Diplomacy & Trade 2011 October - November

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ivan gasparovic

Pal Schmitt

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hungaRy

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Vaclav Klaus

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EASTERN PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT IN WARSAW PAGE 5

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UNITED STATES FOCUS

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WITTY LEAKS: LEARNING HUNGARIAN

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT PAGES 18-22

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POLITICAL ANALYSIS: A TRANSATLATIC COMMUNITY?

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EGER TOURISM

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IN VINO DIPLOMACY

> “NOTHING MAKES ME MORE PROUD THAN LOOKING OUT OF MY OFFICE WINDOW EVERY MORNING AND SEEING THE AMERICAN FLAG FLYING. For a first-generation American, to serve my country in this capacity is a tremendous honor,” the Ambassador of the United States of America to Hungary, Eleni TsakopoulosKounalakis tells Diplomacy and Trade. She adds that it was really her husband who wanted to come to Hungary as he covered the political and economic changes in this region for Newsweek magazine from 1989. “He was sure that we would love it here and we do,” she states. Her objectives are “the same as those of President Obama as I serve here as his personal representative. Better understanding, better cooperation and better communication are at the core of his relations with the whole of Europe.”

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CAPRICE Jewelry Center celebrates its 10th anniversary in Hungary in an extraordinary way. On this occasion, the company is providing an opportunity for a new generation of Hungarian photographers to introduce and present themselves, thereby further strengthening Caprice’s activity of corporate social responsibility.

TEN

CAPRICE - MOME PHOTO CONTEST

Mátyássy Jónás

At the Photography Department of the Moholy-Nagy University, Caprice has announced a tender, entitled ‘TEN’, for image photography about a selected item of the “CAPRICE 10 Years Collection”, a diamond-pearl pendant. The winner will be announced in the next issue of Diplomacy and Trade. You can follow the contest at www.dteurope.com.

HUF 1710, EUR 6

Poland

united States of America

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w w w. c a p r i c e . c o. h u

Bronislaw Komorowski

CzeCh RePuBliC

Visegrad Summit > THE PRESIDENTS OF THE VISEGRAD FOUR (V4) group made up of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia met on October 9-10 in Hungary, concluding a two-day summit in Visegrad, just north of Budapest, where the cooperation alliance was established twenty years earlier. The alliance has achieved its original goal, the Euro-Atlantic integration of its members, and the efficient form of cooperation had remained in place afterwards, the presidents said. All sides were in agreement that the V4 should play an active role in the Danube Strategy and the Baltic Sea Strategy.

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Apple Lost Jobs > IN HIS OBITUARY, THE COMPANY DECLARED:"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER > ALTHOUGH, THE EVENTS OF RECENT WEEKS AND MONTHS have also heavily influenced the American economy, still – as President Obama said –, “this is the United States” and it will for some time remain the world's leading economic power. The October-November issue of Diplomacy&Trade focuses on Hungary’s relations with this world power.

You can read about issues like the activity of the American Chamber of Commerce, Hungarian-American cooperation in law enforcement and in training would-be entrepreneurs. Let me take the opportunity here to thank the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, H.E. Eleni TsakopoulosKounalakis for the in-depth interview on the major aspects of bilateral relations and the helpful embassy staff for their cooperation.

The magazine’s industry focus is on information technology, which we plan to maintain an eye on continuously. We review the state of the industry, information technology trends and how the way we live, work and interact with each other will be affected.

Also in this issue, you will find a report on the Eastern Partnership Summit and an analysis on the transatlantic relations between the U.S. and the European Union, while our tourism section takes you to Eger and a nearby vineyard where foreign diplomats took part in the grape harvest. In the cultural field, we have an article on this year’s traditional National Gallop event. As we go to press, world events again take the spotlight, the capture and death of Muammar Gaddafi opens the door for the Libyan people to realize their dreams of a better future and will, no doubt, stir debate as to why and how his actions where tolerated for so long. With elections around the corner in Tunisia, we look forward to see democracy in action.

AT THE SUMMIT, THE FOUR PRESIDENTS (Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic, Pal Schmitt of Hungary, Ivan Gasparovic of Slovakia and Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland) said the alliance had achieved its original goal, the Euro-Atlantic integration of its members, but the efficient form of cooperation also remained. Pal Schmitt was of the view that the V4 countries had been less affected by the economic crisis than big western European states, because "these countries were used to belt tightening. Nearly all western European states must make serious efforts to beat the crisis, not only Greece," Schmitt said. Vaclav Klaus pointed out the Visegrad Four alliance had “strengthened friendship” between the countries. Bronislaw Komorowski stressed the V4 had to stay efficient in the future, too, so the alliance could represent their joint interests in the European Union, while Ivan Gasparovic said that the V4 should emphasize what ties them together and not what makes its members different.

And don’t forget our slogan: monthly in print and daily on the web: www.dteurope.com

Peter Freed PUBLISHER

GILAD SHALIT FREED

Send requests and inquiries to Duax Kft. 1034 Budapest, Bécsi út 60.

Telephone [+36-70] 320-3051 Fax [+36-1] 350-5660 Email editor@dteurope.com Advertising adsales@dteurope.com

> LIBYA'S EX-LEADER COLONEL MUAMMAR GADDAFI was killed after an assault on his birthplace of Sirte, officials of the Libyan National Transition Council stated on October 20th. The death was announced by acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril who later said the colonel had been killed in crossfire between Gaddafi loyalists and fighters from the transitional authorities. He confirmed that Colonel Gaddafi had been taken alive, but died of bullet wounds minutes before reaching hospital. Video footage suggests he was also dragged through the streets. Colonel Gaddafi was toppled from power in August after 42 years in charge of the country.

Palazzo Dorottya

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GADDAFI DEAD

Getty Images/Israeli Defense Force, tunisie-actu.com, David Harangozo

> GILAD SHALIT OF THE ISRAELI ARMY was freed from five years in Palestinian captivity in Gaza after Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas agreed on a deal under which more than a thousand Palestinians would also be released. He was taken to the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and handed over to Egyptian mediators by Hamas, in the presence of Israeli representatives. Sergeant Shalit, 25, was greeted by cheering crowds as he arrived back in his northern hometown of Mitzpe Hila.

Anniversary Visegrad Summit C O U N T I N U E D F R O M F R O N T PA G E >

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POZNAN-BUDAPEST 1956 EXHIBITION AN EXHIBITION ENTITLED ‘EXECUTED CITIES. POZNAN BUDAPEST 1956’ WAS OPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER in the aula of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry by State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Ivan Baba and the Polish Ambassador to Hungary, Robert Kowalski.

Poland expert Ivan Baba, former Hungarian ambassador to Poland, said in his opening speech that “the events of 1956, during the common history, expressed – perhaps in the most dramatic way – the spiritual affinity between the two nations what we call the social and human values. It is, therefore, our shared responsibility to remember the Polish and Hungarian parallels of history, the strong solidarity linking the two nations, thereby preserving the memory of our heroes of 1956.�

He added that Poznan – like Budapest – indicated “to the domestic and foreign tyrants that patience had run out, and there were no more illusions after the bloody war and Stalinist terror, real changes were needed. There is no doubt that without the intervention of a foreign power, the changes would have actually occurred. In Budapest and Poznan, people protested for bread but also demanded freedom.�

Ivan Baba pointed out that following the fall of the communist regimes in both countries, the memory of the Hungarian and Polish events of '56 can now be freely recalled. “At the same time, the sight of the ‘executed cities’ remind us that freedom should be safeguarded and protected,� he concluded.

The exhibition can be visited in the Metropolitan Ervin Szabo Library in Budapest until November 5.

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ERSTE BANK TO MOVE DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FROM HUNGARY ERSTE GROUP WILL NOT INVEST RESOURCES EARMARKED FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN HUNGARY. It will, however, ensure sufficient capital for capital adequacy and liquidity to its Hungarian unit, Erste Group chairman-CEO Andreas Treichl said. "We will not allow such an adversarial economic policy - that causes Hungary serious harm - to drive us out," Andreas Treichl pointed out in an interview with the Hungarian business news web site Napi Online at the end of September. He also stressed that Erste remains a partner for its customers in Hungary; it will not withdraw from the

country and will protect the interest of its depositors. Hungary's government is making banks shoulder the costs of an early repayment scheme for foreign currency-denominated loans at a discounted exchange rate. The "hostile" economic policy measures of the Hungarian government may "turn investors away" from the country and investments in the region may be taken to the Czech Republic, Romania or Slovakia instead, he said. Due to the above, Erste will take its development funds elsewhere, the CEO said, adding that Erste’s Hungarian subsidiary will always receive the funding necessary for a solid capital adequacy ratio and sufficient liquidity, not that the bank would need such assistance now.

As of 1 October, Erste Bank Hungary does not accept loan agreements via brokers and the bank's lending products are only be available directly at is branches. Treichl, however, said Erste wants to maintain its strategic ties to Magyar Posta, Vienna Insurance Group and the Hungarian insurer ING Biztosito. <

BRIDGEWALK 2011 OCTOBER IS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worldwide. Accordingly, more attention is turned on to health prevention. The annual Bridge Walk through Budapestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chain Bridge and the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pink Day of Healthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has become symbols of a nationwide awarenessâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;raising campaign to call attention to the curability of breast cancer, the importance of early diagnosis and the risk-mitigating impact of healthy lifestyle. Bridge Alliance is Hungaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first health awareness program, helped by volunteers, celebrities and the media. <

David Harangozo, Imre Foldi/MTI

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INTEGRATED CONSULTING GROUP

International Workshop on Coaching Mastery

JOHN LEARY JOYCE, THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE ACADEMY OF EXECUTIVE COACHING one of Europe’s most successful coach training companies, was the invited guest of the one day workshop Coaching on Mastery Level of Integrated Consulting Group in Budapest. There was good reason for the invitation beyond the fact that he works with many executives in major companies and firms as well as training and supervising senior internal and independent coaches. Six ICG coaches grad-

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uated with his guidelines on the master course of AoECwith the result that ICG has the most partners at this special top level of coaching mastery from all Hungarian companies engaged in coaching. In his introductory lecture the British coaching expert provided insight for two very important questions: How does coaching add value to the business? How could coaching best be leveraged in the future? The ”ICG-six” : Beata Busch, Zoltan Donczo, Andras Karacsonyi, Istvan Kosztolanyi, Imre Sivo, and

Laszlo Szalay were co-lecturers of the workshop presenting different fields of coaching, working in section groups. It is interesting to know about the executive coaches of ICG, that the number of their average coaching sessions surpasses five hundred and their experience in coaching covers 8.8 years as an average.

The day finished with a very special interactive tango session of the foreign coaching expert that brings a new approach to the understanding of coaching. <

Hotel Azur Opens Luxury Wing WELLNESS SPECIALTIES AN HOUR’S DRIVE FROM BUDAPEST AT LAKE BALATON

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David Harangozo, Courtesy picture

THE UNIQUE BLEND OF TRANQUIL SURROUNDINGS, MODERN DESIGN, personal wellness services and fantastic cuisine creates a magical world for guests, allowing them to forget the challenges and stresses of everyday life and concentrate on rest and regeneration. That is what the new premium wing of Hotel Azur, the largest four-star conference and wellness hotel of the Balaton region, offers to visitors. “In the summer, it is usually the lakeside beach and the outdoor pools that are more popular,” Sales and Marketing Director Balazs Sternocky tells Diplomacy and Trade, “especially for families

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with children for whom kid animation programs are organized all day long.” For a hotel at Lake Balaton, which is the second most visited touristic area in Hungary after Budapest, it is crucial that it can attract guests outside the summer holiday season. For Hotel Azur, the year round attractions are conference and wellness facilities in addition to its proximity to Budapest (Siofok is just an hour’s drive on motorway).

The extensive wellness offerings of the hotel have been boosted by the recently opened premium wing that offers personal wellness services. Its exclusive wellness center invites guests who wish to enjoy peace and quiet, and have the time and space to relax in a deluxe, intimate setting. Located in 1,800 sq meters, the center conducive to recreation with several swimming and adventure pools, traditional and infrared saunas, steam bath, aroma bath, salt and ice chamber, adventure shower, and includes a 12-element sauna park with a panoramic view of Lake Balaton. The hotel intends to spoil guests with traditional Thai massage, herbal and aromatic oil Thai massage and foot massage in elegant, cabin-like VIP Spa rooms. Besides perfect relaxation, there are exotic ‘beauty rituals’ with Algodermia luxurious Thalasso Spa products and premium quality Tegoder products – not only for women but men, as well. “We also have a so-called ‘Alpha-

Sphere room’ where special beds provide a multidimensional experience for complete refreshing and renewal in 25 minutes. Furthermore, the new wing boasts four bowling alleys, snooker, table soccer, and darts,” the marketing director says. In gastronomy, the new wing offers real delights. The menus are based primarily on local ingredients like fish from the Balaton or game from Somogy county. Once a resort place for iron workers from Budapest, Hotel Azur opened its gates in July 2004 and became an instant success as a resort and conference hotel. The Mediterranean style hotel is situated on six-

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> L U X U RY O F F E R : The recently opened premium wing offers personal wellness services. Its exclusive wellness center invites guests who wish to enjoy peace and quiet, and have the time and space to relax in a deluxe, intimate setting.

hectares with direct access to a beach by the lake. The ‘old’ wing has a thousand sq meters of water surface, traditional and infra sauna, steam bath, salt chamber, beauty and massage treatments.

“In conference tourism, the other main feature of Hotel Azur, September and October are very strong for us,” Balazs Sternocky says. The same is true for May and early June while during the rest of the year, the hotel hosts smaller company events. The conference facility, which is uniquely equipped in the region in terms of technology, accommodates from 10 to 600 people. “Usually, conferences are organized here from the areas of healthcare, media, the financial sector, the automotive industry – mostly by Hungarian companies or regional firms with headquarters in Hungary,” he concludes. <

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Eastern Partnership Summit in Warsaw > THIRTY-TWO DELEGATIONS FROM EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES AND PARTNERSHIP countries as well as representatives of the leading EU institutions gathered on September 29-30, 2011 in Warsaw for the Second Eastern Partnership Summit.

The participants summarized the first two years of the Partnership’s activities and took decisions regarding its future.

The joint declaration issued at the end of the summit (accepted by all the states participating in the Warsaw gathering) sent out a clear signal to all six Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine): the European Union is prepared to help them, discuss their European aspirations and forms of closer integration. The summit’s participants agreed that strengthening the Eastern Partnership, including increased financing, is now a necessity, even though the

EU is grappling with an economic crisis and is engaged in building a new strategy for the countries of the South. The summit’s political declaration was backed by substance: the budget earmarked for the Eastern Partnership initiative has grown to nearly EUR 2 billion; by the end of the year, negotiations on an association agreement with Ukraine will be concluded and negotiations on a DCFTA agreement with Moldova and Georgia will be launched; the EP states received a pledge of visa-free travel to the EU as soon as they are ready for it, and in Warsaw an Academy of Public Administration will be established to expedite the process of building democratic state institutions in Partnership countries.

Belarus was one of the summit’s main discussion topics. The European Union emphasized its vigorous, common stand on that issue: assistance will be possible only in the

event that fundamental changes in Belarus take place. ‘A full amnesty and the rehabilitation of prisoners arrested after the election, initiating talks with the opposition and holding parliamentary elections in accordance with OSCE standards are the conditions for activating a “Modernization package for Belarus”,’ Prime minister Donald Tusk explained, presenting to the summit the Polish government’s new conception, which partners received with great interest. The ‘Package’ initiative unveiled by the head of the Polish government included the possibility of international institutions such as the EIB and EBRD awarding grants and credits to Belarus as well as support for stabilization of the Belarusian currency. In a special declaration adopted at the summit, EU Member States once again reiterated their total disapproval for the current policies of the Belarusian authorities. <

Hungary-Poland Exhibition in Laos

BY RUDOLF SARDI

MORE THAN 100 PICTURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS ON SHOW between Sep 23 and Nov 15 at the National Museum in the Laotian capital Vientiane explain the evolution of the parliamentary traditions in Hungary and Poland, and the determining role these countries have come to occupy in the European Parliament in recent years. “The exhibited items at the National Museum reveal that the analogies between the evolution of parliamentary customs in Hungary and Poland are copious. Parliaments in these countries functioned as important legislative bodies, but events of history interrupted their parliamentary traditions.”– explained Laszlo Vizi, Ambassador of Hungary in Vietnam, who has been passionately supporting the mutually beneficial goals between Hungary and Laos. Both Hungary and Poland were attacked by foreign powers many times. Hungary was invaded and

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europarl.europa.eu, Courtesy pictures

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> PA R L I A M E N TA RY T R A D I T I O N S I N P I C T U R E S : Laotians can gain a better understanding into how parlamentarism evolved in Hungary and Poland divided by the Ottoman Turks and then occupied by the Austrian Empire, only regaining its national unity as a political entity within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, formed by the Great Compromise of 1867. The illustrations retrace Hungary’s parliamentary history all the way to 1805, when Queen Maria Theresa gave an opening address at the Lower House in Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia) until the first free elections held in Hungary in 1990. Spanning almost two centuries of history, the activities of well-known 2 0 1 1 O C T- N OV

