Diplomacy & Trade 2016 Szeptember

SEPTEMBER 2016 HUF 1710

There are few things which observers and experts agree with regard to Turkey.

Certainly, one of them is that the country is pivotal not only in the regional power struggle, but her relationship with the EU, U.S. and Russia may well be a gamechanger on a much wider scale. page 7

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A GAME CHANGER? TURKEY’S GEOPOLITICAL ENVIRONMENT

Slovakia

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FOCUS

“Given the historical background, the relationship between Slovaks and Hungarians is at least a millennium old and we lived in the same country for 95% of that period. We had the same king, we had the same problems, we shared all good and bad things for 950 years,” the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Hungary, Rastislav Kácer tells Diplomacy & Trade in an extensive interview in which he also discusses the different aspects of bilateral relations and European integration. see articles on pages 8-13

Folly Arboretum The Folly Arboretum and Winery in Badacsonyörs is a piece of heaven - a place where one can discover the intricate beauty of nature. Read the story of the family behind this 'living museum' and start planning your visit in September. see page 23

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letter from the publisher

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­­ contents What's on - cultural programs in September

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8-13 SLOVAK FOCUS

Interview with Ambassador Kácer Slovak EU Presidency, Slovak FM speaks to diplomats, Flying car from Slovakia, Slovak tourism more visible

15 BUSINESS

BFZ opens French season

23 TRAVEL

Folly Arboretum and Winery

24-25 WHAT'S ON

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

Corruption - as seen by the youth

16-19 SWITZERLAND

Peter Freed PUBLISHER

Swisscham, Eyeful Festival, SGS Hungaria

AND DON’T FORGET

monthly in print - daily on the web

www.dteurope.com

20 WITTY LEAKS

A Greek walk in Budapest (by Dimitris Yannakakis)

26-27 GASTRONOMY

Sushi Sei introduces new menu SVÉT 8 in Veszprém 25th Budapest Wine Festival The Sweet Sonja Adler

PUBLISHER: Peter Freed, EDITOR: Réka A. Francisck, COPY EDITOR: Joyce Freed PHOTO EDITOR: Dávid Harangozó SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Tamás Varga, DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Tibor Ocsenás ADMINISTRATION: Judit Ludányi ASSISTANT: Ágnes Rapaport CONTRIBUTORS: Sándor Laczkó, Tamás Magyarics, Réka A. Francisk, Dimitris Yannakakis, Dorka Tamás

SAUDI FOCUS - COMING SOON

PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS

pixabay.com (Cover), 123RF.com, Can Stock Photo Inc., AUDI, Budapest Airport, Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, Rastislav Polak/eu2016.sk, aeromobil. com, Slovak Tourist Board, Transparency International Hungary, Embassy of Greece, Dániel Juhász, Balázs Farkas-Mohi, bfz.hu, Bálint Széll, Norbert Varga, Márton Mónus, Gyula Forster National Centre for Cultural Heritage Management, Kevin Frayer/Getty Images, Gellért Áment, artsillustratedstudios.pro, András Hajdú, Designfood Antonio Photography, Zsolt Szigetváry, Sonja Adler, MTI Photos: Szilárd Koszticsák

Diplomacy & Trade is preparing a special Focus section on Saudi Arabia, an influential regional power in the Middle East. It will feature an interview with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Abdulhadi Almatrafi who talks about his country’s active role in international relations, including the fight against terrorism (especially Daesh), initiating and supporting humanitarian and relief efforts as well as world financial institutions. DT’s Saudi focus will delve into these issues – and others like Saudi Arabia’s impressive ‘Vision 2030’ program to reform the country’s economy towards a more diversified and privatized structure – in separate articles.

Copyright 2004-2015 Duax Kft., all rights reserved | ISSN 1589-8075 This magazine is produced by Duax Kft. The opinions published in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Duax Kft. COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT SELECTED RELAY AND INMEDIO OUTLETS IN MAJOR HUNGARIAN CITIES.

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Turkey - a game changer?

21 SOCIETY 22 CULTURE

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07 ANALYSIS

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Flying car from Slovakia?

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The failed coup attempt this July against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his regime came at a time when the Middle East is already stricken with civil wars and terrorism and Turkey is positioning itself in the region in relations to the EU, the United States and Russia. Our international analyst looks at this complicated situation and considers Turkey’s alternative to drift towards the West or Russia, “with the current cast of the actors in this play, one should not be overly optimistic in this respect.”

The country in focus in the September issue of Diplomacy & Trade is the Republic of Slovakia that shared statehood with Hungary for over nine centuries. The Slovak Ambassador to Hungary, Rastislav Kácer discusses with Diplomacy & Trade the heritage of this common past and says he is happy to see that there are less political problems between the two countries nowadays and the remaining ones are open to discussion “in a cultivated manner”. Based on Slovakia’s membership experience in the Euro-zone, he strongly recommends the Hungarian government adopt the common EU currency. In a separate article, the Ambassador also talks about his country holding the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of this year.

We also continue the Swiss supplement begun in the August issue with an interview with the President of Swisscham Hungary.

At the Rio Olympic Games, Hungary finished 12th on the medal table, which is a great achievement but it should also be noted that – with one exception – this was the poorest medal tally (15) over the past 80 years.

