. It is good for Hungary’s image,” the Ambassador adds. He says that “politically, it is a difficult situation as the world financial crisis still lingers and unforeseen events have arisen in the Arab
FACTS COMPARED AREA country comparison to the world: POPULATION country comparison to the world: POPULATION GROWTH RATE country comparison to the world BIRTH RATE country comparison to the world LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH country comparison to the world NET MIGRATION RATE country comparison to the world GDP - PER CAPITA (PPP) country comparison to the world UNEMPLOYMENT RATE country comparison to the world TELEPHONES - MOBILE CELLULAR country comparison to the world AIRPORTS country comparison to the world Source: World Factbook
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
4
2011 JUNE
world. All in all, Hungary is a good caretaker, no big steps taken – as wisely emphasized by the Hungarian Foreign Minister – and shows herself as a reliable partner.” While the media law and the constitution passed by the new government were questioned internationally, Robert Milders is of the view that these are fundamentally domestic issues not related to the EU Presidency. The Netherlands is one of the countries involved in Libyan conflict. “We take part helping to implement the UN resolution. We are not involved in the theater but rather as a support like patrolling and providing assistance in stopping migration. The Dutch would like to see democracy prevail in Libya.” The Ambassador believes Hungary could play an important role in the Arab world by sharing – e.g. with Egypt – its 20-year experience in changing the social and political system. As for cultural relations, Ambassador Milders believes “it is an especially good field to put a country on the map but the current situation is characterized by growing possibilities and a shrinking budget.“ Last year, Holland supported the southern Hungarian city of Pecs as the Cultural Capital of Europe. Now, the Embassy is involved in sponsoring smaller events like film and theater projects and an exhibition by Dutch cartoonist Joost Swarte in Budapest. “Every year, we support the Sziget Festival in the Hungarian capital since about 10,000 Dutch youths are visitin g every year. The Dutch contribution to the Liszt Year celebrations in Hungary will be the exhibition of documents about Liszt’s several visits to the royal household in the Netherlands,” the Dutch Ambassador concludes. <
HUNGARY
93,028 sq km 109 9,992,339 (July 2010 est.) 83 -0.156% (2010 est.) 212 9.7 births/1,000 population 200 74.57 years 93 1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population 48 $18,600 63 10.7% (2010 est.) 117 12,224,000 54 43 100
TURKEY
41,543 sq km 134 16,847,007 (2011 est). 60 0,371% (2011 est.) 163 10,23 births/1,000 population 163 79.68 years 35 2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population 35 $40,500 18 5.5% 53 21,182,000 39 27 125
David Harangozo
Queen Beatrix
Direct investments from the Netherlands to Hungary increased in 2010 as did bilateral page 5 trade.
PHOTO BY
Trade & Investment
05 mollenberg:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:06 PM Page 1
{ dutch focus } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Dutch Investors in need of Growth and Credibility INTERVIEW WITH THE HEAD OF THE ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT OF THE DUTCH EMBASSY AS THE WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS IS ABATING, DUTCH-HUNGARIAN ECONOMIC RELATIONS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY, YEAR-ON-YEAR DIRECT INVESTMENTS (FDI) FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO HUNGARY INCREASED IN 2010, AS DID BILATERAL TRADE. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE TALKED TO THE HEAD OF THE ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT AT THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS EMBASSY IN BUDAPEST, ELZO MOLENBERG. BY SAN DOR L ACZKO
MOLENBERG Statistics would indicate that the Dutch approach to the Hungarian market and its investment climate is cloudless. There is, however, more to the picture than meets the eye. Decision-making with regard to FDI takes time. The flow of foreign direct investment to Hungary in 2010 was based on the analyses of the Hungarian market in 2008 and 2009. The election year of 2010 will in this respect show its effect on the level of FDI from 2012 onward. Having stated this, foreign investors judge the Hungarian investment climate on two major issues: growth and credibility. The engine of Hungarian economic growth will continue to be the export. Domestic demand has been stagnating for years and there are no signs that this will improve. As we see it, the SMEfocused New Szechenyi Plan is experiencing a difficult start, and the Szell Kalman Plan reform package must still be implemented. The growth-related effects of both plans have yet to be proven. Moreover, the way the government decided and implemented the crisis taxation measures, burdening multinational companies in several sectors, has unfortunately damaged the credibility of
representing a 10% increase as compared to 2009, positioning the Netherlands as 6th largest trading partner of Hungary. As of this May 1st, Hungarians – among citizens of other countries – are free to work in Austria and Germany. The Netherlands opened its job market in 2007. What has been the experience, how were jobs and wages affected?
the government from an investor point of view. Consequently, I predict a decline of FDI in Hungary after 2012. What is the role of your unit at the Dutch Embassy in Budapest? How much can this department facilitate the flow of Dutch working capital to Hungary? Basically, the services of this department of the Embassy center around four major tasks: Hungarian market introduction for Netherlands based companies, representation of Dutch corporate interests, implementation of economic promotion and economic reporting to HQ in the Netherlands. We help with all these issues but the decision to invest rests with the corporate sector.
The Netherlands received a steady flow of Polish, Romanians and Bulgarians into the Dutch labor market, mostly in the agricultural sector. However, we experienced no ‘flood’, whatsoever. Today, in the Netherlands there is a discussion about the crowding-out effect of this supply on Dutch long-term redundant workers, a discussion that has now been lifted to the EU-level. <
NETHERLANDS ECONOMIC FIGURES GDP COMPOSITION BY SECTOR • agriculture 2,6% • industry: 24.9% • services: 72.4% NATIONAL BUDGET • revenues: USD 356 billion • expenditures: USD 400 billion
What is the volume of bilateral trade and what are the major commodities of trade? More than EUR 1.1 billion FDI reached Hungary from the Netherlands in 2010, almost doubling the result of 2009. On a cumulative base, the Netherlands is the second largest investor in Hungary with foreign direct investments of over EUR 9 billion. In 2010, bilateral trade reached approximately EUR 4.2 billion,
INDUSTRIES agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, micro-electronics, fishing
lie back, relax leave the rest to us
SM
Situated on the Danube bank the Ramada Plaza Budapest invites you to sleep in comfort, dine in style, work in peace and relax in luxury. It provides 310 rooms with free and unlimited internet access including 34 Executive Rooms, 160 newly refurbished Deluxe Rooms with cutting edge amenities and 8 state-of-the-art Suites.
Ramada Plaza Budapest H-1036 Budapest, Árpád fejedelem útja 94. Phone +36 1 436 4100, Fax +36 1 436 4156 info@ramadaplazabudapest.com• www.ramadaplazabudapest.com
PHOTO BY
David Harangozo
Our 13 multifunctional meeting and conference rooms represent an ideal venue for meetings, conferences, exhibitions, banquets or any other customised event, for up to 350 persons. They feature the latest technical equipment, including state-of- the art audio and video conferencing and high speed wireless internet access.
2011 JUNE
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
5
06 queen:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:06 PM Page 1
{ dutch focus } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Beatrix of The Netherlands DUTCH QUEEN TO HAND OVER THE CROWN TO HER SON WILLEM-ALEXANDER? THE 20TH CENTURY BECAME A CENTURY reigned by women in The Netherlands. However this might change in the future. At least, this is the wish of 60 percent of the Dutch public. Her Majesty Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard will turn 75 in 2013 and half of those in favour of her resigning think this would be the perfect moment to hand over the ruling role to her son, Prince Willem-Alexander. Support for the Dutch monarchy is very strong in the Netherlands. Two thirds of those questioned feel the level of political power exercised by the monarch is just right. Three out of ten would prefer the monarchy to wield no political influence whatsoever. The survey conducted by market researcher TNS NIPO – is based on the opinions of 829 Dutch people older than 18 years. Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, reigning Queen of the nation as well as being Princess of Orange-Nassau and Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, is daughter of the late Queen Juliana. The Royal Family of Orange reign takes its roots from the 13th century. Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard was born on 31 Jan, 1938 at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn as Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau and Princess of LippeBiesterfeld.
>
Special day The Dutch people have many good sentiments about their royals. Queen’s Day is celebrated every year on April 30 (or 29 if 30 is a Sunday), which originally started as a celebration of the Dutch monarchy. When Queen Beatrix succeeded Juliana in 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on the same day as a mark of respect for her mother and because the weather on her own birthday, Jan 31, tends to prohibit the traditional outdoor festivals. The orange color is a common sight on Queen's Day as well as being the beloved color of the whole country, because it represents the current dynasty. There are orange banners and flags, orange-colored foods and drinks. Even the water in some fountains is dyed orange on this day. In recent years, the Queen’s Day has become more and more of an open air party, particularly in Amsterdam, which attracts anywhere from 500,000 to 2 million visitors. Because Queen's Day is a bank holiday and and a time for recreation, people also go out and party on the evening before. This is Queen's Night, or Koninginnenach in Dutch. This event draws tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Royal duty Queen Beatrix is the nominal head of state in The Netherlands. She represents the nation both at home and abroad and has a special bond with the Dutch Antilles, Aruba and Suriname, former Dutch colonies where there is still great interest in the House of Orange. Beatrix wields more power than most of Europe's monarchs. In domestic matters she has little political say, but in international relations she has much more latitude. While the Dutch monarchy remains extremely popular, in recent times the nation's media has openly criticized the Royal Family. It has published many 'tabloid' stories similar to the ones that have plagued the House of Windsor for years. Some Dutch subjects view the
QUEEN BEATRIX HAS TURNED 73 THIS YEAR, making her one of the oldest heads of state the Netherlands has ever known. (Only King Willem III reached the same age while on the throne: he died in 1890 at the age of 73. ) "Many thanks for all the heartwarming birthday wishes, " tweeted the Dutch Government Information Service (RVD) on behalf of the Queen on Jan 31. The Dutch Royal Family has over 32,000 followers on Twitter.
The queen could also claim British nationality because of her descent from Sophia. The Queen celebrated the 25th anniversary of her reign on Apr 19 and Apr 30, 2005. She was interviewed on Dutch television and was given a concert on Dam Square by the city of Amsterdam. A separate celebration took place in The Hague, the country's seat of government. During World War II the Dutch Royal Family moved to Britain and then to Ottawa, Canada. In 1956, Princess Beatrix celebrated her 18th birthday. Under the Constitution of The Netherlands, she was entitled to assume the royal prerogative from monarchy and his death in 2002 was widely mourned. The royal couple raised three sons. The oldest, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, is the heir to the throne. His brothers are Johan Friso and Constantijn. Willem-Alexander married Argentine-born Maxima and they are raising three daughters: Princess Amalia, the oldest, Alexia and Ariane, the youngest who turned four this year and is already attending primary school.
SIX DRAWINGS BY DUTCH QUEEN BEATRIX sold in auction in Amsterdam in last Dec for EUR 16,750 euros. "The drawings are not dated," Christie's spokesman Maarten van Gijn said. “Their quality suggested they were made when she was 10 or 12 years old, he said. Drawings depict ballerinas, models, a horse and elves. They were all bought by Dutch beauty products and electrical appliances company the Ouberg Group, which has a range called Princess,” van Gijn added. "On the drawing representing a horse we can see on the bottom left signed the letters T, V and O, for 'Trix van Oranje' (Beatrix of Orange)." The young Beatrix gave the drawings to someone who worked in the court, whose inheritors decided to put them up for auction.
that day. Beatrix married a German aristocrat, Claus von Amsberg. There were massive protests on their wedding day because Prince Claus had served in the Hitler Youth and the Wehrmacht and was associated by the Dutch people with Nazism. Protests included the memorable slogan “I want my bicycle back,” a reference to the memory of occupying German soldiers confiscating Dutch bicycles. As time went on, however, Prince Claus became one of the most popular members of the Dutch DIPLOMACY & TRADE
6
DUTCH QUEEN'S CHILDHOOD DRAWINGS SELL FOR 16,750 EUROS
2011 JUNE
www.rnw.nl, www.europarl.europa.eu
British nationality
PHOTOS BY
monarchy as an ongoing ‘soap opera’ rather than an institution that plays an important role in society. As a result, Beatrix’s challenge is to keep the monarchy modern, efficient and, most of all, in tune with the people. The queen is one of just a few Dutch women in her age group still holding a paid job.
07 chamber:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:05 PM Page 1
{ dutch focus } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Keeping pace with changing demands SERVING THE DUTCH BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR THE NINTH YEAR Hungary. “When a specialist is invited to speak, – there is a kind of shift in these chamber only a portion of our members are interested gatherings from social to professional events. and that is true for the other chambers, as Social events are organized a few times a year well. However, together, they make up a and thus, they preserve their special status,” he significant audience.” says. People also identify chambers of commerce as lobbying organizations. Indeed, The Netherlands-Hungarian Chamber of in the past, one of the key responsibilities of Commerce has about 100 members. The the individual Dutch economy is chambers was to act basically a service PAUL STOLK CAME TO HUNGARY as a as a lobbying force as economy with lots of student in 1990, basically just out of individual companies companies in this field curiosity. He was studying, exploring don’t have the present in Hungary, also. the country, doing market research for They are usually strength to do that. Dutch companies and enjoying life. members of the Dutch Now, this is another After completing studies and with the Chamber, which in 2010, field where the local knowledge in mind, he started a had one event a week on Netherlandssoftware company and a direct average, a lot for a small Hungarian Chamber of marketing company. The first one was office where one person Commerce cooperates works full time and one with other chambers, sold in 1996 and the other one evolved part time. “Members like the Canadian, into a direct communication company always like events with German or British, to that was sold in 1999. Now, he is Dutch characteristics. build a team for this involved in a company doing research job. The Dutch They like these to be and product developmenton skin Chamber Chairman working events where diseases. He is married and has three adds that “we can also they can learn concrete daughters, 3, 7 and 9 years. involve the Embassy and useful things, that has a strong something with added lobbying power and we have Transparency value,” Paul Stolk points out. International as a partner in this effort. Our As a novelty introduced in 2010, the Chamber’s goal is basically to be a discussion partner for members can present themselves in their own office. “Instead of participating at a reception, the government as chambers of commerce they can welcome an audience selected by us. together in a much more institutionalized We see that people are more interested in form. A proper dialog is in the interest of all concrete information than going to a reception parties concerned.” <
WHEN PAUL STOLK WAS ELECTED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NETHERLANDSHUNGARIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE in January 2010, his main aim was “to help member companies by having a strong networking platform for firms to meet other firms. We wish to be as concrete as possible helping people do business, gathering leads, finding clients,” he tells Diplomacy and Trade. He adds that “recently, we have completely changed the concept of organizing events. Companies are still willing to contribute to the Chamber but not on a general level as before. They are only interested in sponsoring events of special focus.” Going back to networking, he says that “last year, we started to cooperate with the French Chamber of Commerce and hold ‘speed business meetings’ every three months. This is a networking model, which offers to each participant the possibility through several oneto-one meetings of ten minutes to introduce himself and his company, to present his products and to explain his own targets. This has grown big and actually, the last meeting, at the end of May, was co-organized with 12 chambers of commerce and some 400 participants invited. This is a very good way for networking.” Cooperation with the French Chamber is not unique since the Dutch organize about half of their events together with other chambers. So, Paul Stolk believes in the cooperation and not the rivalry of the different foreign chambers in
>
The Growing Importance of Interim Management HUNGARIAN ACADEMY SET UP WITH DUTCH SUPPORT ALTHOUGH, INTERIM MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN PRESENT IN EUROPE for the past 25-30 years, it is still relatively unknown in Hungary. “We endeavor to change that by spreading the culture of Interim Management in this country. This is a tool that can greatly contribute to corporate achievement. However, it is necessary to teach managerial competence that should accompany professional knowledge and experience. This Institution has been set up with Dutch educational support to train Hungarian interim management professionals, as well as with the thorough professional contribution of Hungarian interim management service provider Hammel & Hochreiter International Consulting Ltd.,” Rajmund Viragh, the Managing Director of the Interim Manager Academy explains to Diplomacy and Trade. By definition, Interim Management service is “the provision of a mature, professional manager, well qualified by relevant practical
PHOTOS BY
David Harangozo, Courtesy pictures
>
experience, either to fill a gap in permanent staffing or to deliver a specific business result within a limited time period.” Viragh says “Interim Management is not a wonder substance, but if used in the right place and used properly, it could be an efficient management tool. Someone with professional experience can come in handy in case of temporary lack of human resources in a permanent position (either planned or due to sudden circumstances), or with the aim of reaching special business success within a certain period of time. Our mission is to introduce the interim management service in Hungary. The object of the Academy is to spread around the interim management culture by Knowledge sharing, events and education.” An Interim Manager has three tasks at the same time: he/she is an operative manager, managing daily tasks; he/she is a consulting manager, analyzing the situation and elaborating future plans; and most of all, he/she is a change manager, initiating, fulfilling, following up and checking necessary changes. “Based on feedback from our Clients, putting an Interim Manager in place is advantageous 2011 JUNE
because it means a quick solution is at hand within days; it offers outstanding costeffectiveness for a defined period; there are no hidden costs and the risk level of applying this solution is low,” Rajmund Viragh explains. The Interim Manager Academy in Hungary has been set up and is conducted in close cooperation with the Nyenrode Business University of Holland. The Nyenrode University dates back to 1946 when captains of industry from leading Dutch corporations such as KLM, Shell, Unilever, Philips and Akzo, took the initiative to start an institute where an actioninclined, internationally focused generation of new business leaders would be educated. The main goal was to rebuild the economic position of the Netherlands and Dutch enterprises after WWII. Today Nyenrode is a leading European business school, which is reflected in European and global rankings for business education. In the Financial Times ranking for Executive MBA programs (2009), Nyenrode achieved the number 1 position in terms of career progress. Hungary is the 4th country in Europe (after the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany) where the professional interim management education program has been introduced;
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
7
interim management programs were also started this spring in Spain and Switzerland. Scientific support for the Interim Manager Academy is provided by the Nyenrode Business University, represented by Prof. Dr. Ing. Jacques J.A.M. Reijniers MBA. Prof. Reijniers started to teach interim managers in 1995. He developed country specific programs that reflect the business and social environment of the given country. In the autumn of 2009, Prof. Reijniers visited Hungary and within the confines of the first introductory program of the Interim Manager Academy, he gave a presentation about his experiences as a service provider, and as a teacher. He believes that it is the Interim Manager Academy’s ambition to be a trendsetter in developing the profession of ‘interim manager’. “Interim managers of our days will be the managers of the future, because they will have competences which raise them above traditional management,” the Professor states. <
08 intercontinental:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:04 PM Page 1
{ company news } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Chain Reaction MATHIEU VAN ALPHEN’S DUTCH WAY OF LEADING HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL BUDAPEST
Tverskaya at the end of this year, the hotel sent four traditional Russian nesting dolls, Matryoshkas to travel and experience the world's iconic InterContinental Hotels. We were hosting a doll named Liuba who came from Cologne, Germany in early April, then left for Cannes, France a month later. In the meantime, she received VIP care in our hotel and managed to explore thoroughly the Hungarian capital," van Alphen reveals, adding that the tour of the doll will finish at the official opening party of the Moscow hotel, where she will be displayed with her sisters and auctioned for charity purposes. “Also, we will dedicate a whole week between June 27 and July 3 to celebrate the opening of InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas, with Portuguese flavors at our restaurants.”
