APRIL 2020 HUF 1710
HARDSHIP AND HOPE AS THE VIRUS KNOWS NO BORDERS, HUNGARIANS ARE ALSO COPING AND WAITING FOR A NEW START SEE ANALYSES on pages 08-11
Stay Home and Have Some Wine!
Mother Nature seems to be unaware of the pandemic: spring has arrived. With spring, comes the urge to have healthy and fresh ingredients on our plates. This might be a little more difficult these days, but we encourage you to have as many seasonal vegetables and fruits as possible. Once you have managed to get the ingredients, it is the easiest thing to cook a risotto (with asparagus, for instance) and make salads which are, of course, the perfect match with light, aromatic whites. see more on page 13
Reminiscences of a Spirit
In our WittyLeaks series, ambassadors accredited to Hungary share their personal experiences regarding Hungary and/or the different cultural, social aspects of bilateral relations. This month, the Indian Ambassador, Kumar Tuhin tells the stories of important personalities connecting India and Hungary, impersonating people like the 19th century Hungarian traveler Sรกndor Kล rรถsi Csoma or the recipient of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature, Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. see more on page 12
EUR 6
we make it, you take it! Do not miss your preferred ÉS flavours! Select from our mouth-watering menu for takeaway and enjoy Hungarian veal paprikasch, Wiener Schnitzel, the signature Tafelspitz and other favourite items at your home. Orders are taken between 13:00-21:00. Please allow us 30 minutes for the preparation and cooking. The dishes can be picked up at the reception of Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest. Special requirements and Easter menu need 24-hour pre-order.
Call us at +36 20 474 5000, esbisztro.hu 1051 Budapest, Erzsébet tér 7-8.
D+T_albadeli_128x74.pdf
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
1
2020. 04. 04.
11:39
Peter Freed
Event guide to the Hungarian capital
monthly in print - daily on the web
www.dteurope.com
4
14-15 WHAT’S ON
Concerts, festivals, events and exhibitions in and out of Budapest
Diplomacy & Trade is preparing a special Focus section on Switzerland as the Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020 with a series of events throughout the year. In an extensive interview, the Swiss ambassador to Hungary, Peter Burkhard highlights some of the aspects of successful bilateral relations. We also look ahead to the annual Swiss Business Day and cover some of the numerous Swiss companies in Hungary. According data by the National Bank of Hungary, Switzerland is the 5th largest investor in Hungary with about 5% (that is, over EUR four billion) of the total amount of FDI in Hungary coming from the Alpine country. Also, in 2020, the two countries celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of Carl Lutz, the Swiss Vice-Consul who rescued tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from certain death during World War II.
Copyright 2004-2020 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.
TELEPHONE [+36-70] 320-3051 | FAX [+36-1] 350-5660 E-MAIL editor@dteurope.com | ADVERTISING adsales@dteurope.com
Stay home and have some wine!
SWISS FOCUS - COMING SOON
Eisberg, Kumar Tuhin, István Filep, broadway.hu, BFO, Albrecht Dürer, Live Nation, MTI photos: Zoltán Máthé, Csaba Bús
annual fee of EUR 72 in Hungary, or EUR 90 to all other destinations. SEND REQUESTS AND INQUIRIES TO DUAX KFT. H-1034 Budapest, Bécsi út 60.
pages 14-15
13 WINE
V-shape crisis and recovery?; Wakeup call; Life under quarantine; Chatbot and donation
CONTRIBUTORS: Sándor Laczkó, Tamás Magyarics, Réka A. Francisck, Péter Ákos Bod, Ferenc Miszlivetz, Andrea Jádi Németh, Kumar Tuhin PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: Dávid Harangozó (Cover), depositphotos.com (Cover), British Embassy Budapest, Google Maps, depositphotos.com, Lufthansa Systems,
NEWSSTAND PRICE: HUF 1,710 or EUR 6 - Subscriptions are a vailable for an
India
08-11 COVID-19
PUBLISHER: Peter Freed EDITOR: Sándor Laczkó COPY EDITOR: Joyce Freed PHOTO EDITOR: Dávid Harangozó SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Tamás Varga DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Tibor Ocsenás ADMINISTRATION: Éva Madarász ASSISTANT: Ágnes Rapaport
COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT SELECTED RELAY AND INMEDIO OUTLETS IN MAJOR HUNGARIAN CITIES.
12 WITTYLEAKS by the Ambassador of
A chicken game between the EU and Turkey
AND DON’T FORGET
page 7
contents 05 ON THE RECORD 06 COMPANY BRIEFS 07 ANALYSIS
PUBLISHER
Who will blink first?
page 11
We welcome inquires for advertising in this issue. PLEASE CALL TAMÁS VARGA FOR FURTHER INFORMATION +36 209 350 250 - tvarga@budapestweek.com A P R I L
2 0 2 0
|
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
EISBERG.HU, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM, BFO
As we go to press, the number of people known to have contracted the Covid-19 coronavirus in the world has passed the one million mark. In Hungary, this number is officially in excess of ‘only’ 600 but the economic and social effects are just as devastating. Due to the unexpected and extraordinary circumstances, this abridged April issue of Diplomacy&Trade focuses on what several accredited professionals are thinking and doing in the current situation and what could come afterwards. One of the forecasts is of a deep economic crisis with a relatively quick recovery. The expert says it is of utmost importance that Hungary, an extremely open country in terms of trade and services, must be a reliable member of the European family while retaining social peace and cohesion. Another analyst also stresses that Hungarians must remain citizens of the European Union, a value community since “a nation state cannot do the job alone.” The wakeup call of this crisis “sounds like a final call” for developing even stronger cooperation to cope with the aftermath. Our legal analyst focuses more on the present, what ‘life under quarantine’ means for employers and employees. She details the very recent amendments to the Labor Code that regulate who is entitled to what in the present situation. One of the main European issues right before the escalation of the Covid19 crisis on the continent was Turkey’s renewed conflict with the EU over whether Syrian refugees and other migrants will be allowed into Europe. Our foreign policy expert calls it a chicken game between the two sides: who will blink first – Turkey or the EU? The WittyLeaks column is authored by the Ambassador of India impersonating people who played important roles in bringing Hungary and India closer to each other in the past centuries. Hungary is a very social country. Hungarians and the international community that lives, works and visits the country thrive best when we are able to interact face to face not facetime to facetime! In the present situation, take a hint from the title of our wine page: ‘Stay home and have some wine!’ Please stay safe.
Chatbot and donation at Eisberg Hungary
photo by
letter from the publisher
|
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
on the record A statement by BKIK, which comprises over 40% of Hungarian corporate enterprises on a basis of mandatory membership, says the Chamber focuses its current activities on supporting the businesses as effectively as possible in the crisis caused by the coronavirus and assisting the government and municipalities in crisis management. As a first step, a quick online survey of businesses in Budapest was conducted to identify areas where small and medium-sized businesses need the most help. According to the proposal, the National Crisis Management Holding Co. Ltd. would issue a HUF 1,000 billion bond with a state guarantee at 0% interest rate to be purchased by the National Bank of Hungary. This Holding would establish specialized subsidiaries (or divisions), whose function would include, among others, crisis management venture capital, asset management and debt management companies.
HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT GIVEN EXTRA POWERS FOR UNLIMITED TIME
Magyar Telekom, Telenor and Vodafone have paid a total of HUF 128.49 billion for the 15-year use of bandwidths suitable for 5G standard data transmission. The bandwidths were auctioned by the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) in late March. According to the Authority, the auction, held under stringent precautionary measures, saw "intensive competition," although, only the three largest Hungarian mobile service providers participated since Digi had been excluded from the procedure before for having received a fine from the competition authority.
A six-point financial package designed to offset the negative financial and economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic was drawn up at the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BKIK) on the basis of direct feedback from small and medium-sized enterprises. BKIK President Elek Nagy has proposed to the government the establishment of a 100% state-owned National Crisis Management Holding Co. Ltd. based on a material prepared by the Chamber's working group of experts.
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
|
D I P L O M A C Y
April
May
17
Syria
Independence day
18
Zimbabwe
Independence day
27
South Africa
Freedom day
30
Netherlands
National day
3
Poland
National day
17
Norway
National day
25
Jordan
Independence day
26
Georgia
National day
DEPUTY HEAD OF THE BRITISH EMBASSY, A COVID-19 FATALITY The Deputy Head of the British Embassy in Budapest, Steven Dick was the 10th person to die of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in Hungary. Steven Dick joined the team of the British Embassy in Budapest as its new Deputy Head of Mission in November 2019. Before his arrival, he served British diplomacy in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. He was 37 years of age. Deeply saddened by the news, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has issued a statement quoting the family and several officials. Steven’s parents Steven and Carol Dick paid tribute to their son by saying that “Steven was a much-loved son, grandson and nephew. He was kind, funny and generous. It was always his dream to work for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and he was very happy representing our country overseas. We are devastated by his loss and ask for privacy at this tragic time.” The UK Ambassador to Hungary, Iain Lindsay said of Steven, with whom he had worked since last October, that “I and my team and our families are deeply saddened and shocked at Steven’s passing. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to his family and friends. Steven was a dear colleague and friend who had made a tremendous impression in Hungary since his arrival last October with his personal warmth and his sheer professionalism, not least his excellent Hungarian. As our fellow Scot Robert Burns, whose works we had recently recited together, wrote ‘Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d, Few heads with knowledge so inform’d'. We will miss him so much.”
CEU RESPONDS TO THE PANDEMIC
CHAMBER PROPOSAL TO COPE WITH COVID-19 CRISIS
photo by
ZOLTÁN MÁTHÉ/MTI, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM, BRITISH EMBASSY BUDAPEST, GOOGLE MAPS
The government of Viktor Orbán was granted sweeping new powers for an unlimited period of time at the end of March to manage the country’s coronavirus epidemic. According to a government spokesman, this law – which allows the government to bypass parliament – makes it possible to introduce “extraordinary measures” that are needed to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The bill was passed by Hungarian parliament with the ruling Fidesz party’s two-thirds majority. Opposition members of parliament voted against the proposal after their request that the law should include a 90-day limit was denied by government MPs. Critics are particularly concerned about measures that would allow those found to have spread false information about the pandemic to be jailed for five years. The law also drew criticism from the European Union and from both Democrat and Republican senators in the United States. In Parliament, PM Orbán stated that they would use these new powers necessary for eliminating the state of danger in a proportionate and reasonable manner and would, at the end of the epidemic, return all powers to Parliament. “We must prepare for physicians falling ill,” he said. He stressed that doctors over 65 are not allowed near infected patients. Doctors falling ill will be replaced with resident doctors whose specific training has started. This is taking place according to a military action plan, he stated.
5G FREQUENCIES SOLD IN HUNGARY FOR HUF 128.5 BILLION
UPCOMING NATIONAL DAYS
&
NMHH says the result is "of paramount importance to the Hungarian economy as it will give Hungary a competitive edge over those countries that have not yet sold the key spectrum for 5G services. After the auction, Hungary will be among the first to utilize innovations applicable with the help of 5G technology, in the fields of industry, health, agriculture, transport, or even logistics." NMHH Chairman Mónika Karas is of the view that “5G frequency sales will play a key role in economic development, and, in the short term, can effectively support our healthcare network, home telework and distance education, even in times of coronavirus restrictions. In the post-epidemic period, they can accelerate the recovery of the Hungarian economy.” Usage rights of the acquired frequencies will expire in 2035. The 700-MHz frequency band will only be available once it is freed up by broadcasters, that is, not earlier than September 6, 2020. The term of the rights may be extended once for a further period of five years, subject to unchanged conditions and without any additional one-off payment being made for the right to use the frequency. T R A D E
|
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
In a message to the public, the President and Rector of the Central European University (CEU), Michael Ignatieff explained that with its highly international student body, CEU is facing the extraordinary challenge of supporting students from over 100 countries in their efforts to either return home while the institution’s campuses in Vienna and Budapest are closed, or shelter in place if they are unable to do so. The latter applies to the vast majority of CEU students. “Ensuring the wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff is our foremost priority, and we are working around the clock to protect our community by providing regular public safety communications, medical support, food service, technology, and temporary housing for students in isolation,” he wrote. He pointed out that at the same time, CEU remains committed to enabling its students to fulfill their degree requirements. The school has moved all teaching online and is adjusting to the new reality where students need to change planned internships and field work and seek alternative research sources when physical materials have become difficult to access. He reiterated that “our open society mission is more urgent than ever before. We know there are difficult times ahead. We will face new challenges to openness, public policy, and rule of law, which our distinguished faculty, alumni, and students in their future careers will be at the forefront of unraveling. CEU must remain a source of support – and we hope, inspiration – for open and democratic societies that respect human rights and human dignity.”
5
VALUE SAVING AND VALUE CREATION AT APPENNIN PLC.
One of the leading aeronautical information technology companies, 25-year-old Lufthansa Systems Hungária, is expecting Java and Javascript developers, testers and data engineers to join its newly opened office in Szeged. The company does not leave the recruitment to chance, either: in the summer of 2019, it signed an agreement on applied and industrial research cooperation with the University of Szeged. Just a few streets away from downtown Széchenyi Square, a modern, innovative office environment has been created for the employees of Lufthansa Systems Hungária's new office in Szeged. The office will begin operations with 10-15 people under the guidance of site manager Zsombor Fritz, with plans to increase the number of staff by 15-20 each year in order to maintain the familial environment characteristic of the company's headquarters in Budapest, Michael Herrmann, Managing Director of Lufthansa Systems Hungária pointed out. He added that besides its favorable geographical location and good accessibility, high-quality IT training in the city was the most important thing about Szeged. “We are proud to be a partner of the University of Szeged, which is a regional leader in innovative training in IT education, as well as in special training and R&D cooperation with business actors.” Michael Herrmann also mentioned that the research agreement signed with the university last summer covers both applied and industrial research. This includes custom algorithms, models, and software applications for use in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in computer optimization, and aerospace applications.
