Diplomacy & Trade 2018 January

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HEBC CALLS FOR A 'SMART HUNGARY' THE LATEST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUNGARIAN EUROPEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL STATES THAT HUNGARY NEEDS A COMPREHENSIVE, LONG-TERM COUNTRY STRATEGY – 10-15-YEARS IN SCOPE – THAT PAVES THE WAY FOR THE COUNTRY’S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. SEE MORE

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Australia

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Although, Hungary and Australia have very different histories and are far from each other geographically, we have our hearts in the right place and have a lot to share, according to the Ambassador of Australia to Hungary, Dr. Brendon Hammer. In an extensive interview with Diplomacy&Trade, he also discusses what he calls a “rich and colorful bilateral engagement” in Hungary by the Embassy and through the contributions of the 73,000 Hungarians living in Australia. see articles on pages 8-13

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In addition to his relationship with Camille Claudel, the “movie is really about Rodin, his works and especially the Balzac statue; the symbol 18012 of the Rodin who was bravely looking for something new 18006 and bringing modernity to sculpture and art in general. ” That is how French director Jacques Doillon latest movie about sculptor 9 described 771558 his980700 Auguste Rodin in an interview with Diplomacy&Trade. see page 18 18001

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RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN RECEIVED IN HUNGARY

EVERYONE WINS AN OSCAR

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a short visit to Budapest on February 2. He was welcomed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. According to Hungarian officials, talks largely focused on trade, including sales of Russian gas and a deal for Russia to build a nuclear power station in Hungary.

Viktor Orbán, who is the only leader in the EU to regularly meet with Vladimir Putin, spoke about the economic costs of European Union sanctions against Russia. Hungarian opposition parties protested the visit, suspecting behindthe-scenes deals between the two leaders. The Russian President visited Hungary again on August 28.

The Hungarian production 'Mindenki' (literal translation: 'Everyone') won the Academy Award in the Best Short Film Live Action category at the 89th Oscar gala on February 26. The recognition comes after 2016's success of the 'Son of Saul' in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Directed by Kristóf Deák, the film (English title: 'Sing') is about a young girl, Zsófi, who is having a hard time fitting in at her new school, and her distress grows when the choir director treats her cruelly despite her love of singing. Along with her friend Liza, Zsófi investigates the revered teacher in an attempt to reveal her true nature.

PHOTO: Károly Árvai/kormany.hu

PHOTO: Mike Baker/A.M.P.A.S.

year in pictures

HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT JÁNOS ÁDER RE-ELECTED

EU LASER RESEARCH CENTER OPENED IN SZEGED

PHOTO: Szilárd Koszticsák/MTI

PHOTO: Károly Árvai/kormany.hu

The Hungarian governing parties re-elected János Áder as Hungarian President on March 13. János Áder received 131 votes while former data commissioner László Majtényi, a candidate supported by the leftist opposition, received 39 votes. János Áder was elected in a second round with a simple majority of votes, after the first round had been rendered inconclusive by neither candidate receiving two-thirds of all deputies in the 199-strong national assembly. In Hungary, the President of the Republic is a chiefly ceremonial position. Áder was first elected president on May 2, 2012. Previously, he served as house speaker and as Member of the European Parliament from the ruling Fidesz party.

WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BUDAPEST

The European Union's ELI-ALPS (Extreme Light Infrastructure Attosecond Light Pulse Source) laser research center was inaugurated in Szeged, SE Hungary. The center's implementation budget was HUF 70 billion (EUR 22.6 million), from which 85% was provided by the European Union’s Regional Development Fund. According to scientists, this project is expected to open new avenues to reveal the secrets of matter on ultrashort timescales. The ELI Laser Research Center occupies approximately 24,500 square meters across five buildings (once the site of Soviet military barracks). The center is the Hungarian pillar of the European Union’s ELI project; other sites are being built in Prague and Bucharest.

THE 25TH SZIGET FESTIVAL IN BUDAPEST

The Hungarian capital hosted the 17th World Championships in swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming, diving and high diving in the summer of 2017.

Open water swimming events were held at Lake Balaton. High diving and synchronized swimming took place at temporary venues in Budapest. A total of 75 medal events were held across six disciplines with 29 of the 180 participating countries winning medals (16 of them taking gold). The United States finished on top of the medal table ahead of China and Russia. Hungary was 9th with two gold (both by Katinka Hosszú), five silver and two bronze medals.

One of Europe's biggest cultural – mainly music – festivals, the Sziget Festival (also called the ‘Island of Freedom’), on Óbuda Island (hence the name), on the River Danube, in the Hungarian capital, attracted a total number of 452,000 visitors to the seven-day event in August 2017. The 25th Sziget Festival hosted less Szitizens (festival attendees) than the previous year’s record-breaking numbers, but still had two sold-out days and close to half a million visitors. The CEO of Sziget Cultural Management, Tamás Kádár, thinks that the turn-out number could be a combination of many factors including the growing number of Sziget-like festivals and what he terms as “an unlucky line-up this year.”

PHOTO: FINA

PHOTO: Sándor Csudai

CHINA – CCEC 2017 SUMMIT IN BUDAPEST

JÁNOS ARANY MEMORIAL YEAR

PHOTO: Károly Árvai/kormany.hu

PHOTO: Petőfi Literary Museum

The strengthening of the Chinese economy presents great opportunities for the countries of Central Europe.

This according to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who spoke after the economic and trade forum of China and sixteen Central and Eastern European countries in the Hungarian capital. He observed that there is enormous growth potential in the Central and Eastern European region.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the key to the fast development of the 16+1 cooperation is to apply the principle of equality and consultation, mutual benefit, openness and inclusiveness, and innovation.

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The year 2017 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest Hungarian poets, János Arany (1817-1882) and was declared János Arany Memorial Year by the Hungarian Parliament and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA). The memorial year was opened by Hungarian President János Áder in János Arany’s home town, Salonta (Nagyszalonta), now in western Romania, on March 2, the day the poet was born. In commemoration, the National Bank of Hungary issued gold and silver medallions, several exhibitions were organized and 13 ambassadors accredited to Hungary recited verses of János Arany’s poem ‘Family circle’.

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With the New Year, Diplomacy&Trade enters its 15th year of publication. Our team took time to reminisce about all the changes we have seen and shared with our readers and partners. We also committed ourselves, with our New Year’s Resolution, to be even more engaging, bring more interesting topics to our readers, update all our online media and, of course, bring about world peace!

The Hungarian European Business Council (HEBC) has published its annual report of recommendations from the biggest international investor companies to promote Hungary’s development and competitiveness.

This year, they call for a ‘Smart Hungary’ – a goal to be achieved by the development of the level of education and that of knowledge-based industries.

We also look back at the past year with a picture compilation of some of the most important events.

Our Focus country this month is Australia. With the Ambassador of the Fifth Continent, Dr. Brendon Charles Hammer, we discuss bilateral political and economic relations. We also talk to the representative of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission.

Sic transit gloria mundi ("Thus passes the glory of the world") – this may have gone through the mind of toppled Robert Mugabe. Our analyst looks at what led to the fall of the Zimbabwean dictator and what his country can expect now.

Our cinema page this month includes an interview with French director Jacques Doillon, who was recently in Budapest for the debut of his latest movie on the world-renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin.

The WittyLeaks column is authored by the Ambassador of Argentina who believes Argentinians and Hungarians share a common idiosyncrasy. He also mentions a prize he founded to honor a Hungarian-Argentine genius.

Our wine page presents an article on late harvest wines that capture the very last rays of sun in late fall, preserving it in a bottle for the upcoming frosty wintertime. Also on wine, we introduce the winners of the Prestige Award 2017 - an event co-sponsored by Diplomacy&Trade. Of course, you will find our program guides, wine offers and society picture compilations, as well.

On behalf of all of us here at Diplomacy&Trade, I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2018!

2017 in pictures: Hungarian short film wins Academy Award

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­­ contents Wittyleaks: Argentinians and Hungarians share a common idiosyncrasy page 15

02 2017 IN PICTURES 05 ON THE RECORD 06 COMPANY BRIEFS 07 ANALYSIS

16-17 SOCIETY 18 CINEMA

Portraying a great sculptor: Rodin

19 FASHION

Robert Mugabe’s fall from power in Zimbabwe

08-13 AUSTRALIAN FOCUS

Interview with Ambassador Brendon Hammer; Austrade; Qatar Airways to Canberra; My Little Melbourne

Peter Freed PUBLISHER

AND DON’T FORGET

monthly in print - daily on the web

www.dteurope.com

Mangalica: a unique, curly-haired Hungarian breed

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14 BUSINESS

HEBC calls for a ‘Smart Hungary’

15 WITTYLEAKS by the Ambassador of Argentina

How to look like a million dollars

20-21 WHAT’S ON

Concerts, festivals, events and exhibitions in and out of Budapest

22 WINE

Prestige Awards 2017; The season of sweet wines

23 GASTRONOMY

Mangalica festival; Pig killing: a centuriesold tradition

PUBLISHER: Peter Freed EDITOR: Sándor Laczkó COPY EDITOR: Joyce Freed PHOTO EDITOR: Dávid Harangozó SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Tamás Varga DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Tibor Ocsenás ADMINISTRATION: Judit Ludányi ASSISTANT: Ágnes Rapaport CONTRIBUTORS: Sándor Laczkó, Tamás Magyarics, Réka A. Francisck, Maximiliano Gregorio-Cernadas, Tom de Smet PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: HEBC (Cover), Pixabay.com, 123RF.com, Shutterstock.com, Mike Baker/A.M.P.A.S., Embassy of Argerntina, Vito Manzari/

KOREAN FOCUS - COMING SOON

Wikipedia, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Márton Kovács/MFAT, Árpád Földházi, Károly Árvai/kormany.hu, Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock/USAF, Aleksandar Dmitrovic Photography, Qatar Airways, Gergely Zákány/gergelyzakany.com, Ádám Urbán, Embassy of Japan, Magistero Photography/ Attila Degi, Thomas Buchwalder, Márton Nagy, Pep Segales, Jonas Mohr, Live Nation, Odpictures.hu, Piroska Koltai/Wineamore, FINA, Petőfi Literary Museum, Sándor Csudai, MTI Photos: Csaba Krizsán, Attila Balázs, Tibor Illyés, Zoltán Balogh, Noémi Bruzák, Szilárd Koszticsák, Márton Mónus

Diplomacy&Trade will present a special Focus on Korean-Hungarian relations on the occasion of the South Korean city of PyeongChang holding the 2018 Olympic Winter Games this February. Full-fledged diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Hungary were established on February 1, 1989. With the new Korean Ambassador, we will discuss political economic and cultural ties as well as scientific and technological cooperation. Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Soon-ku Yoon will talk about security situation on the Korean Peninsula. We also cover the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Korean Cultural Center in Budapest as well as talk to important Korean companies operating in Hungary.

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on the record

currently from April to October, and also to welcome guests from Austria, South Germany and Slovakia, and build on conference tourism.

The hotel will be fitted with a geothermal heating system, solar collectors are to be installed on the building, and the water supply for certain parts of the hotel are to be provided by court wells. According to plans, the 12th and 21st centuries will live side by side in harmony in the building complex of this World Heritage site. The development is scheduled to start in March 2018 and the hotel is scheduled to open at Easter 2020.

This will be Hungary’s first Marriott outside of the capital and is expected to be one of the best hotels in the region.

VITO MANZARI/WIKIPEDIA, CSABA KRIZSÁN/MTI, YOUTUBE.COM, COURTESY OF THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

January

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THE HUNGARIAN COUNT OF CALIFORNIA

VISEGRÁD GROUP OFFERS FINANCIAL AID TO LIBYA AND ITALY

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UPCOMING NATIONAL DAYS

Leaders of the Visegrád Four countries have decided that, beyond their contributions to different assistance programs in EU framework and on a bilateral basis, they support the implementation of the Project led by the Italian government in cooperation, with the European Commission, aimed at protecting the borders in Libya. The decision was made at a meeting prior to the summit of EU heads of state and government in Brussels in mid-December with the participation of the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

A statement by the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia says the Project was originally initiated and has continued to be led by Italy and has been identified, by the European Commission, as a key project, in the context of the European efforts but it lacks sufficient financial resources. The Visegrád countries offered full financing of the second phase of the Project in the amount of EUR 35 million and offered their cooperation in its implementation.

The financial effort and the readiness in the implementation of the Project is another demonstration of the Visegrád Four countries’ – currently under Hungary’s presidency – conviction that the migratory pressure on Europe can only be efficiently tackled by ensuring the protection of external borders, while addressing the root causes.