30th anniversary
Hotels Group (IHG), people will seek it out. It is both challenging and comforting to be part of such a giant company," van Alphen says. With over 4,400 hotels and more than 640,000 guest rooms in 100 countries, IHG is, in fact, the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. (IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, and territories around the world.) The Group also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program with 56 million members worldwide. IHG has almost 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline, which is expected to create 160,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years. "Whenever a new hotel joins the chain, we celebrate. For instance, in preparation for the opening of the InterContinental Moscow
David Harangozo
tend to extend their stays and see the city when receiving a little "input." And this is where the district, and the city as a whole, comes into the picture. “That 3% city tax we are paying should be invested in promotions and image-building ads that reach the world,” he notes, adding that many of the hotel's guests describe Budapest as an "undiscovered gem" or "a best kept secret." "This should change. Our responsibility as hoteliers is to put the Hungarian capital on the map, for all our sakes, promoting it as a fresh, young, modern gateway of East and West,” he says. "There should be more cultural events, more festivals and fairs, targeting not only the young,” he notes. "Today, brand is everything. If you have a world famous one, such as the Intercontinental
THIS YEAR, THE HOTEL CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY. "Over this period of time, we believe, this hotel has given a lot of fond memories to a lot of people. We are to invite former employees including former managing directors, to celebrate. The hotel, under van Alphen’s leadership, was ranked among "The World's Best Hotels" in the January 2011 issue of Travel + Leisure magazine. The hotel also won the annual Hotel Stars Awards for an outstanding performance and contribution to the business and the local community in which they operate. "All our activities, programs and actions prove our true commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility," the GM says. "On May 11, five of our waiters represented the hotel at the 7th Waiters' Race in Budapest, raising funds for the Robert Burns International Foundation, supporting sick and underprivileged children in Hungary." The hotel also organized fund raising in cooperation with the Hungarian Red Cross to help the victims of last year's red sludge. Guests and employees of the hotel raised HUF 1 million within only 2 weeks. <
PHOTO BY
IN HIS FOURTH YEAR OF DIRECTING HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL BUDAPEST, Mathieu van Alphen has a clear vision of a promising future. "The crisis has lifted and the economy is picking up," he concludes, summarizing the last 12 months' numbers and trends. Referring to Hungary's EU presidency and its impact on Hungarian tourism, he says that most hotels in Budapest have benefited from the delegations. "I hope these people will soon return, either for business or for fun. If so, one of the main goals of the presidency, enhancing the image of the country, can be regarded as accomplished". Van Alphen plans to maintain the quality of the hotel as a product by concentrating on his staff. "We are fully committed to supporting and developing our people; our hotel is only as good as the people working in it. We aim to provide the right environment, support and inspiration they need to fulfill their capability and excel in guest service" he says. "Guest satisfaction leads to loyalty, which leads to returning guests which leads to profit. It is also equally important to integrate into the local community," the GM continues. "This is one of those things Dutch people are good at, historically. The Dutch have always been open to different nations and adaptable to different cultures." Van Alphen finds it essential to strengthen their catering line, reflecting that this is the ultimate way to reach local clientele. "This hotel has a perfect location, if not the best, in the heart of Budapest. From here, you cannot really go wrong. You can see the whole heritage of Budapest from the guest room windows, or relax with a cocktail on a terrace overlooking the Danube." van Alphen says. The hotel sees up to 250,000 guests per year, including the hotel's restaurant, bar and terrace Corso. "Someone who drops in for a coffee or a drink, and likes what he sees, might bring a conference here sometime. Businessmen coming for conferences might come back as tourists," the GM suggests, adding that business travelers do
>
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
8
2011 JUNE
09 tulipan:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:04 PM Page 1
{ dutch focus } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
BEAUTY BY DISEASE
Flower Power
IN THE 20TH CENTURY, IT WAS DISCOVERED that the frilly petals and dramatic flames that gave tulips a stunning look, in fact, were the symptoms of an infection of the mosaic virus, caused by a louse living on peaches and potatoes. The healthy flower is supposed to be solid, smooth and monotone. Diseased varieties are no longer sold, what one can find is hybrids that look similar but are genetically stable. By now, almost 4,000 horticultural varieties have been developed. When celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2009, Royal Dutch Airlines KLM has received its own variation, a light green and white hybrid, called ‘Tulipa KLM.’
AN AMBASSADOR WITH A GREEN THUMB AND THE PRACTICE OF TULIP SPECULATION
Courtesy pictures
ONE DAY, A DUTCH FARMER WENT TO THE MARKET, WANTING TO BUY A TULIP. Having found a seller who carried the specific variety of flower he desired, our farmer entered into negotiations and finally agreed on a price both deemed reasonable to pay for one single tulip-bulb: a thousand pounds of cheese, eight pigs, a dozen sheep, four tons of butter, four fat oxen, two loads of wheat and four of rye, two ox heads of wine, a bed, some clothing and a silver beaker. Such a high price for a tulip was not unusual during the socalled Dutch ‘Tulipomania’ in the 17th century. Widely available at modest prices today, tulips are still closely associated with the Netherlands. However, the tulip is not a native Dutch flower. Scientists say that Inner Asia is the most important gene center of the plant. Europeans, first saw tulips in Turkey. Credit for this ‘discovery’ goes to a 16th century Flemish writer, herbalist and diplomat named Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq who witnessed blooming tulips growing in the gardens of Adrianople and Constantinople while he served as the Austrian ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. The ambassador was an avid collector, acquiring valuable manuscripts and apparently all kinds of rarities. He brought several bulbs and seeds of the curious flower back from his journey and gave some to a botanist named Carolus Clusius, another key figure in the history of European tulip interest. Head botanist of the Dutch
PHOTOS BY
Today’s flourishing business
BY REKA A. FRANCISCK
>
> T U L I P B U L B S O R S P R I N G O N I O N ? : During the tulipomania, a sailor was allegedly sentenced to jail for months because he ate a tulip bulb that he mistook for an onion.
university in Leiden, Clusius started to experiment with the flower, producing new color variations. Some of his new variants , such as the ‘Semper Augustus,’ were highly over-priced, and consequently, became outstandingly fashionable: a luxury item people wanted to possess, no matter what the cost – and so the craze began. As the bulbs were usually sold by weight while they were still un-sprouted, a speculation market emerged.
who could no longer resell the note because he now owned the actual tulip. This process became known as the ‘tulip wind trade,’ because transactions involved nothing more than thin air. As the mania increased, tulip prices soared to fantastic heights especially if the variety was rare or particularly striking. People actually converted their property into cash, and invested it in flowers. But, like every mania, the Tulipomania had begun its downfall, too. Bright colors and frilly petals were no longer that impressing. Over-supply led to lower prices and a universal panic seized upon the dealers. To end the frenzy, the Dutch government had to interfere by enforcing economic controls. It was declared that anyone who had bought contracts to purchase bulbs in the future could void their contract by payment of a 10 percent fee. Attempts were made to resolve the situation to the satisfaction of all parties, but these were unsuccessful. In 1637, finally, the market crashed. It took a while until the commerce of the country recovered from the severe shock, caused by something as common as a flower. Even today, tulipomania or tulip madness is used as a term for any economically absurd group craze where speculation borders with senseless gambling.
Access and demand Some began selling promissory notes guaranteeing the future delivery of the tulip bulb. The buyers of these resold the notes at marked-up prices. Promissory notes changed hands from buyer to buyer until the tulip became ready for delivery. The key was to be able to resell the note before the tulip could be delivered; the unlucky gambler was the person
TULIPA HUNGARICA HUNGARIAN FOLK ART IS BUILT WITH UNBELIEVABLE richness around the tulip. The tulip-theme occurs regularly in folk songs, painted wooden chests (called "tulip chests"), wooden headboards, coins and shields. The motif can also be found on the Hungarian Holy Crown. The fact that this motif survived through centuries tells us that Hungarians preserved it as an important symbol, most likely of femininity. According to some research, the motif itself must have developed through thousands of years, from prehistoric cave carvings depicting female figures. The word ’tulip’ is thought to be a corruption of the Turkish word for turbans so called because of the flower’s resemblance to a turban.
2011 JUNE
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
9
The Bulb sector in the Netherlands is a world market leader. The flower auction at Aalsmeer is the largest flower market in the world, with an annual turnover of EUR 4 billion. According to NL EVD International, a division of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, approximately 60% of the global production and more than 80 percent of the trade is realized within the country. Additionally , most of the production of flower bulbs abroad is in Dutch hands, too. Most of the flowers are grown under glass. The Netherlands have approximately 10,000 hectares of glasshouses. One third of this is dedicated to cut flowers, primly tulips. Today, much research is devoted to reducing energy consumption in glasshouses. This has led to experiments with solar panels on glasshouses and floating glasshouses and geothermal energy. The most popular area of tulip related research is in the area of the scents of bulb flowers. The tulip is currently better known for its bright colors than for its scent. There are, however, several Double Early Tulips that have a nice scent, almost like honey. Flowers are not only key export products of Holland, but they also draw many tourists from all over the world. In 1949, the first international flower show was held in Keukenhof. This place, dubbed ‘the world's largest flower garden,’ is still the country's main attraction with its velvety lawns, old trees, ponds, pavilions filled with exotic plants, birds and butterflies, and of course, millions of tulips. The Dutch, themselves, adore tulips, as well. Every year, when the Pope delivers his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ speech, they look forward to hear those magic words: "Thanks for the flowers from the Netherlands." <
MEANING OF FLOWERS THE “LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS” WAS INVENTED during the Victorian Era, when it became fashionable to exchange messages by giving flowers. Each flower has its own meaning, with different flower colors often representing new shades of meaning. Tulips are available in a wide range colors, each with their own meaning. In general, tulips are thought to send a message of perfect love. The PINK TULIP specifically denotes feelings of caring, perfect happiness, or well wishes. Many florists consider this flower choice appropriate for all occasions. BLUE TULIPS are thought to symbolize tranquility and peace, conveying a message of trust and loyalty. (True blue tulips do not exist. Blue tulips are either dyed blue, or are a hybrid of a LILAC OR BLUE VIOLET.) YELLOW TULIPS range greatly in their color, from bright yellow to an ORANGE. Originally yellow tulips meant "hopeless love"; however, they are now more commonly associated with thoughts of cheerfulness. RED TULIPS symbolize "true love."
10 hollandok:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:17 PM Page 1
{ dutch focus } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
The “Hollandok” in Hungary PICTURESQUE LITTLE VILLAGES, THE HUNGARIAN PUSZTA AND THE LOW PRICES ATTRACT DUTCH IMMIGRANTS THE MOST HUNGARY SEEMS TO ATTRACT AN INCREASING DUTCH IMMIGRATION. LET’S FIND OUT WHY, FROM A DUTCHMAN WHO HAS BEEN LIVING IN HUNGARY FOR A WHILE. HE’S DONE HIS OWN RESEARCH, FOUND HIS OWN ANSWERS AND AGREED TO SHARE IT WITH DIPLOMACY & TRADE. BY ROBERT H.C. KEMKERS
positively about Hungary. The fact that after both World Wars and the 1956 revolution many Hungarians came as refugees to the Netherlands and integrated very well contributed to that image. Hungary has developed a lot during the last two decades. Because of the improved quality of life, low prices, the absence of traffic jams, Hungary becomes more and more attractive for permanent residence by retired Dutchmen. Expats are moving into the country because of the developing economy and Hungary’s location in the center of the CEE region. The total number of Dutch citizens residing in Hungary is not known. Reliable
PHOTOS BY
Courtesy pictures
AFTER BUYING A HOUSE IN KARACODFA, BARANYA COUNTY, I heard that the locals thought this was probably because of the universal increase of the sea level in the Netherlands. At first, I thought they meant it as a joke, but observed this reaction many times. It is true that about 30% of the Netherlands is below sea level, but almost all Dutch are able to swim! Probably some TV-documentaries caused this general belief in Hungary that climate changes scare the Dutch so much, that they are thinking of immigration, just to be sure. I have never met any migrant saying that their desire to leave The Netherlands was due to the raise of the water level. Rather the windy and rainy climate, with relatively few hours of sunshine make some Dutch leave their country, as well as the lack of space due to high population densities, and the dream of having a house with a nice garden and some ‘living space’ around. Additionally, factors such as high prices of housing, increasing costs of living, complaints about overregulation by the government and an increasing number of tensions somehow, related to multi-ethnic and urban societies, play a role for people immigrating to other (European) countries. For Hungary, among the most important factors attracting the Dutch include the relatively low costs of living compared to the Netherlands, the open and friendly population, available space for living, abundant nature, the attractive climate - especially spring, summerand early autumn with a lot of sunshine. The very low prices of real estate – among the lowest in the EU: a villa with swimming pool on the countryside costs less than a tiny apartment in an outskirt of Amsterdam also rate shigh on this list. Individual perspectiveswill differ, but for senior citizens it very important that even with a small pension from home they can live comfortably in Hungary; they could have their own gardener if they wish and go to local restaurant daily. What also counts, especially for regions like the Mecsek, Zselic, Bukk and Matra, is that Dutch people - just as Belgians - are fond of forests and hilly and mountainous landscapes. They do not need to see the sea or a big lake as there is a lot of water at ‘home’. Green areas with vineyards, dense woods, wildlife, some ponds or a river and thermal spas also attract Dutch speaking communities, just as other West-European immigrants. Most Dutch, who are not bound to Budapest or another city for their work, can be found in the Southwest and North of Hungary. Apart from that, they are also in the East of the country, on the Great Hungarian Plain around Kecskemet, Cegled and Lake Tisza. It’s rare for other foreigners to be found in the ‘tanya vilag’ or the ‘puszta’ . But Dutch love the flat landscape with small woods as it looks like their ‘home’ about half a century ago. These places are almost abandoned by the local population and are now rediscovered by foreigners. South-Transdanubia turns out to be by far the most popular region among the Dutch people. The sub-Mediterranean climate and the hilly landscape attract both permanent residents and people buying a holiday house. The ‘hollandok’ and the locals seem to get along well, since the foreigners renovate the old houses or build new ones. This stimulates the development of the tiny villages and attracts other people, including Hungarian commuters from neighbouring towns. In some hamlets, the foreigners make up to half of the present population, but in general, Dutch presence is still relatively small (up to 5 per cent), even at the most popular destinations, such as e.g. Szentkatalin, Orfu, Boldogasszonyfa, Somogyharsagy and Vasarosbec (in Baranya), Tevel and Simontornya (Tolna), Balatonfokajár (Veszprem), Csemo and Nagykoros (Pest) and Kiskunhalas (Bacs-Kiskun). This guarantees that the atmosphere and identity of these settlements remain authentic Hungarian. In general, people from the Netherlands think rather
estimations do not exist as the statistics normally do not distinguish between ‘West-European foreigners’ and most of them are residing only temporary. People spending up to six months in Hungary, do not count as they are not registered residents. According to some rough estimations by the Dutch Embassy in Budapest, the total number of Dutch people spending a considerable part of the year in Hungary would be around 5,000. However, it is admitted that the number can be very well higher or lower. They are the third largest group of foreign owners of real estate in Hungary, following the Germans and Austrians. <
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
10
2011 JUNE
11 football:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:02 PM Page 1
{ dutch focus } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Hungarian Footballers in Holland BALAZS DZSUDZSAK WAS ONE OF THE BEST FOOTBALLERS IN THE NETHERLANDS THIS PAST SEASON FOR MANY YEARS NOW, IT HAS BEEN THE DUTCH FIRST DIVISION (Eredivisie) where the most Hungarian footballers have played among the soccer top divisions in Europe. In the first half of this year (the second half of the 2010-2011 season), eight Hungarians played for top clubs in Holland: Gabor Babos (NEC), Boldizsar Bodor (Roda Kerkrade), Balazs Dzsudzsak (PSV Eindhoven), Csaba Feher (NAC Breda), Gabor Horvath (NAC Breda), Andras Simon (Excelsior), Krisztian Simon (Feyenoord) and Balazs Toth (Venlo). However, if you heard about just one of them, it must have been Balazs Dzsudzsak. He did not only play well for his club but also was one of the top players in the Eredivisie. He scored 16 goals and 13 of his passes were converted into goals by his teammates. He finished 4th on the list of top scorers and was voted onto the team of best players. He was the only Hungarian player in Holland who had a permanent place on his team. The 24-year-old left winger debuted in the Hungarian First Division with Debrecen in 2005 and joined PSV Eindhoven in January 2008 in exchange for EUR 2 million. Now, he is said to be worth a minimum of EUR 12 million. There are teams interested and, if a deal is struck, he may leave the Netherlands. In fact, as the Hungarian sports daily Nemzeti Sport suggests, it is possible that all eight Hungarian footballers will leave the Eredivisie; Some have already left. Krisztian Simon was not even 18 when he joined Feyenoord this January on loan from Hungarian First Division side Ujpest. The coach who recruited him has left and the new manager of the Dutch side has not extended the contract of eight players, including Simon. Gabor Horvath was also on loan to NAC Breda from Hungary’s Videoton. He was in the starting line-up whenever he was not injured and the management of NAC Breda was satisfied with his performance but was not willing to pay the purchase price agreed on beforehand. Balazs Toth was on loan from the Belgian side Genk to VV Venlo where he became the team captain. His side just avoided relegation, but is not likely to pay for Toth to stay. In NAC Breda, Horvath’s teammate was Csaba Feher who had been playing in Holland since 2000 and he had already told the management he would not continue in the club at the end of the season. Earlier,
PHOTOS BY
www.voetbalmagazine.nl, www.humanrightstulip.org
>
goalkeeper Gabor Babos also played in NAC Breda. In the past five seasons, he has been with NEC Nijmegen. His past year was plagued by injury and he is not likely to continue with the club, nor is Boldizsar Bodor at Roda Kerkrade. He has played over 200 league games with the side since 2004 but his
contract expires this summer. The Hungarian player who played the least (11 minutes) for his Dutch top division team this season was Andras Simon. He joined Excelsior Rotterdam from FC Liverpool this January, but could not secure a place with his new team. Thus, he may leave, as well. <
HUNGARIANS IN THE EREDIVISIE – 2010-11 NAME Balazs Dzsudzsak (PSV) Balazs Toth (Venlo) Boldizsar Bodor (Roda) Gabor Horvath (NAC) Csaba Feher (NAC) Gabor Babos (NEC) Krisztian Simon (Feyenoord) Andras Simon (Excelsior)
MATCHES 33 29 26 19 25 3 8 1