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THE HUNGARIAN VIEW ENSURING A EUROPEAN OUTLOOK FOR COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING IN THE EU'S EASTERN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, rather than presenting a danger, would help to resolve Europe's problems, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the Eastern Partnership summit in Warsaw. Solving the euro zone's problems is not purely about resolving the euro crisis, Orban said. European economic growth is slower than in other blocs and so, it must expand or else lag behind in the global economic race, he added. The enlargement of the European Union and a European perspective for the countries of the Eastern Partnership do not present a risk but are part of the solution, the Hungarian Prime Minister stressed at the press conference in Warsaw, closing the European Union's Eastern Partnership summit. If the Euro-zone crisis is successfully resolved, that in itself will not solve the problems of the European economic area. Growth is indispensable for Europe, or else, it falls behind in global competition, he underlined. The European perspective for the Eastern Partnership zone and the Balkans is one of the most important programs of the European Union. The enlargement of the Union is a big chance that should not be missed, the prime minister added. Viktor Orban reiterated that the Central and Eastern European countries also had to wait 14 years after the change of regime in their countries to gain admission into the EU, and many of them considered accession as a risk and hazard. Since then, the region has turned out to be an engine of EU growth. The Hungarian Prime Minister was of the view that currently, Poland's main mission is the enlargement of the European Union. Hungary is willing to cooperate with Poland in this effort, he said. <

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statesmen and prominent thinkers, such as Miklos Wesselenyi, Istvan Szechenyi, Ferenc Deak and Pal Teleki, are shown at the exhibition. Hungarians and Poles never accepted to live under foreign imposed rule. In spite of the obstacles during the course of their history, parliamentary traditions did not die out; on the contrary, they played an important role in both nations after independence. “It is an exceptional opportunity for the citizens of Laos to gain a better understanding of how parliamentary traditions have evolved in Hungary since the early 13th century,” explained Somsavath Khemsouliyachack, Honorary Consul Designate for Hungary in Laos. She added that the exhibition not only serves as an introduction to the political history of the CEE region, but it will be regarded as a giant leap in strengthening the otherwise friendly and long-lasting relations between the two countries. Khamkheuang Bounteum, Ambassador of Laos in Vienna (also accredited to Hungary), said “In 2012, Laos and Hungary commemorate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, being active in the field of agriculture, technology, economy, trade and tourism as well as education and the promotion of high culture.” <

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The President focuses on restarting dialogue between the government and the business communities page 8

Hungarian-born American businessman Laszlo Meszaros established a course to page 8 teach the baiscs of business

The International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Budapest trains police officers from page 8 Eastern Europe

Since its inception in Hungary 33 xears ago, the program has supported 900 American and 900 Hungarian participants page 9

Hungarian-born American journalist Joseph Pulitzer created a journalistic style that is still in use today page 12-13

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C O U N T I N U E D F R O M F R O N T PA G E >

BY SAN DOR L ACZKO

AS AMBASSADOR KOUNALAKIS POINTS OUT, “THE UNITED STATES AND HUNGARY have a very special relationship based on values and the fight for freedom and independence that has frequently been part of Hungarian history. We, Americans, also understand this very well from our past. In the United States, we have a large number of Hungarian Americans who have helped us understand the plight of the Hun garians during the communist era. Our shared values permeate everything we do and create a foundation for cooperation and strong ties of mutual interest.”

As for collaboration on the international scene, she states that working together in NATO “is the cornerstone of our cooperation. Hungary has troops in various missions in several countries, forming a valuable measure within NATO.

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I myself had the oppo rtunity to visit Hungarian troops in Afghanistan. This summer, in a historical partnership, Hungary served as the protective power for the United States in Libya.

The Hungarian Embassy staff in Tripoli was amazingly persistent and helped many Western citizens, including a lot of Americans. Hungarians should really be proud of these diplomats.”

Regarding differences, the Ambassador says “concerns expressed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other US politicians should be put in the appropriate context. As close friends of Hungary, we wish to continue to see Hungary at the forefront of the push for improved and stronger democracies around the world. It is especially important nowadays when countries of the ‘Arab spring’ are striving to implement strong democracies. Hungary is a successful transitional democracy, one of the best examples. We encourage Hungary to continue to be an example for these countries.” She is of the view that the two-thirds super majority of the

FACTS COMPARED AREA country comparison to the world: POPULATION country comparison to the world: POPULATION GROWTH RATE country comparison to the world BIRTH RATE country comparison to the world LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH country comparison to the world NET MIGRATION RATE country comparison to the world GDP - PER CAPITA (PPP) country comparison to the world UNEMPLOYMENT RATE country comparison to the world TELEPHONES - MOBILE CELLULAR country comparison to the world AIRPORTS country comparison to the world Source: World Factbook

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enough resources. I will endeavor to expand private support for the program so that more extraordinary and qualified Hungarians can go to the United States.”

She believes that one of the greatest testaments of American-Hungarian relations was this summer’s ‘Transatlantic week’ which she called ‘golden week’ when more than twenty members of the U.S. Congress visited Budapest. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also present to she unveil the statue of former President Ronald Reagan in Freedom Square.

“The events surrounding the Reagan centennial in Hungary were fantastic as were the other celebrations in Europe. And then, there was a celebration of Tom Lantos the late member – of Hungarian descent – of the U.S. Congress with the opening of an institute bearing his name.

Crowning that week was, of course, the visit by State Secretary Hillary Clinton who had a valuable discussion with the prime minister on issues of the region, Europe and the world, including the Arab spring and energy security.”

The Ambassador travels a lot in Hungary, and not just on official duty. “With the family, I went to Heviz, a spa town near Lake Balaton this spring. I also love the northern Great Plain with Hortobagy, Debrecen and the spa town Hajduszoboszlo. Everywhere I go, I always feel there’s more to see and more to do.” Hungarian food is just wonderful, she adds and describes herself a ‘dessert person’ who especially loves the Hungarian walnut trifle delicacy ‘Somloi galuska’ that she calls with admiration the ‘Rubik’s cube of desserts’. “While I didn’t really know what to expect when I moved my family to Hungary, after a year and a half, I can tell you that we have a strong affinity for the people and for the culture here. It is a very special place in the world and we are very grateful to have the opportunity to live here,” the Ambassador concludes. <

HUNGARY

93,028 sq km 109 9,992,339 (July 2010 est.)

83 -0.156% (2010 est.)

212 9.7 births/1,000 population 200 74.57 years 93 1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population 48 $18,600 63 10.7% (2010 est.)

117 12,224,000 54 43 100

UNITED STATES

9,826,675 sq km 3 313,232,044 (2011 est).

3 0.963% (2011 est.)

118 13.83 births/1,000 population 148 78.37 years 50 4,18 migrant(s)/1,000 population 23 $47,200 11 9.6% 108 141,000,000 3 15,079 1

David Harangozo

INTERVIEW WITH UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR ELENI TSAKOPOULOS-KOUNALAKIS

Hungarian governing force is an unusual circumstance that could allow for checks and balances to be overridden. “The way that we have raised concern with Hungary is absolutely from a perspective of friendship and as another country that also has to be vigilant about its own democracy. We feel that our role as a friend is to give our opinion from time to time if we feel that policies could compromise, in some way, the strength of independent institutions. At the same time, Secretary Clinton appreciates the work of this government to tackle the economic difficulties of the country. Basically, all democracies face difficulties like corruption and other issues but that should not lead to the weakening of independent institutions.”

Regarding economic relations, Ambassador Kounalakis stresses that “even in this global economic crisis, Hungary is still a very attractive place for investment.” She understands that the new government wishes to implement reforms, however, “with such activity, there is also going to be an element of uncertainty, and uncertainty is what business doesn’t like. I think this has also been augmented by the crisis and the bank taxes.” The US Embassy has been working hard on behalf of US companies to help them get connected to the right government officials. “The more businesses can talk with the decisionmakers, the more comfortable businesses are.

Predictability, transparency, and communication are critically important. The government should see that the reason that these businesses want to communicate with the government is that they want to be here,” she points out.

Culturally, the Ambassador wishes to focus on the Fulbright Program that provides “extremely prestigious scholarships. From Hungary to the United States, there are not as many participants in the Fulbright Program as there could be. There are many qualified candidates and just not

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Special Relationship Based on Shared Values

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For Constructive Dialogue between Business and Government AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT ISTVAN HAVAS THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HUNGARY (AMCHAM), ESTABLISHED IN 1989, AIMS “TO BE THE LEADING REPRESENTATIVE FOR US AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN HUNGARY, AND TO PROMOTE THE GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS OF THE COUNTRY”. ITS CURRENT PRESIDENT, ELECTED IN DECEMBER 2010, IS ISTVAN HAVAS, COUNTRY MANAGING PARTNER AT ERNST & YOUNG HUNGARY. DIPLOMACY AND TRADE ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS OBJECTIVES AND HOW HE PLANS TO MEET THEM. > REPRESENTING

U . S . B U S I N E S S VA L U E S I N H U N G A RY: Amcham President Istvan Havas (pictured in the middle) with the American Ambassador to Hungary, Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis and the Hungarian Minister for Public Administraton and Justice, Tibor Navracsics.

businesses with a primary focus on education and sharing best practices. Their projects include annual workshops for professors, volunteer programs, grant programs and their latest products, a new Facebook page (’A jovo vezetoi’) and the second edition of the Corporate Governance Glossary.

Contributing to competitiveness

“MY GOAL AS PRESIDENT IS TO FOCUS AMCHAM’S ADVOCACY potential on restarting the dialogue between government and the business communities. In the past ten months, we have made progress through our committee network and as Secretariat and member of the Investors’ Council on topics such as taxation; the new labor code and reducing administrative burdens; and issues related to energy and the electronic manufacturing industry,” Mr Havas says. He believes AmCham, the largest American chamber in Central and Eastern Europe, passed a milestone after signing the Strategic Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice in late February, 2011. “This agreement provides a framework for our Chamber to work closely with the Ministry and directly consult about legislation to ensure that new regulations enhance investor trust and Hungary’s competitiveness,” he adds.

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Courtesy picture, David Harangozo

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best ways to disseminate such values into Hungarian society. For example, our Corporate Governance and Business Integrity Committee have been working since 2003 to improve the governance and ethics of private, non-profit and public-sector practices in order to contribute to competitiveness, accountability and sustainability in Hungary.” They target several

AmCham in Hungary has 450 members from 23 countries, representing international and Hungarian investments, so, the AmCham Board hears the voice of not only Americans, but Germans, Dutch, Hungarians and so on. “We do get complaints from them from time to time, but as we have our committee network, the infrastructure through which to channel these ’complaints’ to the government or other stakeholders, our member companies have learned how to present such issues in a proactive and constructive manner. We strive to represent sector-wide or broader investment interests, never lobbying for one single member company,” the President states.

One of AmCham’s aims is to contribute to the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy.

Istvan Havas says “competitiveness is hard to define, as it is affected by so many different factors in all levels of society and the economy.

All of our activities are governed by the mission statement of AmCham (‘to be the leading representative for US and international business in Hungary, and to promote the global competitiveness of the country’), however, we strive to identify key areas where it is crucial to enhance the country’s competitiveness.”

AmCham currently focuses on creating a fairer and more solid tax system, a more predictable regulatory framework and increased transparency in order to attract research and development (R&D) and innovation to the country. AmCham also aims to strengthen the labor market by enhancing vocational education and language skills.

Strategic Agreement One of the means by which AmCham tries to achieve its goals is through communication with decision-makers in government.

Coordinated by its numerous committees, and overseen by the AmCham Board of Governors, over the years, AmCham Hungary has advocated for a range of issues including corporate tax, advertising legislation, logistics, education and corporate governance. With each project, AmCham aims to voice the opinions of the entire membership and provide the Hungarian Government with recommendations that will enhance Hungary's national competitiveness. “As mentioned before, we now have a Strategic Agreement with the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, a direct link to decision makers. We also have other tools through which to reach government officials such as membership in external forums (Investors’ Council, Employers’ Forum for a New Labor Code), commenting on draft bills, legislations of the government or publishing so-called Position Briefs (published nine to date) and short statements. We organize personal meetings with Ministers and state secretaries on specific topics with our company experts and Committee chairs.

Most of our professional events, such as annual conferences on taxation, diversity and marketing regulation, and our monthly Business Forums aim to provide a channel to decision makers and aim to become a platform for constructive dialogue between the business and the government,” the President concludes. <

HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT AT AMCHAM BUSINESS FORUM Early October, the President of the Republic of Hungary, Pal Schmitt, took part at the Business Forum of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). In his speech, the President stressed that - as a result of the world economic crisis - “stronger and stronger waves keep the world moving in quite unexpected directions. Therefore, countries need to find news ways as the old solutions do not work.”

He was of the view that, in this situation, one needs values that stand the test of time and crisis. Such values for Hungary, he said, are its excellent trade relations with the United States and the trust of American investors, he said.

“We are grateful for this special attention and we will do everything we can so that the favorable opinion about us would not only be supported by nice memories but also fresh experience,” he added.

In reaction to Hungarian government measures that, the President acknowledged, evoke the word ‘unusual’ and ‘shocking’, he was of the view that the government is forced to come up with ‘creative’ solutions to the economic problems that “cannot be resolved with textbook examples.” <

Important topics AmCham is dedicated to represent U.S. business values in Hungary. “Values, such as transparency, good corporate governance, business ethics and integrity, diversity and corporate responsibility are all factors of competitiveness, and important topics for AmCham as such,” Havas points out. “We have dedicated events, committees and working groups finding the 2 0 1 1 O C T- N OV

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U.S. Law Enforcement Training for the Region BUDAPEST-BASED INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY FOR EASTERN EUROPE IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASING LEVEL OF INTERNATIONAL CRIME with many of the criminal enterprises having their roots in Central and Eastern Europe, the governments of the United States and Hungary signed an agreement in 1995 to create the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. It is administered by the U.S. State Department as it is in the interests of the United States and the international law enforcement community to help the police services of the countries of the region in an effort to thwart such criminal enterprises before they migrate and to build partnerships in detecting and prosecuting them once identified.

The institution is one of five such regional establishments around the world, with the others being in Bangkok, Thailand; Gaborone, Botswana; San Salvador, El Salvador and Roswell, NM in the United States.

In Budapest, ILEA is staffed with two American accredited diplomats: the director, who is an FBI supervisory special agent, and the deputy director, who is a Diplomatic Security Service (U.S. Department of State) supervisory special agent. The American Director manages the Academy independently, directs and supervises the cooperation and professional activity of

the Academy, provides staff and acts as a general service provider.

ILEA offers training opportunities for up to 130 delegates at one time. The eight-week-long Law Enforcement Executive Development (LEED) course program is administered five times a year for mid-level law enforcement officers from the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe, including the successor states of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. There are also one- and two- week specialized courses, about 15 of these every year, with topics ranging from transnational terrorism through crime scene investigation to illegal migration and trafficking in persons.

As deputy director Thomas E. Stocking points out, they teach best practices and tactical techniques that provide immediate benefit for the studying police officers in their work back home. “On longer term, we’re also looking at good leadership in management and students are encouraged to assume leadership roles,” he says.

As there is no permanent faculty residing in the Hungarian capital, ILEA Budapest utilizes a "visiting faculty" concept. Instructors come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Italy, as well as from Interpol and Europol. With

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the units. Thus, although based in Budapest, ILEA is not part of the Hungarian public administration. The remainder of the staff is comprised of Hungarian citizens. The Hungarian Director keeps daily contact with

its international student body and faculty, the International Law Enforcement Academy creates an opportunity for cross-border interaction, which facilitates close working ties and develops future international cooperation.

ILEA Budapest is hosted by the Hungarian Ministry of Interior’s International Training and Civilian Crisis Management Center. It was established in 1999 to provide support for international law enforcement training institutions in this country that also include the Middle European Police Academy and the European Police College. It provides all the necessary conditions with logistical and personal support, service and hosting.

As a recent feedback survey shows, close to two thirds of the graduates were promoted after completing an ILEA course (The deputy director proudly mentions that the current Bulgarian interior minister has also attended ILEA). Several officers were decorated or received awards for their achievements. ILEA alumni also participate in successful international cooperation, foreign missions and the creation of new laws. Almost everyone reported that they could successfully incorporate ILEA instruction into their daily work and share the new knowledge and skills with their colleagues. <

Ethical Entrepreneurship Program for Hungarian Youth HUNGARIAN-AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN TO IMPORT TRUE BUSINESS SPIRIT

OVER TWO DECADES AFTER THE CHANGE OF THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SYSTEM IN HUNGARY, the country's economy is still far from ideal. One reason is the lack of entrepreneurial traditions - traditions that Hungarians were banned from experiencing for most of the second half of the 20th century. Lacking is not just the entrepreneurial spirit but also the ethical way of conducting business that has often hindered the development of the Hungarian economy.

This need has been recognized by Hungarianborn American businessman, Laszlo (Les) Meszaros who collaborated with the State University of New York at Buffalo to establish a course that teaches the foundations of ethical entrepreneurship.

After selling his successful IT company to a major corporation, Laszlo Meszaros turned to accomplishing another desire: returning something to his native Hungary. His foundation (Meszaros International Center of Entrepreneurship - MICE) concentrates on delivering ethical entrepreneurship training

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participated so far is 200 in the United States and 300 in Hungary. “I am very pleased with the students’ enthusiasm, aptitude and willingness to make a change for the better of their society.” At the end of each course, students form groups to present business ideas whose feasibility is judged by a panel of entrepreneurs. The winning concept in May this year would “make it possible for tourists to get acquainted with the real Budapest.

Clients of this special tourist bureau would find themselves in the everyday life of local people and get to know their customs, their favorite places and the hidden treasures of the city outsiders would not be able to discover for themselves.”

This fall, a new territory is starting up in Siofok at Lake Balaton for 30-40 students, and in Budapest for 30 students under a grant and “we are advertising for another 30-40 students for an Elite program tuition bared by the students”, Laszlo Meszaros points out. His future plans include the expansion of the program throughout Hungary, making it available for 1st and 2nd year university students and opening it up for trade schools, who are more likely to start their own business. < 2011 OCT - NOV

David Harangozo

After selling his IT company in the U. S., Laszlo Meszaros turned to accomplishing another desire: returning something to native Hungary.