SHORT FILM MARKS THE HUNGARIAN PRESIDENCY OF THE VISEGRÁD COOPERATION

A statement by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says a new promotional video showcases the Visegrád Cooperation in the spirit of the Hungarian Presidency’s motto: ‘V4 Together’. The video was commissioned by the Public Foundation for the Research of Central and Eastern European History and Society, which is involved in realizing the 2017-2018 Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrád Group (V4). In harmony with the program of the Hungarian Presidency, the video highlights the fact that the V4 is built on solidarity and that, based on their own traditions, values and performance the countries of the V4 are ready to help form the common future of Europe in cooperation with the continent’s other nations.

Two Hungarian journalists were collecting material for their book on Sándor Tarics, a Hungarian waterpolo Olympic champion (1936) who later became a successful American architect and engineer in California when they caught sight of a Hungarian flag at the entrance of a winery and with the founder’s name: Ágoston Haraszthy.

Although, not really known in Hungary, Haraszthy is a legend in many places in the United States. Born in 1812 into a Hungarian noble family, he served as a royal bodyguard and then worked as secretary to the Archduke in Hungary. After travelling in the United States for a couple of years, he published his experiences in a book that generated a fairly large income. With the money, he went to America again and became the first Hungarian to permanently settle in the United States. According to an American wine portal, he established a town in Wisconsin, became the first sheriff of San Diego and – as his family worked in the wine trade – founded the Buena Vista winery in Sonoma in 1856/57 and implemented the first stone winery structures in California to go with the most current winemaking equipment available, along with an underground network of tunnels. The winery still flourishes today. Haraszthy was a proponent of hillside planting, which stressed the vines and reduced water intake. Ágoston Haraszthy is the protagonist of the new book entitled ‘Kalifornia magyar grófja’ (The Hungarian Count of California) whose authors traveled extensively both in Hungary and America to collect materials on this great Hungarian-American personality.

HUNGARIAN DATA HUNTERS IN CHILE

ABBEY FARM BUILDINGS TO BE TURNED INTO A FOUR-STAR HOTEL

V4 connects

RECOGNITION FOR THE KOREAN AMBASSADOR The President of the Republic of Hungary, János Áder awarded the Middle Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit (Civilian Division) to the departing Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Budapest, Geun-Hyeong Yim in recognition of his work to deepen and develop HungarianKorean relations. Ambassador Yim presented his credentials to the Hungarian President in November 2014.

Since 2012, Hungarian researchers have been conducting a program to operate the highest altitude measuring system in existence, in the region of the highest volcano on earth, the Ojos del Salado in northern Chile. The aim is monitoring the long-term environmental changes, including ice melting due to warming. Melting waters can reduce critical drinking water problems in the mineral resources area. The Chilean Ambassador to Hungary, Verónica Chahín stressed that regardless of the huge geographical distance, there is a point of connection that could give a basis for establishing a varied system of relations between Chile and Hungary.

“Hungarian researchers discovered a place six years ago that can be considered as an open laboratory,” she said.

As science manager Zsolt Heiling, the organizer of the research program explained at a presentation at the Embassy of Chile in Budapest, this expedition is unique in the world and has created a lot of interest in Chile, itself. He announced that – at the request of the local government of the Atacama region – an Environmental Research and Technology Center, operated by Hungarian experts, will provide a long-term, permanent home presence in Vallenar to Hungarian experts. From this center, samples that are recovered by the Hungarian ‘data hunters’ under extreme weather conditions at high altitude can be analyzed on the spot.

According to geographer Dr. Balázs Nagy, leader of the research program, their goal is to discover the effects of global warming in the highest desert and tundra on earth, with particular focus on the changes in water and ice presence.

A 300-year-old building complex of the arch abbey manor of Pannonhalma in western Hungary will be expanded into a four-star hotel through a HUF 5 billion forint (EUR 15.9 mn) investment, the Hungarian news agency MTI reports. About 60% of this cost (HUF 2.95 bn) will be covered by public money as laid down in a decree by the Hungarian government about a year ago. Archabbot Asztrik Várszegi and the director of European hotel development of the Marriott hotel chain, Paul Rosenberg signed a twenty-year management agreement on the hotel brand in December.

The sales and marketing director of the abbey, László Vieland said that, under the agreement, the abbey pays a certain amount of money each year for the four-star hotel to be part of the Autograph by Marriott chain. He added that the purpose of the development was to expand the tourist season that is w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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­company briefs based on an individual government decision to support the investment.

The family-owned Spanish AMES, founded in 1951, is engaged in the manufacture and sale of sintered metal parts, and is currently one of the largest powder metallurgy companies in the European Union. A report

by HIPA says the Group’s production centers are located in Spain, Hungary, the USA and China. Central Europe is of paramount importance for automotive supply companies. AMES, for instance, sells more than 20% of its products in Central Europe, while Germany, which is also geographically close, represents another 22%.

On this basis, it was a logical step in 2013 to choose Hungary as a new investment venue, since, in addition

AMES Hungaria, which manufactures automotive parts, has launched the construction of a new 6,000-square-meter production unit in Szentgotthárd.

Scheduled to be working from early 2018, it will be the first powder metallurgy technology plant in Hungary.

As a result of the investment worth approximately EUR 11.5 million, 75 new jobs will be created. The Hungarian Government – with the assistance of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) – provided subsidy

to the excellent geographic situation and the developed infrastructure, the high quality industrial environment and culture that are indispensable for automotive companies are in place.

AMES Hungaria Ltd. launched its operations in Szentgotthárd in the summer of 2014. The plant is engaged in the mechanical machining of automotive components that are supplied from Spain. In 2016, the company realized net sales of HUF 363.5 million almost entirely from export sales.

A complete powder metallurgy process will be installed in the new factory building that is being constructed, thereby establishing a modern technology that is not yet widely known in Hungary.

WIZZ AIR ACQUIRES ADDITIONAL SLOTS AT LUTON AIRPORT Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, has announce that, following the acquisition of a number of take-off and landing slots from Monarch Airlines, it will increase its fleet at London Luton by two aircraft for a total of seven operational aircraft.

A statement by the company says that this new investment will see Wizz Air’s capacity in its London Luton base increase by 18% year-on-year to a total of 7.1 million seats in 2018. For Wizz Air’s customers, this means more than 10,000 additional low fare seats available on 28 new additional flights departing every week from London Luton Airport to “some of Europe’s most exciting and less-discovered destinations. For Wizz Air’s team at London Luton Airport, this means more than 70 new colleagues

NEW AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY PLANT IN KECSKEMÉT

taking the total of local jobs created in the last year to 250.” According to Wizz Air Chief Executive Officer, József Váradi, “we continue to develop our business in the United Kingdom. Following the announcements of establishing Wizz Air UK and our accelerated growth plan, just a few days ago, here we go again. Acquiring airport slots and airport nightstands at Luton Airport will enable us to enhance our presence and competitive position in the London market. In the summer Wizz Air UK will operate a fleet of seven A320/A321 aircraft, to grow the overall WIZZ capacity by 18% in 2018. While BREXIT will certainly pose challenges to the airline industry, we see it as an opportunity for Wizz Air, as our highly efficient low fare model will prevail even more under the new circumstances.”

The Indian-based automotive supplier Samvardhana Motherson Peguform (SMP) has established a bumper manufacturing plant in Kecskemét, E Hungary, in an area of 96,000 square meters. The greenfield development will create about 500 jobs. The Hungarian government – in cooperation with the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) – provided subsidy based on an individual government decision to SMP, for the development rated as a high-priority project for the national economy.

Established in 1975, Samvardhana Motherson Group (SMG) is a global automotive supplier. Its business portfolio covers a wide range of products worldwide for all major carmakers: driving cabs, bumper covers, rear-view mirrors, camera systems, lighting systems, interior and exterior upholstery, cable systems, air conditioning systems and all-terrain driving cabs.

In addition, the SMG also provides a full range of IT and design engineering services to various industrial segments. SMG is one of the world's 30 largest automotive suppliers, employing more than 100,000 people in 33 countries on five continents. The Group generated a sales revenue of USD 9.1 billion in the 2016/17 business year.

As a subsidiary of Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR), Samvardhana Motherson Peguform (SMP) is one of the world's leading experts in the field of plastic technologies. In addition, it is considered one of the world's largest suppliers in the areas of car upholstery, dashboard and bumpers. The SMG bought up the company of German origin in 2011; it is present with twenty-seven manufacturing units and nine module centers in nine countries. Its number of employees is over 14,000 and its revenue was nearly EUR 3 billion in the 2016/17 business year.

BOURGOGNE GASTRONOMIE CONSTRUCTS SECOND PLANT

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In addition to the existing edible snail and black mussel processing plant in Zalaszentgrót, SW Hungary, Bourgogne Gastronomie is currently building a second plant in the town of Kisvárda, in SzabolcsSzatmár-Bereg county, northeastern Hungary. As a result of the EUR 20 million project, the company's portfolio will expand: in addition to the premium quality edible snails it produces as an original Hungarian product, fruit will also be processed in Kisvárda.

IMOFI Ltd., the legal predecessor of Bourgogne Gastronomie Ltd., has been engaged in food industry activities in Zalaszentgrót since 1991. Approximately a thousand tons of edible snails, the majority collected in Hungary, and several hundred tons of black mussels from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile are processed each year, mostly in the form of snail pie and caviar. The bulk of the processed and finished goods are exported, almost exclusively to France. The company is the largest employer in Zalaszentgrót and, with sales of HUF 2 billion a year, it is the second most important business in the town.

Bourgogne Gastronomie Ltd. was established in 2015, with the aim of implementing an edible snail and fruit processing plant, the premium quality products of which go on the market as original Hungarian products, in the Northern Great Plain Region (eastern Hungary), using new, state-of-the-art technology. The new plant will create 300 jobs in the region and represents the strengthening of another food sector for the national economy.

MÁRTON KOVÁCS/MFAT, ATTILA BALÁZS/MTI, ÁRPÁD FÖLDHÁZI, KÁROLY ÁRVAI/KORMANY.HU

AMES INSTALLS NEW TECHNOLOGY IN SZENTGOTTHÁRD

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analysis Samuel Butler’s classic novel, The Way of All Flesh (written in 1873-74) followed the lives of four generations of the Pontifex family. Robert Mugabe, and especially his second wife, Grace Mugabe (née Grace Marufu) may have had dynastic aspirations similar to the Pontifex, but others, foremost among them the top military brass and long-time Mugabeprotégé, ’the Crocodile’ Emmerson Mnangagwa obviously thought otherwise. A coup on November 14th, that was not a coup according to the army spokesman, forced the 93-year old former revolutionary leader, Robert Mugabe out of power.

He and his cronies enjoyed power for 37 years, since white rule came to an end in Rhodesia, and the country was renamed Zimbabwe in 1980.

as the IMF and the World Bank, but later this cooperation was terminated by Robert Mugabe. The international community, especially the West, treated Mugabe’s regime very cautiously as it did not want to appear an heir of colonial powers.

The only outside assistance of late has come almost exclusively from China, which is in search of opportunities in places where the West is relatively passive, and which is conducting its foreign policy based on the classic Realpolitik principles. It means, in general, that China is not interested in the domestic issues of any potential partners, and is willing to do business with any regimes regardless of its record on human rights or civil rights. Zimbabwe was a beneficiary of this approach at a time when the Western channels of help dried up because of the repressive policies and antics of Robert Mugabe.

From colonial rule to poverty

What is next?

In fact, Mugabe’s rule was not always that enjoyable for the majority of the people living in the country. First, Robert Mugabe waged a bloody war against the followers of his rival, Joshua Nkomo’s Ndebele people in the 1980s, leaving tens of thousands of dead behind. His next target group was the white community, which constituted some 8% of the population.

They provided the bulk of the educated and skilled labor force, and the white farmers’ high productivity made Rhodesia, then Zimbabwe one of the breadbaskets of sub-Saharan Africa.