MINUTES PLAYED 2.924 2.383 603 1.668 1.943 270 338 11
GOALS SCORED 16 2 2 1 (own goal) 2 – – –
(Source: Nemzeti Sport)
UTRECHT: CANNABIS COOPERATIVES? The city of Utrecht may organize marijuana addicts into co-operatives to grow their own drug. Although, the Netherlands is one of the world's most lenient countries regarding the consumption of light drugs in the country – not prohibiting the use of marijuana – "large industrial" production of crops is illegal and is in the hands of criminal gangs. In part, the municipality of Utrecht may want to take the wind out of their sails. On the other hand, this solution would guarantee quality, reducing the health risk of marijuana consumption. Legally, every Dutch citizen is allowed to grow five cannabis plants at home and for personal consumption. Utrecht would like to get them into a cooperative. The Dutch government, however, rejected the idea by saying that large-scale drug cultivation is illegal. In recent years, the Netherlands authorities have repeatedly raided stores selling light drugs and limited the quantity of drugs that can be sold to foreigners partly for health reasons, and partly because of crimes related to the narcotics. Utrecht – an ancient university city – is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands, 50 kms from Amsterdam. <
NETHERLANDS FOR INTERNET FREEDOM WORLDWIDE Dutch foreign minister Uri Rosenthal believes that freedom of expression must be guaranteed, including on the internet. The Netherlands is working internationally to promote internet freedom so that cyber-dissidents who are currently obstructed by repressive regimes can receive information and express their views on the internet without fear of reprisals. Freedom of expression is a human right, on the internet as it is elsewhere. Uri Rosenthal spoke at a meeting organized by Google and the European Centre for International Political Economy in Brussels in May. He called on businesses to shoulder their responsibilities by adopting international codes of conduct. The foreign minister aims to increase Dutch support to cyber-dissidents. He also announced that the Netherlands and Canada will be hosting a ministerial conference on internet freedom later this year, aimed at improving coordination between governments and increasing dialogue with the business sector. <
2011 HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS TULIP
CLARENCE SEEDORF KNIGHTED Four-times Champions League winner Dutch soccer player Clarence Seedorf has been knighted by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. THE SURINAME-BORN MIDFIELDER – WHO WAS 35 YEARS OLD on April 1st this year – currently plays for AC Milan and as such was crowned Italian champion in May. He is the only player to have won the UEFA Champions League title, Europe's most prestigious club trophy, with three different clubs: Ajax Amsterdam of Holland in 1995, Real Madrid of Spain in 1998, and Italy’s AC
>
2 0 1 1 M AY
Milan in 2003 and 2007. In 2007, Seedorf also won the FIFA Club World Cup with AC Milan, becoming the first European player to win the trophy with three different clubs (Ajax in 1995 and Real Madrid in 1998). Between 1996 and 2008, he earned 87 caps with the Dutch national side, scoring 11 goals. He was given the knighthood title not only for his performance on the football field, but for his achievements off the pitch, as well. Through the foundation ‘Champions for Children’, he supports the education and development of youngsters living under difficult circumstances in the Third World. <
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
11
Human rights defenders all over the world are eligible for an award presented by the Dutch government. The award honors a man or woman who has shown particular courage in protecting and promoting the rights of his or her fellow citizens. After the nomination of candidates, the winner will be chosen by an independent jury. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will present the award in December. The winner will receive a bronze statuette of the Human Rights Defenders Tulip and possible funding for a human rights project. Winners are also invited to participate in a tour of Europe, which will put them in contact with people relevant to their activities. Only individuals are eligible for the award, not organizations. Their daily work must involve the peaceful protection or promotion of human rights, and they must stand to benefit from the recognition and visibility entailed in winning the award. <
12 dunaelektronika:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:23 PM Page 1
{ company news } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Building on 20 Years of Experience NEW MANAGED SERVICES PACKAGES DELIVER IT COST REDUCTION OPPORTUNITIES NEW MANAGED SERVICES PACKAGES
THE HUNGARIAN COMPUTER SYSTEM INTEGRATION FIRM DUNA ELEKTRONIKA CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. As the company looks back at the two decades during which it became a successful IT venture providing key services for large companies, its management also looks ahead to the next 20 years. This is what the company describes as their ‘20/20 vision’ of experience and best practices with multinational companies applied for the benefit of small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) on a wider scale. Managing Director Mark Badi explains that “we have been working with – and delivering services to – companies with thousands of users. We take that experience and the technical know-how gained and apply it on a scale for companies with 10-25-75 or as many as 200 users. We achieve the same advantages: faster resolution and cost efficiency for the client.” Investment in their services team is of significant importance, “we are continually investing in training and certification of our team with the manufacturers and vendors that we represent.” Duna’s service offering is a multi-vendor approach encompassing products from Dell, HP, Lenovo, IBM, EMC, CISCO, Aruba, Microsoft, SAP and Topdesk amongst many others. Keeping up to date with changes is a daily challenge, one that SMEs cannot possibly do on their own. Duna Elektronika has been offering IT services to the SME market for many years. “Now, we have developed a unique strategy to approach these clients in a more efficient and cost effective way. This is done through the creation of a suite of services based on our experience as well as understanding the needs and budgets of our clients. We have determined that three services packages, modular in design will fit the majority of the needs of our SME clients,” he adds. The standardized packages are offered according to different company sizes. There is one for 10 to 25 users, one for 26-75 users and one for 76-200 users. Those above 200 users are provided for on an individual basis still. The size of the company usually determines the kind of infrastructure and type of services they are more likely to use, and therefore, each package includes the standard services offered in a pre-packaged solution. “This is really a fast track approach for our clients and our company” Badi explains, “reducing implementation time and costs for our client.” These modular packages contain a complete set of
>
THE MASTER OF IT PROCESSES
10 - 25 users
„LEONARDO”
„ THE SCHOLAR OF IT PROCESSES
26 - 75 users
„NEW TON”
„
THE PROFESSOR OF IT PROCESSES
76 - 200 users
„EINSTEIN”
PHOTO BY
David Harangozo
services: a call center for help requests, remote resolution of problems and application support. Where it is not possible to resolve the issue with the customer remotely, a qualified person is sent to the client site. “Regardless of the nature of the issue, we take responsibility for it and provide a resolution. In addition, we also look proactively after the company’s servers, storage and network and telephone devices, which we monitor and maintain remotely, going on site where needed to resolve any issues,” the managing director adds. So, through these services offered, the clients get a resolution to the issue quickly and the company can offer this service on a cost-effective basis. In today’s environment, having a reliable IT system is “mission critical” for all companies to do their business. Just imagine your system going down for an hour or worse for a day. The approach to the market with this new managed services offering is quite unique today. Not only has Duna Elektronika taken the expertise and the best practices gained in the last 20 years from serving some of the largest multinationals in Hungary, it has also adopted a similar pricing approach, basically scaling the pricing methodology for the SME sector. Thereby, Mark Badi believes that “we’re addressing the market with a solution the market is looking for: competitive pricing with a high level of professional services.” <
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
12
2011 JUNE
13-16 balaton:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:55 PM Page 1
{ balaton } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
W H E R E
H U N G A R Y ’ S
H E A R T
B E A T S
BALATON BY REKA A. FRANCISCK
ACCORDING TO LEGEND, LONG AGO, IN TIMES BEFORE HISTORY BEGAN, giants lived in the most beautiful parts of the world, which the good Lord had created in his joy. One of them, named Balaton, spent his everyday life on the spacious uplands of the Hungarian Badacsony with his daughter, Halap. They were on good terms with the people who lived at the foot of the hill. Halap even had a playmate among them. The young human girl, however, soon grew up and left her giant playmate forever. Halap became overwrought with sorrow because of her loneliness and she died. While Balaton was building a tomb to bury his daughter, he found a large stone. As he lifted it, he lost his balance and was buried beneath it. Water
PHOTO BY
Hungarian Tourism Office, www.sziget.hu/balatonsound
>
T H E
S U M M E R
LAKE BALATON REPRESENTS ONE OF THE GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL TREASURES AND A UNIQUE ECOLOGICAL FORTUNE OF HUNGARY. ITS POPULARITY RESULTS FROM THE FAVORABLE CLIMATE AND THE NICE LANDSCAPE SURROUNDING THE LAKE.
gushed forth from beneath the stone and just flowed, unstoppable. One day, people woke up and found a gently waving lake rocking the rays of the Sun at the foot of the mountains. This large water has been called Balaton ever since. People (over a million every year) often come to visit this ‘memorial’ today, which is in fact Central Europe's largest freshwater lake. They often tend to fall in and out of love here, too – this might be because of the spirit of the place. They enjoy the lake’s silky milky green water and the millions of programs offered on its shore. On any summer day, there are more than a hundred thousand people either on or in the lake. The region around Lake Balaton is also a tourist stronghold and a significant factor in the national economy, comprising approximately one-third of the country’s tourism income. >>> 2011 JUNE
D U R I N G
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
13
HEINEKEN BALATON SOUND THIS YEAR, HEINEKEN BALATON SOUND FESTIVAL is to be held for the fifth time July 7-10 at Hungary's fanciest beach, Zamardi. Five major and several minor venues await festival-goers twenty hours a day with a wide choice of musical programs. Performers include Underworld, Portishead, Snoop Dogg, David Guetta, Mika, Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Thievery Corporation, Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, Axwell, Gui Boratto, John Digweed, The Orb, Magnetic Man, Sebastian Ingrosso, Feddle Le Grand and Mark Knight.
13-16 balaton:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:55 PM Page 2
{ balaton } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
W H E R E
H U N G A R Y ’ S
H E A R T
B E A T S
D U R I N G
T H E
S U M M E R
Balatonfured Yacht cluB
> L A D I E S O F T H E L A K E : Sadly there can be only three winners announced at the Miss Balaton beauty competition that, in 2006 for instance, was won by Linda Zimany.
Facts and figures THE MORE OR LESS 10,000 YEAR OLD lake is 77 kilometers long and has a surface of 600 square kilometers. It comprises about 1,800 million cubic meters of water. At average water level, the shore stretches for 195 kilometers. The Northern and the Southern shores are different in terms of their geography and as a result, they offer different experiences. The northern shore is more romantic and richer in natural treasures. Almost the whole area belongs to the Balaton Uplands National Park. The southern shore attracts those who fancy beaches with
SARMELLEK STARTS NEW SEASON WITH NEW MANAGEMENT FB AIRPORT KFT., OPERATOR OF SARMELLEK'S FlyBalaton airport, have started the new season with new management. The owner of the company appointed Tibor Polgar, CEO of Balatontourist Co. Ltd., as managing director after the interior ministry had delegated his predecessor, Agoston Gubicza, to the Balaton Development Council (BFT). Tibor Mihalka, who comes from Budapest Airport, will be the airport's new trade and business development director from April. The airport, which has faced financial and management troubles since its initial launch several years ago, opened for this season on April 16, serving charter flights for Lufthansa and Hamburg Airways.
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
14
2011 JUNE
www.byc.hu, Courtesy pictures
THE BALATONFURED YACHT CLUB, ESTABLISHED IN 1867, is one of the oldest sports clubs in Europe. Ever since its founding, a strong emphasis has been put on racing. The Club places special focus on the education of junior members, and the majority of the members are still active competitors. Maintaining tradition is important in the life of the Club. Memorial races are organized each year to honor more and more former members, competitors or Olympians. This is considred relevant in the development of how young people look at the world. In that, a lot of help is received from the “Council of Wise Men” consisting of the eternal members of the Club. For the past 16 years, the Balatonfured Yacht Club has been the most successful domestic sailing club. More than half of the points-scoring places have been taken by young athletes. The management places great emphasis on the education of young talents, securing new generations of athletes. It regularly runs camps not only for children but also for adult. The number of youth competitors is growing each year. Currently, 70 people are competing with the club. As for technical level, international standards have already been achieved in the training and competitions of juniors. For the 2012 Olympics, a very strong and serious program has been launched in two boat class categories. The surfers joined this program in 2010. Successful and talented young people committed to the sport began their preparations in the hope for winning Olympic quotas. The Balatonfured Yacht Club has a team of professionals with lots of experience in organizing European and world championships. In addition to the 11 annual competitions, the Club also organizes in 2011 the National Championships, a European Cup and World Championships. In the Club, there are continued renovations taking place. In 2011, the new inner marina is completed, providing more interior space for the tenants.
shallow water as well as a wide selection of events. The lake is the widest between Aliga and Almadi with a breadth of 12 kilometers, while the Tihany-Szantod strait narrows to 1.1 kilometers. Ferry services operate here, providing a quick way to cross the lake ‘by car’. The section between Revfulop and Balatonboglar is of medium width – 5.2 kilometers – which is perfectly satisfactory for the cross-lake swimming contest held here each summer. The water is three meters deep on average. The deepest point, up to 12 meters, can be found at the tip of the Tihany peninsula, at Tihanyikut. The average water temperature during the summer is 25°C. Regarding water quality, Lake Balaton easily stands comparison even with Alpine lakes. In the middle of the lake, the water is of drinking quality. The Lake Balaton region is part of three different counties and involves 41 settlements situated right on the lakeside and 123 nearby. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalized Sio is the only outflow. Tourism in the region is based on a variety of activities, including biking, hunting, horse-riding, angling, sailing and extreme sports – not to mention wine, conference and farm-house tourism.
PHOTOS BY
>>> As Hungary is landlocked, Lake Balaton is the Hungarians’ substitute for a coastline and therefore often called the ‘Hungarian Sea.’
13-16 balaton:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:55 PM Page 3
{ balaton } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
W H E R E
H U N G A R Y ’ S
H E A R T
B E A T S
D U R I N G
T H E
S U M M E R
The German factor WHILE A FEW SETTLEMENTS AT LAKE BALATON, including Balatonfured and Heviz, have long been resort centers for the Hungarian aristocracy, it was only in the late 19th century that the Hungarian middle class began to visit the lake. The construction of railways in 1861 and 1909 increased tourism substantially, but the post-war boom of the 1950s was exponentially larger. During the 1960s and 1970s, Balaton became a major tourist destination for ordinary working Hungarians and especially for subsidized holiday excursions for union members. It also attracted many East Germans and other residents of the Eastern Bloc. West Germans could also visit, making Balaton a common meeting place for families and friends separated by the Berlin Wall. Germans still make up 30% of the tourists visiting Balaton.
Wine
PHOTOS BY
www.sziget.hu/balatonsound, Courtesy pictures
THE FINE CLIMATE AND THE EXQUISITE soil made the area around Lake Balaton one of the most significant pillars of Hungarian wine (almost exclusively white varieties) production. Balaton-felvidek (Balaton Highland) is where fiery, full-bodied white wines are produced. On the volcanic slopes of Badacsony, Pinot Gris (szurkebarat), Olaszrizling (Italian riesling) and a local white variety Keknyelu are produced.
The Balatonboglar-Koroshegy area is best known for its light fruity wines made from Irsai Oliver, Kiralyleanyka, Chardonnay varieties. Riesling and cabernet sauvignon are the most popular wines produced in the CsopakBalatonfured Wine region, while Tihany is noted about its Merlot. If you want to learn about and – most importantly – taste all the wine types produced around Lake Blaton, visit the House of Balatonian Wines in Keszthely or one of the wine festivals. In SeptemberOctober, almost every settlement around the lake has a harvest festival.
Fish FORTY-ONE OF HUNGARY’S 76 SPECIES of fish live in this lake. Balaton’s top predatory and most special fish is the pike-perch, which likes the stony bottom of the lake. Its boneless and
> A M U ST-TA ST E D I S H : Halaszle also known as fisherman's soup is traditionally prepared using local ingredients such as paprika, onions, peppers and a variety of fresh water fish. Depending on the amount of added paprika the soup can range from mild to very hot. absolutely lean flesh is snow-white and has an excellent flavor. Yet, Balaton’s most well-known fish is carp, with several types represented in the lake. They can even weigh up to 25 kilograms. Pike is the greediest of all Balaton’s predators; they can swallow another fish of the same breed that is only a little smaller. Other
species include eels, slimy tench, crucian, silver and flat bream. Not surprisingly, fish dishes dominate the cuisine in restaurants and inns around Lake Balaton. The celebrated fish soup fully deserves its international reputation.
to be created in Hungary, has a great wealth of natural treasures. Because of the picturesque location and the typical, slightly Mediterranean atmosphere, foreign tourists rarely miss Tihany when they come to Lake Balaton. The settlement and its surrounding area have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Dated 1055, the first written reference concerning Tihany is the famous deed of foundation of the local Abbey. This is the oldest written linguistic record of the Hungarian language; its original is kept in the Pannonhalma Abbey. In the middle of the 11th century, King Andrew I invited Benedictine monks to Tihany and ordered the building of the church and its monastery. The king's grave is in the Romanesque undercroft of the present two-towered Baroque style church, which hosts frequent organ concerts in summertime. Relics of the cultural heritage and civilization, reminiscent of the Abbey's golden age, are exhibited in the Benedictine Abbey Museum. The 18th-century houses of the Open-air Ethnographic Museum, the traditional rural houses of Ofalu and the Potter’s House evoke the life of fishermen. The city's most noted phenomena used to be the Tihany Echo. The walls of the Abbey reverberated words shouted from the top of Visszhang (‘Echo’) Hill. Unfortunately, due to changes in the landscape, the echo has almost entirely disappeared. There is a small oval lake in the inner part of the peninsula, the Inner Lake. A special
feature of the local climate is that it allows figs to ripen as often as three times a year, but even more famous is the lavender, first planted in the 1920's and then spread all over. An interesting fact is that Tihany's inhabitants have the highest per capita income in the region, and the town has the highest housing prices in the whole of Hungary. >>>
GOAT HOOVES, ANOTHER LEGEND THE STORY GOES THAT A PRINCESS who owned goldenfleeced goats was too proud and hard of heart so she was cursed by the king of the lake: her goats were lost in the Balaton, only their nails remained, and she was obliged to answer to every passer-by. A stone, remembering the Shouting Girl, is still to be seen near the village. The waters of the lake continue washing the goat hoofshaped shell points out of the clay. These hooves are of course shells, or more precisely the smooth, worn off remains of the Congeria ungula caprae shells, which lived approximately 5 million years ago in the gradually sweetening waters of the Pannonian inland sea.