The asset management company Appennin Plc. has announced the updated version of its five-year business strategy approved in 2018. On top of the examination of property market segments, the company intends to specify as a general principle, that in the scope of its operation, it follows the principle of value saving and value creation. The document notes that in Hungary, there are a lot of properties, due to historic reasons, either in unworthy bad condition, or underdeveloped and unexploited considering their location. It is Appeninn’s conviction and practice that subsequent to the search of these properties, the evaluation of related development possibilities and the performance of appropriate negotiations, the acquisition and development of the elements, which promise financial return are not only a business opportunity but a responsibility for a Hungarian public limited company. The renovation of Club Aliga at Lake Balaton is quoted as a great example. It was a state-owned property between 1990 and 2007, then between 2007 and 2019, subsequent to privatization, due to further deterioration, its value was continuously decreasing. Subsequent to the 2019 acquisition, Appeninn immediately started the planning of new development projects. The company has the same attitude with regard to all other property segments. “In the scope of our development projects, we intend to apply a green attitude, with energy efficiency and low carbon emission solutions, in line with the long-term approach of value creation,” the document says. Appeninn Plc. is also investigating the options related to the entry to Central European markets. It believes that this step is to be made only subsequent to very thorough selection, selecting appropriate local expert partners, with the chance of the establishment of a significant portfolio, thus actual acquisitions will probably take place only in 2021.
VODAFONE WOMEN'S DAY ANNOUCEMENT FOR FATHERS At a time that is crucial in becoming a real family, Vodafone Hungary offers 16 weeks of paid parental leave to the partner of the parent on parental leave. If it is the mother who goes on maternity leave, then the father can take it, and vice versa, a press release by the company says. The purpose of the program is to make sure both parents can stay at home during one of the most important times of their lives. The program, which starts in Hungary this summer, is also open to adoptive parents. By 2025, Vodafone aims to become the best workplace in the world for both women and men – this is the company's ambitious global goal for the next five years. In line with this objective is the launch of its latest equal opportunity initiative in Hungary, offering extraordinary support for young families. As Amanda Nelson, CEO of Vodafone Hungary explained, the company has recognized the issue pointed out by various research studies in recent years: while women often feel that they cannot really show their capabilities in their careers, men can feel the same when a new family member arrives. “As a mother of four children and a corporate executive, I know only too well how much depends on an employer’s supportive attitude to establishing a family and on not being expected to compromise between professional advancement and private life. We at Vodafone believe that everyone should have the same opportunities,” the Chief Executive Officer pointed out.
MAJOR MERCEDES-BENZ INVESTMENT AT ITS KECSKEMÉT LOCATION
press for preparing new or revised tools, a laser blanking line is also planned for the new press plant. This system cuts aluminum and steel parts before they are formed into blanks in the press. The specialty is that the cutting is done by laser with continuous feed of the material. This completely eliminates the time-consuming production by large cutting tools previously required. The use of identical servo press lines ensures that the press tools can be exchanged across different locations and enables flexible use. All processes are electronically documented and forwarded, from ordering through production and logistics processes to delivery to the body shop. The new press plant is a clear commitment to the importance of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét in the global production network of Mercedes-Benz, Christian Wolff, CEO and location manager of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary Ltd. said at the announcement of the new facility.
Mercedes-Benz AG increases flexibility in the global production network of Mercedes-Benz cars by building a new press shop on an area of around 23,000 square meters at the company’s plant in Kecskemét, SE of Budapest. The new press shop will set standards in digitization in metal forming while design, development, planning, tool manufacturing and production are more closely interlinked and the processes are made even more efficient, according to the company’s press release. The new press shop is scheduled to open in 2022, and from that year, the production at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét will be CO 2-neutral. The new facility increases the press capacities of the location and the international press shop network of Mercedes-Benz cars. In addition to a servo try-out
6
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
|
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
photo by
LUFTHANSA SYSTEMS HUNGÁRIA OPENS OFFICE IN SZEGED
LUFTHANSA SYSTEMS, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM, CSABA BÚS/MTI, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM
company briefs
analysis
WHO WILL BLINK FIRST? A CHICKEN GAME BETWEEN THE EU AND TURKEY BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS
The relationship between the European Union and Turkey has always been ambiguous. It might have been less controversial if Ankara had not been trying to join the EU for decades. In this case, the EU and Turkey might have established mutually balanced relations based on shared interests, without carrying on an ongoing debate about values, and without the obviously false promise by the EU that Turkey might join the integration one day. Turkey’s potential membership in the EU was an idea dead on arrival (very much like a number of others born in the minds of politicians working for and at the organization). Recent events in Turkey, in its vicinity, and in the EU have just reinforced the undeniable fact that Turkey does not fit into the EU – nor does the EU fit into Turkey.
Broken stability with consequences The relative stability of sorts in the Middle East was upset by the Bush administration’s nationbuilding efforts in the early 2000s. It turned out that the neoconservatives’ dogmatic ‘one size fits
all’ concept did not work in the broader Middle East with its multiple ethnic, tribal, and religious deep fault lines. Turkey, whose ’problem-free’ relations with its neighbors (a concept identified with former Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu) could not be sustained with the breakdown of central power in Iraq, with an increasingly assertive Iran, and with increasingly aggressive Sunni groups supported by, among others, Saudi Arabia, not even speaking about the more often than not harmful influence and interventions of outside powers in the region. Over time, Russia became involved in the turmoil in Syria as well, while the U.S. showed less and less enthusiasm to impose some order (breaking Colin Powell’s ’pottery barn rule’ [’you break it, you own it’]). As a growing number of actors got involved in the various conflicts in the area, it was Turkey that had to bear the brunt of one of the most serious security and humanitarian consequences of these, namely, mass migration. An estimated four million refugees ended up in Turkey, and a large number of them ultimately wish to migrate to the European Union, especially to Western European states, which offer generous welfare
benefits. When about a million refugees/migrants flooded Europe in 2015, the de facto leaders of the EU (especially the French President and the German Chancellor) initially thought that the situation could be kept under control.
No EU membership for Turkey However, they realized soon that it was a pipe dream, and in 2016, a deal was made with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was receiving increasingly bad press in the EU for his perceived autocratic leadership. Brussels offered assistance in the value of EUR six billion for keeping the refugees from Syria (and elsewhere) in Turkey. In fact, Ankara has not received the promised sum; reportedly it got a little over half of it. Moreover, the political atmosphere between Turkey and the EU was not really improved by the fact that a growing number of European countries started to voice their concern over Turkey’s potential membership in the EU. Clearly, it would be more than irresponsible to admit a country so involved in the seemingly insoluble regional problems, and import all of them into the EU – especially when
the UK is leaving the organization. Turkey’s membership in the EU would dramatically upset the carefully balanced financial settlements, as well, not even speaking of the fact that the new member would be the most populous state in the EU. There is one more concern which is not mentioned loudly: the EU’s Muslim population would increase dramatically, and could even constitute close to a fifth of the total.
Tug-of-war The Syrian civil war further complicated Turkey’s position. Ankara repeatedly got into conflict with another outside power, Russia in the distant and recent past alike. Incidents happened on both sides, aircraft were shot down, troops were killed, and the specter of one of the ’traditional’ Russo-Turkish conflicts emerged. The two countries are not only geopolitical rivals, but also rivals in geo-economic sense: Turkey is busy constructing the infrastructure of oil and gas transit from the Central Asian countries and – possibly – Iran, thus loosening Russia’s grip on energy supply to Europe. The latest clash between Russia and Turkey broke over the Syrian province of Idlib, where President Erdoğan sent some 7,000 troops in February 2020 to fight the military of the Russian-backed Bashar al-Assad, and to establish a ’safe zone’ there to keep the refugees from Syria out of Turkey. At the same time, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was engaged in intensive talks with the major EU politicians in order to get (extort) another EUR six billion (plus the rest of the previous six billion). In addition, he wants free movement for the Turkish citizens to the EU, as well as an update of the customs union, besides the financial assistance. To demonstrate that he means business, the Turkish President allowed the travel of (even according to some reports, transported) thousands of migrants to the Greek-Turkish border, and thus, he put pressure on the European leaders to compromise because he has another three million or so ’aces’ in his hands… In point of fact, it is not only President Erdoğan who is able to blackmail his interlocutors; roughly 50% of Turkey’s foreign trade is conducted with the EU, so Brussels is also able to inflict some pain on Turkey if it is pushed too hard.