Hungary also seems to be doing well in corruption. You can read on our business page what Transparency International has found regarding young people’s perception of corruption and what leading diplomats had to say about this at the Sziget Festival.

Our culture section introduces a special arboretum and winery while this month’s WittyLeaks article has been authored by the Greek Ambassador, Dimitris Yannakakis who shares his thoughts on Greek relics in Budapest.

Swisscham Hungary starts a new decade

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HUNGARY 12TH ON THE MEDAL TABLE AT RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

Hungarian athletes won eight gold, three silver and four bronze medals at the 31st Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this August. This tally of medals puts Hungary in 12th place on the medal table of nations – but analysts also point out that the total of 15 medals is the poorest performance for Hungary in the past 80 years, except for the ten medals (3 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze) won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The most successful member of the Hungarian team was swimmer Katinka Hosszú who won three gold and a silver medal by winning the women’s 200and 400-meter individual medley events (smashing the world record in the latter) as well as the 100-meter backstroke and finishing second in the 200meter backstroke. Flatwater kayaker Danuta Kozák won her fair share in three other Olympic victories for Hungary: she won Hungary’s 500th Olympic medal as she defended her individual 500-meter title won in London four years ago, she was member (along with Gabriella Szabó, Tamara Csipes and Krisztina Fazekas-Zur) of the kayak-four team that defended their London Olympic title at 500 meters and she – paired with Gabriella Szabó – also won the kayak-double 500-meter event in the Rodrigo de Freitas Laguna in Rio de Janeiro.

The third sports that produced gold medals for Hungary was fencing. First, Emese Szász crowned her career by beating Italian Rossella Fiamingo in the women's individual epée final and then, Áron Szilágyi defeated Daryl Homer of the United States to defend the saber title he won four years ago in London. Apart from Hosszú, swimmer László Cseh (men’s 100-meter butterfly) and fencer Géza Imre (men’s individual epée) also finished second while the Hungarian bronze medalists in Rio included field athlete Anita Márton (women’s shot put), swimmer Tamás Kenderesi (men’s 200-meter butterfly), swimmer Boglárka Kapás (women’s 800-meter freestyle) and the men’s epée fencing team.

All in all, Hungarians have won 176 gold, 151 silver and 174 bronze medals in modern Olympic history, including four medals in the artistic events (between 1924 and 1948) and six medals at the Winter Games.

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MINISTRY CALLS STAGNATION OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH TEMPORARY

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, AEROMOBIL.COM, MÁRTON MÓNUS, COURTESY PICTURE

SZILÁRD KOSZTICSÁK/MTI, 123RF.COM, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, CAN STOCK PHOTO INC.

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The Ministry for National Economy expects stagnating industrial output growth to be transitory in Hungary, as both order volume and industrial confidence indices are pointing to further expansion, Minister of State for Economic Development and Regulation István Lepsényi said, commenting on the latest industrial output data released by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office.

According to a statement by the Ministry for National Economy, the Minister of State emphasized that although the volume of output fell year-on-year by 0.3 percent in June, the indicator, as a whole, rose by 2.3 percent in the first half of the year. The slight decrease in June is mainly attributable to a high base in the previous year, he added.

In the second quarter – following a minor drop at the beginning of the year – the volume of output picked up and grew by 4.5 percent yearon-year, and by 3.1 percent quarter-on-quarter. As another positive sign, the volume of industrial orders is also on the rise. István Lepsényi stressed that next week’s detailed data might shed more light on the performance of individual sectors.

Hungary’s confidence indices are also signaling further expansion, he said. The GKI-Erste economic sentiment index of July 2016 showed marked improvement compared to the reading of the previous month. Within this, the industrial confidence index hit the highest level in oneand-a-half years. Several indicators – state of business, incoming orders and stocks – have improved. Capacity utilization was another factor regarding which sentiment was better than in the previous quarter, he pointed out.

A THOUSAND MORE CHARGING STATIONS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES? Hungary is moving into higher gear in the field of electromobility as the Ministry for National Economy (NGM) announced a tender offering HUF 1.25 billion (appr. EUR 4 million) of non-refundable grants for establishing charging stations for electric vehicles in the country. The announcement was made by Minister Mihály Varga at a press conference. He expects the amount, up for grabs between September 15 and December 31 this year for the municipalities of towns and cities that have at least 15,000 inhabitants, will be enough to establish approximately a thousand charging stations.

The initiative is an important element of the Ányos Jedlik Plan, the Hungarian government’s regulatory and support framework to popularize electromobility.

The plan outlines the advantages offered electric vehicles, such as the use of bus lanes, reduced parking and motorway fees, and tax breaks. The minister said the government program sets the objectives to be achieved in the field of environmental protection and economic development within this expansion of the national charging network as a priority by supporting the expansion of electromobility. He stated that support for such improvements is to achieve the possibility of charging and thus, the use of electric vehicles become available in larger settlements in Hungary.

Mihály Varga underlined that this competition fits well with the government program to support e-mobility. He was of the view that by introducing the concept of environmentally friendly vehicles and a green license plate for cars with electric engines, the simplification of legislation for the establishment and operation of charging stations and a number of tax relief measures, the government has created favorable conditions for the use of electric cars. The minister called it an important part of the action plan that the government encourages the introduction of electric vehicles in public transport, as well.

