Diplomacy & Trade 2019 March by Diplomacy&Trade

MARCH 2019 HUF 1710

EUR 6

WITH AN EYE TO 2020

SEE MORE on page 8

THE HALF-TIME SHOW IS OVER, AND TIME HAS COME TO PREPARE THE GROUND FOR THE NEXT SUPER BOWL OF POLITICAL LIFE, THE PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS IN 2020.

Diplomacy-n-Trade.ai 1 2017. 02. 27. 11:22:30

Norway

country

FOCUS

Norway and Hungary have been partners in the European Economic Area (EEA) for 15 years. Norwegian Ambassador Olav Berstad says that such European cooperation is the best thing that could happen to the two countries. In an extensive interview, he also talks to Diplomacy&Trade about why Hungary is a challenging market for Norwegian firms and how ‘Norway Grants’ has helped hundreds of thousands of Hungarians.

see articles on pages 10-16 CY

Investment Mission

CMY

A delegation of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the apex body representing the interest of the Indian Auto Component Industry, paid a visit to Hungary in early February as part of their Investment Mission that also included visits to Poland and Slovakia. The Indian automotive industry is currently represented by four companies in Hungary: SMR, Apollo Tyres, SNP and Sona. see article on page 17

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FirstMed_print_280*360_elfogadott.qxp_Layout 1 2019. 02. 28. 15:32 Page 1

FirstMed

has been a leading provider of private medical care to international and Hungarian patients since opening in 1999. We are proud of our transparent operations, reliable and highest quality customer services. Our friendly team consists of 100+ physicians, covering over 30+ specialties, nurses, radiology and laboratory technicians, customer service, billing and back office support. All our colleagues and medical staff speak English to a high international standard. We offer general practice, specialized medicine and diagnostics Monday through Saturday with 24/7 on-call service if you need us during off hours. YOUR H EA LTH COME S F IRST !

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contents The rescue of Danish Jews remembered in Budapest

05 ON THE RECORD 06-07 COMPANY BRIEFS 08 ANALYSIS

Two years of President Trump

Peter Freed

10-16 NORWEGIAN FOCUS

PUBLISHER

AND DON’T FORGET

monthly in print - daily on the web

www.dteurope.com

Interview with Ambassador Olav Berstad; Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide; Stig Eyde; DNV GL; Eco-region cooperation; EYDESCREEN; Whales in northern lights 17 BUSINESS Investment mission from India 18 JAPAN Koriyama City delegation; Hungarian sushi chef

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

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annual fee of EUR 72 in Hungary, or EUR 90 to all other destinations. SEND REQUESTS AND INQUIRIES TO DUAX KFT. H-1034 Budapest, Bécsi út 60. TELEPHONE [+36-70] 320-3051 | FAX [+36-1] 350-5660 E-MAIL editor@dteurope.com | ADVERTISING adsales@dteurope.com

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20 DIPLOMACY

Remembering the rescue of Danish Jews 21 WITTYLEAKS by the Ambassador of Ukraine 22-23 SOCIETY 24-25 WHAT’S ON Concerts, festivals, events and exhibitions in and out of Budapest 26 GASTRONOMY Costes Downtown; Good France 27 WINE Gere Jazz Festival

Diplomacy&Trade is preparing a special Focus section on Czech-Hungarian relations ahead of the state visit to Hungary this May by the President of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, and the upcoming Czech Presidency of the Visegrád Four (V4) cooperation. The two countries are fellow members in the soon three-decade-old V4, EU, NATO and other organizations and have extensive political, economic and cultural ties that will be the subject of our interview with the Czech Ambassador to Hungary, Juraj Chmiel. Our focus will also present the Czech vehicle industry’s role in Hungary that includes Skoda passenger cars, trams and trolleybuses, and a developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense industry.

Fusnik, Budapest Airport, SK Innovation, AUDI, Daimler AG, Zsolt Burger/MFAT, Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead, Hans Kristian Thorbjoerhsen, Alla Eyde, Norsk Hydro ASA, Anikó Kocsis, Espen Bergersen, András Jókuti, Arvalicom, Károly Árvai/kormany.hu, Embassy of Ukraine, Avatar: Discover Pandora the Exhibition, Koncertpromo.hu, Oldtimer Show, Ville Juurikkala, Budapest Spring Festival, Oliver Sin, Live Nation, David Lynch, Furmint Photo, Costes Downtown, Paris Budapest, Péter Wendl/www.wendlpeter.hu, MTI Photos: Zsolt Szigetváry, Tibor Illyés, Tamás Kovács, Szilárd Koszticsák

NEWSSTAND PRICE: HUF 1,710 or EUR 6 - Subscriptions are a vailable for an

page 26

CZECH FOCUS – COMING SOON

CONTRIBUTORS: Sándor Laczkó, Tamás Magyarics, Réka A. Francisck, Ljubov Nepop PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks (Cover), PIXELTASTER, Depositphotos.com, Botond Horváth, Sándor Laczkó, Sebastian

COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT SELECTED RELAY AND INMEDIO OUTLETS IN MAJOR HUNGARIAN CITIES.

Costes Downtown: fine dining at its best

page 18

We welcome inquires for advertising in this issue. PLEASE CALL TAMÁS VARGA FOR FURTHER INFORMATION +36 209350250 - tvarga@budapestweek.com M A R C H

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D I P L O M A C Y

T R A D E

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, PIXELTASTER, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

U.S. President Donald Trump concluded two years in the White House with a delayed State of the Union address that’s circumstances were just as stormy as his term in office has been, so far. With the 2020 elections in mind, our analyst predicts the intensification of a dirty game, a no-holdsbarred style wrestling in American politics. Norway is this month’s focus country in recognition of the 15 years the two countries have been partners in the European Economic Area (EEA). According to the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Budapest, contacts and cooperation between Norway and Hungary are “quite comprehensive and definitely broader than geography, trade and population size might indicate” and they “dispose of unique possibilities represented by the EEA and Norway financial mechanisms for bestowing grants.” These and other issues are subjects of our interview with the Norwegian Ambassador to Hungary, Olav Berstad and with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide. A Norwegian whale photographer and report on ecological cooperation between the two countries round out our report. The WittyLeaks column is authored by the Ambassador of Ukraine who gives an overview of monuments and relics of Ukrainian history on Hungarian soil. On our business page, read how representatives of the Indian automotive industry explore opportunities in Hungary. We also report on the joint commemoration in Budapest of the Danish, German and Israeli embassies of the 1943 rescue of Danish Jews, while our Japan pages highlight the recent visit to Budapest by a delegation of Koriyama City and the successful performance of a Hungarian chef in the Land of the Rising Sun. Our wine page previews the festival combining jazz and wine in southern Hungary, while our program guide recommends many upcoming events from the traditional St. Patrick’s parade to a Vanessa-Mae concert. Spring is already in the air and I am sure we are all looking forward to bright, sunny days!

Koriyama City delegation visits Budapest

photos by

letter from the publisher

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on the record

of Best European Destinations, the organizer of the voting. As the website points out, “the city setting is stunning with a rich architectural and historical heritage: it offers an unmatched combination of culture, blooming gastronomy and the advantages of thermal waters and world heritage sights. The pearl of the Danube is not only the best European destination, it is also one of the most beautiful and safest cities in the world. Budapest offers the elegance of Paris, the architectural heritage of Vienna, the charm of Porto, Stockholm’s gentle way of life.” It suggests that spending your time in the Hungarian capital should include programs such as a Danube Cruise, a visit to the Buda Castle and a walking tour of both Buda and Pest. This year, the online vote for the best European destination took place between January 15 and February 5. Choices included Athens, Berlin, Braga, Bratislava, Brussels, Budapest, Cavtat, Dinant, Florence, Geneva, Kotor, London, Malaga, Metz, Monte-Isola (sustainable destination), Paris, Poznan, Riga, Sainte-Maxime and Vienna. According to the final results, the tenth edition of this competition set a record with a total 515,375 votes from 153 countries and more than 145,000 shares of the voting page on social networks. Budapest, which received 23% of its votes from Hungary and 77% from the rest of the world, finished on top, ahead of Braga, Portugal and Metz, France.

THE UNITED STATES STRIVES TO DEEPEN RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY

photos by

ZSOLT SZIGETVÁRY/MTI, BOTOND HORVÁTH, SÁNDOR LACZKÓ, TIBOR ILLYÉS/MTI

The Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo paid a short visit to Budapest, where he met with state leaders to discuss the political, economic and defense aspects of bilateral relations. He also met the representatives of NGOs in the Hungarian capital. At a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó, Mike Pompeo welcomed the finalization of the defense co-operation agreement between the two countries and Hungary’s acquisition of combat equipment from the U.S. Addressing the situation in Ukraine, he said that "we must not let Putin drive wedges between friends in NATO. Hungarians know all too well from their history that an authoritarian Russia will never be a friend to the freedom and sovereignty of smaller nations.” Mike Pompeo also criticized China, saying China is trying to build a bridgehead in Europe. “There’s an experience of states in the Asia-Pacific region that shows that Beijing’s handshake sometimes comes with strings, strings that will leave Hungary indebted both economically and politically.” He said that Russia and China do not share the aspirations of free countries. The US Secretary of State announced a scholarship program for Hungarian high school students, and also talked about supporting the fight against corruption. In response, Péter Szijjártó pointed out that “Hungary’s share of trade flow between the EU and China is 1.2% and it is hypocritical to criticize Hungary for maintaining close relations with Russia, while business deals are being closed between Western Europe and Russia.”

The Hungarian economy’s performance is improving: the rate of economic growth hit 4.8% last year, the highest figure in the past fifteen years, Minister of Finance Mihály Varga announced. He said Hungary’s economic upturn has been potent and sustainable. Following GDP growth of 4.1% in 2017, the pace of expansion increased more last year than most analysts had expected. In the fourth quarter of 2018, GDP grew by 5% according to unadjusted data, which is three times higher than the EU average. The bulk of growth in the year 2018 was generated by market services but growth has also been driven by the six-year tax and wage agreement and the performance of the construction sector, fueled by the government’s housing scheme. Although, the rate of the export of goods was below that of imports, the growth rate in the export of services was robust due to favorable tourism and transport volumes, Mihály Varga said. Speaking of the future, the Minister noted that real economic, inflation and foreign trade balance trends must be closely followed and potential barriers caused by labor shortages must be studied. “As the global economy and our region are facing economic uncertainties, the European Commission has cut its prior EU growth estimate by 0.6 percentage points to 1.3% for 2019. In order to maintain Hungary’s high growth rate and keep it at least 2% higher than the EU average in the long term, the government is contributing to the increase of competitiveness through a number of measures, and is working on an economic action plan,” he said.

With a total of 62,128 of the more than half a million votes cast, the Hungarian capital has been named as one of the top travel destinations as published on the website

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D I P L O M A C Y

March

April

May

Bosnia&Hercegovina

National day

Bulgaria

National day

Ghana

Independence day

Hungary

National day

Ireland

National day

Tunesia

Independence day

Namibia

Independence day

Morocco

Independence day

Greece

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Georgia

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Syria

Independence day

Zimbabwe

Independence day

Netherlands

National day

Poland

National day

Norway

National day

Jordan

Independence day

Georgia

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Repubic of South Africa

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ECONOMIC GROWTH HIGHER THAN EXPECTED

BUDAPEST VOTED TOP EUROPEAN TRAVEL DESTINATION

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HUNGARIAN ATHLETES OF THE YEAR - 2018 Short track speed skater Shaolin Sándor Liu was named Hungarian Athlete of the Year among the men at the award gala this February while the same title among women went to kayaker Danuta Kozák. The results were based on votes by members of the Hungarian Sports Journalists’ Association (MSÚSZ). 2018 world championship runner-up Liu, also a member of the team that won Hungary’s very first Winter Olympics title (in men’s 5,000-meter relay category) at the PyeongChang Games, finished ahead of wrestler Péter Bácsi, who won a world title last year, while tennis player Márton Fucsovics, who won an ATP tournament for Hungary after almost four decades last year, finished in third place. Upon returning from giving birth, Kozák won three gold medals (single, double and K-4 – all on 500 meters) at last year’s Canoe Sprint World Championships in Portugal. She finished ahead of five-time winner of this title Katinka Hosszú, who became the first swimmer to win the 200-meter European individual medley title for the fifth year in a row. Tennis player Tímea Babos, ranked number one in doubles in the world, who broke sports history by becoming the first Hungarian to win a title at the Australian Open (she won in women’s doubles), emerged third. The Team title (of Individual Competitors) went to the national short track speed skating relay team responsible for winning the gold medal at the Winter Olympics while the best team in traditional team sports category was the Győri Audi ETO KC handball squad for winning the Hungarian championship and claiming the team’s fourth Champions League title.

