THE BUDAPEST TIMES

Volume 11, No. 28

12 July 18 July 2013

www.bzt.hu

Hungarys English-language weekly.

HUF 750/EUR 3

03 PRIDE & P REJUDICE 1000s of police man gay march barriers 16 WHAT LIES BENEATH

Jobbik... Maybe theyre trying to be funny

Number of Hungarians working abroad nearly quadruples since 2010

ver a quarter-million
Hungarians, or almost
five per cent of
Hungary's working-age population, were working abroad for at

least six months at the end of

June, according to a survey by
economic research institute
GKI.
The number is up from last

year's 230,000 and 2010's

60,000, GKI said, citing data
from the Central Statistical
Office and research institute
Kopint-Trki respectively.

While the rate is higher than

in Western countries (for
example, some 1.5 per cent of
France's working-age population is employed abroad and the

number of Canadian-born
working abroad was estimated at
1.33 per cent of the population
in 2009), it is in line with other
countries in the region.

Estonia's 2011 population

census showed 4.4 per cent of
the country's employed, or
25,000 people, finding their
greener pastures further afield.

Closer to the citys pulse

Business
threat to
Europe:
Hungary
Government blames big
business for European
Parliament rebuke
ROBERT HODGSON

BZT/Robert Hodgson

owerful business interests lie

behind a recent vote in the
European Parliament to
censure Hungary over the
right-wing government's majoritarian
rule, according to a resolution pushed
through Parliament last Friday by
government and nationalist lawmakers.
The Tavares Report endorsed in
Strasbourg earlier in the week raised
serious concerns over the Fidesz
government's
commitment
to
European values and democratic
norms.

Corinthia general manager Thomas M. Fischer (left) officially hands over the office to The Budapest Times and Budapester Zeitung publisher Jan Mainka on Wednesday.

The Budapest Times and Budapester Zeitung in the heart of Budapest

Drawing up conclusions
The resolution, which speaks in the
name of "We, Hungarians", names the
recent decision to force utilities firms to
lower their bills as a key factor behind
the adoption of the Tavares report, a
swingeing critique of sweeping institutional, legal and judicial reforms. "The
Hungarian Parliament believes it is a
major threat to the whole of Europe if
the interests of business groups are
enforced in the European Union
unchecked and may overwrite the rules
laid down in the Treaty," the resolution
says.
The government has also sought to
downplay the significance of the
Tavares report, which envisages a new
Copenhagen Committee with the
power to force member states to abide
by the commitments to democratic
principles and free trade that they
made before accession.

hile being at the heart of a city was considered sacrosanct,

most newspapers, TV and radio stations have been fleeing
from cities downtown cores for decades now, favouring
lower rents over being close to the centres of power and
the people. Budapester Zeitung (now 14 years in print) and
The Budapest Times (10 years this September) came into being after the
exodus and although we have moved office a few times, its always been on
the Buda side of the Danube. On 1 July the editorial office of the two newspapers opened in the Corinthia Hotel Budapest in District VII on the Pest
side.
What may sound bizarre at first - what are our newspapers doing at a fivestar address, especially in these times? - has an entirely plausible explanation. Corinthia general manager Thomas M. Fischer wishes to contribute to
ensuring the continued existence of the newspapers, and to benefit from the
positive effects of a symbiosis with the two valued newspapers of the expat
community. He offered the publishing company an attractive office in the
eastern atrium of the hotel, in the immediate vicinity of the Szamos confectionery and under generous rental conditions. (See interview on page 5.)
Naturally our move across the Danube was not motivated by cost factors
alone: the move to the Pest side of the capital fulfils our long-time desire to
be nearer the heart of the city, which tends to beat in Pest rather than Buda.
The fact that the Corinthia Hotel Budapest lies on the section of the

Nagykrt (Grand Boulevard) that bears the name of the Austrian empress
Erzsbet (Empress Elisabeth of Austria, otherwise known as Sissi), equally
well-known and beloved in the German-speaking world and in Hungary, is a
lucky coincidence for a German-Hungarian publishing company that is
committed to the best possible German-Austrian-Hungarian cooperation.
The unhappily married empress did not just give rise to kitsch costume
films. She is said to have played just as important a role in the background
of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which had such a beneficial
effect on Hungarian development, as Count Gyula Andrssy, whom she
highly esteemed and after whom the nearby prestigious boulevard is named,
did in the foreground.
With the move from our previous office on the fringe of the commercial
area of buda, which was very calm but also rather isolated, to the centre of
Pest life in a well-frequented hotel with excellent transport connections, we
also hope to come closer to our readers. This is naturally extremely important to us as a service provider to the expat community.
The large glass doors of our new editorial office are not just an elegant
entrance - they should also be understood as an invitation to look through,
to drop by and to engage with us.
Jan Mainka,
Publisher, The Budapest Times and Budapester Zeitung

Continued on page 2 as The spin

346.12
4 July

339.23
11 July

295.00
4 July

293.34
11 July

239.23
4 July

236.49 226.98
11 July 4 July

224.85
11 July

STATS

RATES

1222 Bp. Nagyttnyi t 48-50 Tel: (+36-1) 382-9000

Fax: (+36-1) 382-9003 e-mail: fox@fox-autorent.com
www.fox-autorent.com open: 8am-8pm 7 days a week

150

airplanes were
hijacked in the
US between
1961 and 1972

1-6

The US has
more PCs than
the next 7 countries combined

51.2% 4.11
the odds of being
born male
according to
census

seconds - the
world record for
drinking a litre of
beer

12

newborns given
to the wrong
parents daily
around the globe9

771785 110000

13028

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

12 July 18 July 2013

Banner protest
MPs face penalty
House Speaker Lszl Kvr has
proposed that MPs Tmea Szab
and Benedek Jvor, of the opposition Dialogue for Hungary party may each be fined HUF 50,000
(EUR 170) for displaying a banner in
Parliament last week.
It said: "We do not want such a
Europe Hungary, where the bigger
abuses its strength and the majority
abuses its power." Apart from
changing "Europe" to "Hungary",
this was a direct quote from Prime
Minister Viktor Orbn's speech in the
European Parliament two days
earlier.

Gyula Horn
famous for role
in bringing
down the Wall
yula Horn, a senior member
of Hungary's last communist
politburo, was laid to rest in
Fiumei Utca cemetery on Monday,
with many international dignitaries
and politicians in attendance. As
foreign minister in 1989, Horn was
the man who announced the opening
of the border with Austria, allowing
thousands of East German refugees
to flee to the West, a move seen as
triggering the wave of mainly
peaceful revolutions in Warsaw Pact
countries that led to the fall of the
Berlin Wall and the eventual reunification of Germany.

Students give
Jobbik high marks

Tributes
Martin Schulz, the Socialist president of the European Parliament,
said Horn had "helped to unite an
artificially divided continent". In an

MTI

POLITICS

Former
PM laid
to rest

apparent dig at Prime Minister

Viktor Orbn, Schulz - a harsh critic
of the current government's domestic
policy - said: "Gyula Horn made it
possible to leave separation behind
us. There's also a need now to
consider whether it's time to leave
separation behind us again."
Former German foreign minister
Hans-Dietrich Genscher praised
Horn's "humanity" and said Germany
would never forget his contribution
to the reunification of the divided
nation. Prime Minister Viktor Orbn
was at the funeral but did not speak.
Orbn paid tribute at Horn's
grave, as did former prime ministers

The spin
doctor is in
Continued from page 1
In an exemplary piece by the Fidesz party's
chief English-language spin doctor, Ferenc
Kumin wrote in a 4 July blog post: "The voting
came down to 370 supportive votes and 331
votes not supporting. Those political forces that
are opposed to the current Hungarian government pushed this report through with 39 votes
out of 701, which is 2-3% of all the votes. It's
clear that one side supported it and the other
did not."
It's lucky Kumin is not running the Economy
Ministry if he thinks 39 is "2-3%" of 701.
Notwithstanding that, he failed to mention that
82 of the "votes not supporting" the report were
in fact abstentions. Only 249 voted against the
report - presumably including the various
nationalist and eurosceptic factions. This
suggests that many members of the European
Peoples Party (EPP) were, at best, reluctant to
support Orbn's party in a secret ballot.

Peter Boross, Peter Medgyessy, Ferenc

Gyurcsany and Gordon Bajnai, and
the current Socialist party leader
Attila Mesterhazy. Mikls Nmeth,
the last communist prime minister of
Hungary and at least as important a
motor for reform as Horn, failed to
make it to the funeral because of
traffic.

PM booed
Some people in the assembled
crowd booed Orbn, according to
state news agency MTI. Socialist
lawmaker Ferenc Baja, who was a
minor politician in the last days of

Christianity needs another

resurrection: minister
The sources of Europe's Christian heritage will hopefully be given new strength by this year's assembly of the
Conference of European Churches, Human Resources
Minister Zoltn Balog said on Saturday one day before the
close of the conference held in Budapest last week.
It is sad that such a renewal has so far been played
down in Europe, where churches seem to have become
estranged from each other in the same way as the enthusiasm of the 1989 democratic transition has vanished, he
said.
Hungary's Constitution starts with the name of God and
includes the protection of life from the moment of conception, and Hungary is the last of former communist countries to have passed a law under which students are
provided with the necessary education in ethics, morality
and faith, Balog, a Calvinist pastor, told the assembly.
The new Constitution, introduced last January through
right-wing Fidesz's parliamentary supermajority, takes on
a more conservative direction than its predecessor with
references to religion in the preamble and a recent
amendment defining marriage as between a man and a
woman. Prime Minister Viktor Orbn has also taken to
linking Christian values, nation-building and economic
renewal in his speeches, despite the latest census
showing the number of Hungarians declaring themselves

Ex-security officials
jailed for spying

Another victory in defeat

The main aim of government diplomacy
before the vote was to persuade the 269-member
EPP group (274 after Croatia's accession) not to
support the adoption of the Tavares report,
Foreign Minister Jnos Martonyi said on progovernment news channel HrTV on Saturday.
This strategy succeeded, as the European legislature's largest group "essentially unanimously"
stood by Hungary, Martonyi reckoned.
Meanwhile, outgoing Czech Prime Minister
Petr Necas has come out in support of Orbn's
government, pro-government newspaper
Magyar Nemzet reported on Monday. "It is unacceptable that any parliament can decide with a
simple majority whether a state is respecting
basic rights or not," Necas said.
Czech prosecutors asked lawmakers on
Monday to strip Necas of his immunity from
prosecution over a corruption scandal that has
brought down the government.

the former regime, rued the incident

in a Facebook post: "The whole thing
made me rather sad, and I know that
the majority of those who were
present distance themselves from
that type of behaviour."
Gyula Horn died on 19 June at the
age of 80 following a lengthy illness.
After the transition to democracy he
helped found the Hungarian
Socialist Party and - following an
initial electoral hammering in 1990 went on to head a coalition government from 1994 to 1998. Thousands
of members of the public attended
the funeral.
Robert Hodgson

Lajos Galambos, the director of the National Security

Office (NBH) from 2004 to 2007, and Gyrgy Szilvsy, the
secret services minister of the Ferenc Gyurcsny cabinet,
were both sentenced to two years and 10 months jail for
spying by Debrecen Court last Friday.
While all documentation of the criminal proceeding was
classified until 2040, the trial was very likely about folders
found on the office laptop of Sndor Laborc, another former
director of the National Security Office, who received a
suspended sentence.
According to right-leaning weekly Heti Vlasz, after
Laborc gave back his computer two folders called "Ovi" and
"Bajusz" (Moustache) were found. The paper said these
contained evidence the NBH was spying on Prime Minister
Viktor Orbn and mustachioed House Speaker Lszl Kvr
during their opposition days.
Both the defence and prosecution appealed against the
court ruling.
After most of the opposition parties demanded that the
documents be declassified, three members of the governing
Fidesz initiated an extraordinary session of Parliament's
national security committee this Monday. According to
committee chair Mt Kocsis, the reaction from the left is
"extremist and dangerous", which necessitates the
convening of the committee.

MTI

02

Metropolitan Emmanuel of France (left) at the assembly of the

Conference of European Churches at RAM Colosseum in
Budapest on 6 July. Beside him are Zoltn Balog, Human
Resources Minister, and Tams Fabiny, bishop of the
Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary in charge of
ecumenical and international relations.
to be religious fell from over half the population in 2001 to
fewer than 40 per cent in 2011.
Europe could easily become a pagan continent again,
Hungarian Evangelical-Lutheran Bishop Tams Fabiny
said.
The Conference of European Churches, founded in
1959, includes 115 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and
Old Catholic Churches from across Europe, and 40 associated organisations.

Teacher pay rise finally

coming through
Some 150,000 teachers will receive an average 34 per
cent pay rise from 1 September, Human Resources Minister
Zoltn Balog said on Wednesday.The increase, backdated to
January, will be followed by others until 2017, and currently
represents 60 per cent of teachers' overall expected salary
under the new career model to be introduced in September,
he said. Teachers just starting would receive a proportionately higher increase, meaning the profession would become
more appealing for young people.
Funds are already available for the teacher pay rise, to
which HUF 40-45 billion (EUR 136.61-153.69 million) will be
allocated this year and HUF 170-180 billion (EUR 580.59614.75 million) next year, Economy Minister Mihly Varga
said.
In a spat with Fidesz vice-president and former education
minister Zoltn Pokorni in early June, Varga had denied the
existence of funds to cover the increases planned for the
following two years. Citing a government decision in May and
budgetary adjustments passed in July, he now suggested
sufficient resources were available to increase salaries to a
level closer to levels seen in other central European countries.
Head of teachers' union PSZ Mrs Istvn Gall said the
new teacher career model presented the major drawback of
failing to reward better performance, but that teachers would
welcome an average HUF 40,000-60,000 (EUR 136-205)
rise in their monthly salaries.

Jobbik is the most popular party

among higher-education students
with 17 per cent in favour of the
extreme-right formation, according
to a survey recently released by
Active Young People Research
Group (Aktiv Fiatalok).
Governing party Fidesz and its
coalition partner KDNP (Christian
Democrats) garnered 15 per cent
approval, followed by Egytt2014PM (a socialist-alternative coalition)
with 13.7 per cent, 7.7 per cent for
green-alternative LMP, three per
cent for socialist MSZP and one per
cent for socialist breakaway party
DK.
Forty per cent could not or did not
want to say who they support.
The research showed a split
between students in Budapest and
in provincial institutions, the former
placing Egytt2014-PM ahead
followed by Fidesz, and the latter
preferring Jobbik, with Fidesz again
in second place.
Some 23 per cent thought dictatorship could under certain conditions prove better than democracy.
Six per cent said Hungary's current
situation is so bad that only dictatorship would be the solution.
Forty-four per cent said they were
planning to study abroad, particularly among Budapest students (57
per cent). Almost 20 per cent were
decided to move abroad to work and
another 48 per cent were considering doing so. Fewer than 10 per
cent rejected the idea of moving
abroad for work (see page 1).

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

ISSN 1785-1106

Published by: BZT Media Kft.

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THE BUDAPEST TIMES

The prosecution of a 98-year-old

former police captain for abetting the
murder of some 15,000 Hungarian
Jews has been suspended. Budapest
Municipal Court ruled on Monday that
Lszl Csatry, had already been
sentenced to death in absentia in 1948
by a Czechoslovak court over his
actions as commander of a transit
camp in Kosice, now part of Slovakia.
The Budapest court halted the trial of
Csatry, who was discovered living in
the capital by the UKs The Sun newspaper last year, until the legal enforceability of that sentence is established.
The prosecution service has appealed
against the decision.

Organisers claim march was largest yet but questions are raised over violence and police response

eavy police security ensured that

the annual Budapest Pride
parade passed off peacefully on
Saturday, with several thousand
Organisers put the number of participants
participants marching from Heroes Square
at 8,000 and said the 18th annual march
to Olympia Park on the Danube riverside a
was the largest Budapest Pride event to
record attendance according to the organdate.
isers. However, an alleged attack on three
As in recent years, the unbroken fencing
homeward-bound participants by far-right
that lined the route meant that only those
thugs has prompted a police investigation
who began on Heroes Square were able to
and expressions of concern from civil rights
join the march.
ombudsman Mt Szab.
Among the speakers at a civil picnic in
The small liberal party SZEMA said three
Olympia Park was Austrian Green MEP
of its members were assaulted near Nyugati
Ulrike Lunacek. Domestic politicians from
railway station shortly after the official end of
the opposition Socialist Party, green LMP
the event. According to a statement, some 30
and Dialogue for Hungary were among the
uniformed neo-Nazis beat up their targets
participants.
while shouting Gypsy faggots. SZEMA
Representatives of several embassies
demanded an explanation from police and
took part, with 18 of them having previously
It is shameful that this could happen, just as it is shameful that
the Interior Ministry after it alleged that the
endorsed the event.
three victims were subsequently subject to ID
other European cities can secure an event like yesterdays with
The Christian Democrats, junior partner
checks while the perpetrators were allowed
in the ruling coalition, issued a statement
no more than 50 to 100 police, while in Hungary we need a
to leave the scene.
describing Budapest Pride as a parade of
double cordon and a thousand officers to protect peaceful citiPolice responded on Sunday that the
political opportunists.
zens
from
frenzied,
homophobic,
racist
members
of
the
attackers had already gone when the victims
The party called on participants not to
extreme right with identity disorders.
approached police to complain about the
provoke people, families and communities who
assault. The following day, however, an inveswere not with them. The event actually hinders
Opposition Hungarian Socialist Party member Zsolt Trk
tigation was launched into an attack carried
the acceptance of homosexuality by bringing
after
the
Budapest
Pride
parade.
Three
men
were
allegedly
beaten
out against members of a community by a
sexual orientation out into the open rather than
by
neo-Nazi
thugs
while
returning
from
the
event.
group of unidentified perpetrators.
keeping it where it belongs inside the bedroom
According to a Monday statement on the
walls, the party said.
national police website, the three victims
The extreme-right Jobbik party held a rally
Ombudsman Szab noted on Tuesday that to ensure
were interviewed over the weekend and had backed up the right to free assembly, police have a duty to ensure on rzsbet tr (square), ostensibly celebrating camatheir allegations with medical reports from outpatient
raderie. The party had earlier said it would never have
the safe passage of participants as they disperse, not
clinics. One of the men, media later reported, was the only to secure the event itself. Police had informed him allowed the event to go ahead under a Jobbik governheadmaster of a grammar school.
that the operation to keep an estimated 300 anti-gay ment. In an internal memo obtained by news website
Witnesses, especially those who may have photoprotesters away from the 4,000 participants in the index.hu, the partys Budapest leadership banned
graphic or video evidence, have been asked to come
members who wanted to attend the poofter parade
march had been successful, but that a number of
forward.
in a private capacity from wearing party insignia.
arrests were made elsewhere in the capital.