However, a law was passed in 1992 that allowed the confiscation of lands and their distribution among the needy. The pious intention cloaked a more mundane goal: much of the land grabbed by the state was donated to people around Robert Mugabe and Emmerson Mnangagwa, who were, at that time, working hand in glove with each other. The end result was a somewhat similar scenario to other countries that had violently wanted to restructure the economy without the necessary expertise. Zimbabwe goton a slippery road leading to widespread poverty: the per capita income has not risen since 1980; three quarters of the people live under the poverty line right now; about a third of the households suffer from hunger; inflation was about world-record high as the National Bank of Zimbabwe printed money without any restraint; millions fled the country in search of better and safer lives. Poverty, as usual in countries with similar histories, has not been distributed equally, though. Naturally, it has primarily been Robert Mugabe’s family that has taken the lion’s share of the wealth stolen from the people; thus, Grace Mugabe has earned the nickname of ’Gucci Grace’ for her expensive taste in shoes, which was not quite fair: in fact, the former ’First

Now, that the Mugabe-regime is history, the single most important question in Zimbabwe is: what is next? It is stating the obvious that the country will not become a democracy overnight – if at all. The successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s, earlier career and political profile offer a cautionary tale in this respect. He has been a close associate of Mugabe’s for decades, and some of the worst atrocities (including the bloody suppression of the Ndebeles) are linked to him. On the other hand, he is considered to be more pragmatic and flexible than the increasingly unbending and stubborn Mugabe. He has a better reputation in the business community than the deposed dictator; in fact, he desperately needs to be open to economic reforms, otherwise the political unrest will acquire more violent forms. A sort of openness will also be needed with regard to improving the strained relations with the West and the international community at large; China is not likely to be willing to rescue the bankrupt economy alone. Elections are planned in 2018: the ruling party, the ZANUPF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) should offer a program that attracts the young, as well, otherwise the downward political and economic spiral could continue with unpredictable consequences. The future of Zimbabwe is not only about the country, itself: the whole region may become unstable if – in case – violence takes the place instead of political solutions in Harare. Robert Mugabe started his presidency as a promising reformer and ended it as a ruthless dictator; it is only hoped that Emmerson Mnangagwa will not follow the way of almost all dictators.

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SGT. JEREMY LOCK/USAF

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THE WAY OF (ALMOST) ALL DICTATORS ROBERT MUGABE’S FALL FROM POWER IN ZIMBABWE

Lady’ preferred shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo because, as she put it, they were the only ones that were not too tight for her delicate feet.

Uneven playing field As far as the political life was concerned, there was no level playing field for the participants, either. When, for instance, the trade unionist leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeated Robert Mugabe in the first round of the presidential election, the incumbent

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Mugabe put pressure on the electoral commission to push down Tsvangirai’s victory under 50%, and thus a second round was required by the constitution of the country. However, the vicious and violent atmosphere that followed persuaded Tsvangirai to withdraw his candidacy and, consequently, Robert Mugabe won the election in the absence of any opponent. President Mugabe was also willing to lend a helping hand to like-minded strongmen in the vicinity. On one such occasion, in

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1998, he sent in troops to assist rebel forces in Congo, which included, among others, supporters of Mobutu Sese Seko, who was widely regarded as one of the most horrible African dictators, on par with Idi Amin Dada of Uganda.

China steps in Robert Mugabe’s long rule was also made possible by the indifference of the outside world. At first, the new regime received financial assistance from such international organizations

Tamás Magyarics is a foreign policy analyst

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HUNGARIAN DIASPORA

Australia has around 73,000 citizens with Hungarian ancestry. Ambassador Hammer highlights that “Australia is richer for our vibrant Australian-Hungarian community.

As people-to-people links underpin the bilateral ties, these people are the cornerstone of the relationship. The vast majority of migrants to Australia from Hungary arrived in the 1950s. They are grateful to Australia for opening its doors following the 1956 uprising and this has established a positive footing for the broader relationship. These Hungarians form an active community, are key contributors to Australia’s multicultural society in all aspects of life and provide a good platform on which to grow the bilateral trade relationship.”

There were, and are, many well-known Hungarians in Australia, such as: • Sir Peter Abeles (1924-1999), a businessman who was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia; • Claire Dan, (AM OBE), the wife of Sir Peter Abeles was a Hungarian-Australian actress and philanthropist. She founded the Sydney International Piano Competition in 1977; • George Francis Bornemissza (1924- 2014), entomologist and ecologist who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to Australian entomology; • Judie Kaszab (1920-2015), born in Vienna to Hungarian parents, was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to the visual arts. She was the first woman to win the Archibald Prize twice (in 1960 and 1967); • Cheryl Bart AO, an Australian lawyer who also served on the Board of the ABC. In 2008, Bart and her 23-yearold daughter were the first mother-daughter team to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Her father was a Hungarian concentration camp survivor.

WITH OUR HEARTS IN THE RIGHT PLACE

INTERVIEW WITH DR. BRENDON HAMMER, AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY

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ISIS (Global Coalition against Daesh – formed in September 2014 to tackle ISIS on all fronts).”

Australia is also a partner to the OSCE, where Hungary is a full member. “This provides an additional multilateral platform by which we can engage on matters of mutual security interest,” he adds.

Tackling people smuggling As mentioned enthusiastically by Australian Deputy Head of Mission, Alison Drury, prominent figures in sports include cricketer Jason Voros, Australian Rules footballer Patrick Veszpremi, Fencer Gregory Benko, boxer Joe Bugner or world champion canoeist Vince Fehérvári. A well-known sports journalist, soccer broadcaster and analyst, Les Murray (born László Ürge) passed away on July 31, 2017 accompanied by nation-wide mourning. Prominent in the arts and culture are Australian award-winning (Logie) actor Don Hany (born to a Hungarian mother), Laura Csortan (model and Australia Miss Universe and then Miss World contestant), along with film producers, actors, writers and poets. In the legal field, Anthony Endrey (1922-2010) was a Queen’s Counsel, and Master of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Another important linkage the Ambassador mentions is Ákos Niklai, former head of the Hungarian Hotel & Restaurant Association who used to be the Managing Director of Hayman Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef in NE Australia. “Ákos has been a great friend to Australia, and was very helpful to us during the recent visit of our Governor-General”, says Ambassador Hammer.

Australia's policy of not letting potential migrants and refugees into the country in an unregulated manner and without thoroughly checking them has been praised by the Hungarian government.

As Ambassador Hammer points out, Australia’s border management is focused on providing safe and legal pathways for protection to those most in need, while discouraging people smuggling. “These policies respond to our regional circumstances where often people are not directly fleeing harm. Strong border protection increases public confidence and underpins Australia’s generous migration and humanitarian intakes (190,000 persons migrate to Australia every year); in addition, Australia’s annual humanitarian intake is rising to 18,750 by 2018. This policy sends a message that the use of people smugglers does not offer a passage to Australia. My country works actively in a range J A N U A R Y

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Dr. Brendon Hammer took up his position as the Australian Ambassador to Hungary (resident in the Austrian capital, Vienna) in October 2016. When announcing his appointment, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop declared that Australia enjoys warm relations with Hungary, cooperating closely on a range of multilateral issues, such as human rights, security, non-proliferation, counter-terrorism and law enforcement.

The Ambassador tells Diplomacy&Trade that, “Australia and Hungary share a warm bilateral relationship. Having established full diplomatic relations in 1972, each has developed a wideranging institutional architecture to support bilateral engagement and cooperation since the end of communism in Hungary in 1989. Although, the two countries have very different histories, and we are far from each other in geography, both of us have our hearts in the right place and a lot to share. In particular, we can learn from each other. The bilateral relationship is growing in all fields and levels – community, trade and politically – and we share a commitment to the UN and international security.”

The Ambassador adds that recent high-level visits, in both directions, demonstrate growing political ties. “The visit (in September 2017) of Australia’s Governor General – the first ever by an Australian Head of State – was an excellent opportunity to exchange views with the most senior Hungarian officials and especially with his host, Hungarian President János Áder. There was excellent ‘chemistry’ between the two heads of state. They spent considerable time together,” the Ambassador notes. President Áder also visited Australia recently, during the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising.One area of growing mutual interest is water management issues.

As the driest inhabited continent in the world, water management is an important question for Australia. In fact, Australian Prime Minister Turnbull is a member of the United Nations Leader-level High Level Panel on Water along with Hungarian President Áder. Moreover, adds the Ambassador, “Australia and Hungary have a strong track record of mutual support in a variety of multilateral forums. For instance, we supported each other’s candidacies to the Human Rights Council in 2017. And we work closely together in some areas of national security, for example we are together in Afghanistan (in the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission) and against

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of multilateral forums to advance international approaches and cooperation on questions of irregular migration, people smuggling, human trafficking and modern slavery.”

Economic relations

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, PIXABAY.COM

PIXABAY.COM

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According to the Ambassador, the trade relationship offers plenty of room for growth and there is potential to do this. “Australia welcomes Hungary’s open, pro-free-trade position, which aligns with Australia’s view that free trade and open markets offer the best opportunity for development and prosperity. As I understand, Hungary seeks to increase exports to non-EU countries. Australia has welcomed this initiative, which was announced during Minister Szíjjártó’s visit to Australia in February 2017 to open a Hungary trade office in Sydney.”

The Australian Embassy is in regular contact with representatives of the ‘triangle of Hungarian trade policy’: Eximbank, the Hungarian National Trading House and Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) to explore opportunities and enhance trade between the two countries.

Bilateral trade comes from a (very) low base but has large growth potential, especially in the agri-food sector, pharmaceuticals and natural resources. Currently, vehicles and other electrical equipment and machines are Hungary’s main exports to Australia, while it is medicaments that are mainly exported from Australia to Hungary.

Free trade agreement In the view of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the European Union should conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia and New Zealand before the Brexit, and before any Australia-UK FTA is concluded.

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the world’s fastest growing markets in Asia, Hungarian products can travel into Australia and feed into products travelling from Australia to those destinations. Australia’s well-established, high-quality free trade agreements with the giant markets of China, Japan and Korea can greatly assist this. He believes it is hard to find any downside. In particular, he says, Hungary and the EU should not worry about opening their markets to Australian agricultural products. First, the amount of agro-products from Australia is relatively small when measured against total EU demand, and in any case, Australia’s agricultural products are increasingly being sucked into Asia, where they are in high and growing demand.

The Ambassador goes on to say that “launching an Australia-EU free trade agreement would send an important signal about Australia’s and Europe’s joint leadership role in global trade policy in these challenging times. As two major markets, Australia and the EU need to signal commitment to open trade and investment as well as shared values, a liberal democratic heritage and a commitment to the rule of law.”

He again stresses that Australia is an ideal entry point for European business: “an FTA would provide the opportunity for European investors to link with value chains and commercial networks in Asia.” Beyond China, Japan and South Korea, Australia also has FTAs in force with the ASEAN Group, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, Chile and New Zealand. “All this means that we have established markets – and as the world enters a new growth cycle, we are struggling to meet rapidly-growing Asian demand for a range of goods and services.”

Colorful bilateral engagement Regarding aspects of bilateral cultural, science and education relations, Ambassador Hammer points out that “in Australia, the government is particularly interested in fostering all areas of innovation, from science and technology to

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business start-ups and beyond. We know Hungary has much human potential across this area.

There is a long list of Hungarians who have made big contributions in Australia [see BOX] while in Hungary, the Embassy manages a rich and colorful bilateral engagement by participating in several events including the annual ‘Australia Day’ in Budapest. “We also manage an Australian Alumni program in Hungary, which brings together Hungarians and Australians based in Hungary with academic/ professional links to Australia.” A Work & Holiday Visa Arrangement began with Hungary in January 2017, providing a great opportunity for young people via short term exchanges that build long-term relationships.

“The Australian Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission, Alison Drury, has recently visited the ELI-ALPS Laser Center in Szeged and learned that Australian researchers were involved in establishing the center. More broadly, there are approximately 800 Hungarian students studying in Australia yearly.

We would like this to grow. We were very pleased when Hungary offered to provide 30 scholarships to Australian students to study in Hungary, a great opportunity for further exchange between our two countries.” The Ambassador also mentions that in Solymár, northwest of Budapest, the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery holds the graves of 13 Australian airmen, killed far from home in action in 1944. “On a more somber note, their sacrifice links our two countries together in another, special way.”

Australia also maintains a connection with the ‘Nozzies’, a group based in Budapest that brings together Australians and New Zealanders living and working in Hungary. And most recently,

Australia was the international guest of the 21st Békéscsaba Sausage Festival in October 2017, which was one of the Embassy’s largest public diplomacy events of the year. “It was a great success, very effective in promoting Australia as a tourism destination, its gastronomy, culture, education and friendship with Hungary.

We took the opportunity to bring and proudly showcase our indigenous culture to Hungary, with performances by the Koomurri Aboriginal Group. Earlier in the year, in July 2017, we took part in the inauguration of an Australia Point in the town of Békés, initiated by the Association of Australian and Békés Citizens, a very enthusiastic and active friendship group in Hungary.”

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

HUNGARY

AUSTRALIA

93,028 sq km 110 9,874,784 (July 2016 est.)

91 -0.24% (2016 est.)

216 9.1 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

207 75.9 years 92 1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

57 USD 26,200 (2015 est.)

70 6.8% (2015 est.)

79 11.786 million 76 41 (2013) 104

7,741,220 sq km 7 23,232,413 (July 2017 est.)

56 1.03% (2017 est.)

119 12.1 births/1,000 population 165 82.3 years 14 5.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population 22 USD 48,700 (2016 est.)

29 5.7% (2016 est.)