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company briefs SK INNOVATION TO BUILD ITS SECOND PLANT IN HUNGARY

An investment project is to be launched at the Pécs site of Hauni Hungaria that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The industrial equipment and machinery manufacturing division of the German Körber Group will spend EUR 18.5 million on the expansion of its manufacturing and service area. The project will receive some EUR 3 million in state funding, which was justified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Parliamentary State Secretary Levente Magyar with the investment installing state-of-theart mechanical industry technology and creating 100 new jobs. Hauni Hungária was founded in 1994, following the acquisition of the production halls and machinery of the former Sophianae Machine Production Company. The company offers a wide range of services in the field of the manufacturing of equipment and machinery, from construction through cutting, plate working, and the assembly of structural units and machines to the development of complete machines and equipment. Employing more than 1,300 people, the Pécs unit, with its four production halls at its production site of 52,000 square meters, is the second largest plant of Körber Group. The new expansion project will reinforce the position of the Hungarian company within the group as the production area is will expanded with the modernization of the service logistics and quality management buildings, the renewing of the machinery park as well as the application of Industry 4.0 technologies to move towards digitized and paper-free production. The 100 new jobs created by the investment – mostly demanding highly skilled qualifications – have already been filled with the help of Hungary’s dual education program.

DEVELOPMENT PLANS AT BUDAPEST AIRPORT Budapest Airport, the operator of Ferenc Liszt International Airport, has announced that over the next two years, it will be continuously investing in developing its existing terminals, resulting in air travel becoming faster, more predictable, and more convenient. In the framework of the bud:plus development program, the airport is said to have changed spectacularly in the first half of 2019. Traffic at the airport has grown by almost 50% since 2015; its terminals were used by close to 15 million departing and arriving passengers last year alone. In view of this dynamic growth, the airport recently announced the construction of a new terminal building. The company said it would like to provide the most convenient service possible in the interim period. Most of the development projects scheduled for completion by the summer of 2019 serve passenger convenience and orientation or affect security screening and border control procedures. Several sections of the terminal building will be reconstructed and refurbished: after demolition of some offices and storage rooms, the corridor through which arriving passengers access the baggage reclaim hall will be widened enabling the arrival areas to accommodate significantly more passengers. By decommissioning additional operational areas, the baggage reclaim hall will also be extended, enabling the extension of one of the baggage reclaim carousels. In the summer peak, decreasing waiting times and speeding up baggage reclaim will make it possible for the airport to receive 2-3,000 arriving passengers per hour. Toilets are to be reconstructed and enlarged in Terminal 2B and on the mezzanine of SkyCourt, as a result of which their capacity will be increased three-fold by the summer.

ENMECH EMBARKS ON THE PATH OF E-MOBILITY Beside its existing Pécel plant, enmech, from Mektec Group, will establish a new plant for the manufacturing of mechatronic products. As part of a greenfield investment of EUR 20.5 million, a new hall of 11,000 square meters will be built, to increase the production area by more than 60%. The production of series parts, mainly for battery connection units of hybrid and electric vehicles, will result in the creation of 250 new jobs at the Pécel plant of enmech during the coming years. Mektek Group belongs to the electronic products and mechatronics division of the Japanese NOK Corporation, and is active in the field of manufacturing flexible circuits and precision parts, primarily for the automotive and smart industry (smart phones, smart devices). In Hungary, enmech has been present in the town of Pécel (SE of Budapest) for more than twenty years, manufacturing electronic parts for the automotive industry. As a result of the continuous development, the company currently has more than 350 employees, and its 2017 sales exceeded HUF 12 billion. The permanently increasing demand for its products made it necessary to expand the unit by adding a new hall. Production in the new hall being built next to the existing plant is planned to be started as early as the second half of 2019, mostly with products related to the batteries of hybrid and electronic vehicles.

POLISH AIRLINES TO FLY FROM BUDAPEST TO BRUSSELS AND BUCHAREST

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Hungary as well as a significant tourist destination. The timetable of the two connections was planned to develop Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport as a hub, thereby increasing transfer traffic via the airport in the capital city of Hungary. “Fulfilling the promise given to Hungarian passengers, LOT continues to grow in Budapest. Now, we are able to announce new direct flights to important cities in Europe and throughout the world. After London City, it's time for services to Brussels and Bucharest, the capitals with so far underserved connections by the

full service airline. Only LOT offers three classes of travel onboard comfortable Embraer jets,” according to LOT CEO Rafał Milczarski. As the CEO of Budapest Airport, Jost Lammers pointed out, “Budapest Airport warmly welcomes the further increase of destinations offered by LOT Polish Airlines from Hungary. Together with the trans-Atlantic flights, the commencement of Warsaw, Kraków and London City connections, will continue to keep LOT among the best developing carriers at our airport.” M A R C H

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Starting from September 2, 2019, LOT Polish Airlines will operate flights to Brussels and Bucharest twice a day (twelve times a week) with a modern Embraer 195 aircraft based in Budapest. A statement by Budapest Airport points out that Brussels is an important business center and headquarters for the most important institutions in the EU. A convenient timetable will allow passengers to travel to Brussels and return to Budapest without the necessity of staying overnight. Flights between Budapest and Bucharest are also being introduced in order to respond to needs of passengers travelling often between the two cities. Romania is an important business partner to

TAMÁS KOVÁCS/MTI, SK INNOVATION, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM, SEBASTIAN FUSNIK, BUDAPEST AIRPORT

HAUNI TECHNOLOGY AND CAPACITY EXPANSION IN PÉCS

Although the first EUR 313 million plant of SK Battery Hungary in Komárom is still under construction, the South Korean company SK Innovation has already announced construction of a EUR 756 million second plant to start this year. When production starts in 2021, the output of SK Innovation in Europe is set to significantly increase, along with the role of Hungary in shaping the future of electric mobility. SK Innovation, one of the largest Korean companies, is an important player in petrol production and processing as well as in chemical and electronic field. It has been producing lithium-ion batteries since 2006 to partners like Hyundai-KIA, Volkswagen and Daimler. With the project already under construction, the battery division of the company is establishing its very first location in Europe on 430,000 square meters. SK Battery Hungary will produce state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries for fully electric, plug-in and hybrid vehicles, on two production lines. The project creates 410 new jobs, and serial production is expected to start in the first half of 2020.

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company briefs LUFTHANSA TECHNIK SERVICE CENTER IN MISKOLC

Lufthansa Technik has chosen the northeastern Hungarian city of Miskolc as the location of its newest aircraft engine components service center. Amounting to more than EUR 100 million, this greenfield investment – a repair and overhaul site for engine parts – carried out by the affiliate of the largest European airline will create 400 jobs in the seat of Borsod County. The official German national airline was established under the name of ‘Deutsche Luft Hansa AG’ in 1926. One of the founding members of Star Alliance, the Lufthansa group operates more than 550 affiliates today, including air passenger carriers Eurowings and Brussels Airlines, freight airline Lufthansa Cargo, and maintenance service provider Lufthansa Technik. Established in 1994, Lufthansa Technik AG (LHT) is a Hamburg-based MRO (maintenance and repair operations) affiliate managing more than 30 businesses today. The company has been operating in Hungary since 2000. Over these approximately two decades, Lufthansa Technik has implemented investment projects to the tune of some EUR 25 million at the Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest, where it is involved in the supply of maintenance services. In 2016, as a result of its successful operation, LHT introduced higher value-added services in Hungary as well as inaugurated an engineering center in Budapest (see picture). As the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency notes, the aviation industry has seen a major upswing in Hungary recently – in addition to Lufthansa Technik's development efforts, Diehl Aviation also opened a Hungarian engineering center after the enlargement of its manufacturing capacities in Nyírbátor, while the Swiss-based RUAG Aerostructures has three manufacturing units in Hungary.

In conjunction with E.ON, Audi is building a solar energy park on the roofs of the two logistics centers of its Audi Hungaria plant in Győr, covering about 160,000 square meters. This will create Europe’s largest photovoltaic system installed on a building. It will have a peak output of 12 megawatts. Construction work will start in August 2019 and renewable energy generation will begin at the beginning of next year. As part of the joint project with E.ON Hungaria, Audi is providing the roof areas of the two logistics centers, each with about 80,000 square meters, for the construction of the solar energy park. E.ON will build and operate the park, consisting of 35,000 solar cells, and producing an annual output of more than 9.5 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity. This amount of electricity corresponds to the annual energy requirements of 5,000 households. Thanks to green electricity from regenerative sources, about 6,000 tons less carbon dioxide will be released into the air. “We are committed to the economical use of resources and therefore want to keep the environmental impact of our production as low as possible. Approximately 70% of Audi Hungaria’s heat requirements are already covered by climate-neutral, geothermal energy. Our goal is to have absolute CO2-neutral plant operation in the future. With the construction of the solar-cell park, we are now taking a further step to achieve this in terms of power supply,” says Achim Heinfling, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi Hungaria. E.ON Hungaria’s Board member Zsolt Jamniczky adds that “our company is committed to solutions supporting a sustainable future. The widespread use of solar energy is an integral part of this endeavor. We are pleased that E.ON has gained Audi Hungaria’s trust and a new, nearly 25-year partnership has started between the two companies.”

MERCEDES-BENZ STARTS NEW CLA COUPÉ PRODUCTION IN KECSKEMÉT Following the sales success of the CLA Coupé, launched in 2013, production of the second generation of this compact model, like its predecessor, is carried out exclusively in Kecskemét, following the model’s world premiere at the CES 2019 consumer show in Las Vegas. The company says Mercedes-Benz Cars is seamlessly following up on the rampup cascade of the past year. In 2018, four models of the new compact car family left the lines in five locations on three continents within a record time: the A-Class hatchback

photos by

AUDI, DAIMLER AG, ZSOLT BURGER/MFAT, TAMÁS KOVÁCS/MTI

35,000 SOLAR MODULES ON AUDI LOGISTICS CENTERS IN GYŐR

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in Rastatt, Kecskemét (Hungary) and Uusikaupunki (Finland), the A-Class Sedan in Aguascalientes (Mexico), the A-Class L Sedan (long wheelbase) in Peking (China) and the new B-Class in Rastatt. According to Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain, “the ramp-up of the new CLA Coupé once again demonstrates the effectiveness of our international production network for the compact models of Mercedes-Benz Cars. The success story of the preceding model

CONTINENTAL TO DEVELOP DRIVERLESS CAR TECHNOLOGY IN BUDAPEST

Continental, the globally dominant German automotive company, has decided to build its newest R&D center for the development of selfdriving vehicles in Hungary. Integrated into the global network of the business branch for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), the center is involved in the examination, development and testing of options for the analysis and improvement of AI-based deep machine learning. The new unit, employing 100 software and hardware experts, may well determine the future of partly or entirely self-driving technologies based on real-time software applications of critical safety. Continental started its business in Hungary in 1991 and, thanks to constant expansion, it has evolved into a factor of strategic importance for the global giant. With a total of seven manufacturing units in seven cities, all five divisions of the group are present in Hungary. The units in Makó, Nyíregyháza, Szeged and Veszprém are involved in manufacturing operations; in addition, the German giant has been using R&D capacities in Veszprém since 2003. Employing some 8,000 persons locally, the group considers Hungary as a strategic partner and brings more and more technological and development processes here. The inauguration of the new unit called ‘Budapest Deep Learning Competence Center’ represents a major milestone towards fully automated driving. Each component of a partly or entirely self-driving system must be separately designed and then organically integrated. In addition to developing deep machine learning methods, the Budapest-based ADAS center studies such special fields as application and integration, substantially reducing the period between the stages of development preparation and product planning.

was closely associated with the Kecskemét plant. We are now writing the next chapter in this story. While the plant continues to operate at the highest technological level." The CEO and Site Manager of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary Ltd., Christian Wolff is of the view that "for more than five years, the CLA has had a very special importance for our team: over 750,000 CLA und CLA Shooting Brake of the first generation have already left our production lines in Kecskemét. This figure, together with the international quality awards won by the model now being replaced, is proof positive of the peak performance delivered by our workforce. We are all the more pleased that we are also producing the new CLA – as the only Mercedes-Benz plant worldwide."