> M I C E F O U N D E R L A S Z LO M E S Z A R O S believes that “all dreams can be achieved with self-confidence and the willingness to work hard for your goals.”

programs to high school students here. “Its aim is to provide high-quality entrepreneurial guidance and information to students and business practitioners,” Meszaros tells Diplomacy and Trade.

MICE launched its first Entrepreneurship Training Program (ETP) course in 2003 in Budapest for young Hungarians. After the third year, the program was suspended in order to fine-tune the organizational and educational methods and make the course even more effective. During this time, a course book was published in English and Hungarian.

The program (www.miceprogram.hu) features topics like foundations of business, ethical considerations in decision-making, identification of business opportunities and consumer needs, market analysis, accounting and ownership. Laszlo Meszaros hopes that acquiring all this knowledge will contribute to the self-assertion one definitely needs to be able to conduct a successful business. As the founder puts it, “taking on the ‘can do attitude’, all dreams can be achieved with selfconfidence and the willingness to work hard for your goals.”

The course also became successful in the United States and a 20-week program – held Saturdays – returned to Budapest in November 2009 and is offered to students of 18-21 years annually. The number of youth who have

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BY SAN DOR L ACZKO

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Record Number of Applicants in 2011 FULBRIGHT PROGRAM FORMS CULTURAL LINK BETWEEN HUNGARY AND THE U.S. Since its inception in Hungary 33 years ago, the Fulbright program has brought some 900 American scholars, students, artists, and scientists to Hungary, and an equivalent number of Hungarians to America, for research, teaching, and joint projects that enrich both societies.

THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM is the flagship of the U.S. Government's efforts in international educational exchange. “Active in 150 countries, its alumni includes 18 heads of state, 43 recipients of the Nobel Prize, one Secretary General of the UN, one Secretary General of NATO and a large number of corporate leaders,” Executive Director of Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange' (FCEE), Huba Bruckner, tells Diplomacy and Trade. The program was established in Hungary in 1978, after U.S. President Jimmy Carter returned the Hungarian Holy Crown to Budapest. In 1992, a Fulbright Commission was established in the Hungarian capital by legislation as a public body supported by the U.S. Department of State and the Government of the Republic of Hungary to operate this official program between Hungary and the United States. “The Ministry of National Resources provides the office space for our Commission and contributes 20% of the total costs,” the Director reveals. Additional financial contribution was provided recently by Hungarian bank OTP and the foundations of Sandor Demjan, Gabor Kovacs and Charles Simonyi. Bruckner sees growing interest in the program he considers one of the largest and most prestigious in the world. “During the last four years, membership of the Hungarian Fulbright Association has grown steadily,” he

FIRE FIGHTERS MUSEUM PAYS TRIBUTE TO 9/11 COLLEAGUES

FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO WOODSTOCK

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Budapest’s Fire Fighters Museum has opened an exhibition of photographs paying

THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN ROCK POSTERS 1965-1971

tribute to the 242 of their colleagues who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United

An exhibition opened on September 24 at Budapest’s KOGART House, presenting relics of a special period in the 20th-

States ten years ago. The exhibition of 40 Associated Press photographs of fire fighters at

century history of culture and concentrating on psychedelic rock posters of the San Francisco Bay Area, from between

work after the attacks was made available by the US Embassy in Budapest. Museum

1965 and 1971. The period in question was a particularly intensive phase in, as well as the closure of, a time of ferment,

director Rezso Reti said Hungarian fire fighters selected the photographs that often

and influenced popular culture and the lifestyle of generations worldwide to an extent that can hardly be

focused on people’s faces and expressions rather than the destruction that surrounded

overestimated. The posters are of interest not only because of the musical events and participants they advertise, but

them. The fire fighters said these faces could best show what went on at the time, he

also because they have value as works of visual art, which have surprising and particular links to Central-European

added. Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, deputy director of the National

traditions. The show also features other historical objects from that period, such as original record sleeves, manuscripts

Disaster Management Authority, Imre Hoffmann, praised the heroic efforts of American

and instruments. The exhibition runs until Dec 31.

fire fighters who saved the lives of some 25,000 people, while working in the most

David Harangozo, Victor Moscoso (posters)

difficult of circumstances. <

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Fulbright program,” he adds. According to him, the Alumni Association plays a key role in promoting and helping the Fulbright Program.

“Since 1978, up to 900 Hungarians have studied in the U.S. and nearly 950 U.S. nationals studied in Hungary. (There are more than 300,000 Fulbright alumni worldwide.)

Each year, we award 35 scholarships to Hungarian citizens, out of up to 180 applicants,” Bruckner continues, adding that those “popular and preferred” courses for Hungarians today are U.S. studies, natural sciences, environmental protection and activities of civil organizations, in addition to MBA courses. U.S. students on the other hand seek courses in mathematics and music pedagogy studies, which are among the most internationally recognized studies offered by Hungarian universities. Fulbright grants typically range from three months to an academic year and generally pay for travel, tuition, start-up funds, living expenses and health insurance. “We allow applicants to shape their own projects and choose the institution that will host them,” the Director points out, adding that he would encourage anyone interested in international education to apply. “It’s a fantastic opportunity and a lifetime experience” he says. “With access to more than 4,000 universities, the Fulbright Program literally offers you the world. And after the grant period, Fulbright Associations - the Fulbright alumni community - offer continuous support by providing further opportunities.” <

says, underlining the continued vitality of the exchange program. “This year, we saw a record number of applicants.” Leading the FCEE, Bruckner is responsible for providing access to the program for Hungarian citizens, organizing their selection and general administration. He highlights the Fulbright Education USA Advising Center (FEAC), an ‘essential’ part of the Comission’s work, which he says provides the primary source of information in Hungary for those interested in U.S. education.

In the 2011/2012 school year, 18 high schools, seven in Budapest and 11 in the country, will be visited by the ’Meet the Scientist Program’, with 17 lecturers who are former Fulbright scholars.

“Compared to last year, when we first introduced this project, the program has grown and widened. In 2010, ten schools took part in this initiative, this year the number of partner schools almost doubled,” Bruckner remarks. The ‘Meet the Scientist’ program was launched by the Hungarian Association for Innovation, the Hungarian Fulbright Association and the Embassy of the United States of America in Budapest with the aim to promote the study of natural sciences as well as education in the United States among high school students in Hungary. “This could be our social responsibility program, showing our social concerns relating to Hungarian education, which provides less and less students in Physics and Chemistry studies,” Bruckner notes. “In addition to this project, we also organize annual road shows, visits to university campuses to advertise the

BY REKA A. FRANCISCK

HUNGARIAN AUTUMN ARRIVES ON WEST COAST The Hungarian consulate in Los Angeles is organizing a series of concerts, exhibitions and film screenings as part of ‘Hungarian Autumn 2011’. Twenty events are on the program to take place in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The program of events, which runs until the middle of December, started with an exhibition of Hungarian artists featuring the painters Csaba Furjesi, Viktor Friedl-Kiss, Zoltan Krizsan and Gabriella Pistyur from Budapest, as well as Imre and Eva Makk, from Hawaii, and the sculptor Imre Pistyur. During the series of events, pianists Eva Polgar and Tanya Vegvari-Plescia will give a concert on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian composer and pianist Ferenc Liszt. Szabolcs Szamosi will play works by Liszt in a church in Los Angeles. The 4 For Dance will perform several times. Opera singer Anna Peller will team up with Ferenc Keskeny and his Gypsy orchestra to perform a program of lighter works. The folk artist Katalin Ispanovity will lead a playhouse for children.

Writer Ferenc Iszak will speak to film director Endre Hules about his new book ‘Free For All to Freedom’. A film based on the book is soon to start shooting. Hungarian Autumn will wind up with screenings of films by the Oscar-winning film director Ferenc Rofusz.

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Regional director at Ford Central and Eastern Europe Sales LLC, Viktor Molnar, says the company in Szentendre, north of Budapest, is responsible for a huge region with great growth potential. It represents the Ford Motor Company’s aims at achieving technology leadership, further developing of safety features and reducing the environmental footprint of vehicles.

FORD'S COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN HUNGARY DATES back to the early ‘90s when the foundations of the current local dealer network were established, and for almost 3 years now, we have been the market leader brand in the country. Ford Central and Eastern European Sales LLC was founded in 2004 to co-ordinate the sales, after-sales, marketing and service activities of the socalled European Direct Markets (EDM). This vast, culturally complex region, that is composed of 29 countries from North-Africa through Central-Eastern Europe to Kazakhstan, stretches over seven times zones, covers more than 11,4 million square kilometers and is inhabited by approximately 320 million people, is larger than the USA, both in terms of territory and population. Naturally, the market size, which is expected to be around 1.15 million new vehicles this year, is significantly below than that of the USA (forecasted between 13-13.5 million in 2011). However, these are seen as growing markets and expected to see a significant increase in the next decade. In 2008, we were happy to announce the opening of our new regional center at Szentendre that was built as a result of a EUR 20 million investment. Our almost 150 employees are working on the Hungarian and EDM markets and even fulfilling some Ford of Europe functions.

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What are the latest developments at Ford Motor Company?

In the last couple of years, Ford has introduced an unprecedented amount of new products and technologies and we are going to keep up

this pace in the years to come, as well, as it fits our objective of achieving technology leadership in the industry. This is enabled by the ONE Ford strategy announced by our CEO, Alan Mulally in 2006: benefiting from our global resources and launching our global model portfolio made possible remarkable cost reductions in the fields of development, production, logistics and marketing, thus, we are able to market more new products and technologies, sooner than our competitors.

One of our key objectives is to offer best in class or among the best fuel economy (including emission) in all segments, which significantly contributes to the reduction of the environmental footprint of our vehicles.

Our revolutionary ECOboost turbo petrol engines offer notably increased performance combined with a 20% or more saving in fuel economy. Our new generation diesel engines and our range of ECOnetic models and technologies offer further fuel-saving and emission reduction. All this make it obvious that Ford does mean to put environment consciousness in practice. In the meantime, our approach in terms of alternative technologies differs from most of our competitors, whether we are talking about flexi-fuel vehicles (FFV – of which Ford is the no. 1 supplier in Europe), hybrid technologies (few know that Ford is the no. 2 hybrid producer in the world) or fully electric vehicles.

Ford does not intend to offer low-scale, niche products. Instead, we offer these alternative technologies to existing, successful models in order to be able to offer them at competitive prices, which, we believe, is essential to

promote their wide-spread usage. As proof, in selected countries of Europe, we offer Transit Connect Electric from this year, while Focus Electric is expected to arrive to the European dealerships the second half of next year. In addition, by 2013, we will offer hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of our popular MAV (Multi-Function Activity Vehicle), the C-Max, and the hybrid version of a D platform vehicle that we do not specify, yet.

Another focus point of Ford's product development worth mentioning is the territory of safety features, where we are leading the way, as well. Besides the passive safety features and systems like the ultra strong alloy chassis, cages and airbags, we provide a wide range of active safety systems, like the ones that are offered in the new Focus: active park assist, active city stop, lane keeping aid, torque vectoring control, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition system just to mention a few. These, together with Ford SYNC, a fully integrated in-vehicle communications and entertainment system that will be available to European customers sometime next year, and Ford's advanced research in the fields of 'cloud' connection and wireless car-to-car communications, predict the not too distant future when our cars will be safer and will be capable of far more than we have ever thought possible. Ford is proud to be among the pioneers of this development.

How does Ford Central and Eastern Europe apply American business philosophy in Hungary?

I believe the most important business principle shared by all American companies is fair trade.

We are against all forms of positive or negative discrimination, and we are proud of the fact that we have always operated on the basis of equal treatment and free competition.

What about customers’ expectations in Hungary compared to other countries in the region?

Hungary – and Eastern-Europe as a whole – differs from the markets of Western-Europe or the USA. This offers a considerable opportunity of growth in the mid- and long-term. In shortterm however, especially due to the effects of the economic crisis, the situation is rather

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2011 OCT - NOV

How have you managed to weather the world economic crisis?

For Ford, despite all the difficulties the industry had to face, the economic crisis was rather an opportunity. Since the company began its transformation and restructuring in 2006, well before the crisis, 2008 already saw a leaner, much more effective company with our global teams working effectively together for profitable operation, and the introduction of the first vehicle of our global model strategy, the new Fiesta. The success of the global model strategy enabled Ford Motor Company to accelerate the development and introduction of new models and technologies, unlike many of our competitors, who had to slow down their investments due to liquidity problems. As a result of this comparative advantage, our market share has seen a steady growth in most important markets in spite of the decline. Due to this, not only was Ford the only American manufacturer that didn't have to apply for bailout but since 2009, we have been achieving considerable profit every quarter that enabled us to constantly improve our balance sheet, reducing our debt and improving our cash situation: at the end of the second quarter of 2011 our automotive gross cash was USD 22 billion that exceeds our debt by 8 billion USD, our total automotive liquidity including revolving credit lines reached USD 32,3 billion, and we expect even better result by the end of the third quarter. Today, we can say that Ford Motor Company has returned to sustainable profitability, and while we continue to further reduce our debts, we don't slow down the pace of introducing new products and technologies, which – we believe – along with our increased market share on the most important markets, will serve as a steady base for further growth as the industry recovers. <

Courtesy pictures

HUNGARIAN CUSTOMERS PREFER ALL-PURPOSE VEHICLES

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Ford, the Market Leader Brand

difficult. New car sales per capita are way lower in these countries – this is directly linked to the per capita GDP. Unlike in the U.S. or Western-Europe where it is common to have multiple vehicles in the family, a Hungarian or Eastern-European family is most likely to have only one vehicle, and this one vehicle has to offer solution for all purposes. This explains why – despite the fact that globally the 'B' segment, the sales of small cars is growing the most rapidly – in these countries the 'C' segment is the most significant: these models are generally still affordable for an average family, and already large enough to suit all or most of their needs. Naturally, this is a compromise, a rational rather than an emotional decision: this is why we see fewer highly equipped small cars in these countries, though in the last couple of years even at these markets we have seen a considerable growth of the take-rates of some popular options. The most popular Ford model in Hungary is definitely the Ford Focus (approximately 42% of our sales this year), which has held this position for more than two years now. This is followed by the Fiesta (13%) which is Ford's best seller and the second most popular car in Europe, the Transit (12%), which has traditionally dominated the Hungarian commercial vehicle market, and the Ford Mondeo (12%), which is no. 2 on the Hungarian market in the upper-intermediate segment.

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BY EN I KO M. TOTH

THERE IS A TRAIL, WHICH CONNECT CULTURES, commemorates common natural values and gives pleasure to many of its visitors. Appalachian Trail is the dream of many people that comes true.

The Appalachian Trail is 3,510 kilometers long and connects 14 states from Georgia to Maine.

The original idea comes from Benton MacKaye, a forester, who planned to get a network between several farms which provided work and study camps for city dwellers. He wrote down his idea in 1921. The idea became popular very quickly. In 1923 the first section of the trail, going from Bear Mountain to Arden was opened.

The Appalachian Trail is now a paradise for thru-hikers, people who hike long distances in one single hiking season. The first Appalachian thru-hike was made by Earl Shaffer of York in 1948. Now, numerous accommodations have been made to provide the hikers with everything they need. The whole length of the trail is marked with paint-blazes or metal diamonds and there are several possibilities for getting fresh resources and lodging. The shelters, maintained by local volunteers, are well-known from their food-hangers, called “mouse-trapezes”, which are used for protecting food from rodents.

There is a 3,100-kilometer-long unofficial extension of the trail from Main to Gaspe Peninsula, Québec. This extension of the trail was made to connect cultures and landscapes.

A Trail Connecting Worlds THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL, AN OUTSTANDING JOURNEY

The idea of the extension comes from Richard Anderson fisheries and the route was built in the late 1990s. This route is designed not only to extend the original trail: in the year 2009 not only physical expansion was made but representatives of the IAT (International

Appalachian Trail) traveled to Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland to establish contact with countries, which have other portions of the Caledonian-Appalachian mountain belt.

The Appalachian Mountains are famous for their biodiversity. The trail goes through

several bioms, and there are also a few old growth locations, such as the Hooper (a glacial cirque). In the south, yellow poplar, or the tulip trees give a beautiful sight. Fauna is also rich in the mountains. American black bear and timber rattlesnake are quite often seen.

However, most hikers meet less dangerous animals, such as raccoons and mice.

Although, the trail is considered to be rather safe, only 15-20% of thru-hikers can really complete the whole route. During the years, hikers have formed a booming subculture, which includes making colorful entries into logbooks and decorating tents. The hikers have many informal groups as well, such as “Purists”, who only use the white blazes, which mark the official, main route of the trail and “Blue Blazers”, who cut miles from the trail by taking side tours while following the blue marks.

There is also a subcategory for “Trail runners”, who usually hike without backpacks followed by an automobile support team. The normal completion of the route takes about six months, but the speed record, set by Jennifer Pharr Davis this year is 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes.

Hungarian blogger, Sibide made a 13-kilometer long day-track on the trail recently. He writes he is amazed by the American wildlife. “This was the first time I was at risk of a potential bear attack, but, fortunately, we avoided the meeting.” <

Career Stability May Be History MONEY AND LIFESTYLE ISSUES DRIVING WAVE OF CAREER CHANGE FOR HUNGARIAN WORKERS

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST SURVEY RESULTS FROM GLOBAL WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS PROVIDER KELLY SERVICES, the “career-for-life perspective” is vanishing, with almost two-thirds of Hungarian respondents saying they expect to switch careers within the next five years. The main cause, cited by 35%, is the need for higher income, followed by changing personal interests (25%), and the need for improved work-life balance (19%).