75 26.55 million 39 480 (2013) 16

Exploring Hungary As to how much he has had the time and opportunity to travel to Hungary, Ambassador Hammer states he has made three official visits: at the presentation of his credentials in February 2017, during the state visit of the Australian Governor-General in September 2017, and in Budapest again, on the way to attending the Békéscsaba Sausage Festival. Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Mission Alison Drury and the Embassy’s dedicated Hungary policy officer, Patricia Marity, regularly (every two months) travel to Hungary and there are quarterly consular visits, as well.

The Ambassador says that one of the things he particularly appreciates about Hungary is the fruit brandy pálinka. “I don’t drink many spirits but I really like this one a lot. There are some wonderful varieties. I am building quite a collection.” He adds that he would very much like to visit Budapest more often as it is a beautiful city. “My wife and I have hiked all around the hill up to the Palace and we enjoyed that very much. I would also like to find out more about Hungarian wine. I have already been treated to some very fine Tokaji, but would like to explore the Hungarian wine regions and also go back to the southeast of the country. Travelling back from the sausage festival, I found the autumn landscape on the Great Plain extremely beautiful: the small towns and forests, the trees and the water.

One can see why this part of the world has generated so many great empires and why people have been living here for many-many centuries.”

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UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET SERVICES OFFERED TO ENHANCE AUSTRALIAN-HUNGARIAN BUSINESS RELATIONS The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) is the Australian Government’s promotion agency. Austrade’s role is to advance Australia's international trade, investment and education interests by providing information, advice and services. The Austrade office responsible for Hungary is located in the Australian Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. The Senior Trade Commissioner for Central Europe is Anthony Weymouth. He confirms to Diplomacy&Trade that their role is to work with Australian businesses to help them explore International opportunities around the world, including Hungary and other countries of Central Europe.

“We work with Australian companies who are looking to grow their business and invest overseas. We will help them through the process of market selection, to understand what the market characteristics are. If we think there is an opportunity for an Australian company in a particular market, we will then work with them to identify the requirements to enter that market. We also talk to them about the different market entry strategies and options.

In most cases, Australian companies wanting to do business in central Europe, including Hungary, will need to have a local partner or local distributor of some sort. We offer a range of services to help companies make informed decisions.

The majority of what we do is free.

However, if a company wants us to do a specific research project for them, we develop a service proposal and a quote.”

Trade relations The Austrade office in Poland is also responsible for markets in Central and South East Europe including Greece, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Serbia.

Comparing the Hungarian market to these other countries, Anthony

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Weymouth says that the value of two-way trade between Australia and Hungary is about AUD 700 million (or some EUR 450 mn) per annum. The trade balance is absolutely in Hungary’s favor mainly due to the export of motor vehicles that are manufactured in Hungary. As for the other countries, the value of Australia’s two-way trade with Romania is roughly AUD 350 million, AUD 130 million with Serbia and AUD 150 million with Croatia. The same trade figure between Australia and Greece is about one billion but the majority (about 70%) of that is actually tourism with Australians going to Greece for holidays.

“Regarding all this, the Hungarian figure is quite respectable. However, when you look at markets like Poland, the figure is about AUD 1.4 billion and AUD 1.1 billion with the Czech Republic.

Two-way trade between Australia and the EU is valued at about AUD 96 billion dollars, which is enormous.

Opportunities in Australia Austrade not only assists Australian exporters to grow their international

business, but also acts to attract productive foreign direct investment into Australia. Speaking of the possibility of Hungarian companies doing business in Australia, the Trade Commissioner says Austrade has received interest from Hungarian companies wishing to invest in Australia. “One potential business opportunity is that the Australian government is about to embark upon a very significant defense modernization program. We have a budget of AUD 200 billion for this program across a range of platforms and we are looking for the best solutions from around the world. The first contract, which is a submarine contract, was awarded to the French company DCNS, a smaller one for offshore patrol vessels to a German shipbuilder Lürssen. The way I look at it is that we have a budgeted a very large program in Australia and there are opportunities for Hungarian companies to be part of that. Another example the Commissioner mentions is the Sydney Airport. He says that Hungarian companies interested J A N U A R Y

in infrastructure projects should think about opportunities in some of these projects in Australia.

“In northern Australia, we have a very significant undertaking at the moment for developing that part of the country, and it really is about utilizing a substantial portion of Australia’s land mass that is unutilized at the moment. As you know, Australia is very well positioned when it comes to Asia, and we believe that northern Australia has a critical role to play in providing the markets of Asia with a whole range of products, including agricultural products. So, again there is a very significant opportunity to come to Australia and develop agricultural production facility in the north to sell into the enormous Asian market,” he adds.”

Hungarian Australians The Hungarian population of Australia is estimated to be around 73,000.

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Hungary made available in Australia.

In fact, a whole range of Hungarian products is readily available on the Fifth Continent for Hungarians and nonHungarians alike. “As you know, we are an immigrant nation, we have over 200,000 new immigrants every year.

These people contribute enormously to Australia's prosperity and to our culture.

So, we are really pleased to have this Hungarian community in Australia.”

Education Austrade also promotes Australia’s education sector internationally.

According to the Trade Commissioner, “we have about 700,000 international students studying in Australia right now.

So, it is a very important sector for us.

Many of those students are from Asia and India. But we are also seeing an increasing number coming from Europe.

From Central Europe, we have some 12,000 students including about 800 from Hungary. We are really pleased that there are Hungarian students who are spending some time in our institutions.

I would like to see more of them!”

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As regards untapped opportunities in Australian-Hungarian relations, the Trade Commissioner says that “Hungary – and more broadly, central Europe – provides great opportunities for Australian companies. It is geographically well placed to tap into the broader continental European opportunities. The Hungarian economy is growing, it has skilled workforce and advanced manufacturing bases, especially the services sector, including that of information technology.

All this provides great opportunities for Australian and Hungarian companies to collaborate, to co-operate and do business across the sectors. It is not a huge market but Hungary provides the opportunity to tap into the larger Central and continental European market.”

photo by ALEKSANDAR

Business across sectors

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COMFORT IN THE SKY QATAR AIRWAYS EXPANDS ITS AUSTRALIAN NETWORK

options and award-winning crew, all help to ensure our passengers arrive at their destinations feeling relaxed.

The 2-2-2 seating configuration in our Business Class cabin includes extra-wide seats that recline 180 degrees, into fully lie-flat beds. Our passengers flying in Business Class can also enjoy large pillows and duvets, light and comfortable designer sleeper suits by White Company and luxurious Bric's amenity kits.

In addition, all passengers can enjoy our Oryx One on-demand in-flight entertainment system which has up to 4,000 options to choose from, including the latest blockbuster movies, TV boxsets, music, games and much more.”

photos by DÁVID

HARANGOZÓ, QATAR AIRWAYS

Premium services

In February 2018, Qatar Airways will launch daily flights to Canberra, the fifth destination in its Australian network. Tamás Sárik, Sales Manager for the airline in Hungary tells Diplomacy&Trade that “Qatar Airways is very proud to be expanding in the Australian market. With Canberra, the airline will be the first international carrier to offer Australia’s capital city daily scheduled flights to Doha via Sydney. Our forecasts show that – as anticipated – there is a strong demand for business and leisure passengers from Budapest travelling on our expanding routes across the world, especially to Australia.” Qatar Airways already flies to four Australian destinations: Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. According to the Sales Manager, the daily Qatar Airways flight from Canberra to Sydney – and onward to Doha and Budapest – will connect passengers to its global network of more than 150 destinations, of which more than 40 are in Europe including Hungary.

358-seater Boeing 777-300 aircraft on the Doha-to-Canberra route.

Passengers travelling from Hungary will experience the benefits of Qatar Airways five-star home and hub, Hamad International Airport. The contemporary and luxurious airport, which opened in 2014, has more than 40,000 square meters of retail space and restaurants including more than 70 retail and 30 food and beverage outlets, as well as a 25-meter swimming pool, gym, hotel and spa. Enhanced by many different services and facilities,

Hamad International Airport offers an effortless travel experience and provides smooth international transfers in as little as 40 minutes.”

Relaxed in the sky Comfort also awaits Qatar Airways passengers in the air as the airline will fly to Canberra via Sydney. As Tamás Sárik highlights, Canberra flights will be served by a 358-seat Boeing 777-300 aircraft. “Our Boeing 777 cabin is spacious, with high ceilings and an abundance of natural light. Our comfortable seats, delectable dining

Qatar Airways was recognized as having the World's Best Business Class at the 2017 Skytrax awards.

“We were also delighted to be named ‘Airline of the Year’ for the fourth time, encouraging us to continue innovating to offer our unparalleled five-star service. Our in-flight meals are prepared with fresh ingredients of the highest quality, and we offer an extensive selection of special meals to cater for different dietary requirements. We have recently launched Pre-Select Dining Service which allows our premium class passengers to pre-select one main course from the à la carte on-board menu, as far as 14 days in advance and up to 24 hours before take-off.”

As well as enjoying unrivalled five-star service, premium customers can also be pampered with amenities

from world-class brands such as BRIC’S, Nappa Dori, Monte Vibiano and The White Company. Meanwhile all passengers have access to Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ award-winning in-flight entertainment system, which offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more,” the Sales Manager points out.

A proud airline As mentioned before, Qatar Airways received a number of prestigious awards from Skytrax 2017. Tamás Sárik stresses that “Qatar Airways strives to maintain the highest standards in customer service and we are committed to providing safe, dependable, and convenient worldclass service to our customers. We are proud that our five-star service has been recognized in a recent independent survey which found that Qatar Airways had the highest positive sentiment, especially for its in-flight service, products, special offers and promotions, and airport experience, compared to any other Middle East airline.

Alongside the customer service, Qatar Airways is proud to be one of the youngest global airlines to serve all six continents, and thanks to our customers’ response to our offerings, we are also the fastestgrowing airline in the world. With more people travelling than ever before, our commitment to service is paramount. The experience on-board is an important part of the journey, itself.

Five-star home and hub He explains that Qatar Airways has received a number of accolades this year, including ‘Airline of the Year’ by the prestigious 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards. “Our passengers travelling from Budapest to Canberra will have a chance to experience our Airbus A320 aircraft on the Budapest-to-Doha route, and the w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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MY LITTLE MELBOURNE

We brought a La Marzocco Strada coffee machine as a first step, which was, for sure, the top of the top coffee machines at that time in Hungary.”

And ever since, they seem determined and unstoppable. “Peti somehow has a flair for finding the best partners,” Dia notes, adding that, in their relationship, they function as Yin and Yang, Peti is good at building strategies and dreaming ahead, while she’s a down-to-earth person dealing with the operative works in their joint venture EcoRange Ltd., founded in 2011. “As I see it now, there are three keys to a great café: talented, inventive and well-trained staff, slick design and carefully chosen prime ingredients,” Peti notes. As for ingredients, in addition to the Workshop Coffee Co. they now distribute in the neighboring 7 countries (which makes them Workshop’s biggest partner outside of the UK), and countless ‘guest coffees’, the couple fancy the Racer Beans Coffee which are roasted in Hungary since 2016 by their friend and business partner (who shares Peti’s burning love for motorbikes, hence the name).

A SMALL PIECE OF AUSTRALIA IN BUDAPEST

The global capital of new wave coffee

THE EVOLUTION OF COFFEE MOVEMENTS

1ST WAVE (1800’S-1990’s) Coffee becomes cheap, a must-have beverage that can be easily found in every home. It is marketed as a product that you kick-start your day with and that keeps you productive at your workplace. This is the era of mass production, vacuumed packets, instant coffee, bitter, medicinal espressos with minimal attention to taste and roasting.

2ND WAVE (1990's- ) Along with this phase comes the birth of coffee chains, introducing big portions, for coffee-on-the-go and those who choose to linger for hours, with their laptops. The era that is still in progress, brought about the social aspect of coffee-drinking and features more attention to the coffee itself. These cafés are marketed with the command words ‘experience’ and ‘enjoyment’ but are also likely to give their customers a sugar-shock with all those lattes flavored with different kinds of syrups and cream. On the bright side, in some places, the era paved the way for the next wave.

3RD WAVE (2000- ) This era is best known for premium and personalized products, specialty coffee, independently owned outlets, micro-breweries, own craft blends, constant education, single origin and directly sourced beans, sustainable business practices, tendency towards lighter roasts and subtle flavors, brewing methods such as the syphon, filter and cold drip, aero-press and cupping.

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aunt with Hungarian origins. “Oh, all those cute little places we went in!”

Dia agrees with a twinkle in the eye.

“Enough to get inspired instantly.

We were so overwhelmed with ideas and with my cousin’s farewell note: ‘If you’ve fallen in love with these cafés that much, why don’t you open one in Budapest?’ that the moment we landed in Budapest on January 30, we started to work on the project, and believe it or not, we were open on April 18 that year.”