Stench of corruption just gets worse

Forex loans OK
The banking sector breathed a sigh
of relief on 4 July when the Kria, the
supreme court, ruled in favour of OTP
Bank in a case where a borrower had
challenged the validity of a foreigncurrency mortgage. According to financial newswire Bloomberg, some HUF
3.48 trillion (EUR 11.89 billion) of forex
mortgages are held by Hungarian
households. Prime Minister Viktor
Orbn said the following day that he
believed the loans were faulty and
should not have been marketed even if
customers were made aware of the
risks.
A ruling against OTP when the
contract was challenged on the
grounds that the loan was not really in
foreign currency could have opened
the floodgates to thousands of similar
claims. Low-interest, foreign-currency
mortgages, mainly Swiss franc, were
all the rage in Hungary until the financial crisis hit. Now tens of thousands of
households are saddled with far higher
than expected monthly repayments,
negative equity, and one-in-ten are
already in default.

Biggest yet

NIKLAS JAKOBSSON

orruption in Hungary is on the rise,

watchdog
Transparency
International (TI) states in its latest
Global Corruption Barometer, with 61 per
cent of Hungarians believing that the situation has worsened in the past two years.
The report can be read as heavy criticism by the people of their government:
82 per cent believe that the actions of the
state and government are somewhat or
heavily influenced by a few groups of
beneficiary firms. On a scale of one to five
with five being the most corrupt the
Hungarian government scores a high 3.8,
according to the survey.
TI points out in its suggested guidelines for improvement that the biggest
corruption risk in Hungary originates from
the strong ties between the business
sector and the state. The report also
addresses the current situation regarding

political party finance, asserting that as

long as the financing of parties is corrupt,
parties are overall not interested in taking
action against corruption.
Another telling statistic suggests that
48 per cent of Hungarians believe the
governments fight against corruption is
inefficient. A further 85 per cent believe
that personal relationships have an integral role in solving administrative issues
with public offices, whether state or
municipal.
However, self-regulation through citizens voluntarily reporting acts of corruption is another area that needs improvement. The report shows that 70 per cent
of Hungarians would not report a case of
corruption. The watchdog comments that
this is exceptionally high in European
comparison.
Jzsef Pter Martin, executive director
of Transparency Internationals office in
Hungary, said: According to citizens,
corruption is unfortunately very wide-

spread in Hungary. This is related to the

fact that public trust is alarmingly low and
institutions do not work efficiently.
Everyones effort is needed in order to
make a change in this subject.
The apparent apathy seems to be
linked to this lack of faith in the authorities: 58 per cent of respondents said they
believe that there would be no follow-up
to a report of corruption, and 30 per cent
admitted they would keep quiet for fear of
the possible consequences of speaking
out.
The statistics show a drastic change in
mindset during the current government
administration: in the 2010 barometer 90
per cent of Hungarians claimed they
would report acts of corruption if they
encountered it.
The EU average, according to TI, is
almost the exact opposite of Hungary. In
the EU overall, 71 per cent of citizens said
they would report corruption. Only 29 per
cent said they would not bother to report

Official tries to quell town

fear over refugee centre

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Tel: 356-2440

Hungarian film makes

critics take note
A Hungarian feature film, The Notebook (A nagy fzet)
by director Jnos Szsz, won the Crystal Globe at Karlovy
Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic on
Saturday, the first local production to take the main prize at
the regions premier cinefest.
It is set against the savage backdrop of the Second
World War and based on the debut novel by Hungarian
migr author Agota Kristf, Le Grand Cahier.
The German-French-Hungarian-Austrian co-production
tells the grim story of two boys sent to live with a vicious
grandmother in an unnamed border village.
Kristf left Hungary in 1956 at the age of 21 and settled
in Switzerland, where she later began writing in French.
She died in 2011, and The Notebook became the first
domestic production subsidised by the new Hungarian
Film Fund. Hungarian-born Hollywood mogul Andy Vajna
(Terminator, Rambo) was appointed head of the fund, with
a view to boosting the international appeal of Hungarian
cinema.

Vmosszabadi in northwestern Hungary will host a new

refugee centre from August, Immigration and Citizenship
Office head Zsuzsanna Vgh said on Monday. The first
refugees are expected to arrive in August after renovation
is completed.
The news has led to intense protest, with hundreds of
residents gathering at a town meeting addressed by Vgh.
Roads have been partially blocked twice since the opening
of the new centre on the outskirts of town was announced
in late June.
There will be no criminals at the centre and those
accommodated will pose no public health or safety issues,
Vgh told the residents, adding that the expected 200 were
refugees and their children fleeing war zones.
Vmosszabadis new reception centre is the ninth to
open in Hungary to address an increase in illegal immigrants detained as they crossed into the country and thus
entered the EUs border-free Schengen area.
There are an estimated 4,000 refugees in Hungary, with
illegal migration trends showing a steep rise since last year.
Most arrive from the former Yugoslavia, Africa and the
Middle East.

it: less than half the figure in Hungary.

German respondents professed to be
least tolerant of graft, with 94 per cent
claiming they would speak out.
The Hungarian media gets a boot from
its people as well. Fifty-one per cent of
respondents believe that the national
media is corrupt or extremely corrupt.
Other European countries fair a lot worse:
in the United Kingdom 69 per cent believe
that the media is corrupt while 54 per cent
of Germans have little or no faith in
their publications.
In Transparency Internationals annual
Corruption Perception Index, released
late last year, Hungary ranked 46th
among 176 countries surveyed, with a
score of 55 out of 100. Neighbours
Austria ranked 25th with 69 points. The
EUs newest member state, Croatia,
slotted in at 62nd with 46 points, while
Denmark, Finland and New Zealand
came out jointly on top with a score of 90
out of a maximum 100.

against a Ukrainian businessman last spring and for

allegedly embezzling around EUR 54 million of private and
state funds. According to Hungarian law, after 14 August
he would be freed in the unlikely event that Kyiv does not
apply for extradition.

Rail to safeguard
deadly drop at tunnel
The capitals District I will build a guard rail and refurbish
the ledge above the road tunnel at Clark dm Square to
avoid further accidents, which have claimed many lives
over the years. There has been a deadly fall on almost a
yearly basis and most of these deaths happened by accident, district mayor Gbor Tams Nagy said. There is a
fence but it doesnt stop people who want to get nearer the
edge, then slip, he said. The rail is expected to be
completed this summer.

Hunted Ukrainian caught

in nightclub
Ukrainian authorities have until 14 August if they plan to
seek extradition of former Ukrainian MP Oleksandr
Shepelev, who is from the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko and
the Party of Regions, after his arrest at a Budapest nightclub by Hungarian police and Interpol agents last week.
Shepelev had been sought over an assassination attempt

MTI

Nazi crimes case

suspended

Gay rights versus far right

MTI

Some USD 5.6 million (EUR 4.2

million) will be transferred to the Jewish
Heritage
of
Hungary
Public
Endowment (Mazsk) as part of a restitution deal with a US-based Holocaust
restitution organisation, the government announced on Saturday. The deal
ends a year-long dispute over transparency that had led to a freeze in
payments to survivors living abroad.
An earlier, five-year deal with the
Claims Conference signed in 2007
under which USD 21 million (EUR 16
million) would have been paid to
Holocaust survivors lapsed last year
and has not been extended.
Holocaust survivors of Hungarian
origin living abroad will be able to
receive the compensation to which they
are entitled as soon as possible, PMO
chief of staff Jnos Lzr said.

03

P O L I T I C S /N E W S

Holocaust payout
delay solved

12 July 18 July 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

12 July 18 July 2013

E C O N O M Y /S P O R T

chains are not willing to

Watermelon R etail
enter negotiations with the
Rural Development Ministry
setting a minimum price
ructions leave about
for watermelon and have threatened to leave consultations
sour taste
about possible promotions of the

Save
economy
instead of
saving face
Demjn plugs away at PM
over savings co-op revamp
ATTILA LEITNER

he back and forth between Prime Minister

Viktor Orbn and the head of the National
Savings Cooperatives Association (OTSZ),
Sndor Demjn, continued this week, when the latter
sent another open letter criticising the way the
government is going about the restructuring of the
savings cooperatives system.
There are very few people, outside of any opposition party, who would dare to openly criticise the
cabinets moves, but one of
Hungarys
richest
businessmen can certainly allow
himself
to
do
that.
Nevertheless, Demjn was
quick to note that he agrees
with the principal idea of the
law and the OTSZ will
respect it but cannot
support the way it was
executed.
Sndor Demjn

Not you Mr. Prime Minister, of course

Weve known each other for decades, he wrote. I
know that you work 16 hours a day, even on holidays. I
know from my personal experience that it is impossible
for an executive to read and fully analyse every contract
or legislation. They will formulate strategic goals and
their employees will execute these goals well or poorly.
The Commissioner you appointed did a poor job.
Orbn responded that before the law went to
Parliament months were spent on intensive work and
debating its content. Along with those affected, we
came to the realisation that the system of savings
cooperatives needed significant restructuring and for
the state to play a larger role, he said.

No, it was a done deal: Demjn

This seems to be the only part where the two agree
but Demjn remembers the amount of debate
preceding the law somewhat differently. During our
reconciliation meeting the Commissioner failed to
disclose the fact that the legislative proposal was
already finished, [that] after the consultation the
cabinet will immediately put it on its agenda and
Parliament will pass it that week, he wrote back.

Save country, not face

Demjn said this was nothing like the reconciliatory process had looked like in the past decades. We
would not like to return to the earlier practice, where
a mistake made by an employee will be ignored just
to maintain the prestige of the government and politics in general.

fruit if the issue of end-retail

price is raised, the daily
Npszabadsg has learned
from various industry sources.
The parties did, however, reach
an agreement about retailers
promoting Hungarian water-

melon. Fixing a minimum price

was achieved by a tricky legislative change last year, which
prevented the Competition
Authority starting an investigation on its own if there is suspicion of cartel activity in the rural

segment.
According
to
Npszabadsg, this year chains
declined to participate because
of fears that the EU would
consider this a restriction of
international competition and
issue a significant fine.

Truckers want to slam

brakes on e-tolls

MTI

04

Ericsson joins the

Hungarian club
Thomas Jul (left), head of Swedish mobile
infrastructure maker Ericsson in Central Europe,
and National Economy Minister Mihly Varga
signed a strategic cooperation agreement on
Wednesday. Ericsson, which already employs
1,700 people in Hungary where its secondlargest research and development centre is
located, said more jobs would be created.
Research on cloud expansion and Big Data
services are among the planned developments.

Economic hopes lie

behind cash carrot
for foreign students

new government programme offering some

2,000 scholarships yearly to students from
Central and Eastern Asia will soon be launched,
external economic relations state secretary Pter
Szijjrt said on Monday. Countries targeted include
China, Japan, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Jordan,
Egypt, Lebanon, members of the Commonwealth of
Independent States such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and
Turkmenistan, and the Western Balkans, primarily
Macedonia.
Only the best foreign students selected after meeting
the entry requirements set forth by the (Hungarian) institution would be recruited for programmes in either
Hungarian or English and would receive a monthly
stipend and the cost of their course. Each student would
cost between HUF 1 million (EUR 3,409) and HUF 1.25
million (EUR 4,262), which would be repaid in the long
run by increased cooperation between Hungary and the
sending countries, state secretary for higher education
Istvn Klinghammer claimed.
No date has been set yet for the awarding of the first
scholarships though negotiations with foreign partners
are already under way in the interests of the earliest
possible launch of the programme, according to a statement by the State Secretariat for Higher Education.
The programme may be extended to include Near
Eastern and Latin American countries, the statement
said.

Fewer Hungarians applying

The scholarships will do little to compensate for the
decrease in university applications by home-grown
students following the introduction of tuition fees and the
slashing of scholarships under the Fidesz governments
new higher education policy. Out of 142,600 students
graduating from high school in 2011, 141,000 applied to
postsecondary studies. This year, only 95,000 applied to
Hungarian higher education institutes a two-decade
low.

Making connections
But the new scholarships, helpfully named Stipendium
Hungaricum in a clear effort to use a language universally
accepted in the countries targeted, is openly acknowledged to be a piece in the strategy of economic Opening
to the East launched by the government after 2010.
The foreign students studying in Hungary will represent a significant pool of contacts towards the development of our foreign trade relations, supporting our market
aspirations, the image of Hungary and the internationallevel awareness of Hungarian knowledge and intellect, it
was said.
Alumni of Hungarian institutions were said to include
Ghanas Minister of Foreign Affairs, Venezuelas Minister
of Finance, South Africas Speaker of Parliament and
Algerias Agriculture Minister, Klinghammer said. Of the
four, only Venezuelas Nelson Merentes is actually
recorded as having studied in Hungary (he completed a
PhD in Mathematics at Budapests ELTE University in
1991), though Ghanas Hannah Tetteh was born in
Szeged but left before secondary school, and South
Africas Max Sisulu was the African National Congress
chief representative in Hungary between 1977 and 1981.

Only one per cent of the 300,000 e-road toll users

filed some sort of complaint during the first week of
operation, state secretary Pl Vlner said this week as
three haulage organisations demanded that the
government immediately suspend the system because
it has already caused them HUF 100 million (EUR
341,500) damage.
Trucking associations MKFE, Fuvosz and NIT
Hungary held a press conference on Monday, where it
took them about an hour to list the problems they have
with the new system, which started on 1 July. Somewhat
surprisingly the event was attended by a representative
of the State Motorway Management Company, who
responded that most of the claimed faults are unfounded
and could only be corrected based on the feedback of
truckers, thus shutting it down is not an option.
This statement was followed by a slightly heated
verbal exchange, leaving it unclear whether the
concerns are real or part of a communication offensive
by the disappointed entrepreneurs, who now face lower
profits due to the higher amount they have to pay for
using the roads.
The main worry of the three organisations is that the
system overbills, which they estimate in the neighbourhood of HUF 100 million in the first week alone. While
this is undoubtedly a significant amount, Vlner has
already announced that everyone will be compensated
and only be billed the real amount.
Though it is difficult to see who is telling the truth,
most of the other issues listed by the organisations
seem to be solvable in a reasonable time if the operator
of the system receives the requested feedback. Many of
the errors are the result of the system operating in a
prepaid way. As of today a pre-purchased ticket for a
certain section cannot be re-exchanged if the final
destination changes for whatever reason.
According to Fuvosz, there were certain problems
that they discovered before the introduction of the
system, but the state does not seem to be in a hurry to
fix these. A city mix-up for example Csoma (in the
south) instead of Csorna (in the northwest) was
reported a week before the launch but still remains to
be amended, causing truckers to have to pay nearly
200 kilometres extra for a less than 50 kilometre section
in western Hungary.

SMEs must pull more

weight in exports
The government will prioritise support for small- and
medium-sized companies (SMEs) this year, and plans
to help increase their share of exports from 11 per cent
in 2012, Economy Minister Mihly Varga told a business forum on Monday.
Eleven per cent is not enough, especially in the light
of these firms having a more than 60 per cent share in
employment, Varga said. Support will come in the form
of state and European Union subsidies and promotion
through diplomatic channels.
Our goal with opening to the East was to geographically expand our export markets, but despite opening
trade houses in the capitals of Russia, Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan, trade in this direction declined.
Varga noted that the government has plans to double
exports by 2020 under an optimistic scenario and by 50
per cent in a more cautious projection. 2013 must be a
year of growth, he said.
Based on data from the first half there appears to be a
realistic chance for growth exceeding the slightly
pessimistic projections. The government forecast 0.7 per
cent growth in its latest euro convergence report while the
central bank projected 0.6 per cent.
Addressing the same forum, state secretary for foreign
trade and investment Pter Szijjrto said foreign policy
has changed as a result of the financial crisis. It has
become much more dynamic and a part of domestic politics, he said. Economic endeavours and promotion of
economic interests must be more central to foreign policymaking.
Szijjrto added that after the opening of trading houses
in the Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russian capitals of
Baku, Astana and Moscow, Hungary will open such facilities in the Saudi Arabian and Chinese capitals of Riyadh
and Beijing in the second half of 2013.
Later plans are to open trading houses in countries of
the Maghreb Union a trade agreement of Northern
African nations and in South America.

Prisons a growth industry

The prisons in northeastern Hungary are 5,600
inmates, or 200 per cent, over capacity, well above the
national average, Interior Ministry undersecretary for
economic and IT affairs Lszl Tth announced at
Debrecen prison on Wednesday.
Tth announced that the four prisons in question will
be expanded within the next three years and a new,
1,000-capacity prison will be built to accommodate the
growing number of inmates. The government introduced a so-called three strikes law as part of its
tough-on-crime policy.

Champions Bayern
Munich in Gyr
UEFA Champions League 2013
winner Bayern Munich will play
Hungarian champion ETO in a gala
match organised for the 20th birthday
of the Hungarian affiliate of German car
maker Audi. The match will be in Gyr
on 11 August at 5pm. Ticket prices will
be announced later with all proceeds to
go toward the development of youth
football and other social projects.