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analysis THE IMPOSSIBLE MAY BE POSSIBLE The Super Bowl usually coincides with the U.S. President’s State of the Union (SOTU) speech. During the halftime break in the football game, there was a spectacular show on February 3rd. Two days later there was another spectacular show – this time in the political arena, when President Donald Trump offered a spectacular show of a different kind in the U.S. Congress. It was his halftime SOTU speech of his first term in office. Despite all the problems and challenges and skepticism, it cannot be ruled out at all that ultimately, it may turn out to have been a show after only the first quarter of the Trump presidency. The impossible may be possible – at least as far as the predictions of most observers are concerned.

Traditional pattern The President did not really call any startlingly new game plans in his speech held in partly hostile territory with one of his most implacable and powerful enemies, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi behind him. Donald Trump followed the traditional pattern of these speeches. He talked about the need for national unity, extolled the achievements of his administration (with less hyperbole than usual), promised a brighter future with infrastructural developments and addressed outstanding issues such as the expensive prescription drugs. He also mildly and obliquely criticized the opposition, especially the progressives on the left of the Democratic Party. He courted the core voters of his own party in foreign and security questions as well with claims that the allies are

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assuming a larger share in common defense within NATO and that his administration had succeeded in changing multilateral and bilateral trade agreements in favor of the U.S. And, of course, one of the central themes of the speech was the heroic efforts the President had been making in protecting the country from the illegal immigrants. Donald Trump again pledged himself to have the wall built along the U.S.Mexican border – at least, in some sections. The conciliatory tone here was changed to a rather combative one, when the President again threatened to use his executive power to introduce national emergency in order to finance the construction bypassing Congress. The frontline was also drawn by the Democrats, who repeatedly committed themselves to blocking any attempt by the administration to get money for the wall from Congress.

is no denying that Trump’s presidency and personality have further polarized American society and poisoned the political atmosphere, but it is also a fact that his presidency has so far produced tangible results, as well, especially in the area of the economy. The macroeconomic figures have not been as good as they are now in decades, and it is possible that people will forget his antics if their living conditions improve. His tough foreign policy messages have also found an echo in large segments of society, and if he can keep the Republican base together (so far, he has succeeded in doing that: his approval ratings are regularly between 80-90% among the Republicans), and if he can carry a relatively large portion of the independents, he will sure be a tough opponent to any Democratic candidate.

With an eye to 2020

As of now, the policies of the known Democratic Party candidates will be a hard sell in 2020 if the economy performs as well as it is currently, and if Donald Trump does not commit a major mistake in foreign and security policy – so far, he has not done any short-term harm despite the unusual rhetoric; it is a different question what will happen to the so-called liberal world order in the medium or long term. The overwhelming majority of the voters are not concerned with medium and long term consequences; short-termism is what really defines their thinking. Large segments of the Democratic Party have already rejected the middle-of-the road policies of Hillary Clinton in 2016 in favor of the ideas of the selftermed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. The Democrats seem to have shifted to the

This recent State of the Union speech did not only mark the halftime of the President’s first term in office, but is also practically marked the beginning of the presidential campaign for 2020. The first primaries will be held in less than a year, and more than half a dozen Democratic Party hopefuls have already announced their candidacy. At first sight, a Democratic candidate should be a shoo-in in 2020 given Donald Trump’s chaotic and scandal-ridden presidency. However, one or two words of caution are in order here. Provided Donald Trump survives the Mueller-report and the renewed Congressional investigations in the House under the Democratic Party committee chairs, he is likely to be re-nominated by the Republicans, even if some will be holding their noses. There

left; their candidates for the presidency are trying to outdo each other with promises of higher taxes, extension of Obamacare and even more ‘progressive’ measures in this field such as a single payer system, abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, and the like. If someone from the ‘progressives’ in the left wing of the Democratic Party emerged as the party’s candidate, he/she would be the ideal opponent for Trump, who might pose as the protector of such traditional American values as self-reliance, self-help, ’rugged individualism’, personal responsibility, and so on. Moreover, the Democrats, in general, are of two minds: on one hand, they would like to see a fresh face, preferably a woman with diverse ethnic background as their candidate for president in 2020, while, on the other one, polls taken among the Democrats regularly put Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, that is, white males in their 70s, on top of the pack.

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Non-regulated political wrestling The half-time show is over, and time has come again to make good on the promises made, and to prepare the ground for the next Super Bowl of political life, the presidential and congressional elections in 2020. Whatever strategies and tactics the President’s team and the Democrats choose will be closely watched and scrutinized on all sides. Unfortunately, one of the sure bets for the next two years is the intensification of a dirty game, a no-holds-barred style wrestling in opposition to a football game, which is tough but is minutely regulated. Tamás Magyarics is a foreign policy analyst

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BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD

WAS DONALD TRUMP’S SOTU A HALFTIME SHOW OR ONLY THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER?

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WORKING FOR ‘TEAM EUROPE’ INTERVIEW WITH OLAV BERSTAD, NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY

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“Trade between our two countries is unfortunately rather small, only about 0.2% (or some EUR 400 million) of total Norwegian trade of about EUR 175 billion. The sale of Telenor in Hungary last year diminished Norwegian direct investments here. The Norwegian Pension Fund’s investments are about USD 137 million (close to EUR 120 million),” the Ambassador notes. A conclusion he draws is that Hungary is not a favorite market for Norwegian business or investors. “There are, of course, also real success stories. However, sometimes I hear that companies find Hungary to be a challenging market. Even if the macroeconomic figures are improving, there may be a feeling that this is mainly because of EU support to Hungary, and is not sustained by completely sound government policies, transparency and rule of law, including in the economic sphere. People are, I believe, sometimes surprised at the speed with which new economic and other legislation can be adopted here, without much public debate or serious stakeholder involvement.”

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

Ambassador Berstad arrived in Hungary in the fall of 2016. When asked what his objectives were at that time, he says that “a standard answer would be something like ‘doing a good job for Norway and Norwegian interests, promoting bilateral relations and working for strong common benefit’. I don’t think I have significantly failed on those, on the other hand, I cannot point to marvelous success, either. I inherited a legacy of bilateral disagreement concerning what is known as Norway grants. It hasn’t been fully resolved. Generally, I have grown to regard myself as part of a kind of ‘Team Europe’. I cannot really see how Norway, or Hungary – or any other country – can succeed without ‘Europe’ succeeding. My broader objectives are therefore to be part of the majority of people who want to defend order, cooperation, reason and compromise throughout Europe. That is the best recipe for success, for nations small and big. For me, the highest European value is to learn from history, not to repeat the catastrophic mistakes of the past.”

Economic relations

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BY SÁNDOR LACZKÓ

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EEA partners Norway and Hungary have been partners in the European Economic Area (EEA) for 15 years. Regarding the benefits of that partnership for the two countries, Ambassador Berstad explains that when Hungary became an EU member in 2004, it also became a member of the EEA. “It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the very large internal market, its harmonized and common rules, etc. It may be difficult to put exact numbers on this benefit. I think it is selfexplanatory that the access to a high-standard, rules-based market of 500 million people has led to unprecedented growth, predictability and opportunity for all. I believe Norway and Hungary are among the clear winners in this equation. For us, trade with the European Union accounts for 75% of Norwegian trade, with EUR 45 billion worth of import and EUR 85 billion export from Norway. The ease of movement of goods and services across borders is a really big achievement.”

Norway Grants

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

photos by

Exemplary Nordic integration The Royal Norwegian Embassy promotes the Scandinavian model in Hungary in conjunction with the other Nordic embassies. The Norwegian ambassador says that the Nordic integration is a big success story. “We have had our conflicts and sharp disagreements in the past, in history, but have understood that our individual nations are stronger and more successful working together. To me, this is part of the European success story, with integration and cooperation based on openness and trust – in society and between societies and countries. The basic value here is the democratic, transparent, equal rights and rule of law communities we have. Last year, we were working with 40-50 young Hungarians, building two-way connections. The Nordic embassies hope to continue this program, called the Nordic Bridge, in 2019-20. The title is important. The value of cooperation also means learning and understanding Hungarian experience and knowledge.”

Energy supply Norway is an important oil exporter. As such, it is often mentioned in Hungary and other countries of this region where there is talk about the diversification of energy resources. “It is sometimes difficult to grasp how important Norway is for European energy supplies and security in oil, gas and electricity. Our daily production of hydrocarbons equals almost 4 million barrels of oil. Since the 1970s, we have produced w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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and exported an estimated 47% of our resources. Production is on the increase again. We have always been used to price fluctuations. The reason we established the oil fund in the 1990s was to create a buffer against macroeconomic problems caused by oil price fluctuations. But the fund has grown much bigger and equals today more than twice the Norwegian GNP, more than USD 1 trillion, with investments in 73 countries and more than 9,000 companies,” the Ambassador points out. He adds that the drop in oil prices since 2014 clearly affected revenues and employment in Norway’s oil and gas industry. “Amazingly, the industry has bounced back, thanks a lot to cost-cutting measures. Norwegian oil and gas fields are now profitable at considerably lower world prices than before. It is in evidence how cost concerns are a powerful driver for innovation and new technology. We see that Hungary wants to diversify its energy supply. On our part, we are looking forward to developing a strong energy efficiency, renewable energy and a smart energy use program in the next EEA/Norway grant cycle.”

Environmental concerns Given its natural resources, fishing is a major industry in Norway. However, the current climate 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

NORWAY

93,028 sq km 111 9,825,704 (July 2018 est.) 92 -0.26% (2018 est.) 214 8.9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) 206 76.3 years (2018 est.) 88 1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) 54 USD 29,600 (2017 est.) 68 4.2% (2017 est.) 54 12,030,940 (2017 est.) 75 41 (2013) 103

323,802 sq km 69 5,372,191 (July 2018 est.) 120 0.94% (2018 est.) 117 12.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) 160 82 years (2018 est.) 22 5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) 17 $72,100 (2017 est.) 11 4.2% (2017 est.) 56 5,721,255 (2017 est.) 117 95 (2013) 61

Source: The CIA World Factbook

The EEA and Norway Financial Mechanisms (known as ‘Norway Grants’) are also 15 years old in Hungary. As regards the main aims of this program and the greatest achievements that this support has provided for the Hungarian people, the Ambassador stresses that this is one of his favorite themes. “The EEA and

Norway Financial Mechanisms, as they are officially called, have made EUR 503 million available to Hungary since 2004, but only about 205 million EUR have been put into effect, or accessed by Hungary. But even the sum of 205 million has meant support for some 1,400 projects (big and small) in the period 2004-2017. All assessment points to a clear conclusion, that the programs have been effective, useful in delivering cooperation, new contacts and ideas and have strengthened bilateral relations. There is an EEA/Norway grant ‘footprint’ in so many places in Hungary, involving and benefitting thousands of people, if not hundreds of thousands.”

change (including the possible cessation of the Gulf Stream in the long run) may have a substantial impact on this industry. As to what measures Norway is taking, as an environmental conscious country, to slow down and/or prevent this and other problems like lice in fish farm pens, etc., the Ambassador stresses that “indeed, environmental concerns are very high on our agenda, including climate change. Our experience shows that even very challenging pollution issues can be effectively tackled: effluents and emissions, but also acid rain and ozone layer problems. The success criteria are good organization, including efficient public administration, civic interest and advocacy groups, and technology and financing. Norway is a large exporter of fossil energy, but at the same time we have a very active CO2 reduction policy and strong international climate policy leadership. There may seem to be a dilemma or contradiction on the surface of the issue. But maybe not.” He adds that his country has launched new policies and initiatives when it comes to the health of the oceans, pollution of micro-plastics, etc. “The fish industry is a very important part of our economy. Last year, we exported almost EUR 10 billion worth of fish, a large sum, but small in relation to oil and gas. In particular, the fish farming business has been innovative and successful. It is said that every day 30 million Norwegian salmon dishes are consumed worldwide. Norway is a large importer of grain and other fodder products, which in the fish pens are turned into high quality protein and other useful nutrients. There are sometimes problems with fish health, parasites, as in other branches of animal husbandry. Obviously, we have a strong brand when it comes to health, cleanliness and quality of fish and don’t take challenges easily.” He finds forecasts on the fate of the Gulf Stream interesting. “There is a lot of speculation around this, stemming from the fact that the temperature in the Arctic is increasing at a fast pace. In fact, it is not unrealistic to expect that the average temperature in Svalbard, Norway, will be at least 10 degrees higher than the historic average, by the end of the century. The ‘dropping’ of chilled Gulf Stream water into the deep parts of the Arctic Ocean is one of the ‘engines’ of the Gulf Stream. Probably it will be affected, but exactly how, is another question. In any case, we expect to see big changes in the ocean flora and fauna around our coasts, as the water temperature rises.”