Coffee with a hint of mindfulness Peti continues, “Although we both have worked for caffeine-oriented companies before (Dia for RedBull and Peti for Pepsi, before he started distributing the Italian coffee Danesi in 2009), we were ‘coffee-virgins’, lacking any coffee-related education such as barista courses. So, even though the design was all set and our 35 squaremeter café, on Madách tér, resembled exactly a charming little Melbournian laneway espresso bar (because it was always clear that apart from coffee and maybe some food, what we mostly wanted to sell was the Aussie lifestyle), something was missing,” he said. “Then Peti turned kind-of a psycho. Totally obsessed, he read day and night, about everything that has even the slightest relation to specialty coffee,” Dia recalls the spring of 2012. “And then, we ended up at the London Coffee Festival (probably and interestingly, as the sole visitors from Hungary), and that’s where my enlightenment came, resulting in a breakthrough,” J A N U A R Y

HAVE YOU PLACES YET?

TO THESE

Instead of creating clones and franchises, for some of those people who have contacted the Balázsi couple in recent years with a quest for collaboration, they have suggested joining the My Little Melbourne Family. Today, members include a series of cafés, namely This is Melbourne Too which opened in Óbuda, at Graphisoft Park, in close proximity to IBS (International Business School) in 2014, My Little Brew Bar, the first brew bar in Hungary, which offers filter or so-called pour-over coffee. They also hold barista trainings in the basement – this is the Barista School Budapest with an authorized SCA Trainer, Attila Tóth. My Green Cup opened on Pozsonyi Street in 2015, while Coffee Market in Király Street started operation in 2016.

The latest addition to the portfolio is Park that opened in September 2017, also in Graphisoft Park (at the Startup Building.) The family also became a strategic partner of the The Rusty Coffee Box in Balatonakarattya (a container café in the closest town to Budapest on the shores of Lake Balaton).

Peti states. “You know, back then, even in Britain, third wave coffee culture had not gone mainstream. It was a rather small community, that, from my research, all felt immediately familiar,” Peti laughs. “From London we’ve returned with a handful of contacts and a clear vision: to embark on a journey to provide the best service and the best products, because in this micro-world of specialty café owners and coffeeroasters, you just can’t let yourself not to take things seriously.

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him, this revelation came by surprise too, when he first tasted a coffee made of lightly roasted beans in the city of Melbourne, he couldn’t even decide whether he liked it at all. “Out of sheer habit, I’ve been drinking the Italian style coffee – not all of my life though, as I didn’t drink any until I was thirty-something. (“And today, he drinks no less than seven a day,” Dia intervenes). But for me, coffee wasn’t a beloved beverage, nor was going to cafés a dear routine, until I went to Melbourne and saw the laid-back atmosphere there, complete with some 500 specialty cafés, all unique and different, featuring their signature baristas and regular customers” Peti reveals, explaining that their Australian journey was due, in 2012, to the invitation of ‘Kati néni’, Dia’s

Dia tells me about their second trip to Melbourne four years after the opening of My Little Melbourne. “We had a different approach with our eyes focused on the most specific things, little elements of design, brewing techniques, etc. We were very curious to find out where we could position our own café within the city’s repertoire. Over the course of visiting a record number of 110 cafés in three weeks, we came across new gadgets and stuff, but in the end, we were overly excited to figure out we are doing quite well back home.” Not much later came a recognition in this year's ‘Where to Drink Coffee’ book by Liz Clayton and Avidan Ross, which placed My Little Melbourne on the list of the world’s TOP 500+ cafés, re-assuring the couple that indeed, they are doing something really well.

photos by DÁVID

What else can we discuss over a flat white (two shots of ristretto with steamed whole milk and latte art) in a café named My Little Melbourne, than Australian inspired specialty coffee culture – and with who else than Péter and Diána Balázsi (or Peti & Dia as they prefer to be called), the couple who are pioneers of the third wave coffee evolution in Budapest? “In fact, credit for making the very first specialty coffees in Budapest, goes to Tibor Váradi, who put quality coffee on the menu of Printa café, and who now runs Espresso Embassy in District five,” Peti points out, although he doesn’t deny that the real boom of specialty coffee culture in Hungary came when he and Dia opened My Little Melbourne, the first café in the Hungarian capital fully dedicated to new wave coffee. “So, what is this new wave coffee-experience mostly about?” I ask the Balázsi couple, who decide to first give me a short brief on the evolution of coffee culture in general (see box). As for the ‘third wave’ (also referred to as next or new), I learn that it is a term used to describe a trend that started in the first years of the third millennium, approaching coffee much differently than ever before, discovering the real qualities of the coffee beans. “When not over-roasted, you will notice certain fruity, citric or chocolaty flavors in the beans which eventually results in a less bitter taste in your coffee. In addition to the roast, of course, there are a myriad of other factors that affect the final product’s flavor. Where the beans are grown and how they are processed, which terroir are they from – there are as many aspects to growing coffee beans as to growing grapes.

And accordingly, like wine, coffee has more different tastes than you’d ever thought of,” Peti notes, adding that for

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YOU COULD BE HERE

YOU COULD BE HERE

Immerse yourself in Canberra Unspoiled nature and cultural attractions abound in Australia’s vibrant capital. Start your day with an epic hot air balloon ride before visiting the city’s diverse selection of museums and galleries, restaurants and public gardens. Whether you are on the ground or in the skies, Canberra has an abundance of spectacular sights to discover.

Immerse yourself in Canberra

Visit qatarairways.com Unspoiled nature and cultural attractions abound in Australia’s vibrant capital. Start your day with an epic hot air balloon ride 2018 january dt.indb 23 before visiting the city’s diverse selection of museums and galleries,

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business

HEBC FOR A ’SMART HUNGARY’ COUNCIL CALLS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, LONG-TERM COUNTRY STRATEGY

of society into the labor market, such as women with small children, people living with disabilities and elderly people.

HEBC members are of the view that in order to create a ‘Smart Hungary’, many areas of public administration should become electronic.

E-governance platforms can fundamentally transform and make public services more efficient for citizens and the business sector alike. At the same time, the transition to e-governance necessitates the implementation of targeted programs enhancing the digital literacy skills of people and the public sector. The Council welcomes the development of the digital infrastructure of Hungary, as it provides wide Internet access for the population; however, it also notes that the creation of a country-strategy would set the course for the strategic direction of development in e-governance as well.

According to the Council, the development of education and innovation, the creation of a capable workforce and transitioning to e-governance are the areas that affect the country’s competitiveness and its ability to attract investment, thus are the main factors in the country’s economic growth and social development.

At the presentation of the report, Levente Magyar, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade stressed that the biggest challenge of the economic order in transition is digitization, where most of the tasks have yet to be tackled by Hungary. He said that the recommendations of the HEBC coincided with the government's aspirations and suggested that Hungary could be the winner of the dizzying pace of change award, in the short term.

He said the aim of the government is to secure the most competitive environment in Europe for companies in this country. He added that providing the skilled workforce on the long-term can put Hungary ahead of its economic partners is a bigger challenge than digitalization.

According to the latest annual report of the Hungarian European Business Council (HEBC), the long-term sustainability of the Hungarian economy relates to the country’s ability to use opportunities provided by digital transformation and innovation, to shape its education system and to develop knowledge-based industries.

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decreasing unemployment rate is an important achievement, member companies of HEBC are feeling the effects of the lack of a skilled workforce. Therefore, in addition to recommendations regarding educational reform, like more appreciation for teachers or the further development of dual education, the Council suggests examination of the Diplomacy-n-Trade.ai 1 2017. 02. 27.

11:22:30 integration of the under-employed segments

ZÁKÁNY/GERGELYZAKANY.COM

The report approaches the country’s current situation and development prospects from the economic players’ point of view, and lists recommendations – among others – regarding enhancing investment into research and development, introducing e-education and widening the use of electronicgovernance programs and applications. The recommendations also include suggestions to adjust the economic portfolio of Hungary, encourage policies to whiten the economy, and to approach strategically Hungary’s energy industry with the long-term future in mind.

As HEBC Chairman Roland Jakab, the managing director of Ericsson Hungary put it, “we are happy to see Hungary starting on the road of digital transformation, where development and economic opportunities are endless.” He C added that HEBC welcomes the Digital Welfare M Program 2.0, and all its components taking shape in the near future. “The ‘Invented in Hungary’ Y approach is one of the outcomes of the R&D CM incentive system’s actual reform,” he added.

MY Other members of the HEBC spoke about the need CY for consultation before tax changes are introduced by the government; called attention to HungaryCMY having the highest VAT rate in the European Union; called for deeper European integration, K including the introduction of the euro as Hungary’s currency; suggested that EU funds should be used for financing sustainable projects and warned how much corruption and the lack of transparency impede the proper functioning of society.

The Report stresses that while Hungary’s

photo by GERGELY

The Hungarian European Business Council (HEBC) was established in 1998 at the initiative of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), which is a forum of the top managers of 50 major European industrial companies. Members of HEBC are the top managers of 10 multinational companies in Hungary: ABB, AkzoNobel, Ericsson, Heineken, Henkel, L’Oréal, Magyar Telekom, Nestlé, Nokia and Shell.

One of the most important parts of HEBC's activity is the publication of the Annual Reports, which are written by the HEBC members and every sentence is based on consensus. HEBC wishes to promote the development and competitiveness of Hungary, as a whole.

In December 2017, the Hungarian European Business Council published 19th annual report entitled ‘Smart Hungary’. The Report explores issues that can help accelerate the country’s economic and social development. According to the Council, Hungary needs a comprehensive, long-term country strategy – 10-15-years in scope – that paves the way for the country’s future development. The long-term sustainability of the Hungarian economy relates to the country’s ability to use opportunities provided by digital transformation and innovation, to shape its education system, and to develop knowledge-based industries. The Council notes that Hungary is equipped with all the tools necessary to accelerate its economic development; there are numerous government programs supporting the digital transformation, which is a key aspect of sustainable growth.

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witty leaks WITTY

IN THIS SERIES, DIPLOMATS SHARE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES ON “EXCURSIONS” into Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy & scenery.

LE A K S

HUMAN RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE ARGENTINIANS AND HUNGARIANS SHARE A COMMON IDIOSYNCRASY

BY THE AMBASSADOR OF ARGENTINA, MAXIMILIANO GREGORIO-CERNADAS

When the time to leave Buenos Aires came, I had the opportunity to choose Budapest from among several European capitals as my new diplomatic post.

My decision was based on three qualities closely related to me.

During my 33 years in the Foreign Service, I have traveled all around the world, but as for postings, I have always been in Germany (Bonn, Düsseldorf and Berlin), where I even met my Argentine wife, and four of my kids were born.

Through that experience, I became familiarized with – and learned to appreciate – the central European idiosyncrasy, especially the Hungarian one, closely related to the German-speaking world.

Since the beginning of my career, as Argentina became a nuclear, space and high-tech producer and exporter, I was linked to these affairs. I was trained in high technology centers and focused on the relations between these technologies and their international security and commercial implications. In parallel, Hungary also has great traditions in the sciences and has won many Nobel prizes.

I am also strongly linked to cultural affairs. I was Cultural Attaché in Berlin for six years, and I am involved in the humanistic sciences through academic research, writing books and articles, and collaborating with intellectual circles both here and in Argentina. Additionally, my wife is a book writer and journalist for opera and classical music, which make our lives deeply involved with arts.

photos by COURTESY

OF THE EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA

Hungary, a good choice Throughout its rich history, Hungary has distinguished itself with three qualities that interested Argentina and me, making them guidelines for my task here: human resources, technology and culture. For these three reasons, I chose Hungary as my first post as ambassador, and it was not a wrong choice.

My family, is also privately delighted to be here.

Since the first day, we have felt at home, mainly due to Hungarian openness. My wife, Cecilia, is very committed to her duty as ambassadress, building a bridge between foreign diplomatic life and her Hungarian life. She is coordinator of the Cultural Commission of the DSB (Diplomatic Spouses in Budapest) allowing her to organize an active agenda with the fascinating Hungarian society. Together, we have four kids who attend an English speaking school along with other foreign w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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Hills to the heart of Pest, where the action is, with a bigger and more representative place in the Tildy Palace, over the most iconic street of Budapest and one of the most beautiful avenues in the world, the Andrássy Avenue. Even more, we are about to move the offices from Rózsadomb to this same avenue. In short, I am resolutely committed to upgrade our bilateral relations.

Bilateral cooperation

as well as Hungarian kids – it is like a small UN. I love to play horse polo, and we all ride horses together in the summer and ski in winter.

Since I was assigned to Hungary, I have embarked on a quest for Magyarság, through studying Hungarian language, reading about fascinating Hungarian history and culture, attending cultural activities, and making acquaintances with extraordinary Hungarian figures.