Sailing LAKE BALATON IS POPULAR FOR SAILING and for sailing races. The Blue Ribbon Regatta, the oldest, most traditional and longest roundthe-lake race in Europe is one of the most important in the yachting calendar. Each year, a record number of sailing boats enter for the 145-kilometer contest to break the 10 hour 40 minute record set in 1955.
TIHANY PROTRUDING DEEP INTO THE LAKE, Tihany Peninsula, the first landscape protection area 2011 JUNE
12TH HARLEY-DAVIDSON OPEN ROAD FEST UNDER A NEW NAME AND THE NEW MOTTO ‘OPEN!’ (as organizers believe that there is a little Harley in everyone and therefore they expected everyone to attend the show), the 12th edition of this annual moto-craze was organized recently. The five-day-long program included rider and stunt shows, all-day games and entertainment, a great parade and a musical line-up of over 30 bands on 4 stages. Up to 30,000 people visited the festival.
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
15
13-16 balaton:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:55 PM Page 4
{ balaton } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
H U N G A R Y ’ S
BALATONFURED IN THE TOWN’S SZIVKORHAZ (State Hospital for Cardiology), patients with heart conditions have been treated for three hundred years with the help of the mineral water sources.
B E A T S
This water is also beneficial to diabetes and digestive malfunctions, and can be sampled in the Kossuth Lajos Drinking House. The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore was healed in Szivkorhaz in 1926.( A nearly 1-kilometer long promenade was named after him. In gratitude, Tagore planted a linden tree in the park. (According to a Hindi legend, he who plants a linden tree in their later years will live to see the tree grow leaves. Tagore lived for another 14 years after planting his tree.) His example has been followed by celebrities ever since, including politicians, state presidents, astronauts and scientists. Even Gandhi came. Anna Ball is a big event in Fured's calendar, taking place annually on the last Saturday of July. Hungary’s first yachtsmen’s association was set up in the town, too. Start-of-thesailing parties are held each May in the Rose Garden.
SIOFOK THIS TOWN IS KNOWN as the "Party Capital of Hungary", attracting many young partygoers with its buzzing nightlife in the summer. The largest settlement on the southern side of the lake, it is the busiest resort at Balaton: crammed with bars and restaurants. Its port serves every boat route on the lake. Cruise boats also start from here. The composer of the internationally renowned operettas,
D U R I N G
T H E
S U M M E R
150 of the 370 bird species of Hungary hatch here. Most are herons, cormorants and beeeaters. The most endangered rarity is the noble snow-white tufted heron. The Kanyavari-sziget and Pap-sziget lookout towers are ideal places for bird-watching. These highly protected areas can only be visited with prior permission and a guide. In Kapolnapuszta nearby, the only buffalo reservation in the country is worth visiting. including Csardaskiralyno (‘Czardas Queen’), Imre Kalman (1882-1953), is a famous son of this town. A true curiosity at Siofok is the country’s first Museum of Egg Decoration. It also hosts the annual Miss Balaton contest.
BADACSONY VISIBLE FROM AFAR, BADACSONY HILL (437 M) is in fact an extinct casket-shaped volcano. Its slopes are covered with some very strange geological formations, fossilized lava columns called ´basalt organs´ as well as vineyards which produce the excellent wine of the Pauline monks called ´Grey Friar´ (Szurkebarat). Almond, fig and poplar trees give the landscape an almost Mediterranean appearance.
BALATON MINOR (KIS-BALATON) THIS IS A MARSHLAND with tens of thousands of birds nesting in the reeds. Approximately,
TAPOLCA THE OLD TOWN OF TAPOLCA holds another delight for those who love the wonders of nature: the lake cave. This, too, was formed by volcanic activity, hot water gouged out a labyrinth of winding corridors and hallas in the limestone, which were then flooded by crystal clear karst water. The caves are not only a tourist sight: their climate is ideal for the treatment of serious respiratory disease.
KESZTHELY THIS TOWN IS A REAL WONDERLAND and a cultural ‘goldmine’, where one of Hungary’s most grandiose buildings, the luxurious Festetics palace can be found. Rich in tradition, Keszthely also offers sandy beaches, hotels and ample leisure facilities. Gheorgikon, the first agricultural college in Europe is built here too. <
www.sziget.hu/balatonsound
>>> In Heviz, the world’s second largest hot water lake is fed by radioactive water which is rich in sulphur, gases and minerals. The water comes from a spring lying 36 meters down in a funnel-shaped trough, which pours between 60 and 80 million liters of water a day into the lake, thus completely changing it every 28 hours. The lake’s water is suitable for drinking as a water therapy and has been used for the purposes of curative bathing since 1795. On the bed of the lake is a layer of grayish-brown, coarse-grained mud which can be very effective in treatments involving the use of mud-packs. In the open-air baths, large numbers of water-lilies are in flower from April to October. The nearby Zalakaros is also reputed by its healing thermal waters. The components of the water are well used in treatment of people suffering from chronic inflammatory, and degenerative articular diseases, nervous system problems, problems of the heart and the circulatory system, metabolism disturbances, chronic gynecological and periodontal diseases.
H E A R T
PHOTO BY
W H E R E
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
16
2011 JUNE
17 magyarics:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:59 PM Page 1
{ political analysis } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
hardships, a civil war, or a war between two or three states, only make the emigration wave higher. A case in point is the ’Arab Spring’, especially the Libyan situation. Some European countries have tried to dampen the immigration pressure instead of trying to address the root socio-economic causes of the more or less steady flow of immigration. Thus, Rome concluded a comprehensive agreement with Colonel Qaddafi in 2008; one of its sections provided for the financial support of Tripoli for setting up ’detention camps’ for SubSaharan refugees in Libya. The measure became handy for the Libyan dictator at the outbreak of the hostilities between his regime and its opponents both inside and outside: armed Qaddafi loyalists forced migrants out onto the open seas and the dictator threatened the NATO-countries with unleashing ’millions of blacks’ on them if they did not stop their military actions. This latter bombastic announcement (very much like so many of his before) has not materialized, yet. Although, less than two percent of the Libyan refugees have arrived in Europe up till now, the problem of their presence is somewhat blown out of proportion in Europe because immigration from Arab or some African countries is treated as a security issue and not an economic one in the first place. The dream is the creation of a ’Europe whole and free’. One of its central pillars is the Schengen regime, which makes it possible for
Legal and Illegal Migration into and within Europe EUROPEAN FEARS AND AGING POPULATION B Y T A M A S M A G YA R I C S DIRECTOR OF HUNGARIAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER David Cameron AND GERMAN CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel have declared that multiculturalism is practically dead. All across Europe, political parties with anti-immigration platforms are on the rise. The Sweden Democrats, the True Finns, Geert Wilders’s Freedom Party in the Netherlands, the Danish People’s Party, Marie Le Pen’s Front National and the Greek LAOS Party have gained ground in recent elections. In fact, it is not only the right-wing political forces that show frustration with immigrants. One may remember the strong public reaction to Thilo Sarrazin’s unvarnished views regarding the future of German society and his deep-seated skepticism of the immigrants’ ability and willingness to integrate into German mainstream society. Although, the author had to leave his position at the Bundesbank, he has not been kicked out of the SPD, after all. The former (and possibly would-be) French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal stated that “no one entering France because of the ’Arab spring’ should think they’re destined to remain there”. A strategy paper prepared for Dominique Strauss-Kahn (which is not likely to be used because of well-known reasons) emphasized – among others – the citizens’ duties (read: no more free lunch at the expense of the French taxpayers). The recent treatment of large numbers of Roma in France and Italy (their summary deportation) with the backing of the majority of the people in both countries also illustrates the limits of the citizens’ toleration towards migrants with different cultural backgrounds.
PHOTO BY
UNHCR/A. Di Loreto
>
Finally, even such core values of the European Union were challenged as the free movement of labor and services when the scare of the ’Polish plumbers’ was spreading like wildfire in some of the ’old’ EU-members after the accession of Central and East European states to the EU in 2004. The row over the fate of the refugees from the turmoil in North Africa in the past few weeks likewise threatened another core value of the European community: namely, that of solidarity. In short, legal and illegal migration into and within the EU seem to have the potential to disrupt national communities and to undermine some of the values which are supposed to glue the EU-countries together. However, without immigrants, the aging European societies will not be able to support themselves in a few decades. In our post-Cold War era, the primary ’push factor’ is economic – no matter whether we are talking about immigration into the EU or migration within it. The North-South divide is still a major factor; the situation has become even more acute than it used to be in the latter half of the 20th century. Climate change has diminished the size of arable lands in a number of African and Asian countries; the slow improvement of living conditions has resulted in an extremely high proportion of young people in the so-called emerging economies (in some Arab countries, half of the population are under 30); there are more and more politically unstable states (’failed’ or ’failing’ ones); and transportation has improved a lot. In one word: a combination of structural economic, political, and social problems ’push’ a relatively high number of predominantly young people out of their place of origin. In addition to these endemic 2011 JUNE
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
17
the citizens of the countries belonging in the system to move freely – to take advantage of the ’spiritualization of the borders’. To put this issue in a historical perspective: with the leadership of the U.S., the contemporary ’great generation’ of West European politicians from Winston Churchill through Robert Schuman to Konrad Adenauer wanted to ’denationalize’, ’de-territorialize’ (and to ’demilitarize’) Europe in order to avoid another catastrophic war on the continent. The appearance of a few tens of thousands of refugees (predominantly in Italy) has caused some shrill responses, including a suggestion that the Schengen treaty be modified. Denmark renewed enhanced border checks on its Swedish and German borders, and Austria floated the idea of re-introducing temporarily border control on the Italian border. The Danish and Austrian reactions are, in fact, within the limits of the Schengen regime, but it is rather ominous that one senior Italian politician publicly speculated about leaving the EU if the other members do not show appropriate understanding of the dire immigration situation in his country. If we add that there are also hints that countries might leave (or be kicked out of) the Euro-zone, we should be concerned lest a synergy of these seemingly unrelated problems might constitute a centrifugal force to tear the carefully devised and painstakingly created Union apart. <
18 portfolio:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:56 PM Page 1
{ economic analysis } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Secrets Deals behind Hungarian-Russian Transaction? EXPERT NOT SURE WHETHER GREATER GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF MOL IS WORTH THE PRICE
Media | Data | Analysis | Events | Trader
The first port of call for up-to-date information on the Hungarian economy, politics and the markets.
Portfolio.hu/en offers: Macroeconomic news and in-depth analyses Equity news, quotes and stats Real estate news Interviews with key decision makers in every sector Conferences and other events in various fields News on politics, energy, tax issues Forex and fixed income news and analyses And a lot more!
www.portfolio.hu/en
claims the source was unused funds drawn from the IMF’s rescue package and parked in the central bank’s foreign currency deposits. Surgut had bought the stake from Austria’s OMV in 2009 for EUR 1.44 bn, so it made a 34% profit in two years. Plus, the share price went up 30% in this period. In Portfolio.hu’s view, it cannot really be determined now whether the sell-offs years ago or this acquisition were a mistake or not But, when we take a look at the ownership structure of oil companies in the region, we find that a healthy state ownership is not the devil’s work: the Croatian state holds a 45% stake in INA; 31.5% of Austria’s OMV is in state hands; the government owns a 27.5% package in Poland’s PKN and 53% in Lotos and the Romanian state has a 41% control in Petrom. profitable business sectors. We do not know exactly what the government’s intentions are, but it is obvious that it will have much greater control, Csaba added. Combined with the shares acquired from the re-nationalization of Hungary’s private pension fund (which amounted to at least 2.4%), the government’s stake in MOL could exceed 23.6% after this latest transaction. This would leave the Hungarian government the single largest shareholder in MOL. Csaba says it is unpredictable whether the increase of the state’s share in MOL will be negative or positive for the economy. At high crude prices this could certainly generate extra revenues for the budget and widen the cabinet’s elbowroom, Csaba said. The markets reacted negatively to the announcement, but Csaba said this is not unprecedented; the same reaction had been seen when the Austrian government made a similar move. But you cannot be surprised at that since the markets do not like government ownership, he added. SOLD CHEAP, BOUGHT EXPENSIVE? Surgut asked HUF 22,886 per share for its MOL package, which was below the current share price of HUF 23,310 on the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE), but still a lot higher than the sales price during the company’s privatization. MOL’s privatization was carried out in several stages and the state opted out of the group entirely by the end of 2006. It sold its 21.2% stake for a total of HUF 340 billion, which means the current purchase price was nearly 50% higher. Local news portal Index.hu offered a reminder that the previous caretaker administration led by Gordon Bajnai was already in talks with the Russians at the end of 2009 to buy Surgut’s MOL stake. It noted that the deal was awaiting signatures around February-March 2010, but Fidesz, which was in opposition then but in a position that its informal blessing was needed, said no. The party said it wanted to take care of this business itself. (The elections were approaching and it Fidesz’s win was virtually a done deal.) At that time, Surgut’s chief asked EUR 1.57 billion for the package that the government now bought for EUR 1.88 bn. The government
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
18
2011 JUNE
SECRET DEALS? In Russia, you cannot see where the state ends and where business begins, Csaba said. He finds the purchase of the MOL share very interesting, saying the Hungarian government first negotiated with Surgutneftegaz and when it hit brick walls there it went right up to the Prime Minister only to fail once again. Even the promise of an agreement did not exist only a few months ago and now comes this sudden announcement that they bought the Surgut package. You can definitely not call this a usual market transaction, Csaba said. There may be other deals behind the purchase of the MOL stake that are not necessarily related to the oil company, he added.
The economist pointed to the numerous conflicts between the two countries over the Surgut-MOL relation. He said obstructing an owner with an over 20% stake in exercising its lawful rights could have had serious implications. This is an unacceptable practice in the European Union. Csaba believes the Russians gave in because they did not want to wait until the end of a possibly lengthy lawsuit that could have lasted as long as ten years. Instead, they opted to sell, which was not a bad deal. Fellegi said they could utilize synergies between MOL and the Hungarian Electricity Works (MVM) in the future. Csaba said that based on this single remark, it would be too early to envisage a large conglomerate to be set up by the government. He added that contrary to any notion, "these dinosaurs are not viable." He said establishing such a mammoth would be market distorting and history is evidence that it could not work. <
David Harangozo
IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT’S DECISION TO BUY THE 21.2% STAKE OF RUSSIA’S Surgutneftegaz in Hungary’s MOL, but it is yet to be seen whether this was a good or a bad call, said economist Laszlo Csaba, professor at the Central European University in Budapest. It may turn out that the Russians gave their blessing on the deal because they consider it part of a package and there may be agreements behind the transaction that we cannot see, yet. This assumption is particularly sound considering the fact that Hungary’s previous administrations were hindering Russian control in MOL and if that kind of policy had reached the European Court of Justice, it would have not been tolerated. But the sale is definitely beneficial for the Russian party, given that Surgut made a hefty profit and it does not have to wait for the end of a lengthy litigation.
>
WHY THE RUSH? The government was motivated to buy Surgut’s MOL package for three main reasons. Firstly, it wanted to increase its control over the company and market processes. Secondly, it intends to treat the price of energy as a political issue. And thirdly, it has been a longstanding concern about the Russian investor’s totally obscure ownership structure, i.e. how large a stake the Russian state holds in Surgut. The price was secondary to these aspects, Laszlo Csaba told the Hungarian channel Duna Television. While Development Minister Tamas Fellegi rejected the speculation that the cabinet wants influence over MOL’s pricing, Csaba believes the nearly 25% stake is by far enough to exercise this kind of control. Fellegi has already suggested that the government envisages the economy in a state-controlled model, Csaba noted. As evidence to this way of thinking, he mentioned the plan to fix foreign currency exchange rate(s) on FX mortgage repayments and the special taxes imposed on the most
PHOTOS BY
BY PORTFOLIO.HU
19 afrika:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:55 PM Page 1
{ africa } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
‘BILATERAL POLITICAL RELATIONS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EXCELLENT’
South Africa: Important Gateway ON THE OCCASION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF BILATERAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY (SIGNED IN JULY 1991), AMBASSADOR TAKALANI E. NETSHITENZHE AND STATE SECRETARY FOR THE HUNGARIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ZSOLT NEMETH SPOKE TO DIPLOMACY AND TRADE.
TAKALANI E. NETSHITENZHE
AMBASSADOR OF SOUTH AFRICA nuts for the automotive industry, spark ignition for engines, electrical apparatus for line telephony or line telegraphy, paprika, wines and fruits.
BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA and Hungary are on a sound footing and continue to grow from strength to strength. A South African Office of Interest was opened in April 1990 in Budapest, followed by the opening of the Hungarian Office of Interest in Pretoria and a Hungarian commercial office in Johannesburg in November 1990. That was followed by the signing of the protocol on the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1991. Relations between the two countries are also strengthened by the presence of the Hungarian Diaspora community which settled in South Africa mainly after the 1956 Revolution. Since 1991, a significant number of agreements were signed between the two countries. Among others, these include economic cooperation; the avoidance of double taxation; co-operation in the fields of culture, education and science and related fields; co-operation in the fields of science and technology; and co-operation in the combating of organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and other serious crimes.