Who will blink first?
photo by DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM
The presently uncontrollable spread of coronavirus has pushed the question of mass migration from – among others – the Middle East to Europe, and the EU-Turkish debate has also taken a back seat in international affairs. Nevertheless, despite the acute health situation, it seems that the epidemic will be solved earlier than the much more stubborn problem of the migrants and the broader geopolitical and geo-economic issues between the EU and Turkey. The question is who will blink first. If neither does, things might turn uglier than they are at the moment – with long-term harmful consequences for both sides. Tamás Magyarics is a foreign policy analyst w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
|
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
7
covid-19
V-SHAPE CRISIS AND RECOVERY? CORONAVIRUS CRISIS AND THE CONTOURS OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN HUNGARY Hungary is an extremely open country in terms of trade and services, even in European comparison. Measured by the export volume as percentage of GDP, Hungary’s external openness is double that of Germany, a leading trading nation. This is an asset in good times when global trade grows, yet trade dependence becomes a liability when as soon as trade comes to a halt, as seen in 2009 when the Hungarian economy shrank by nearly 7%. BY DR. PÉTER ÁKOS BOD
Less known is the high complexity of the Hungarian economy. A surprisingly large share of its output consists of high-tech, complex industrial products: automotive, consumer electronics, pharma, electric components. The service sector has also become an important employment generator in recent decades: tourism and personal services, such as dental care in Sopron for Austrian patients or thermal treatment for visitors from Russia in Hévíz. Logistics as well as business services, provided by large shared service centers, are major job providers, underpinning Hungary’s current account surplus in services. Food industry has always been a big ticket item in national output, and a traditional export earner.
Diversity as insurance – but not this time Engagement in global value chains is seen as an insurance against economic shocks, since all major industries are unlikely to suffer demand or supply shocks simultaneously. Such combination, however, does happen, as we have experienced lately. Automotive
firms in Hungary were the first to suspend production due to shortage of imported components and slowdown in global demand for cars. Disturbances in supply chains of electronics have forced major firms in Hungary to cut activity. The sector that was hit the hardest is tourism, responsible for a tenth of GDP only months ago. Italy, a key market for food products and source of sensitive parts, has shaken agribusiness in Hungary. Employment has become regional. About 10% of Hungarian wage earners live and work in other countries or have commuted daily until recently. Many expats have jobs and homes in Hungary. This open labor market was hit hard by the sudden end of free movement across national borders when authorities applied restrictive measures. These hardships are not unique to Hungary. All open, small-to-medium sized member states of Central-Eastern Europe face similar challenges. Structure of the economy, social and economic health of the country, state capacity to cope with challenges, and government policies are key factors that explain the shape and depth of the crisis and the options that may arise once it is over.
at BBB, just one notch above non-investment grade. By staying outside the Eurozone, Hungary runs a sizable exchange rate risk. When markets get nervous, the Hungarian Forint suffers. In recent years, government budget deficit ratio has remained within the European benchmark of 3% of GDP. Now, as crisis hit Europe, fiscal rules are suspended, and member states are allowed to spend more – as long as they can easily finance additional debt. Fortunately, European funds have been released for states in need, Hungary is no exception. What complicates the picture is that government had already over-allocated convergence funds to domestic firms, in order to upkeep economic growth. Some of those projects, have meanwhile lost relevance due to changes in economic conditions. They should be recalled and reused for more important purposes.
Hungarian measures The first public measures were declared in mid-March 2020: cheap central banking funds to commercial banks, and support for businesses and individuals by suspending servicing bank loans until year-end. Such measures give relief to firms that would otherwise struggle to repay bank credit. Small businesses in certain sectors are granted tax concessions. The most vulnerable, however, are employees those who work for shorter hours and much less pay or have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, cost of living is increasing; Hungary already had the highest inflation rate in February within the EU. Half of the families have no savings, whatsoever. Many micro, small and even medium size businesses lack financial reserves to bridge gaps for more than a couple of weeks. The key issues are, thus, social. In this respect, lessons from the transition crisis of early 1990s are relevant for the present crisis. Precarious jobs should be protected, human capital should not be wasted. The ability of the SME sector to retain core personnel is a vital precondition to be able to gain from the resumption of economic activity.
Learning from history Is year 2009 a benchmark for present travails? Or the transition crisis of the regime change in 1990? In pure economics terms, the great financial crisis that erupted in September 2008 might give us some clue. It led to a V-shape recession and recovery; this is the likely pattern of year 2020. In contrast, however, Hungary’s present net foreign debt is, fortunately, much smaller; the relative size of government debt is somewhat less: below 70% of GDP, financed mostly by residents. Still, this debt level is high in the CEE context, which is why rating agencies rate Hungary’s sovereign debt as relatively risky
Dr. Péter Ákos Bod is a professor of economics, former central bank governor
8
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
|
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
photo by LÁSZLÓ
Post coronavirus business networks and value chains will certainly differ a lot from those that were interrupted by the crisis. Headquarters of major European and global firms are busy to shorten chains, consolidate oversized capacities, and diversify activities in scope and in geographic space. Hungary, as a business location, may benefit from such diversification efforts. Search for shorter supply lines will scan the CEE region, including Hungary. This opens a window of opportunity. We learnt the hard way three decades ago that successful recovery has two sine qua non conditions. First, social peace and cohesion must remain throughout the transition. Second, Hungary must be, and be seen as a reliable member of the European family. It is vital that extraordinary government measures introduced during an extraordinary situation not put into question any of these conditions.
TYUKODI
After the crisis
covid-19 The present coronavirus seems to be one of the biggest challenges of our post-’89 new world – but also a possibility to rethink and recalibrate European co-operation and maybe the entire European project. The end of a period and hopefully the beginning of another one.
BY PROF. DR. FERENC MISZLIVETZ
WAKE-UP CALL
QUESTIONS DURING THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS
Ruling by decree in a war-style fashion sounds heroic and gives evidence to citizens about their respective states’ social responsibility, and unquestionable dedication to the public good. No one can deny the importance of a firm stand on the part of public authorities in emergency situations. Fighting an unknown virus, however, effectively and with lasting results, cannot be managed by national armies. Especially not when the health services are unprepared, unequipped and improperly financed; when nurses and doctors are forced to treat patients without masks or proper protective equipment and are themselves infected and so become distributors and not exterminators of the pandemic. Soldiers in uniforms and in armored vehicles might be needed to hold back potential upheavals and to guarantee basic services and supplies; but they cannot detect the whereabout of viruses or stop an unforeseeable and nonvisible spread or prevent the next wave or next generation of viral attack. Neither can they stop the return of business-as-usual, which is going to happen the first possible moment the pandemics relaxes only to come back.
photo by DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM
The virus knows no borders Meanwhile, European nation states prepare for war, close their borders and consider a general state of emergency with, if possible, curfews and the mightiest countries of the world declare that the end to the danger is approaching and call for a return to work, suggesting that the economy (world economy they mean) needs to be in motion, otherwise we really don’t have a future. But even the weaker, most exposed nation states (like most of the EU member states) agree tacitly: borders de facto are semi-closed. Goods, guest workers on a daily w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
|
base commuting across borders, politicians with their experts and assistants (forgetting or not forgetting pandemics rules), families with multiple citizenships, returning ex-migrants, etc. are allowed to travel. This is understandable. There is no other way. One cannot stop the world moving and interacting. But while declaring war on the virus and keeping parts of their populations home for an unpredictable amount of time, they claim and wait for assistance from the over-criticized European Union and watch helplessly the partisan decisions of multinational companies and their consequences on populations that are in lock-down. In other words: they acknowledge their extreme limitations in the medium- and long-term to find solutions to the crisis. This is, however, not at all new. The Coronavirus has only made this more obvious and undeniable than any time before.