Bringing Hungary and Argentina closer It is true that my professional task here is not an easy job. I am ambassador to three countries, Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which demands hard work. Over the previous years, Argentina didn’t have an ambassador in Budapest but a Chargée d’Affaires, and commercial exchanges were modest. Besides, as the distance with Argentina is not negligible, I quickly realized that in parallel to the usual diplomatic strategy of ‘selling’ Argentina in Hungary, I must also ‘sell’ Hungary in Argentina, in order for my country to have the most impact on Hungary, and to bring the two countries closer.

On the other side, I count several positive factors in my favor. To begin with, Hungarians always receive me with open arms. For example, as soon as I arrived to Budapest, I went to see Mayor Tarlós to propose a cooperation agreement between Budapest and Buenos Aires, and only some months afterwards, he flew to Buenos Aires and did it. Also, each university, technology agency or, in fact, any institution that I visited, offered me many cooperation alternatives.

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The world’s supermarket I am also a messenger of good news from my own country. Even though, challenges in Argentina are high, the new Government of President Mauricio Macri has been doing an increasingly good job, both in politics and economics. In these two years in power, he has been able to tackle three main problems: foreign debt, huge subsidies and dollar speculation.

Now, we are in the stage of increasing investments, and reducing inflation, taxes and unemployment. The prospects for 2018, in these issues, exist because of a recent middle term election where the government won the control of the parliament and the power to pass the necessary bills to achieve these goals.

From a wide perspective, Argentina is in a successful transition from being the famous ‘world’s granary’ to a ‘world’s supermarket’, developing exports from raw foods to more elaborated ones, reaching a capacity to feed 400 million people. In addition, Argentina has managed to become a reliable exporter of technology and other sophisticated machines.

Moreover, Argentina has a government with a proactive foreign attitude. President Macri’s new foreign policy is aimed at reintegrating Argentina into the world, mainly enhancing commerce and investments. Hungary is a key part of this policy in the heart of Europe and a very clear sign of that was my designation as ambassador after four years that Argentina didn’t have one here. Besides, the enhancing of the Argentine embassy in Budapest, I managed to move the ambassadorial residence from a remote place in the forest of Buda

The Argentinian and Hungarian governments are committed to work in the same direction.

There is an extraordinary promising coincidence of strategies between the ‘Opening to the south’ Hungarian policy, and the ‘Open to the world’ policy of the new Argentine government, which offers a unique opportunity that must not be missed.

My main assets, to work in the promotion of our relations, are our common history and mentality.

As Argentina is an immigration land, I can rely on a naturally intense exchange of active Argentinians from Hungarian origins, as the storks sang, by the Hungarian poet Mihály Tompa, that “must thank destiny for having two homelands”, going and coming each spring. In fact, Argentines in general enjoy interacting with the world, which is an extraordinary handicap for a diplomat.

I receive frequently in Budapest many tourists and distinguished Argentinians who cooperate with Hungarian institutions in cultural, sports, sciences, commerce or other fields, and there are also plenty of Hungarians interested in Argentine offers, like Spanish language, Borges, tango, football, meat or the famous Malbec.

We even share world known personalities. For example, I was able to create the yearly ‘László Bíró Prize’, to honor the great HungarianArgentine genius and inventor (the ballpointpen, the automatic gear box, the automatic washing machine and many others inventions) to distinguish those people that have made substantial contributions to promote our bilateral relations.

Last but not least, we Argentinians and Hungarians share a common idiosyncrasy, which helps to develop together whatever task. My theory is that the Hungarian mentality is perfect, because Hungarians are right in the middle between the North and the South European idiosyncrasy, having the best of both worlds: the application of Saxons and Germans, and the joie de vivre and vitality of the Latins, what match perfectly with us, Argentinians.

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society

Jewish Film Festival The Ambassador of the State of Israel, Yossi Amrani and festival director Zsuzsa Fritz invited guests the Puskin Cinema in Budapest for the opening of the Jewish and Israeli Film Festival, the progeny of the merger of the Budapest Jewish Film Festival, the Israeli Film Week and the Israeli Documentary Festival.

There were altogether 39 screenings during the festival.

Modern circus 250 years old The Argentinian Ambassador to Hungary, Maximiliano Gregorio-Cernadas welcomed the staff of the Capital Circus of Budapest at his residence at the 250th anniversary of the modern circus. The guests of the event, including several ambassadors, were entertained by Argentinian and Hungarian artists.

Thailand National Day

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On the 100th anniversary of his country’s independence, Finnish Ambassador Petri Tuomi-Nikula welcomed guests for a concert and reception at the Music Academy and for another reception at his residence.

The Finnish Declaration of Independence [from Russia] was adopted by the Parliament of Finland on December 6, 1917.

URBÁN, TIBOR ILLYÉS/MTI, ZOLTÁN BALOGH/MTI, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

Finland Independence Day

photos by ÁDÁM

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand, Jakkrit Srivali entertained guests at the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture in Budapest to commemorate the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1927. In his speech, the Ambassador pointed out that this day is also observed as National Day and National Father's Day in his country.

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society Qatar National Day In recognition of the National Day of the State of Qatar, the country’s Ambassador to Hungary, Mohamad Hamad Al-Khalifa held a reception in the Ballroom of the Budapest Marriott Hotel. The day commemorates Qatar's unification in 1878. The holiday was established by a 2007 decree of the then Crown Prince and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

National Day of Kazakhstan The Kazakh Ambassador to Hungary, Nurbakh Rustemov welcomed guests for a reception at the Budapest Marriott Hotel on the occasion of his country’s day of independence. This day is the National Day of Kazakhstan and it marks the independence of Kazakhstan in December 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Emperor's Birthday

URBÁN, TIBOR ILLYÉS/MTI, ZOLTÁN BALOGH/MTI, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

HARANGOZÓ, COURTESY OF THE EMBASSY OF JAPAN, NOÉMI BRUZÁK/MTI

photos by ÁDÁM

photos by DÁVID

In celebration of the Birthday of the Emperor of Japan, the country’s new Ambassador to Hungary, Kuni Sato welcomed guests to a reception in the Ballroom of the Budapest Marriott Hotel. The Emperor's Birthday is a national holiday on the Japanese calendar.

Emperor Akihito was born on 23 December 1933.

Maserati for the Ambassador The Ambassador of Italy, Massimo Rustico received a brand new Maserati model, the Levante, for a week-end test drive from Wallis Motor Pest in the presence of Maserati brand ambassador Győző Suta.

New Ambassadors Five new ambassadors accredited to Hungary presented their credentials to Hungarian President János Áder at the Sándor Palace in the Buda Castle (pictured clockwise from the upper left corner): Marc Ungeheuer from Luxembourg, Bakyt Dzhusupov from Kyrgyzstan, Touch Sopharath from Cambodia, Kuni Sato from Japan and Dr. Eniola Olaitan Ajayi from Nigeria.

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cinema

PORTRAYING A GREAT SCULPTOR FRENCH DIRECTOR ATTENDS THE

HUNGARIAN DEBUT OF HIS FILM ‘RODIN’

Camille In his latest movie, ‘Rodin’, Jacques Doillon selected Izïa Higelin for the role of Camille. “I had never seen her in any movie before but that is not an exception. I do not watch actors/ actresses in other movies before I start shooting with them. It is because if I see a mediocre film, I am likely to associate the quality of the film with the performance of the actress,” he stressed, adding that there were several reasons for selecting Izïa. “On one hand, she was the right age for the character: I was looking for an actress of 20-30 years and she was 25. The other consideration was to find someone who could reflect the fantasies of Camille Claudel on the screen. Auguste Rodin was a great sculptor but as a man, he was quite a soft person. That is why he needed a female who would stir up the feelings he had inside, someone who had an imagination large enough to do that.

The relationship between Auguste and Camille lasted about a decade or so but it was like a rollercoaster: good times and bad. However, it was like magic that – thanks to Rodin – Camille Claudel turned into the sculptor that she came to be. When they parted ways, it was bad for both of them.

While Rodin continued his career and created more and more modern works of art, becoming more daring and valiant, Camille Claudel – due to her illness – was not really able to continue her artistic work.”

Fiction rather than documentary When asked how he got the idea of putting this Rodin story to screen, Jacques Doillon said it was by chance. After the presentation of his previous movie, ‘Love Battles’, two documentary film producers tried to convince him that he reminded them of Rodin. “The centenary of the famous sculptor's death was approaching and they asked if I would make a documentary about him. I was aware of Rodin's lifework; I had been in his museum a few times, but nothing more. I accepted the proposal, but

soon, I found my mind constantly contemplating fictional scenes that would "bring the monster to life." As I wrote the script, the fictional elements began to dominate and I realized that I was not interested in the documentary realization of the theme: I wanted to work with actors. That is why I refused the assignment and continued to write the script of a fiction film. When I was ready with the first version, I met the actor Vincent Lindon who was very enthusiastic. He put the gears in motion, and producer Kristina Larsen pounced on the opportunity.”

The movie follows Rodin approximately between the ages of 40 and 55. This was during the time Camille Claudel was there at his side and the period during which he turned into the artist we know. The movie is really about Rodin, his works and especially the Balzac statue; the symbol of the Rodin who was bravely looking for something new and bringing modernity to sculpture and art in general.

The director pointed out two additional themes of the movie: passion and sensuality. “Just look at Rodin’s statues and you realize how much these

Jacques Doillon has written the scripts for many of his movies. “It is simpler, and for me, it is a necessity that I myself write the screen-play of films that I go on to direct. In the 1980s and ‘90s, I wrote scripts several times with a friend of mine. It happened because I was working on more than one movie at a time. Otherwise, I like to keep things in one hand. Actually, I do not really write a script or screen-play but rather dialogs. I try to build the script from dialogs, I try to hear the voices I have in my mind and put these dialog bits into a written form. My experience is that, as I follow this accidental drifting, my script is being formulated into dialogs and dialogs into a screenplay. As the human soul undulates and changes, I try to follow this undulation and change to create dialogs and then the script,” he pointed out.

Since the news about sexual harassment cases by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein broke in October, similar stories have surfaced worldwide, including in Hungary. Jacques Doillon is quite frank about it: “this story is horrible and awful, especially because it is about a man with power. However, one must note that not all men with power do this. This is about Harvey Weinstein abusing his power and women letting it happen to them for years – all this showing how terrible the world of Hollywood is. The fact that he did these filthy and disgusting things makes my belief stronger that something must definitely be done about this. I believe it is important to point out that Weinstein is by far not the only person implicated. One also hears about French directors who make indecent offers to young actresses behind closed doors.

Jacques Doillon has a reputation for casting young actresses with little experience for important roles in his movies. When asked how he decides who is suitable for a role, he said that “I give them these roles because they do well in the original casting. I very much like shooting with young people and teenagers who do not yet have the experience and skills possessed by professional actors... If you shoot with youngsters, it usually gives you surprises – and I like that. The other thing is that it is more problematic to work with men. That is why I prefer shooting with youngsters and women. It is not necessarily about the flexibility of a person but it is true that if you want to mold a 50-yearold man, it is like trying to change

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The director as scriptwriter

The terrible world of Hollywood

Working with ingénues

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were present in his life and his art. As regards women, if you want to make a movie about Rodin, then, you must not leave women out – women played an important part in his life. It was not only Camille Claudel but also, Rose, for instance, who was his lifelong companion and whom he married in the last year of both their lives.”

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the shape of a granite statue – you might break your finger if you try.

When working with youngsters, it is much easier to formulate them.”

photos by DÁVID

Auguste Rodin, the French sculptor generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, passed away in November 1917. On this centenary, a new movie was released about an important period in his life. Some Hungarian viewers had the chance to see the movie ‘Rodin’ at the French Institute in Budapest ahead of the official country premiere.

The screening was attended by the director, Jacques Doillon, himself.

“The world of filmmaking has changed a lot since I began my career in the early 1970s. Many of the people who were making movies in those times may not be received well by the public nowadays. In addition, the filmmakers of that era might not find the forms of financing that would make their movies possible. I believe that if someone is able to make a film today and it is wellreceived by the public, it is not certain at all that he/she will always be able to do that,” he told Diplomacy&Trade.

When asked what his favorites had been among his own movies, the director said his most pleasant recollections were actually from the shooting process. “Of course, if the shooting is going well that does not necessarily mean that the movie will be successful or the other way round: a successful movie may not necessarily have the best shooting ambiance,” he added.

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style

BLACK TIE HOW TO LOOK LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS Ball season is upon us again.

While for the ladies this is the best opportunity to sparkle, the gentlemen need to take a more informed approach to dressing.