According to government data cited by the Hungarian business daily Világgazdaság, the number of electric vehicles rolling on Hungarian roads has increased almost threefold in half a year, up from January’s 361 to 932 by the end of the first half of 2016. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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HUNGARY MOVES UP IN GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX

Hungary ranks 33rd in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2016, having advanced two places compared to the 2015 GII, a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, portfolio.hu reports.

In the rankings of 128 countries only the Czech Republic of the Visegrád Four ranks higher than Hungary, although it slipped to the 27th place from the 24th last year. Slovakia ranks 36th (37th in 2015), whereas Poland jumped from the 46th to the 39th place. On a 0-100 scale, Hungary scored 44.7 points, up from 43 points in 2015. WIPO’s analysts evaluated institutions, including the political, regulatory and business environments, human capital & research, including education, tertiary education and R&D, as well as the infrastructure. The list of the world’s 25 most-innovative economies is led by Switzerland (also Number 1 in 2015), followed by Sweden (3rd in 2015), the United Kingdom (2nd in 2015), the United States (5th in 2015), Finland (6th in 2015) and Singapore (7th in 2015). China has joined their ranks for the first time, stepping forward to the 25th place from the 29th last year.

HUNGARIANS WORKING ABROAD SEND HOME LESS MONEY

Hungarians working in foreign countries permanently or temporarily sent home less money last year than in the previous year, the business daily Világgazdaság said on Friday citing World Bank figures. The total transfer was 450 million dollars less than in 2014. According to preliminary data, Hungarians working abroad transferred 4.2 billion dollars to Hungary last year, the majority of which probably went to family members or for loan repayments. The total transfer was 450 million dollars less than in 2014, the paper said. The article, quoted by the Hungarian news agency MTI, says that the last time the income of Hungarians working abroad decreased was at the start of the global economic crisis, it added. Last year saw a drop in transfers not only

by Hungarians working abroad but by all workers from developing countries who worked abroad.

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­company briefs Hungary’s leading pharmaceutical company, Gedeon Richter Plc., has signed an exclusive license agreement with the international pharmaceutical group Recordati to commercialize cariprazine, a novel atypical antipsychotic, in Western Europe and in Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey.

Cariprazine was discovered by Richter scientists and is licensed to Allergan (earlier Forest / Actavis) in the United States and Canada. Following its FDA approval in September 2015, the product was launched in the USA in March 2016 under the trademark of Vraylartm for the treatment of both bipolar mania and schizophrenia.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) started the evaluation of Richter’s marketing authorization application for cariprazine for the treatment of schizophrenia in March 2016. Under the terms of the agreement, Recordati shall make an upfront payment upon signature of the contract, and further milestone payments shall be made depending on the progress of both the regulatory procedure and the commercialization of the product. In addition, further sales related royalties will become payable to Richter following the launch of the product.

In line with the agreement, Richter shall be responsible for conducting Pediatric Clinical Studies according to the Pediatric Investigation Plan, as required by the European Medicines Agency's PDCO (Paediatric Committee) and it shall be co-financed with Recordati.

AUDI TO SCALE BACK IN GYŐR AND MOVE 750 WORKERS ABROAD Audi is going to reduce the number of shifts per day from three to two at the Győr plant in Hungary at the end of this year until manufacturing of the new Q3 model starts, affecting 750 of the 4,000 people employed at the plant.

As of December, the usual three shifts at Audi Motor Hungária will be replaced by two. This kind of production flexibility is necessitated by the life cycle of the products Audi is currently manufacturing. The move from three shifts to two means that the plant will be temporarily making fewer cars than usual in Győr.

Although, Audi sales have increased worldwide, the TT Coupé, TT Roadster, A3 Limousine and A3 Cabriolet models made in Győr are past the middle of their life cycle, which is typically six years in the auto industry; therefore, demand for them is subdued.

Of the 11,400 Audi Motor Hungária employees, 4,000 work at the manufacturing plant; of them, 750 will be affected by the changes. The corporation is offering them a plan for employment at Audi plants in other countries until the production schedule in Győr is back to the usual three shifts.

ERSTE HUNGARY: HIGHEST PROFIT OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS For the first time in five years, the Hungarian branch of Austria’s Erste Group has recorded profit in the first half of 2016. Erste Bank Hungary’s pre-tax profit came in at HUF 33.6 billion, as a result of increased retail lending, improved performance in the corporate business and the reduction of the bank tax.

The news was announced by Erste Hungary’s Chairman-CEO, Radovan Jelasity.

As portfolio.hu reported, Erste has added Citi’s former credit card agents to its payroll; Erste Mortgage Bank Zrt. has received an operating permit from the central bank (MNB) and the permit is currently pending for the bank’s first bond issuance program, and Erste acquired a 2.3% share package in the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE) from ING Bank. The framework agreement with Corvinus International Investment Zrt. and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRDS) has been signed on the sale of a 15% Erste stake to each of them. The transaction is to be completed in the following weeks. The bank’s loan stock continues to decrease, the amount of bad loans is also diminishing and will continue to ebb. Performing corporate loans grew to HUF 318 bn from HUF 305 bn and performing retail loans expanded to HUF 619 bn from HUF 617 bn.