To be citizens of a value community The ‘comeback of the nation state’ emerged from the anxiety and helplessness of societies exposed to crises, threats and catastrophes that supranational institutions, eminently the EU, were supposed to handle. In the lack of credible, accountable and enabling institutions, and in the light of escalating crises, people have turned back to what seems to be plausible, controllable and most rational for them: to their national governments. Nation states offer, albeit falsely, social services, shelter, jobs, and safe life, and not least the possibility of democratic control in a community of belonging. The need for the co-existence of these material and socio-psychological conditions are perfectly understandable in the current situation. The problem arises when the nation state cannot deliver on its promises. The paradox of our post-’89 epoch is that the
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
promises of enlarging European integration are based, among other factors, upon the unenforced cooperation and pooled sovereignty of its member states that have recently rediscovered and vehemently propagated their sovereignty. In other words, the undeniable malfunctioning of the EU is the failure of nation states and so also our failure to live cooperatively in a larger trans-national framework. Among the disturbing and self-contradictory narratives of global mobilization and national protection, there is little to nothing to be heard about a real, sustainable future. No other time seems to be more appropriate to consider seriously existential questions about ourselves as Europeans, citizens of a value community and jointly built and maintained supranational and intergovernmental institutions.
Questions for a new start Why don’t we start to reconsider then our future in the light of conflicting and co-existing old and new realities? How to combine indispensable global production and connectivity with more local and regional sustainable economies? Why not produce and distribute what we can, and could well, in the not so distant past? Why not to say farewell to a good portion of unnecessary consumption? To get rid of deadly truck convoys on our overstressed highways? To diminish radically our flights to faraway countries for short business meetings and conferences? Why not re-consider our entire outdated and ineffective educational systems and introduce new ways and forms of knowledge creation and distribution based on our splendidly sophisticated IT? Why not cooperating empower health care systems by making them more socially tailored and responsible to anticipate new waves of pandemics and other global threats? Why not
re-consider the habits, rules and regulations of our financial, economic and legal systems, the inequalities and disparities of incomes between poor and rich regions and countries, between women and men, and generally between the weaker and stronger players of the global and European single market? In other words: why not start to negotiate a new pact/compound/contract at different interconnected – local, regional, European, etc. – levels?
Sustainability of the European project The European nation state – however heroic and honest its determination is to combat the Corona virus and other unforeseeable viruses and further calamities – cannot do the job alone. Without new ways of institutionalized and spontaneous cooperation, in other words, without new forms and rules of democracy, there is hardly any solution for the sustainability of the European project. Europe proved to be capable of renewing herself several times during the past centuries. The wake-up call of this Coronavirus sounds like a final call. Creativity, the potential for innovation, dormant cross-border solidarity, new solutions for further democratizations are available in abundance and waiting for debate, deliberation and implementation. We not only need to defend our achievements such as Schengen, we need to further develop them. A more coordinated across frontier approach could make border-restrictions unnecessary, we could easily share expertise and perspectives and overbridge the gap between well-defined national politics and harsh local realities. Prof. Dr. Ferenc Miszlivetz is the Director General of the Institute of Advanced Studies, Kőszeg (iASK)
9
covid-19
Humanity is facing the greatest challenge of the 21st century: this coronavirus differs from the hitherto known influenza that we learned to live with. It is an epidemic that takes a toll on our daily lives and has significant impact on our work.
LIFE UNDER QUARANTINE WHAT COVID-19 MEANS FOR
EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES
The Hungarian Government has slammed on the brakes and introduced some measures to assist employers to continue operations and protect their employees’ health conditions. The Government Decree No. 47/2020 released last week enabled employers to take necessary and adequate steps to monitor the health status of their employees. It looks like a minor change, but, in fact, two months ago, it would have been impossible for an employer to even think about obliging employees to seek immediate medical attention.
New rules Being the legal translation of what is called ‘social distancing’, the most significant modification relates to the employers’ rights to instruct home office and remote work. The Hungarian Labor Code has gone through a number of amendments in the past years, but the rules on where to carry out work has remained largely unchanged. In line with other European countries, employers in Hungary have also been entitled to instruct Employees to work from home, but only for up to 44 working days, or 352 working hours per year. An agreement between employee and employer would have been required to surpass these thresholds. Pregnant women and families with a small child, single parents until their child reaches sixteen years of age, employees providing long-term care for a close relative in person and employees with serious health impairment could not have been instructed at all to work at a different workplace, not even at home, without their employer’s consent. It means practically that in case of traditional, good old employment contracts with a fixed place of work, the employers should have an individual agreement with each and every employee to enable longer-term remote working.
10
From now on, any employer is free to order tele-work for an indefinite period of time, for any employee (even if they would fall into one of the above mentioned preferential categories) without any limitation, or employee consent. A further modification relates to the employees' work schedule. Up
work, the employees’ voluntary quarantine can only be performed in the form of paid or unpaid vacation, generally with the consent of the employer. By contrast, if the employer obliges the employee to go into 'voluntary quarantine', as a newly enabled health-check measure, such an order can be regarded as a release from work along with payment of salary or as an order of home-based work. Should a quarantine (in Hungarian: járványügyi zárlat) be officially ordered by the government or an administrative body, it can only be considered as a legitimate ground for paid sick leave, if the employer cannot offer any other working options for the employee. However, if the employee is 'separated', from a medical point of view, in a mandatory pandemic quarantine (in Hungarian: elkülönítés), he/she qualifies as incapable of work and will be entitled to paid sick leave. It is very likely that in the upcoming days the government will order the closure of facilities or a curfew, whereby employees with no home office option cannot access their place of work. The trending interpretation of law for such a case is that employees may seek paid sick leave. Nevertheless, a different (conservative) approach is that such an event may qualify as a force majeure event that automatically relieves employers from their labor law related obligations (including salary payment) without triggering the stipulation on the Act on Social Securities on the employees’ right to paid sick leave. Needless to say, further changes in the legal environment are sure to come to fight the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
until last week, an employer was required to announce any change at least 96 hours (i.e. 4 days) in advance. The rule was meant to protect the interests of employees so that they were not exposed to unexpected, immediate changes in their daily work routine. Now, that regulation has been lifted, without any restriction. Finally, the new law allows employers and employees to deviate from the provisions of the Labor Code. The novelty of this provision is that it legalizes those agreements that are more detrimental for the employees than what the Labor Code would otherwise allow. Still better than losing jobs. The new labor rules help to slow down the economic clock, but both employees and employers should realize that certain employment hurdles exist. There are employees, for whom home office cannot or has not been ordered, while no school or care facilities are available for their children. They cannot appear for work even if they are free of symptoms of illness. For them, the new Government Decree is of little help. Theoretically, they could go on their annual paid vacation, but as per the old rules, they can only use seven days at times of their own choice, and only if they first notify their employer 15 days in advance. Save for strict statutory exceptions (e.g. employees with a child under the age of three years), employees are not entitled to unilaterally take unpaid vacation, either – only if their employer agrees to it.