From its early beginnings black tie attire has always been a style minefield. Henry Poole’s first version of the dinner jacket for the Prince of Wales is considered the original version of the dinner suit. Unaltered, the same style would still be perfectly acceptable today. Different versions of eveningwear were developed during the 1930s and ‘40s, which serves as inspiration for the various takes on the classic black tie popular nowadays. However, whether it is Henry Poole or Versace or Tom Ford, all successful evening looks work within a certain set of rules.

Traditionally evening wear was made out of heavyweight wool barathea, this specific structure allows a very matte surface creating a pleasing contrast with the silk on the lapels.

These days, the preference is for lighter fabric, for comfort, and at the same time, resistance to creasing.

High twist wools or wool/mohair blends offer a great weight/crease ratio. Dinner jackets should always have silk faced lapels, either in satin for a more graphic look or with ribbed facings for a more subtle combination.

Given the low-key nature of fabrics

the drama needs to come from the silhouette and the styling details. So, a little bit more shape and a closer fit, think Fred Astaire. You can opt for both single (rigorously one button) or double breasted jackets. The style of lapels should be either peak or shawl, as they both accentuate the low opening of the front. While officially dinner jackets should not have vents in the back, often, for practicality, two side vents are incorporated. To avoid exposing too much shirt when sitting down, a waistcoat in a matching fabric can be a nice alternative to the more popular cummerbund. Both of these allow you to maintain an impeccable look throughout the evening.

Trousers needs to be higher waisted than regular, to finish well under the waistcoat or cummerbund. They should be worn with braces, can feature side adjusters, but never a belt. Similarly never ask for turn ups, evening trousers should always have plain hemmed bottoms. While slim trousers are en vogue these days, tight is not a good look for men. They should fit, but never constrict. The trousers need to have a decorative tape on the sides, which needs to be selected in sympathy with the silk facings on the lapels.

The evening shirt for black tie attire should always have a turn down collar - the wing collar is for white tie. The front part (the bib)

should be pleated or pique (a fabric, characterized by geometrical patterns in the weave). With pleats, be careful to not channel the Seventies ruffled look, but tight, neat pleats look great. Either a hidden button front, where a placket covers the buttons or a normal placket for studs. And, of course, it's always a double-cuff. It's worn best with some simple elegant cufflinks - silver, black or white."

Learn to tie a bow tie. It’s not that complicated, there are many good videos on the internet to help. Practice before the event; first attempts usually don’t get the best results.

The knot will never be "perfect" like

on a pre tied one, but it will carry a dash of character and charm.

The traditional accompaniment to a dinner suit is patent leather oxford shoes. A highly polished pair of simple black oxfords will also do. Wear plain black socks in silk or fine cotton.

Gentlemen can opt for a pocket square with evening wear, also in cotton or silk, but it must coordinate with the rest of your outfit. A simple dress watch can be a nice accessory too.

Not bigger than 38 mm, no sporty details and preferably on a black leather strap. For maximum effect, find cufflinks that are complimentary to the watch, meaning that the metals

and the color combination match.

Generally, one would like to avoid standing out too much. However, there are a number of options to differentiate oneself from the crowd.

A double breasted dinner suit can be a good idea, just make sure to always wear the jacket buttoned up.

The practical reasons of wearing a waistcoat were already mentioned other than it just looks damn stylish.

Consider midnight blue as an alternative to black. Under artificial light black can look a bit dull, sometimes a very dark blue serves better to catch the attention of you companions. One of the biggest trends in menswear lately, the midnight blue dinner suit is not the easiest to get right. For a chic, sophisticated look, we recommend to match, not contrast the color of the silk facings with the fabric of the suit. So rather blue on blue, than black on blue. The latter can veer on costume territory.

If the dress code says ’black tie optional’ it means that most guests will opt for black tie, but a dark (preferably black) suit is also acceptable. For more seasoned dressers, these types of events serve as the best opportunities to branch out with more interesting combinations like velvet dinner jackets with matching velvet slippers. But never a full velvet suit, please.

The photos were taken on the wedding of Csaba, pictured the groom with Simon Skottowe.

Black tie ensembles by Simon Skottowe Bespoke Tailors.

Grooming by MMhair.

Photography by Magistero photograpy (Attila Degi).

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what's on FIM X-TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

MARCH 29 PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORT ARÉNA X-Trial is a spectacular and astonishing motorcycling sport where precision and balance matter much more than speed. Riders defy gravity while climbing onto different sorts of obstacles with the objective of clearing each section without putting the foot on the ground. A truly impressive show for the Hungarian crowd, which 22-time World Champion and legend of the sport, Toni Bou is very excited to meet: “It is a fantastic opportunity for all the riders to discover new places and promote the sport around the world,” the Spaniard said during the press conference.

“We are looking forward to competing for the world title in the beautiful arena of Budapest, and I believe we will be able to put on a great exhibition for the fans”. Light and sound shows similar to those at the biggest international events promises to deliver an unforgettable experience of stunt and thrill to the public. To add to the excitement, the Budapest round will be the grand finale of the 2018 season, crowning the new champion after the event. www.x-trialbudapest.com

EXPERIDANCE: NOSTRADAMUS – A WANDERER OF WORLDS JANUARY 25-26 RAM COLOSSEUM The ExperiDance Dance Ensemble has decided to take a bold step as it puts an obliviously frolicking piece on stage again after many years. The ‘Nostradamus – A Wanderer of Worlds’ is a real play of joy, which twists the most spectacular pieces of choreography from the repertoire of ExperiDance in such a way that the piece becomes a great time travel over countries and ages. According to the story, Nostradamus takes his deceitful wife on a world tour that includes time travel in order to please her and to show her that all of his predictions have come true. Nostradamus’ wife is played by Izabella Rimár, a dance artist of ExperiDance. On the trip, they are accompanied by two of Nostradamus’ students, a dumb magician who is always flirting with the wife, and a pipsqueak. They visit Australia, India and the country of geishas and samurais, Japan. The main characters also experience Spanish bravado and Russian high spirits, and even watch a football match in Brazil. This great journey also spans historical ages: in Egypt, they witness Cleopatra and Julius Caesar’s love, they meet Copernicus, they leave Transylvania in haste due to Dracula, and Elvis sings for them in America. Finally, naturally, our heroes find a home in the heart of Europe, in Hungary. ‘Nostradamus – A Wanderer of Worlds’ presents a thousand faces of our Earth and its diverse, glittering world full of mysteries. www.ramcolosseum.hu

ROD STEWART CONCERT

JANUARY 29 AT PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORT ARENA With his magical, unique voice, singing such hits as ‘Sailing’, ‘The First Cut Is the Deepest’, ‘Rhythm Of My Heart’, ‘Baby Jane’ and ‘Maggie May’, Rod Stewart is returning to Hungary, after eight years, with a brand new show in Budapest. Sir Rod Stewart was selected twice as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; he is one of the world's most successful singers having sold more than 200 million albums over the past five decades. His successes include six consecutive hit charts in the UK, including 62 hits, 16 of which were among the top ten in the US charts, and in 2016, he was knighted by the Queen for his musical and charitable work. www.livenation.hu

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UNTIL FEBRUARY 28 There is nothing more classic, more festive, more “wintery” than skating – and skating at the City Park Ice Rink (Városligeti Műjégpalya) is truly skating in style. The City Park Ice Rink is the oldest, functioning ice rink and, to this day, it is the largest outdoor artificial ice surface in Europe. The moment the ice rink opens in late November, you’ll find locals and city visitors alike swirling and twirling on the rink, set against the beautifully lit Vajdahunyad Castle. There are bustling crowds on the terraces, either queuing up, waiting for their chance to glide onto the ice, or simply admiring the skaters in sparkling lights and sipping mulled wine. And then, there’s the irresistible smell and taste of the chimney cake, sold nearby. Skates can be rented at the rink. www.mujegpalya.hu

photos by

SKATING IN THE CITY PARK

THOMAS BUCHWALDER, MÁRTON NAGY, PEP SEGALES, JONAS MOHR

FEBRUARY 18 PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORTARÉNA Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé arrives in Budapest in February to perform her first concert in the Hungarian capital city. Sandé wrote her first song at the age of 11 for her primary-school talent show (and later she became a highly sought-after writer for a wide array of international acts including Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Katy Perry). As a singer, she first became prominent after she was featured on the track ‘Diamond Rings’ by the rapper Chipmunk (2009). It was their first top 10 single on the UK Singles Chart. The multi-instrumentalist artist released her first solo single ‘Heaven’ in August 2011. On July 27, 2012 she sang ‘Abide with Me’ at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics and, in the same year, received the Brit Awards' Critics' Choice Award. The soul and R&B singer’s record ’Our Version Of Events’ was an instant success, becoming the biggest selling album of 2012 and second biggest selling album of 2013, selling over 4.6 million copies worldwide. Her latest studio album entitled ‘Long Live The Angels’ is a mesmerizing journey through the triumphs and tragedies of the last four years of her extraordinary life. www.broadway.hu

photos by

EMELI SANDÉ CONCERT

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what's on

INTIMISSIMI ON ICE 2017 – A LEGEND OF BEAUTY

UNTIL MID-FEBRUARY MULTIPLE HUNGARIAN FILM THEATRES With over 80 million albums sold, Andrea Bocelli returns to cinemas to star in this feature-length, special event ice show where opera, pop music, figure skating and fashion combine for this breath-taking performance, produced and filmed at the iconic Arena Di Verona in Italy. Featuring some of the most iconic opera pieces and contemporary skating displays, Intimissimi on Ice is an audio-visual extravaganza amplified in its beauty with laser and pyrotechnic shows beamed directly on to the ice to enhance the performance of the world’s greatest skaters, including Evgeny Plushenko, Stéphane Lambiel and Shizuka Arakawa. A Legend of Beauty, sponsored by the renowned Italian lingerie brand, Intimissimi, centers around the most famous women of Greek mythology – the protagonists of the same love and tragedy which color contemporary life. Through their stories, the show celebrates femininity, with the world’s most talented musicians and athletes. Classic mythology in a modern key, the show will include Venus, Helen of Troy, Circe and Medusa. The live show is nothing short of spectacular and, thanks to a renovated stage with a central rink similar to ancient Roman arenas, the audience will be able to truly enjoy a 360-degree experience.

ST EPHRAIM MALE CHOIR: ORIENTALE LUMEN

JANUARY 6 BELVÁROSI NAGYBOLDOGASSZONY FŐPLÉBÁNIATEMPLOM (MAIN PARISH CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION) Enter the refreshing and enchanting realm of Byzantine music at an exceptional venue: the most ancient (almost a thousand-year-old) church on the Hungarian capitol’s Pest side, at March 15 Square. The Saint Ephraim Male Choir is eager to discover lesser-known territories of the vast domain of Eastern Christian music and to deliver these gems to the audience. Tamás Bubnó, the artistic director of the Saint Ephraim Male Choir has compiled a diversified program that includes music from ancient Christian times and from various cultures, including the Arabic and Russian, in addition to Hungarian contemporary music. The concert will feature Parafónia – a Hungarian ensemble of disabled children – as special guest. www.szentefrem.hu

THOMAS BUCHWALDER, MÁRTON NAGY, PEP SEGALES, JONAS MOHR

LIVE NATION, ODPICTURES.HU

photos by

photos by

CARO EMERALD CONCERT

FEBRUARY 26 PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORT ARENA Inspired by films and music from the 40s and 50s, Caro Emerald’s first album titled ’Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor’, was an exciting collection of 12 original songs. The album featured ballroom jazz, cinematic tangos, groovin' jazz tracks and infectious mambos that sounded as if they were recorded in the golden age of Hollywood. However, the smoking beats, catchy songs and inventive production marked Caro a present-day phenomenon. Overall, the album spent 30 weeks at Nr. 1, breaking a record set

by Michael Jackson's Thriller and selling a stunning 260,000 copies, within the year, in Holland alone. The album was released in over 40 countries with total sales over 1.4 million in Europe Caro and her team received numerous national and international awards, and Caro performed at almost every major radio and TV show in Europe. May 2013, the second album ’The Shocking Miss Emerald’ was released. It repeated the debut album’s international success and entered at #1 in the UK album chart. In between conquering Europe, Caro and the team reserved as much time as possible gathering and recording ideas for their new album, which was released as an EP called ’Emerald Island’ in spring 2017 throughout Europe. Now 36 years old, the singer was born as Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw and trained as a jazz vocalist at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where she graduated in 2005. She is often praised for her outstanding live performances which heat up her audience after a few minutes. www.livenation.hu

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wine

8TH PRESTIGE AWARD CEREMONY WINNERS OF THE PRESTIGE AWARD, FOUNDED IN 2000 BY LÁSZLÓ DOSZPOD AND THE PRESTIGE RESERVE CLUB, WERE NAMED FOR THE EIGHTH TIME IN 2017. THE AWARD CEREMONY TOOK PLACE AT KÁRPÁTIA RESTAURANT. Prestige Reserve Club’s jury of wine professionals (wine experts, wine writers, sommeliers, gastronomy entrepreneurs) presented its Prestige Award on December 13 to recognize the most prestigious winery of the year 2017. Following previous years’ renowned winners (István Szepsy in 2010 and 2013, György Lőrincz in 2011, Ferenc Takler in 2012, István Jásdi in 2014, the Heimann Family Winery in 2015, Disznókő Vineyard and Winery in 2016), the 2017 trophy, a statue of the proud Bacchus (the work of sculptor Géza Gáspár) went to Etyeki Kúria Winery. László Doszpod emphasized the reliability and excellence of the winery, the quality and style of their wines, and assessed the evolution from a 2-hectare enterprise 20 years ago into a 50-hectare winery that is active in two wine regions. As he said, Ágnes and István Ottrubay, Sára Matolcsy, László Babarczi, Rudi Krizan and, of course, Sándor Mérész all had a key role in that outstanding achievement.