These findings about career choice and career progression are part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which obtained the views of approximately 97,000 people in 30 countries, including more than 7,300 in Hungary. “We are seeing a surprisingly large number of people who are actively considering the critical issue of whether they should change their careers and make a fresh start,” said Aniko Jonas, Managing Director of Kelly Services Hungary.

“For an earlier generation, a change of career would have been something of a crisis; however, today, it is seen as a reflection of

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brickfish.com, courtesy picture

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shifts in demand for different skills and occupations, as well as changing personal interests on the part of employees. One sign of the shifting attitude to career interruption is that more than 70% of those surveyed believe they could resume their career at the same level after taking a break for such things as maternity or paternity leave, illness or an extended holiday,” Jonas adds. Results of the survey shows that employees will face the greatest likelihood of career change are in the Retail, Hospitality, and Contact Center/Customer Service sectors.

Another survey suggests that Hungarian workers intend to stretch their horizons as the search for jobs goes global. “Almost threequarters of Hungarian respondents would be willing to move for the right job, with many even prepared to relocate to another country or continent in order to secure their preferred position,” Jonas continues, adding that the most mobile workers are among Gen Y (aged 18-29) who are more footloose than their Gen X (aged 30-49) and baby boomer (aged 50-65) counterparts, including being more willing to travel across the globe for the right job. “In an environment where the market for talent is becoming global, there is a growing realization that many individuals may decide to relocate for work, rather than simply hope 2 0 1 1 O C T- N OV

residence, with 51 % prepared to stay for three years or less. The overwhelming factor preventing people from moving abroad for a job is “family and friends,” cited by 56 percent of respondents, followed by language barriers (20%), the cost of moving (12%), and cultural differences (5%). “As individuals take greater control of their careers, there is a likelihood of employees moving in and out of the workforce for both professional and lifestyle reasons.

Employers and employees will both need to adapt to this new workplace reality, where the smooth career pathway will be the exception rather than the rule,” Jonas concludes. < that the work will come to them, Jonas says.”

The survey, conducted from Oct 2010, reveals that 29% Hungarians are prepared to move within the country, 45 % are willing to relocate to another country or continent. By far the most desirable destination for globetrotting Hungarian job-seekers is elsewhere in Europe, nominated by 63 %, well ahead of North America (17%), Asia Pacific (7%), South America (2%), Middle East (2%), and Africa (1%). Among various industry sectors, those working in hospitality (57%), oil & gas (56%), IT (56%), and science (55%) are the most prepared to shift countries for work. The desire to move to a different continent is driven by “the experience” rather than setting up permanent

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ABOUT THE KELLY GLOBAL WORKFORCE INDEX The Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the workplace from a generational viewpoint. Kelly Services, Inc. is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire basis. Kelly opened its Hungarian office in 2004 in Budapest. Since then, Kelly Services Hungary has become one of the leading workforce solutions provider on the Hungarian market. www.kellyservices.hu

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JOSEPH PULITZER AND HIS LEGACY JOSEPH PULITZER SUFFERED FROM POOR HEALTH MOST OF HIS LIFE, BUT HIS NATURAL CURIOSITY AND EAGERNESS TO LEARN HELPED HIM SUCCEED AS A LAWYER, POLITICIAN AND MEDIA MOGUL. HIS PULITZER AWARDS HAVE BECOME TO JOURNALISM WHAT THE OSCARS ARE TO HOLLYWOOD.

THE PULITZER PRIZES The Pulitzer Prizes, originally endowed with a gift of USD 500,000, are highly esteemed and have been awarded since 1917. Pulitzer envisioned an advisory board composed principally of newspaper publishers. Others would include the president of Columbia University and scholars, and "persons of distinction who are not journalists or editors." Today, the 19-member board is composed mainly of leading editors or news executives. Four academics also serve, including the president of Columbia University and the dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. The dean and the administrator of the prizes are non-voting members. The chair rotates annually to the most senior member. Voting members may serve three terms of three years. Although, the first Pulitzer prize ceremony took place on June 4, they are now announced in April, every year.

it demolished, and replaced it with the tallest building in the city—a two-million-dollar golden-domed skyscraper to house his newspaper offices.)

Somehow, he managed to collect enough money to travel west. His ticket was only to East St. Louis, Ill., across the river from Missouri city. There was no bridge in those days, but Pulitzer made himself acquainted with the fireman on a ferryboat, and offered to do his work in exchange for fare across. On the other side, Pulitzer sought employment in every direction. He worked as a waiter, buried cholera victims of 1866 on Arsenal Island, and cared for mules at the Jefferson Barracks.

Rising Career His big break came when he was hired to record land rights for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad and he got to travel by horse throughout Missouri. The job prompted him to study the law, and four years after he landed at U.S. shores, he was admitted to the bar.

Rumors have it that his next career opportunity came in a unique manner in the Mercantile Library's chess room, in St Louis.

Observing the game of two men, he criticized a move and the players, impressed, engaged Pulitzer in conversation. The players were editors of the leading German language daily, The Westliche Post, and they offered him a job.

His first day as a reporter is described by one of his colleagues as follows: “I remember his appearance distinctly, because he had dashed out of the office without stopping to put on his coat or collar. In one hand he held a pad of

ask questions of everybody in sight. I remarked to my companions that for a beginner he was exasperatingly inquisitive. The manner in which he went to work to dig out the facts, however, showed that he was a born reporter.”

Four years later, in 1872, Pulitzer was offered a controlling interest in the paper by the nearly bankrupt owners: by the age 25, he became a publisher. Also, he joined the Republican Party and was elected to the Missouri State Assembly. He, like many Radical Republicans, supported Horace Greeley against Ulysses S. Grant, the official Republican candidate.

Despite the efforts of Pulitzer and Carl Schurz in Missouri, Grant won the presidential election by 286 electoral votes to 66. In 1874, Pulitzer was admitted to the bar in Washington, D.C., where he also worked as a correspondent of the New York Sun. there, he met Kate Davis, a socially prominent woman, and in 1877, he married her in the Protestant Episcopal Church.

They soon moved back to St. Louis, and the Hungarian immigrant – once a boy of the streets – had been transformed. Elegantly dressed, wearing a handsome, reddish-brown beard and pince-nez glasses, he mixed easily with the social elite of St. Louis, where he enjoyed dancing at fancy parties and horseback riding in the park. This lifestyle was abandoned abruptly when he came into the ownership of

“Put it before them briefly so they will read it; clearly, so they will appreciate it; picturesquely, so they will remember it; and, above all, accurately, so they will be guided by its light.” paper and in the other a pencil. He did not wait for inquiries, but announced that he was a reporter for The Westliche Post, and began to

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the St. Louis Dispatch, after selling his interest in The Westliche Post. His paper then merged with The Post, and the St. Louis Post and

Courtesy pictures

WORLD FAMOUS HUNGARIAN-BORN JOURNALIST JOSEPH PULITZER created a journalistic style that is still in use today. His career is a striking example of the opportunities found in the ‘promised land’ for advancement from poverty and struggles to wealth and power. However, few, who flew to the U.S. seeking a better or different life, were more handicapped at the start than he was.

Joseph Pulitzer was born in Mako, Hungary on April 10, 1847, to Philip Pulitzer, a wealthy grain merchant of Magyar-Jewish origin, and Louise Berger, a German mother who was a devout Roman Catholic. Pulitzer senior died when Joseph was eleven years old, and a few years later, his mother re-married. In order that he might not be a burden on his mother, and because, according to some of his biographies, he truly hated his stepfather, Joseph attempted to enter the army in the age of 17.

He applied to his uncle, who was a Colonel in the Austrian Army but, when he was examined, he was rejected because of his bad eyesight and overall fragile health. The French Foreign Legion also rejected him, so, he turned his face towards America. In Hamburg, Germany, he encountered a bounty recruiter for the U.S. Union Army and contracted to enlist as a substitute for a draftee, a procedure permitted under the Civil War draft system. It exhausted his resources to pay for his travels and, when he landed at Castle Garden, NY in 1864, he was practically penniless. He knew nobody in the country and could speak only a dozen words of English. Within a few days, however, he met a fellow-countryman who had just enlisted in a German cavalry regiment then being raised in this city. Men were badly needed in the Union Army, and the requirements for sharpness of vision were not as strict as in time of peace. So, Pulitzer enlisted in L. Company of the First New York Lincoln Cavalry where he served until the end of the Civil War. Fellow soldiers sometimes ridiculed his appearance and inadequate English. Some took his name (pronounced ‘Pull-it-sir’) as an invitation to grab his large nose. When a sergeant tried it, Pulitzer struck him hard – the only injury he inflicted in the war. When the war ended Pulitzer found himself in New York, without any jobs, among thousands of Civil War veteran competitors.

With his last few cents, he walked into the luxurious French’s Hotel for a morale-raising shoeshine. But a porter sent him away (far away, as the story goes). (Twenty-three years later, he bought that same French’s Hotel, had

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Publicity, Publicity, Publicity

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BY REKA A. FRANCISCK

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> S AV I N G T H E STAT U E O F L I B E RT Y F O R N .Y. : Pulitzer mounted an energetic fund drive to raise money for the pedestal of the statue, promising to print the name of each donor, no matter how small the donation.

Dispatch was born. The name was soon shortened to the Post-Dispatch, and the paper grew from four to eight pages. In the first issue of the paper, he wrote: “The Post and Dispatch will serve no party but the people; will be no organ of Republicanism, but the organ of truth, will follow no caucuses but its own convictions; will not support the Administration, but criticize it; will oppose all frauds and shams wherever and whatever they are; will advocate principles and ideas rather than prejudices and partisanship.” Pulitzer launched crusades against government corruption, lotteries, gambling, and tax fraud. He also understood one of the key tenets of modern salesmanship: presentation is everything. He established a type of paper which fused the styles of a popular tabloid and a quality broadsheet. He also introduced new sections that dealt with women and sports, as he believed newspapers should also be fun to read. This populist appeal was effective, and due to his novel editorial methods, circulation mounted, and the paper prospered – Pulitzer prospered, too. But he paid a price for his unsparingly rigorous work. His health was undermined and, with his eyes

failing, Pulitzer and his wife set out in 1883 for New York to board a ship on a doctor-ordered European vacation. Stubbornly, instead of boarding the steamer in New York, he met with Jay Gould, the financier, and negotiated the purchase of The New York World, which was in financial straits. The family moved to New York City, although Pulitzer continued to own the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, as well. He went on to do great things in his new city. He became a congressman in 1884. However, finding it difficult to run The World and be in Washington, D.C., at the same time, he gave up his seat in 1886. He continued to fight crime and criticize the rich. Some of his proudest moments include breaking up Standard Oil in 1911 and making campaign contributions public. He was very proud that his paper helped to elect Grover Cleveland as president in 1884 and his readers helped raise enough money to pay for the pedestal to erect the Statue of Liberty in New York City’s harbor.

Winning over NY In the next decade, the circulation of The World in all its editions climbed to more than 600,000, and it reigned as the largest newspaper in the country. Two years later, Pulitzer founded the Evening World although, by that time, he already had begun to

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JOSEPH PULITZER DIES SUDDENLY Oct. 29.-- Joseph Pulitzer, proprietor of The New York World and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, died aboard his yacht, the Liberty, in Charleston Harbor at 1:40 o'clock this afternoon. The immediate cause of Mr. Pulitzer's death was heart disease. Although, he had been in poor health for some time, there was no suspicion on the part of those accompanying him that his condition was serious. Up to an hour and a half before his death Mr. Pulitzer's mind remained perfectly clear. His German secretary had been reading to him an account of the reign of Louis the Eleventh of France, in whose career Mr. Pulitzer had always taken the liveliest interest. As the secretary neared the end of his chapter and came to the death of the French King, Mr. Pulitzer said to him: "Leise, ganz leise." (softly, quite softly.)

These were the last words he spoke. He left five children, Joseph Pulitzer, Jr., Ralph, Herbert, Constance, and Edith.

withdraw from direct management of his publications. At the age of forty he was struck blind, but he still continued to run his press empire for twenty-two more years. He reached the pinnacle of his success in bad health, with a deteriorated nervous condition and in severe depression.. He also succumbed to an illness that made him excruciatingly sensitive to noise. He spent his last years in soundproofed “vaults,” as he referred to them, aboard his yacht, Liberty, in the “Tower of Silence” at his vacation retreat in Bar Harbor, Maine, and at his New York mansion. Pulitzer had one of the most expensive households in America. His blindness made it necessary for him to have a large personal staff. No man kept more closely in touch with what was going on in the world, and all the information had to come to him by word of mouth. He could not read; he could not distinguish the faces of those about him. He could only listen and think.

Pulitzer had given considerable sums to philanthropy, chiefly to education. To the City of New York he gave a dozen or more free scholarships for poor pupils anxious to gain a college education. He once said: “My especial object is to help the poor; the rich can help themselves. I believe in self-made men.” When journalism was not a respectable way of

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earning one’s living, Pulitzer was committed to raising the standards of the profession. He was the first to call for the training of journalists at university level in a school of journalism, which, due to his USD 2 million financial support, was introduced at Columbia University in 1912. In May 1904, writing in The North American Review in support of his proposal for the founding of a school of journalism, Pulitzer summarized his credo: “Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery. A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.

The power to mould the future of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations.”

He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, New York. A bust of Pulitzer stands in the main square of his birthplace. Pulitzer’s sons became owners and managers of both the New York World and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after his death. While the World folded in 1931, the PostDispatch continues to be published, although it is no longer run by a member of the Pulitzer family. <

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US TOURISM CALLS OUT FOR EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. Nowadays, many tourists go to revel in America's heritage and omnipresent pop culture with the iconic hot spots, such as the Statue of Liberty, Las Vegas, the Hollywood star walk of fame and the Grand Canyon still acting as true tourist magnets. The young copper lady holding the flame in New York as a symbol of freedom and democracy welcomes some 3.5 million visitors a year.

Vegas, with its more than 100,000 hotel rooms, is still the gambling and family entertainment capital of the world. When thinking about the USA, those of us who have grown up with the TV series ‘Dallas’ each Friday evening see oil rich Jockey Ewing with a cowboy hat nipping whiskey. Secretly, most visitors to this glorious country visit primarily with the purpose of becoming somewhat part of the phenomenon that crept into our lives via the TV and pop-culture: to experience the California lifestyle, to see and feel the Hollywood dream at Universal Studios – for some – to catch a glimpse of a star, the true manifestations of the 'American Dream'. The playwright Arthur Miller once said that the essence of America was its promise. For newly-arrived immigrants and jet-lagged travelers alike, that promise of the American dream can take on near mythic proportions.

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Destination: USA POPULAR IMAGINATION AND THE CLICHES

Star powder

But for those who are looking for more than star powder and other cliches, the USA has astonishingly more to offer. In ways large and small, America is and has always been about the journey. This is a country of road trips and great open skies, where four million miles of highways lead past red-rock deserts, below towering mountain peaks, and across fertile wheat fields that roll off toward the horizon. The sunbleached hillsides of the Great Plains, the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest and the scenic country lanes of New England are a few fine starting points for the great American road trip.

Such a road trip is high on my must-do list, especially after having seen the most amazing scene I have ever experienced: the Grand Canyon. Did you know that the Grand Canyon took 3-6 million years to form? I did not. Up until that sunny August day when I just stood there speechless on the edge of the canyon starring into the wide chasm and could not turn off Louis Amstrong's ‘What a Wonderful World’ in my head and I realized that deep desire to explore this wonderful world, all of it, right there, right then, starting with the USA.

More than touristy hotspots After a closer look, the American quilt unfurls in all its surprising variety: the eclectic music scene of Austin, the easygoing charms of antebellum Savannah, the eco-consciousness of free-spirited Portland, the magnificent waterfront of San Francisco, and the captivating old quarters of New Orleans. Thus, from a tourist's viewpoint, the USA is clearly more than just its touristy hotspots and the star-centered Hollywood dream. Besides its dazzling cities, the USA is a country of towering coast redwoods, alpine lakes, rolling vineyards, chiseled peaks, barren deserts and a dramatic coastline of unrivaled beauty.

Perhaps, it is t ime to forget all your preconceptions and get lost in your own personalized and American dream. <

PHOTOS BY

Courtesy pictures

By now, there is a whole industry thriving from that promise that offers to take the celebrity-hungry visitors not only to the homes of the stars, but also to the scenes of their everyday mortal lives, the places where they dine or exercise. The stars themselves, on their side, also profit from the fact that everybody seems to want a piece of them. If you cannot be a celebrity, you can at least join them by going to their own restaurants, hotels, private islands and other undertakings.

Hit the road Jack!

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Gastronomy in Pole Position at the Hungaroring MOTORSPORT FANS AWAITED BY NEW RESTAURANT AT THE RACE TRACK ALTHOUGH, MANY MIGHT BELIEVE THAT THE HUNGARORING CIRCUIT is basically deserted before and after the week of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix in the summer, the place is actually visited over 200 days a year. That is why the management of the race track decided to announce a tender for a permanent restaurant there. This tender was won by Albatros Party Service whose owner Attila Hegyi has an experience of nearly 20 years in catering and the organization of events, and this May, he opened the Hungaroring Pole Position Bistro&Terrace.

Albatros Party Service was established six years ago with the aim of bringing a youthful and innovative style to catering, intentionally creating something that is markedly different from traditional hospitality.

In line with the spirit of the environment at the Hungaroring, the winner was expected to create a restaurant that evokes the world of motor sports and attracts its fans. “We found

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At some point, the mirror betrays you. It shakes your sense of youth with vivid signs of aging: little wrinkles around the eyes or lips, age spots, maybe some sagging skin. Age is an unstoppable process and, as the body ages, so does the skin and its appearance and characteristics change, as skin cell renewal slows down and fine lines develop as collagen and Hyaluronic Acid (HA), a naturally substance in the body that binds water, hydrates the skin, and promotes all-important softness and fullness, start to break down. There used to be few options for turning back the clock without going under the knife. But today, you can soften the signs of aging with quick, non-surgical, painless procedures. Results will be spectacular.