Ad campaign goes
to the hilt
With less than a month to go until the
World Fencing Championships, the
Hungarian Fencing Federation is about
to launch a somewhat unusual media
campaign, featuring athletes in film
roles where a foil or sabre plays a

ron Szilgyi as Captain Jack Sparrow.

significant part. The championships will
take place in Syma Event Centre from
5 to 12 August with about 700 fencers
from 89 countries. Tickets start at EUR
4 for the qualification rounds and cost
EUR 12 for the days of the finals. A
pass for all eight days is EUR 78.

Ball in your court:

state aid for sports
Prime Minister Viktor Orbn and the
leaders of 16 sport associations signed
an agreement in Parliament on
Wednesday that will provide the sports
with HUF 12.5 billion (EUR 42.51
million) in government funding this year
and HUF 135 billion (EUR 459.25
million) during 2014-2020. The goal of
this agreement is to ensure that
successful athletes need not work
abroad, Orbn said. A significant pay
rise would be given to those trainers
who mentor athletes who achieve
outstanding results, he said. Hungary
is in a position to utilise its economic
resources to spend on sports and
recruitment even in crisis because the
future of Hungary is in the hands of our
children, and when children are
involved nothing is too expensive,
Orbn added. The subsidies do not
include the five major sports football,
basketball, handball, ice hockey and
water polo because these have
access to money originating from the
TAO tax. This allows businesses to
pledge a percentage of tax for youth
development programmes in clubs in
these major sports.

Medieval madness
at Visegrd now
The medieval royal town of
Visegrd travels back in time this
weekend as the Visegrd Palace
Games open this Friday, promising
visitors a programme of fourteenthcentury entertainment.
The three-day festival will be set in
1335, the era of the meeting between
Casimir III of Poland, Charles I of
Hungary and John of Luxemburg,
King of Bohemia. Characters will be
dressed in period costume, and visitors can enjoy everything from
jousting knights (viewing, not doing) to
medieval court games.
Warrior groups will arrive from
several European countries for the
festival including Slovakia, Italy and
Poland, organisers told state news
agency MTI. The festival dates back to
1985 and has traditionally been held
on the second weekend of July.

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

12 July 18 July 2013

Online job mart

regains ground
The HUF 2.8 billion (EUR 9.54
million) online job market could
expand by 10 to 15 per cent this year,
industry researcher eNET said this
week. While the ratio of professionals
trying to find a job online is increasing
annually, a significant growth this year
is mainly due to the low base caused
by the financial crisis: the number of
listings on job portals is only about 40
per cent of the level measured in
2008.

You live not only near your workplace but also in the centre
of an exciting district of Budapest. Do you take advantage
of that?

What do you see as the reason for that positive development?

Which restaurants or bars would you personally recommend to guests?

How was the first half of this year for your hotel?

Heineken tries out

a new top

One reason is the further strengthening of our profile in the

private customer field, which was necessary for reasons
including the Malv bankruptcy. In tandem with that, the
corporate customer field also picked up. In addition, the
high water level of the Danube and the resulting interruption of traffic on the river led to increased demand for
accommodation in the premium hotel segment. We benefitted from our very good cooperation with the cruise
companies. In general, however, all hotels are helped by
the fact that Budapest is an incredibly attractive city where
the value for money is unbeatable in the whole of Europe.

The Hungarian branch of Dutch

brewer Heineken has appointed 38year-old Joris Huijsmans as its new
CEO from July. Heineken Hungria
was previously run by Dele Ajayi.

What about the current image of Hungary abroad?

MTI

Unfortunately thats still a topic. I was recently on business

trips in Germany, England and Switzerland. The current
image of Hungary came up in all the talks. It doesnt make
it easier to market Hungary. Without wishing to sugarcoat
anything, I repeatedly have to make clear that a lot of what
is written in the Western media about Hungary doesnt
entirely match the reality. However, there are also misconceptions in other respects, for example with regard to
purchasing power. The large hotels in the premium
segment here have average rates of 100 to 120 euros per
night and then, unlike in London or Paris, thats the end.
What do you think is the reason for the fact that the number
of bookings in the corporate sector is gradually recovering?
A lot of airlines are rediscovering Budapest. Those who are
really benefitting tend to be the hotels in lower categories,
rather than the five-star hotels, but of course some of it gets
through to us as well. The general business climate has
improved somewhat here. Overall our good figures are,
however, also an indication that we have simply worked
hard.
What distinguishes your hotel from its competitors?
Were certainly the hotel in our segment with the longest
history, dating back to 1896. Thats one reason why a lot of
customers choose us. Were a grand hotel with history but
absolutely competitive and with a modern interior design.
That combination is highly valued. We even offer tours of
our hotel, both to guests of our hotel and external guests.
We have a small hotel museum which we put together this
year to mark the tenth anniversary of our reopening.
Another great advantage of our hotel is our complexity.
How do you mean?
Were the most complete hotel on the market: theres no
comparable hotel that offers so many different rooms and
other options. Our wide range of conference and meeting
rooms sets standards, not to mention what is probably the
citys most beautiful ballroom. Such high ballrooms ours
has a height of eleven metres are rare throughout
Europe. Another highlight is our beautiful indoor swimming
pool in the spa area, which dates back to 1886. In other
words, its even older than the hotel itself. Its size also
makes us stand out in our segment. We offer our guests six
different dining possibilities under one roof. Thats unique
as well.
Presumably all that more than makes up for the lack of a
Danube view.
Yes, definitely. And indeed it can even be debated whether
the Danube represents the city centre, or rather Andrssy
t. Theres no other five-star hotel thats so close to
Andrssy t, and in particular to cultural institutions such as
the Hungarian State Opera House and the Budapest
Operetta and Musical Theatre. The Liszt Ferenc Music
Academy, which will reopen in October, is so close to our
hotel that theoretically you can drink a glass of champagne
at our hotel in the concert interval. Just a few minutes walk
from us is also the Jewish quarter with its famous ruin pubs
and one of Europes largest synagogues. Of course it isnt

the case that we simply fall back on all those advantages.

Were constantly engaged in developing our hotel and
improving what we offer.

First of all, those in the hotel itself. Working their way

through the menus there would keep guests busy for
quite some time. (laughs)

What are your plans in the near future?

And then?

We want to develop our dining offering further and develop

our events field, which functions well even now, especially
in terms of technology, for example by offering modern
solutions using smartphones and tablet computers. We
plan to make greater use of such solutions in general. The
Apple stores and airports are my models for that. There are
a lot of solutions there that could be adopted by us in the
hotel industry, for example when it comes to checking in or
conferences. I dont see any reason why it shouldnt be
possible to use a smartphone or a QSR code stored on it
as a room key, along the lines of the solutions used at
airports. I believe theres still a lot of potential for development there and further opportunities to distinguish
ourselves from our competitors. I dont want to have a hotel
thats just like all the others. We have to think ahead. That
includes looking out for successful solutions in other fields
and implementing them here, as well as a certain openness and eagerness to experiment in general.

Then I would perhaps first recommend the restaurant

scene on Liszt Ferenc tr, where there are around 20 bars
and restaurants in one spot, grouped around a small park.
It feels almost like a large inner courtyard. The whole lower
section of Kirly utca is very good. I would definitely recommend a visit to one of the ruin pubs, in particular the
perhaps most prominent representative, Szimpla. I havent
seen such decor anywhere other than in Budapest. The
large market that takes place every Sunday in the Jewish
quarter is also an experience.

Do you have sufficient freedom here to do things your own

way?
Of course we have group guidelines that we have to follow
but were a family-run company with nine hotels, and
considerably quicker and more flexible in many respects
than a mega enterprise with several thousand hotels. Our
tenth hotel, in Taormina in Sicily, will join the group next
year, by the way. Were also working on further projects in
European metropolises, as well as in New York, Africa and
Rio. Another key difference is that all our hotels are owned
by us. In other words, we arent a pure management
company like almost all other large hotel chains. Our capital
is invested in our hotels. Of course that also has an effect
on our everyday business. The general managers are
expected to run their hotel like their own company. Anyone
without an entrepreneurial spirit who simply waits for
instructions from the head office would be out of place.
Thats quite unlike many large chains and requires a
certain managerial type. Of course we also have corporate
guidelines but also a great deal of freedom. Good communication between the managers of our nine hotels is very
important. That makes it possible for good solutions to be
adopted quickly by other hotels. Such experimentation and
development is what makes my work so attractive.
When it comes to experimenting, does having such a
historic hotel pose difficulties?
On the contrary: we see our great past as a commitment for
the present and the future. Our hotel set standards in the
premium segment in Budapest over a hundred years ago
and that should remain the case. Its a question of carefully
retaining the achievements of the past, while also satisfying
the demands of the 21st century, i.e. combining tradition
and modernity. Of course we need to know what direction
we want to head in but we also shouldnt forget our history.
When did you begin work as general manager here?
A year and a half ago. The time has passed incredibly
quickly and I dont have a fixed-term contract. As long as
our owners are satisfied with what were doing here, I dont
see any reason to turn my back on Budapest. My predecessor was here for six years. I can envisage a similar timeframe.
Some managers would already gradually be thinking about
packing their bags again.
To my mind that doesnt make any sense. I dont regard
stays of shorter than four to five years as very meaningful. Luckily my approach is in line with our very longterm company philosophy.

What would you recommend on the cultural front?

Definitely the Hungarian State Opera House and the
Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre. Its also certainly
worth visiting the Madch Theatre, which, like us, is situated directly on the Nagykrt (large ring road), just a few
minutes on foot towards Blaha Lujza tr. Its an excellent
theatre for musicals. I lived for three years in London and
saw a lot of shows in the West End but the quality is better
here. The productions are absolutely world-class. The
stage sets alone are unbelievable. I hadnt expected that,
especially as the Madch Theatre is not particularly spectacular from outside. I really take my hat off to them.
You give the impression that you regularly find time in the
evenings to visit all these places.
Far less than I would like to but enough to be able to form
an opinion.
My next question concerns our own affairs. You have
offered our editorial office generous rental conditions.Why?
What is your reason for doing so?
Like The Budapest Times and Budapester Zeitung we are
a strong brand with a very interesting and exclusive clientele. There are large overlaps between our target groups. I
hope the fact that the two newspapers now have their editorial office here at our hotel will have both direct and indirect
positive effects for our business. I also assume that in terms
of publicity its certainly not a disadvantage that these two
valued newspapers of the expat community are situated
here. Im thinking here of reporting about hotel events in
particular. Or how do you see it?
Theres a phrase out of sight, out of mind. I think the
opposite is also the case, so I would say your assumption
is correct.
However, theres also more to our hospitality. Its not easy
for media companies today despite their importance. Im
aware that The Budapest Times and Budapester Zeitung
are hardly rolling in money and that their survival depends
greatly on the solidarity of the German-speaking and
English-speaking communities. I find it very important that
both newspapers continue to exist as integral parts of
Budapests foreign-language infrastructure, as well as the
Hungarian press landscape, so I was happy to contribute to
that with the help of my hotel. If the community wants to
continue to have its own newspapers, its exponents need
to contribute within their means. Incidentally, taking responsibility for our host country and its institutions is part of our
business philosophy. For that reason we also support, for
example, the work of the Csodalmpa (magic lamp) foundation, which helps seriously ill children. To me and the
Corinthia Group, sustainable management means looking
beyond our own nose and engaging in other socially important areas too.
Jan Mainka

DISCUSSION

We cant complain. We recorded a growth in turnover of

seven to eight per cent compared to the same period of last
year. We were also able to improve our occupancy rate and
our average revenue per overnight stay.

Yes, certainly, whether were talking about the doner kebab

stand just around the corner, the local Starbucks or one of
the many fine-dining restaurants within walking distance of
a few minutes, such as Fausto. The multitude of gastronomic and cultural possibilities here is impressive, and its
continuing to develop. More and more sections of streets
are becoming traffic-calmed areas and new venues keep
springing up. The whole of this quarter is excellent. Its fun
going out in the evening here.

IN

Annual inflation in Hungary

reached 1.9 per cent in June, up from
1.8 per cent in May, the Central
Statistics Office (KSH) announced on
Tuesday. In a month-on-month
comparison, consumer prices saw a
0.2 per cent increase compared to a
0.1 per cent drop in May.

The Szentgotthrd factory of

German car maker Opel will undergo
a EUR 60 million expansion, state
secretary for foreign trade and investment Pter Szijjrt (right) and CEO
of the plant Tams Solt told a press
conference at Parliament on Tuesday.
The enlarged plant in the
countrys westernmost city will
expand annual capacity by 70,000
engines to 650,000, among them the
newly introduced 1.8-litre powertrain. The investment is expected to
create 100 jobs.
This is the second phase of the
investment we announced in 2010,
which is a clear proof of our
companys strategic role in the
Hungarian economy, Solt said,
stressing that Opels developments
are always supported by the government.
Szijjrt drew parallels between the
government and Opels strategy that
considers expansion in the Far
Eastern market to counterbalance the
European recession. He noted that
the cooperation between Opel and its
Hungarian small- and medium-sized
suppliers is exemplary.
Opel doubled the earlier sum and
now buys in at a value of 130 million
euros, Szjjrt said. The goal of
the governments new economic
policy was to make Hungary one of
the production centres of the EU and
this investment is another part of
that.
The sum of foreign direct investment totalled EUR 78.5 billion at the
end of 2012, equalling 80 per cent of
the Hungarian GDP, in which the
automotive industry and affiliated
industries played a significant role.

Thats not strictly true. I dont live here in the hotel thats
a key point. We also have 26 residences in a separate
building that we manage. Thats where Im living at the
moment. The two buildings are connected but essentially I
go home in the evening from work like anyone else.
Probably I wont continue living there forever. I dont intend
to carry on living there throughout my time at the hotel like
my predecessors, but for the start its naturally perfect. Im
relieved of having to take care of a lot of things myself that
I would have to if I had, say, a house in Buda. And of course
that begins with the complicated search for a suitable
home...

homas M. Fischer has been in charge of the

Corinthia Hotel Budapest for the last year and
a half. The Budapest landmark celebrates the
tenth anniversary of its reopening this year but
is actually 127 years old. We spoke to him
about the market position of the hotel and its prospects, as
well as his reasons for offering generous terms to the
hotels latest tenant, the editorial office of The Budapest
Times and Budapester Zeitung.

Inflation creeps up
to 1.9% in June

100 jobs seen in

Opel expansion

You even go so far as to live in the hotel itself.

Thomas M. Fischer,
general manager of
Corinthia Hotel
Budapest

T OP M A N A G E R

Tradition and modernity

05

06

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

12 July 18 July 2013

AVIATION

Head in the clouds

Slyom Airways battling strong headwinds

he latest attempt to create a substitute

Hungarian airline to replace bankrupted national carrier Malv has a
number of plans to target the non-budget traveller segment, such as hiring hundreds of
workers before the end of the year, aiming to
transport eight million passengers with a EUR
4 billion, 50-plane fleet by 2017 ambitious
considering that Malv had a EUR 3 million
fleet before it collapsed and intending to
launch as soon as next month.
The plans of Slyom (Falcon) Airways
which would use the Hungarian national
colours sound impressive, but a closer look
reveals that the idea right now is only slightly
closer to reality than what a college freshman
would draft for a first business proposal assignment. Putting aside the fact that most of the
employees of the company are reportedly
working for free at present, the company does
not seem to have actual money to fuel a plane,
let alone lease one.
Slyom has plans to involve only MidEastern businessmen to fund its operation.
This will be necessary because the National
Development Ministry has already confirmed
that it will not receive any funding from the
state, and about one month before the
suggested launch nobody has contacted
Budapest Airport or the National Aviation
Agency to acquire the necessary permits for a
new airline.
Budapest Airport CEO Jost Lammers told
The Budapest Times: Of course we welcome
every initiative that helps to increase the air
traffic but right now it is too early to say
anything about it. The time schedule sounds
very ambitious, but in any case we will give
them full support as the effort proceeds.
A ruinous headquarters such as Slyom
Airways has can still be perfect to run a

company, but industry experts have quickly

pointed out that the business model the airline
plans to use is pretty much what drove Malv to
bankruptcy. According to an unnamed source
of the weekly HVG, the only competitive airline
in the premium segment is Lufthansa, with the
rest of the field competing with low-cost
carriers, so Slyom plans to expand in an area
where everybody else is cutting costs.
Also, the reports so far suggest that Slyom
would fly BAE146 planes and these airliners
are being phased out by the three remaining
companies using them, mainly because of age
but also due to high fuel consumption.
Attila Leitner

Szpvlgyi Tennis Centre

Whether in rain or shine at our centre you can play in dry conditions throughout the year

Minsk, Belarus, to be just

a flight away
Belarusian Airline Belavia will launch a yeararound flight on 19 September linking the capital
cities of Minsk in Belarus, Belgrade in Serbia and
Budapest. The twice-weekly schedule will be flown
predominantly on Bombardier CRJ-100/200 aircraft
on Mondays and Thursdays and will follow the MinskBudapest-Belgrade-Budapest-Minsk route. It will be
the first time that the Hungarian and Belarusian capitals have been connected. This latest flight follows
the announcement of Bulgaria Airs Budapest to
Sofia route and further demonstrates our airports
strength as a Central European hub, Kam Jandu,
aviation director of Budapest Airport, said. We anticipate that this unique schedule will be attractive to
both the business and tourism sectors.

High-quality clay courts in a beautiful environment.

(On rainy days you can make use of our hall with
artificial courts). Qualified trainers are on hand to give
lessons to children and adults.

1033 Budapest, Virg Benedek u. 39-41, Telefon: 388-1591 www.szepvolgyi.hu tenisz@szepvolgyi.hu

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THE BUDAPEST TIMES

12 July 18 July 2013

44% wish to
renegotiate credit

The number of new cars reexported from Hungary is on the

decline because the price difference
between Western Europe and Hungary
is dropping, Gbor Gablini, the president of the Association of Automobile
Dealers (GMOSZ), told business
daily Napi Gazdasg on Tuesday. Reexporting involves cars manufactured
abroad and sold to Hungary being
immediately exported from the country.
GMOSZ estimates that such sales
made up 15 to 20 per cent of the
market last year, significantly distorting
figures for the industry.