The Prestige Award also recognized wine-related businesses that play important role in the wine sector and perform with excellence. This included Macok Bistro and Wine Bar in Eger, winner of the this year’s wine restaurant category, for its creative and distinctly delectable menu, complimented by a range of regional high quality wines in pursuit of absolute harmony – all created and owned by János Macsinka and Péter Szternák. The winner of the 2017 wine bar category was Carpe Diem, where wine connoisseurs always find fine offers from Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhine region and Piedmont.

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE SWEETER…

LATE HARVEST WINES ARE THE NEWEST TREND

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Olaszrizling turned to gold It just so happens that adverse weather conditions can help bring a beautiful dessert wine into the world. This was the case in the Balaton Uplands in 2014, at the organic Szászi winery. The cool, wet summer caused lots of problems with pest control, so the estate was only able to harvest a third of the usual quantity of grapes. “But what was left turned to gold,” says Endre Szászi.

“We left one hectare of Olaszrizling vines for late harvesting.

We were lucky when noble rot set in during the tranquil autumn period, which shrivelled the grapes beautifully. We decided to make a naturally sweet wine from them. This is how our Dessert Olaszrizling was born – with 66g of residual sugar, lovely acidity, wonderful botrytis nose and the minerality characteristic of the wine region. We didn’t use any oak; it was made reductively and is also deeper in color thanks to the botrytis with overripe grape and tropical fruit aromas on the nose. It reaped great success in the cellar, too, and was selected as the best Hungarian wine in the 2016 National Olaszrizling Wine Competition in Egerszalók.

Anyone tasting it is pleasantly surprised at what the variety is capable of, given the harsh weather conditions, yet under a lucky star – which generally happens once a decade. You can crown the J A N U A R Y

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Linden blossom honey scent in a bottle White grapes such as Hárslevelű (Linden Leaf), used as a base for sparkling wines, were traditionally cultivated in the Villány wine region’s lowest lying vineyard, boasting just a small hill, the Göntéri. This variety is one of József Bock’s personal favorites, so it’s understandable why it plays a leading role in the four hectares of vines there. Thanks to the vineyard’s characteristics, the Hárslevelű produced under the right climatic conditions (roughly every four to five years) is also capable of botrytising, in which case the Bock winery makes naturally sweet wine from it. Whole bunches are harvested and then the aszú berries are selected on the sorting table the next day; these are used to make the wine.

After fermentation, this deep golden specialty wine is aged for 18 months in oak barrels. The nose displays aromas of linden blossom honey and peach blossom while apricot and honeycomb dominate on the palate.

Concentrated muscat aromas The Kunság wine region is primarily known for its light, refreshing white wines. Few people know that with the right technology, wonderful dessert wines can also be made on the Great Plain. The Frittmann winery in Soltvadkert bottle a late harvest, naturally sweet wine made from Ezerjó and Cserszegi Fűszeres, which is a true curiosity on the Hungarian dessert wine palette. They use a special procedure: two to three weeks after the grapes are fully ripe they cut the cane which produced the bunch. There is still vegetation on the cane for a while, but then the grapes begin to shrivel. Once the berries have begun to raisin, they can no longer rot. These grapes shrivel up without any botrytis, resulting in extremely concentrated flavors and aromas. “Our late harvest Cserszegi Fűszeres has around 90-100g of residual sugar balanced by really lovely acidity and beautifully preserved Muscat aromas”, says János Frittmann. The wine is aged for a year and a half in barrique and then bottled in half-litre bottles. The wine is so popular that every vintage sells out from the cellar, right down to the last bottle. Since there is only a limited quantity, only rarely will lucky consumers come across it during wine evenings or in restaurants.

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Although, only one-year-old, Ferenc Tar’s wine bar already has committed patrons due to its excellent tasting sessions. This year, a new category was introduced, featuring the increasingly widespread terroir approach. The 2015 Olaszrizling single vineyard selection of Figula (Sóskút, Sáfránkert, Lőcze, Száka, Öreghegy, Gella), an outstanding example of terroir-driven winemaking was honored with the ‘Best wine series’ title.

László Doszpod congratulated all winners and thanked the sponsors of the award – Kárpátia Restaurant (Ákos Niklai, Tamás Mezei), Pauker Printing House (Gábor Vértes), Progast (Bence Vig), Best of Budapest & Hungary, Diplomacy&Trade (Péter Freed, Réka Francisck) – for their generous contributions that assist the efforts of the winners. The award’s founder noted that he, along with the jury members, will continue to monitor the developments of the wine market in 2018 to grant substantiated decisions in the future with an eye on the Club’s motto: “Without the freedom to criticize, there is no true praise.”

The ceremony was followed by a lavish gala dinner prepared by Kárpátia Restaurant, featuring a selection of Disznókő and Etyeki Kúria wines (presented by the latest Prestige Award winner and his predecessor).

The king of Hungarian dessert wines is undoubtedly Tokaji Aszú, but other representatives of the genre also have a surprise in store for sweet wine lovers. The late harvest category may signal the new youthful direction: they are usually aged for a shorter period than aszú or szamorodni and are most often made in stainless steel tanks, resulting in a fresher, fruitier style that is easier to drink. Late harvest wines can be produced in any Hungarian wine region given the right weather conditions, and since it is not obligatory to indicate the amount of natural residual sugar, they are often very different from each other. So then what characteristic flavors can one expect to find in a late harvest wine? Be prepared to taste ripe fresh and dried fruits such as pear, apricot, peach and grape, accompanied by elderflower, nectar, honey and similar, lighter, effusive aromas.

end of a tasting with such wines and show the participants that the Balaton Uplands with its volcanic hills and unique climate can reveal such a wide range of faces in our most important variety, Olaszrizling.

photos by DÁVID

IN HUNGARY, THE TRADITIONAL ACCOMPANIMENT TO A FESTIVE WINTER MEAL IS A SWEET WINE, WHICH COULD BE AN ASZÚ OR SZAMORODNI, OR A LATE HARVEST OR AN ICE WINE. THESE ARE ALL MADE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS THEIR NATURAL SWEETNESS AND IF PRODUCED PROPERLY, THEY ARE HIGHLY CONCENTRATED, FRUITY, FRAGRANT AND RICH.

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gastronomy MANGALICA FESTIVAL 2018

LAUGHTER IN THE BLOODSHED YARD THE RITUAL OF KILLING THAT PIG

Along with Hungarian winter, comes the feast of pig slaughtering. Find out more on this the centuries-old ritual through the lenses of an expat.

BY TOM DE SMET

I have often heard that Hungarians get together with their family on winter weekends to slaughter a pig. With a happy twinkle in their eyes, they told me how nice the pigkilling-party was, how tasty the fresh blood and liver sausages (hurka) were, how many kolbász were made and most importantly, how much pálinka was drunk.

It is remarkable to see how Hungarians, with around 200 culinary festivals yearly, like to celebrate their food and wines, but it is even more amazing when you watch them at a pig-killing. Most of these take place at home, in the farmyard or in the garden, but at some food festivals in autumn and winter, you can actually witness the cutting and processing of fresh killed pigs. Disznóvágás, as they call it, is about much more than the making and eating of food. It seems that this is a time when Hungarians are worshipping their rural roots, devoted to their family clans with strictly divided roles for everyone and special rituals only insiders know. For me, as an outsider, it appears a bit like dancing around the Golden Calf, with the exception that Hungarians sacrifice the pig to make kolbász out of it. Parents let their children watch it all, most of the time they are not afraid but in fact they are very curious, and so a next generation in the family learns where real food is coming from.

Already in its 8th year, the annual Mangalica Festival will take place at Budapest's Szabadság Square with tastings, presentations and many cultural programs, this year on February 9-11.

If you are eager to enjoy pork dishes, freshly made sausages and other goodies, this festival is for you. You don’t even need to leave town: jump into your wellies, and head to District 5 for this unique gastronomy event that was launched in 2007 to celebrate the curlyhaired Hungarian heritage breed, alive and... well, prepared. You can taste a variety of products, including hurka (blood or liver sausage), kolbász (sausage), pork stew, cracklings and everything imaginable (and beyond) made of mangalica pork. The festival also offers a wide range of cultural programs to entertain all, including arts and crafts fair and folk music concerts.

About the breed The breeding of mangalica began in Hungary in the first decades of the 19th century when two boars and two sows arrived from Sumada, Serbia.

These hogs were then used for cross-breeding hogs from Szalonta and the Bakony. The result was a smashing success and the mangalica was bred almost exclusively in Hungary at the end of the 19th century. This shining period was ended by the Second World War. The endless massacre did not spare the pigs, either. Pig farms were destroyed one after the other during the bombing raids. However, the post-war reparation shipments caused even more damage in the mangalica herd than the war losses. In the 1960s, the number

gradually decreased and the mangalica virtually vanished by the ‘70s as its number was only about 200 – worldwide. Today, the number of mangalica hogs is over 10,000 – thanks to the enthusiastic breeders, who did their best since the early 1990s to ensure the survival of this breed.

Why has the mangalica become the symbol for healthy meat consumption?

Because its meat contains as much cholesterol as that of other types of hog but – as you can read on the web site of the Hungarian National Meat Industry Research Institute – it contains a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acid. Of course, it is healthy only when the meat is consumed moderately.

COFFEE IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR WHEN CHOOSING RESTAURANTS

According to Nespresso’s survey, four fifths of those who frequently visit restaurants indicate that quality coffee is a clear expectation and can influence their choice of establishment.

photos by SHUTTERSTOCK.COM,

PIXABAY.COM

Almost 5 billion cups of coffee are consumed every year in Hungary. Hungarians drink more than 1 billion of those away from home, on their way to work, at their workplaces, while eating out, or at the end of the workday as a way of relaxation. This means that Hungarians consume every fifth cup somewhere in the city, which is huge potential for cafés and restaurants. In the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about the so-called gastro-revolution in Hungary. The majority of restaurants that serve top quality food, have an implacable wine list as well. According to the Managing Director of Nespresso Hungary, Györgyi Gyovai, restaurants can differentiate themselves from the competition not only with wines but with a rich coffee menu, offering a wide variety of this drink.

“Our recent study showed that an overwhelming majority, 80% of coffee drinkers and restaurant goers look for quality coffee in restaurants, one fifth of them even said that there were occasions when they would chose a restaurant because of the coffee served. Good restaurants began building their own brands, presenting a great selection of wines and a sommelier. At Nespresso, we expect that sometime soon we’ll see restaurants aiming for a distinguished coffee selection too,” said Gyovai. Ákos Sárközi, Michelin Star chef of Borkonyha also believes in the evolution of coffee served in restaurants. “I think we can even declare that where bad coffee is served, the food won’t be good either. Although nowadays, it is not that difficult to brew a nice cup of coffee thanks to automatic coffee machines, which can make excellent coffee from coffee capsules at the flick of a finger. This also means that restaurants don’t necessarily need to have employees with extra training or special technologies to be able to make a quality cup of coffee every time.”

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No office is the

new office

With Audi tablet* and the Rear Seat Remote* in your new Audi A8, you can access your office apps, make video calls, check the news, or even send navigation destinations to the driver’s MMI. Now you no longer need to be at the wheel to make things go your way.

Forget the car. Audi is more.

The new Audi A8.

Audi Vorsprung durch Technik

*Option at extra charge. Combined fuel consumption of Audi models in l/100km: 1.6–12.5; Combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 36–292.

Fuel consumption and CO₂ emission figures given in rangesdepend on the tyre/wheel sets.

2018 january dt.indb 24 Audi_A8_Print_280x360_DTmagazin.indd 1

12/27/17 5:31 PM 2017.12.22. 19:27:54