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norwegian focus ROOM FOR OPEN AND FRANK DISCUSSION INTERVIEW WITH NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER INE ERIKSEN SØREIDE

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide paid an off icial visit to Budapest in February. Topics in her talks with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó included European cooperation, security and other relevant foreign policy issues. The two politicians agreed that Norway and Hungary have good bilateral cooperation in many areas, including the business sector. She talked to Diplomacy&Trade after the visit.

INE ERIKSEN SØREIDE We have been negotiating with Hungary for a while now, unfortunately without coming to an agreement, yet. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have completed negotiations and agreed on MoUs with all other 14 recipient EU member states. Hungary is the third largest recipient country, EUR 214.6 million is to be made available in the

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D&T The main task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to secure and promote Norway’s interests internationally. What are these interests in this region, that is, East Central Europe and what are your means to ‘secure and promote’ these interests? INE ERIKSEN SØREIDE The basic instruments to ‘secure and promote’ our interests are international law and the rules-based, multilateral cooperation system the international community so meticulously built together. These are the very preconditions for international peace

and stability, which, in turn, is a platform for prosperity, material and cultural progress. In Europe in general, and also in East Central Europe, Norway’s close cooperation with the European Union, its members and institutions, is a key factor. Our own contribution lies in close harmonization with many EU policy objectives, support for EU initiatives, and not least, the provision of substantial financial assistance in the form of the Norway/ EEA grants. In parallel with the EU and the OSCE, NATO, where we are among the founding members, also plays a role as an important tool for security, predictability and order. In addition to these multilateral means of cooperation, Norway enjoys solid and close bilateral relations with all the countries of the region. D&T Norway is rich in natural resources that allow for a high standard of living. What does the Kingdom do to preserve this wealth for generations to come? INE ERIKSEN SØREIDE Norway is sometimes said to have ‘won the lottery’, with regard to the discovery of oil and gas. A fact that is often overlooked, however, is how we as a country manage these and other resources. Also, the fact that we have almost 74% of Norwegian women participating in the work force is an even more important reason for our wealth and prosperity. Norway established early on that the oil and gas resources belong to the Norwegian nation, and to future generations. The resource management M A R C H

and tax systems were designed to maximize technical and environmental safety, and profit to the state. The profit has been very large – larger than we could reasonably absorb inside the country. The Government Pension Fund Global was established and is now worth over USD 1,000 billion, mainly stock holdings in thousands of companies worldwide. The fund is managed by both economic and ethical principles, and has its very own Council on Ethics, which continuously evaluates the Fund’s investments. It is estimated that the Fund on average will now yield 3% per year. There is a government policy not to withdraw more than this average, and consequently, the Fund will not depreciate. Each year, only a certain amount can therefore be withdrawn from the Fund for inclusion in the Norwegian national budget to cover pension obligations, among other things. D&T Norway not only has a woman as prime minister but close to half of the ministers are also women. How much does that mean to the governing of the country, what are the values that women bring? INE ERIKSEN SØREIDE There is a mathematical logic in this question. Since half of the population consists of men, and the other of women, it is only natural that the management of a country, business or whatever, should roughly reflect this fact. It is no longer considered ‘unusual’ to have a woman as your leader. It has taken some time to get where we are, both in the public administration, government and private business, but now we clearly see the 2 0 1 9

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benefit of tapping into the full reservoir of talent and qualifications, and not only into half as in the past. D&T Last year, you launched a new humanitarian strategy for Norway. What does that involve and how different is it from the previous strategy? INE ERIKSEN SØREIDE Norway will continue to play a leading role in global humanitarian efforts both as a donor country and as a humanitarian actor. We have increased our humanitarian budget by 65% since 2013. Our overall aim is to save lives, alleviate suffering and protect human dignity in humanitarian crises. But the needs have grown bigger than ever, and the world is getting tired of many of the conflicts, allowing them to continue, leading to mass suffering and migration as an additional effect. We want to take part in the endeavor to break the downward spiral that is turning protracted, complex crises into the new norm in several regions. We also need to put more emphasis on the protection crisis that is exacerbating the humanitarian situation in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and many other conflict-affected countries. And over all, we will play a part in efforts to close the gap between the increasing humanitarian needs and the resources available, and to ensure that the limited resources reach those in greatest need. In a way, these are old aims, but also new in the sense that a fresh look at these issues needs to be taken by all good forces, linking strongly into international development policy, and peace and reconciliation.

KRISTIAN THORBJOERNSEN

D&T What will be the fate of Norway Grants in Hungary? How much can it fulfill the original aims?

present financial cycle. We continue our talks with the Hungarian government, and we hope for progress on the outstanding issues. There is a clear red line for the donor governments; the civil society fund must be managed independently. The whole purpose of the fund is to strengthen independent civil society. We strongly believe that a competent and vibrant civil society is a fundamental part of any wellfunctioning democracy. Civil society, together with free media, independent law enforcement and courts of justice, are needed in any society in order to protect it and the citizens from power abuse, corruption and mismanagement. The purpose of all the EEA/Norway grants is to strengthen social and economic cohesion in the EEA area, complementing EU policies. The longer it takes to come to an agreement, the more challenging it will be for Hungary to take advantage of the funds that are available.

photo by HANS

INE ERIKSEN SØREIDE We had quite a few topics to discuss since Hungary and Norway cooperate and have common interests in many areas, such as the United Nations, NATO, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Of special interest are developments in the European Union, and our common membership in the European Economic Area and the internal market. We discussed with minister Szijjártó relevant topics concerning defense, European and transatlantic cooperation, the future of Europe, migration, Ukraine and Brexit. The main emphasis, however, was on bilateral issues, trade, investment, and the negotiations on programs financed through the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms. As I mentioned during the press conference, I also brought up issues regarding rule of law, academic freedom, media freedom and space for civil society. These are issues where our views diverge and where I voiced Norway’s concerns, but we agreed that there is room for an open and frank discussion.

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There is a small town close to the coast of the Skagerrak strait in southeastern Norway called Eydehavn, after the man who founded Norwegian industry over a century ago, Sam(uel) Eyde, who was born in the nearby town of Arendal in 1866. He was a successful engineer, inventor and businessman who established the businesses that were the forerunners to Norsk Hydro, Elkem, Yara or Arendal Smelteverk. His grandson, Stig Eyde, also a successful entrepreneur, talks to Diplomacy&Trade about his grandfather as well as about his own activities in Hungary.

“My grandfather died in 1940, four years before I was born. Thus, I never met him but I got to know my grandmother, and my father told me a lot about my grandfather,” he recalls. One surprising detail he shares is that Samuel Eyde had a ticket for the famous maiden voyage of the ocean liner Titanic that hit an iceberg and sank in April 1912. “He showed up late and missed the ship but took the next one to the United States. It was on that ship that he heard what happened to the Titanic. When he arrived in the U.S., he went to the Coast Guard and told them he had an idea of how to prevent such accidents by creating an iceberg warning system. In fact, it was the same system that is still in use today.”

EYDE, NORSK HYDRO ASA photos by ALLA

photos by DÁVID

HARANGOZÓ, ANDRÁS JÓKUTI, ARVALICOM

The founder of Norwegian industry The companies Sam Eyde set up are the forerunners of 80% of the Norwegian industries today. “After World War II, the Norwegian government bought a lot of these firms’ stock, so, for instance, more than 50% of the shares of Norsk Hydro are owned by the state. My family also owns stock in these companies, such as those in Yara International, the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer company that grew out of Norsk Hydro. My grandfather founded many companies. You must remember that in 1917, just over a century ago, Norway was the poorest country in Europe. There was simply no money in this country to build an industry. Sam Eyde was educated in Germany and had very good contacts all over Europe with, for instance, the Wallenberg family in Sweden. He went with them to Paris to raise money, an enormous amount that time, to establish the first factories in Norway,” Stig Eyde explains. The most important principle of Sam Eyde was the strong focus on research and innovation. “My grandfather built the world’s largest hydroelectric power station in the early years of the 20th century. It provided the huge amount of electricity necessary for the production of fertilizers. At that time, the material used w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT FROM NORWAY STIG EYDE IS THE GRANDSON OF A ‘SURVIVOR’ OF THE TITANIC TRAGEDY for fertilizing the soil was guano, imported from outside the continent. The world was bracing for a global hunger catastrophe and my grandfather had his idea of how to make fertilizer out of nitrogen found in the air. An English physicist and his associates had already had this idea but they didn't manage to come up with the proper solution. However, my grandfather did succeed in developing the process – with the help of professor Kristian Birkeland – and built a company around it.”

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Fun and business in Hungary Stig Eyde himself has carried on the family tradition of entrepreneurship. “My family holds stock in several of these companies. Of course, these companies have their own boards. My involvement is just to sit at the general meetings. Naturally, I have a lot of connections and speak to board members regularly because I know all these people – but, you know, I am 74 years old and retired.” However, old age does not mean less enthusiasm for new ideas or less interest in

business – especially not for Stig Eyde. It was his curiosity that landed him in Hungary, as well. “We like to visit countries where we have not been before. Thus, it happened that I went to Hungary 6-7 years ago with my wife. In the spa town of Hévíz, near Lake Balaton, we found a nice little vineyard that we bought and built a house there with a nice view to the lake,” he notes. Hévíz is in the southwestern Hungarian county of Zala, where Stig Eyde now also has a manufacturing business. Originally, he had a company producing deck screen machines in Ireland but he moved production to Hungary in January 2016, which turned out to be a successful move as he also created interest on the markets of the East and Central European region. And that is not all he plans to do in the region. “I have an idea to set up a Norwegian cluster in this area that borders on Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. There is an airport down there with extensive facilities. This used to be a Soviet military airport and later, it became open to commercial airlines. To open this region, we need to make this Sármellék airport fully operational again. Norwegian investors are very interested in this area. You must also remember that Norway is not a member of the European Union and it is always beneficial to have a leg in the EU if you want to make business there.” This February, the following statement appeared on the website of the Hungarian government: “Negotiations are ongoing with the Norwegian pilot training academy to begin the training of 200 cadets a year at air bases in Eastern Hungary. The required financial and property purchasing negotiations have reached their final phase.” What the statement refers to is the brainchild of Stig Eyde. He points out that “I had a small airplane company many years ago, so, I know some things about airplanes. I had my own airplane, too. My son was a fighter pilot for almost ten years and then, the director for the Norwegian military pilot education school, teaching military fighter pilots. Today, he is an airline captain and my grandson also wants to be a pilot. I met Frode Granlund, the director of the Pilot flight school, the largest such institution in Scandinavia and I told him that ‘you cannot really have a flight school in Norway under these bad weather conditions, why don't you bring it to Hungary?’ I will soon let the Hungarian authorities know which airport we will use for this purpose and they will make the announcement.”