Obligations by the employer Quarantine is a rather historic term that we are now learning to live with. We should keep in mind however, that 'voluntary quarantine' is not a legal category and unless the employer orders remote A P R I L
2 0 2 0
|
D I P L O M A C Y
Dr. Andrea Jádi Németh is Managing Partner at Jádi Németh Attorneys at Law
&
T R A D E
|
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
photo by DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM
BY DR. ANDREA JÁDI NÉMETH
covid-19
CHATBOT AND DONATION MEASURES AT EISBERG DURING THE PRESENT CORONAVIRUS SITUATION
practice, Eisberg is helping people who are particularly vulnerable in society. Through the N.A.P. Foundation, the company is donating HUF 1.5 million to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Semmelweis University: to the workers, the babies and their families. “A mother who might be infected with a coronavirus needs the protective gear for breastfeeding or even embracing her baby. We decided to support doctors, nurses and, not least, mothers, within our possibilities,” he adds. The Eisberg Hungary Managing Director believes that all such contributions bring things forward and helping others should be part of company social responsibility. According to Zoltán Gazsi, it is obvious, judging from foreign examples, that the healthcare system will be under enormous pressure and if those helping to the best of their ability will do their share, it would prevent the virus from spreading. In Hungary, premature birth is a common
photo by EISBERG.HU
Tackling the present coronavirus situation is a challenge for all companies. They all seek answers to protect their employees and keep business flow. Eisberg Hungary, operating a 3,000-sqm salad factory in Gyál since 1992, just outside Budapest, has its own solutions. Captain Sali reaches all employees at the plant, so there is constant contact between the company management and the manual workers in the plant. Launched over half a year ago, Captain Sali, the chatbot, is doing extremely well as Eisberg Hungary, employing many blue collar workers, struggles to notify colleagues with no e-mail address in case of an emergency, and this is where the routine crisis management approach works. Face mask, hand sanitizer, quarantine, emergency and home office are just a few of the expressions we encounter in the media about the coronavirus. Instead of fear, Zoltán Gazsi, Managing Director of Eisberg Hungary Ltd., believes that it is now really important to keep calm and communicate with employees immediately, in the most reassuring way. The manufacturing company has put in place all measures to protect its employees, customers, consumers, partners and suppliers. Information is received daily on the guidance of official bodies, participate in the group's central crisis unit, and attend management meetings three times a week to discuss the current situation with other country directors. The company responds to the ever-changing situation with alternative solutions within a short period of time. “For example, the ‘Captain Sali’ chat bot, which has been operating for more than half a year, has been outstanding in communication, enabling them to inform their smart phone colleagues via Viber. Those who do not have a cellphone are appointed a ‘mentor’ with smartphone or are sent messages on the bulletin board or via e-mail or to ensure that all the information arrives on time,” he says. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
|
Donation to baby care unit When all the news is about a new type of coronavirus that is causing more and more illnesses, people and companies are ringing the alarm: ‘I need to help’. As a supporter of neonatal care, Eisberg is now thinking of pregnant women who may be infected with the coronavirus. The company wishes to make life easier not only for them and their babies but also for the nurses and doctors who care for them. "If we can help any part of the healthcare system during these difficult times, we have already done something for the virus affecting as few health workers as possible," according to Zoltán Gazsi. Continuing with its earlier
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
phenomenon. Data by the country’s Central Statistical Office reveal that 9% of newborns are born prematurely. The neonatal intensive care unit at Semmelweis University has been supported by the N.A.P. Foundation for decades. They are procuring common pieces of equipment such as baby carrier wraps helping body-contact, which are less accessible in the state care system. Upon hearing news about the donation, the head of the unit, neonatologist Csaba Nádor said that “Eisberg's offering would come handy even in peacetime, let alone at a time when it is unpredictable how many coronavirus patients will burden the healthcare system within a few weeks and how many pregnant mothers will have premature babies. The donation to the neonatal intensive care unit will be used to continue to provide family-friendly care.” He was of the view that the donation means that by using protective equipment, the unit will be able to provide with breast milk the child whose mother is infected with the coronavirus. Since the infected cannot enter the premature ward, it is necessary to organize where the where the mother expresses her milk, what protective equipment is being given to her, how the milk is being delivered to the baby, and what kind of protective equipment the newborn will be provided with until it is absolutely certain that she is not infected. These require special disposable protective equipment. "During this battle period, we will try to provide affordable family-friendly care, and that is what we will use the Eisberg offer for," Dr. Csaba Nádor said. According to current knowledge, there is no vertical transmission, meaning that the infection does not spread to the fetus and does not spread with breast milk. The company also invited the hospital staff to a salad lunch at the time of the donation. The Eisberg packed salad is a very safe way to consume healthy, fresh vegetables as bag protects the carefully washed and dried salad mixes. A staff of 11 quality experts work daily to secure the freshness and other quality aspects of their products. The factory operates with modern machinery, for example, positive air pressure system with HEPA filters are installed in the high care zone – just like pharma firms.
11
witty leaks WITTY
LE A K S
IN THIS SERIES, DIPLOMATS SHARE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES ON “EXCURSIONS” into Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy & scenery.
REMINISCENCES OF A SPIRIT STORIES OF IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES CONNECTING INDIA AND HUNGARY BY THE AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA, KUMAR TUHIN
I was captured in 1532 by the Turkish army which was withdrawing after their unsuccessful siege of Kőszeg and taken to Constantinople. I managed to get freedom later after converting to Islam and then travelled to Egypt, from where I joined the campaign of the Turkish navy in the famous siege of Diu in India against the Portuguese. In one of the most famous naval operations of that time, the Turkish navy was pushed back thus upsetting their ambitions for greater influence in the Indian Ocean. After that loss, I returned to Hungary and spent my last years writing memories of that contact with India. My work is available in the Vatican Library as György Huszti’s manuscript “Descriptio peregrinationis Georgii Huszti”. My interest in the search for ancient homeland of Hungarian people believed to be somewhere in Asia led me to my long journey to India, the mother of all civilizations. After reaching India in 1822, I lived a simple life of an ascetic studying Buddhism and the Tibetan language and carrying out extensive research over two decades in monasteries in Zangla and at the Asiatic Society in Kolkata. Driven by my old wish to reach the unknown reaches of Tibet and Central Asia, I took to road again in 1842 but could only reach the town of Darjeeling near the Tibet border where
12
visiting sites such as the cave paintings of Ajanta. I got only 28 years for my life, but I lived it to the fullest till my life candle extinguished in 1941. The ‘Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre’ in Budapest is named after me. There is also a plaque in front of the building in Budapest at Szilágyi Dezső tér 4 where I was born. Thirteen years after I got the Nobel Prize for literature, the first for any Asian, I reached Keleti Railway Station in 1926 to be greeted by a large gathering of the Hungarian people shouting “Tagore, Tagore”. In the days that followed, I however fell ill and had to be taken to a hospital in Balatonfüred where I recovered. In gratitude, I planted a tree on the shore of Lake Balaton. Several famous Hungarian scholars and artists, including painters Erzsébet SasBrunner and her daughter Erzsébet Brunner, visited my Shanti Niketan University during the next few years. The Brunner mother-daughter duo arrived in India in 1930 answering a mystical call when they claimed to have seen me in their dream.