OIL AND GAS TRUST MOL BUYS BACK SHARES FROM CREDIT AGRICOLE Hungarian oil and gas group Mol exercised its option rights and acquired Mol ordinary shares from Credit Agricole (a French network of cooperative and mutual banks comprising the 39 Crédit Agricole Regional Banks), according to a statement by the company in early August. Mol announced today that regarding 2,129,666 Mol Series "A" Ordinary shares it has exercised its option rights arising out of the share option agreement concluded with Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank on December 7, 2015. The purchase price was EUR 42.0749 per share. As a result of the transactions the number of treasury shares increased by 2,129,666. After the transaction Mol Plc. directly and indirectly owns 7,557,260 "A" series and 578 "C" series Mol ordinary shares. Mol’s share price did not move on the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE) on the day of the announcement (August 5) closing at HUF 17,160.

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BUDAPEST AIRPORT TO BUILD NEW LOGISTICS BASE FOR DHL EXPRESS

Budapest Airport and DHL Express have signed a strategic agreement concerning the development of a new facility for the Deutsche Post DHL Group company in Hungary. This is the second large-scale investment by Budapest Airport and DP DHL, after the latter’s freight forwarding business units moved into a new facility built in the Airport Business Park in 2013.

Budapest Airport says it will develop a large warehouse and office complex for the airport operations of DHL Express. The full area of the new DHL Express base near Terminal 1 of Budapest Airport will reach 13,000 sq meters. The preparation of the site has already begun, and will be handed over to the Hungarian construction company Market Építő Zrt. in September. The new premises of DHL Express will accommodate approximately 300 employees at the airport. Today, DHL Express performs its daily operations with two aircraft: an Airbus A300-600F aircraft connecting Budapest with the main European hub in Leipzig and a Boeing 737 handling inbound volumes from Brussels.

DHL Express has been present in Hungary for more than 25 years. The new lease agreement between Budapest Airport and DHL Express for another 20 years clearly reflects the commitment of the DHL Deutsche Post Group to Hungary and the airport. “This is another successful example of Hungarian-German cooperation, creating growth and new job opportunities in Hungary. Aviation connectivity both in the cargo and the passenger area is a key factor for the growth of a modern economy, and we are committed to contribute to this,” Budapest Airport CEO Jost Lammers said at the signing of the agreement.

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The Sunday turnover of the biggest retail chains in Hungary has only now recovered to the level from before the implementation of the Sunday shopping ban. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government banned retail stores from opening on Sundays, with a few exceptions, in March 2015 and abolished the controversial regulation this April. This means it took stores about four months to heal from this 'wound’.

According to the online news portal mno.hu, SPAR has almost as large a turnover on Sundays than before the no-work Sunday law came into effect and several other retail chains reported similar changes. Actual sales figures are considered business secrets by most of the players, therefore, no official information was provided by them.

The recovery is good news but regulations which continue to create tensions remain in effect. One of the most debated issues is the supplementary payment to those working on Sundays and the question of rest days.

According to the latest information, a solution may be found to these until 2017, before that the cabinet will not address these issues.

When the cabinet did away with the shopping ban, it also lowered the supplementary Sunday payment to 50% from 100%, as a consequence of which 80,000 to 100,000 employees who work on Sundays now earn less. The Labor Code also stipulates that at least one Sunday a month must be free, but several organizations that the junior governing party, the Christian Democrats (KDNP) took under its wing, now want two free Sundays. The opposition Socialists proposed to Parliament the reinstatement of 100% supplementary Sunday payment but the motion was voted down by the governing parties.

KEY DRUG BY HUNGARY’S RICHTER TO BE SOLD IN WESTERN EUROPE

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RECOVERY FROM BLOW

BY SUNDAY SHOPPING BAN IN HUNGARY

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PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS

A NEW EASTERN QUESTION – WHITHER TURKEY?

There are few things in which the observers and experts agree on with regard to Turkey, but one of them is that the country is pivotal not only in the regional power struggle, but her relationship with the EU, the U.S. and Russia may well be a game-changer on a much wider scale, too. At first sight, Ankara’s relations with the EU and the U.S. have become more strained, while relations with Russia have eased and a rapproachement of sorts can be seen between Turkey and Russia, especially after the recent Putin-Erdoğan meeting in St. Petersburg.

However, one should not jump to conclusions about the understanding between the two leaders; the press reports were only talking mostly about economic agreements, and it was reported that the discussion on political-strategic questions, such as the fate of Syria, was put off until the next meeting of the two leaders. What seems to be clear is that their meeting was designed to send a message to the other outside powers interested in the broader Middle East: they should count on a potential Russian-Turkish joint policy in settling some of the outstanding issues in the region.

This is not a welcome development especially for the U.S., which has made huge efforts to push the Russians out of the region. Moscow sent another warning to Washington that it is back in the new ’great game’ when Russian aircraft took off from an Iranian airfield to bomb the ISIL positions. A Russian-Turkish-Iranian cooperation might be a nightmare for the Americans; it is not at all inconceivable that when the Obama Administration made a deal with the Iranians over the latter’s nuclear program, it wished to set a foot in the doorway before the Russians.