ROYAL STORIES ABOUT THE GRANDFATHER “Sam Eyde knew that the Russians needed a gunpowder factory for which he had an idea. He wanted to speak to the tsar in Petrograd, which is now St. Petersburg. Of course, it was impossible just to call the tsar and say ‘hello I'm from Norway’. However, my grandfather knew the Norwegian king very well, so, he went up to the King and said ‘please, help me, you are the cousin of the Russian tsar Nicholas II. Can you send him a letter to ask whether I could have a meeting with him?’ The king did that and the tsar agreed to receive my grandfather for a meeting of two hours. Sam Eyde went to Petrograd but instead of two hours, the meeting took two days because they became friends and talked so much.” “In the early 20th century, European Sailing Week was a major event. At that time, my grandfather was the head of the Norwegian Sailing Association (K.N.S.) and he had the idea of organizing this competition in Horten, Norway in 1914. However, for that year, this competition was scheduled to be held in Spain. So, my grandfather went to Spain and had a conversation with the king there. He told the king that ‘if you let us organize this event this year, I will build a fertilizer factory in your country’ – and the king said ‘yes’. They got the fertilizer factory and we got this European Sailing Week to take place in Norway, with boats coming from all over the continent. This suddenly put Norway into Europe’s focus in 1914. 100 years later, we again had this European sailing competition in which I myself was participating and where I displayed the trophy from a hundred years before.”

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norwegian focus NEVER COMPROMISE QUALITY AND INTEGRITY NORWEGIAN FIRM CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY IN HUNGARY

we began to deal with food safety and agricultural certification services where DNV GL is a market leader in Hungary.” Det Norske Veritas (DNV) began in 1864 as company providing ‘reliable and uniform classification and taxation of Norwegian ships’. “The first payroll in 1864 included a managing director and nine surveyors, while nowadays, we are present in over a hundred countries with close to 15,000 employees,” János Zrupkó notes. He adds that having such an international background definitely means safety for the Hungarian affiliate. “We feel like a member of a big family under the slogan ‘Never compromise quality and integrity’. It also means a knowledge base, a competence base that we can rely

WHAT CAN I DO? WHAT CAN WE DO? JOINT HUNGARIANNORWEGIAN PROJECT TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

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on whatever new demand or problem arises as well as a global corporate culture that we have to work in.” At the same time, staff in Hungary can help other affiliates of the mother company: Budapest is a regional operation center, as well within the Group for Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, which means people working here provide substantial support functions for DNV GL operations in Romania and Bulgaria. In the past 15 years, the Group – in addition to the certification of maritime base materials and semi-finished products – started to shift towards business assurance areas like management system certification, product certification and related services. Hungary is not a maritime

country, but DNV GL still has a maritime oil and gas branch here. “Not many people know but Hungary is one of the major suppliers of high pressure flexible hoses for crude oil production on the North Sea. In addition, a substantial amount of finished and semi-finished products (like forged items and pressure vessels) are transported by ship from Hungary,” the Managing Director points out. Innovation is very important at DNV GL. As János Zrupkó explains, there is a central innovation hub, an incubator house where ideas are collected and processed. Whatever comes out of this incubator is distributed to the local units that carry out pilot projects and provide feedback to the center.

DNV GL strives to be a sustainable organization. According to the General Manager, “we do our best to minimize our emissions, which means using energy efficient buildings and devices as much as possible. We have managed to significantly reduce our share of CO2 emission by drastically cutting down on air travel, by using modern IT systems instead.” Also, he predicts that all employees are going to use electric cars within the foreseeable future as the President and CEO of the Group is very committed to digitalization and decarbonization. “During the renovation of their offices in Budapest three years ago, all built in devices and equipment are energy efficient, including heating and the installation of LED lighting.”

Norway is considered to be world first in the fight against climate change and the practical realization of effective climate actions (mitigation and adaptation). Therefore, when the Ecoregion Foundation for Sustainable Development, based in Dötk, Zala County SW Hungary, sought to find an international partner for the project ‘What can I do? What can WE do? – the research of climate protection and climate-adaptation models, and the study of their perspective in adaptation with goals’ supported by the Norwegian Fund, one obvious target area was Norway. That is why they contacted Regionrådet for Sør-Østerdal, a regional association of six municipalities, located SE of Oslo in a heavily forested area. Although, the six municipalities have about 40,000 inhabitants, the population is scattered in smaller groups, apart from

the village or town centers – which is similar to the structure of Zala County’s small villages. One of the project goals was to study climate protection and climate adaptation models on individual and joint levels, demonstrating adaptation. The project targeted the creation of a basis for the development of the services of the Ecological and Rural Development Center of Dötk (with citizens, municipalities, rural development initiatives and farmers as target groups) with the goal of transforming it into a CLIMAMENTOR center. The project included a Hungarian delegation visiting the Sør-Østerdal region and afterwards, a group of Norwegians coming to Zala County. Summarizing their visit to Norway, the head of the Hungarian foundation, ecologist Anikó Kocsis points out that “all members, all groups of Norwegian

society, as well as all decision-makers are aware that our future – and basically, our present – depends on how effectively we can fight climate change. In Norway, they currently focus on three major areas: sustainable energy management, sustainable transport and sustainable architecture.” She adds that in addition to climate change factors and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the practical implementation of adaptation to the consequences of climate change has a very important role to play. “We have seen excellent examples of reducing the energy demand of buildings through the development of e-transport and the reuse of wood by-products and of timber from the demolition of buildings. Perhaps, the main lesson of the study tour was that in Norway, nothing is wasted, including energy,” she concludes.

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The Managing Director believes that the expectations of the Norwegian founders have been fully met as the Hungarian affiliate has managed to create a substantial market presence in this country, for which he thanks the staff of the Budapest office (28-30 people, 16 of them full time). “In the Hungarian construction industry, there have been structural changes recently that have not been favorable for us. Still, we have managed to retain our position in that field, while beginning to focus on other branches of industry. The success stories include certification services in the automotive industry where we have become a substantial player in this country. Also, in the past five years or so,

HARANGOZÓ, ANIKÓ KOCSIS

This year, the Norwegian business assurance f irm DNV GL celebrates a double anniversary in Hungary: the mother company is 155 years old and the Hungarian aff iliate was established 25years ago. János Zrupkó also joined the company a quarter of a century ago and can be considered the ‘founding managing director’ of DNV GL Business Assurance Hungary Ltd. He tells Diplomacy&Trade about this quarter of a century.

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norwegian focus

SCREENING FOR INNOVATION EYDESCREEN TO PRODUCE 100TH VIKING SCREEN MACHINE THIS SPRING Norwegian entrepreneur and EydeScreen chairman, Stig Eyde, moved production from Ireland. "In this period of less than three years, we have produced and delivered almost a hundred machines, which is quite significant in our industry," the Director of the Hungarian company, Tamás Maróthy tells Diplomacy&Trade, adding that the 100th screen will definitely be delivered this year. He explains that production was set up about ten years ago by Stig Eyde who had an asphalt company in Norway but was not satisfied with the quality of the screen machines available. “Consequently, he developed one that we are manufacturing in Letenye, SW Hungary, in cooperation with local entrepreneur Lajos Benkő. The Viking mobile deck screen machines are produced exclusively in Hungary and they are exported from here to Norway and nine other countries. We hope that by reaching this magic 100 number, it will be known for – and used by – more and more people in more and more European countries.” The Director notes that “it is in Stig Eyde’s blood to continuously search for new things, for new connections. He is an extremely open person

with extensive entrepreneurial spirit. I believe he inherited this from his grandfather, Sam Eyde. Through this equipment and manufacturing process, we have found a number of excellent partners in this country. Since our machine is connected primarily to recycling, we established cooperation with Professor László Aleksza and his company ProfiKomp in Gödöllő, east of Budapest. They are engaged in the recycling of biodegradable materials through the establishment of composting plants. They have now built our technology into theirs and the next step for us is to export ProfiKomp’s technology to Norway – and hopefully to other Scandinavian countries – because this is the future.” The primary areas of use for the Viking screening machine is construction and civil engineering: bigger pieces of waste are broken into small ones and then categorized by size for further use. As for agriculture, since the ground in Norway is quite stony, this machine had been developed to screen soil to remove stones, roots, etc. and replace the soil now suitable for cultivation. “The original idea was to move only the production to Hungary, but it was a very pleasant surprise that the East Central European market reacted to our product with such interest. The traditional markets were Scandinavia and Western Europe, but thanks to production in Hungary, there is also a great demand for this machine in this region, especially in Hungary,” Tamás Maróthy concludes.

HARANGOZÓ

Europe's favorite mobile deck screen machine

New, 2019 full hydraulic model now available in 10 European countries. It features a 3-cylinder Yanmar engine, double deck, conveyor and tandem hydraulic pump for extra feeder. 100 machines sold all around Europe in 3 years. Norwegian design!

photo by DÁVID

SCREENING AND RECYCLING OF CONSTRUCTION, AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL WASTE, LIKE SOIL, COMPOST, BUILDING WASTE.

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norwegian focus

WHALES IN NORTHERN LIGHTS RENOWNED NORWEGIAN NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER VISITS HUNGARY

naturArt, the Hungarian Association of Nature Photographers, has organized the Nature Photo Festival in Budapest for years. It is the largest event for nature photographers in the region with tickets sold out well in advance. Besides the world famous Hungarian nature photographers in attendance, the guest star of this year’s event was Espen Bergersen from Norway, whose specialty is photos of whales.

“I grew up in the countryside where you don’t really have much to do except for looking out of the window, watching birds. It is birds that I got interested in at the beginning – first just watching them and then taking photos of them, comparing them to pictures I found in books,” he says.

Photo trip on the sea

really spectacular sometimes – as was the case in February this year. As for animals, we have domesticated reindeer, moose, weasels, minks, otters, foxes and even bears – I saw a brown bear once from a distance of some two kilometers.”

Threatened nature One of Espen Bergersen’s award-wining photos is entitled ‘Threatened nature’. When asked how much photographers can do to ease the burden on the environment, he says that “if people see the impact of plastic waste pollution, for instance, through my pictures or videos, it definitely raises awareness. It is really a huge problem. The signs of deteriorating conditions may not be so obvious in my area of northern Norway,

but you can find marine waste on our beaches in the north from all over the world. They follow the Gulf Stream. For example, we have traced trash from as far as Florida.” He points out that one of the biggest threats to nature is the growth of the worldwide population and that consequently, “this higher number of people slowly but surely occupy more areas that used to belong to undisturbed nature.”

Two weeks on a rig One would think that for such a well-known nature photographer as Espen Bergersen, his hobby is something that also earns his living. However, it is not so. He has a 'day job' as a drilling fluids engineer on an oil rig in the North Sea, off the coast of southern Norway. His schedule is two weeks on an oil drilling platform and then four weeks off. He works to ensure that the fluid that replaces the rocks drilled out has a certain consistency so that the oil well remains stable while the energy carrier is brought to the surface. He works 12-hour shifts but still has some time to engage in his hobby, as well. “I photographed fulmars crossing the ocean close to the rig. But generally, there is not so much to photograph offshore.” An image taken at the rig is one of his eight photos in the competition ‘Wildlife photographer of the year’.

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Espen Bergersen’s journey to photograph whales always involves long hours of riding the waves through the Norwegian Sea on his own boat. “Nowadays, the first step is digging the boat out of the snow, which can be hard work, putting it onto a trailer that is hooked up to my car. Then comes a long road trip, which is getting longer and longer nowadays as the whales, following the herring, move further and further north. After driving some four hours along the shoreline, I find a place to stay before I set out to the sea. Of course, you need to have things like safety devices, proper clothing, photo gear, etc.” He has been involved in nature photography for approximately 25 years, but has specialized in whales since 2010, following the herring and the whales – killer whales and humpback whales are the most abundant and there are some rare sightings of fin whales, too. Over these years, he has taken ‘tons of pictures’ but the circumstances, he says, are always different. “There are new lights, new animal behavior – the whales do a lot of fun things like jumping and that is where I catch great moments. My latest trip, for instance, was very interesting: it was minus 13 degrees Celsius, the sun was going down on the frosty sea waves – this was something new I had never experienced before.“

WHALES OF NORTH

BERGERSEN, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

Becoming a nature photographer

Speaking of the natural environment in the region of Tromsø, a town 400 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, where he has lived since 2000 when he started studying at the University, the first thing he mentions is ‘a lot of snow’, which is characteristic of this time of the year, in addition to nice fjords surrounded by steep mountains. “If you go inland, you have nice woods, a lot of snow. The Aurora Borealis is

photos by ESPEN

“The wintering area of the herring has changed because of a shift in the eco-system and as a consequence, the whales that feed on herring stay longer and in new areas as they move farther north. There are more whales now compared to several years before as the herring have moved north,” Espen Bergersen explains to Diplomacy&Trade.