Within a few weeks of my arrival in Hungary, in December 2018, I visited the hospital in Balatonfüred where Tagore had stayed. Looking at the pictures hung on the hospital’s walls, I could imagine the sage from India walking along the lake shores. Many Indian leaders who visited Hungary have planted trees at the Tagore promenade and a bust of Tagore has been placed here since October 9, 1956. As I strolled around Balatonfüredi Tagore sétány, his song from Gitanjali rang aloud in my head: “THE time that my journey takes is long and the way of it long. I came out on the chariot of the first gleam of light, and pursued my voyage through the wildernesses of worlds leaving my track on many a star and planet ... The traveller has to knock at every alien door to come to his own, and one has to wander through all the outer worlds to reach the innermost shrine at the end.” Don’t bother about getting my name. I am the spirit in these explorers.
KUMAR TUHIN
Journeys through time
I came down with fever. There is a memorial at my final resting place in old Darjeeling cemetery. You will find many institutions and schools in Hungary named after me such as Körösi Csoma Baptist High School at Szentendrei út 83. My business in educational appliances and photography material generated much wealth to enable me to undertake five journeys around the world between 1882 and 1914. I was able to pick up rare art pieces from the East, including from India. My art collection adorned my villa at Andrássy út 103 in Budapest and the visitors were understandably overawed. In my will, I therefore left my art collection as well as my villa to the Hungarian State for establishing a museum which they later named after me as Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts. While I was employed at an art shop in Mumbai in 1895 and subsequently in Shimla and Kolkata in 1897, it rekindled my interest in the art objects of India. I later established my own art galleries in Delhi and London. Several compatriots from Hungary wrote about the rich collections displayed therein and lovingly called these as Imre Schwaiger’s ‘museums’. After the Ferenc Hopp Museum started operating from 1923, I started donating to it some Indian art pieces regularly. In fact, when I liquidated my London shop, I donated four large cases of such material to the museum, and which substantially enlarged its collection. My daughter Ilona inherited my Delhi shop. I breathed my last in Delhi in 1940 and am resting since then at the Nicholson Cemetery there, together with my wife Nelly and son Leonard. By the time I moved as an eight year old girl with my family to Shimla in India, the charm of India was already cast on me. My dad was an Indian Sikh and my mother was a Hungarian Jewish opera singer. I was named Amrita Sher-Gil. I must admit the influence on our family of my uncle Ervin Baktay, who was among the most famous Indologists of his time. In his childhood, he felt himself overwhelmed after reading the Hungarian translation of the Sanskrit book Śakuntalā and felt as if some strange experiences from a previous life had come back to him. A school in Dunaharaszti at Baktay Ervin tér 3 carries his name. I started taking lessons in painting and discovered for myself the Indian traditional art by
photo by
A few days before I was to take the flight to Budapest in November 2018, I met the then External Affairs Minister of India to seek her guidance for my work in Hungary. One important message she gave me was that many individuals spanning several generations had contributed to furthering IndiaHungary friendship, including Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Ervin Baktay and Amrita Sher-Gil, and that I should visit the places associated with them as soon as possible after landing in this country. Hungary had thus acquired a mystical image in my mind even before my arrival here. To tell you the truth, my journey actually started much earlier. Exactly when is not clear, but between 3rd and 9th century, the ancestors of the Roma people arrived in Europe from northern and western India through Persia, Armenia and the Byzantine Empire and gradually spread their way across the whole of Europe, including Hungary. Stories of this connection with India are preserved in Roma people’s oral traditions and the linguistic origin of Romani dialects in the Indian languages.
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
|
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
wine STAY HOME AND HAVE SOME WINE! NO MATTER WHAT, SPRING IS HERE – CHOOSE THE BEST WINES THAT GO WITH THE SEASON Mother Nature seems to be unaware of the pandemic: spring has arrived. With spring, comes the urge to have healthy and fresh ingredients on our plates. This might be a little more difficult these days, but we encourage you to have as many seasonal vegetables and fruits as possible. Once you have managed to get the ingredients, it is the easiest thing to cook a risotto (with asparagus, for instance) and make salads which are, of course, the perfect match with light, aromatic whites.
It’s best to order wine online, directly from your favorite cellars – this is a great way to support them and help them stay alive in these troubled times. doesn’t have to be an expert. If one enjoys such wines, she or he will soon grasp the differences between Muscats, Irsais and Traminers. The thing I like about these varieties is that they immediately engage the taster and make the tasting experience vivid.” Taschner Borház is one of the major proponents of Irsai Olivér. For many years it was a recurring news item in the Hungarian press that it was Taschner winery who released the first wine of the vintage, a wine made from Irsai. And though this wine is still an important item in their range, the winery has recently introduced an Irsai-based blend called Zöld Olivér (i.e. ’Green Oliver’). “I must admit that this wine was brought to life out of necessity. Some years ago, when our plantings
of Irsai were less extensive than today, I noticed that the wine was selling out at an alarming rate. I was scared that we would run out of stocks too soon and then we couldn’t offer anything in the lithe and fragrant wine segment, so I decided to make a blend. The resulting wine, Zöld Olivér became a runaway success and now it’s a stable favorite in our repertoire. In 2019, Irsai was blended with Grüner Veltliner and Zenit. I would recommend this wine to people who find wines made solely from aromatic varieties too intense for their liking. Zöld Olivér is less fragrant, and has a bit more body, livelier acidity but basically it’s still a wine characterized by a refreshing, spring-like style.”