US-Turkish relations have been rocky for some time. The close military cooperation between them was a Cold War exigency and was dictated purely by mutually shared interests – shared values did not really play a role. With the passing of the Soviet threat, Turkey, very much like Germany, started to pursue a more independent security policy from that of Washington’s. Thus, in 2003, it turned down the American request to use Turkish airbases (at Incirlik and Diyabakir) and Turkish soil in the attack against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

The presence of Fethullah Gulen in the U.S. since 1999 has been a source of friction between the two sides: the religious leader and his followers and wide network of institutions in dozens of countries are seen as a threat by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan since two fell out with each other. The likely underlying reason is that Gulen’s vision of the political and religious future of Turkey does not mesh with that of the Turkish leader’s; in fact, current President Erdoğan has repeatedly purged the Turkish military and civil service from the suspected Gulenists – the latest and the most widespread occasion came after the failed putsch in July 2016.

The Turkish government claims that Mr. Gulen initiated the coup and, by implication, the U.S. Administration was behind it or, at least, had previous knowledge about what was going to happen. In fact, in late March, a group of mostly neoconservatives sent a letter to President Erdoğan and demanded that he should observe human rights and strengthen U.S.-Turkish relations. Some of them, including Charles Kruthammer even called for a coup. On the other hand, the first senior foreign leader who rushed to Turkey after the July putsch was Marine Corps w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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TURKISH COUP IN AN ALREADY SENSITIVE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION

General Joseph Dumford, the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his Turkish counterpart, General Hulusi Akar hastened to assure him that Turkey ”desires to keep a broad partnership with the U.S.,” especially within the framework of NATO. So far so good, but the future of the Assadregime, the question of the Kurds in the region, the fate of Fethullen Gulen, whose extradition Ankara has officially requested, are only few of the outstanding issues which must be addressed if the US-Turkish ‘broad partnership’ is to be realized.

The EU-Turkey relationship is no less complicated than the US-Turkish one. Turkey resents the fact that it has been kept waiting for accession to the EU for long years for various reasons, including economic, political, security, and cultural considerations. The migration crisis seems to have given a trump card to the Turkish leadership. It has become more than obvious that the initial Willkommenskulturapproach has been misguided, and the EUleaders who advocated the policy were – and are – desperately trying to extricate themselves from the corner they had boxed themselves into – without, possibly, losing face. President Erdoğan submitted a relatively long list of demands in return for stopping unregulated migration into the EU. The Wunschlist incorporated such items as stepping up accession talks (but only if Turkey meets more than 70 conditions), a substantial amount of cash (EUR 3 billion), and visa-free travel to the EU-countries. The EU promised to admit as many Syrian refugees from Turkey, as many of those illegally crossing the Greek-Turkish border can be deported back. The two sides started to walk back on their promises after the July putsch. Thus, visa-free travel, which was originally to be introduced in October this year, is likely to be put into motion not earlier than next year, while some senior politicians in EU-countries suggested that the accession talks be suspended. The Turkish Foreign Minister retorted that if Turkey does not get the visa-free travel, the rest of the agreement is also void and null (in other words: Turkey will let all the migrants through). Nevertheless, there are people who are not so hot-headed; the eminence grise of the German cabinet, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble declared that he did not like what Turkey was doing, but it was no reason to suspend accession talks. The EU is in a precarious situation: if Brexit is completed, it will have borders with the U.K., Russia, and Turkey – with a weakened geopolitical position.

Turkey seems to have arrived at a fork in the road, as well. It either continues to align itself with the West, the U.S. and the EU, or drifts closer to Russia. Although, this dilemma should not be an ‘either … or’ question, in the emerging Cold Warlike atmosphere between the West and Russia, the two options may be mutually exclusionary.

The domestic dimension should also be taken into account: the ‘Russian option’ may give a freer hand in domestic politics to President Erdoğan than the ‘West option’, especially if Ankara still wants to join the EU. In this critical situation, much depends on the ability of the parties involved of being able to think strategically instead of attempting to score tactical, short-term victories against the other side. It is sad to say that with the current cast of the actors in this play, one should not be overly optimistic in this respect.

Tamás Magyarics is a foreign policy analyst

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INTERVIEW WITH RASTISLAV KÁCER SLOVAK AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY

CHERISHING a COMMON HERITAGE

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acquire a stake in the Slovak oil company, Slovnaft, and get hold of a ‘strategic asset’, the refinery in Bratislava, there was fear of what would happen to Slovak national interests.

However, the deal has turned out to be a true success and today, the Bratislava refinery is just as Slovak of a business as it was before and it is one of the – if not the – best refineries in Europe in terms of efficiency. It also clusters a number of thriving businesses in the area,” the Ambassador points out.

He adds that “apart from this, there are a lot of over-the-border small and medium-size enterprises on which I believe we should

Economic relations The major player in Hungarian-Slovak bilateral relations is by far the Hungarian oil and gas trust MOL. “At the beginning when MOL was trying to S E P T E M B E R

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SLOVAK TOURIST BOARD

their heritage, how they cherish that heritage.

At the last nationwide census, some 29,000 people declared themselves of Slovak nationality in Hungary but the actual number of people speaking the Slovak language is lower and lower every year. I have visited villages that had a sizeable Slovak community in the 1950s with their own school but now, barely anyone speaks the language.”