UPC pondering
appeal after fine
The
National
Media
and
Communications Authority (NMHH)
fined cable and internet provider UPC
HUF 60 million (EUR 204,800) this
week because the company unilaterally
tried to modify the contracts of some
800,000 subscribers last November.
UPC is considering appealing on the
grounds the modification was only a
simplification of the contract and did not
affect the packages offered.

Sun setting on
500 Sanyo jobs
The Japanese-owned solar panel
factory of Sanyo will dismiss all of its
remaining 500 workers by September
because the company will be liquidated by early 2014, the firm
announced this week. A statement
said production will be moved to Japan
and Malaysia because European
demand dropped significantly after
various subsidies offered for the
production of household solar energy
were cancelled. Laid-off employees
would receive all statutory compensation, Sanyo said. Other benefits would
be agreed upon in negotiations with
unions, set to begin next week.

Mobile wallet
under trial
Two thousand people will take part
in the six-month testing of mobile
wallet system mobiltrca, which
allows participants to use their mobile
phones to pay at cashiers and
machines equipped with a PayPass
bank terminal. The nationwide launch
will depend on what kind of issues the
pilot programme reveals but it will
likely happen within two months of the
trial runs conclusion. In the future the
mobile wallet will likely replace plastic
cards altogether, but currently only
two-thirds of all mobiles sold are
smartphones and only 15 to 20 per
cent of these are capable of the NFC
(near field communication) data transmission.

What further improvements would

you like to see?
Ive already mentioned that this
programme is largely aimed at eliminating exchange rate risks and
lower cost refinancing of investments that have already been made
and financed, or at least that is how
our customers have largely used this
support. It would also be good to see
a measure aimed chiefly at new
investments. However, that would
require the programme to have a
longer term. At present it is too short
for many companies, in particular
with regard to new investments.

Lets start with the positive things by

talking about the funding for growth
programme. Could you please
explain the essence of this
programme to our readers?
In simplified terms, the National
Bank of Hungary supplies the participating commercial banks with forint
refinancing at a zero rate. These
banks then assume the obligation of
passing on the refinancing funds to
their corporate customers at a
maximum interest rate of 2.5 per
cent. The aim of the central bank is
to revive corporate financing in
Hungary.

How great is interest among your

customers?
The interest was and is enormous.
We can hardly keep up with all the
inquiries. We arent having any difficulties placing the funding on the
market, i.e. with our customers.
Were pleasantly surprised by the
great interest.

Are there international models for

this?
It looks as though it was at least
partly guided by a former measure
taken by the Bank of England,
namely its funding for lending
scheme.

What is the mood like among your

customers in general?

Who is the programme aimed at?

Of course they have varying views.
The majority of our customers,
however, are in the fortunate position
that they are looking ahead and
acting accordingly. Oberbank takes
the same approach.

At small- and medium-sized enterprises. According to the EU definition

these are companies that do not
exceed
certain
limits: 250
employees, turnover of EUR 50
million and balance sheet total of
EUR 43 million.
At an event of the German Business
Club (DWC) attended by central
bank governor Gyrgy Matolcsy, you described his
funding for growth programme as a great move that can
advance the economy. Why do you take that view? What
potential do you think the programme has in terms of
promoting investments and creating jobs? What real
effects could it have on economic growth?
First, this programme enables companies to finance
themselves on a forint basis at low cost. Weve observed
that companies have largely restructured their existing
loan financing, rather than using the additional financial
leeway to make new investments. Thats related to the
short deadlines for making use of the programme. The
loan agreements need to be concluded by the end of this
August at the latest. In other words, for the most part
existing financing has been converted to forint financing,
at a record low interest rate of a maximum 2.5 per cent.
That eliminates exchange rate risks for companies and
makes investments more predictable. Second, projects
and investments become more profitable as a result of
lower interest costs. In addition, the programme gets the
corporate credit market in Hungary moving. Some large
banks were evidently very reserved in terms of issuing
loans in recent years. For a company with a forwardlooking strategy its important, however, to have a reliable and strong banking partner by its side that proactively supports its projects and investments with
financing. That in turn benefits the whole Hungarian
economy and the labour market. However, its difficult to
predict what specific impact that will have on economic
growth. Thats why I dont want to get involved in such
speculation
At the same DWC event in mid-May you announced that
you would participate keenly in the programme. What has
come of that?
Following an intensive appraisal phase were participating
in a substantive way in the programme. Luckily the refinancing that Oberbank Hungary applied for from the
National Bank of Hungary was granted in full.
Why did you decide to get so involved? What do you hope
to achieve with your participation?
Its very simple. First, its a question of strengthening and
promoting companies in Hungary. As a bank we should be
open to such a measure. Supporting companies is ultimately our most important task. Since were convinced that
the programme is a good thing, we dont want to deprive
our existing customers of this possibility. Weve also been
contacted by numerous potential new customers in
connection with this programme.

What changes has the introduction

and recent increase in the financial
transaction tax led to at your bank?

First, this programme enables companies to finance themselves on a forint

basis at low cost. Weve observed that
companies have largely restructured
their existing loan financing, rather
than using the additional financial
leeway to make new investments.
Thats related to the short deadlines for
making use of the programme. The
loan agreements need to be concluded
by the end of this August at the latest.
In other words, for the most part
existing financing has been converted
to forint financing, at a record low
interest rate of a maximum 2.5 per
cent. That eliminates exchange rate
risks for companies and makes investments more predictable. Second,
projects and investments become
more profitable as a result of lower
interest costs.
Peter Szenkurk, Oberbank AG

The tax has kept us very busy internally. There were countless internal meetings, as well as with customers. There
was also a great deal of correspondence with customers.
We had to respond repeatedly to complaints and give additional explanations with regard to account statements. The
new tax also gave us a lot of extra work in the IT field, especially because of the large number of things that needed to
be reprogrammed. But what can we do? Laws have to be
complied with.
Whats your view of the base rate policy of the central
bank?
I dont wish to comment on that. I know that bank representatives occasionally do so. However, there are other
experts, in particular macro economists, who can do so
better and earn money in that way.
How is the Oberbank Group faring overall?
Oberbank is present in Hungary, Austria, Germany, the
Czech Republic and Slovakia with a total of 150 branches.
We were able to increase our profits before tax by five per
cent to EUR 132.4 million in the 2012 business year,
following an excellent previous years result too. In particular, a multi-year comparison clearly shows that the
Oberbank Group has developed considerably better than
the banking market as a whole. We havent recorded any
fall in earnings in the past years. Since 2006, i.e. even
before the beginning of the financial crisis, banking crisis
and sovereign debt crisis, weve been able to increase our
earnings before taxes by a total of 60 per cent, while the
banking market as a whole has recorded a significant
decrease. In Hungary our business has constantly developed in a positive direction since our market entry in 2007
and weve been able to increase our loan and deposit
volumes in particular, as well as our yields.
What strategy does Oberbank pursue?

Was it difficult to obtain the refinancing funds that you

wanted? How large was the demand?
As far as I know the planned refinancing funds were oversubscribed several fold. That alone speaks for the success
of this measure and, as a result, for central bank governor
Dr. Matolcsy. Despite the enormous excess demand,
Oberbank was lucky: it was granted the quota that it
applied for.
Have all the terms and conditions for granting the loans
been clarified or are there still question marks? Are there
still certain uncertainties concerning the issue of the loans?

Oberbank chiefly focuses on corporate banking for SMEs.

Our core competence is in that segment. Based on our
excellent earning position, we are also very well set up with
own funds and core capital. With an own funds rate of
16.81 per cent at present, we meet the stringent requirements of Basel III even now and thus dont need to restrict
our lending, unlike some large banks that have already had
to. Our business model is based on traditional banking,
sustainable economic activity and long-term customer relationships. That makes us a predictable, stable financial
partner offering maximum reliability to our customers.
Jan Mainka

DISCUSSION

Car price catch-up

hits re-exports

There were intensive talks between

representatives of the National Bank
of Hungary and the banks. An effective programme was worked out in a
relatively short time. Were already
fully engaged in implementation of
the programme with our participating
customers. After several meetings
with the central bank and general
clarification by the central bank,
there are currently no significant
uncertainties concerning this credit
programme.

eing a banker in
Hungary involves great
challenges and being
exposed to almost
constant stress tests by
the government since it won power
in 2010. There are, however, occasional bright spots for the industry,
one of which is the funding for
growth programme of the National
Bank of Hungary (MNB), which has
been running since June. We spoke
to Peter Szenkurk, head of the
Hungarian subsidiary of Oberbank
AG, about the programme, as well
as other matters concerning banking
in Hungary.

IN

Forty-four per cent of Hungarian

companies in a global Ernst and Young
survey indicated that they would like to
renegotiate their loans, the advisor said
on Tuesday. While Hungarians are not
alone in this desire, the rate is much
higher than the 29 per cent global
average. The survey polled 1,600
companies in 50 countries.
What more than half of the
Hungarian companies surveyed want is
to renegotiate their loans in order to
extend their maturity, while 18 per cent
seek lower interest rates.
There was a hopeful sign for growth
of the economy; 32 per cent of
Hungarians polled said they wanted to
increase their stock of credit. (See also
the interview on the right which extensively covers the central banks funding
for growth programme which aims to
get cheap credit into the hands of
SMEs by the end of August.)

Peter Szenkurk, head of the Hungarian subsidiary of Oberbank AG

T OP M A N A G E R

Funding for growth is great success

07

08

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

12 July 18 July 2013

BOOKS

Rich symbolism rises from the gloom

Review: Satantango, by Lszl Krasznahorkai
BNDICTE WILLIAMS

order and with minutely recording his

surroundings; the two Horgos girls whoring in
the old mill; and Esti, their defenceless, simpleminded younger sister whose suicide before
Irimis and Petrinas arrival is a smaller scale
pre-run of the other inhabitants figurative
collective death at the end of the book.

n a small, derelict settlement on an

abandoned estate, a few lost souls wake
up to a day that could be as devoid of
hope as any of the others preceding. In
what was once the home of a thriving
industry, now nothing but a set of dilapidated
and deserted buildings surrounded by a
seasonally unpassable sea of mud, where the
gaze runs from the topmost beams of a derelict
farmhouse from which the roof tiles had been
stripped to the green mildew that covered
the cracks and peeling walls in Mrs Schmidts
house, everything shows defeat and resignation
on the inhabitants part.
Yet the day, which gets off to an early start on
the prompting of the unusual sound of bells in
this church-forsaken area, ends up bringing
momentous changes as it is announced
Kelemen, the driver, has seen Irimis and
Petrina. That the two, long thought dead,
should reappear and be rumoured to be
heading back to the settlement, cannot leave
the community indifferent.

A village enthralled by a false prophet

While some on the estate are sceptical, others
such as Futaki the cripple already start dreaming
of a new, brighter future: Irimis () is a great
magician. He could turn a pile of cow shit into a
mansion if he wanted to. He is the only man
capable of holding together things that just fall
apart when were in charge, Futaki says.
Yet, at times prophetic and at others scathing,
admired and reviled in equal measure, patron-

On screen too

ising in public but dismissive in private, Irimis,

the Lord of Misrule, wreaks havoc with the
settlements inhabitants.
Himself a despised informer for unspecified
powers in town, he recruits most of the longsuffering lot for the same cause, after having
led them to believe in a new model economy
established by him, an empty, hopeless scheme
for which they sacrifice crumbling homes and
hard-earned cash.
Only a few remain behind - the doctor, an
overweight plinka-drunkard obsessed with

When referring to Satantango, Lszl

Krasznahorkais first book (originally published
in Hungarian in 1985), it is usually de rigueur to
mention the similarly named 1994 film, to
which the epithet epic is often attached for its
duration (over seven hours) and for film
director and long-term Krasznahorkai associate
Bla Tarrs relentless, black-and-white filming
of the hopeless gloom and flaws of humanity in
general and certain aspects of Hungarian
society in particular.
At 275 pages of dense prose, the book may
seem to be less epic but it is certainly rain-soakingly bleak. Krasznahorkai, in fact, excels at
depicting the slow inner decomposition of
human communities where death meant
getting used to, first the soup, then to the meat
dishes, then, finally, to go on consuming the
very walls, chewing long laborious mouthfuls
before swallowing.
This, he has said in interviews, should not be
taken as showing too literally any particular
aspect of life in a village under Hungarys brand
of communism (though Krasznahorkais onetime job as a night guard on a dairy farm in
eastern Hungary in his early years certainly
contributed some local colour).

It is, rather, an early expression of

Krasznahorkais disillusion with humanity and
human nature, a theme also pervading some of
his later output, among which War and War and
The Melancholy of Resistance are also translated
into English (more recent works such as Seiobo
There Below, a collection of reflections on art
and metaphysics, also recently released in
English, show a less gloomy and more peripatetic side to his writing).
Satantango abounds in symbolism, from the
dance-like chapter numberings to the biblical
references and surprisingly circular construction. What the characters stand for, whether
Krasznahorkai aimed for them to stand for
anything, and how Satantango should be interpreted, remains up to each to decide - it is too
rich to be pinned down so easily.
There is, at the same time, nothing too
hermetic about the natural and flowing prose
dressed in long sentences beautifully rendered
in English by George Szirtes. Deemed to be
Krasznahorkais most easily accessible work,
Satantango is an intricate, intriguing and
thought-provoking novel by one of Hungarys
leading contemporary authors.

Buy the book

Satantango
By Lszl Krasznahorkai
Translated by George Szirtes
Tuskar Rock/Atlantic Books, 2012
Hardback, GBP 12.99

Giving voice to foreign literature

orn in Budapest in
1948 but a resident of
the United Kingdom
since 1956, George
Szirtes is not only an
English-language poet but also one of
a number of translators working from
Hungarian to English. Alongside
works by Hungarian novelists and
poets
Imre
Madch,
Dezs
Kosztolnyi, Gyula Krdy and Sndor
Mrai, he has translated three novels
by Lszl Krasznahorkai, the latest of
which, Satantango, was published last
year in the US by New Directions and
in the UK by Atlantic Books. The
Budapest Times spoke to Szirtes about
translation and about the place of
Hungarian literature in the world.
You describe Krasznahorkais prose as
being a lava flow of narrative, a black
river of type. To what extent have you
had to devise new, creative ways of transposing Krasznahorkais linguistic devices
into English?
The new way Ive discovered is by
doing one paragraph and then
taking a long rest. Of course everything has to be completely rewritten
because the order of language in
Hungarian is different from the order
of the language in English. I think

when translating somebody you

learn, for Krasznahorkai particularly,
how to handle the voice you hear and
then to try to make a voice.
In English Krasznahorkai may be
slightly funnier; the humour button
goes up a bit. The whole style, a very
long style, is not a style which is
normally used in fiction. Its like
building a castle: you keep adding and
adding, and theres tension there but
also theres always a point at which it
will fall down. So theres a kind of
murderous laughter associated with it.
Its also because the long sentences
and the long developments sometimes cover very minor incidents.
The example I always give is from The
Melancholy of Resistance, where the
professor of music is being advised by
Valuska, one of the heroes of the
book, that theres going to be a riot in
the town and he should board up his
windows. This man has never done a
days physical work in his life. At the
beginning of this section of the book
hes standing in front of the window,
thinking about the hammer, where to
hold it, where to put his fingers, what
to concentrate on when moving the
hammer. It goes on for a page and a
half. Its funny. Its funny in
Hungarian too but in English the
prose expectations are less teutonic.

There is already a predisposition to

find whatever happens as potentially
funny. The humour of Krasznahorkai,
which is black humour, is slightly
intensified in English.
So you hear this possibility of
language, and it helps, because you
can then begin to think about how to
reconstruct the sentences, you have to
find some constructions that work in
English and which create a kind of
slow build-up. And then of course you
listen to your own voice because youre
writing in English, not in Hungarian.

Krasznahorkai very soon, szakrl

hegy, Dlrl t, Nyugatrl utak, Keletrl
foly [To the north by a mountain, to
the south by a lake, to the west by
roads, to the east by a river]. Some of
those are short chapters but everything is a single sentence. I think I
know what Im dealing with and what
Im listening to, I dont have to try to
understand the whole message from
the start. So it has become easier.
Earlier I did about four Sndor Mrai
novels and, again, you learn how this
voice seems to behave.

This is not the first Krasznahorkai work

you have translated, so how much did you
benefit from that?

You received very recently the Best

Translated Book Award for Satantango.
What do you think appealed to the jury in
the book and in this translation?