PHOTOS BY
David Harangozo, www.globalvoicesonline.org
>
How did bilateral economic relations evolve? Bilateral trade between South Africa and Hungary has grown considerably since 1991, indicating strong economic relations and significant potential for further growth. In Africa, South Africa is Hungary’s most important commercial partner (one third of exports from Hungary to Africa go to South Africa). The Bilateral Cooperation Agreement of 2009 seeks to encourage and facilitate trade and economic cooperation between the two countries through the exchange of business missions, sharing of information on trade and investment opportunities, and an established Joint Committee that meet periodically to review progress on the implementation of the agreement. South Africa imports from Hungary amongst others paper products, telephone sets for fixed and mobile networks, automatic data processing machines, trucks and printing machines. South Africa exports to Hungary amongst others, screws, bolts, and
How do the two countries cooperate on the cultural level? Hungary and South Africa have in place an Education and Culture Agreement, which is currently under review. The two countries are currently working on a joint Program of Action for the exchange of cultural and education activities. Exhibitions and shows are continually are held in Hungary on music, arts and crafts, and traditional clothing especially in the counties outside Budapest. In 2010, South Africa participated in the Pecs European Capital of Culture program. Going forward the countries will be focusing on exchange programs in music and educational projects. How do you see the future of bilateral cooperation? South Africa is considered an important gateway to Africa and the most advanced economy on the continent. Thus, it provides Hungary with opportunities in the entire African continent. South Africa looks forward to strengthening and deepening political and economic relations with Hungary for many years to come.
ZSOLT NEMETH
STAT E S E C R E TA RY F O R T H E H U N G A R I A N M I N I ST RY O F F O R E I G N A F FA I R S The volume of bilateral trade rose to 417 million USD in 2010. Today, South Africa is the number one trading partner of Hungary on the whole African continent. Our export is dominated by manufactured goods with significant food, beverage and machinery products. In our imports, machinery and transport equipment are the most important, with rema rkable proportion of manufactured goods.
POLITICAL RELATIONS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EXCELLENT BETWEEN HUNGARY AND SOUTH AFRICA. The fact that Hungary has never been a colonizing power in Africa serves as a perfect basis for our problem-free relation. The long standing relationship with ANC officials and the students who graduated in Hungary in the late 70’s and 80’s formulate an active link between our nations.
>
What should we know about bilateral economic relations? What are the most important commodities of trade? 2011 JUNE
Who are the major South African investors in Hungary and what do they have to say about the business/investment environment in Hungary? The value of the South-African Direct Investment to Hungary has reached 200 million USD. The South-African investors are mainly interested in the food and beverage sector (South African Breweries) and in the field of information technology (Ster-Kinekor Ltd), but there is remarkable activity from South-African investors in the paper industry (Anglo-American Ltd) and in infrastructure
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
19
developments (Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd) also. South-African investors consider the Hungarian business environment to be investor-friendly. The Agreement signed on Economic Cooperation in November 2009 gives further opportunity to develop bilatera l trade. Realizing the potential in bilateral trade activities, and giving a further impetus to our economic relations, the Hungarian Ministry for National Economy decided to appoint a diplomat dedicated entirely to trade affairs at our Embassy in Pretoria. How do you see the cultural ties? Our last Working Plan on cultural cooperation expired in 2006. Since then we are working on the establishment of a m ore coherent agreement on culture and education in close cooperation with the South-African party. We hope that the new agreement will help both parties to identify new, innovative ways of cooperation on the fields of culture and education. <
20 afrikanap:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:54 PM Page 1
{ africa } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Africa-Europe Challenge GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AFRICA TO THE WORLD THE AFRICA-EUROPE CHALLENGE (AEC) PROJECT is built on 3 main pillars. The first Yacht Race around Africa, the connecting business forums and cultural events series, and the „Future Without Distance” Student Program. As Angolan Ambassador to Hungary, Joao Miguel Wahekeni and one of the organizers of the project, Jozsef Gal, well-known Hungarian yacht circumnavigator, stressed in their speeches, the aim of the Africa-Europe Challenge is to strengthen a new form of cooperation between Europe and Africa, which is based on the equality of the engaging parties and their common economic, political and cultural interests. The yacht race event series – running for a period of nearly one year – and the publicity it receives provide a unique opportunity for the people of Europe and Africa to gain a deeper understanding of each others’ cultures. Every coastal African country can host a station of the yacht race. This is a great opportunity for these states to communicate a message through public channels to the European public and the world. They can present the beauties and appeals of their country
>
and discuss problems that need to be resolved. The specific objectives of the Africa-Europe Challenge are related to: • promoting dialogue between African and European cultures; • directing the attention of Europe and the world to Africa; • presenting the countries of Africa, their beauties, opportunities and problems; • mediating Europe’s message to African countries and the messages of African countries to Europe; • call the World's attention to the importance of peace and security in Africa, • contribute to the development of Africa with potential means of the Project, • helping the new member states of the EU to gain a better understanding of Africa; • gathering intentions geared towards cooperation (intellectual, material or financial) forming between Africa and Europe on the ground of common interests;
The organizers also intend to invite to take part in the Africa-Europe Challenge internationally acknowledged personalities from political, economic and cultural life who are committed to building relations with Africa. Their personal presence would represent guarantees for implementing the above specified objectives.
AFRICA DAY 2011 “THE REMARKABLE INCREASE OF AFRICAN DIGNITY and the strengthening of existing relations between Hungary and Africa become a goal and a common interest to us all.” The traditional Africa Day was organized in this spirit at the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts by the Council of African embassies headed by the Embassy of Angola, with the assistance of consulates and other African NGOs such as the African Hungarian Union. the event was attended by diplomatic missions, business and civil society organizations. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Zsolt Nemeth praised the relations between Hungary and Africa, while noting the Africa Summit VI held in Budapest and the importance of economic and cultural future of the African continent. Participants at Africa Day 2011 enjoyed performances of African music and dance, as well as traditional dishes of African cuisine.
ACP-EU Conference JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT and their counterparts from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific called for impartial justice to underpin reconciliation in the Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), and backed the right of citizens to demand political change wherever power is withheld from the people. This statement was issued after the 21st ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly held in the Hungarian capital in May as MPs backed ongoing power-shifts in Africa and the Middle East. Particpants also debated democracy building, human rights, including the rights of homosexuals, and how best to ensure the accountability of political leaders. JPA Co-President Louis Michel pointed out that “especially in times of economic crisis, many donors roll back on their aid commitments for the countries of the South.” At the same time, he advocated delivering development aid in the form of budgetary support to developing countries.
HUNGARY FOR THE SUCCESS OF AFRICA A TWO-DAY CONFERENCE SUMMIT ON AFRICA took place in the Hungarian capital. To the ‘Africa Budapest Summit VI’, organizers invited several speakers to discuss the main theme: ‘Challenges and Responses - Hungary for the Success of Africa’. The purpose of the international event was to call the attention of Hungarian economic circles to business opportunities in Africa.
>
Presentations included technologies and solutions that can help the development of Africa, especially in agriculture. At the conference, experts of their respective fields discussed topics like water, electricity, enironmental protection, agriculture, business and investment. The opening lecture was the Vice President of Uganda, Prof. Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya (on the right picture
above with the Chairman of the Summit, Peter Morenth). Another prominent speaker was former president of the most populous African country, Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo (speaking on the left picture above) invited Hungarians to partner with Nigeria in the fields of agriculture and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), which - he argued - could benefit both countries.
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
20
2011 JUNE
PHOTOS BY
Africa Summit
David Harangozo, Bianka Majay
>
21 izrael:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:53 PM Page 1
{ israel } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Israel National Day CELEBRATION HELD IN BUDAPEST’S VIGSZINHAZ THEATER ON THE OCCASION OF THE 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, the Israeli Embassy celebrated with the performance of “Hora Jerusalem“ Israeli dance group and singer Ms. Meital Saidoff-Hochman. Hora Jerusalem is the representative dance ensemble of the Jerusalem
>
Municipality. Their repertoire includes Israeli and international folk dances which were created especially for the group in the last fifty years by the best Israeli choreographers. H.E. Aliza BinNoun, Ambassador of the State of Israel opened the event with a greeting. The event was followed by a reception. <
Israel Independence Day HOSTED AT MARRIOTT HOTEL BUDAPEST ON THE 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL’S INDEPENDENCE H.E. Aliza Bin-Noun, Ambassador of the State of Israel accredited to Hungary hosted a reception at the Marriott Hotel with the participation of representatives of the Hungarian government, the press, the diplomatic corps and businessmen. At the event Ambassador Aliza BinNoun and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Zsolt Nemeth as the representative of the Hungarian government delivered a speech highlighting the strength of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Israel.
>
Judafest Street Festival OPPORTUNITY FOR CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS TO PRESENT THEMSELVES FAIRGROUND ATMOSPHERE, JEWISH FOODS, concerts and children’s programs awaited visitors in the heart of the one-time Jewish quarters of Budapest at the 4th Judafest on the first Sunday in June. Music programs included concerts by groups like the world renowned Budapest Klezmer Band or the Israeli Shuk group. As a specialty of this year’s Judafest, civil organizations are offered the possibility of presenting themselves to the public in an interactive way. Held for the first time in conjunction with Judafest, the running event ‘Community FunRun’ in which participants may contribute for a charity purpose.
PHOTOS BY
David Harangozo, Bianka Majay
>
2011 JUNE
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
21
22 INNOVATION:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:52 PM Page 1
{ innovation } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Science Beyond Fiction THE EUROPEAN FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION Opening the European Future Technologies conference and exhibition, EU Commisioner Neelie Kroes pointed out that “the European Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Program promotes long-term and high risk research that aims to advance scientific and technological knowledge in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). FET PROJECTS TARGET RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL to radically transform our scientific and technological basis for tomorrow’s society. Some 165 projects are currently funded by the FET research, which is now celebrating its 22nd birthday. FET traces its history back early as 1989 when BRA (Basic Research Actions) was launched, to be renamed FET in 1996.”
>
> T H E D U TC H E U C O M M I S S I O N E R : Neelie Kroes is the European Digital Agenda Commissioner and Vice President of the European Commission. Born in 1941 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where she also attended school, she helped to build her family’s transport business. She studied economics at Erasmus University, before working there for six years as an Assistant Professor. Her political career started on the Rotterdam Municipal Council, and in 1971, she was elected a Member of the Dutch Parliament for the liberal VVD party. From 1982-1989, she served as Minister for Transport, Public Works and Telecommunication in the Netherlands. Moving from politics to the private sector, she was appointed President of Nyenrode University (1991-2000), and served on various company boards, including Lucent Technologies, Volvo and P&O Nedlloyd. Prior to serving as European Commissioner for Competition from 2004-2009, her charity work included advising the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and World Cancer Research Fund, and she has an ongoing interest in mental health issues.
RECONFIGURABLE EEL-LIKE ROBOT WITH ELECTRIC SENSE A ROBOT WHICH SWIMS LIKE AN EEL is the main attraction at the ANGELS stand. The prototype is made up of nine modules with propellers which can be operated independently or joined together. The robot is equipped with an electrolocation sensor which enables it to avoid obstacles and walls, and to distinguish the basic shape of objects.
(Source: ec.europe.eu)
BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERACTION THINK IT AND IT'S DONE Why not try out a brain computer interface for yourself? Four prototype applications are on show – you can write text using a mentally operated virtual keyboard, select pictures from a collection simply by focusing your attention on the desired picture, send a mental command to a functional electrical stimulation (FES) system that can deliver currents to forearm nerves to regain control of your hand for grasping, and control a small mobile robot designed for telepresence.
A NEW KIND OF ROBOT Shed your skin – introducing ECCEROBOT Shake hands with ECCEROBOT, a radically new kind of robot with a spectacular appearance. ECCEROBOT looks like a life-size human with the skin peeled off so that the bones, muscles, and tendons can be seen in motion. The stereotype of the robot is usually either dangerous or fragile. This exhibit attempts to move beyond this mindset, and this mindset must be overcome. political and economic relations with Hungary for many years to come.
David Harangozo, Courtesy picture
THE NEW GENERATION OF WIND TURBO-TURBINE > As the world celebrates WORLD WIND
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
22
PHOTOS BY
DAY in June, the time has come to replace traditional wind turbines and the solution could be a Hungarian invention that constitutes a new generation of wind mills. It costs less to build, has higher capacity, and produces less expensive electricity. What is more, it can also operate at lower and higher wind speeds than the current turbines in use. There is no damage to the environment or to people’s health. Please, see our next issue for the details.
2011 JUNE
23 diplomacyandlife:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:52 PM Page 1
{ diplomacy and life } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Sunshine Garage - a New Hungarian Patent WORLDWIDE NOVELTY IN PARKING - UNIQUE SOLUTION WITH QUICK RETURN OF INVESTMENT B Y S A N D O R L A C Z KO
NOT HAVING BEEN SATISFIED WITH THE OPERATION OF THE DIFFERENT PARKING FACILITIES AVAILABLE, a Hungarian engineer team came up with a unique solution that rectifies most of the problems drivers are concerned about when trying to park their vehicle in the more and more congested cities: small ground space, operational safety, safety of valuables and quick access. The worldwide unique feature of the tower called Sunshine Garage is its technical safety that ensures access to the vehicle even when the lifting apparatus breaks down. As the inventors, Gyula and Terezia Friwaldszky explain, this is possible by having two, independently operated, controlled and powered elevators that can substitute each other in serving all parking places in the tower. The Sunshine Garage that enjoys international patent protection is a galvanized steel frame structure of standard elements. It can be set up quickly and costeffectively, and can even be disassembled and set up at another venue should it be necessary. Its basic format is an open structure with no need for ventilation, heating or cooling. Due to
>
its compact size and practical arrangement, no other parking facility in the world can hold so many cars in such little groundspace (some 320 square meters – a circle with a diameter of 20 meters). While it can be of 5-20 stories, the ideal height is 10-12 floors, storing 120-150 cars – ideal for the operational speed that ensures the driver will have access to the vehicle within less than a minute! The operation of the Sunshine Garage is simple and fully automatic. You drive to the facility, stop at one of the receiving places, turn the engine off, get out of the car, close it and receive a smart card necessary to claim your vehicle when you return. From that point, the computercontrolled mechanism takes over, transporting the vehicle to the optimally designated storage place. When you return, you swipe your card and the mechanism returns your car. The safety of property (both the car and the valuables inside) is ensured as no one can access the car during the parking process. In congested areas with high demand – but little ground space – for parking, the return period of investment for a Sunshine Garage
ECONOMICS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL DISORDERS CAN AFFECT THE WAY PEOPLE think and behave, their capacity to protect their own interests and, on rare occasions, their decision-making abilities. Persons with mental disorders face stigma, discrimination and marginalization in most societies. Although mental and psychosocial wellbeing is an important aspect of health-related quality of life, too little information is usually available to allow these very important dimensions of the population’s health to be described reliably. In recognition of the importance of mental health and well-being in Europe, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper on Mental Health to ex
Speed Meeting
1052 Budapes Budapest, st, Gerlóczy G erlóczy u u.. 4. TTel.: el.: +36.1.317.9338 7.9338 info@merlinszinhaz.hu inf fo@merlinszzinhaz.hu www.merlinszinhaz.hu w ww.merlinszzinhaz.hu
PHOTOS BY
David Harangozo, Courtesy picture
Public transport: P ublic tr anspo ort: Deák M1, M2, M3 tto oD eák ttér ér Ass par part English A p t of Eng glish Mondays g Mondays and Wednesdays programme W ednesdays pr ogramme MERLiN presents theatre shows pr esents thea t e sho tr ws in English:
TThe he e System System of Dr P Pagan agan n (dinner thea theatre) tre) MERLiN MER RLiN & Madhouse Madhouse Company: Comp pany: A Arthur, rthur h , Part Part One e – TThe he LLegend egend B Begins egins MERLiN MER RLiN presents presents Simon S Stephens: teph hens: P Pornography ornography Scallabouche S callabouche Company: Company: T The he Story Story Room Room 2011 JUNE
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
23
(without the price of the real estate) is estimated to be a mere 5-6 years, while the lifespan of the facility is 30 years. This is because its construction costs about half of that of mechanized parking systems of other types. If the exterior façade can be sold as advertising space, the recovery period may be as low as 2-3 years. The Sunshine Garage – with its excellent protection of property – is also very suitable for use as a “park and ride” (P+R) facility. Any flattened ground in the outskirts can be designated for P+R parking but many people – in contrast to the point of the P+R concept – would rather drive to the city than leave their vehicles in a place where their valuables are not guarded until they return at the end of the day. With little ground space required, Sunshine Garage can be set up right next to public transport terminals, providing a safe and quickly accessible solution, leading to less pollution and congestion in inner cities. The operation of the facility is energy efficient and environment-friendly – especially if it is equipped with solar panels on the roof and perhaps on the sunlit side. Depending on the conditions of the set-up venue, it can be constructed with any number of floors either above or under the ground. The dry-weight of the Sunshine Garage is about one third of a concrete building of the same purpose, making it suitable for being built on soil of loose structure or ev en above tunnels. It can also be built with an earthquake-proof foundation and may be fitted with different types of covers in order to blend in with its environment. The project is a truly Hungarian invention that provides an ideal solution for the ever-growing problem of increasing demand for parking worldwide. <
THE FRENCH-HUNGARIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE in association with other chambers of commerce in Hungary - held a business networking event, called ‘speed meeting’. The main principle of the event is that “taking into consideration that each company buys and sells products and/or services, therefore, this networking model offers everyone the possibility through several one-to-one meetings of ten minutes to - intoduce themselves, - present one’s company, - explain what everyone is looking for, and - meet future customers, suppliers and/or partners.”
24 society:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:51 PM Page 1
{ society } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
> TH E DI PLOMACY AN D TRADE BUSI N ESS CLU B (TH E CLU B) held its latest meeting at the residence in Budapest of the Dutch Ambassador to Hungary. The guests were welcomed by Ambassador Robert Milders and his wife, as well as the founder of The Club, Peter Freed.