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business about ten times higher. Companies there have traditionally worked for the market within the country but now, they can be seen appearing in Europe, as well, through greenfield investments and acquisitions. A fine example for the latter in Hungary is the SMR Group, which has shown great development in this country, while the large factory of Apollo Tyres is the result of a greenfield investment east of Budapest, and is the most modern plant of the company globally. Firms represented in this latest delegation were primarily interested in cooperation with Hungarian partners of a technical nature, in technology exchange, in the opening of a representation office and in trade. The larger, financially strong companies that have substantial market presence in Europe are likely to consider forming joint ventures with, or acquisitions of, Hungarian ventures – apart from the greenfield investment option. This is something that Hungarian SMEs should expect.

An industry still growing

INVESTMENT MISSION

AUTOMOTIVE EXECUTIVES FROM INDIA EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES IN HUNGARY A delegation of leading executives of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the apex body representing the interest of the Indian Auto Component Industry, paid a visit to Hungary in early February as part of their Investment Mission that also included visits to Poland and Slovakia. The Indian automotive industry is currently represented by four companies in Hungary: SMR, Apollo Tyres, SNP and Sona. During their stay, the delegation met with the Indian Ambassador to Hungary, Kumar Tuhin at the Embassy. They visited the Hungarian Parliament and met with Péter Cseresnyés,

INDIAN AUTOMOTIVE FIRMS IN HUNGARY

Apollo Tyres Apollo Tyres started building a factory in Hungary in 2015, its 6th global tire manufacturing plant, which is the first greenfield investment for the company outside of India. It was operationalized in early 2017 (see picture), providing employment to about 700 people, with a total investment of about USD 630 min (EUR 475 million). According to the company, this investment aims to strengthen its European presence to become a TIER1 supplier of the main European original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Apollo Tyres Ltd has been in the business of manufacturing and selling tires for 40 years. The company, with an annual turnover of about USD 2 billion and a global workforce of approximately 16,000 employees, has 6 manufactur-

HARANGOZÓ, ANDRÁS JÓKUTI, ARVALICOM

HARANGOZÓ, KÁROLY ÁRVAI/KORMANY.HU

photos by DÁVID

SMR The predecessor of SMR Automotive Mirror Technology Hungary was established in 1995. It was acquired by the SMR group (Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec), one of the 23 largest automotive suppliers worldwide in 2009. SMR has units in Mosonmagyaróvár, Mosonszolnok and Hegyeshalom (all in NW Hungary) and Túrkeve (in the eastern part of the country), and employs more than 2,400 people in this country. SMR develops and manufactures rear view mirror system and intelligent camera technologies for the automotive industry. It is present in 16 countries, with over 10,600 employees worldwide. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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President of the Hungarian-Indian Parliamentary Friendship Group and had a guided tour in the building. Afterwards, they had a B2B meeting organized at the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) with

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ing units in India, in the Netherlands and in Hungary, and exports to over 100 countries.

SMP As a subsidiary of SMR Group, 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, dashboards and bumpers. It completed a bumper manufacturing plant in Kecskemét, southeast of Budapest, in an area of 96,000 square meters in November 2017, producing bumpers for Mercedes cars (to be used in the nearby Mercedes assembly plant) with more than 600 employees. The investment value is considered to be HUF 31 billion (appr. EUR 100 million).

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presentations and speeches by representatives of organizations and associations of the automotive industry in Hungary. It was there that the delegation signed a Letter of Intent with Hungarian Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (MAJOSZ) on future cooperation. Their itinerary ended with a networking seminar organized by the Embassy.

An exploratory mission Indian automotive industry suppliers have begun to expand abroad in the recent years. This branch of industry in India is very strong, with the majority of big OEMs having plants there. While in Hungary, there are about 700 automotive suppliers, in India, this number is

One must take into consideration a process that members of the Indian delegation were also aware of: the automotive industry in Hungary is still in the phase of expansion with Mercedes and Audi increasing capacities and BMW establishing a new factory, for instance. The Executive General Secretary of the Hungarian Automotive Industry Association (MAGE), Csaba Kilián estimates that the current combined production capacity of assembly plants operating in Hungary, that is now approximately 500,000 vehicles, may grow to around 800,000 by 2021-22. The delegation from India was here to get an impression of the automotive industry. The President of ACMA, Ram Venkataramani said that the information gathered in Hungary and the other two countries would be passed on to the association’s 830-plus members. He added the delegation would be leaving with "a very positive feeling" about the incentives and possibilities that Hungary could offer. The more important automotive companies in India are very likely to move to European markets in the coming years. For Hungary, they are important from the investment point of view and with consideration to the arrival technologies that represent added value.

SONA BLW The SONA BLW Group opened its new HUF 1.3 billion (appr. EUR 4.2 min) plant in the town of Polgár in May, 2017 and is manufacturing components (semi-finished automotive steel products such as gearboxes, clutches, shaft, engine and chassis parts) for the automotive industry, with 43 employees. The Group specializes in the manufacturing and installation of forged precision conical wheels and change wheels, baulk rings, undercarriage parts, engine and power transmission parts and complete differential gears, primarily for the automotive industry. Their customers include a number of renowned light and heavy truck manufacturers, manufacturers of agricultural and heavy machinery and TIER1 suppliers. SONA employs more than 2,300 workers at its seven plants over the world.

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japan

KORIYAMA FOOD AND TOURISM JAPANESE CITY INTRODUCES ITSELF TO HUNGARIAN BUSINESSES The Embassy of Japan in Hungary, JETRO’s Budapest Off ice and Koriyama City held the ‘Koriyama Foods & Tourism Business Meeting in 2019’ in the Hungarian capital. Koriyama City, located in the northeastern Tohoku region of Japan, is one of the most important cities of the region. After signing the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which entered into force on February 1, 2019, further progress can be expected in business relations between Hungary and Japan, including Koriyama city. This particular business event introduced food items and sake made in Koriyama, focusing on their appeal, as well as tourist attractions such as traditions, culture and nature. Held at the Embassy of Japan, located in the Buda Hills, the Business Meeting featured a presentation by Koriyama City. Local dishes from Koriyama were introduced by a Japanese chef and guests were able to taste them. The Japanese delegation to Hungary included company representatives who presented food products from the region. That was followed by an introduction of tourism opportunities in Koriyama and a presentation by

Zoltán Bogáthy, the owner of Culinaris gourmet shops in Budapest, entitled ‘The impression of visiting Koriyama City’. The Business Meeting ended with more tastings and networking session.

Koriyama City

Koriyama City Mayor Masato Shinagawa

The city of Koriyama is located in the Tohoku region in the heart of the Fukushima prefecture, about 100 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean and about 80 minutes from Tokyo with the high-speed rail line, Shinkansen. Koriyama is situated at 37 degrees on the northern latitude, which roughly corresponds to the position of Athens in Europe. Its population of approximately 334,000 people is spread over an area of 757 square kilometers (1.4 times the area of Budapest). The city is crossed by highways and a railway network, which makes accessibility and transport excellent and which has resulted in Koriyama becoming one of the major cities of the Tohoku region. It is a characteristic of Japanese climate that temperature can go up to five degrees Celsius in winter and 30 degrees in the summer. Carp farming is one of the major industries in Koriyama. In fact, the city is the top carp producer in Japan. In 2017, it produced 833 tons of edible carp.

It was 140 years ago that, utilizing water from Lake Inawashiro, Japan’s fourth largest lake, the city of Koriyama created a 130-kilometer long water system, leading the Asaka water canal right to the center of the city. This made the land, which had been dreary, cultivable and habitable. All of this made it possible for agriculture to become a flourishing branch of the economy in the region. 87% of the agricultural area is rice land flooded with 44,000 tons of water a year, an amount that makes this area one of the leading rice producers of the country. Given the nuclear accident eight years ago, members of the delegation found it important to point out that the level of measurable background radiation in Koriyama City is similar to that in major cities worldwide.

HUNGARIAN AMONG THE BEST JAPANESE CHEFS SUSHI SHEI CHEF PROVED HIS SKILLS IN TOKYO CULINARY COMPETITION Hungarian chef Zsolt Kurkó f inished among the best at the f inal of the 6th Washoku World Challenge, a cooking contest in which Japanese cuisine chefs from all over the world compete in technical expertise and passion for Japanese food.

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Finishing in 4th place proved that his optimism was well-founded. The jury made special mention in their decision that each element of the dish had a special taste. As Chef Kurkó

Contest dishes

said after the final, “my rivals came from very prominent places, with a great deal of experience behind them. It was a great battle, I learned a lot for the future! Here, every little thing matters, nothing escapes the attention of the strict jury, it is nuances that prove to be decisive. I could not have succeeded without the Sushi Sei team: I received a lot of help from our Japanese chef, Seiichi Kusumoto and the rest of the team. It is a joint success for us!” The contest was also attended by the owner of Sushi Sei, Irma Héder, who was very excited and acted as an interpreter. She said that “the whole race was a great experience, we learned a lot from it, from raw materials to the guarded secrets of Japanese gastronomy. We can make good use of this knowledge at home. Our great result at the tournament was crown of the whole Japanese tour!” M A R C H

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This year, the competition started with a special seminar, followed by a joint purchase of raw materials. Then came the preparation of two different contest dishes: a winter 'nimonovan' soup with specified ingredients, and, on the second day, a free-choice dish containing at least five different colorful appetizing bites, served in a special, squareshaped 'fushidaka' dish, adapted to the spirit of the season. In addition to the final tasting of the dishes, the judges also paid close attention to the preparation: the competitor's technical knowledge, his hygiene, his knowledge of Japanese gastronomy and, of course, his creativity. They thoroughly interviewed the competitors during the cooking process, and tasted the food in several stages during the contest, not just the final result.

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HARANGOZÓ, ANDRÁS JÓKUTI, ARVALICOM

Well-founded optimism

photos by DÁVID

The deputy chef of the Sushi Sei restaurant in Budapest finished in 4th place in the Tokyo final of the Washoku World Challenge. After he proved to be the best in Europe in September 2018 at the continental championship in Paris, the goal of the modest but ambitious professional was to show the best of his knowledge in the Japanese capital, as well. In the world final, he measured his skills against that of other continental champions in a two-day competition. Zsolt Kurkó received huge praise from the Japanese jury in the European continental contest for his practically perfect performance. Therefore, his hopes were high for the final in Japan: “I have been to Japan once, and it is a huge opportunity to get there again and meet the best of the profession. Of course, I'm going to set out with ambitious goals,” he said before the journey to the Far East.

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diplomacy REMEMBERING IS NOT ENOUGH!

Before the documentary film, ‘October ’43 – The Rescue of the Danish Jews’, Danish Ambassador Kirsten Geelan pointed out that the film was about the story of ordinary people and that history should not be seen as black and white. The 58-minute film was made six years ago and describes a very interesting time in Denmark. While Jews were deported to Nazi concentration camps from throughout Europe occupied by Germany, Denmark remained an exception until 1943. Filmmakers Carl Otto Dethlefsen and Jonatan Jerichow present how Danes rescued Jews. According to Jerichow, who was present at the screening in Budapest, the film shows what people can achieve. Following the screening, the three ambassadors held a discussion with the audience about the importance of learning from the past. Ambassador Geelan, the initiator of this project, said, “Denmark cannot take all the credit for the rescue of the more than 7,000 Jews in 1943. It happened because individuals, ordinary people and high level officials, also in Sweden, shared the same values and they made a choice.” Israeli Ambassador Yossi Amrani stressed that the symbol and message of the event was the importance of accepting responsibility. “The lesson of modern Germany after 1945 is teaching: how to remember, how to take responsibility, how not to find excuses… Democracy and freedom are the only kind of human rights for our way of living. Without democracy, without human rights, without protecting foreigners and the underprivileged, we have not learned the lesson. Remembering is not enough!”

