Archive for April 2nd, 2011

Why does Viktor Orbán need a new constitution?

As far as I can see, this constitution is a vehicle for Fidesz’s long-lasting political hegemony. Some people complain about the shoddy job the “framers” did. They point to the verbose and embarrassing preamble. But I think these people are wrong. The new constitution is a cunningly crafted document that will ensure Fidesz’s political sway for a very long time. Even if they lose the next election the constitution is written in such a way that their men will be in charge of all the so-called independent institutions. They will be able to restrict the activity of a new government. And, even worse, there are certain provisions that would tie any new government’s hands in introducing its own political and economic agenda. A good example is a paragraph in the constitution that forbids the government from changing the present tax system.

In brief, this constitution provides for Fidesz supremacy in the coming decades. In the case of a lost election, the country will be ungovernable. To change the constitution in the future will be well nigh impossible because of the two-thirds rule; Hungary is unlikely to see an electoral victory any time soon that is as sweeping as Fidesz’s was in 2010. The current constitution and naturally the new one as well has a provision that no referendum can be held on anything connected to the constitution. Thus it will be impossible in the future to ask the people whether they would like to scrap the Easter Constitution of Viktor Orbán. I assume that this is the reason that Orbán refuses to consider the possibility of holding a referendum on the new constitution now.

read whole article Hungarian Spectrum: Why does Viktor Orbán need a new constitution?.

2011
04/02
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Frustrated Eastern European doctors head west

More and more eastern European doctors are heading west as government economic austerity measures eat into their pay and conditions deteriorate, leaving behind understaffed health systems in crisis.

From Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, growing numbers of physicians, surgeons, anaesthetists and other specialists are packing up for countries like Britain, Germany and Sweden.

“There are no prospects for me in Hungary,” said surgeon Csaba Andok, who is in his fifties. “I am leaving for Germany where my work is appreciated,” he told AFP.

Last year 1,111 physicians applied to the Hungarian government for a certificate allowing them to work abroad, up 25 percent from 2009, according to the ministry of national resources.

This may represent just a fraction of the country’s 30,000 practising doctors but, in a worrying trend for the future, it involves many of the 800 new graduates a year.

“Discontent is widespread among doctors, primarily due to deteriorating salary conditions,” Andok said.

Their caseloads have increased over the past year for the same pay, which at 550-740 euros ($780-1,050) a month is comparable to that of a waiter in a trendy cafe.

“Work is carried out by a very limited staff and the shortage of personnel makes daily pressure unbearable,” Andok said.

The economic crisis that hit Hungary in 2008 led the government to impose stiff austerity measures including a sales tax hike, the scrapping of 13th-month annual bonuses and reduced heating subsidies.

The picture is no rosier in Romania where medical professionals have seen their salaries cut by at least 13 percent since the government introduced cost-cutting measures last July.

The number of doctors wanting to leave the country almost doubled in 2010 to 2,779 from the previous year, according to official figures.

via AFP: Frustrated Eastern European doctors head west.

2011
04/02
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Hungary won’t raise residential gas prices april 1

Hungary won’t raise natural gas prices for residential users April 1, the official date for any price revision, the Development Ministry said Friday.

“The government regards it unacceptable that energy bills account for a significant part of the public’s and small firms’ daily expenses. That’s why it decided in the summer of 2010 to impose a moratorium on energy prices,” the ministry said in a release.

New pricing regulations came into effect Jan. 1 2011, after consultations with the suppliers.

The prices will remain unchanged under the new regime, the ministry said.

via Hungary Won’t Raise Residential Gas Prices April 1 – Ministry.

2011
04/02
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Land of cheap food

Poland has the cheapest food and non-alcoholic beverages in the European Union, according to Eurostat data for 2010. The country with the most expensive food is Denmark, followed by Ireland and Finland.

Danish people and tourists visiting Denmark have to spend 39 percent more on food than the EU average. In Poland, food is 36 percent cheaper than the EU average. Prices are higher in Bulgaria and Romania, the most recent members of the European Union—32 percent and 34 percent below the EU average respectively. But Bulgarians have cheaper bread and alcoholic beverages than Poland. Strong alcoholic drinks are also cheaper in Hungary, Spain and Portugal.

The highest vodka prices are in Scandinavian countries—Finns pay 70 percent more than the average EU citizen for strong alcoholic beverages. Britain is the country where it is most advisable to quit smoking, as the price of a packet of cigarettes is 66 percent higher than the EU average. Polish smokers pay slightly over 50 percent of the EU average. In Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Lithuania cigarette prices are even lower.

In its most recent survey on food, beverages and tobacco, Eurostat looked at the prices of around 500 comparable products.

via The Warsaw Voice.

2011
04/02
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