> THE SPEAKER OF THE E V E N T was the finance minister of the previous Hungarian government, Peter Oszko who spoke about the impact of government policies in Hungary in the past decade and of global economic trends as well as the drivers of permanent economic trends, including the potential for cooperation and the role of the business sector.
Foreign ministers at the ASEM meeting > A M B A S S A D O R S TO B U DA P E ST helped the work of the foreign ministers of their respective countries at the the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Godollo, east of Budapest. The conference was attended by Foreign ministers and representatives of 27 countries of the EU and 19 countries of Asia.
Chinese official awarded > C H I N E S E STAT E CO U N C I L O R , Dai Bingguo paid an official visit to Hungary and was received by Hungarian President Pal Schmitt who presented his guest with a high state distinction. The two politicians also discussed Hungarian-Chinese relations.
Deutsche Wirtschafts Club > THE GERMAN BUSINESS CLUB of Budapest organized a meeting to bring together German businessmen and the leaders of the Hungarian capital. The event was attended by Deputy Mayor Gyula Hutiray (below) and Budapest Chief Architect Gyorgy Kerekes (in beige suit on the right).
President of Georgia visits Hungary
UNWTO General Secretary > T H E G E N E R A L S E C R E TA RY O F T H E W O R L D TO U R I S M O R G A N I Z AT I O N , Taleb Rifai was received in Budapest by the President of the Republic of Hungary, Pal Scmitt. Both men spoke at the tourism conference held under the auspices of the Hungarian EU Presidency.
PHOTOS BY
David Harangozo
> T H E P R E S I D E N T O F G E O R G I A , Mikheil Saakashvili visited Hungary at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Hungary Pal Schmitt. The President of Georgia also paid a visit to the south-central Hungarian town of Kiskoros where he laid a wreath at the statue of Georgian poet Grigol Abashidze.
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
24
2011 JUNE
25 terrakotta:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:50 PM Page 1
{ culture } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
THE BIRTH OF AN ANCIENT NATION AND THE DEATH OF ITS VISIONARY FIRST EMPEROR
Chinese Terracotta Army Invades Budapest BY REKA A. FRANCISCK
THE LEGENDARY TERRACOTTA WARRIORS, SOMETIMES REFERRED to as ‘the 8th wonder of the ancient world’ can normally only be viewed in China, in the vast earthen pits where they were first discovered. “Not many people have the chance to travel to China to see the original ones. Therefore, our exhibition ‘The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army’ is a rare opportunity to see them up close, even if these are not the ‘real thing’ exhibited here at VAM Design Center,” says project coordinator Gabriella Toth. According to her, the Chinese government closely watches the originals and in the past 15 years, it has not loaned them abroad without huge insurance paid. “The replicas have been made by the traditional production method of yellow clay, like the originals,” Toth continues. “Every one of them was modeled by hand to match original details. Once a viewer stands among the silent lines of soldiers and focuses on them, it’s easy to drift back in time to ancient China.” The exhibition hopes to give visitors a chance to learn about Chinese history and at least convey a feeling of the real Terracotta Army in China. At the VAM Design Center, visitors can see a hall with 100 warriors, placed on sand in the positions in which they were uncovered by archaeologists. There are projections to watch where you can see the pits in China. In a small cinema, a movie is played about the discovery of the treasure. The exhibition runs until Sep 18.
>
AN INTERNATIONALLY SUCCESSFUL EXHIBITION OF REPLICAS OF CHINA'S FIRST EMPEROR’S FAMOUS ANCIENT TERRACOTTA ARMY ARRIVED IN BUDAPEST ON MAY 28. THE SHOW FEATURES SOME 170 QUALITY REPLICAS OF THE MOST FAMOUS CLAY FIGURES IN THE WORLD.
Entertainment
> U P U NTI L NOW only few visitors, such as Queen Elizabeth II, have been permitted to walk through the original pits in China, side by side to the army.
PHOTOS BY
Courtesy pictures
The original figures THE TERRACOTTA ARMY HAD LAIN underground for more than 2,000 years.It was discovered by accident in 1974 when local farmers digging a well broke into a pit containing life-size terracotta figures. Then archaeologists began explorations, revealing two further pits both filled with terracotta warriors in precise military formation indicating rank and duty. According to current estimates, the statue army of the mausoleum represents the exact number of the imperial guards, i.e. more than 8,000 warriors and horses, chariots, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. The figures were manufactured in workshops by government laborers and by local craftsmen. From their looks, and the arch of their moustaches, to the folds of their clothes, some of them are unique works of art. Studies show that eight face moulds were most likely used, and then clay was added to provide individual facial features. The head, arms, legs and torsos were created separately and then assembled. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it an assembly line production, with specific parts manufactured and assembled after being fired. Considering their sizes and weights, the
they were locked up between the stone gates of the tomb alive. Also, the emperor’s 3,000 wives and concubines followed him to the grave, too. This main chamber has still to be excavated – partly because archaeologists are still uncertain of its exact location. Often Emperors amassed huge burial mounds simply to divert robbers' attention from the true site of their tomb. So the artificial mound that today marks the Emperor's tomb does not necessarily indicate the location of the wondrous central chamber. Recent scientific work at the site has shown high levels of mercury in the soil on and around Mount Lishan, appearing to add credence to Sima Qian's writings. In 1979, Emperor Qin's Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum was opened to the public, receiving over 2,000,000 Chinese and foreign tourists a year. In December 1987, UNESCO selected the Tomb of the First Emperor and the Terracotta Army as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
firing process probably meant a record performance in the potter’s craft of the period. The Terracotta Army supply abundant and detailed artifacts for the study of the military, cultural and economic history of that period. At the tomb, extremely sharp swords and other weapons were found too, coated with chromium oxide which made the weapons rust resistant. Scientists also revealed that the army was created for the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang di, an amazing but megalomaniac man who conquered and united China from a collection of warring states. He is also remembered for his obsessive quest for the secret of immortality and the fanatical fear of death. He did die, though. His burial hill with the terracotta army can be found in the valley of the River Wei, approximately 15 kilometers to the east from Xi’an, which is today the capital of Shaanxi Province. This area had been the center of Chinese civilization before the end of the first millennium A.D. and was the eastern end of the Silk Road. Based on records, some 700,000 people worked on the construction, which is amazing, considering the fact that China in that period had a population of approximately 20 million inhabitants. 2011 JUNE
The Terracotta Warriors form just one of the many barriers Qin Shi Huang di employed to protect his tomb for eternity. According to Sima Qian's "The Historical Records", written a century later, there is a chamber in the tomb, where “heaven and earth are both present: the ceiling, inlaid with pearls, represents the starry heavens, the floor, made of stone, forms a map of the Chinese kingdom; a hundred rivers of mercury flow across it, and all manner of treasure is protected by deadly booby-traps.” According to the script, it was commanded that no craftsman should survive the constructions:
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
25
THE FIRST EMPEROR WANTED TO BE SURE he was protected but he also wanted to be entertained. Archaeologists, who discovered 11 acrobats and strongmen figures in the tomb, claim that these performers appear to look like those in the modern day Shanghai Circus. Historians had believed that the idea for acrobatics did not evolve until the Han dynasty, however this new discovery disproves that theory. When the First Emperor was not being entertained by his circus performers, he enjoyed the music of a string orchestra. When these musicians played, the water birds would dance around a stream. The emperor had 15 terracotta musicians and 46 bronze water birds placed in his tomb. During the Qin Dynasty, the Imperial Music Bureau was founded. The bureau was responsible for supervising court and military music. The Music Bureau decided which folk music would be officially recognized. This was a very important task because the First Emperor believed that this music would keep harmony
QIN SHI HUANG DI THE KING, THEN THE FIRST EMPEROR OF QIN (originally named Ying Zheng) was born in 259, and he was hardly 13 years old when he inherited royal power. By the age of 38, he conquered the six neighboring states to unify China for the first time. Although reviled for his tyranny, he is also admired for many radical and insightful policies which subsequent dynasties employed. To synthesize seven separate states into one nation, he standardized a common script and he introduced standard weights and measures, and money. For effective government, he codified a legal system and replaced hereditary rulers with a centrally appointed administrative system. To improve industrial productivity, he encouraged agricultural reforms and constructed many roads. And in an effort to limit the inroads of barbarian tribes, he supervised the construction of the first Great Wall. Although, China benefited from these policies, thousands of Chinese workers died in completing this far-reaching public works program.
26 india:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:58 PM Page 1
{ travel } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
THE OLDEST LIVING CITY IN THE WORLD
Varanasi: the holy dip, the numbing feel VARANASI, ALSO KNOWN AS KASHI AND BENARAS, IS THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF INDIA – A MYSTERIOUS PLACE THAT HAS BEEN SLIGHTLY OVERLOOKED BY INFLUXES OF VISITORS, WHO SET FOOT IN THE INCREDIBLE LAND OF INDIA ONLY TO SEE THE MAJESTIC TAJ MAHAL AND TICK SOME SIGHTS OF GENERAL INTEREST.
the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public on the city’s ghats. travelling on a leisurely passing boat on the Ganges late at night will offer India’s most absorbing experience: it is the desire of many Indians to die and be cremated in Varanasi after being soaked for an instant in the holy Ganges. While the cremation of the dead bodies can surely be regarded as the major “attraction” of Varanasi, you should refrain from believing that this unusual ritual is the only high point the city can offer. If there is one thing you must mot miss is the evening aarti at Dashawamedh ghat.
Water and soul BY RUDOLF SARDI
STARTING A JOURNEY IN INDIA FOR MANY OF THE NEOPHYTES, who are less prone to accommodate themselves to the country’s vibrant lifestyle, unique tastes and a world of unusual smells should first venture into Delhi. India’s chaotic capital is famous for its fearless touts and a veritable crush of mechanical and human traffic, tuk-tuks and old Tata Ambassador taxicabs hurtling along the wide avenues. This might seem downright confronting, extremely dangerous and no less confounding for the first-time visitor, but it would be impetuous to let your first impressions depreciate the wonders of this truly multidimensional metropolis. In spite of the apparent chaos and cacophony that the swarming traffic produces in the scorching heat, it would be hard to find anyone who does not immediately become enamored of the captivating ancient monuments, magnificent museums, a vivacious performingarts scene and some of the subcontinent’s most delectable dishes served throughout Delhi (not all these are for the squeamish, but commonsense or, even better, a well-trained tummy can keep one’s digestive system unharmed). You will be amazed to see how Delhi, this huge melting pot accommodates a jumble of vernaculars, covering Hindi, English, Urdu and Punjabi, which easily creates the impression of a post-Babelic turmoil so suggestive of the region. While Delhi is home to a “new” and an “old” world – one being New Delhi, the imperial capital if British India, whereas Islamic India has is center is Old Delhi. “Visiting the city even for a couple of days can be absolutely tiring,” comments Miss Eishita Puri, who owns K One One, a cozy guesthouse, only a stone’s throw away from the madding crowds that one encounters in the vicinity of the dramatic Red Fort, Jama Masjid and bustling bazaars of Old Delhi. Enchanting and contrastive as the capital might seem from many aspects – some of which are presented authentically yet with a strong bias in Slumdog Millionaire, the not so recent English box-office hit – travelling on
>
> THE
G A N G A G H ATS : The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges: it is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of mortals.
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
26
www.hamaariihindii.wikispaces.com
throbbing heart of the Hindu universe, a crossroads between the physical and spiritual worlds, and the Ganges is the everlasting symbol of hope to past, present and future generations. It cannot be accidental that Mark Twain (who seems to be as good of a philosopher as a walking depository of witticisms) stated in his 1898 book, Following the Equator that “Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” And how correctly he put it: Varanasi is indeed the oldest living city in the world, a magical but oftentimes overwhelming place the Western soul is very unlikely to ever identify with in its entirety. It is the city where
PHOTOS BY
leisurely by one of the ramshackle trains of a bygone era to other cities in India will make the visitor understand that Delhi is far from being a final destination in terms of contradictions. As you get off the train in Varanasi (or, you may also opt for the more comfortable way by arranging a ticket to India’s high-quality, privately owned boutique airlines, like Kingfisher or Spicejet), you will agree that the platform looks as though it were the perfect place for initiation into the gamut of contradictions that coexist peacefully in Varansi – the ancient and the modern, the mystical and the mundane, and of course (perhaps most famously), life and death. Varanasi, the place where the soul attains moksha is also the city that fuelled the fertile imagination of the like of Tulsidas, Kabir and Jayshankar Prasad. Enjoying Varanasi – or at least understanding a fragment of its rich and variegated cultural and religious scene – is only possible if the visitor is somewhat conversant with at least a handful of Indian gods and rites as well as the shining spirituality that runs through every motif of the rich and complex worldview that every Indian preserves in their bosom. Had the author of the present piece studied Indology at the famous Faculty of Humanities of ELTE back in his native Budapest, he would certainly have comprehended more profoundly why Varanasi is regarded by all Indians as the last stop before nirvana. It was for centuries that Hindus have made their holy pilgrimage to Varanasi by the River Ganges to attain instant moksha, the liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Only few places in India are as inscrutable, exciting or spiritually touching as the beautifully preserved bathing ghats covering the terraced riverside of the Ganges. Varanasi, previously named Benaras and Kashi (which means the City of Light), is today the
AS THE SUN GOES DOWN, EVERY DAY, for about twenty minutes, the ghat of Benaras comes to a standstill even as hundreds gather there for the pinnacle of the day. A spectacular, flawlessly choreographed prayer service by the pandas – incantation to the river goddess, songs, several-tiered aarti stands, conch shells, temple bells will grip the visitor with an inexplicable religious fervor. You will be mesmerized by the sheer noise that goes down to the soul. It is loud. It is grand. It is surreal. Starting the daybreak in Varanasi at the ghats offers an experience that is no less captivating: thousands of pilgrims are bathing naked in the dark-colored waters of the Ganges, scooping some cold holy water in their hands to wash away the earthly sins of mortals. Varanasi awakens from its emotionally touching evening aarti to offer solace, a newer and purer life that so few can experience today. While the Ganges ranks among the top five most polluted rivers of the world, every visitor should be encouraged to touch it, to feel it. It is a sacred, a mystical and an inexplicable feeling: the electric numbing feel of the water is sure to linger on for days and months and years. <
2011 JUNE
27 postamuzeum:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:57 PM Page 1
{ culture } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com 1890 Jan 1 the first Long Distance Exchange was opened in the General Post Office building
1900 the first coinoperated public telephone station was installed in Budapest East Railway Station.
1928 With the installation of rotary 7A1 type exchanges in Budapest, the automation of telephone exchanges started in.
1985 The first optical cables were laid in Budapest.
1989 The country’s first stored program controlled (SPC) electronic telephone exchange was opened. The ADS (Austrian Digital Switching System) exchange was delivered by Austria Telecommunication G.m.b.H.
1990 Westel Radiotelefon Kft. launched its service.
1994 Two new mobile operators, Pannon GSM Rt. and Westel Mobil Rt., started operation on the 900 MHz frequency.
1996 Internet service was launched in Hungary.
1999 Vodafone established its GSM/DCS1800 network operating on 1800 MHz frequency.
HUNGARIAN TELEPHONY CELEBRATES 130 YEARS
Hello – I can hear what you say Allegedly, Tivadar Puskas said “hallo” into the telephone receiver for the first time in the world, or rather he said “hallom” (that is to say “I hear” in Hungarian), so the phrase originates from this Hungarian word.
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS THE SPEED OF COMMUNICATIONS WAS DETERMINED BY THE SPEED OF THE SWIFTEST RUNNER OR THE FASTEST HORSE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TELEPHONE WAS A MAJOR STEP TOWARDS SPEEDING UP COMMUNICATION WORLDWIDE. BY REKA A. FRANCISCK
THE FIRST TELEPHONE IN HUNGARY RANG ON MAY 1, 1881 in Budapest’s Furdo Street (today Hild ter). To celebrate the 130th anniversary of the start of telephone service in Hungary, Zsolt Nyitrai, the Minister of State for Infocommunication unveiled a plaque at Hild ter, near the place where Hungary’s first telephone operator center was established. Commemorations continued at Budapest’s Post Museum with the minister making a phonecall via a device more than a hundred years old. “He was calling Nora Puskas, the oldest relative of Tivadar Puskas, the mind behind the telephone exchange technology,” reveals Laszlo Egervari, Managing Director of the Communications Museum Foundation. “Also, to mark World Information Society Day (May 17), we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the year Hungarian scientist Gyorgy Bekesy won his Nobel Prize. These two Hungarians played great roles in the development of what is today called the international telecommunications
>
industry.” Prior to the telephone, electrical switches were used to switch telegraph lines. The switchboard was built from "carriage bolts, handles from teapot lids and bustle wire" and could handle two simultaneous conversations. Later exchanges consisted of one to several hundred plug boards staffed by telephone operators. Each operator sat in front of a vertical panel containing banks of jacks, each of which was the local terminal of a subscriber's telephone line. When a calling party lifted the receiver, a signal lamp near the jack would light. The operator would plug one of the cords into the subscriber's jack and switch her headset into the circuit to ask, "Number, please?" Depending upon the answer, the
operator might plug the other cord of the pair (the "ringing cord") into the called party's local jack and start the ringing cycle, or plug into a trunk circuit to start what might be a long distance call. “In 1918, the average time to complete the connection for a long-distance call was 15 minutes,” Egervari notes, adding that Budapest’s first exchange center started off with a capacity for 25 lines. “The vast majority of the first subscribers were business people. It took the bureaucracy a while until they accepted it,” he continues. “Another interesting fact is that up to 98% of the telephone center operators were women. Even countesses were seeking to get into this top job position.”
