Hungary in the news - via HVG
Istvan Stumpf on Gyurcsany's reshuffleon Feb 18, 2008 via HVG Istvan Stumpf reckons Ferenc Gyurcsany has done a deal with Peter Kiss. Tibor Draskovics, whose performance and communication skills have been poor, had to leave the Prime Minister's office. He had to swap his non-portfolio position with the justice portfolio, where his task will be to speed up the process of drafting new laws, according to Istvan Stumpf, who was chancery minister in the Orban government.See details
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Laszlo Lengyel: China's imperial centuryon Feb 18, 2008 via HVG If the 20th century belonged to America, the 21st will be China's. This will be the case even if China does not defeat America economically, politically, nor - let us hope - militarily, and only succeeds in counterbalancing it as a world power. To quote from Csaba Gombar, the development of the world follows the sun, passing from the Greeks to Latin Europe, thence to England, then to America's east coast, then to its west coast. And now it has reached Asia.See details
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European nations on YouTubeon Feb 13, 2008 via HVG What face do nations show if you run YouTube searches on them in English? Hvg.hu looked at this, examining the portrayal of 35 different European nations. (SzSee details
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Magyar Garda leaders with criminal convictionson Feb 12, 2008 via HVG In the past few days, the chief prosecutor has made a court application for the banning of the Magyar Garda Cultural and Traditionalist Group. The court has not yet named a date for the hearing, allowing the group which established the Magyar Garda to mount a counter-attack.See details
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How to steal at the airporton Feb 12, 2008 via HVG Airport passengers may have to pass through tight security screening, but the luggage they check in can easily end up as swag for thieves. Even though Budapest Airport and the company that handles luggage claim that checked baggage is closely monitored, in reality dishonest staff can easily game the system.See details
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Laszlo Keller and the Torokbalint defeaton Jan 23, 2008 via HVG The Socialist Laszlo Keller first came to public attention as state secretary for public finances in charge of the 'glass pockets' accountability programme. He was elected a Budapest MP in spring 2006 and later mayor of Torokbalint as well. Last Sunday, he lost to the Fidesz candidate in a by-election. We asked him what lessons he had learned.See details
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Born in 1989on Jan 16, 2008 via HVG An abandoned generation? Pragmatic? Calculating? Apolitical? Streetwise? Uncultivated? For older generations, the arrival of the next often represents some kind of end - something is lost with the new generation. But of course the new generation is just different. hvg.hu spoke to sociologists, teachers and cultural studies researchers about the generation born at the time of the regime change as its members prepare to enter adulthood.See details
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Constitutional confusionon Jan 14, 2008 via HVG Only a constitutional amendment can put an end to the legal confusion around the referendum initiatives - as has been proven once again by the battles surrounding the institution of a referendum to confirm a law.See details
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Are police officers being recruited into the Magyar Gardaon Jan 10, 2008 via HVG A police officers' association has asked police to support the Magyar Garda, hvg.hu has learned. The call was made by the Action Ready Hungarian Police Union (TMRSZ). Jozsef Bencze, the national police chief, discusses the affair in his interview with HVG in today's edition. Judit Szima, the TMRSZ's general secretary, has denied issuing any such call, and calls the affair a provocation.See details
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Battle on all fronts against the healthcare reformson Jan 09, 2008 via HVG An umbrella grouping of 33 civil society organisations calling itself the Hungarian Social Forum-Social Roundtable is planning a fight on many fronts to prevent the new healthcare law from coming into force in January 2009. Legal challenges, referendum campaigns and popular movements all feature on the agenda.See details
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The police most wanted liston Jan 09, 2008 via HVG Hungary's wanted top 100 list gives little away in comparison with similar lists in other countries. In the US and in other European countries, police offer more information about criminals on the loose. The Hungarian list does not even say what crime an individual is being sought for.See details
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On not getting on - Romania and Hungaryon Jan 03, 2008 via HVG A Romanian film won the Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival. Something's happening in our neighbour's cultural life which has attracted the whole of Europe's attention. But what do we know of this in Hungary? Why do we still have prejudices about Romania? Something is missing from our picture. And the same goes for Romanians' views of Hungary. hvg.hu spoke to Boroka Paraszka, editor of a newspaper in Marosvasarhely (Targa Mures) in Romania.See details
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The fourth metro delayed againon Jan 03, 2008 via HVG Now even Gabor Demszky, the mayor of Budapest, has accepted that the project to build a fourth metro line is in "real difficulties." Hidepito, one of the contractors and a subsidiary of France's Vinci Construction, has announced that the station on Fovam ter will be finished a year later than promised.See details
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Waiting until 2008 to sell a flaton Jan 02, 2008 via HVG It matters whether you have to pay tax on a flat you sell after a few years at a gain of a few million forints. Timing is important, since from January, rules on personal income tax and value added tax are changing with respect to real estate sales.See details
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The new Fidesz manifesto: the same, with us, next yearon Dec 13, 2007 via HVG The government is following the "Putin model," says Fidesz, which claims in its new manifesto to want a "western-style" democracy. Fidesz officials are reluctant to believe their party is truly as popular as the opinion polls show. They think it is a trick, allowing their opponents to laugh as their support levels dwindle from the beginning of next year.See details
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Takacs's changing moodson Nov 29, 2007 via HVG Once, Albert Takacs was a defender of citizens' rights. Now, he is minister for justice and public order. His view on the journalists reporting on the demonstrations who were arrested by the police changed overnight.See details
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Peter Hack: Make the justice system accountable!on Nov 29, 2007 via HVG The past days have seen yet another failure for the Hungarian justice system. It took 11 years for the Energol story, then the biggest oil scandal of thee century, to be concluded at the end of the 1990s with acquittals or light sentences for the accused. After the Tocsik and Postabank affairs, a cynical observer could be forgiven for assuming that things would end in this way.See details
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"Whoever loses has to open up to the other side"on Nov 26, 2007 via HVG Failure in the European Parliament elections would not bring the Romanian government down, according to Attila Korodi, the 30-year-old Romanian enviornment minister. One of his main tasks, he says, is to interdict the cyanized gold mining that has already poisoned the river Tisza once.See details
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"All my predecessors have been demonised."on Nov 16, 2007 via HVG We have no financial demands, but we need to see questions, Erika Steinbach, the 64-year-old head of the Association of German Deportees, told HVG. She was speaking in advance of a conference to be held in the Hungarian parliament this week.See details
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Laszlo Lengyel: What's brewing in the reformers' kitchen?on Nov 16, 2007 via HVG Angela Merkel is showing us the way. Don't start unless your ready. Don't do something unless you understand it. Don't believe that you can have your way with the people like Frederick the Great or Joseph II. Work not for the outside world or for the media, but for your own society, your own voters. Have clear goals, and debate those, seeking compromise. Don't pose as an orator, don't promise enormous changes. Work for steady progress.See details
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