You get used to it. I translated first The

Melancholy of Resistance, then War and
War, which was the most difficult,
because every chapter is a single
sentence. Some of the chapters are
eight or nine pages long, so thats a
very long sentence. That took me ages,
and of course there are no paragraphs,
so just visually you can get lost.
Did his style become more complex after
Satantango, his first book?
Yes, it becomes a literary creation. Im
going to be starting another

I think it appealed particularly to

Americans because theres something
quite mega and apocalyptic about
Krasznahorkais vision. Its very
sweeping, which appealed very much
to the American imagination. The
book was also longlisted for an English
book prize, the Independent Foreign
Fiction Prize, which was not just for
the translation but for the whole book,
but didnt make the shortlist. I think
the English preference is on the whole
for the intimate, the smaller scale,
which is less of an advantage for

Krasznahorkai. In America theres a

tradition of great universalist works, of
the great American novel. This kind of
vision in which everything is
subsumed under some kind of apocalyptic omen appeals more to the
American imagination. Thats my
theory, but I dont know.
Hungary has a fairly small population
and a not very well-known language, and
yet it really seems to punch above its weight
in terms of how well its known abroad.
Hungary doesnt get a bad deal. It
probably has more literary works in
Anglo-Saxon languages than, say,
Slovak or Bulgarian and just about as
much as Danish or Dutch, for instance.
Im only guessing now but I think that
there is a kind of imperial precedent
because of the Austro-Hungarian
empire. As far as England goes, that
consciousness of once-greatness and
then the melancholy following is an
identifiable thing. Hungarian novels
have the appeal of historical novels.
The Bnffy books, for instance, struck
a nerve [Mikls Bnffy, 1873-1950,
author of The Transylvanian Trilogy and
The Phoenix Land]. But even then the
readership for such books is very small.
- Bndicte Williams

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

12 July 18 July 2013

We continue our series of excerpts from Jaap Scholtens Comrade Baron. A Journey through the Vanishing World of the
Transylvanian Aristocracy, recently released in English by Corvina Kiad. Comrade Baron is Scholtens first non-fiction
work. It traces the lives of members of the Transylvanian aristocracy before and after March 1949, when the collectivisation of agriculture under the new communist regime included the expropriation and deportation of all large landowners.
Budapest, September 2009
Gyrgy Ugron: You might say that communism destroyed three generations here: the
generation of my grandparents, that of my
parents and my own. My parents generation
had a great childhood and could learn
languages, but had a tough time after that. My
generation had a pretty tough time too.
On 19 March 1965 Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
died. Three days later his protg, Nicolae
Ceausescu, was chosen as First Secretary of the
Romanian Communist Party. Two and a half
years after that, in December 1967, Ceausescu
announced that the class struggle in Romania
was over. He no longer needed to target the
aristocracy or the bourgeoisie, since both had
been virtually crushed. So he turned on minorities. He wanted to put an end to the multiethnic composition of Transylvania and he tried
as far as possible to drive minorities out of the
country. He sold the Jews and Saxons to Israel
and Germany for hard currency and bragged
that Romanias three most successful export
products were Germans, Jews and oil.
Gyrgy Ugron left Transylvania in the summer
of 1989 with his wife and his daughter Zsolna.
We arrived in Budapest by train. Twenty-nine
relatives were waiting for us at the station. It was
a tremendous feeling, as if we were the
Hungarian ambassador and family. Life under
Ceausescu in the 1980s was hard. To pay off the
national debt, practically everything the country
produced was exported. Shelves in the shops
were empty. Wherever Ceausescu went on a visit,
all the stores were filled with specially delivered
products. He came to Kolozsvr a couple of times
while we lived there. The whole city was closed off
and a day before his arrival the sale of alcohol was
banned. People lined the roads, clapping. In the
fields along the route, potatoes were buried
ahead of his arrival and they were harvested by
children as he passed. Whenever he visited state
farms, they would make heaps of vegetables and
fruit out of painted polystyrene, with a few at the
front that were real, just in case he picked one up.
He lived in a fantasy world.
Gyrgys daughter Zsolna told me she always
came home from school to a cold, dark house.
In the 1980s electricity and gas were available
for only a few hours a day. The first thing she
did on getting home was to put a cushion over
the telephone. You were obliged to use stateissued phones, which worked as eavesdropping
devices twenty-four hours a day. Zsolna also said
that a queue at the bakers or the supermarket
was a good sign; you always joined it immediately. There were no luxury articles at all, and
almost all basic products were scarce. There was
hardly any toilet paper. The only things you
could nearly always get were beetroot and cheap
Romanian champagne.
The ration card for Brasov in 1987, for
example, shows the amounts of food each family
had a right to buy, a semi-starvation level of
nutrition that was presented to the Romanian
people as a scientific diet. In Brasov a years
ration amounted to 8.5 kilos of meat (23 grams
a day), 2.5 kilos of flour (7 grams a day), 10
litres of cooking oil (27 millilitres per day), 10.5
kilos of salami (29 grams per day) and 10 eggs
(1 egg per 36 days). Diesel for cars was cut back
to a minimum. It was this grinding poverty, with
no prospect of improvement, that drove the
Romanian people to the verge of despair and
eventually, even in the perfectly controlled
police state that Romania then was, provoked
them to rise in revolt in December 1989.
It looks as if its been filmed in black-andwhite. The twenty people on the balcony are all
dressed in black, with occasional shades of grey.
They line the bottom of the image. The
building rises powerfully behind them. The
angle is low, a worms-eye view. A good deal of
thought has gone into the camerawork. On the
faade of the robust grey building are pillars

many metres high, emphasizing mans insignificance. The dictator is wearing a long dark coat
and a high black hat, standing against the backdrop of a window with net curtains. Next to him
is his wife, one of two women on the balcony.
Its 21 December 1989. On the square, called
the Piata Republica, are 80,000 workers
drummed up from Bucharest and the
surrounding districts, holding banners bearing
jubilant slogans and portraits of Nicolae
Ceausescu. They look up at the balcony of the
building that houses the Central Committee of
the Romanian Communist Party. As ever, there
are many Securitate officers among them. The
gathering has been organized to reaffirm the
authority of the great leader. As Ceausescu
finishes his first few sentences, the bussed-in
workers, keeping almost perfect time, set up a
slow Stalinist applause that resounds with
oppression and death.
Eight
minutes
in,
workers
from
Turbomechanica outside Bucharest start
chanting Ti-mi-so-ara, Ti-mi-so-ara, the name
of the city where deaths have occurred in riots
over the previous few days. The crowd takes up
the cry. Ceausescu falters. As the protest swells,
his mouth falls open.

Its the ultimate image of a dictator losing his

grip. Louis de Funs could not have portrayed it
better. Nicolae Ceausescu actually resembled him
in a way, especially when frivolously clad in his
white summer suit with matching flat cap, off to
inspect kolkhozes, his belly sticking out, vacant
and self-satisfied, eyes fixed on machinery, on
scale models and above all on the camera, or in
boots and a tasteless hunting costume with a big
breakdown lamp and no gun, standing next to a
slain brown bear. Hes right in the middle of
practically every photograph, unambiguously
presented as the centre of the Romanian
universe. Despite his absolute power as a man in
a position to decide at random on the life or
death of any of his twenty million subjects, his
gestures, posture and physiognomy betray his
cramped and primitive nature. However high the
pedestal, however far he has climbed and no
matter what suit or uniform he has put on, he
always makes you think of a gherkin.
A man wearing a hat opens the door behind
him and beckons to the dictator. Judas. But
Ceausescu remains standing there behind the
six microphones into which he is desperately
shouting hello. You could almost feel sorry for
him. He shouts it at least twenty times. The
camera has turned away from the leader and the
people massed below, and all this time its been
focused on the sky and the upper floors of
several important buildings. The microphones
are still on. In the background you can hear the
crowd. Elena whispers that he must promise a
wage rise. Meanwhile the desperate hello,
hello echoes against the backdrop of that series
of buildings and the grey sky.
Four days before this extraordinary scene, on
Sunday 17 December 1989, Elena and Nicolae
Ceausescu spoke to the interior minister, the
head of the Securitate, the supreme commander of the army and the minister of defence
about the unrest that had started in Timisoara.
When the minister replied that the militia and
the Securitate hadnt opened fire on the crowd
because they had no ammunition, Elena said it

was alarming that the interior minister didnt

know the right thing to do.
Nicolae Ceausescu took up the theme: A few
troublemakers want to destroy socialism and you
make it childs play for them. Fidel Castro was
right. You dont silence an opponent by
speaking to him like a priest but by destroying
him. Ceausescu added that they, the leaders of
the Securitate, the militia and the army, were
cowards and he was taking over supreme
command himself. You know what? Ill put you
in front of a firing squad. You cant keep order
with rubber truncheons. From now on everyone
will have weapons and ammunition.
Eight days after that, he and Elena were
executed, after a show trial in the best Soviet
tradition in a small building at the military base
in Targoviste. One of the paramilitaries, a
member of the firing squad who helped to tie
the hands of an uncooperative Elena Ceausescu
behind her back, later testified that she didnt
smell good: shed shat her pants. Of the actual
execution all you can see is gunsmoke, and then
Nicolae Ceausescus corpse, legs folded under
him. His greatest fear had been realized. The
man who built a career in the party primarily by
means of brutal aggression, who personally
opened fire on farmers protesting at losing their
land, who was so paranoid that even after the
British queen shook his hand he carefully
cleaned his fingers with alcohol, was dead.
Those images of the dictator as a rag doll were
replayed endlessly on Romanian television.
Zsolna Ugron watched the balcony scene on
television in Hungary, along with her father.
Her parents couldnt believe it. What if its not
true? What if its all a fabrication? Theyd
escaped Ceausescus oppression only a few
months before. When the first reports of
fighting in Timisoara leaked out, Zsolna and her
mother, a cellist, were in the Ferenc Liszt
Academy in Budapest. Someone came into the
auditorium during the performance and whispered in Zsolnas mothers ear. They immediately hurried home to watch the story unfold on
television. In the days that followed there was a
constant stream of phone calls and a buzz of
rumours. Eleven-year-old Zsolna wrote a poem
about the dictators death.
Bla Bnffy junior was in Kolozsvr. He was
twenty-two and employed at a metal works,
along with his brother. They regularly listened
to the Hungarian radio station Kossuth and to
Radio Free Europe, so they knew what was going
on in Timisoara. At the end of the working day
there were whispers at the factory that they were
all going into town to demonstrate. Several
hundred people gathered in front of the factory.
The director tried to stop them. The route to
the centre of town was blocked by tanks, as was
the bridge over the Szamos. The demonstration
swelled to several thousand people and they
didnt stop at the line of tanks. The soldiers let
them pass. Then from the top floors of the
houses came gunfire. Bla ran into a doorway.
Everyone fled into courtyards and stairwells.
The shooting continued. In Kolozsvr that day
some twenty people were killed.
Gergely Roy Chowdhury, twelve years old, was
in Graz, Austria, at school. He doesnt remember
much about the events, except that his mother
Katalin Mikes, brought up in Transylvania, was
extremely on edge. She travelled with the first
convoy of aid supplies sent to Romania by the
Austrian branch of the Order of Malta, a sovereign Catholic order of knights set up in the
twelfth century to provide medical treatment
during the crusades. A truck filled with Maltese
in blue uniforms came to their house in the
middle of the night to pick up his mother.
Tibor Klnoky was twenty-three and living in
Munich. In 1987, with his father, hed come to
Krspatak for the first time, the village where the
Klnoky castle stands. He watched as the villagers
embraced his father, who had decided before
coming that this would be his last visit to
Transylvania but was so overwhelmed by his

reception in the village that they returned in 1988

with Tibors younger brother, Boris, who was just
starting out as a journalist. He became the first
Western journalist to write about the uprising, in
an article published in Die Welt in October 1989,
two months before the revolution: Romanians,
awake! Three days after Ceausescus execution,
Tibor Klnoky arrived in Romania with his father
and brother and forty tonnes of humanitarian aid.
The first two months after the revolution were
euphoric. The Romanians openly thanked the
Hungarian minority for saving them from the
dictator (since the Romanian revolution started in
Timosoara at the church and home of Hungarian
pastor Lszl Tks), but three months later
Romanian nationalism raised its head and Tibor,
his father and two Hungarian journalists barely
escaped lynching during a meeting of the Greater
Romania Party in Alba Iulia, which was attended
by four thousand people. They were dragged to a
lamp post by a mob shouting: We drink
Hungarian blood. Someone had fetched a rope.
Just in time to avoid being hanged, Tibor was able
to show them his American passport and his
father produced a French identity card. Three
weeks later, in March 1990, at a similar meeting in
Marosvsrhely, eight Hungarians were lynched.
The number would have been far greater were it
not for the gypsies of Marosvsrhely, who came
to their rescue shouting: We will help our
Hungarian neighbours!
Gbor Teleki was twenty-one and staying in
Brussels with his family for Christmas. The television was on all the time. His mother cried as
she watched and kept asking herself why she
wasnt there.
Zsigmond Mikes was twelve years old and at
boarding school in Germany. He saw the television pictures of the revolution without understanding quite what they meant. Suddenly, as a
boy with his origins in Romania, he was the
centre of attention among his fellow school
pupils. Briefly, at any rate.

Buy the book

Comrade Baron. A Journey through the
Vanishing World of the Transylvanian
Aristocracy
by Jaap Scholten
Corvina Kiad, 2013
404 pages, HUF 3990
The book is available at Bestsellers (District V,
Oktber 6 u. 11) and at Massolit (District
VII, Nagy Difa u. 30).

BOOKS

Beetroot and champagne

09

10

12 July 18 July 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

TRAVEL

Malaysia

Niklas Jakobsson (2)

between relaxation and adventure

The sun sets over a white sandy beach and music blasts out from a nearby bar as tourists and
locals alike dance the night away in a haze of pina coladas and tequila... We stereotype places
just as we stereotype people. Reporting for The Budapest Times, Niklas Jakobsson travelled east
to find another side of one of Asia's most popular tourist destinations: Malaysia.

lying out of Budapest with a connection at Istanbul, the two-part

kingdom split by the South China
Sea can be reached in under 14
hours flying time. Once you arrive
at the bustling metropolis that is Kuala Lumpur
it could be tempting to enjoy the endless shopping options, take in the modern architecture or
stroll down to the underwhelming Chinatown.
But what about going somewhere different to a place where you can escape the choking
fumes of a million cars, the constant chase for
profit and the never-ending stream of people on
the streets? In the heart of mainland Malaysia
there is a hidden gem - a place where you can
mix relaxation and adventure: the Cameron
Highlands.

Resorts amidst the jungle

Known for its lush tea and strawberry plantations, this 712 square kilometre area has gone
from a backpackers heaven to a place where
ever more tourists are coming to experience a
different, relaxing side of Malaysia. At the same
time, the various resorts spread out over the
mountaintops and in the villages offer visitors a
range of excursions and adventures.
It can feel like an adventure without a punch
line. A three-hour jungle walk in a wellpreserved rainforest is all well and good - for the
first hour. With the dense jungle it is near
impossible to lay your eyes - or your camera lens
- on a stunning view or an exotic animal.
However, if you are fortunate enough to have
a real native guide from one of the local tribes,
they will show you everything from how to make
a trap to catch squirrels to the basics of making

a fire from tree bark. It is certainly an experience in its own right - but one that could be cut
short after the first hour.
Tea is in the heart of many countries - from
India and China to England - and the plantations on the rolling mountainsides of the
Cameron Highlands are famous across Asia.
Visiting a tea factory is an option, if you are up
for a trek. The Boh tea plantation is the most
famous one in Cameron, mainly because three-

quarters of the production is still done by hand.

Enthusiastic tourists and backpackers make the
hour-long uphill trek, whilst the more comfortable travelers put down 20 Ringit (EUR 5) and
take a taxi.
At the visitor centre you can enjoy the
dazzling views of the plantations, sip a cup of
local tea or even have a photo-shoot for your
wedding. A stroll through the factory only takes
a few minutes, but the tantalising smell of fresh

tea leaves will keep you inside for a lot longer.

But the Highlands are about more than just
tea: strawberries and street markets are just as
popular amongst tourists as the plantations. In
the case of the markets, it is safe to say that they
do not live up to the expectations of many
seekers of authentic south-east Asian bargains.
Everything is mass-produced, mainly from
China, and it is more of your standard tourist
experience than a unique treat.

The practicalities
Accommodation in the Highlands is in large
supply, with options to suit any travelers wallet.
Low-budget hostels cost as little as 15 Ringit
(EUR 3.60) a night while more luxurious resorts
can set you back upwards of 500 Ringit (EUR
122).
Transport to and from the area might be
where you fork out the largest wedge of cash.
One of the safest, and fastest, options is to book
a tour bus from Kuala Lumpur airport and take
the three-hour ride to the top of the Highlands.
A brave soul might jump on a local bus or even
rent a car and tackle the winding roads.
Tours to the area are widely available from
operators in Malaysia and abroad. If your idea
of holiday bliss is tranquility, peace and quiet and a nice cup of tea - then there are few better
places to find them than the Cameron
Highlands.

To find out more

www.turkishairlines.com
www.tourism.gov.my

12 July 18 July 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

Zamrdis moment in the sun

Lakeside electronic
festival until Sunday

part from standing on the shores of Lake

Balaton just opposite Tihny Peninsula
and some 110 kilometres south of
Budapest straight down the M7 motorway,
Zamrdi doesnt have that much more to offer
than any other average southern Balaton settle-

Friday 12 July
Popular entertainment
MILLENRIS

BETWEEN

9AM

AND

11PM:

Gastro Picnic and Night Market with artisanal

beer tastings.

DISTRICT III, F

TR AT

7PM: Djabe (jazz,

world music).

KOBUCI KERT

AT

7PM: Blues Festival with

ment. The few days when it turns into the best

beach party of Europe with several stages
featuring DJs, electronic and live acts, hip hop
artists and bands are the exception, and those
days known as Balaton Sound run now until
this Sunday.

Fairmont (Canada), Magda (Poland) and

Hernn Cattneo (Argentina) are some of the
international names to grace the eight stages
over the four-day festival, while names such as
Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra, Vad Fruttik,
Akkezdet Phiai and Carbonfools provide the
local colour.

Whos who
Camping, Saturday sold out
Steve Aoki (USA), Armin van Buuren
(Netherlands), Above and Beyond (UK),
MiniCoolBoyz (Italy), Axwell (Sweden),

Festival passes are sold out as are day tickets for

Saturday. Camping is also sold out. Day tickets

Jambalaya; AT 8.15PM: Muddy Shoes; AT

9.30PM: Little G Weevil Band (USA).

BUDAPEST PARK AT 8PM: Pannonia Allstars

Ska Orchestra (ska, dancehall, reggae).

SECESSIO CAF

BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Trio Midnight;

AT 10.30PM: Balzs Jzsef Trio.

AT

7.30PM: Mtys Tth

(guitar) and Mrton Sos (double bass) play

jazz.

A38 AT 8PM: Mordeye, Konyha (rock); AT

10PM: Spanish Wax (electronica, hip hop,
funky, soul).

INTERCONTINENTAL BUDAPEST

AT

8PM:

Bndicte Williams

Saturday 13 July
Classical entertainment
KOBUCI KERT

AT

10.30AM: Concert for chil-

MARGIT ISLAND STAGE AT 8PM: Oliver!

dren with Alma Ensemble.