GEORG VON BEKESY (BEKESY GYORGY) (June 3, 1899 – June 13, 1972) was a Hungarian biophysicist born in Budapest. Before and during World War II, Bekesy worked for the Hungarian Post Office, doing research on telecommunications signal quality. This research led him to become interested in the workings of the ear. In 1946, he left Hungary to follow this line of research at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. In 1961, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the function of the cochlea in the mammalian hearing organ. He developed a method for dissecting the inner ear of human cadavers while leaving the cochlea partly intact. He was able to observe that the basilar membrane moves like a surface wave when stimulated by sound. Because of the structure of the cochlea and the basilar membrane, different frequencies of sound cause the maximum amplitudes of the waves to occur at different places on the basilar membrane along the coil of the cochlea. He concluded that his observations showed how different sound wave frequencies are locally dispersed before exciting different nerve fibers that lead from the cochlea to the brain. He theorized that the placement of each sensory cell (hair cell) along the coil of the cochlea corresponds to a specific frequency of sound. Bekesy worked at Harvard University until he was offered to lead a research laboratory of sense organs in Honolulu, Hawaii. He died in Honolulu.
Post Museum
PHOTOS BY
Postamuzeum Picture Gallery, David Harangozo
TIVADAR PUSKAS (SEP 17, 1844– MARCH 16, 1893) IS AN OUTSTANDING PERSON in the Hungarian history of engineering with the most fertile imagination and ideas. He studied law and later engineering sciences. In 1873, on the occasion of the World Exhibition in Vienna, he founded the Puskas Travel Agency, the fourth-oldest in the world and the first travel agency in Central Europe. Then he moved to Colorado and became a gold miner. From the autumn of 1876 to the summer of 1877 Puskas worked on the idea of the telephone exchange (which he completed, but did not patent) atThomas Edison’s laboratory in Menlo Park. In 1879 Puskas set up a telephone exchange in Paris, where he looked after Edison's European affairs for the next four years. In addition, he was working on the electric lighting of London. He also directed the installation of the first telephone networks in London and Brussels. Meanwhile, he trained his brother, Ferenc, who with Edison’s consent, obtained exclusive rights to build telephone exchanges in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The two brothers returned home and began to install a telephone exchange in Budapest, which started to operate as the forth telephone center in Europe. Nikola Tesla became the chief electrician to the company, and was later engineer for the country's first telephone system. Telefon Hirmondo was the name of Puskas’ patented telephone broadcaster service which has also been described as an early radio. The service started in 1893 with around 60 subscribers. This is how a W. B. Forster Bovill writes about it in ’Hungary and the Hungarians: “You may be seated as I was in the reading-room of one of the hotels, or in a large coffeehouse, when suddenly a rush is made for a telephone-looking instrument which hangs from the wall. In time perhaps you will become one of these “rushers.” It is the Telephon Hirmondo, a kind of newspaper which telephones its news instead of printing it. Budapest is the only city in the world which possesses such an instrument. All day long a cleartoned elocutionist announces news just as it arrives, it commences in the morning at nine by sending the correct time, which is repeated every hour. At twelve o’clock the news of the day, home and abroad, is sent out to thousands of homes, etc. Sometimes a raconteur will make the luncheon hour pass easily by telling a few good stories. From 4.30 one may listen to a famous Honved military band, and after seven in the evening, for five nights of the week, the subscriber sitting at home may listen to grand opera. On the two remaining evenings the strains of a gipsy band coming from a distant cafe adds to the enjoyment. The Magyar loves pleasure.” Telefon Hirmondo divided the entire city of Budapest into twenty-seven districts, and had the rights to place wires in a way similar to the telephone and telegraph companies. Puskas' died a month after the launch of the service, on March 16, 1893. His brother Albert sold the enterprise, along with the patent rights. 2011 JUNE
THE POSTAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM FOUNDATION, aka Communications Museum Foundation was established in 1990 by the Hungarian Post Company, the Hungarian Telecommunications Company and Hungarian Program Broadcasting Company to provide for the operation of the Stamp Museum and Postal Museum. The Post Museum, established between1885-1890, opened its first permanent exhibition in 1955 in the tower rooms of the Post Palace at Buda. In 1972 the museum moved to its present location, the Saxlehner Palace at Andrassy ut 3. Its collection contains relics of post, communications and program broadcasting, which includes 20, 000 objects, 67,000 documents and a library with some 15,000 books. In addition to the beautiful Andrassy ut palace, there are 14 other affiliate units of the Communications Museum Fundation, including exhibition sites in Nagyvazsony, Balatonszemes, Holloko, Opusztaszer, Koszeg and Pecs. The latest member, a little post museum has just opened in Balatonaracs. The so-called ‘Teletar’ in Miskolc, with its rotary center, old telephone exchanges and transmission equipments serves as an education center for future engineers. In Budapest, the Castle Exchange in District 1 houses the Telephony museum and in
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
27
Diosd, there’s a Radio and Television Museum which was opened in1995 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of program broadcasting of the Hungarian Radio. <
28 budajeno:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:57 PM Page 1
{ company news } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
Smart Living Just Outside Budapest SUSTAINABILITY AND RETAINABILITY IN FOCUS BY THE EARLY 21ST CENTURY, MANKIND HAS EXPLOITED Earth’s resources so much that many people believe they ought to live in a way that puts as little burden on Mother Nature as possible. Their primary purpose is to create for themselves a living environment that conforms to the latest technical standards made available to people nowadays, but utilizes technologies that save resources for future generations. The creation of such environment is difficult in densely populated urban territories. This is why rural areas just outside big cities are becoming more important. That is where people can live close to nature while – thanks to modern infrastructure – not having to give up using any technical achievements of our times and still being able to live in proximity to relatives and friends who live in the city. The latest of such projects is being implemented in Budajeno, just 11 kilometers west of Budapest. The developer of the exclusive “Templomvolgy Villapark” (‘Temple Valley residential area’) has created spacious residential lots with low rates of development that provide plenty of room around the houses as well as in relation to the neighboring parcel. As regards the buildings erected here, it is the principle of quality rather than quantity that is the determinant. The project area of fully developed building sites is arranged around a hub that is connected to the old village by a promenade. The center’s 21st century infrastructure (shops, catering facilities, healthcare, bank, post office, some office buildings, apartment buildings and a small
>
hotel and an American style secondary school) provides a modern environment for those who choose to live in either of the two residential areas offered by the project: an “artist row” of houses (on parcels of 200500 sq m) to be built at the foot of a hill, which used to be a vineyard, or a villa park – on the other side of the hub – with parcels of 1,500-10,000 square meters each and a development limit of 10-20% ensuring a spacious living environment. Altogether, there are 290 parcels in this project. However, creating a living environment that utilizes resources in a sensible and
> B I R D S E Y E V I E W O F T E M P L E VA L L E Y V I L L A PA R K : The project reflects a sustainable and retainable world.
sustainable way does not only come about at the urging of environment-conscious people. By 2020, European regulations will actually prescribe that new buildings should have very high level of energy efficiency. “This project aims to be a forerunner in implementing construction technologies that can already comply today with the requirements of 2020,” says Sandor Ruff of the project management company Eco-Trend Ltd. He believes this is important not only
because of environmental consciousness and sustainability but also because the use of this technology ensures that these buildings will retain their value for a long time. “The message of Templomvolgy Villapark is that in a natural environment, one can create a form of life that does not damage nature, makes it sustainable and thus, retains the energy received from nature. Each of the buildings in the project complies with increased insulation standards,” he adds. The management of the project has already secured agreements with companies who provide – at a preferential rate to parcel buyers – energy-conscious solutions at the required technological level. Eco-trend Ltd. assists the buyers of the individual parcels with regard to the building permit and related advisory work – from planning to the actual construction work and even landscaping – so that the buildings are constructed to become sustainable in sunny, quiet and picturesque surroundings. An important part of this advisory work is to show how natural resources (wind, solar and geothermal power and water) can be utilized in an optimal way in order to save the environment. Sandor Ruff says they do not only wish to sell land parcels but to sell a living environment to people who understand the importance of this ‘smart living’ concept and want to invest in the future. They do this because they feel the need to live in an environment that makes the area more valuable and sustainable, already meeting the criteria that will only be compulsory from 2020. <
Join the ‘Best Club’ and enjoy the benefits all year long! The Best of Budapest Card is a premium loyalty card established by Budapest Week Publishing to provide valuable benefits to its cardholder members. The Best of Budapest Loyalty Card offers discounts (5-20%) at many restaurants,hotels, shops and service providers in Hungary.
Order a BEST OF BUDAPEST CARD for your family members, friends or business partners!
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
28
2011 JUNE
PHOTO BY
www.bestofbudapest.com
Courtesy picture
To apply for the Card and to find the Best of Budapest Card partners please visit our website
29 cultural events:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:48 PM Page 1
{ what’s on } M O N T H L Y
I N
P R I N T
-
D A I L Y
O N
T H E
W E B
www.dteurope.com
ringo Starr and hiS all-Starr Band ON JUNE 28, AT BUDAPEST SPORTS ARENA English musician, singer-songwriter and actor Richard Starkey, aka Ringo Starr, gained worldwide fame as the drummer and sometime vocalist for The Beatles. He has been touring with different versions of his All-Starr Band since 1989. The AllStarr Band’s line-up varies depending on the availability of the musicians but, in Ringo’s own words, "everybody on stage is a star in their own right." At their concerts, Ringo will perform some of his solo and Beatles songs before each band member takes turns performing hits from their own career.
JUNE 24-26 The official closing event of the Hungarian Presidency will be the 3-day long Danube-party – Budapest Summer Launch Festival, spreading out along the Danube from Margaret Island to the Kopaszi-gat area in the south, with cultural programs drawing attention to the importance of the city’s river. In Brussels, the Presidency will close with a Hungarian cultural and gastronomy event, which will also be the official ceremony of signing the Danube Strategy.
danuBe carnival
Courtesy pictures PHOTOS BY
UNTIL JULY 9 AT NEXTART GALLERY Since its foundation, NextArt Gallery has been dedicated to the discovery and presentation of talented young artists. Their newcomer is Rita Suveges who graduated last year from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. ‘Floodplain’ is her first solo exhibition. The title of the exhibition refers to the terminology describing wave-phenomenon in science and its role in everyday parlance. The exhibited fresh work is the further development of a new painting process invented by Suveges during her diploma-work. Unlike earlier traditions of painting, Suveges uses an unstretched, transparent grind as the painting surface, which makes the imagery appear on multi-layered surfaces, superimposed on each other. Among pictures of the series titled ‘Floodplain’, the riverside woods of her private memories appear via the lens of a prism refracting light. This extraordinary painting procedure makes the experience of the space an almost psychedelic adventure. www.nextartgaleria.hu
volt FeStival JUNE 29- JULY 2 IN SOPRON The Volt Festival, in which both foreign and Hungarian groups participate, is one of Hungary's largest annual summer music festivals. Hosted by the town of Sopron, the event has been held in the first week of July every year since 1993. This year's festival will also host a farewell party to Hungary's European Union presidency. www.sziget.hu
Formula 1 JULY 29-31 The Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix 2011 will take place at Hungaroring (often referred to as the citadel of motor sports), just east of Budapest. The 2010 winner, Mark Webber of the Red Bull team, will return to defend his title, while his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, the reigning world champion and current championship leader will be here to challenge that effort. The F1 Grand Prix in Budapest has been organized every year since 1986, and every year, hotels, apartments and restaurants are filled with people coming to Hungary to see and experience the spectacular event. www.hungaroring.hu
BudapeSt Summer FeStival
hungaroFeSt danuBe party
UNTIL JUNE 20 IN BUDAPEST’S DISTRICT 5 The Danube Carnival is a unique arts gathering in which the people living along the River Danube present their traditional arts every June. The first Danube Carnival was organized in 2000 as part of the Millennium celebrations (commemoration of the turn of the millennium, as well as the 1000th anniversary of the Hungarian State). The most spectacular part of the Danube Carnival is the procession of both Hungarian and foreign folk ensembles. The Danube Promenade is crowded with youngsters, women dressed in traditional costumes of swaying, gathered skirts, starched blouses, and fitted bodices with ribbons in their hair and the men in britches and brimmed, round, felt hats. The procession traditionally waves towards Vorosmarty Square in the center of Pest where it ends with performances by the various groups. The highlight of the Carnival is a gala on the open-air stage on Margaret Island. In this spectacular show, nearly 500 dance performers take part.
Floodplain - rita SuvegeS exhiBition
UNTIL SEPT 3 Budapest’s annual open-air summer festival of opera, music and dance is staged at two open-air theatres, one on Margaret Island and one in Varosmajor Park, on the Buda side of the city. The Margaret Island stage program includes the musical Les Miserables performed by Kecskemet's Jozsef Katona Theater, a popular Liszt evening by violinist Edvin Marton, a European Union Dance House Festival presenting 400 performers from 25 countries, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana by the Budafok Dohnanyi Orchestra and the Budapest Academic Choral Society with a choreography of the Szeged Contemporary Ballet, and a new production of Kodaly's ‘Janos Hary’ staged by Attila Vidnyanszky. Margaret Island's prominent Water Tower will open its doors to jazz during the festival at one of several Jazzy Tower events. The Varosmajor stage will offer a performance of Liszt's Tasso, Prometheus and Piano Concerto in C major to tie in with the Liszt bicentenary that will be performed by the Kodaly-Bartok World Youth Orchestra, who will also play Kodaly's famous Dances of Galanta. The Pesti Magyar Theater's production of The Man of La Mancha, a Wasserman-Darion-Leigh musical, will be one of the many musical and theatrical performances hosted by this venue. Children will be catered to by performances of a story by poet and playwright Anna T Szabo, Huszka's operetta the Baroness Lili, and the Margaret Island stage will bring back last summer's production of Robin Hood, the musical. www.szabadter.hu
Sting - Symphonicity ON JUNE 30, 8 PM AT BUDAPEST SPORTS ARENA Following sold-out performances across North America, Europe and Australia, Sting will be performing his greatest hits, accompanied by a symphony orchestra and band, conducted by Sarah Hicks. During his 35-year career in the music industry, Sting (born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner) has written several top hits, such as An Englishman In New York, Fragile, Russians, If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, Fields Of Gold and Desert Rose. He has won numerous awards and sold nearly a hundred million records. Between 1977 and 1983, he was the singer and bassist in the Police, one of the most significant new wave bands, which also included guitarist Andy Summer and drummer Stewart Copeland. He started his solo career in 1984. His first journey to the world of classical music resulted in the record Songs from the Labyrinth in 2006, the music of which was based on the lute. His first Hungarian performance dates back to 1988 during the Amnesty International tour, when he played together with Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen and Tracy Chapman in Budapest.
viSegrad international palace tournament BETWEEN JULY 7-10 This series of events has been held on the second weekend of July every year since 1985 in the Danube Bend. It brings to life the atmosphere of the medieval royal town, and the golden age of Visegrad during the reigns of Kings Charles Robert and Louis d'Anjou. The events involve more than 500 participants dressed in 15th century costumes. Each morning, a royal procession sets out from the Catholic Church to the Royal Palace. In the palace courtyard, spectators can watch medieval court games throughout the day including jousting, archery, an Italian flag-show and the knight tournaments with Czech, Polish, Slovak and Hungarian champions from the countries of the Visegrad Four group. There is a play area and handicraft workshop for childrenin the park in front of the Palace , while on the Park Stage, puppet performances, clowns, jugglers, farce comedians, dance shows, old-time music concerts evoke the ambiance of medieval fairs. In the 14th- and 15th-century period military camp opposite the main entrance to the royal palace, you can try your skills at riding, archery and lance throwing. www.visegrad.hu 2011 JUNE
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
29
30-31 restaurants:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:47 PM Page 1
{ best of budapest } T H E
M E A S U R E
O F
Q U A L I T Y
www.bestofbudapest.com
restaurants in the town
Beauty, truth and wines an InTerVIeW WITh Warren WInIarsKI BY R U D O L F SA R DY
fUjI - The japanese resTaUranT with grated ginger, soya soup and sushi. Alternatively, start your meal with stir-fried burdock slices with pork. The fried meat and vegetable dumplings is also a delicious starter. Continue with the steamed solid egg soup. For a hearty dish, ask for one of the hot pot specialties, which are prepared at your table. The thinly sliced sirloin in special soy sauce that comes with tofu, mushrooms, vegetable and noodles, is a real favorite. If you prefer a vegetarian dish, choose the tofu steak with miso sauce or a perfectly crisp tempura with shallow-fried mushrooms and vegetables. For a dessert, go for the rice parfait. There’s a full wine, beer and spirit list, but you might also order a pot of green tea or another non-alcoholic drink, the Calpis. This light, fresh, cold drink is made of yoghurt and soda water, and is a perfect choice for those who drive. The restaurant that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, offers private tatami rooms, which capture the elegance and harmony of Japanese aesthetic. Lunch menus and party services are also available. The best recommendation we can give Fuji is that it's one of the favorite eateries of the local Japanese community of Budapest. OPEN: MONDAY-SUNDAY 12:00-23:00 ADDRESS : 1025 BUDAPEST, CSATARKA ÚT 54. TELEPHONE: + 36 (1) 325 7111
The Ultimate Ice Cube
DIPLOMACY AND TRADE You established Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in 1970 and became famous overnight when your 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon scored higher than Bordeaux’s entrants in the 1976 Steven Spurrier-staged blind tasting that came to be called the Judgement of Paris. In 2007, you confirmed what had previously been unimaginable and sold Stag Leap’s Wine Cellars in the Napa Valley. What was the raison d’etre for so daring a move? WARREN WINIARSKI The move may not have been so daring as you say. For quite a few years preceeding 2007, my family held many meetings leading up to the decision that it would be best to find an appropriate partner to carry forward the winery to which everyone contributed. That was the key moment when we decided to look to a transition of some sort which eventually led to the sale. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE Your professional background is an open book in the world of viticulture. Less so is your unique philosophy about wines and what they truly represent to you. In a 2002 interview, you famously stated that “the wines that seek the maximum are missing the subtleties”. Has this credo of yours changed over the past decade? If so, in what direction? WARREN WINIARSKI My belief in regard to excessively extracted red wines and very powerful whites remains the same. It is fundamental to my approach in wine in general. Not only do the subtleties go missing but such wines, because of their power, rapidly induce fatigue. Fatigue and beauty are not friends. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE People are prone to talk about good and bad wines. Simply put, what makes a wine good? What adjectives would you use to describe the wines that influence you the most? WARREN WINIARSKI A good wine should be an agreeable freshening companion to food, a fine wine should involve that “faraway look” which says the mind is experiencing a pleasant mystery. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” concludes John Keats in his famous poem on a Grecian urn. How would you apply this last but one line to your understanding of wines? WARREN WINIARSKI This thought-provoking line of poetry has its own mystery: Perhaps, it is related to wine in the saying “In Vino Veritas”. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE Undoubtedly, Hungarian wines are world famous. So much that several literary pieces of the Anglo-American tradition have made passing mentions of our wines. Clarissa, in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway sends for a bottle of Imperial Tokay, implying, as it were, that the Dalloways had the privilege within their community to get their hands on the scarce liquid. To what extent do you think wine plays a role in determining one’s social standing or refinements?