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national minorities in each other’s country. The Ambassador highlights that “this October, we are going to have a group meeting to talk about the issue of national minorities as part of our bilateral discussion mechanism. In Slovakia, we are very proud that the Hungarian minority is doing very well and that they are strongly represented in the government; a Hungarian party has important positions in the Slovak parliament and government. The Slovak minority in Hungary has shrunk since 1918 when Slovakia became independent of Austria-Hungary. Today, they represent a very important matter for us. I am pleased to see how proud these people are of

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

When Rastislav Kácer was appointed as Ambassador to Budapest in 2013, press reports said that the Slovak government sent a ‘heavy-weight’ diplomat, emphasizing the importance of bilateral relations. The Ambassador tells Diplomacy & Trade that “it is really a compliment that they call me a ‘heavy-weight’ but you should know that Slovakia has always taken its bilateral relations with Hungary very seriously and this was reflected in the fact that it always sends very experienced diplomats to Budapest.”

One characteristic of being neighbors and having a common historical past is the presence of

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BY SÁNDOR LACZKÓ

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slovak focus VISEGRÁD – AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT OF COOPERATION

Ambassador Kácer says “I’m a true believer in the European union and a true believer in NATO. I like instruments of cooperation that bring nations closer together. But here, we should apply consistently the principle of subsidiarity. It is often spoken about in terms of economics and policy-making but I think it applies in all terms. As a Slovak, I’m proud of being from this region, I always like to return to Central Europe and support my place of birth but I’m also very proud to be Slovak and I’d like to do the best for my country in the region and in Europe. When it comes to Brussels, I always look back to Central Europe as a place of common heritage. So, we need to build our interests from the region up to the top cooperative level at both EU and NATO in Brussels. I’m a true believer in regional cooperation. The Visegrád Group was an excellent invention. This was for us a kind of maturity that we were ready to cooperate and I think we’ve been proven right.

I believe the Visegrád cooperation has achieved a lot, it is an important trademark today, and it is an esteemed corporate mechanism but with a bit of sourness in it: the migration crisis. Therefore, the image of the Visegrád Four nowadays is not the best. Part of the problem is the presentation, how we have done things in the past few months or a year or two. We should work on our strategy to bring sympathy to the Visegrád cooperation in Europe again. concentrate even more as they form a solid basis for our economies. The automobile industry is one that plays an important role in both the Slovak and the Hungarian economies, with a couple of big investors in both countries. Slovakia is now becoming the world’s No. 1. in car production per capita. There is a lot of related business that is creating a web of suppliers operating in the two countries. All this also helps the creation of research and development activities, especially in the electric car and intelligent car concepts with dozens of engineers in Slovakia working on this.”

Bilateral trade is very stable and dynamic. For Hungary, Slovakia is the third most important trading partner. “The only discrepancy I see here is that there is much more investment from Hungary to Slovakia than vice versa. I hope this will change – the appearance of the Slovak investment company HB Reavis in Hungary is one good example and could encourage others to follow suit,” he stresses.

Cultural ties

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

SLOVAK TOURIST BOARD

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This is an area that Ambassador Kácer comments on by saying that “we have less than I would wish for.

There are a lot of great Hungarian artists that are unknown in Slovakia and vice versa. The presentation of culture often shrinks to the exchange of folklore

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

EURO – A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE

Slovakia joined the Euro-zone in 2009. As regards the Slovak experience in the past almost eight years and the Hungarian government’s uncertainty about the adoption of the common currency, Ambassador Kácer says “Hungary should have joined the Euro-zone a long time ago. I believe it is an extremely important thing. In Slovakia, it has two dimensions: economic and political.

Regarding the economic dimension, the picture in Slovakia is overall positive as far as the consequences of the adoption of the Euro is concerned. We have not seen any substantial increase in prices after joining the euro-zone, in fact, it has somewhat helped bring down the prices of electronic goods, for instance. Using the Euro has actually helped us to be more stable, we have grown faster, even in the time of economic turbulence. Along with Poland, Slovakia is still one of the top-growing countries among states that joined the EU in 2004 or later.

As for the political dimension, the European Union is as good as the member states make it to be. Again, I’m a true believer in European integration, understanding, of course, that is it not perfect but we should work to make it as perfect as possible. The Euro-zone, itself is not perfect, either but it helps a lot psychologically. It gives you the comfort of not having to change money – both for companies and individuals – as you feel more at home in another country having the same currency. I am not a fan of creating a multi-speed Europe but you gave to see that the membership in the Euro-zone already means belonging to a core in Europe, and being part of this club gives you a political strength, access to different types of information and connections.”

groups. However, there is a huge dimension to explore in terms of true cultural cooperation. It was a nice thing earlier this year that Slovakia was the featured country at the Budapest International Book Festival. We presented dozens of Slovak books translated into Hungarian. There are also a lot of Hungarian books translated into the Slovak language – some by ethnic Hungarian writers who are Slovak citizens. They did an excellent job. These things bring the two peoples closer to realizing how similar our thinking is and how common we are with only HUNGARY

SLOVAKIA

93,028 sq km 110 9,897,541 (July 2015 est.)

90 -0.22% (2015 est.)

207 9.26 births/1,000 population 214 75.69 years 94 1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population 58 $26,200 (2015 est.)

71 6,8% (2015 est.)

79 11,786,000 (2012) 78 41 (2013) 104

49,035 sq km 131 5,445,027 (July 2015 est.)

118 0.02% (2015 est.)

147 9.91 births/1,000 population 195 76.88 years 77 0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population 76 $29,700 (2015 est.)

62 10.6% (2015 est.)

121 6.676 million 108 35 (2013) 111

nuances of difference. This is an excellent example of how cultural relations should evolve but we still have to do a lot in this respect.”