JOINT COMMEMORATION IN BUDAPEST OF THE 1943 RESCUE OF DANISH JEWS In February, the German, Danish and Israeli embassies in Budapest held a joint commemoration on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust corresponding with the Embassy of Denmark in Budapest marking the 75th anniversary of the rescue and transport of Danish Jews to Sweden in October 1943. The ambassadors of the three countries invited guests to the Goldmark Hall in the Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives, located in the headquarters of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities in the Hungarian capital, for the screening of a documentary film on the subject of the rescue and a subsequent discussion. The more than 200 guests were welcomed by German Ambassador Volkmar Wenzel, who recalled Germany's role in the Holocaust and its responsibility, especially towards the younger generation. It is always necessary to talk about events in history, to continue discussions about the Holocaust, he said. "We have to be honest with the past. The younger generation has to answer its own questions," he added. Subsequently, Judit Molnár spoke about the Horthy regime and the Holocaust in Hungary.

The importance of learning from the past

The embassies of Germany, Denmark and Israel joined hands in marking the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the 75th anniversary of the rescue of the Danish Jewish Community. As part of this cooperation, the embassies conveyed a message recognizing the importance of education and learning as a safeguard not only against forgetfulness, revision and denial but to ensure a better future for humanity and mankind. It is our common belief that education, recognizing the truth and accepting it is the first step in commemorating, and as important for our days, fighting the rising of antisemitism and hate. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Royal Danish Embassy Embassy of the State of Israel

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PAYMENT BANK TRANSFER

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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

MEMORIES FOR THE FUTURE

WHAT MONUMENTS IN HUNGARY CAN TELL US ABOUT UKRAINE BY UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR LIUBOV NEPOP

Walking through any city in the world, one can see a lot of monuments that remind them of historic personalities or events. Budapest is not an exception, it is a city that has a lot to boast. The monuments tell us about the history of the country, the people it is proud of and its heroes, about events deeply engraved in the hearts of its citizens. But the monuments can tell us not only about the country and the city they are placed in; they often provide information about other countries as well, their heroes and their history, symbolizing friendly relations between the countries. That is why I would like to propose a virtual tour of the places in Budapest that offer information about Ukraine.

Centenary Let’s start with the place that is familiar and close to every diplomat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. Not far from the Hungarian foreign policy office, when walking in the direction of the Margaret Bridge, admiring in the meantime the beauty of the Danube, on the building at 44 Margit körút, we can find the memorial plaque dedicated to the opening 100 years ago, on January 24, 1919, of the Extraordinary Diplomatic Mission of Ukrainian People’s Republic (UNR) in Hungary. At that time, Ukraine did not succeed in preserving its independence and UNR was destroyed in 1921, but the UNR diplomatic mission in Budapest managed to operate until May 1924, and was the last of the diplomatic representations of UNR to be closed.

photos by

COURTESY OF THE EMBASSY OF UKRAINE

Remember: never again! Only in 1991 did Ukraine regain its independence (and Hungary was among the first countries to acknowledge it) after enduring not only the atrocities of the WWII, but the destruction of the Ukrainian intellectuals by the Stalinist regime and Holodomor (Famine-genocide) of 1932-33, which took the lives of 10 million Ukrainians. Last year, we honoured the memory of the victims of this terrible crime all over the world. We had commemoration ceremony here in Budapest as well, at the monument to the victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine. This monument can be found if we head to the Pest side, crossing the famous Chain bridge, walking along the Danube, in the public park on Sándor Petőfi square, by the side of the Budapest Marriott Hotel. It is worth mentioning that the Hungarian National Assembly recognised the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people in 2003. Besides this monument on Sándor Petőfi square, there is the memorial plaque, reminding us of this tragic event, in Csömör, to the northeast of Budapest. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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In November last year, another monument to the victims of Holodomor was inaugurated in the city of Szeged, on Dóm Square, in the park of the central cathedral. Why is it so important to remember such terrible things? To never let them happen again. For Ukrainians, this is also a reminder of how important it is to preserve our statehood, because its loss, as our history proves, leads to the extermination of our people.

Ukrainian almanac in Budapest When returning to the Buda side and walking along the ancient streets of the Buda Castle, we find another mention of Ukraine. The house at 6 Országház street, where the Hungarian royal printing house was located, has the memorial plaque in honour of the publication of the first Western-Ukrainian almanac ‘Rusalka Dnistorva’, published in 1873 in the Ukrainian language in this Buda building. Because of being banned by the Viennese censorship, the almanac was published three years later than was planned. As the censor of the almanac, Jerney Kopitar, wrote, the collection was "decent, successful and inspiring" but supported the idea that the Ukrainians were a separate nation, and this contradicted the interests of Austria. The almanac and its publishers were persecuted by the local church and secular authorities. The edition printed in Budapest was immediately confiscated; only 200 of the 1,000 printed copies were saved. Thanks to this, the almanac became well known among intellectuals

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of different countries. Today, the community of Ukrainians in Hungary possesses one copy of the original. I personally was lucky enough to hold it in my hands when we were celebrating, with the local Ukrainians, the 180th anniversary of the almanac’s publication.

Literary figures By the way, there is one more monument which serves as a reminder of the outset of Ukrainian literature and philosophy. This monument, however, is not located in Budapest, but in Tokaj. This is a memorial plaque to the Ukrainian poet and philosopher Hrihorii Skovoroda, who stayed in the town of ‘vineyards and wines’ in 1745-1750 as a member of the so-called commission of purchasing wines. The memorial plaque is placed on the wall of the former Greek Catholic Church that belonged to the commission at that time. Returning in our thoughts from Tokaj to Budapest, we go back to the place where we started our journey, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Let’s go to the square next to the Ministry, where the monument to the famous Ukrainian writer, artist and politician Taras Shevchenko is located, the square is named after him as well. By the way, it is believed that the largest number of the monuments in the world are to Taras Shevchenko, there are almost 1,400 of them around the world. The monument in Budapest is one of the most beautiful. Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), considered to be the founder of a new Ukrainian literature, means the same for Ukrainians as Sándor Petőfi means for Hungarians. However, his significance for the people is much greater, because his art work symbolizes the centuries-old aspiration of Ukrainians to restore

their independence and statehood. In 2013, when the Ukrainians broke out in EuroMaidan protests to protect the Association Agreement with the European Union and their right for the European future, many of them took the "Kobzar" of Shevchenko (his main work) with them. The figure of the great poet is among the so-called ‘Icons of the Revolution’ – the modern graffities that depict the representatives of great moral authorities for Ukrainians.

Connected by dynastic marriage And today, when fighting against Russian aggression that lasts since 2014 Ukrainian Crimea remains occupied, battles are going on in the East of Ukraine and have taken more than 13,000 Ukrainian lives, and Ukrainian political prisoners remain in captivity in Russia and temporarily occupied territories, the Ukrainians still remember Shevchenko's will "Bury me, be done with me, rise and break your chain”, his call to struggle for our country and its freedom, for the country with the centuries old history, that was one of the most powerful European countries during the era of Kyiv Rus. In the 11th century when Kyiv Rus was under the rule of powerful Grande Prince Yaroslav the Wise, our two countries – Ukraine and Hungary – were united by the symbolic dynastic marriage of the Hungarian king András I and the older Yaroslav’s daughter Anastasia (other two daughters married the French and the Norwegian kings accordingly). King András I and his wife, Anastasia founded the abbey in Tihany, where one can see the monument to this royal couple as a reminder of this bright page of our common historical past. By the way, there are data saying that after the death of András I, Anastasia asked her sister Anna, the Queen of France, to help preserve Christianity in Hungary after the devastation of large number of the Christian priests; her sister sent a Christian mission to Hungary to assist. I do believe that the Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, which have so many common memories as assets, from the depth of centuries, from times when Hungarian tribes travelled through Europe looking for a new homeland and passed the territory of modern Ukraine, have considerable potential and a great future.

Commemoration at the Taras Shevchenko monument in Budapest in April 2018

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society Defense of the Motherland

Russian Ambassador Vladimir Sergeev invited guests to his Embassy to commemorate his country’s holiday that honors those in the armed forces. It was on February 23, 1918 that as many as ten thousand people signed up for the army to defend the homeland against German invasion.

Kuwait National Day

The Ambassador of the State of Kuwait, Dr. Hamad Mohammad H M Burhamah, welcomed guests to a reception and dinner in the ballroom of the Budapest Marriott Hotel to celebrate his country’s National Day, which marks the creation of Kuwait as a nation in 1961.

New Ambassadors

Ikebana presentation

On the occasion of the day dedicated to Algeria as a guest of honor at the Budapest International Tourism Fair, a ‘gala dinner’ was held at the Budapest Marriott Hotel by the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Handicraft, in conjunction with the Ambassador of Algeria, Abdelkader Dehendi, under the slogan ‘Colors & Perfumes of Algeria’.

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As part of celebrating the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Hungary, the Master Teacher of Headquarters of Sogetsu, Ms. Koka Fukushima held a demonstration and lecture on ikebana in the building of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences this February. M A R C H

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Colors & Perfumes of Algeria

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, SZILÁRD KOSZTICSÁK/MTI

Three new ambassadors accredited to Hungary presented their credentials to Hungarian President János Áder this February at the Sándor Palace in the Buda Castle (pictured from left right): Aleksandr Ponomarev from the Republic of Belarus, Shpend Kallaba from the Republic of Kosovo and Idibek Kalandar from the Republic of Tajikistan.

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society National Day of Bulgaria In recognition of the National Day of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Hungary, Ulyana Bogdanska hosted a reception for fellow diplomats and other guests at her residence in the Buda Hills. The Day honors the Bulgarian volunteers who, with the assistance of Russian and Romanian forces, liberated Bulgaria from almost 500 years of Ottoman rule during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.

Francophone Film Days and Festival 19 movies from eight countries (Belgium, Canada, France, Morocco, Romania, Senegal, Switzerland and Tunisia) are shown to the Hungarian public at the Francophone Film Days and Festival this March in Budapest (including an outdoor screening in the thermal pool of the Széchenyi Bath) and 12 cities in the countryside. The opening of the event was attended by the ambassadors of several French-speaking countries. Later this year, Diplomacy&Trade will carry interviews with two directors whose movies are shown at the film days in Budapest: Lou Jenet (Curiosa) and Philippe Godeau (Yao). Besides the films, the Francophone Festival presents many other aspects of French culture: throughout March, the organizers await the lovers of French culture with numerous concerts, theatric plays and book presentations.

Lithuania National Day The Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania, Rasa Kairiene, welcomed guests to a concert and reception at the Budapest Music Center, to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania. At the concert, the audience was entertained by Lithuanian musicians.

Statehood Day of Serbia

photos by DÁVID

HARANGOZÓ

Serbian Ambassador Ivan Todorov hosted a reception at the Serbian Embassy in recognition of the National (Statehood) Day of Serbia and the Day of the Serbian Armed Forces. Statehood Day commemorates the outbreak of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804, which evolved into the Serbian Revolution against Ottoman rule.