HAVE YOU EVER HAD THAT PROBLEM WITH ICE CUBES DILUTING YOUR DRINKS? YOU NEED THEM BECAUSE YOU WANT YOUR DRINK TO STAY COLD, ESPECIALLY IN THESE SIZZLING HOT SUMMER DAYS, BUT ICE MELTS AND MAKES YOUR DRINK TASTE LIKE CRAP.
WARREN WINIARSKI It may be the rarity and precious quality of some wines make them accessible only to a few. Merit and access may also be a matter of chance. The Tokay, I believe was also a prized favourite of some Polish Kings.
From the country that bought us ABBA, the IKEA and the Skype, comes Nordic Rock: the alternative for ice cubes, made of ancient Swedish pollution-free base rock which can be put in the freezer and chilled before being added to your drink. The cubes are ecologically sound — just rinse them under the tap after use, after you had a “cocktail on the rocks.” As the product page puts so succinctly, “Stone does not melt.” While up North they fancy the stone, in Australia something else steels the show: Capron Design came out with stainless steel ice cubes, named - simply - Rocks. These won't dilute your drinks either. It might not be super hygienic, but it does the job and it also adds a luxurious weight to the glass.
DIPLOMACY AND TRADE Vince 2011 is the most prestigious wine event of the year. Is there a Hungarian wine that has impressed you through and through? Did any of them really tickle your taste buds during this trip to Budapest? WARREN WINIARSKI Travelling to Hungary was certainly a treat for me. There were many outstanding wines which I tasted during the Vince 2011, a wine conference expertly put together. I was especially impressed with the progress made in matching specific terroirs and classic varieties. Two especially fine examples come to mind in this regard: The Vylyan Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Franc of the Malatinszky Winery, both of the famous Villany region, in southern Hungary. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE In your thought-provoking presentation at the event, you ventured into the field of architecture and music only to perform a strange loop and come back to wines. “Harmony” was the keyword you used. Might I know a bit more about it?
WARREN WINIARSKI “Harmony” is that special character in wine, which brings the “faraway look” to one’s eyes described earlier. It is present in other things: architecture and music, for example, which I described in my talk. It is a “tense” resolution which we enjoy, of “different”, even “opposed” elements. DIPLOMACY & TRADE
30
2011 JUNE
Courtesy pictures
>
PHOTOS BY
IF WORDS SUCH AS SASHIMI AND TERIYAKI SET YOUR TASTE BUDS ON HIGH ALERT, this restaurant should be on your visit list. The setting is relaxed and unpretentious, the service courteous and helpful, and most importantly, virtually every dish that hits the table is sublime. Fuji’s menu features a wide range of delicious fare to suit just about any palate, from grilled teriyaki to hand-rolled sushi, all prepared to-order, using only the freshest ingredients, prepared by the native chef Miyazaki Emiko. Fuji orders their fish and seafood from the clearest waters only, and it is always seasonal. For example, Black tiger prawn arrives from Malaysia, the squid from Normandy. Beef tenderloin comes from New-Zealand. The kitchen uses ultra-soft water throughout the cooking process. This might be the reason why the rice is so soft and fragrant at Fuji – probably the best in town. There is a sampler menu that is definitely worth trying. Portions are arranged “tapas-style” to encourage sharing and tasting a variety of Japanese delicacies, including Shi-take mushroom with soy sauce, smoked quail’s egg with bio sprouts, Japanese omelet, seaweed with sesame seeds, farm chicken baked on wooden sticks, grilled king salmon, lady’s fingers in sesame sauce, tuna in soy sauce, silky tofu
>
WARREN WINIARSKI IS THE EPITOME OF WHAT AMERICANS DESIGNATE AS A SELF-MADE MAN. He is known throughout the world as a legendary winemaker who was there at the right time and place. He gained international prominence when his Cabernet Sauvignon won the famed Paris Tasting of 1976, over the Bordeaux icons. Astonishingly, the accolade came just one year after Winiarksi opened his winery, and he is seen today as the pioyneer of Californian winemaking, the living legend, who has put California on the wine map of the world. Traces of the political scientist (his original calling) still remain, and Winiarski is more than just an illustrious viticulturalist. He is known by everyone as a suave, extremely convivial gentleman, the product of a bygone era, whose erudition about a world of things and the philosophical depths of his thoughts have enabled him to place wine and art on an equal footing. Educated in Italy, Winiarski (who came from a Polish family with a surname that means ‘the winemaker’s son’) was a university lecturer in Chicago until 1964, when he set out for the Golden State to serve an apprenticeship in winemaking at a small winery in the Napa Valley. In 1966 he became the assistant wine maker of the new Robert Mondavi Winery. Afterward, he purchased a patch of land on the Silverado trail and gave birth to the winning wine in Paris in 1976. Winiarski recently visited Budapest to address an audience in the imposing ball room of the Corinthia Hotel Budapest, packed with viticulturists and aficionados of wine, who were in pursuit of a truth more ultimate and perhaps more enduring than the trite Latin adage. Winiarski spoke to Diplomacy and Trade following the well-attended Vince 2011 wine conference.
30-31 restaurants:Layout 1 6/10/11 3:47 PM Page 2
{ best of budapest } T H E
M E A S U R E
O F
Q U A L I T Y
www.bestofbudapest.com
Average cost for 2 person in HUF ✪ 5.000 – 8.000
✪✪ 9.000 – 12.000
✪✪✪ 13.000 – 25.000
www.bestofbudapest.com
✪✪ KÉHLI
H-1101 Budapest, Expo tér 2. Tel.: +36 1 263 6800 | Fax: +36 1 263 6801 E-mail: info@expohotel.hu www.expohotel.hu
BAVARIAN ✪ HAXEN KIRÁLY 1068 Budapest, Király utca 100. TEL.: +36-1 351-6793 BRAZILIAN
✪✪✪ VADRÓZSA 1025 Budapest, Pentelei Molnár u. 15. TEL.: +36-1 345-0426
HUNGARIAN-INTERNATIONAL
✪ ARAZ RESTAURANT
1074 Budapest, Dohány u. 42-44. TEL.: +36-1 815-1100
✪ CASCADE
✪✪ NEW YORK CAFE
1125 Budapest, Szarvas Gábor út. 8. TEL.: +36-1 392-0007 ✪✪✪ DIÓ 1051 Budapest, Sas utca 4. TEL./FAX: +36-1 328-0360, +36-1 328-0361 ✪✪✪ GRESHAM 1051 Budapest, Roosevelt tér 5-6. TEL.: +36-1 268-5110 ✪✪✪ GUNDEL 1146 Budapest, Állatkerti út 2. TEL.: +36-1 468-4040
1073 Budapest, Erzsébet krt. 9-11. TEL.: +36-1 886-6167 CHINESE
✪✪ LIZARD 1092 Budapest, Ráday utca 16. TEL.: +36-1 299-0702
1135 Budapest, Béke út 26. TEL.: +36-1 329-7252 1097 Budapest, Gyáli út 3/b TEL.: +36-1 215-1236 FUSION
1051 Budapest, Október 6. u. 5. TEL.: +36-1 317-2987
✪✪ BRASEIRO
1067 Budapest, Teréz krt. 23. TEL.: +36-1 269-2935 CAFÉS
✪ CAFÉ JUBILEE
1055 Budapest, Szent István krt. 13. TEL.: +36-1 789-3357
✪ HONG KONG & TAIWAN
✪✪ SPOON
1051 Budapest, Vigadó tér 3., Kikötô TEL.: +36-1 411-0933 FAR EASTERN
✪✪✪ RICKSHAW
1073 Budapest, Erzsébet körút 43–49. TEL.: +36-1 479-4855
✪✪ WASABI
1037 Budapest, Szépvölgyi út 15. TEL.: +36-1 430-1056 GOURMET ✪✪ MANNA 1013 Budapest, Palota út 17. TEL: +36-20 999-9188 GREEK
✪ TAVERNA DIONYSOS
✪✪ XO BISTRO 1025 Budapest, Pusztaszeri út 57. TEL.: +36-1 325-6078 1088 Budapest, Rákóczi út 5. ✪ CAFÉ KÖR TEL.: +36-1 411-0111 1051 Budapest, Sas u. 17. IRISH PUB TEL.: +36-1 311-0053; FAX: +36-1 311-0388. ✪ BECKETT’S PUB ✪✪✪ CAFÉ PIERROT RESTAURANT 1055 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zs. út 72. TEL.: +36-1 311-1035 1014 Budapest, Fortuna u. 14. TEL.: +36-1 375 6971 INDIAN ✪✪✪ CYRANO ✪ SHALIMAR 1052 Budapest, Kristóf tér 7-8. TEL.: +36-1 266-4747 1072 Budapest, Dob utca 50. TEL.: +36-1 352-0297 ✪✪ CORSO ITALIAN 1052 Budapest, Apáczai Csere János u. 12-14. ✪ ALESSIO TEL.: +36-1 327-6392 1026 Budapest, Pasaréti út 55. TEL.: +36-1 275-0049 ✪✪✪ CAFÉ 57
1036 Budapest, Mókus u. 22. TEL.: +36-1 250-4241 ✪✪ MIRROR CAFE & RESTAURANT 1053 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos u. 19-21. TEL.: +36-1 889-6022; FAX: +36-1 889-6090 ✪✪ MÚZEUM KÁVÉHÁZ 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt 12. TEL.: +36-1 267-0375; FAX: +36-1 338-4221 ✪✪ SPINOZA CAFÉ 1074 Budapest, Dob utca 15. TEL.: +36-1 413-7488
21S T C ENTURY E VENTS !
✪✪✪ NOSZTALGIA ✪✪ ROSENSTEIN 1087 Budapest, Mosonyi u. 3. TEL.: +36-1 333-3492 INTERNATIONAL ✪✪✪ ARCADE 1126 Budapest, Kiss János altb. u. 38. TEL./FAX: +36-1 225-1969
✪ BAROKKO CLUB & LOUNGE 1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 5. TEL.: +36-1 322-0700 FAX: +36-1 413-6737
✪✪✪ BARAKA 1063 Budapest, Andrássy út 111. TEL.: +36-1 483-1355
✪ BUENA VISTA 1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 4-5. TEL.: +36-1 344-6303
✪✪ BOOM & BRASS 1054 Budapest, Vigadó utca 4-6. TEL.: +36-1 877-7788
1056 Budapest, Belgrád rkp. 16. TEL.: +36-1 318-1222 HUNGARIAN
✪✪ 21 A MAGYAR VENDÉGLÔ
1014 Budapest, Fortuna utca 21. TEL.: +36-1 202-2113
✪✪ 220 ÉVES PINCEÉTTEREM
1036 Budapest, Bécsi út 56. TEL.: +36-1 333-5656
✪✪ A KONYHA
1037 Budapest, Mikoviny utca 2-4. TEL.: +36-1 887-3657
✪✪ ARANYSZAVAS BISZTRO 1013 Budapest, Szarvas tér 1. TEL.: +36-1 375-6451
✪✪✪ ALABÁRDOS 1014 Budapest, Országház u. 2. TEL.: +36-1 356-0851; FAX: +36-1 214-3814
✪ BAGOLYVÁR
1146 Budapest, Állatkerti út 2. TEL.: +36-1 468-3110 ✪✪✪ KÁRPÁTIA 1053 Budapest, Ferenciek tere 7-8. TEL.: +36-1 317-3596
✪✪ COSTES
1092 Budapest, Ráday utca 4. TEL.: +36-1 219-0696 ✪✪ DUNAPARK KÁVÉHÁZ 1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 38. TEL./FAX: +36-1 786-1009
✪✪ FRESCO
1051 Budapest, Vigadó tér 3. TEL./FAX: +36-1 266-2010
✪✪ FRESCO CAFÉ & LOUNGE 1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 10.
TEL./FAX: +36-1 411-0915
✪✪✪ ICON
1014 Budapest, Hess A. tér 1-3 TEL.: +36-1 889-6600
✪ KISBUDA GYÖNGYE 1034 Budapest, Kenyeres u. 34. TEL.: +36-1 368-6402
✪✪✪ KOGART ÉTTEREM & KÁVÉZÓ
1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 112. TEL.: +36-1 354-3830 ✪✪✪ LE BOURBON 1051 Budapest, Erzsébet tér 9–10. TEL.: +36-1 429-5770 ✪ LUKÁCS CUKRÁSZDA 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 70. TEL.: +36-1 373-0407; FAX: +36-1 373-0406
✪✪ MELBA
1138 Budapest, Meder utca 9. TEL.: +36-1 239-0282
✪✪✪ MOKKA
1051 Budapest, Sas u. 4. TEL.: +36-1 328-0081 ✪✪✪ ONYX RESTAURANT 1051 Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7-8. TEL.: +36-1 429-9023
✪ REMIZ
PORCELLINO GRASSO (“FAT PIGLET” IN ENGLISH) IS A DELIGHTFUL ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN BUDA, not far from the Margit Bridge. The dining room, with checkered tablecloths and muted lighting, sits below a terrace with a playground at one end, so it is perfect for families. Istvan Jancso, head chef and controller Stefano Merolla are commited to use the freshest and best Italian ingredients only, so you know the quality in first-rate. One of the highlights is the pizza, which recently won the Best pizza of Budapest prize.This is a terrific Italian restaurant, and they have great thincrust pizza, too! Start with vitello tonnato: thin slices of veal served with tuna sauce and capers with a squeeze of lemon juice and basil-infused olive oil, garnished with rucola. Light and delicious. Or go for the Italian tomato soup: fresh tomato puree thickened with toasted bread crumbs, garnished with basil leaves and topped with a swirl of basil-infused olive oil. Wonderful! The crispy bread, baked in-house, is a great accompaniment. If you want pasta for your primo
Courtesy picture PHOTO BY
✪✪✪ FAUSTO’S
1061 Budapest, Székely Mihály u. 2. TEL.: +36-1 877-6210
✪✪ FAUSTO’S OSTERIA 1072 Budapest, Dohány u. 5.
TEL./FAX: +36-1 269-6806
✪✪ MILLENIUM DA PIPPO 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 76.
TEL.: +36-1 374-0880; FAX: +36-1 374-0881
✪ OKAY ITALIA
1137 Budapest, Szent István krt. 20. TEL.: +36-1 349-2991 1055 Budapest, Nyugati tér 6. TEL.: +36-1 332-6960 ✪✪ SYMBOL ITALIAN FUSION 1036 Budapest, Bécsi út 56. TEL.: +36-1 333-5656 TEL.: +36-1 242-0369
✪✪ TRATTORIA POMO D’ORO
1051 Budapest, Arany János u. 9. TEL.: +36-1 302-6473
✪✪ TRATTORIA TOSCANA
1056 Budapest, Belgrád rkp. 13. TEL.: +36-1 327-0045 ✪✪ PORCELLINO GRASSO 1024 Budapest Ady Endre u. 19. TEL.: +36-1 886-7880; FAX: +36-1 886-7837
✪ VAPIANO
1052 Budapest, Bécsi u. 5. TEL./FAX: +36-1 411-0864 MEDITERRANEAN
✪✪ PEPPERS! MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 1052 Budapest, Apáczai Csere János utca 4.
TEL.: +36-1 737-7377
✪✪✪ RIVALDA 1014 Budapest, Színház u. 5–9. TEL.: +36-1 489-0236
✪✪✪ ROBINSON
1146 Budapest, Városligeti tó TEL.: +36-1 422-0222 1021 Budapest, Budakeszi út 5. TEL.: +36-1 275-1396 ✪ KÉT SZERECSEN ✪✪ SZÉCHENYI ÉTTEREM Danubius Grand Hotel 1138 Budapest, Margitsziget 1065 Budapest, Nagymezô u. 14. TEL.: +36-1 343-1984 FAX: +36-1 343-1983 TEL.: +36-1 889-4700; FAX: +36-1 889-4939 MEXICAN ✪ TACOS LOCOS 1073 Budapest, Erzsebet krt. 37-39. TEL.: +36-1 786-4416 PASTRY AND BAKERY ✪ GERBEAUD 1051 Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7-8. TEL.: +36-1 429-9000 RUSSIAN ✪✪✪ ARANY KAVIÁR 1015 Budapest, Ostrom u. 19. TEL.: +36-1 201-6737 SPORT PUB ✪ PUSKÁS PANCHO SPORT PUB 1036 Budapest, Bécsi út 56. TEL.: +36-1 333-5656 TEL.: +36-1 242-0369 ✪ LEGENDS 1052 Budapest, Petôfi tér 3. TEL.: +36-1 266-1826 THAI ✪ BANGKOK THAI 1056 Budapest, Só utca 3. TEL.: +36-1 266-0584
porCellIno grasso for a TrUe ITalIan experIenCe >
ONLINE RESTAURANT RESERVATION
piatto, we recommend the green ravioli filled with fresh branzino scented with roasted garlic and parsley, and accompanied by clams steamed in white wine finished with butter. Mouth-watering! An outstanding secondo di carne is the grilled rabbit marinated in lemon, which we ordered with grilled vegetables. Sensational! The meat was piquant and tender, and the mélange of vegetables was cooked perfectly. If you have room for dessert, the mascarpone cream with almond sponge and hot Belgian chocolate is not to be missed. You can share the generous portion with your dining companion. The wine list features excellent Italian offerings, with some by the glass, in addition to Hungarian favorites. Finally a terrific Italian restaurant in Buda, and they have great thin-crust pizza, too! <
OPEN: MONDAY-SUNDAY 11:45-23:45 ADDRESS: 1024 BUDAPEST, ADY ENDRE UTCA 19. TELEPHONE: + 36 (1) 886 7880 2011 JUNE
DIPLOMACY & TRADE
31
01:Layout 1 6/10/11 4:14 PM Page 1