W r i n k l e s m o o t h i n g w i t h H ya l u ro n i c Ac i d As we age, HA in our skin gradually becomes less efficient and loses fat, so it looks less plump and smooth and it also loses its youthful color and glow.

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Skin smoothing with Botox Another simple, non-surgical solution for facial wrinkles and lines is the Botox. It treats dynamic wrinkles caused by repeated muscular contractions such as frowning and squinting - relaxing the muscles and noticeably refreshing the facial appearance in just a few days. The effect of this remarkable and safe treatment lasts up to 5 months, and it can be repeated for limitless time.

PHOTOS BY

Courtesy pictures

P r e s e rv i n g t h e fac e ' s h a r m o n y At Álomarc Cosmedica you’ll enjoy the highest imaginable standards of care from our professional team, trained in all aspects of non-surgical facial rejuvenation. The clinic is lead by Dr Petrohai, who had been trained and experienced in the art of facial aesthetics in London, at the master courses of Dr Bob Khanna, president of IAAFA (International Academy of Advanced Facial Aesthetics).

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this project interesting as the Hungaroring Circuit is the venue of many exciting events.

Although, these are hard times for the catering industry, we are working on attracting guests there even on days when there is nothing organized on the track itself,” Attila Hegyi says.

As for gastronomy, Hegyi plans what he terms as ‘casual fine dining’. At special events, catering can range – according to demand – from very basic to very sophisticated. The restaurant has a ground space of 400 sq meters plus a terrace with a basically unlimited capacity as the entire circuit could be at the disposal of the guests.

The Hungaroring Pole Position Bistro&Terrace offers the opportunity to hold company and private parties alike, from a small group of friends to corporate events of multinational companies. Avid motorsport fans may even organize their wedding party there. It also seems the best place for a group of friends to watch foreign Grand Prix races together.

Companies may find this restaurant interesting when deciding upon the venue for their Christmas Party and looking for some place unusual – the place where the aura of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, twotimes F1 world champion Fernando Alonso, who scored his first GP victory at the Hungaroring in 2003, and other Formula One drivers fills the air. <

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Mexico Celebration > M E X I C A N A M B A S S A D O R Isabel Barbara Tellez Rosete invited guests to the Museum of Military History in Budapest to elebrate Independence Day.

Croatian President Visit > C R OAT I A N P R E S I D E N T I VO J O S I P OV I C paid an official visit to Hungary at the end of September. He was received in the Sandor Palace in the Buda Castle by Hungarian President Pal Schmitt.

New Ambassadors > H U N G A R I A N P R E S I D E N T PA L S C H M I T Treceived the credentials of four new ambassadors (pictured clockwise from top left): Nam Gwan-Pyo (Korea), Ilan Mor ( Israel), Lizeth Nawanga Satumbo Pena (Angola) and Eleanor L. Jaucian (Philippines).

Chaine des Rottisseurs

Peter Akos Bod Lecture

> T H E H U N G A R I A N B A I L L A G E of this international gastronomic society hosted the 13th Grand Chapitre and Induction ceremony in Budapest in October.

> E CO N O M I C S P R O F E S S O R P E T E R A KO S B O D (right on the first picture), a former government minister and also former President of the National Bank of Hungary was the invited lecturer at a business lunch organized by the Swiss, Dutch, French, British and Italian chambers of commerce in Budapest.

Flamingo > F L A M I N G O restaurant owner Tal Lev, together with the Diplomacy and Trade Club, invited guests on the occasion of the Jewish New Year. The guest of honor was Israeli Ambassador Ilan Mor.

The Global Party > H U N G A RY was among the 43 countries of the world where the Global Party took place with the aim of raising awareness and money for 15 offical benefiting charities.

Gundel Award for the Arts 2011 > T H I S Y E A R ’ S G U N D E L A RT AWA R D S were handed over in hree categories (literature, theater and film) at the end of September in the world famous resturant of the same name in Budapest, accompanied by a ceremonial dinner. The event that took place for the 10th time was attended by the former award recepients.

Bambara

David Harangozo, Courtesy pictures

> T H E S H I R A Z G R O U P has opened its latest Hotel, the four-star superior Bambara Hotel in Felsotarkany, six kilometers from the town of Eger, in September with the slogan ‘The Beauty of Africa - the comfort of Europe’.

Oktoberfest

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> IN LINE WITH GERM A N T R A D I T I O N S , the Hotel Intercontinental Budapest hosted its now traditional Oktoberfest celebration. The party featured German pretzels, beer, sausages and cabbage salad among other delicacies of German cuisine.

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Press Breakfast with the Israeli Ambassador THE NEW ISRAELI AMBASSADOR to Hungary, Ilan Mor held an introductory press breakfast with journalists from the major Hungarian news media.

He spoke highly of the relations between Hungary and Israel and pointed out that his chief mission as Ambassador is to further enhance this very special relationship. He said he would also like to bring to Hungary the other Israel, the one beyond the Middle East conflict’s terror, war and political speeches. It is the task of diplomats to ìeven outî this image and present Israel as ìnormalî country as possible. I will have to work a lot and travel extensively around Hungary, to get to know the country so that I can spread the positive news on what the citizens of Israel excelled in the past 64 years: culture, education, trade, technology or anything else.f <

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IN OUR SERIES, DIPLOMATS GIVE THEIR PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE EXPERIENCES OF THEIR “EXCURSIONS” TO HUNGARIAN CULTURE, ART, GASTRONOMY AND LANDSCAPE.

SERGIO EDUARDO MOREIRA LIMA

Learning Hungarian

BY SERGIO EDUARDO MOREIRA LIMA, AMBASSADOR OF BRAZIL

ONE OF MY FIRST STEPS AFTER ARRIVING IN BUDAPEST WAS TO FIND A HUNGARIAN TEACHER and start learning the language. As a diplomat, I have to be able to communicate and understand the society in which I live. When you cannot speak the local language, it is harder to break the cultural barriers. Besides, Brazil is a multicultural and multiethnic society. Brazilians are open-minded. We like to interact and to learn. I was aware the challenge would be great but now, I can better gauge my effort to overcome a huge linguistic gap. The Hungarian language comes from the Ugrian group of the Finno-Ugrian family. It has no links with other European languages, with the exception of the Finnish. Portuguese, on the contrary, is a Latin language close to Spanish, Italian and French, which I can speak.

At school, I had to learn English and later, at the Diplomatic Academy, some German. Yet, my background and knowledge of other languages do not help much when it comes to learning Hungarian. Everything is different from the grammar to the syntax without mentioning the logic behind the amalgamation of consonants in a single word.

No doubt, to speak Hungarian is an impressive feat and a good exercise for the brain. As a sportsman, I have decided to proceed with my efforts. But daily, I must renew my commitment with Saint Istvan, asking for his help.

I find encouragement in a few Latin, English and German words common to both languages, which I can occasionally recognize with pleasure, as it gives me a feeling of progress in my endeavors. But very often, I am reminded of my limitations in understanding and pronouncing correctly.

I have the impression sometimes that because of my condition as Ambassador, my teacher and my staff at the Embassy are too lenient with my mistakes in Hungarian. But my friends at the Tennis Academy, and some close Hungarian colleagues tell me the truth when I do not pronounce properly each consonant and the last vowel a in a word as simple as viszontlatasra.

In the process of learning the language of a country, which has produced so many Nobel laureates even in Peace and Literature, I find encouragement with the young Hungarians at ELTE University who can speak fluent Portuguese and with Hungarian-Brazilians, such as Pal Ronai, who has become an inspiration for bridging the linguistic and geographical gap and for bringing our two cultures closer together.

Communication is an imperative in diplomacy. If you manage to understand and speak even a little of the local language, you can open new horizons in your activity. In my case, I find additional encouragement within the 100 thousand Hungarian community in Brazil, which includes my wife, whose parents moved to Rio de Janeiro six decades ago, as well as in my genuine desire to make a difference in exploring the potential of our relations with Hungary, a country with which we share so many important values and aspirations. <

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Courtesy picture, David Harangozo

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Invitel at Telki Hospital The IT company provides the institution with a cost-effective secure integrated infrastructure solution, which could eliminate the page 19 disadvantages of physical servers.

KÜRT Security Worldwide fame was brought for KÜRT by data recovery but now, it is also involved oin IT security, including advisory activity, quality page 21 insurance and even ethical hacking.

Hungarians Know IT All Hungary is a land of creativity, with information and communications technology being undoubtedly one of the main drivers of innovation page 22 and economic growth.

The Evolution of Computers from and back to the ‘Clouds’

APPLE LOST JOBS

Innovative Products, Memorable Words THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, HE’S NOT ONLY CHANGED OUR LIVES WITH INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS, BUT ALSO WITH MEMORABLE WORDS. WE REMEMBER HIM, WITH A SELECTION OF HIS THOUGHTS. First was the mouse. The second was the click wheel. And now, we're going to bring multi-touch to the market. And each of these revolutionary interfaces has made possible a revolutionary product - the Mac, the iPod and now the iPhone.

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

I'm sorry, it's true. Having children really changes your view on these things. We're born, we live for a brief instant, and we die.

It's been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it much - if at all.

My favorite things in life don't cost any money. It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.

BY PETER FREED

"That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."

THE BUSINESS USE OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS has evolved significantly since its early days in the 1950s. If we look at today’s term of ‘cloud computing’, it really had its start in the highly centralized business computing era where users relied on access to the company’s mainframe computers located and connected throughout the country. Fast forward to the late '70s when startups like Apple, Microsoft, Digital Research, Zilog, Intel and others dreamed of the personal computer and IBM made it official with their 1982 introduction of the PC. The PC began a revolution, personal computing, that put the power and decision making process into the hands of the individual, so-called distributed processing.

Throughout the 90s, with the advent of the Internet, faster, more powerful microprocessors along with sophisticated software technology, the PC and accompanying local area networks became a productivity tool which spurred tremendous gains for businesses globally. By 2000, the slightest hiccup, virus or system failure scare (ie: millennium bug) sent companies scrambling for cover.

Now, 2011, the industry comes full circle with the advent of "Cloud Computing" for the masses companies from Apple to Amazon, Facebook to Google and the likes from every country in the world join the leagues of independent data center developers who have and are continuing to invest billions of dollars to build out the infrastructure to provide housing for the billions of gigabytes of data to be stored by individuals and companies alike. Business application software providers like Salesforce.com and Microsoft and many others are developing new software models totally dependent on data center access.

Having spent nearly 35 years in the IT sector, you might say, I have seen it all, however I can see that the best is yet to come. The use of technology and the breath of the user base continue to expand, and this year, we have seen first-hand how technology will shape the global political landscape.

In this issue of Diplomacy and Trade, we start a permanent series dedicated to the ever converging fields of technology and telecommunications that will change the way we live, work, develop and even love! <

“There’s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.’ And we’ve always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very very beginning. And we always will.”

I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer. Humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing about a third of the way down the list....That didn't look so good, but then someone at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle and a man on a bicycle blew the condor away.

That's what a computer is to me: the computer is the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with. It's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."

Picasso had a saying: 'Good artists copy, great artists steal.' We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas...I think part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, artists, zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world."

For many, the name Steve Jobs is synonymous with inspiration.

My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people."

Steve Jobs Memorial Graffiti in north-western Budapest

Courtesy picture, Levente Ferincz

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry.

Stay foolish."

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Invitel, a Versatile IT Service Provider for Telki Hospital COST-EFFECTIVE, EXPANDABLE SOLUTIONS MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE INSTITUTION

prospects of the institution’s expansion plans ESTABLISHED 12 YEARS AGO, THE TELKI in a safe and secure way. We have thoroughly HOSPITAL AND TELKI HEALTH CENTER IS A evaluated all the applicants and opted for DETERMINANT, dynamic private hospital in Invitel as the service that best fit our Hungary – the only full-spectrum private requirements at an affordable price and is also hospital in the country. With the deteriorating able to secure sensitive hospital data in its health situation in Hungary, it does not matter safely located servers. We were looking for an whether there are alternatives available to integrated infrastructure solution, which could people beside the public health service. If eliminate the disadvantages of physical servers, someone does not want to visit simply a thereby increasing system specialist or an outpatient clinic, but availability. Currently, we have space rather a clean, humane traditional available for the Telki group on eight hospital, where nurse shortages, high-performance servers operated queues, and gratuities are unheard of,

by Invitel.” then, private health care could be the As Julia Molnar adds, it was solution. The Telki group now has over important financially for the hospital 150 specialist doctors and 70 support that “signing an agreement with staff employees caring for patients.

Invitel also meant that the “Last year, we welcomed more than institution did not have to spend an ten thousand patients in our hospital, > T E L K I H O S P I TA L immediate amount of some HUF 20 where 1, 800 surgeries were executive director Dr. Julia million for secure servers and other performed, while in our birth center, Molnar hardware and software to update its 220 babies were born in 2010,” IT system to the required level.” executive director Dr. Julia Molnar Since the village of Telki is located in tells Diplomacy and Trade. an otherwise beautiful environment In response to the challenges of the among the hills just west of modern world, the hospital is Budapest, it is crucial that a constant continuously expanding its patientand secure connection is maintained oriented features, and striving to with the remote servers under these expand services to online customers. geographical circumstances. In This requires the latest technology addition to Invitel’s own microwave that can keep pace with the fast> S Y S M O N managing connection, the local cable operator’s changing technology of the 21st director Szabolcs Nagy system and the GSM lines are used century. “Last year, we decided to as back-up connections if necessary. outsource our IT activity. We chose SYSMon to “Fortunately, Invitel’s software solutions are provide this service and they immediately ideal to circumstances like this as they require recommended replacing the somewhat minimal resources while serving basically all outdated system we had with virtual servers as areas of hospital work,” Szabolcs Nagy points a cost-effective and secure solution to our out. He adds that the institution uses an needs,” she adds. integrated system that tracks all activities, each A tender was announced and as SYSMon work phase is documented. If a patient, for managing director, Szabolcs Nagy, points out instance, loses any documentation, it can they were “looking for a versatile service immediately be replaced, and all treatments can provider able to provide different kinds of be traced any time. The documentation of all services at various locations with a view to the

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processes is also necessary for a precise bill to be prepared – a unique feature among Hungarian hospitals.

The executive director finds it important to emphasize that the integrated IT system also facilitates the work of the management by constantly providing updated information for planning and for monthly evaluation.

“We daresay that due to this centralized and integrated system, everyone could work under the same conditions even if we had an unlimited number of worksites. This is due to the flexibility and expandability of Invitel’s complex solution,” Szabolcs Nagy stresses. “This could serve as an example for other hospitals.”

The integrated system ‘follows’ patients in all stages of care from calling in to leaving the hospital. The patient is first registered in the system, staff in the call center or reception can immediately see the doctors’ schedules and, should the patient be referred to hospital, the doctors there are already aware of the health conditions and/or lab results recorded by the specialist. Patients receive

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these results on CD while the institution archives these data. Szabolcs Nagy points out that the latest development in this field is the continuous implementation of a new Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) for which the required hardware is being installed.

Doctors’ work is also greatly facilitated by Invitel’s integrated IT system. They can access the data they need at any computer in the building. The system is user-friendly, information is easy to find. “Since we changed to these virtual servers, the operation of the system has become faster,” the executive director explains.

Summarizing the experience of having chosen this integrated system, Szabolcs Nagy concludes that “the hosting and virtual infrastructure services provided by Invitel solved the institution’s problems by eliminating the need for the acquisition of expensive equipment, but – at the same time – by allowing the accomplishment of our development tasks.” <

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iPad Survey

usage includes social networking/blogging, playing games, reading magazines, watching TV and videos and looking at photos. Women play more games than men. Shopping, comparing and internet banking form a third category in terms of frequency of use.

The first international study into the use of the iPad has been carried out by Sanoma. 3,673 users were surveyed in six European countries.

Whilst there are many similarities, there are also striking differences.

The primary computer at home Increased use of the iPad has had an effect on how other devices are being used, such as laptops, desktop computers and mobile phones.

The iPad is now the primary computer at home.

73 percent of those interviewed said they use

Around one-third of respondents have downloaded more than 50 apps. Germany (54%) and Hungary (41%) are out in front in this respect. They have the most users with more than 50 apps. In general, women download fewer apps than men. Over half the respondents have paid for more than 6 apps.

their laptop or desktop computer less. 38 percent use their mobile phone less. For the time being, the laptop or desktop computer dominates in the workplace. However, in Russia and Hungary, the iPad is used as a main computer at work twice as much as in other countries.

On the sofa or at the breakfast table

The European iPad user

The iPad is most commonly used in the evenings in the living room (83%) and in the morning (70%). Use is equally popular when someone has time to kill or is in bed before going to sleep (66%/67%). For Russians and Hungarians it is more common to use the iPad before going to sleep. Finns and the Russians are the heaviest users when they are travelling to and from work.

Up to four hours a day Around two-thirds said they are using the iPad more frequently. Almost everyone uses the

iPad several times per day (94%), and roughly half of these spend between 30 minutes and 2 hours on it each day. The Russians and the Germans are the heaviest users. They use the iPad several times a day, and even for as much as 4 hours or more.

Women play more games The iPad is used mainly for reading the news, surfing/browsing, searching and e-mailing.

With the exception of reading the news, these are all basic functions. The second category of

Fashion brands and cafés for your leisure.

Come and visit us at Blaha square…where the city comes together.