photo by DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM,
ISTVÁN FILEP
Lithe, dry wines made from aromatic grape varieties are hugely popular all over the world. Just think of Sauvignon Blanc or the various Muscats. Hungary is particularly well endowed with aromatic varieties thanks to numerous breeding projects carried out in the 20th century. As the old saying goes, “variety is the spice of life,” so why not give these crossings a try this spring. Over the years Irsai Olivér has gained many fans in Hungary and its popularity among winemakers and customers is on the rise even beyond our borders. The variety was bred by Pál Kocsis in 1930 at the Kecskemét Research Institute by crossing two lesser known grapes Csabagyöngye (which translates to Pearl of Csaba) and Pozsonyi Fehér. It’s an interesting turn of events that three decades later, it was Irsai Olivér that was crossed with Roter Traminer to create another successful Hungarian variety: Cserszegi Fűszeres. What is the secret of their appeal? “I truly love aromatic grapes. Their fragrance is so intense that when you smell them you immediately get a strong first impression. Then, when you taste the wine, you may gradually discover more flavors and aromas as it ‘opens’ in your glass. It is best drunk young,’ says Kurt Taschner, the renowned Sopron winemaker. “To appreciate an Irsai wine
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
|
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
13
PEARL JAM
JULY 15, BUDAPEST SPORT ARÉNA
October 22, 2015 officially marked 25 years of Pearl Jam performing live. Ten studio albums, hundreds of unique live performances and hundreds of official live concert bootleg releases later, the band continue to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful – with over 85 million albums sold worldwide. Pearl Jam released their Grammy Award-winning tenth studio album, ‘Lightning Bolt’ in October 2013, which debuted at Nr. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart as well as Nr. 1 on iTunes in over 50 countries. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. www.livenation.hu
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS: PUSHING THE LIMITS
MAY 19 EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO A FUTURE DATE, YET TO BE ANNOUNCED! The Harlem Globetrotters announced recently that they will be suspending all remaining games scheduled on their domestic and international tours through mid-May in order to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Globetrotters encourage ticket holders to hold on to tickets, as the team will make every effort to reschedule postponed events as soon as possible. The Harlem Globetrotters are legendary worldwide, synonymous with one-of-a-kind family entertainment and great basketball skills for the past 93 years. Throughout their history, the Original Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 124 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their firstever basketball experience. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans – among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents – over nine thrilling decades. They are currently preparing for their 94th year of touring with the “Pushing the Limits” World Tour, during which the team will play in more than 250 North American markets, as well as more than 30 countries worldwide, including Hungary. The tour will feature high-flying dunks, hilarious stunts, a new recordbreaking attempt and unforgettable family moments. www.broadway.hu
BONNIE TYLER JUNE 19
14
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
|
D I P L O M A C Y
photo by
BROADWAY.HU, LIVE NATION
BARBA NEGRA TRACK Bonnie Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, was brought up in Skewen, a small village near Swansea. She grew up to become one of Wales’ best known performers, achieving chart success all over the world. She is recognized for her distinctive husky voice, and a long list of hit singles including ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, ‘It’s a Heartache’, ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, ‘Lost in France’, ‘More Than a Lover’, ‘Bitterblue’ and ‘If I Sing You a Love Song’. In her 50-year career, Bonnie has performed for audiences in countries across the world and has enjoyed critical acclaim for her latest albums ‘Rocks and Honey’ and ‘Between The Earth and the Stars’. www.broadway.hu
&
T R A D E
|
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), the most significant painter and graphic artist of the German Renaissance was often compared to the influential artist of Greek antiquity, Apelles, in that the exceptional descriptive power and richness of detail in his engravings and woodcuts were praised. Desiderius Erasmus, the humanist scholar, pointed out that Dürer even transcended Apelles in greatness, since the latter required colors to achieve what Dürer could do with black lines alone. Dürer’s father was a goldsmith, who had left Ajtós, a town close to Gyula, Hungary, to settle in Nuremberg in 1455. Albrecht was born here, his parents’ third child, in 1471. He started his training as a goldsmith in his father’s workshop, then in 1486 he was apprenticed to Michael Wolgemut (1434–1519) in Nuremberg for three years, where he learned the techniques of painting as well as woodcut printing. In 1490, he departed Nuremberg, and visited the Upper Rhineland and presumably the Netherlands. Returning to his native Nuremberg, Dürer worked as an independent artist, mostly selfpublishing his works. He probably undertook his first journey to Venice in the autumn of 1494, where he studied Italian Renaissance works. On his return to Nuremberg in 1495 he became acquainted with humanist themes through his academic friends, such as Willibald Pirckheimer. These themes, besides his religious and mythological imagery, also appeared in his prints. In 1505 he travelled to Italy for the second time and returned home in 1507. Apart from his undistinguished sojourns, Dürer lived and worked in Nuremberg. It was Albrecht Dürer who elevated the techniques of woodcut and engraving to the status of painting and sculpture in Europe, where they had emerged in the late 14th and mid-15th centuries, respectively, due to the cheap mass production of paper. In contrast with his great ancestors, Dürer created something new in both woodcut and engraving, while he also experimented with drypoint and etching. As a result of his exceptionally prolific life, he bequeathed a significant oeuvre of paintings, 970 drawings, 105 intaglio prints (engravings, etchings, drypoints) and 346 woodcuts. There are some 250 engravings in the rich collection of the Museum of Fine Arts. A selection of the most beautiful can be seen in the institution’s website. www.on-line.szepmuveszeti.hu
DÜRER - BLACK AND WHITE
ONLINE, HUNGARIAN FINE ARTS MUSEUM
Due to the public health emergency caused by Covid-19, the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest is closed for an indefinite period of time (just as all museums in Hungary). To please art fans, the institution invites them on several virtual tours, sharing its digital content with the public.
QUARANTINE SOIRÉES
ONLINE, BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Each night, as of March 16, members of the Budapest Festival Orchestra will play live chamber music concerts called Quarantine soirées, online. Streamed from the BFO's rehearsal studio, these concerts are recommended for all music-lovers in isolation. Iván Fischer, Music Director of the BFO says: “We all need music, now more than ever. This is a time of intimate home listening, and chamber music because it would be dangerous to invite a whole symphony orchestra and audiences into a closed space.” BFO appeals to listeners to support musicians of the Quarantine soirées, who lost most of their income due to cancellations of the orchestra’s concerts. The Quarantine soirées can be enjoyed via the orchestra's website or Facebook-page at 19.45 each day. www.bfo.hu
HARRY STYLES
MAY 31 CONCERT RESCHEDULED! NEW DATE: FEBRUARY 22, 2021, BUDAPEST ARENA
English-born singer and teen heartthrob Harry Styles rose to fame as one of the five members of boy band One Direction. He launched his solo career in 2016 and made his acting debut in the 2017 film 'Dunkirk.' Born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, on February 1, 1994, Harry Styles first sang with a band in a school competition. In 2010, he performed on the television show The X Factor, where the judges combined him with four other young male singers to form One Direction. The boy band became a pop music sensation, delivering hits like ‘Best Song Ever’ and ‘Story of My Life’ through five immensely successful studio albums. Styles then made a solo splash in 2017 with his debut single, ‘Sign of the Times’ and a self-titled album. Fans then waited another two years for his next single, which came in October 2019 with the soulful ‘Lights Up’. Shortly before the release of his solo album ‘Fine Line,’ the singer announced plans for his 2020 Love On Tour, which, due to the coronavirus, will be postponed. www.livenation.hu
KORN
JUNE 9, BUDAPEST SPORT ARÉNA
photo by
ALBRECHT DÜRER, BFO, LIVE NATION
Jonathon Davis, James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu and Ray Luzier are four musicians who blend their musical talents together to create a unique combination of nu/ alternative metal mastery. Since their 1994 beginnings, Korn has released a total of 10 studio albums and 2 live albums that have produced 39 chart topping singles including ‘A.D.I.D.A.S’, ‘Freak On A Leash’, ‘Twisted Transistor’, ‘Right Now’, ‘Here To Stay’ and ‘Thoughtless’. Throughout their nearly 20-year career the band has won a 2000 and 2003 Grammy Award and 2 MTV Video Music Awards and, to support their numerous albums and hit singles, they have spent a lot of time touring the world to play to their legions of fans. www.livenation.hu
w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m
|
D I P L O M A C Y
&
T R A D E
|
A P R I L
2 0 2 0
15
TAKENAKA EUROPE GmbH HUNGARY BRANCH OFFICE Architecture / Engineering / Construction www.takenaka.eu info@takenaka.hu
ASPIRING TO FINE FORM
for a future generation
