Archive for February 8th, 2011

Orban drags Hungary through rapid change

Moving quickly, the government has trimmed the constitutional court’s ability to rule on economic issues; it packed the leadership of the spending watchdog with Fidesz loyalists; it slashed the funding of the fiscal council, which rules on budgetary issues, prompting its chairman to resign last week; the media council that will enforce the new law is staffed by Fidesz appointees; and it has proposed giving the Fidesz-dominated parliament power to appoint more of the central bank’s rate-setting committee.

There are persistent rumours that April’s constitution will give voting rights to those among an estimated 2m people of Hungarian descent living outside the country’s borders who apply for citizenship. Analysts say many would probably vote for Fidesz, delivering an enduring advantage in a country with only 10m people.

Fidesz and its supporters counter that they are merely trying to get a dysfunctional system working. They talk with revolutionary fervour of completing a post-communist transition that stalled during the socialist governments of 2002-2010, and during which many mistakes were made. The party says it will tackle corruption, improve competitiveness, stimulate innovation and reform everything from social security to local government.

“We have wasted 20 years, and we didn’t have time to waste,” says Zoltan Kovacs, state secretary in Hungary’s public administration and justice ministry. “When the prime minister talks about a revolution, it is not only rhetoric.”

read more FT.com / Europe – Orban drags Hungary through rapid change.

2011
02/08
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Budapest Nightlife Nightmare Continues as Zöld Pardon, Café del Rio Face Closure

Budapest’s nightlife scene took a big hit earlier this week with news that Buda-side mega-outdoor clubs Zöld Pardon and Café del Rio may not open for the upcoming season, as their contracts with the government of District XI expired at the end of last year, and they owe tens of millions of forints to the district.

The mayor’s office told index.hu that the local government will only agree to discuss allowing the clubs to continue operating if they pay their debts.

The officials added that the clubs should have paid fees for illegally using a larger than permitted public area until December 31, 2010, but they have not, despite the local government repeatedly reminding them. The local government signed a contract with the operators of the clubs in 2001, allowing them to use the areas on the two sides of the road leading off Petőfi Bridge. Years later, it turned out the clubs were using four times the area specified in their contracts. In 2009, they were fined for billions of forints, but they appealed the decision.

Index.hu learned that the two clubs had not indicated their wish to renew their contracts and only asked to be allowed to use the areas as storage facilities, meaning it’s probably lights out.

via Budapest Nightlife Nightmare Continues as Zöld Pardon, Café del Rio Face Closure – Pestiside.hu.

2011
02/08
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Smoking now banned at Budapest bus stops

Smoking is prohibited at public transport stops operated by Budapest public transport operator BKV since Sunday, February 6. Violators of the regulation can be fined for up to Ft 30,000 (€112), index.hu writes.

The Budapest Assembly passed a regulation on December 15 that smoking would be prohibited at stops and waiting rooms along the routes of buses, trams, trolley buses, the Széchenyi-hegy cogwheel railway, the Buda Castle funicular, the János-hegy chair lift, and suburban railway HÉV.

The regulation will be enforced by employees of Budapest Public Area Maintenance Company.

via Smoking now banned at Budapest bus stops – Caboodle.hu.

2011
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Peter Mayer photo exposition at Merlin

About the photographer by the photographer

I would like to talk about my work as a photographer, especially as a candid people and mostly close-up photographer rather than about myself. I think that this will be a lot more relevant and, hopefully, of greater interest to you all who will visit the exhibit. I would like to share with you the essence of what I intended to capture in these photographs. But ultimately what counts most is what you, the viewer, will get out of the experience. And if you find this experience intellectually, emotionally and aesthetically rewarding and enjoyable, then I, the photographer, will have achieved the most important part of my objective.

From February 14th.

read more Merlin.

2011
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New constitution to show Hungarian spirit

A new Hungarian constitution expected to be passed by parliament in April will be a foundation for the country’s transformation, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Monday, cited by AFP.

Orban, making his annual state of the nation speech, said the current constitution was the outcome of “forced compromise” with the country’s Soviet masters and was “not a constitution for Hungarians”.

“We need a new constitution, which is a demonstration of the Hungarian spirit, which sharply stands apart from the era which paralysed Hungarians,” Orban said.

With a two-thirds majority in parliament, Orban’s governing right-wing Fidesz party can push through a new constitution with ease.

The new document is due to be voted on in parliament on April 25, a year to the day after Fidesz swept to power in a landslide election victory.

via New constitution to show Hungarian spirit: PM – FOCUS Information Agency.

2011
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EU-Hungary row: Minor changes to media law agreed

Hungary’s Communication Minister Zoltan Kovacs said that the government had agreed to work on the wording of the law and to submit the text on Thursday.

He said that both sides were “very, very close” to resolving the issue.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Budapest last month in response to the law and Euro MPs put gags on their faces when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Brussels.

Activists said they feared that a new media authority created under the law would follow the centre-right government’s political agenda.

The European Commission has identified three problems with the law which came into effect on 1 January, the day Hungary took over the EU presidency.

The commission believes the law’s rules on balanced reporting breach EU regulations because they apply to media beyond broadcasting, such as video blogs

It believes the law’s provisions on “country of origin” could result in fines on foreign media outlets for non-compliance

It believes the requirement for all media services to register with the new authority could restrict rights of freedom of expression

Mr Kovacs told the BBC News website that negotiations on Monday involving media and legal experts had covered three paragraphs of the law relating to balanced reporting, country of origin and media registration.

But he said he had stated “many times that these are technical issues”.

“We have agreed to work on some texts that can make it [the law] clear, more precise.”

via BBC News – EU-Hungary row: Minor changes to media law agreed.

2011
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Organized Crime in Central Europe

First, the geo-economic position of the country facilitates the traffickers moving illicit cargo by road and rail routes. For example, from Ukraine tobacco and women are trafficked towards Austria, and from Romania illegal immigrants are transferred, whilst from Croatia and Serbia weapons and drugs are being imported.

Hungary has adequate public infrastructure and storage services, providing a strong reason for crime syndicates to pursue their activities there. In order for criminal groups to transform themselves into an integrated, organized crime structure, there has to be the necessary infrastructure that will enable them to have a continuous and smooth flow of contraband merchandise, which in turn will provide economies of scale for their operations. Under this assumption, Hungary seems a perfect destination.

Another important factor was the widespread corruption in the local security forces and the coexistence of former and present executives with links to members of organized crime. The result was poor security controls and in general non-compliance with the law.

Currently Budapest hosts the global epicenters of illegal pornographic material, contraband cigarettes and is also a meeting point and negotiation center between the heads of international crime groups in the sectors of arms, women and drug trafficking. Money laundering is also another thriving illegal industry, closely associated with the above.

The Hungarian Security Council, a government agency providing guidelines and action against crime in the country, has noted disturbing trends for the foreseeable future. Reports of the local police found that the number of criminal organizations has increased considerably since 2007. Also, it is estimated that construction companies and business groups involved in public procurement are now subject to the control of organized crime, and groups coming from China and Latin America have managed to establish their presence there, in order to increase their positions in Western Europe via Budapest.

read more  Organized Crime in Central Europe – Worldpress.org.

2011
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