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Budapest, József körút 5. at Blaha Lujza square www.europeum.hu

Of the respondents, on average 80% are male and 20% female. Use and experience of working with the iPad is almost the same amongst men and women. The average age of the respondents is 39 years. Users mainly have high educational levels, with professional and academic qualifications. This percentage is the highest in Russia (89%). In more than twothirds of the households questioned this concerned married or cohabiting couples, with or without children. Around 60 percent of respondents report that they have above average earnings, or even twice as much or more. <

David Harangozo

> THE RUSSIANS IN PARTICULAR ARE HEAVY USERS OF THE IPAD, some households even own four devices. In Finland the iPad is more often used on the move. In all countries surveyed - the Netherlands, Finland, Russia, Hungary, Belgium and Germany - the owner of the iPad is by no means its only user.

More than half (67%) of the iPads are actively used by other persons. This is usually the partner and, in over a third of cases, the children. The iPad is most commonly used in the home. The second most common situation is whilst on holiday or travelling. Over half of the respondents do this 'often' and more than a third 'sometimes'.

More than six paid-for apps

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KÜRT: 22 Years on the Safe Side of Information Technology THE COMPANY’S EVOLUTION FROM DISK REPAIR TO FORENSIC INVESTIGATION MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE COMPANY KÜRT ASSOCIATE THIS NAME with the recovery of computer data but – as Deputy CEO of KÜRT Co. Ltd., Miklos Marton explains to Diplomacy & Trade – the firm is now much more than that as a result of having kept pace with the fast development of the electronics industry.

The company was founded in 1989 by Dr. Sandor Kürti (hence the name of the firm) and his brother, Janos, based on their experience in assembling and repairing computer data storage systems. First, they repaired magnetic data storage devices (floppy disks, hard disks, etc.) that were in short supply in Eastern Europe at that time. Later, these became more widely available and the real value to be saved was the data stored on these devices – be it your own child’s baby photos or sensitive company data. So, the company made data recovery its main profile. “After a couple of years, we realized that the loss of data could actually be prevented and we began to base our business on what advice we could give to companies and private individuals alike to preserve the valuable information on their storage devices. We still have an income of over HUF 200 million a year from data recovery. However, nowadays, it only means 10-15% of the company’s total annual income,” Marton points out.

Currently, the main profile of KÜRT is IT security, including advisory activity, quality insurance of large information technology projects and even ethical hacking. The Deputy CEO notes that “technology is developing, the environment is changing and IT security must keep pace with these changes, otherwise the integration of the system could be breached easily. KÜRT worked for years to create such security framework systems without major competition on the market and we did the job so well that after realizing the importance of this issue many of our clients were capable of managing these systems.”

system of the adjacent supermarket. “We got all the way to the chain’s headquarters in Germany and this activity was not even noticed by the IT people of that company! We managed to get access to client data, account numbers, acquisition data, etc.,” he adds.

As for the immediate future, KÜRT is developing – with funding from the European Union – a cloud security infrastructure that provides a “data safe” where one can store information in a secure way. Servers are placed in KÜRT’s headquarters and not ‘somewhere in the world’, so those subscribing to the service could be assured that the safety their data is guaranteed by KÜRT. <

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KÜRT also provides forensic services when an incident occurs and its origin as well as those responsible must be found, that is, to trace back what happened. “All this requires a thorough professional knowledge that the clients usually do not possess and this job is left for us to do,” Miklos Marton explains. The fact that KÜRT still has a lot to do is demonstrated by the figures that have shown, in the past ten years, significant increase both in the company’s income and the number of employees who can now work at a brand new headquarters built three years ago just outside Budapest. “KÜRT is able to be ahead of its competitors because it has over 20 years of experience, which in itself carries an added value, and also that we – coming from the background of eliminating the results of IT failures, data fraud, theft and other catastrophes – are well aware what the consequences of a badly configured system could be,” he adds.

Given its sensitive nature, ethical hacking is not a widely discussed topic but Miklos Marton says it is a fairly widespread service in Hungary, too. “Be it a governmental organization, a financial institution or a supermarket chain, we have 50-100 projects a year in which we are commissioned to look at possible security faults at different clients.” One of the most mentioned cases was when a KÜRT employee sat down at the snack-counter of a gas station and used the public WiFi Internet service to penetrate the computer 2 0 1 1 O C T- N OV

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Hungarians Know IT All HUNGARIAN DEVELOPMENTS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Hungary is a land of creativity, with information and communications technology being undoubtedly one of the main drivers of innovation and economic growth. A still longer list of successful Hungarians or Hungarian-born scientists who have enriched science and technological progress could be drawn up.

However, some pioneer ideas, listed below, deserve special attention.

Often referred to as the 'father of computers', John von Neumann (Janos Neumann – 1903-1957) was the first to recognize the revolutionary importance of electronically programmable computers. After artillery trajectories, he applied them to meteorology, economics, and military strategy. His study on the development of the modern high speed electronic computer entitled First Draft, presented in the EDVAC report, came out on June 30, 1945. Neumann helped to define how this machine stored and processed its programs, laying the foundations for how all modern computers operate. He was engaged until his death in the issue of a new symbiosis encompassing technology and biology. His posthumous book published under the title The Computer and the Brain also dealt with this subject.

EU AND HUNGARY TO GO TO EUROPEAN COURT ON TELCO TAX The European Commission has found Hungary's surtax on the telecom sector in breach of EU regulations but the Hungarian government says it will not revoke the tax and is willing to defend it before the European Court of Justice where the Commission is likely to take the case.

A press release from the European Commission on September 29th said Brussels requested Hungary to abolish the special surtax on telecom service operators. "The Commission considers this tax illegal under EU telecoms rules because revenue from the taxes is used for the Government's central budget and not for meeting the specific costs of regulating the telecoms sector," the statement pointed out.

Hungary's case is by no means unique; the Commission has taken similar steps against France and Spain. As concerns other industry-specific taxes, Spokesperson for the EU's Competition Commission Jonathan Todd said investigations are currently

Nobel laureate John Harsanyi (1920-2000) is best known for his contributions to the study of game theory and its application to economics, specifically for developing the highly innovative analysis of games of incomplete information, so-called Bayesian games.

underway and no information is yet available on the outcome.

One further complaint, which attracted EU criticism, is that the Hungarian government failed to consult (interested parties before amending charges levied on telecom service providers. Hungary is required to inform the Commission within two months of proposed measures to ensure compliance with EU telecommunications

Dennis Gabor (Denes Gabor) (1900-1979) received Nobel Prize for extracting the complete information carried by a light ray with the technique of holography.

John G. Kemeny (1926-1992) invented the Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC). Together with his mathematician colleague Thomas E. Kurtz, Kemeny also developed the Dartmouth Time Sharing System, the synchronous use of computers.

regulations. If the government fails to do so, the Commission may refer the case to the EU Court of Justice. That is likely to be the case since the Hungarian government’s prompt response was that it saw no reason to revoke this tax and was ready to defend its stance before the European Court of Justice. A statement by Prime Ministerial spokesman Peter Sziijjarto did not answer the specific charges worded by the Commission but cited the government's argument that "these companies should also be given the chance to take their share in proportionate burden sharing." <

Charles Simonyi (1948- ) who, as head of Microsoft's application software group, oversaw the creation of Microsoft's flagship office applications (Excel, Word), also made history during his spaceflight by becoming the first private explorer to complete a mission to space.

Andy Grove (Andras Grof) (1936- ) president and chief executive officer at Intel, created the Pentium and PentiumPro microprocessors. The on-board computers for the Russian longdistance space missions, which reached Mars and Comet Halley, were made in Hungary, too.

Graphisoft's ArchiCAD 3D software an early pioneer in the field of 3D visualization and modeling, has been distributed in 80 countries and 25 languages and used by more than 75,000 architecture designers.

A unique invention from the Hungarian company Holografika Ltd. makes it possible to see 3D images without 3D glasses.

Major digital film laboratories in Hollywood use a post-production software "Lustre" developed by another Hungarian company, called Colorfront Ltd. (now in US ownership).

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Kürt Ltd., a Hungarian company recovered data damaged during the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center in September 2001.

TABLET PC OWNERS DO MORE ONLINE PURCHASING An interesting fact was discovered by traders when they looked at what tools most people use when making purchases in online stores. It turned out that tablet users are more willing to click on the ‘buy’ button than other visitors. As a result of this discovery, merchants will focus on tablet PCs in the upcoming holiday season. Tablets are still small in terms of the overall online market, but they appear over-represented compared to their number. While only 3% of the users of traditional PCs buy something in an online store, among those visiting the site from tablet the proportion is 4-5% – Sucharita Mulpuru a Forrester Research analyst said. Many merchants say that tablet users place larger orders, and are willing to buy 10-20% more than the traditional PC or smart phone users. The merchants, therefore, began optimize their websites to tablets, and their catalogs are designed specifically for tablet PCs. For most retailers, online shopping is the fastest growing business unit, producing double-digit growth every year. A simple explanation for why those with the tablet spend more is that they are usually among the affluent. <

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RECOGNITA software, which is able to read hand-written text is also a Hungarian invention, designed for the blind.

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A Trans-Atlantic Community?

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND A UNITED STATES OF EUROPE?

B Y T A M A S M A G YA R I C S HUNGARY’S AMBASSADOR TO IRELAND

AFTER CENTURIES OF DOMINATING WORLD POLITICS, EUROPE was pushed into the background by the United States and the Soviet Union as a power center after 1945.

Despite various attempts to acquire a position of equality with the two superpowers during the Cold War years – the most obvious examples were Charles de Gaulle’s vision of a Europe keeping equal distance from Washington and Moscow and Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik –, Europe was playing a secondary role on the world stage. The Americans and the Soviets were pursuing different strategies to keep ‘Europe’ down.

The U.S. encouraged the economic, military and political integration of Western Europe through de-territorialization, de-militarization and denationalization. The grand bargain was that the West Europeans were to build up a welfare system under an American security umbrella.

The (unintended) long-term consequence is, however, that there has emerged a culture of dependency in Europe; in fact, the capabilities gap has even widened after the collapse of the Soviet Union when practically each country in Western Europe started to cut defense budgets.

In short, they were busy to take their peace dividend.

The Soviet Union also developed a – different kind of – dependency culture in the states under its domination in eventually all walks of life.

Moreover, the countries in the Soviet Bloc were kept economically weak, as well. When they became liberated from under the Soviet rule internationally, and the communist rule domestically, they had to restructure their whole political, economic, military and even social systems. The transition brought about a number of foreseen and unforeseen difficulties and the initially expected and longed for relatively fast catching up with Western Europe has become a pipedream for all practical purposes.

The disappearance of the Soviet Union and the dramatic weakening of Russia especially in the

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1990s left the U.S. unchallenged in devising a new order in Europe. The Clinton Administration’s strategy can be summarized with two slogans: ‘engagement and enlargement’ and making Europe ‘whole, free and united’. On the one hand, the U.S. remained a ‘European power’ and, on the other, it worked hard to get the Central and East European states admitted into the two major transAtlantic organizations, NATO and the European Union. Washington’s ultimate object has been more or less obvious. As NATO is the sole organization that makes the U.S. institutionally a ‘European power’, Washington was desperate to find new missions for NATO to keep it alive.

Second, the Central and East European countries for various – historical, geopolitical, geoeconomic, etc. – reasons are more ”Atlanticists” than the majority of the West European states.

Therefore, it is in the interest of the U.S. to bring them inside the trans-Atlantic institutions and, moreover, the more countries are members of the EU, the more difficult to create a rival power center in Europe.

The relatively smooth trans-Atlantic cooperation during the Cold War has been challenged by two major developments recently. The so-called German question, which caused two world wars in the last century, was skillfully handled after 1945. The U.S. made the German Federal Republic an economic powerhouse, while the European integration stripped Bonn from a number of competencies and capabilities. The ‘Bonn Republic’ was playing the role assigned to it by the Americans and the French.

Nevertheless, the question is whether the ‘Berlin Republic’ is willing to do the same in the postCold War period. There are signs that the German national interests have been gaining ground lately in opposition to trans-Atlantic and pan-European considerations.

The global challenge to the Atlantic community is that it is losing positions – with the potential exception in the military field – in each category of hard and soft power. On paper, the proper response would be more and not less integration, so that it would be able to compete successfully with the emerging powers and/or 2 0 1 1 O C T- N OV

rival formal and informal blocs such as the Shanghai Security Cooperation or the BRIC(S) (Brazil, Russia, India, China, [South Africa]). The history of the (West) European integration is pointing towards more integration, that is, a con-federal or federal Europe. The different treaties, let it suffice to say the Maastricht, the Amsterdam, the Nice, the Lisbon treaties accepted in the past two decades, all aim at strengthening cooperation and integration across the board. However, the recent economic crisis and the subsequent serious structural and financial problems in a number of EU-countries which are, at the same time, members of the Euro zone, as well, have raised serious questions as to the feasibility of a United States of Europe.

The way forward is more than opaque.

Currently, to discuss only the most pressing issues, the financial institutions and means at the disposal of the EU do not seem to be adequate to meet the challenges. While the U.S. federal government redistributes some 25 percent of the country’s GDP, the EU countries contribute only about one percent of their GDP to the common treasury; in other words, the sort of transfer union that characterizes the U.S.

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does not work in Europe. There is practically no Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) or European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP); the major European powers, such as the U.K., France, and Germany, tend to give priority to their national interests; witness Germany’s positions on Libya or formerly Iraq, likewise Britain’s policies with regard Iraq, or the French aspirations in the Mediterranean.

With the prevalent general political and economic atmosphere in most of the EUmember countries, it is a bit difficult to imagine an ‘ever closer union’ in Europe any time soon. Monetary transfer from the richer countries to the less affluent ones is not a popular idea; however, without it, the gap between the ‘North’ and the ‘South’ and the ‘West’ and the ‘East’ will only get wider with the predictably political consequences. In addition, the U.S. is less and less in a position to take a lead from outside (‘leading from behind’ does not seem to be working, either).

If, as is the case, there is a lack of money to pursue a coherent Europe-wide financial policy, there is even a more painful lack of politicians with visions with the stature of a Robert Schuman, Alcide de Gasperi or Konrad Adenauer in Europe, and a George C. Marshall, Dean Acheson or George F. Kennan on the other side of the Atlantic. The bad news is that as things are standing at the moment, finding money seems to be the easier task. <

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OFTEN CALLED ‘THE BAROQUE JEWEL ON THE HUNGARIAN CROWN,’ EGER IS THE THIRD MOST VISITED TOWN IN HUNGARY THANKS TO ITS PLEASANT LOCATION, IMPOSING ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES, THERMAL BATHS AND VITICULTURE.

BY REKA A. FRANCISCK

UP TO ONE MILLION TOURISTS FLOCK TO THIS NORTHERN HUNGARIAN TOWN ANNUALLY. Hungarians especially love Eger and cherish its fascinating history, especially one specific battle, fought against the Turks. As the story goes, working their way up from the Balkan Peninsula, some 80,000 Turks arrived at Eger on September 11, 1552. 2,000 Eger residents including women and children, fighting from within the castle, held the line against the advancing invaders. Some say that when their spirits lagged, the innovative captain of the castle, Istvan Dobo broke out the reserves of red wine in the castle cellars to fortify his men, and the Turks, seeing beards and armor stained red, became convinced that the Hungarians were drinking bull's blood for strength, and broke off their attack after a 38day siege. (Sadly, they returned in 1599 and, this time, succeeded in conquering the castle.)

The remarkable victory is written with golden letters in Hungarian history books, as well as in Hungarian author Geza Gardonyi’s classic novel ‘Egri Csillagok.' (The title’s literal translation is ‘Stars of Eger,’ but it was published in English as ‘Eclipse of the Crescent Moon.’) Hungarian children literally grow up on this book, and Gardonyi is buried within the castle that is the focus of patriotic field trips for students throughout the country.

The castle grounds today feature several small museums, including a history museum, picture gallery, dungeon and underground casements.

The 18th century was a period of development and prosperity in the history of Eger. In 1814, the city became an archiepiscopal see; the many churches subsequently built here have earned it the name “Rome of Hungary.” The Baroque townscape, which has been characteristic since then, was formed by the erudite Catholic bishops of Eger, out of special respect for Ferenc Barkoczy and Karoly Eszterhazy, living here in the 18th century. Their high ideas were realized by excellent designers and architects of Austrian, German and

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Starring Eger

The Basilica at Eszterhazy Square is the only Neo-classic building in the city and the second biggest church in the country.

Turkish heritage

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Marianna Sarkozy, Lajos Kalmar/Hungarian National Tourist Office

With its 40-meter height and 100 narrow spiral stairs twisting to the top, the Minaret, a remarkable reminder of the Turkish occupation, is also a favored tourist attraction,

offering a breathtaking view of the town. Another momentum of Turkish times is the Turkish Bath, the only bath of the kind in Hungary outside Budapest, built between 1610 and 1617

by Arnaut pasha. Today, the original, golden-vault Turkish pool is part of a grand bath complex, which after a full-scale reconstruction, re-opened in 2009, complemented with five pools, 4 types of

PHOTOS BY

Italian origin, together with skillful Eger building masters. Today, the town center alone boasts 175 protected buildings and monuments. The most spectacular ones among the Baroque buildings are the Minorite Church, the Small Priovost's palace, the Great Priovost's palace (the County Library), the County Hall with Henrik Fasola's two wroughtiron gates and the Serbian Church. The late Baroque teacher-training Lyceum, today the College of Eger, was founded by Bishop Eszterhazy. This institution’s libraries, decorated with ornamental carvings and wonderful ceiling-frescos, feature more than 130,000 volumes, including the first book printed in Hungary from 1473, and a letter written by Mozart. The tower houses the country’s first astronomical museum, the Specula Observatory with a Camera Obscura, which projects the real image of the town on a white board in the darkened room. The heart of Eger is Dobo Square. Nr 5 is home to a “Paloc” Folk Art Exhibition that gives an overall view of the ethnography of the area showcasing folk-weavings, embroideries, furrier’s works, ceramics and festive wedding clothes.