DRER-KERT

AT 8.30PM: colorStar, The

Carbonfools (electronica, rock).

LISZT FERENC MEMORIAL MUSEUM AT 11AM:

BUDAPEST MUSIC CENTRE

INNER CITY PARISH CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL

AT 7PM: Alta Cappella Krakow, Szczawnica

Mtys Trio (jazz).

Erika Nray sings jazz.

(6am-8am the following day) for other days

remain available for EUR 55 and so do VIP day
tickets, guaranteeing super-fast entrance, grandstand access, festival T-shirt and drinks coupon
for EUR 105. Zamrdi is also accessible by train
from Keleti and Dli stations (about two hours,
from HUF 2,930 one-way, see www.elvira.hu).
Up-to-date information on programmes,
tickets and accommodation is available at
www.sziget.hu/balatonsound_english

AT

9PM: Gayer

Randall Scotting (counter tenor).

Chamber Choir, Musica Aeterna Bratislava,

Zoltn Megyesi (tenor) and Nicholas Spanos
(countertenor) conducted by Agnieszka
Zarska perform Bachs cantatas BWV 129
Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott and BWV 29
Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir and
Handels Chandos Anthem No. 6 B As pants
the hart for cooling streams.

DUNA PALACE AT 8PM: Duna Symphony

Orchestra conducted by Andrs Dek
performs works by Berlioz, Delibes, Bartk,
Haydn, Liszt, Strauss and others.

WHERE ITS AT
A38: Boat moored on Buda side of Petfi Bridge. Tel. (+361) 464-3940. www.a38.hu
BENCZR HOUSE: District VI, Benczr u. 27.
www.benczurhaz.hu
BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB: District XIII, Holln Ern u. 7. Tel.
(+36) 70 413-9837. www.bjc.hu
BUDAPEST MUSIC CENTRE: District IX, Mtys u. 8.(+36-1)
216-7894. www.bmc.hu
BUDAPEST PARK: District IX, Soroksri t 60.
http://budapestpark.hu/
BUDAPEST ZOO: District XIV, llatkerti krt 6-12. Tel. (+36-1)
273-4901. www.zoobudapest.com
DUNA PALACE: District V, Zrnyi u. 5. Tel. (+36-1) 235-5533.
www.dunapalota.hu
DRER-KERT: District XIV, Ajtsi Drer sor 19-21. Tel. (+361) 789-4444. www.durerkert.com
FRENCH INSTITUTE: District I F u. 17. Tel. (+36-1) 489-

4200. www.inst-france.hu

HILTON BUDAPEST HOTEL: District I, Hess Andrs tr 1-3.

Tel. (+36-1) 889-6600. www1.hilton.com

HOLDUDVAR: District XIII, Margitsziget. Tel. (+36-1) 2360155. www.holdudvar.net

HUNGARIAN HERITAGE HOUSE: District I, Corvin tr 8. Tel.

(+36-1) 225-6056. www.heritagehouse.hu

IF CAF: District IX, Rday u. 19. Tel. (+36-1) 299-0694.

www.ifkavezo.hu

INNER CITY PARISH CHURCH

OF

ST MICHAEL: District V,

Vci u. 47/b. (+36-1) 337-8116. www.szentmihalytemplom.hu

INTERCONTINENTAL BUDAPEST: District V, Apaczai Csere u.
12-14. Tel. (+36-1) 327-6333. www.budapest.intercontinental.com
KOBUCI KERT: District III, F tr 1. Tel. (+36) 70 205-7282.
www.kobuci.hu

LISZT FERENC MEMORIAL MUSEUM: District VI,

Vrsmarty u. 35. Tel. (+36-1) 322-9804 www.lisztmuseum.hu
MARGIT ISLAND OPEN-AIR STAGE: District XII, Margit
Island.
Tel.
(+36-1)
375-5922,
356-1565.
www.szabadter.hu
MILLENRIS PARK: District II, Fny u. 20-22. Tel. (+36-1)
438-5335. www.millenaris.hu
MOZSR CAF: District VI, Mozsr u. 2.
www.mozsarkavezo.hu
MSZI ARTS CENTRE: District VIII, Blaha Lujza tr 1, third
floor of Corvin Shopping Centre, entry from Somogyi
Bla u. www.muszi.org
MUSEUM OF MUSIC HISTORY: District I, Tncsis Mihly utca
7.
Telephone
(+36-1)
214-6770.
www.zti.hu/museum/index_en.htm
BUDA SOCIAL CIRCLE (TRSASKR): District III,

Kiskorona utca 7. Telephone (+36-1) 250-0288.

www.obudaitarsaskor.hu/
PAPP LSZL BUDAPEST SPORTARNA: District XIV,
Stefnia t 2. Central Ticket Office (Ticketpro) Tel. (+361) 422-2682. www.ticketpro.hu
PEST COUNTY HALL (PESTI VRMEGYEHZ): District V,
Vroshz u. 7. Tel. (+36-1) 215-5770.

SECESSIO CAF (HOUSE OF HUNGARIAN ART NOUVEAU):

District V, Honvd u. 3. Tel. (+36) 20 285-1207.
www.secessio-cafe.hu
VAJDAHUNYAD CASTLE: District XIV, Vzsonyi Vilmos
stny 2. Tel. (+36-1) 364-0072.
VROSMAJOR OPEN-AIR STAGE: District XII, Vrosmajor.
www.szabadter.hu
ZLD PARDON: District XI, Pzmny Pter stny at the
Buda end of Rkczi bridge. Tel. (+36-1) 279-1880.
www.zp.hu

T E N -D AY G U I D E

Balaton Sound off!

11

12

12 July 18 July 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

T E N -D AY G U I D E

Sziget
sees
sales
slump
New attractions
to compensate for
festival struggles

ungarys
most
famous
festival, Sziget, starts in less
than a month, with the weeklong musical extravaganza to include
the UKs Blur, Enter Shikari and
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs,
Frances David Guetta, Australias
Empire of the Sun, Germanys Chris
Liebing, Russias Nina Kraviz, Serbias
Emir Kusturica and the No Smoking
Orchestra, Macedonias Shutka Roma
Rap and the multinational Nick Cave
and the Bad Seeds.
From its studenty beginnings in
1993, Sziget Festival has grown into
one of Central Europes major summer
fixtures, with its 60 stages raking in
some 400,000 visitors last year and
(organisers say) some five million
viewers for its live feeds on YouTube.
Yet it is regularly beset by financial
problems. Chief organiser and
promoter Kroly Gerendai confirms
ticket sales are lagging between seven
and eight per cent behind last year.
Many big international names are
unable to accept invitations because of
a lack of time, he claims.
And while the rise of low-cost airlines
is globally seen as beneficial to the
festival trend, Gerendai also blames the
collapse of national airline Malv last
year and the incomplete replacement
of its flights by budget carriers for the
lower ticket sales. (Malv wasnt flying
last summer either.)
Tickets, ranging this year from EUR
49 for a standard day ticket (less for the
-1 and 0 days) to EUR 229 for a weekly
pass with the option of camping,
account for some 75 per cent of Szigets
total revenue, with the rest covered by
sponsors and royalties from retailers.
Marketing will need to be strengthened, Gerendai said. Organisers have
already taken steps to this effect. Apart
from the 65-metre Ferris wheel
currently stationed on Erzsbet tr
(square) in District V and which will be
moved to Sziget for the festival, a riverside beach, a Colour Party and a circus
show are all on the festival map.

Popular entertainment
MILLENRIS

9AM

BETWEEN

5-12 August (including -1 and 0 days,

festival proper starts on 7 August)
www.sziget.hu (in English)

11PM:

Shockingly bad or stunningly good?

David Helfgott,
Sunday at 7pm

F RENCH I NSTITUTE AT 6 PM : French

national holiday celebrations with music by
Le Train Fatal, Pressz Tang Libid and
DJ Palotai (Hungary).
A38 AT 6PM: Flash-f@sztival with Zsuzsi
Ujj and Kristf Darvas (rock); AT 8PM:
Flash, Lopunk, C.A.F.B., Vidmpark (rock);
AT 10PM: 101 Depeche Mode Club (electronica).
BUDAPEST PARK

AT

7.15PM: ZUP, Vad

Fruttik (rock).

VROSMAJOR OPEN-AIR STAGE

8PM:

AT

Budapest Br.

BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Hajdu

Klra Quartet; AT 10.30PM: Gspr Kroly
Trio.
BUDAPEST MUSIC CENTRE AT 9PM: Gbor
Subicz (funk, soul).

Sunday 14 July
Classical entertainment
PAPP LSZL BUDAPEST SPORTARNA AT
7 PM : David Helfgott and Budafoki
Dohnnyi Orchestra perform
maninovs Piano Concerto No. 3.

Rach-

Popular entertainment
MILLENRIS

9AM

BETWEEN

AND

11PM:

ts a mountain. Its the hardest piece you could

Everest play, is one of many ways
Rachmaninovs Piano Concerto No. 3 has been
described. Composed in 1909, Rach 3, as
some call it, is said to have been its composers favourite
piano concerto and has gained a fearsome reputation as a
piece of music best left to either the foolhardy or the
seasoned.
Among those to have tackled the piece is Australianborn David Helfgott. Famously, he went mad and was institutionalised for over a decade before making it back to the
stage thanks in part to his wifes support. That, at least, is
the version found in Shine, a highly popular 1996 film
retracing Helfgotts life with Geoffrey Rush in the main
role, and from which comes the quote above.
What is or isnt true about Helfgott as presented in Shine
is difficult to say, but what remains is that the pianist is
forever associated with Rachmaninovs piano work to the
extent that it is the mainstay of his repertoire. This, indeed,
is the only piece on Sundays programme when he will be
joined by the Budafoki Dohnnyi Orchestra.
Helfgotts performances, with his grunts and mutterings
and general eccentricity, have been lambasted by critics as
second-rate and defended by fans as triumphs of the human

spirit over mental disorder. Whether the audience in Papp

Lszl Budapest Sportarna will be shocked, stunned and
amazed (another Shine line) remains to be seen.
Bndicte Williams

The ticket
David Helfgott
Sunday 14 July at 7pm
Papp Lszl Budapest Sportarna
District XIV, Stefnia t 2
Tickets HUF 9,000-25,000 available on www.ticketpro.hu and
all major ticket sellers

Gastro Picnic and Night Market with artisanal beer tastings.

A38

AT 8PM: Cabaret Medrano, A.K.T.

(jazz); AT 8PM: White Fence (US, rock).

M ARGIT I SLAND O PEN -A IR S TAGE

8PM: Oliver!, musical.
DRER-KERT

HILTON HOTEL

AT 8.30PM: Budapest Gypsy

Symphony Orchestra with operetta singers
Barbara Bdy and Kroly Peller perform classical and operetta airs.

Wednesday 17 July
Classical entertainment

AT

8.40PM: The Casualties

AT

BENCZR HOUSE AT 7PM: Carlos Gallardo

(piano) performs works by Enrique
Granados and Isaac Albniz.

(US, punk, rock).

Popular entertainment

Monday 15 July
Classical entertainment
VAJDAHUNYAD

C ASTLE

AT

ZLD PARDON

AT

7PM: Paddy and the

Rats.

IF CAF

AT

7.30PM: Andrs Jsz and

Jnos Vzsonyi.

AT 9PM: Chris
Devil Trio with Krisztin rdg (saxophone),
Viktor Paczri (bass guitar) and Dniel Serei
(drums).

Friday 19 July

IF CAF

MUSEUM

AT

7.30PM: Tams Mszros

(vocals) and Balzs Reviczky (piano).

BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Ninagram.

BUDA SOCIAL CIRCLE

Popular entertainment

BUDAPEST MUSIC CENTRE

A38 AT 7.30PM: Babes in the Wood, Pills

For Side Effects (heavy metal); AT 10PM:
LriPoP (rock, punk, heavy metal).
8.30 PM :

Mendelssohn
Chamber
Orchestra
conducted by Pter Kovts with Tibor
Ttrai and Antal Gbor Szts (guitar)
perform works by Piazzolla and Latin hits
for guitar and string orchestra.

AT

8PM: gnes

Herczku (vocals), Nikola Parov (violin, kaval,

keyed fiddle, bouzouki), Lszl Halsz
(accordion) and Sndor Fd (piano,
percussion), folk and world music.

BUDAPEST PARK

AT

8PM: Irie Maffia

(reggae, hip hop, funk).

Classical entertainment
OF

MUSIC HISTORY

HOLDUDVAR AT 8.45PM: The Rendez-Vous

KOBUCI KERT AT 8PM: Pl Utcai Fik.

of Dj-Vu (La Fille du 14 Juillet), French

film with English subtitles. Open-air
showing.

BUDAPEST ZOO

Tuesday 16 July

Thursday 18 July

AT

8.30PM: Csk Zenekar

and Mihly Dresch.

4PM:

Classical entertainment

BUDAPEST PARK

INNER CITY PARISH CHURCH OF ST

MICHAEL AT 7PM: Grazioso Chamber

AT

7PM: Junkies, The

Grenma (punk).

ZLD PARDON AT 7PM: DJ Shadow (USA),

hip hop.

IF CAF AT 7.30PM: Neumann Balzs Trio

with Balzs Neumann (piano), Lszl
Mth (double bass) and Istvn Bal
(drums).
MOZSR CAF

AT

8PM: English-language

stand-up comedy with Toby Muresianu

(USA) and Neil Morgan (Ireland).

A38

AT

Orchestra conducted by Gergely Madaras

performs Nielsens Suite for Strings and
Tchaikovskys Serenade for Strings.

PEST COUNTY HALL AT 8PM: Concerto

Budapest conducted by Gyrgy Vashegyi
perform three Haydn symphonies.

Popular entertainment
AT 7PM: Magidom, Battery Band, Fk
alatt (rock, indie); AT 10PM: DJ Garfield and
Ordiman (hip hop, funk, soul).

8PM: Random Trip (hip hop, funk,

soul).

HUNGARIAN HERITAGE HOUSE

KOBUCI KERT

Hungarian Rhapsody by Hungarian State

Folk Ensemble.

AT

8PM: Bohemian Betyars

AT

8PM:

(folk, world music).

BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB

Micheller (vocals), Tibor Pintr (guitar) and
Richrd Rvsz (piano).

AT 8PM: A.B.S.Z.
Ensemble with Zoltn Barna and Oszkr
Nmeth (drums) and Mihly Mricz and
Zoltn Pomzi (guitar).

HUNGARIAN HERITAGE HOUSE

VAJDAHUNYAD

AT

8PM: Myrtill

AT

8PM:

Hungarian Rhapsody by Hungarian State

Folk Ensemble.

AT 8PM: Duna Symphony

Orchestra conducted by Andrs Dek perform
works by Berlioz, Erkel, Delibes, Bartk,
Haydn, Liszt and others.

BUDAPEST PARK AT 8PM: Rotfront (Germany,

world music).

Popular entertainment

MSZI ARTS CENTRE

DISTRICT III, F TR AT 7PM: Eszter Horgas

and Talamba Percussion Ensemble.
SECESSIO CAF

AT 7.30PM: Balzs Pecze

(trumpet) and Mtys Tth (guitar).

BUDAPEST PARK

AT

8PM: Edda Mvek

A38 AT 8PM: Tej, Spacesh!t (indie); AT

10PM: Spanish Wax (electronica, hip hop,
funk); AT 10PM: DJ Garfield and Ordiman
(hip hop, funk, soul); AT 10PM: No Disco

BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Szke

Nikoletta Trio; AT 10.30PM: Egri Jnos Trio.
KOBUCI KERT

AT

AT

8PM: Lynn Book

(USA, jazz).

8PM: Heaven Street

Seven.

A38 AT 8PM: Hangms, Kollaps (rock); AT

8PM: Cloud 9+, Dizzy Effort (electronica, hip
hop, funk, soul); AT 11PM: The Panacea
(Germany, electronica).

BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB AT 8PM: Gyula Babos

(guitar), Jzsef Pluto Horvth (bass guitar)
and Emilio (drums); AT 10.30PM: Pter
Rozsnyi Trio.
BUDAPEST MUSIC CENTRE

AT

8PM: Martina

Kirly.

VROSMAJOR OPEN-AIR STAGE

AT

8PM:

gnes Herczku, Nikola Parov and their

orchestra (world music).

Sunday 21 July
Classical entertainment

James Bond 60, film music concert-show

with Budapest Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Nic Raine.

AT 7PM: Open-air
performance of Donizettis Don Pasquale with
Tams Altorjay (Don Pasquale), Ildik Szakcs
(Norina), Andrs Hajd (Ernesto), Csaba Gal
(Malatesta) and Rita Kertsz (piano).

BUDAPEST MUSIC CENTRE AT 9PM: Gspr

Popular entertainment

MARGIT ISLAND OPEN-AIR STAGE

AT

8PM:

Kroly Trio with Klra Hajd (vocals).

A38

DUNA PALACE

Csaba Kirly performs piano works by

composers of the Romantic era.

Summer with Bit Busters, Mira, Metha, Out

Of Sync (electronica).

Popular entertainment

Helga Varga Bach (soprano) and Kornlia

Bakos (alto) perform Lajor Brdos Libera Me
and Popule Meus, Gyrgy Dek-Brdos Eli!
Eli, Mikls Kocsrs Nunc Dimittis, Marcellos
Oboe Concerto in D minor, Monteverdis
Beatus Vir and Ave Maris Stella and Vivaldis
Gloria.

Popular entertainment
AT

(rock).

BUDAPEST JAZZ CLUB

Sziget Festival

AND

Gastro Picnic and Night Market with artisanal beer tastings.

Saturday 20 July
Classical entertainment
BUDA SOCIAL CIRCLE

AT

7PM: Open-air

performance of Donizettis Don Pasquale

with Tams Altorjay (Don Pasquale), Ildik
Szakcs (Norina), Andrs Hajd (Ernesto),
Csaba Gal (Malatesta) and Rita Kertsz
(piano).