As a wine lover and wine expert, Ambassador Kácer brings up the example of wine as an area where a lot needs to be done in bilateral relations culturally. “I grew up in a vineyard, in a wine culture. Wine is a common cultural heritage for Hungary and Slovakia. Still, you can hardly get Hungarian wine in Slovak stores and Slovak wines are basically unknown in Hungary. Perhaps,

the only Slovak winemaker known in Hungary is Frigyes Bott, one of the best in this profession in Slovakia – perhaps, because his products are marketed like Hungarian wines. ” Talking about wine also brings into discussion issues such as geographical protection and designation of origin, like in the case of the Tokaj brand originating from a region whose northern part became Slovak territory after World War I. As the Ambassador notes, “I never understood these disputes. The Tokaj issue has always been a mystery to me. The denomination of Tokaj reaches back some 200 years to the time of Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. I understand that many Hungarians are nostalgic about the pre-Trianon [the peace treaty in which Hungary lost much of its territory in 1920] era but it seems irrational to me not to comprehend that part of the historical Tokaj region now belongs to Slovakia. This split region should not be subject to competition – or if it was a competition, it should be the friendliest and healthiest goodneighborly competition in the world. So, for me this dispute is senseless and I believe the EU made the right decision that the Tokaj denomination belongs to both Hungary and Slovakia.” One thing is for certain, though. “When I finish this Budapest posting, I leave this country with a big load of Hungarian wines: Furmint and Hárslevelű, as I believe these are topclass European wines,” he adds.

As a private person, Rastislav Kácer says his posting here is obviously very different from that in the United States. “This is the first time in my diplomatic life that l feel like I am an ambassador in my home country. It is very hard to compare with Washington, D.C., for instance. In the late 19th and early 20th century, there lived around 100,000 Slovaks in Budapest with five Slovak language dailies and two theaters performing in Slovak here. In fact, Budapest was the city with the largest Slovak population in the world.

So, it is a natural habitat for us and it is easy to feel at home here. In the southeastern corner of Hungary, you can still see some preserved pieces of Slovak heritage that are no longer well preserved in Slovakia because it is a much more open environment. I like Hungarians; they are very hospitable people – of which I’m not surprised, at all, as it is part of our common ancestry. Wherever I go, people are kind to me and I appreciate friendship. All this means that Hungary will have a special place in my heart after I leave this country.”

DISCUSSING ISSUES IN A CULTIVATED MANNER

As for the aims Ambassador Kácer set for himself when he took up his position in Budapest in the fall of 2013, he notes that “I want Slovak-Hungarian relations to be boring. This is exactly the same thing I said about Slovak-American relations when I was appointed as ambassador to the United States in 2003 – boring in the sense that they are conducted so smoothly and quietly that most people never hear about them. If I look at this from a Slovak-Hungarian perspective, what particularly comes to my mind are the times when Vladimir Meciar was Slovakia’s prime minister in the 1990s. In those times, we heard a lot about Slovak-Hungarian relations – and not in the most pleasant way! So, in my opinion, the best relations are the ones that work and you don’t hear about them! Today, I think, we have reached that point. The two prime ministers meet often and have very good relations and the same is true for the two foreign ministers, the two Presidents and those at lower political levels, as well.” At the same time, Ambassador Kácer says that this close relationship does not mean that the two sides do not see certain things differently.

He notes that “some time ago, there was an agreement made between the two prime ministers that whatever happens, however sensitive an issue comes up, the quality of relationship calls for behind-the-scenes dialog, discussion in a cultivated manner and the two sides do not ‘wash the dirty laundry’ in public. You sit face to face, you say what you like and what you don’t like, you strive to solve the problem and not make a big splash in the media about it. I wish to stick to these principles during my time as ambassador here.”

Source: World Factbook

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AN HONEST BROKER at THE HELM THE FIRST SLOVAK PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

THE PRESIDENCY TRIO

and experts in the respective Ministries.

We strengthened human capacities in the Ministries and other central state authorities by 350 people,” the Ambassador explains.

It was also necessary to build up communication and coordination structures in the framework of all central state authorities that joined the Presidency preparation. Therefore, an organization called ‘Inter-ministerial Coordination Council for the Preparations for Slovakia´s Presidency of the Council of the EU’ was created. Regarding the costs of holding the Presidency, Ambassador Kácer says “our goal is to be very economic and pragmatic. We have a realistic plan and we do not expect to exceed the EUR 70 million limit.”

He adds that “during the preparation for the Slovak EU Presidency we tried to learn from the experiences of the Hungarian Presidency (held in the first half of 2011) as from other presidencies. Utilizing Hungarian expertise and experience of its EU Presidency is very useful

THE PRIORITIES OF THE 2016 SLOVAK PRESIDENCY

The Slovak Presidency comes at a time when the European Union is facing many challenges: decision of the citizens of the UK to leave the EU underlines the need for discussion on the future of the EU; the migration is testing the ability to maintain the integrity of the Schengen area; there is still much to improve in terms of mutual cooperation in the field of internal security. “It is a challenge for the presidency country as well as for the EU institutions and Europe. And I am sure that Slovakia can, in such a difficult situation, be an honest broker as the Presidency country has to be,” Ambassador Kácer says.

The program of the Slovak Presidency focuses on four priority areas.