THE CITY WHERE THE FLAME AND THE TEMPER OF THE HUNGARIAN NATION LIE

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saunas, steam baths and a traditional Turkish steam bath.

Eger, the seat of Heves County, is surrounded by gently sloping hills of volcanic origin, including the Matra Mountains. Nature has endowed this region with ideal conditions to produce wine. The intricate network of underground cellars ferments and preserves the world famous wines of the area, including Egri Bikaver (Bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blood) and Egri Leanyka.

When Turkish invaders first occupied Eger, residents moved into the next valley, living in caves dug into the hillside. Eventually they moved back to town, and the caves became wine cellars. There are more than 300 such caves in the valley to the southwest of Eger, several of which are open for visitors, serving food and wine. These rows of cellars form the so-called Szepasszony Valley. It's a fun scene, in walking distance from the city, with picnic tables and tipsy tourists. The oldest wine

cellars are more than 400 years old, but new cellars are still being hollowed out. In September, the grape harvest is celebrated here with a grand festival.

In the neighborhood Egerszalok is a small village in the northern part of the country, in the Heves region, picturesquely spread between the mountain ranges of Matra and Bukk in the valley of the Lasko stream. The historic settlement's most prominent sight is a hot spring, the thermal water of which is used in a spa, the Salt Hill Thermal Spa that welcomes guests with 1,900sqm water surface. The village church is a wellknown pilgrimage spot, built according to the plans of the renowned Italian architect, Giovanni Battista Carlone. 31 kilometers from Eger lies Szilvasvarad, on the western side of the Bukk Hills. This is so much like a storybook land with its castles, churches and Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beautiful stud farm: the famous Lipizzaner horses can be seen grazing in the open fields. The village is an international holiday resort since 1971, but it became really well-known during the 7th Carriage-driving World Championship in 1984. The Lipizzan Equestrian festival is organized here every summer, with carriage-driving races accompanied with spectacular musical and cultural events. The Szalajka Valley is one the most stunning mountain valleys in the Bukk

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> L I P I Z Z A N H O R S E S : In Hungary, breeding of Lipizzans began in the early 1800s. The quality of soil and climate in Szilvasvarad guarantee long-term preservation of the characteristics of this unique and rare breed.

Hills. The countryside is simply overwhelmingly beautiful, featuring the fast-running Szalajka Stream, the main gem of the valley. The water of the Szalajka Stream was dammed at several places on its way down the 4-kilometer-long valley. Trout is farmed in these artificial lakes.

In summer, a narrow gauge train takes tourists the length of the valley. The Veil-waterfall in Bukk National Park is also a beautiful natural formation. Other attractions include the Istallosko Cave where prehistoric findings of cavemen were discovered, the Open-air Forestry Museum that evokes the industrial life of the area and the nearby historical castle ruins of Eleskovar and Gerennavar. <

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Wishkitchen COOK FOR THE GREATER GOOD ACTIVE SINCE 2003, CSODALAMPA WISH GRANTING FOUNDATION FULFILLS the wishes of children aged between 3 and 18, suffering from life threatening illnesses such as leukemia, cancer, muscular dystrophy, or organ transplant. According to Managing Director Eva Patzauer, so far, the Foundation enabled more than 1,600 very sick children to see their dreams realized. By granting a wish, the foundation would like to make the life of these children a little happier if only for a few hours or days. “We hope that with our help, they will be able to forget the hospital, medicines, treatments, and become, at least for a while, "normal" children. Many children ask for laptops to keep in touch with the outside world. Others often wish to meet celebrities, sportsmen; to travel to Dis neyland, to swim with dolphins or collect shells at the seaside. Some children on the other hand ask for rather simple things, such as a puppet or a chest of drawer,” the managing director adds. “With the help of our spirited sponsors and volunteers, we are organizing brand new programs this year. In September, we launched a series of cooking classes and courses,” Patzauer continues.

During the “Wish-kitchen” program, participants learn to prepare gourmet and simple everyday dishes, using premium ingredients. Classes take place in exclusive locations with the guidance of Hungarian and foreign chefs. “This is not a classical cooking school, though,” Patzauer notes.

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> T H E TA ST E O F G O O D N E S S : General Electric (GE) cooking class held recently at Budapest’ Corinthia Hotel.

understand how effective teams function.”

Patzauer notes that they are currently looking for suppliers of ingredients for their cooking classes, providers of locations (restaurants, hotels, cooking schools), further media and

marketing sponsors who would help to spread the idea, and participants who would like to contribute to the wish grantings by registring for the next classes. For more information, visit www.csodalampa.hu <

PHOTOS BY

David Harangozo

“From the proceeds of these classes, we are willing to help even more kids. Participants may be present when a wish is granted, to share the joy.” In addition to these classes, the foundation’s other initiative, the Gourmet cooking school takes cooking a step further.

“These are thematically organized: seasonal ingredients, holidays or cuisines of different nations will be in focus. We are also planning to invite sommeliers to offer guidance in the world of fine wine and experts who could teach the participants about setting and decorating a festive table, and serving the meal,” Patzauer explains. Another novelty, a Teambuilding Cooking School has also been launched. “These sessions provide perfect opportunity to strengthen the corporate culture through raising awareness of corporate responsibility and volunteerism.

Participants will experience the advantages of teamwork, which will help them better

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> L A S Z LO M E S Z A R O S : A photo from the Danube exhibition

> TO M A S Z G U D ZO WAT Y: Mexico Frenzy

World Press Photo 2011 ONE OF THE WINNERS IS HUNGARIAN PHOTOGRAPHER PETER LAKATOS ATTRACTING 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE EACH YEAR WORLDWIDE IN SOME 100 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, the world’s most prestigious annual photo exhibition returns to Budapest. The venue for this year’s edition is Budapest’s Ethnography Museum. “The Budapest exhibition of the World Press Photo has a history of more than 30 years,” chief organizer of the Hungarian show, photographer Tamas Revesz said. “It can be claimed without exaggeration that the World Press Photo Exhibition is one of the most popular cultural events in Budapest. Each year, the national printed and electronic media deal with this event as a priority.”

Again, the World Press Photo exhibition reflects events of the past year. Now, in its 54th year, the World Press Photo exhibition is the main travelling exhibition dedicated entirely to photojournalism, profiling the globe’s top press photographers and showcasing the world’s best press photos. Every February, an international panel of judges selects the winning photographs from the entries.

For the 2011 edition, 5,691 photographers from 125 countries sent their works to the competition and the jury judged a total of 108,590 photos, to select the final set. 55 photographers were chosen as bests, including Hungarian MTI photographer Peter Lakatos, who won first prize in the Spot News Singles category for his photo of a suicide jump, taken in Budapest on May 22, 2010. Top honors went to Jodie Bieber for her image of Bibi Aisha, a disfigured Afghan woman, taken for Time magazine. Revesz called this year’s show “extraordinarily powerful”.

Two separate shows accompany this year’s World Press Photo exhibition: Beyond the Body, a collection of exotic sport photos by Polish photographer Tomasz Gudzowaty; and Danube, which shows life along the river from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, via a series of photographs

by Laszlo Meszaros. The goal of this latter exhibition is to call attention to the Strategy for the Danube Region proposed by the European Commission to raise awareness of the importance of cooperat ion and the issues of environment protection and transport in the 14 countries of the Danube region.

Both supplementary exhibitions and the World Press Photo 2011 are open until Oct 30. <

PHOTOS BY

Tomasz Gudzowaty, Laszlo Meszaros, Jodi Bieber, Peter Lakatos, Corentin Fohlen

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> JODIE

B I E B E R : Bibi Aisha

THE WORLD PRESS PHOTO FOUNDATION is an independent platform for international press photography, founded in 1955, aiming to promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information. The non-profit organization is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This platform manifests itself in the annual World Press Photo contest and the corresponding yearbook and exhibition.

World Press Photo receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and is sponsored worldwide by Canon and TNT.

> P E T E R L A K ATO S : A man falls to his death from a turret of Liberty Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, after covering himself in flammable liquid and setting himself alight.

> COR ENTI N

FOHLEN: The Red Shirts’ Last Stand

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SINCE ITS BEGINNING, THE ANNUAL NEMZETI VAGTA (NATIONAL GALLOP) HAS BEEN DRAWING HUGE CROWDS TO BUDAPEST’S HEROES’ SQUARE. ORIGINALLY THE BRAINCHILD OF MULTIFACETED SINGER, AUTHOR AND ADVERTISING MANAGER PETER GESZTI, THE MASSIVE HORSE RACING EVENT THIS YEAR WAS SOLD TO THE LAZAR BROTHERS, HUNGARY’S FAMOUS WORLD CHAMPIONS IN CARRIAGE DRIVING.

Sand and Sweat in Fashion HORSE RACING AND TRADITIONAL COSTUMES AT BUDAPEST’S HERO’S SQUARE “THE NATIONAL GALLOP WAS DREAMT TO BE A TRADITIONAL ANNUAL FESTIVAL,” notes Geszti, who remains the creative director of the events. “Our aim is to organize something that draws Hungarians together.

Everything in Hungary is concentrated in the capital city, where 20% of the entire population lives. This country has about 3,200 settlements in total, but they hardly have any chance to represent themselves at major national events.” Geszti believes that the traditional Vagta, which celebrated its 4th anniversary this year, is the right event for even the tiniest village to promote themselves. “And this is exactly what promotes focus on Hungary as a whole. This year, in September, 72 municipalities sent riders and 380 horses took part in the five-day event,” he continues. “We also let companies and foundations sponsor settlements in the competition,” he adds. Tibor Szekely, the captain-in-chief of the National Gallop, present at the event, also draws attention to the community-building effects of the Vagta, and the recent results in popularizing equestrian sport. He stresses that since the first National Gallop, a total of 12 new racecourses have been constructed inside and outside the borders of Hungary. For the first time this year, a qualifying heat known as “Szekely Gallop” was held in Sepsiszentgyorgy (Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania).

“I believe Hungarians are able to appear as a cultural brand on international level with international quality,” says Geszti. This year, over 150,000 Hungarian and foreign visitors attended the cultural and national image

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history. In 2011, the choice fell on Miklos Bercsenyi, Prince Ferenc Rákoczi II’s general and his son, Laszlo Bercsenyi, the Captain of the Guard to the Prince. At the opening ceremony of the National Gallop, Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende, the State Secretary for Culture, Geza Szocs, and the presidency of the National Gallop laid wreaths at the Heroes’ Memorial Stone.

Ladies First When establishing the scene, organizers had to pay special attention to Heroes’ Square, which is a national monument. During the show, the 500-meter-long roundabout was covered with sand and encircled with hedges.

Entrants were to complete two and a half laps, totaling a distance of approximately 1,200

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meters. 18 races took place at the event, (excluding the traditional charity race, sponsored this year by the largest Hungarian bank, with local celebrities in the saddle. The winner turned out to be Gyongyi Molnar, riding the stallion Malor, whose name translates to Maleur. (The same horse and rider finished second in the 2010 race.) Molnar won a HUF 10 million prize in cash for her Baja region and a hussar's sword from 1848. Barbara Budinszki, representing Almaskeresztur finished second on her horse named Nama, while Orsolya Szilagyi and Jolly Good from Siofok came in third. Laszlo Hajas, internationally acknowledged Hungarian hairdresser won the charity race and the HUF 100,000 prize that he donated to the Tuzolto utca Children’s Clinic. <

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Boosting tourism

festival, where entry was free. The countryimage program offered several cultural events this year. Visitors could see hussar and horse shows, an archer show, folklore programs and a handcraft exhibition in addition to the races.

The so-called ‘Racing Prom’ on Andrassy Boulevard hosted a colorful cavalcade of the settlements’ most typical cultural, art and touristic characteristics. “This was like a kind of “mini Hungary” on Andrassy Boulevard,” Geszti says. Other venues included the ‘Kitchen of Hungary’ and ‘Wine and Palinka Pavilions’, spreading all the way from the Art Hall to the 1956 monument, where show jumping, a polo horse match, special coach-driving races and free horseback riding were available. Each year, the organizers choose to dedicate the event to an outstanding family or person in Hungarian

Tibor Illyes, Laszlo Beliczay/MTI

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eL greco to rippL-ronai

budapest fridge 2011 NOV 10-13, CITY PARK, SKATING RINK Hungary’s unique winter festival, the > Monster Energy Budapest Fridge will return to Budapest this year: a 34 meter high ramp, the world’s best snowboard and free ski racers, international concerts and DJs will ensure that the capital is alive even in the wintertime. The venue of the festival will be the newly renovated ice rink in the Budapest City Park and this year’s episode will bring more sport and fun to everybody who loves a winter atmosphere. <

UNTIL FEB 19, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS > This exhibition wishes to pay tribute to Marcell Janoshalmi Nemes, (1866-1930), one of the most significant art collectors and art patrons in the early 20th century Hungary.

He donated numerous valuable works to the Museum of Fine Arts, including El Greco’s The Penitent Mary Magdalene and Adam Manyoki’s Portrait of Ferenc Rakoczi, the latter being regarded as a national relic in Hungary. He also made donations to several other domestic as well as foreign institutions, such as the Museum of Applied Arts, the Berlin and Munich picture galleries, the Prado in Madrid and the Louvre in Paris. In addition the paintings, antique vases, medieval sculptures, and valuable applied arts object are alsoon display. <

LifescaLe by eva Mayer UNTIL NOV 18, MOLNAR ANI GALLERY > The solo show in the Molnar Ani Gallery exhibits the latest works of Eva Mayer. The young graphic artist living in Slovakia is one of the gallery's artists who experiments progressively with technique. Her works based on photos and photo-grams – this time in the form of luminescent signs – create a graphic installation in the exhibition space. <

andre kertesz retrospective

www.szepmuveszeti.hu

raMMstein – Made in gerMany NOV 10, BUDAPEST SPORTARENA > After highly acclaimed appearances in Australia and South Africa, and following an extended tour of North America and Mexico, for which they were awarded Best Live Band at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, it would seem as though they finally deserved to take a breather.

Rammstein is not resting but has assembled a retrospective of their greatest successes “Made in Germany 1995 – 2011.” The concert is to bring the essence of 16 years of music to the stage, with completely new (show elements and with the band’s Greatest Hits. <

UNTIL DEC 31, HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM Andre Kertesz (1894-1985) is today famous > for his extraordinary contribution to the language of photography in the 20th century.

This retrospective, the touring exhibition of the Jeu de Paume, which travels after Winterthur and Berlin to Budapest, marshals a large number of prints and original documents that highlight the exceptional creative acuity of this photographer, from his beginnings in Hungary, his homeland, to Paris, where between 1925 and 1936 he was one of the leading figures in avant-garde photography, to New York, where he lived for nearly fifty years without encountering the success that he expected and deserved. < www.hnm.hu

akraM khan: verticaL road NOV 4 AND 5, TRAFO Akram Khan, one of the UK’s most innovative and influential dance talents, > returns to the Trafó with his latest, full-scale contemporary ensemble work, Vertical Road. In this new work, Khan draws inspiration from universal myths of angels that symbolize ‘ascension’ – the road between the earthly and the spiritual, the Vertical Road. Visually inspiring and spiritually profound, this performance draws on the performers’ different cultural interpretations of the human odyssey. In Akram Khan’s words: “In a world moving so fast, with the growth of technology and information, I am somehow inclined to move against this current, in search of what it might mean to be connected not just spiritually, but also vertically”. < www.trafo.hu

30y – szentiMentaLe NOV 12, 8 PM, PLACE OF ARTS Szentimentale shows the quieter, less> known side of 30Y, one of Hungary's most exciting rock groups. Their slower, more laid-back songs are surprising at first, but then find their way into your heart for a lifetime. The concert will be something like a time capsule, transporting the listener away on a wondrous journey to a forgotten past. The trip is interrupted by occasional stops at bitter, humorous and emotional locations where a few moments will be spent in the waiting room of nostalgia. The music is inspired by the things that happen by chance. The band has arranged camp-fire songs originally with a singleinstrument accompaniment – guitar or piano – or found objects reminiscent of musical instruments. Szentimentale promises to deliver something only the greatest storytellers can pull off. Perhaps, the genuine twist in the tale is that they may fool their audience into thinking it is their normal selves that they employ as a disguise. < www.mupa.hu

MeMento park - statue park While the weather is still good, take a trip to Budapest’s Statue Park in District 22, for gigantic monuments of the communist dictatorship and statues of socialist politicians, such as Lenin and Marx, Soviet soldiers and other ‘heroes’ of the communist world. A photo collection is also exhibited about the 1956 revolution and the 1989-90 political changes. Soviet souvenirs, authentic articles and vintage gifts are available at the souvenir shop. < www.mementopark.hu

PHOTOS BY

Courtesy pictures

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9TH BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW The annual Business Travel Show, Hungary's largest dedicated event for business travel professionals, was recently organized at Budapest's Hungexpo, offering a wide range of exhibitors and programs. Based on previous years' experiences, exhibitor and visitor feedback and current trends, 2011 witnessed one of the biggest changes in the history of Business Travel Show. MICE providers of neighboring countries and regions (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia and Burgenland) were in focus this year. This is where you need to be every year if you are looking to generate new sales leads, enter new markets, catch up with important clients or acquire market intelligence. <

AMBASSADORS EXPERIENCING THE TOKAJ HARVEST SEASON

In Vino Diplomacy

SCENT DINNER IN BUDAPEST The Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge hotel has called upon the natural pairing of cuisine and scent by introducing Chandler Burr, writer, perfume magnate and perfume critic of the New York Times, and his unique interactive ‘Scent Dinner’ show. Burr has

There are several myths about Tokaj, stories of fairies and alchemists. According to one legend, a medieval alchemist, Paracelsus traveled to the region because he thought the grapes had pure gold in them, which he intended to distill with his philosopher’s stone. Tokaj wine, this sweet,

rich, amber after-dinner wine prized all over the world is often referred to as the ‘Hungarian gold’, ever since. Harvest in Tokaj starts in October or in mid-November the latest and is divided into two distinct operations. First the mature (Aszu) botrytized, shriveled berries are handpicked; often women perform this duty, as they are more meticulous than men. Then, the less advanced plots are harvested by mixing the botrytized grains and the ripe ones. After fermentation, the wine is put in barrels known as Gonci of 136 liters. The level of Aszu then depends on the number of baskets weighing 25 kilos of Aszu berries that are added to each barrel. It is the proportion of these naturally 'candied' berries on the cluster of grapes, individually harvested and once mixed with the fermenting grape juice that determines the number of Puttonyos (back-baskets) requested.