BUDA SOCIAL CIRCLE

VROSMAJOR OPEN-AIR STAGE AT

10.30AM: Swan Lake, performance for children.

MARGIT ISLAND OPEN-AIR STAGE

AT

8PM:

Buena Vista Social Club with Omara

Portuondo and Eliades Ochoa.

DOWN

THE ROAD

MONDAY 16 SEPTEMBER (7.30PM): Evgeny

Kissin at Palace of Arts

8.30PM:

INNER CITY PARISH CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL

AT 7.30PM: RBS Choir and Ars Longa

SUNDAY 22 DECEMBER (7.30PM): Jordi

Budapest Klezmer Band with Mariann

Falusi.

Chamber Orchestra conducted by Nigel Perrin

with Csaba Nagy (oboe), Gabriella Szili and

Savall, La Capella Reial de Catalunya at

Palace of Arts

CASTLE

AT

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among several types of rooms. They can feel like they
are in a different world every day if they want to without
leaving the hotel, but by moving into the neighbouring room.

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THE BUDAPEST TIMES

13

12 July 18 July 2013

SOCIETY

Many golfers and a big winner

T

he law firm BWSP Gobert & Partners

and its financial consulting partner
G&G Wealth hosted a golfing and
family day in perfect weather at the Academy
golf course in District III of Budapest
recently. The event was supported by the
German Business Club Budapest.
Some 120 guests took to the well maintained
golf course which was built in the past few years
including many children, who tested their skill
on the driving range and on the green with just
as much enthusiasm as the adults. The guests

remained until the early evening for a small

party at the clubhouse. Dr. Arne Gobert, senior
partner and owner of the law firm and host of
the event, handed over HUF 350,000 in
proceeds from the entry tickets and tombola to
the director of the charitable organisation
Csodalmpa (Magic Lamp Foundation), which
aims to bring joy to severely ill children by
making their wishes come true.

The organisers thanked the following firms

and private individuals for supporting the
tombola with donations in kind: Ashton
Currency, Budapester Zeitung, Casabrasil,
Katalin and Manfred Bey, FirstMed,
Kempinski, Lufthansa, Marriott Hotel
Budapest and Szeretett Kulcs.

Dr. Arne Gobert of BWSP Gobert & Partners

and Magic Lamp Foundation director va
Patzauer.

BUDAPESTER ZEITUNG
THE BUDAPEST TIMES

Ich mchte die Budapester Zeitung abonnieren

Stck:...................................

I would like to subscribe to The Budapest Times

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14

12 July 18 July 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

MUSEUMS

MUSEUMS
AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM: Covering life in a
medieval village, viticulture, plants and more
with a temporary exhibition on turn-of-thecentury agriculture minister Ignc Darnyi. An
exhibition on contemporary Hungarian crafts
runs until 11 August. Open Tues.-Sun., 10am5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 363-1117. District XIV,
Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park.
www.mezogazdasagimuzeum.hu

Gastro picnic, night market at Millenris

This weekends
theme: beer

AQUINCUM MUSEUM: Archaeological findings

ince 22 June Millenris Park

has hosted a picnic with a
night market until 11pm each
weekend evening.
In addition to the farmers market
at which visitors can buy fresh products such as honey, syrup, herbs,
oils, jams, vegetables and more,
selected handcrafted wares made of
wood, leather, pearls and textiles are
for sale.
Anyone can register to sell at the
flea market. Dishes are served at the
grill terrace (www.huspatika.hu).
There is also entertainment for
children: they can take part in

from the remains of the Roman military

garrison and trading settlement Aquincum.
The exhibition Tales of Finds, Archaeological
Finds from a Different Perspective is open until
15 April. Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon.
The outdoor ruins are open from 9am. District
III, Szentendrei t 135. Tel. (+36-1) 250-1650.
www.aquincum.hu

BLA BARTK MEMORIAL HOUSE: Concerts

in one hall and a memorial room with original
furniture and Bartks folk art collection,
photos, letters and notes on his life. Open
Tues.-Sat. 10am-5pm. District II, Csaln t 29.
Tel. (+36-1) 394-2100. www.bartokmuseum.hu

BUDAPEST HISTORY MUSEUM: Covering the

history of the capital. The exhibition The
Capitals Treasury 125 years of the Budapest
History Museum is open until 31 August. The
exhibition Votive Rituals, Ancient Feasts is
open until 8 September. The exhibition on
Armenian culture in the Carpathian Basin runs
until 15 September. Open daily 10am-6pm
except Mon. Buda Castle building E, District I,
Szent Gyrgy tr 2. Tel. (+36-1) 487-8800.
www.btm.hu/
EVANGELICAL NATIONAL MUSEUM: Covering
the Protestant faith in Hungary. The exhibition
A century of tolerance Protestant church life
in the first half of the 19th century runs until 31
October. Open Tues.-Sun., 10am-5pm. District
V, Dek Ferenc tr 4. Tel. (+36-1) 317-4173.
www.evangelikusmuzeum.hu

FERENC HOPP MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN

ARTS: Works collected by the traveller Ferenc
Hopp with an exhibition on Land of the
Morning Calm, Korean Art in the 18th-19th
Centuries. Open Fri.-Sun. 2pm-6pm. District
VI, Andrssy t 103. Tel. (+36-1) 322-8476.
www.imm.hu (Museum of Applied Arts
website)

FERENC LISZT MEMORIAL MUSEUM: A reconstruction of Liszts last Budapest flat

containing his original instruments, furniture,
books, scores, personal objects and memorabilia. The exhibition Liszt and the French
Musicians of his Time is running until 19
October. In the Old Music Academy, District VI,
Vrsmarty u. 35. Open Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm,
Sat. 9am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 322-9804.
www.lisztmuseum.hu
GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

OF

HUNGARY:

Collection of rocks and fossils in a building by

architect dn Lechner. Open Thurs., Sat.,
Sun. 10am-4pm. District XIV, Stefnia t. 14.
Tel. (+36-1) 251-0999. www.mafi.hu

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTRE: Open

Tues.-Sun.10am-6pm. District IX, Pva u. 39.
Tel. (+36-1) 455-3333. www.hdke.hu

HOSPITAL

IN THE

ROCK: Formerly secret

underground air-raid hospital and nuclear

bunker, with an exhibition about Friedrich
Born, Swiss delegate of the Red Cross in
Budapest from 1944-1945, who saved up to
15,000 Jews by handing out protection documents. Flashlight tour daily at 7pm in quest of
lost treasures of Count Gorgey. Open Tues.Sun. 10am-8pm. District I, Lovas t 4/C. Tel.
(+36) 70 701-0101. www.sziklakorhaz.hu

HOUSE

OF

HUNGARIAN ART NOUVEAU:

Secession-era furniture, objects, instruments

and paintings in contemporary house. Mon.Sat. 10am-5pm. District V, Honvd u. 3. Tel.
(+36-1) 269-4622. www.magyarszecessziohaza.hu
OF TERROR MUSEUM: Secret police
headquarters during both the fascist and
socialist periods, with an exhibition on
Cardinal Mindszenty. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am6pm. District VI, Andrssy t 60. Tel. (+36-1)
374-2600. www.terrorhaza.hu

HOUSE

HUNGARIAN JEWISH MUSEUM AND

ARCHIVES: Religious and historical collection
at the Great Synagogue in District VII, Dohny
u. 2. Tel. (+36-1) 317-1377. www.dohany-zsinagoga.hu

HUNGARIAN MUSEUM OF TRADE AND

TOURISM: Catering industry relics based on
the private collection of Frigyes Glck and
extended to include posters, scales, furniture
and a numismatic collection. The exhibition
Hortus Conclusus by Gyula Wegrosta runs
until 28 July. The exhibition on Hungarian
camera design Pajts runs until 15 September.
The exhibition Realised and Unrealised
Dreams runs until 15 September. The exhibitions The good merchant is the benefactor of
the world Two hundred years in the history of
Hungarian trade and I have never had a
home... Scenes from Gyula Krdys
Budapest Life run until 31 December. Open
Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District III, Korona tr 1.
Tel. (+36-1) 212-1245. www.mkvm.hu

HUNGARIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM: Train buffs

paradise with many steam engines and
carriages, operational turntables, the largest
roundhouse in Central Europe with interactive
programmes such as a self-powered rail car
and engine driving. Childrens miniature rail
line. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District XIV,
Tatai t 95. Tel. (+36-1) 238-0558. www.vasuttortenetipark.hu

NATIONAL MUSEUM: Covering the whole of

Hungarian history, from the ancient origins of
the Hungarians, their journey to the Carpathian
Basin and events until 1990. The exhibition
Affinities and Transformations on 18th and 19th
century painting runs until 21 July. The exhibition on Ancient Burial Masks is open until 13
September. Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm. District
VIII, Mzeum krt 14-16. Tel. (+36-1) 3382122/327-7749. www.hnm.hu

KODLY MEMORIAL MUSEUM: Instruments,

documents and original furnishings on display
in Kodlys former flat. Open Wed.-Fri. 10am12pm and 2pm-4.30pm by appointment.
District VI, Andrssy t 89. (+36-1) 352-7106.
www.kodaly-inst.hu

MEDIEVAL JEWISH HOUSE

OF

PRAYER:

Collection shedding light on the life of Jews

during the Middle Ages. Open Tues.-Sun.
10am-6pm. District I, Tncsics Mihly u. 26.
Tel. (+36-1) 225-7816. www.museum.hu

MEMENTO PARK: Communist statuary

shunted out of the streets and into a field on
the edge of town. Direct buses leave from
Dek tr at 11am daily. Open from 10am-dusk.
District XXII, corner of Balatoni t and
Szabadkai t. Tel. (+36-1) 424-7500.
www.mementopark.hu

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: Covering botany

and zoology. From the sequoia to the geysers
an exhibition of photographs of the USA by
Attila P. Kovacs runs until 21 July.The exhibition
Witnesses of the Ancient World is open until 1
September. Open daily 10am-5pm except
Tues. District VIII, Ludovika tr 2-6. Tel. (+36-1)
210-1085. www.nhmus.hu

PETFI LITERARY MUSEUM: Named after the

poet Sndor Petfi (1823-1849). The exhibition
on photographs by Ferenc Berko is open until
30 September. The exhibition Southern
Adventures. Hungarian writers experiences of
Italy 1890-1950 runs until 31 October. The
memorial exhibitions on Frigyes Karinthy and
on Sndor Weres run until 31 December and
1 June 2014 respectively. District V, Krolyi
Mihly u. 16. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. Tel.
(+36-1) 317-3611. www.pim.hu

MILITARY HISTORY MUSEUM: Permanent

exhibitions on the Hungarian military from
1815 through the world wars and the fall of the
Iron Curtain. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-4pm.
District I, Kapisztrn tr 2-4. Tel. (+36-1) 3251600. www.militaria.hu

PIETY MUSEUM: Items connected to funerals.

District VIII, Fiumei t. 16, Building C. Open
Mon.-Thur. 10am-5pm, Fri. 10am-1pm. Tel.
(+36-1) 323-5132. www.nemzetisirkert.hu
POSTAL MUSEUM: Relics of Hungarian post

MUSEUM

OF

APPLIED ARTS: Permanent

collection of works of applied art in an Art

Nouveau landmark. Art from the Monastery
of Clay, exhibition of collections of the
Kecskemt Contemporary Arts Workshop.
International Ceramics Studio runs until 2
September. The exhibition The Bigot Pavilion
on Art Nouveau ceramics from Paris is open
until 15 September. Masters of the
Secession, works from the collections of the
Museum of Applied Arts, is open until 15
September. The exhibition on Islamic Art is
open until 1 February. Open Tues.-Sun.
10am-6pm. District IX, lli t 33-37. Tel.
(+36-1) 456-5107. www.imm.hu
OF ETHNOGRAPHY: Covering traditional customs and clothing. Images and
Gypsies Images of Gypsies runs until 20
August. The exhibition I was a humble filmmaker on Lszl Keszi Kovcs (1908-2012)
runs until 1 September. Vmnd 1916-1920,
photographs by a village teacher, runs until 8
September. History in Photographs of Danube
Schwabians runs until 8 September. The exhibition on Finnish Ryijy textiles between 1707
and 2012 runs until 5 January. Open Tues.Sun. 10am-6pm. District V, Kossuth Lajos tr
12. Tel. (+36-1) 473-2400. www.neprajz.hu

MUSEUM

MUSEUM OF BUDA: Permanent exhibition on

buda Three faces of a town. The temporary
exhibition So the last will be the first. The
Salesian Wonder runs until 8 September.
District III, F tr 1. Open Tuesday-Sunday
10am-6pm. Telephone (+36-1) 250-1020.
www.obudaimuzeum.hu

MUSEUM

OF TRANSPORT: Covering the

history of road and rail transport in Hungary.
The aerospace collection is in the nearby
Petfi Csarnok (Zichy Mihly u. 3). Open
Tues.-Fri. 10am-4pm, and Sat.-Sun. 10am5pm. District XIV, Vrosligeti krt 11. Tel.
(+36-1) 273-3840. www.mmkm.hu

NAGYTTNYI CASTLE MUSEUM: Eighteenthcentury castle restored to former splendour

featuring a permanent exhibition on the art of
furniture making from the Gothic to the
Biedermeier. Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm.
District XXII, Kastlypark u. 9-11. Tel. (+36-1)
207-0005. www.nagytetenyi.hu

and telecommunications history. District VI,

Benczr utca 27. Open Tuesday-Sunday
10am-6pm. Tel. (+36-1) 269-6838. www.postamuzeum.hu/indexa.html

STAMP MUSEUM: Items from around the world.

Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District VII,
Hrsfa utca 47. Tel. (+36-1) 341-5526.
www.belyegmuzeum.hu

UNDERGROUND

RAILWAY

MUSEUM:

Commemorates the continents first underground train line, the Fldalatti, which opened
in 1896 (now Metro 1, the yellow line). In an
original stretch of the tunnel at Dek tr metro
station in District V. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 461-6500. www.bkv.hu

ZELNIK ISTVN SOUTHEAST ASIAN GOLD

MUSEUM: Collected by a diplomat/businessman over 45 years. Open Mon. 9am-6pm,
Tues.-Sun. 9am-7pm (Fri. and Sat. till 9pm).
District VI, Andrssy t. 110. Tel. (+36) 30 2507210. www.zelnik-collection.com

GALLERIES
ACB GALLERY: The exhibition Sense of Time
by Gyula Vrnai is open until 26 July. Open
Tues.-Fri. 2pm-6pm or by appointment. District
VI, Kirly u. 76. Tel. (+36-1) 413-7608.
www.acbgaleria.hu

BLINT HOUSE: The exhibition Chipped Mirror

by Dniel Fehr runs until 31 August. Open
daily 9am-8pm. District VI, Rvay u. 16. Tel.
(+36-1) 311-9214. www.balinthaz.hu

BARABS VILLA GALLERY: The exhibition by

Andrs Vrkonyi runs until 13 July. Open Mon.Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-12noon. District XII,
Vrosmajor u. 44. Tel. (+36-1) 457-0501.
http://www.hegytortenet.hu/galeria

DEK ERIKA GALRIA: The exhibition Why do

not you say hello ever again? by Alexander
Tinei runs until 3 August. Open Wed.-Fri.
12noon-6pm and Sat. 11am-4pm. District VI,
Mozsr u. 1. Tel. (+36-1) 201-3740. www.deakgaleria.hu

DOVIN GALLERY: The collective exhibition My

Little Cloud runs until 31 August. Open Tues.-

Fri. 12noon-6pm and Sat. 11am-3pm. District V,

Galamb u. 6. Tel. (+36-1) 318-3659.
www.dovingallery.com/

ERNST MUSEUM: The exhibition On the

Shore by Eszter Csurka runs until 28 July.
Open daily 11am-7pm except Mon. District
VI, Nagymez u. 8. Tel. (+36-1) 413-1311.
www.ernstmuzeum.hu
HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY: Hungarian
Art Photography in the New Millennium is
open until 28 July. The exhibition Monet,
Gauguin, Szinyei Merse, Rippl-Rnai runs
until 13 October. Open daily 10am-6pm
except Mon. Wings B, C and D of the Royal
Palace. District I, Szent Gyrgy tr 2. Tel.
(+36) 20 439-7325 or (+36) 20 439-7331.
www.mng.hu

KASSK MUSEUM (BRANCH OF PETFI

LITERARY MUSEUM): Mainly works of Lajos

games of skill and tarmac painting,

do arts and crafts, go for a ride with
the small railway or sit in a basket
swing.
Each weekend has a theme. From
this Friday to Sunday everything will
revolve around beers made by small
brewers, such as the Fti, Lehmann,
Bors and Hopfanataic brewers.
Visitors can taste the best Hungarian
products, presented personally by
the brewers. Entry is free.