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what's on OLDTIMER SHOW 2019

APRIL 5-7, HUNGARIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM

Oldtimers represent the true value of craftsmanship and preserve memories of the car industry. It's best to admire them at this festival that is, according to organizers, one of the largest veteran vehicle exhibitions in East Central Europe, with 500 vehicles on show. This year’s event offers a large outdoor and indoor space (100,000 square meters) for exhibitors and visitors alike, with interactive and family programs, including steam engine rides, velorails or railbikes, a train rotating platform, railcars and an omnibus. An animal farm will present farm animals and kids are also invited to play in the bouncy castle and enjoy face-painting. There will also be a gastro-street, offering Hungarian specialties. For those with an eye for beautifully restored veteran, antique, nostalgic and classic vehicles, this event is a must. www.oldtimershow.hu

AVATAR: DISCOVER PANDORA UNTIL MAY 31, Andrássy Élményközpont

On February 2, AVATAR fans in Budapest became the first in Europe to have the opportunity to step inside AVATAR: Discover Pandora, the state-of-the-art interactive exhibition inspired by James Cameron’s movie. Presenting Pandora as a real place, AVATAR: Discover Pandora gives visitors the opportunity to interact with the exhibition through a series of exciting and engaging immersive environments that highlight Pandora’s diverse flora and fauna, exotic wildlife, and the amazing culture and mythology of its indigenous people, the Na’vi. Learn about space travel and the science behind the discovery of Pandora in the Alpha Centauri solar system. Explore recreations of Pandora’s most compelling environments showcasing its unique plants and animals and what they can teach us about our own planet. Engage in interactive activities based on the culture, language and music of the Na’vi, the nine-foot-plus-tall humanoids who are the indigenous people of Pandora. Experience the jewel-like glow of Pandora’s bioluminescent plants and animals. Interact with banshees, learn to operate an AMP suit, picture yourself as part of the Avatar Program. The artifacts and specimens presented on 10,000-square-meter showground were curated by scientists from the RDA’s Avatar program. For an experience that could enchant the entire family, leave the 21st century behind and step into a 22nd century world filled with science and wonder! www.avatarkiallitas.hu

VANESSA-MAE CONCERT

photos by

The former violin prodigy first picked up a fiddle at the age of four (having already started the piano a year before). She was nicknamed ‘Teeny Paganini’ when, at just eight, she became the youngest pupil at the National Conservatory of Music in Beijing, studying with Professor Lin Yao. Eventually, she returned to London and entered the London’s Royal College of Music to continue honing her technique. She made her world debut in 1988 to a sensational reception at the Schleswig Holstein Festival in Germany and made her UK debut with the Philharmonic Orchestra that same year. In 1991, at the age of 12, she was invited by the London Mozart Players to headline their Mozart Bicentenary tour of the Far East and was the youngest artist ever to play as a soloist with the orchestra. At the age of 13, she set a Guinness World Record by becoming the youngest soloist to record both the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky violin concertos. Over the years, her conservative classical style gave way to a more modern outlook and she developed her own crossover. With the release of her debut album, The Violin Player, in 1995, she become a globetrotting star. Her brave approach of presenting the violin in a new style caused controversy among some traditionalist critics but its enormous popularity around the world established her as a world star and subsequently inspired a wave of new artists to follow in her footsteps. She has sold over 10 million albums, holds over 40 international awards for both pop and classical recordings, and her concert specials have been broadcast in over 100 countries. Vanessa-Mae is a dynamic live performer with a grueling touring program that has taken her around the world several times over. She has visited over 50 countries and performed in spectacular venues such as the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Hyde Park in London and the Acropolis in Athens. She made her US debut in Times Square where she hopped spontaneously onto a passing yellow taxi - an explosive performance seen all over the world. She has contributed to a number of film projects, including Walt Disney Pictures’ Mulan. ABC’s Arabian Nights and recorded Roxane’s Veil, written for her by Vangelis for her album Choreography, which was later used on the soundtrack album of Oliver Stone’s film Alexander.

AVATAR: DISCOVER PANDORA THE EXHIBITION, KONCERTPROMO.HU, OLDTIMER SHOW

MAY 24, BUDAPEST SPORTS ARENA

www.koncertpromo.hu

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what's on MUSE: STIMULATION THEORY TOUR MAY 28 THE BUDAPEST ARENA

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE CONCERT APRIL 10, BARBA NEGRA MUSIC CLUB

In the early 2000s, Bridgend, Wales was a furtive ground for metal and rock acts, producing Funeral For a Friend and Lostprophets, before Bullet For My Valentine came to the fore in 2004. Formed by school friends Matthew Tuck (vocals, guitar), Michael Padget (guitar, vocals), Jason James (bass, vocals) and Michael Thomas (drums), the band was formed in 2003, out of the ashes of Jeff Killed John. They went into the studio and recorded their self-titled EP in November 2004, a release that established their name in the rock and metal sphere and gained critical acclaim. Their debut album ‘The Poison’ came out the following year, with sales reaching 500,000 copies in America alone. In 2008, their second album arrived, titled ‘Scream Aim Fire’, which broke into the Top Ten in the UK and the US. Their third album ‘Fever’, in 2010, displayed a more mainstream sound, blending classic heavy metal vibes with a contemporary, metal-core twist. Following a short break, their fourth album ‘Temper Temper,’ hit the shelves in 2013, and again travelled high up the charts.

With its intense, futuristic synth and guitar driven sound, the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Muse - featuring rock icons Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme - deliver the perfect package of arena-ready rock. Since forming in 1994, Muse has earned massive success at home in its native U.K. and around the world, selling over 15 million albums including Black Holes and Revelations, The Resistance, and Drones. They performed at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London with the official single 'Survival'. In 2018, the trio released its eighth studio album Simulation Theory, and began their Simulation Theory World Tour 2019. www.livenation.hu

DAVID LYNCH: SMALL STORIES UNTIL JUNE 1 MŰCSARNOK (KUNSTHALLE)

David Lynch is best known for his blockbusters and TV series such as Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks; is less known that the American filmmaker is also a painter, musician, actor, and photographer. His photo exhibition debuted recently in Budapest as part of the Budapest Photo Festival, presenting surreal images based on photo montages as well as reinterpreted portraits and reproductions which open up dimensions of space and time, making up a universe well known from the Lynch films. The exhibit 'Small Stories' takes visitors on a psychedelic journey through the world of emotions, humor, playfulness and restlessness, while unveiling past memories and scars. Similarly to his films, these images are dominated by dreams, with the fundamental driving force of his poetic vision being the connection between the subconscious and reality. The glowing tension of invisible connections, the unveiling of unspeakable feelings and the unleashing of fantasy create a inimitable atmosphere.

photos by

VILLE JUURIKKALA, DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM, BUDAPEST SPRING FESTIVAL, OLIVER SIN, LIVE NATION, DAVID LYNCH/SMALLSTORIES: HEAD #15, 81,5 X 90 CM, COURTESY: ITEM ÉDITIONS, PARIS

www.livenation.hu

www.mucsarnok.hu

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE MARCH 17, DOWNTOWN BUDAPEST

Come along and "Be Irish for the day!" organizers invite everyone to the greenest parade in Budapest. “Green and full of smiles. There will also be more attractions, giveaways and a special after party at INSTANT!” This event will see Ireland’s native countrymen and friends of Ireland in Budapest take to the streets for what has turned into a festival that has hundreds of people dressed in leprechaun attire. www.stpatricksdaybudapest.com

39TH BUDAPEST SPRING FESTIVAL APRIL 5-22 MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN BUDAPEST

This festival has developed into one of Europe’s major cultural events offering opera, classical music, jazz, world music concerts, contemporary circus, theatrical performances and visual arts. With the best Hungarian performers and world stars, the Budapest Spring Festival is a truly special occasion, presenting premieres and co-productions with partner institutions. There will be dozens of venues in 2019: in addition to Müpa Budapest and Liszt Music Academy, a number of other cultural institutes and museums will host events such as Erkel Theater, Uránia National Film Theater, Pesti Vigadó, Várkert Bazár (Castle Garden Bazaar), Budapest Music Center, Akvárium Klub and A38 Ship. Realized again in a cooperation between the Müpa Budapest, the Budapest Festival and Tourism Center, and the Hungarian Tourism Agency, the event series continues to broaden its offerings by involving the leading cultural institutions of the city. www.btf.hu w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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gastronomy COSTES DOWNTOWN 1051 Budapest, Vigyázó Ferenc utca 5. +361 920 1015 reservation@costesdowntown.hu • www.costesdowntown.hu

Costes Downtown was opened in June 2015 and was awarded with its own Michelin star already in March 2016. The restaurant, located in the elegant Prestige Hotel, is accessible via a private street entrance and is open every day of the week, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, prepared in an open kitchen. The daily operation is run by chef Tiago Sabarigo and standards are overseen by executive chef Miguel Vieira.

Duck liver terrine, apple, pecan Quail, yellow pea, black garlic Catfish, csusza pasta, cottage cheese Mangalica, vadas, capers kempi-D&T-IGNITE-THE-NIGHT-127,5x160-201903:Layout 1

GOOD FRANCE PARIS BUDAPEST CELEBRATES GOÛT DE FRANCE

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Ignite the night!

'Goût de France / Good France' is an annual international event that honors French gastronomy, its capacity for innovation and its values: sharing, enjoying, and respecting the principles of high quality environmentally responsible cuisine. The first event was organized in 2015, when French cuisine made the UNESCO list in the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” category. Since its inception, over 1,000 chefs on all five continents join the movement every year, when, on the eve of spring, French dinners are served simultaneously in various locations worldwide. Naturally, Paris Budapest Restaurant in the Hungarian capital joins the movement, when Head Chef Stéphan Remon prepares his special dinner available on March 21.

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In 1912, Auguste Escoffier started Les Dîners d’Épicure (Epicurean Diners): one day, one menu, served in cities around the world, to as many guests as possible. In 2015, Goût de/Good France, an initiative of Alain Ducasse and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, took the idea further, bringing all categories of restaurants together globally.

PHOTO, COSTES DOWNTOWN, PIXELTASTER, PARIS BUDAPEST

APPETIZER • Scallop carpaccio marinated with truffle juice • Paris mushrooms raw • walnut oil FIRST COURSE • Chioggia beetroot cooked in salt crust • Malossol Caviar • smoke cream • argan oil • crispy lace MAIN COURSE • Cod fish • coco bean purée • brown butter • lobster jus CHEESE • Saint-Maure de Touraine Delicate jelly of lemon • white truffle honey DESSERT • Little rum-soaked baba • whipped cream • vanilla • orange

Background

Paris Budapest Restaurant & Bar 1051 Budapest, Széchenyi I. tér 2. reservation@parisbudapest.hu +361 235 1230

An evening fireplace lighting ritual accompanied by a live sabrage ceremony and Taittinger champagne degustation Watch the spectacular uncorking of a champagne bottle with a firm swipe of a sword. A selection of Taittinger Brut and Rosé and a limitededition Les Folies de la Marquetterie vintage champagne is served at The Living Room, every day from 18:00. A tasting flight of three champagnes: HUF 9,900 + 12% service charge

photos by FURMINT

Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest | Erzsébet tér 7-8 | 1051 Budapest +36 1 429 4489 | livingroom.corvinus@kempinski.com

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wine Hosted and organized by Gere Attila Winery, the festival’s theme varies year by year, focusing on different genres of jazz, as well as different nations’ music, culture and gastronomy. This year organizers chose ’funk,’ in an effort to revive the glamour of the 1970s. The thrill and buzz of the music will be fueled by Gere wines, the newly restyled Gere Frici sparkling wine and cocktail specialties.

What is funk? Funk by definition emphasizes melody and harmonic complexity and focuses on a strong rhythmic groove with percussion, electric bass, rhythm guitar and brass playing prominent roles. Funk originated in the mid-1960s in the US when African-American musicians started mixing elements of soul, soul jazz and rhythm and blues to create a new form of rhythmic dance music. Large bands put spectacular shows on stage and with the jamming of so many musicians the audience couldn’t help but get up and dance. Just like grape varieties in an exciting red cuvee, funk blends different nations' music, from African rhythms to European harmonies.

Program The festival begins with Malek Andi Soulistic on Friday, June 14: guests can expect a wide variety of music styles with the classics of funk reshaped to their own distinctive taste that is inspired by folk music just as much as swing. Next in line is the Garami Funky Staff featuring Nika and Bebe. The popular radio show host, Gábor Garami will play the greatest funk, disco and soul hits of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with top-notch sound technique and will surely get the audience on their feet. Saturday, June 15 kicks off with the duo of áRON (i.e. Áron Romhányi) & Milán Szakonyi whose diverse backgrounds will provide an exciting mix of jazz, blues, funk, some quality pop and a pinch of rap for a vibrant and dynamic intro to the night. Next comes ZOLBERT ‘JAZZ+FUNK+SAX’, a big band of the saxophonist Zoltán Albert. Their repertoire is solid proof of how well funk blends with instrumental music. Random Trip, a band that is all about spontaneity, follows them. Alongside popular Hungarian musicians, the band features two stars: Dan Pearce, the singer and drummer of PBUG and Sigma, plus Vanessa Haynes, the singer of Incognito. Gere Attila and his family welcome returning guests and first time visitors alike to this exclusive event in the Villány vineyards, for a pleasant summer weekend complete with wine and the other great passion of the family: jazz music.

WENDL/WWW.WENDLPETER.HU

PRESENTS

FUNKY VILLÁNY THE 8TH GERE JAZZ FESTIVAL

On June 14-15 the 8th Gere Jazz Festival will introduce one of the most electrifying and uninhibited styles of jazz: funk. As usual, main attractions of the event will be fine wine and delicious food in addition to jazz concerts.

14-15. JUNE

2019.

photos by PÉTER

WWW.GEREJAZZ.HU

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