The higher the number of 'Puttonyos', the more the complex aromas and the sugar can balance a length of the wine in the mouth. <

teamed with Andreas Mensch, executive chef of the Paris Budapest Restaurant to produce a dinner to pamper all senses.

According to Klaudia Juhasz, Quality and Attitude Manager of the hotel, the ‘evening of scentertainment’ was a huge success. “Seats for the dinner were extremely limited and sold out quickly,” she noted, adding that 55 people were able to enjoy this most unusual dining experience last Saturday. The hotel is planning to continue cooperation with Mr Burr, so there might be another Fragrance dinner show coming up next year. To explore how scent and flavor work together in food and in perfume, participants were served an 8-course dinner, each course reflecting the gourmand perfume that preceded it. One course was inspired by the scent of blackberry that is the base of Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge hotel’s new, own fragrance, Mure Sauvage.’ <

RING CAFE & BURGER BAR

The American Experience “DO YOU LIKE BURGERS? WE LOVE ‘EM” – says the Ring Cafe and Burger Bar’s card. And so it seems: the menu lists a dozen different kinds of burgers, all very special: There is the cheddar burger, the blue cheese burger, the hummus-lamb burger, the honey-soya chicken burger, the vegan falafel-burger – and on the list goes.

All burgers come with fries, ketchup, and coleslaw. Everything is hand-made from top quality ingredients. The meat used in the hamburgers is dry aged sirloin, ground three times, grilled medium. No extra spices are added, just salt and pepper, and a bit of suet, to make it moister. The bun is Ciabatta dough baked in an oak fired oven exclusively for these delicious burgers. When it comes to steak, Ring Cafe and Burger Bar believes the classics to be best. Here it’s all about the cut. You can choose from amongst roast beef, rib-eye, T-bone and filet. The steaks are made from Hungarian beef (as are the burgers) that isand are ripened for at least 10 days. Choose from coke barbecue, blue cheese or jus for the sauce. If you’d like to stick to the burger bar feeling, choose freshly made lemonade or a milkshake to go with your meal. Apart from the fixed menu, Ring Cafe and Burger Bar has weekly special offers including a soup, a main course and a dessert and also serves hearty breakfast meals. < OPEN: MONDAY-SUNDAY 12:00- 11:00 ADDRESS : 1061 BUDAPEST, Andrassy ut 38. TELEPHONE: +361 331 5790 DIPLOMACY & TRADE

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Karoly Arvai/kormany.hu, businesstraveller.hu, David Harangozo

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PHOTOS BY

> THE HUNGARIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, JANOS MARTONYI, along with the Minister of Rural Development, Sandor Fazekas, has invited a number of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives to attend the annual Diplomat Harvest, which this year took place on the slopes of the Tokaj-Hegyalja region. On October 16, up to a hundred diplomats spent part of their day walking through the hillside property of Patricius Winery, picking grapes and praising the natural beauty of Bodrogkisfalud. “Tokaj-Hegyalja has a special esteem for Hungarians everywhere. The unique soil and environment, the grape varieties and wines produced here and the centuries-old tradition of wine-making are the jewels in the crown of Hungarian grape and viticulture,” said Fazekas, also acknowledging the achievements of Patricius Winery, whose wines won several prestigious international awards in the past few years. The Minister of Rural Development highlighted the re-opening of the Tokaj Wine Region Viticulture and WineMaking Research Institute in Tarcal. “The fortunate encounter of the wine-makers’ initiative and the goals of the government, which supports the sector, has resulted in the institute being able to continue its activities.

The role of the research institute will include the preservation and development of biological gene banks, the documentation and crossbreeding of the gene bank’s stocks, the development of new wine-making technologies and the testing of eco-friendly grape cultivation techniques,” he said. “Hungarian wine and hospitality hand-in-hand can be the biggest driving force of tourism in Hungary,” he continued. Tokaj wine is an ambassador itself, “Hungary in a bottle.”

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www.bestofbudapest.com

Average cost for 2 person in HUF ✪ 5.000 – 8.000

✪✪ 9.000 – 12.000

✪✪✪ 13.000 – 25.000

www.bestofbudapest.com

1053 Budapest, Ferenciek tere 7-8.

TEL.: +36-1 317-3596

✪✪ KÉHLI

21S T C ENTURY E VENTS !

H-1101 Budapest, Expo tér 2.

Tel.: +36 1 263 6800 | Fax: +36 1 263 6801 E-mail: info@expohotel.hu www.expohotel.hu

BAVARIAN ✪ HAXEN KIRÁLY 1068 Budapest, Király utca 100. TEL.: +36-1 351-6793 CAFÉS

1036 Budapest, Mókus u. 22. TEL.: +36-1 250-4241 ✪✪ MIRROR CAFE & RESTAURANT 1053 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos u. 19-21.

TEL.: +36-1 889-6022; FAX: +36-1 889-6090 ✪✪ MÚZEUM KÁVÉHÁZ 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt 12.

TEL.: +36-1 267-0375; FAX: +36-1 338-4221 ✪✪ SPINOZA CAFÉ 1074 Budapest, Dob utca 15. TEL.: +36-1 413-7488

✪✪✪ VADRÓZSA 1025 Budapest, Pentelei Molnár u. 15. TEL.: +36-1 345-0426 HUNGARIAN-INTERNATIONAL

✪ ARAZ RESTAURANT

1074 Budapest, Dohány u. 42-44. TEL.: +36-1 815-1100

✪ CASCADE 1125 Budapest, Szarvas Gábor út. 8.

TEL.: +36-1 392-0007

✪✪✪ DIÓ

1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 38. TEL.: +36-1 331-5790

1051 Budapest, Sas utca 4.

TEL./FAX: +36-1 328-0360, +36-1 328-0361 ✪✪✪ GRESHAM 1051 Budapest, Roosevelt tér 5-6. TEL.: +36-1 268-5110 ✪✪✪ GUNDEL 1146 Budapest, Állatkerti út 2. TEL.: +36-1 468-4040

✪ SHAMBALA CAFÉ

✪✪ LIZARD

1114 Budapest, Villányi út 12. TEL.: +36-1 279-1133

1092 Budapest, Ráday utca 16. TEL.: +36-1 299-0702

✪ BRIÓS KÁVÉZÓ

1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 16. TEL.: +36-1 789-6110

✪ CAFÉ PANINI

1135 Budapest, Radnóti M. út 45. TEL.: +36-1 784-1017

✪ RING CAFÉ

✪ TÁSKARÁDIÓ ESZPRESSZÓ

✪✪✪ NOSZTALGIA

1053 Budapest, Papnövelde utca 8. TEL.: +36-1 266-0413

1051 Budapest, Október 6. u. 5. TEL.: +36-1 317-2987

✪✪ NEW YORK CAFE

1073 Budapest, Erzsébet krt. 9-11. TEL.: +36-1 886-6167 CHINESE

✪ HONG KONG & TAIWAN

1135 Budapest, Béke út 26. TEL.: +36-1 329-7252 1097 Budapest, Gyáli út 3/b TEL.: +36-1 215-1236 FUSION

✪✪ SPOON

1051 Budapest, Vigadó tér 3., Kikötô TEL.: +36-1 411-0933 FAR EASTERN

✪✪✪ RICKSHAW

1073 Budapest, Erzsébet körút 43–49.

TEL.: +36-1 479-4855

✪✪ WASABI

1087 Budapest, Mosonyi u. 3. TEL.: +36-1 333-3492 INTERNATIONAL ✪✪✪ ARCADE 1126 Budapest, Kiss János altb. u. 38.

TEL./FAX: +36-1 225-1969

✪ COFFEE HOUSE 1067 Budapest, Terez krt 23. TEL.: +36-1 269-2935

✪✪✪ BARAKA 1063 Budapest, Andrássy út 111. TEL.: +36-1 483-1355

✪ BUENA VISTA 1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 4-5. TEL.: +36-1 344-6303

✪✪ BOOM & BRASS 1054 Budapest, Vigadó utca 4-6. TEL.: +36-1 877-7788

✪✪ PAPIRTIGRIS 1053 Budapest, Veres P. u. 22.

✪✪ ROSENSTEIN

TEL.: +36-1 235-0490

✪✪✪ CAFÉ 57 1025 Budapest, Pusztaszeri út 57. TEL.: +36-1 325-6078 ✪ CAFÉ KÖR 1051 Budapest, Sas u. 17.

TEL.: +36-1 311-0053; FAX: +36-1 311-0388.

✪✪✪ PIERROT RESTAURANT

1014 Budapest, Fortuna u. 14. TEL.: +36-1 375 6971

✪✪✪ CYRANO

1052 Budapest, Kristóf tér 7-8. TEL.: +36-1 266-4747

✪✪ CORSO

1052 Budapest, Apáczai Csere János u. 12-14.

TEL.: +36-1 327-6392

✪ ALESSIO

1026 Budapest, Pasaréti út 55. TEL.: +36-1 275-0049

✪✪✪ FAUSTO’S 1061 Budapest, Székely Mihály u. 2.

✪✪ FAUSTO’S OSTERIA 1072 Budapest, Dohány u. 5. TEL./FAX: +36-1 269-6806

✪✪ COSTES

1092 Budapest, Ráday utca 4. TEL.: +36-1 219-0696 ✪✪ DUNAPARK KÁVÉHÁZ 1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 38.

TEL./FAX: +36-1 786-1009 ✪✪ FRESCO CAFÉ & LOUNGE 1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 10.

TEL./FAX: +36-1 411-0915

✪✪✪ ICON

1014 Budapest, Hess A. tér 1-3 TEL.: +36-1 889-6600

✪ KISBUDA GYÖNGYE

1034 Budapest, Kenyeres u. 34. TEL.: +36-1 368-6402 ✪✪✪ LE BOURBON 1051 Budapest, Erzsébet tér 9–10.

TEL.: +36-1 429-5770 ✪ LUKÁCS CUKRÁSZDA 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 70.

TEL.: +36-1 373-0407; FAX: +36-1 373-0406

✪✪✪ MOKKA

✪✪ MILLENIUM DA PIPPO 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 76.

TEL.: +36-1 374-0880; FAX: +36-1 374-0881

✪ OKAY ITALIA 1137 Budapest, Szent István krt. 20. TEL.: +36-1 349-2991 1055 Budapest, Nyugati tér 6. TEL.: +36-1 332-6960 ✪✪ SYMBOL ITALIAN FUSION 1036 Budapest, Bécsi út 56. TEL.: +36-1 333-5656 TEL.: +36-1 242-0369

✪✪ TRATTORIA POMO D’ORO 1051 Budapest, Arany János u. 9. TEL.: +36-1 302-6473 ✪✪ PORCELLINO GRASSO 1024 Budapest Ady Endre u. 19.

TEL.: +36-1 886-7880; FAX: +36-1 886-7837

✪ VAPIANO 1052 Budapest, Bécsi u. 5. TEL./FAX: +36-1 411-0864 JAPAN

1051 Budapest, Sas u. 4. TEL.: +36-1 328-0081

✪✪ FUJI

1051 Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7-8. TEL.: +36-1 429-9023

1025 Budapest, Csatarka u. 54 TEL.: +36-1 325-7111 MEDITERRANEAN

✪✪✪ ONYX RESTAURANT ✪ REMIZ

1021 Budapest, Budakeszi út 5. TEL.: +36-1 275-1396 ✪✪ SZÉCHENYI ÉTTEREM Danubius Grand Hotel 1138 Budapest, Margitsziget TEL.: +36-1 889-4700; FAX: +36-1 889-4939 ✪✪ VÉNDIÁK CAFÉ LOUNGE 1053 Budapest, Egyetem Tér 5. TEL.: +36-1 267-0226 ✪✪ XO BISTRO 1088 Budapest, Rákóczi út 5. TEL.: +36-1 411-0111 IRISH PUB

✪ BECKETT’S PUB

1055 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zs. út 72. TEL.: +36-1 311-1035

✪ TAVERNA DIONYSOS

1056 Budapest, Belgrád rkp. 16. TEL.: +36-1 318-1222 HUNGARIAN

✪✪ 21 A MAGYAR VENDÉGLÔ

1014 Budapest, Fortuna utca 21. TEL.: +36-1 202-2113

✪✪ 220 ÉVES PINCEÉTTEREM

1036 Budapest, Bécsi út 56. TEL.: +36-1 333-5656

✪✪ ARANYSZAVAS BISZTRO

1013 Budapest, Szarvas tér 1. TEL.: +36-1 375-6451

✪✪✪ ALABÁRDOS 1014 Budapest, Országház u. 2.

TEL.: +36-1 356-0851; FAX: +36-1 214-3814

✪ BAGOLYVÁR

1146 Budapest, Állatkerti út 2. TEL.: +36-1 468-3110 ✪✪✪ KÁRPÁTIA

NEW YORK CAFE

Celebrates 10th Anniversary COMMISSIONED BY THE NEW YORK INSURANCE COMPANY, New York Palace was built according to the plans of Alajos Hauszmann. The gem of the building, the ’most beautiful cafe in the world’, opened on Oct 23, 1894.

According to rumors on the opening day the famous Hungarian writer Ferenc Molnár together with his journalist friends threw the keys of the Cafe into the Danube to have it open 24 hours a day. In Feb 2001 the Italian Boscolo Group undertook the reconstruction of the legendary building so the New York Cafe welcomes its guests in its former splendor recalling the milieu of the beginning of the 20th century. In New York Cafe, the cuisine of the Future is being refined. This “experiment lab” uses rare ingredients, innovative technologies, to create unique tastes. Two types of menus of 7 courses are presented each day, however you are free to pick and choose or ask for smaller portions and sample all. It is also worth popping into New York Cafe for a tasty baguette and a cup of coffee. The wine list of the restaurant is Hungarian, deliberately representing the Carpathian Basin, including wines from the Arad region in Transylvania, and the bests from within the Hungarian. borders. <

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Courtesy picture

INDIAN ✪ SHALIMAR 1072 Budapest, Dob utca 50. TEL.: +36-1 352-0297 ITALIAN

TEL.: +36-1 877-6210

1037 Budapest, Szépvölgyi út 15. TEL.: +36-1 430-1056 GREEK

PHOTO BY

ONLINE RESTAURANT RESERVATION

OPEN: MONDAY-SUNDAY 09:00 – 24:00 ADDRESS: 1073 BUDAPEST, Erzsebet krt 9-11. TELEPHONE: +361 886-6167 2 0 1 1 O C T- N OV

DIPLOMACY & TRADE

31

✪✪ PEPPERS! MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 1052 Budapest, Apáczai Cs. J. utca 4. TEL.: +36-1 737-7377

✪✪✪ RIVALDA 1014 Budapest, Színház u. 5–9. TEL.: +36-1 489-0236

✪✪✪ ROBINSON 1146 Budapest, Városligeti tó TEL.: +36-1 422-0222 ✪ KÉT SZERECSEN 1065 Budapest, Nagymezô u. 14.

TEL.: +36-1 343-1984 FAX: +36-1 343-1983

✪✪ SQUARE BISTRO 1061 Budapest, Liszt F. ter 5. TEL.: +36-70 375-6376 MEXICAN ✪ TACOS LOCOS 1073 Budapest, Erzsebet krt. 37-39. TEL.: +36-1 786-4416 PASTRY AND BAKERY ✪ GERBEAUD 1051 Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7-8. TEL.: +36-1 429-9000 RUSSIAN ✪✪✪ ARANY KAVIÁR 1015 Budapest, Ostrom u. 19. TEL.: +36-1 201-6737 SPORT PUB ✪ PUSKÁS PANCHO SPORT PUB 1036 Budapest, Bécsi út 56. TEL.: +36-1 333-5656 TEL.: +36-1 242-0369 THAI ✪ BANGKOK THAI 1056 Budapest, Só utca 3. TEL.: +36-1 266-0584

Thinks about you.

Traffic Sign Recognition.

Thinks about others.

Auto High Beams.

Thinks about itself.

Active Park Assist.

Thinks, so you can focus on the driving pleasure.

THE ALL-NEW FORD FOCUS. Start more than a car. ford.hu The above mentioned technologies are not available with every engine version and series.

The technologies can be ordered as options or as part of optional packages for additional cost. The advertisement does not provide full description of the mentioned technologies.

For further details concerning the technologies and availability of the technologies please visit your Ford dealership or www.ford.hu. Ford Info Line: 06 40 200 024. The car is illustration only.

Average fuel consumption: 4.2-8.3 l/100 km, CO2 emission: 109-144 g/km.

FOC StartMore 4d 280x360 EN.indd 1

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