The ticket
Gastro Picnic and Night Market
Millenris Park
12 to 14 July, 9am to 11pm. The
special weekends end on 20 August.
District II. Fny utca 20-22
www.millenaris.hu
www.facebook.com/gasztropiknik

VAM DESIGN CENTRE: The 3D exhibition of

paintings by Van Gogh runs until 30 November.
Open daily 9am-6pm. District VI, Kirly u. 26.
Tel. (+36-1) 666-3100. www.vamdesign.hu

VASARELY MUSEUM: Large permanent collection of works by Hungarian-French artist Victor

Vasarely, the founder of op art. The exhibition
Grauwinkel Collection, Berlin Concrete Art
1982-2012 runs until 1 September. Open daily
10am-5.30pm except Mon. District III,
Szentllek tr 6. Tel. (+36-1) 388-7551.
www.vasarely.hu

VZIVROSI GALLERY: The exhibition

Paintings, Collages by va Sebk, Katalin
Szkelyi and Lszl Ott is open until 24 July.
Open Tues.-Fri. 1-6pm, Sat. 10am-2pm. District
II, Kaps u. 55. Tel. (+36-1) 201-6925.
www.vizivarosigaleria.hu

Kassk (1887-1967), leading figure of the

Hungarian avant-garde. The exhibition MADI
Universe 20 Years of the Mobile MADI
Museum is open until 8 September. District
III, F tr 1 (Zichy House). Open Wed.-Sun.
10am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1)
368-7021.
www.kassakmuzeum.hu

LUDWIG CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM

(PALACE OF ARTS): Pieter Hugo This Must
Be The Place, Selected Works 2003-2012 runs
until 11 August. The Other Half of the Sky.
Selection from the Ludwig Museums
Collection is open until 1 January. Open Tues.Sun. 10am-6pm. On the last Sunday each
month entrance is free for visitors under 26,
and up to two adult relatives accompanying a
child under 18. District XI, Komor Marcell u 1.
Tel. (+36-1) 555-3444 www.lumu.hu

MAI MAN (HUNGARIAN HOUSE OF

PHOTOGRAPHY): Shows works by Hungarian
and foreign photographers. The exhibition
Codes of Reality/Observations/Relations,
Series by twelve young photographers from
the recent past is open until 22 September.
Open weekdays 2-7pm, weekends 11am7pm. District VI, Nagymez u. 20. Tel. (+36.1)
473-2666. www.maimano.hu

MAMU GALLERY: The exhibition Art =

Survival runs until 2 August. Open Wed. and
Fri. 2pm-6pm or by appointment. District VII,
Damjanich u. 39 (entrance from Murnyi u.).
Tel. (+36) 30 308-9549. www.mamu.hu
MOLNR ANI GALLERY: The exhibition
Syntax of Parallels by Tanja Koljonen, Gyrgy
Szsz and Beatrix Szrnyi is open until 6
September. Open Tues.-Fri. 12noon-6pm.
District VIII, Brdy Sndor u. 22. Tel. (+36-1)
327-0095. www.molnaranigaleria.hu
MCSARNOK/KUNSTHALLE: The exhibition
Reading Log by Veronika Jakatics-Szab
runs until 8 August. Art lives! by Tams
Krsnyi runs until 8 September. District
XIV, Dzsa Gyrgy t 37. Open Tues.-Sun.
10am-6pm except Thurs.12pm-8pm. Tel.
(+36-1) 460-7000. www.mucsarnok.hu
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: Huge collection of
Hungarian and international paintings. The
exhibition of photographs by Helmut Newton
runs until 14 July. The exhibition Egon
Schiele and his Age runs until 29 September.
Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon. (ticket
office closes at 4.30pm). Ticket desk open
Tues.-Sun. 10am-5pm, and on second
Thursdays until 9pm with a Museum + events
ticket. District XIV, Hsk tere. Tel. (+36-1)
469-7100. www.szepmuveszeti.hu
STUDIO GALLERY: The exhibition Here
comes the folk science! by Tams Kaszs
and Anik Lornt runs until 30 July. Open
Tues., Thu. and Fri. 10am-6pm, Wed.
12noon-8pm. District VII Rottenbiller u. 35.
Tel. (+36-1) 342-5380. www.studio.c3.hu

A FRIEND IN NEED
A FRIEND IN DEED
The Suspended Coffee movement
allows you to buy a warm
beverage or food in advance
for someone in need.
There are more than 100 participating
restaurants, cafs, service providers
etc. that are identified by this sticker on
the door, making it easy for anyone
who wishes to pay forward an item.
The list of businesses can be found on
the Facebook page of Suspended
Coffee Magyarorszg.
See an article on the movement here in
Hungary at http://tinyurl.com/csqtskx

12 JULY 18 JULY 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

15

E A T I N G O UT

V. Zoltn u. 16
(next to Szabadsg tr)
Reservations:
331-4352

BZT/File (2)

...then call Rob

on 06-30-552-0840
or visit
www.primecuts.hu

Worth its weight in gold

Review: Arany Kavir, District I
BNDICTE WILLIAMS

Arany Kaviar Restaurant

Lunchtime traditional Russian Bistro:
5.900 Ft (20 EUR) - 3-course lunch with 1 glas (1dl) of wine,
mineral water and coffee!
Every day from 12pm to 3pm!

1015 Budapest, Ostrom u. 19 Open every day: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-12am

Tel.: (+36 1) 201 6737
reservation@aranykaviar.hu www.aranykaviar.hu

To advertise in
THE BUDAPEST TIMES
BUDAPESTER ZEITUNG
RESTAURANTS

call 453-0752

here arent many representatives of

Russian cuisine in Budapest, in part
because this cuisine is perhaps difficult to
define, perhaps also because it suffers
from an ingredient-related image
problem compared to other national cuisines represented in the city.
One of the very few exceptions to this statement is
Arany Kavir (Golden Caviar), which tackles these two
problems by, first, adopting a fairly lax, geopolitically
controversial definition of Russian (Ukrainian and
Georgian also feature on the
menu) and, second, shining in its
selection of ingredients to such
an extent that it is possible, for
instance, to choose such otherwise under-inspiring dishes as
marinated herring salad with
eyes closed and guaranteed satisfaction.
At this point, and in the
interest of transparency, it should
be noted that there is no connection between these lines and the
fact that Arany Kavir is one of
this newspapers long-term
advertising partners.
With quality often comes price
and this establishment is in line
with the rule, coming in as one of
the more expensive restaurants
in town. Reassuringly, it also
comes with a distinct feeling of
opulence carried through by the
heavy draperies covering walls,
tables and chairs, and the attentive but not overbearing service (admittedly also occasionally belied by the choice of tinned Slavic pop and
electronically-enhanced reworkings of eastern classics).
Weather permitting, the small courtyard at the back
- part canopied patio and part lawn, flowers and
kitchen herbs - helps bring down the solemnity a notch
while retaining the levels of elegance and quality.
Dining options are regularly changed, reasonably
varied and more often than not structured in menus caviar menu, fish menu, with or without wine or vodka
recommendations, though these are also available a la
carte. Come lunchtime the price bracket is notched
downwards somewhat with the inclusion of a Russian
bistro menu, a three- or four-course menu for a fixed
price including water, a glass of wine and coffee.
Past the appetiser (a small, olive-encrusted roll of soft
goats cheese with raspberries and cherry tomatoes on
a fresh-tasting bed of peas) and the helping of homemade flatbread (special mention for the accompanying
coins of plain and herby butter), starters included at
this point herring with variations on the theme of
cucumber (pickled, raw and so on) that well fitted the
description provided in the introduction above.
Soup (borscht, solyanka, and bears garlic with smoked
duck breast) was passed over this time in favour of
heading straight for mains, in this case simple, light,
harmoniously prepared trout, speckled with black sea
salt and served with a variety of marrow textures - some

grated, some cubed and some stuffed miniatures - a lot

of dill and some mayonnaise-inspired sauce.
Widening options, as well as portion size and price
bracket, a la carte also serves up some delicious combinations of Slavic and seasonal ingredients. The platter
of marinated and smoked fishes (trout, herring, salmon,
with a few salty, pop-in-the-mouth salmon roe) is at once
simple and perfect. A touch of mascarpone (not all of
which is necessary) and a few dots of wasabi-strength
green are the only distraction from the succulent fish.
Duck breast and liver, the first well but not overcooked, the other soft and melting, and both seared
and slightly sweet on the outside, are served for mains
on a blanket of carrot puree enlivened by baby carrots
and concentrated blobs of elderflower jelly. The pair of small,
rounded, fried dumplings is less
exciting but does not detract too
much from the main action,
which is well harmonised and
bursting with flavour.
Come dessert time Arany
Kavir often falls a little short of
the standards it sets for itself in
the savoury section. Like the
menus coffee-flavoured medavik
cake or the a la cartes chocolate
cake with its high cocoa content
well offset by mango jelly, desserts
here tend to lack the little creative
spark that turns something very
good into something worth
committing to memory. But they
are still that: very good and, with
the wine (international list,
sommelier advice on hand),
coffee, vodkas, champagnes, kvass
(fermented rye bread drink) and
other optional add-ons available,
contribute to fulfilling all expectations.
Unlike other lunch-menu places in Budapest that
adopt a speed-based approach to serving (not, in itself,
a bad thing for busy tourists or office workers), Arany
Kavir functions on a more leisurely reading of the
clock. On a carefree day, with the sun shining and a
well-dressed table displaying attractive dishes, it makes
for one of Budapests most pleasant - if expensive dining options.

Price points
Starters and soups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 1,890-3,950
Mains: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 3,900-14,900
Desserts:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 1,850-2,500
Caviar:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from HUF 4,900
Lunch menu:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 5,900-6,900
Other menus: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from HUF 12,900

Arany Kavir
District 1, Ostrom u. 19
Open daily, 12noon-3pm and 6pm-midnight
Tel. (+36-1) 201-6737, 227-7370
www.aranykaviar.hu

16

12 July 18 July 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

WHAT LIES BENEATH

Jobbik cracks a yoke

WILLIAM LOWER

have always been somewhat suspicious

of people or organisations with no
sense of humour. With the exception of
puns and toilet jokes, a sense of
humour is often a reliable sign that a
person (or collectively, an organisation),
commands an above-room-temperature IQ.
Perhaps this apparent lack of humour has
been at the root of my uneasiness with Jobbik &
Co. However, I am the first to admit when I am
wrong, and it seems, like so many others, I have
fallen into the trap of taking Jobbik seriously
when it would appear they are simply struggling
comedians in search of a stand-up routine.
During the last election when Jobbiks head
of PR had to resign after photographs emerged
of him having a gay old time at Torontos Gay
Pride festival, I took it seriously. I thought,
Seriously?
When a Jobbik MP announced he was going

Jobbik no more: Csand Szegedi has since embraced

his Jewish heritage.

to resign after it was discovered that there was

Jewish blood in his family (and therefore him),
I took it seriously. I thought, Seriously?
Little did I know these events were Jobbiks
attempt to break into the crowded world of
comedy.

Dyings easy, comedys hard

It was only recently I realised they were
joking. I came to this realisation when Jobbik
MP Zsolt Nmeth announced he was proposing
to Parliament that Hungary grant Edward
Snowden political asylum. Thats when I
realised Jobbik wasnt serious, they were just
having fun with us.
For those not up on Americas most-wanted,
Snowden is at the top of the list. He is the
computer programmer who blew the whistle on
Americas covert activities on its own people
and anyone else living and breathing on planet
earth. There is a warrant for Snowdens arrest
on charges of espionage and other sundry
offences.
At the time of this writing, Snowden remains
in the transit area of the Moscow airport, and
Russia, never one to miss giving a back-hand to
the United States, has refused to hand him over.
The thought of Hungary granting Snowden
asylum is hilarious. Move over Saturday Night
Live, here comes Jobbik! Cant you just see the
stand-up comedy now? Maybe Jobbik & Co. are
planning on doing a David Letterman-esque
Top Ten Reasons Why Hungary Should Grant
Snowden Asylum routine.
Ill play that game. Boy, who ever knew those

Comedian of the day: Jobbiks Zsolt Nmeth

Jobbik folks could be so much fun? I have

totally misunderstood. OK, here are the
reasons:
Since everyone would be talking about it, now
dumb blondes on game shows will know that
Hungary is a country and not a physical craving
for food.
No one will any longer think Bucharest is the
capital of Hungary.
The forint would tank again, just when speculators thought there was no more money to be
made on Hungarys demise.
Hungary could rescind the asylum and then
sell Snowden in exchange for foreign aid, the
same kind given to countries in Africa.
This would finally put Hungarian foreign
policy on the world stage.
Hungary would now have a replacement for

the Red Bull Air Show: watching American F35s do low-altitude fly-overs. Fully armed.
Snowdens second cousins great-great-grandfather was half Hungarian so we wouldnt be
just giving him asylum but citizenship, too.
All the Americans would have to leave
Hungary but we could keep all their money.
Couldnt we?
After the Americans leave we could nationalise McDonalds and Burger King. And run
them the same way we ran an airline.
Americans cant get warships up the Danube
so why not grant Snowden asylum?
Hungary can get cosy with Russia again.
Hungary needs to improve its IT capabilities.
So why not start with the programmer Edward
Snowden?
Yes, I know. I have stated 12 reasons for the
Top Ten Reasons. Call it Jobbik maths.

Seriously, folks
Or is the joke that finally the US would take
Hungary seriously? Giving Snowden asylum
would show the Americans a thing or two,
wouldnt it? Or maybe the joke would be that
Jobbik would see using Snowden as a
bargaining chip for re-instating Hungarys preTrianon borders. The comedy routines on
Hungary offering Snowden asylum are almost
endless. Kind of like Jobbik speeches at rallies.
One thing is certain: those wonderful folks at
Jobbik & Co. sure know how to crack a joke. Or
is it lay an egg?
Go cult. Be a follower. www.ThreeYearsOnMars.com

FAITH MATTERS

Love never fails when faithfulness is blessed

BRADLEY BELCHER

Wholly Matrimony Part VI

hey met during the

Great Depression while spend time with the candy makers so
they both worked at a he could memorise how they were
candy factory in Saint making the product. To do so he
Joseph,
Missouri. couldnt let on to them what he was
George was a hard-working, tall, doing. He wouldnt be able to take
window washer with a winsome smile, notes or ask too many questions. It all
and she was a Midwestern beauty who needed to take place secretly.
served faithfully as one of the
Slowly George memorised all the
companys secretaries. It wasnt long candy-making formulas and it wasnt
before they had fallen in love with long until he started working his way
each other. They began attending the up the promotional ladder. Within a
Baptist church together as their love few years he was vice-president of the
grew. A little later they were married whole company.
in the church. They had their whole
As George climbed the corporate
lives in front of them. They were so in ladder, he did the same on the leadlove. Everything was looking up.
ership ladder of their church. In a
As they began their life together, few years their family began to grow
they became very involved in their too with the birth of two boys and a
church and their work. She
girl. Georges wife was a very
loved helping out at the
devoted follower of
In
church and George
Christ. She was so
her mind it was
loved working at the
proud
of
the
factory. Early on in
just a matter of time husband God had
his career the
given her. To her
before God would start it seemed that
owner of the
c o m p a n y
dealing with her wayward whatever George
approached him
his hand to
husband. She was afraid put
with an imporhe was blessed
tant project. The that George would lose all of with great succcandy makers at
his favour from God and that ess.
the plant were
Leaving the
the only ones from here on everything
who knew how to
would become very diffifaith behind
make the candy.
cult for them as he
From time to time
And then it
they would try to use
came under the
happened. One day
this knowledge to
discipline of the
George came home
their benefit. Whenfrom a church business
ever the candy makers
Lord.
meeting. It was clear that he
werent happy with their pay
was very upset and frustrated. As
or benefits they would threaten to
he looked into the eyes of his faithful
walk out.
bride he proclaimed: There are
Climbing the ladder
more honest men in the world than
in that church. Im never going
Because of this, the owner back.
approached George and asked him to
Her heart sank as she heard his

words. He had vowed to never to go

to their church with her again. He
was disgusted with the men of the
church and was determined to walk
away from his faith.
She knew the Scriptures well. She
knew what was in store for the
Christian backslider. In the Book of
Hebrews are the words: For those
whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
and He scourges every son whom He
receives.
In her mind it was just a matter of
time before God would start dealing
with her wayward husband. She was
afraid that George would lose all of
his favour from God and that from
here on everything would become
very difficult for them as he came
under the discipline of the Lord.
So she began to pray for her
husband. She prayed that God would
discipline George gently and that he
would soon turn back to Christ.
Instead, George just worked all the
harder as he threw himself into the
work at the factory. He began taking
lots of business trips, sometimes for
weeks at a time. There was more and
more alcohol in the house. Now she
was basically left on her own to raise
the children.

Measures of success
However, in Georges world instead
of bad things happening he just
continued to climb the corporate
ladder. He eventually became a
nationally recognised candy manufacturing consultant. Major candy
makers from across the country called
on his expertise.
For 25 years she prayed for her
husband and nothing happened. She
was all alone in her faith and she was
all alone in her marriage to a man

who had become a workaholic. He

was more married to the company
than he was to her.

household. She specifically held on

to the phrase you and your household.

The power of prayer

Finally, 25 years after his

announcement to never attend
Labour of love
church, George came home
from a business trip, walked
She
But over the years
into the house and
she remained faithful
asked: What time is
began praying
to him. She raised
church tomorrow? I
for Georges salvatheir children, she
was saved this
did his laundry
tion. She claimed the week. She was
and she made
and
verse from the Book of Acts astonished
his meals with
she watched with
all the love she
where the apostle Paul had further amazehad.
She
as he
told the jailer at Philippi: ment
began to wonwalked over to
der if God Believe in the Lord Jesus, the
drink
would
ever
and you will be saved, you cabinet and
intervene and
poured it all
and your household. She down the drain.
bring George
back to Himself.
specifically held on to the God had truly
Then she finally
saved her husband
phrase you and your and restored their
had a realisation.
She thought that
marriage.
household.
maybe she was praying
In their remaining
for the wrong thing in her
years they walked together
husbands life. She had
with Christ as they redeemed
thought that surely God would deal the years that had been lost. God had
with her believing husband. God said blessed her faithfulness. God also
that He would discipline those who blessed her with children and grandwere His. Then it occurred to her, children who all followed Christ.
maybe George didnt belong to God Many are in full-time Christian
after all. Maybe George wasnt a son ministry to this day.
whom God had received. Maybe
Ultimately it was the love of Christ
George had never been a Christian at that had made all the difference.
all. She assumed that since he Through Gods love, God had
attended church with her in the early preserved their marriage, protected
days he was a true believer, but maybe their children and saved Georges
he had never put his faith and trust in soul. The Bible is right: Love never
Jesus Christ at all.
fails.
She immediately changed her
prayers. She began praying for Reverend Bradley S. Belcher is the
Georges salvation. She claimed the senior pastor with the International
verse from the Book of Acts where the Baptist Church of Budapest, www.ibcbuapostle Paul had told the jailer at dapest.org. Should you have a question or
Philippi: Believe in the Lord Jesus, comment regarding this column, email
and you will be saved, you and your editor@bzt.hu.