In the aim for an ‘economically strong Europe’, the Presidency supports the implementation of actions leading to the completion and deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union. The Presidency also supports alternative sources of finance for companies, including SMEs, among other means, through the Capital Markets Union. The Slovak Presidency will also attempt to reach an agreement on the EU budget for 2017 and on the mid-term review of the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework The second priority is the ‘modern single market’, especially in the area of energy and technology. The Slovak ambition is to contribute to the creation of a resilient and competitive Energy Union, with the main focus on energy security. It can bring safer supplies and better prices not only for wholesale customers but for households, as well. The Digital Single Market can also provide a unique opportunity to achieve tangible benefits for citizens and businesses.

The third priority is ‘sustainable migration and asylum policy’. It is the Presidency’s response to the migration crises. The main objective is the fully functioning Schengen area. The protection of the EU´s external borders is a key precondition for it.

Furthermore, the effective cooperation with third countries of origin and transit also need to be established.

The fourth priority is the ‘reinforcement of the global role of the EU’. Stability in the eastern and southern neighborhoods of the EU has been significantly weakened in recent years. The Slovak Presidency will therefore promote an effective European neighborhood policy. The enlargement policy is also an effective means of ensuring a democratic transition for the integrating countries. “We want to be active in strengthening transatlantic ties and developing relations with other strategic partners of the EU. Nowadays, we are all facing challenges how to communicate the benefits of the EU more understandably and how to restore citizens’ trust in the EU. This is very important task for us – to bring the EU closer to the people,” the Ambassador points out.

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for Slovakia. A positive element of our cooperation is the participation of the Hungarian diplomat working within the framework of the Slovak Foreign Ministry capacities during our Presidency. Likewise, during the Hungarian EU Presidency, a Slovak diplomat was working within the capacities of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry. It is a good example of mutual trust.”

He adds that “this is also the leitmotif of the series of meetings which our Embassy has commenced under the Slovak EU Presidency.

We are trying to create an informal ‘debate club’ for EU Heads of Missions accredited to Hungary with special guests representing the Hungarian Government. The interest is obvious and I personally consider these meetings as an added value to the current discussions of the up-to-date challenging EU issues. But, not to be dipped just in politics, we are delivering to Budapest series of cultural events and exhibitions to show the best from our country.”

As this is the first Slovak EU Presidency, the related activities are considered ‘test studies’ for the country and all those involved. “It´s a period of tasks and exams and we all have invested much work and energy to this process. It wouldn’t be successful without the individual commitment of the Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and his team. Slovak diplomats worked hard to prepare for the moment of July 1. For the people at the Slovak Embassy in Budapest, the Presidency is considered a challenge, and we approach it with respect and responsibility, but also with a positive attitude and a great sense of enthusiasm. All our effort is aimed at reassuring the countries in which we operate that Slovakia will be a negotiator and mediator during its Presidency,” Ambassador Rastislav Kácer concludes.

Diplomatic activities During its Presidency, Slovakia has become a place of intensive diplomatic activities and toplevel visits. The agenda includes a wide range of political and professional meetings, cultural and other events. Approximately 20 informal meetings of ministers and ministerial conferences take place in Bratislava during this period. Also, close to 180 events are hosted at expert and working levels. The cultural programs of the Slovak Presidency are presented in all countries where Slovakia has its diplomatic missions.

The Ambassador stresses that “no doubt, the culmination of the Slovak Presidency will be an informal summit of heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states to be held on September 16 in Bratislava. This summit will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss the future of the EU. And we need to talk if we want to create a better Union. We need common solutions.”

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Slovakia holds the Presidency of the European Council in the second half of this year for the first time in its history. The Slovak Ambassador to Hungary, Rastislav Kácer points out to Diplomacy & Trade that the European Union is a unique project. “It has brought peace, prosperity and security. I am very happy that Slovakia can be part of it. Our membership brought many benefits to my country. During the past twelve years, we have become stronger economically, socially and geopolitically. It is a great honor for Slovakia that it can contribute to the progress of the Union more than ever before.”

Preparation for the Slovak EU Presidency began already in 2012. “In the first phase, we concentrated especially on technical issues, logistics, HR, budget conditions. Later on, we focused on content and agenda, i.e. for the Trio Presidency and Slovak EU Presidency Program. Very important was our investment into the human capacities. i.e. diplomats

RASTISLAV POLAK/EU2016.SK

Regarding issues inherited from the previous Presidency, held by Holland, Ambassador Kácer states that “continuity is the key. The Dutch Presidency had been focused on a comprehensive approach to migration and international security; Europe as an innovator and job creator; sound, future-proof European finances and a robust Eurozone, and forward-looking policy on climate and energy. Our government takes into account the need to continue – our priorities do not change. But we must respect the new situation after the British referendum, evolving legislative work plan of EU bodies and, of course, the expectations and requirements of the EU member states.”

Between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 Slovakia is in a Presidency Trio with the Netherlands and Malta. The work of the Trio enables smoother shifting between the presidencies of the countries involved. This Presidency Trio created a work program which attaches strong importance to economic issues, also responding to the current challenges to security that stems from migrant crisis. The Trio program also refers to very important policies such as job creation, competitiveness, the Digital Single Market and the Energy Union. The Trio’s co-operation rests on five pillars. a) Jobs, Growth, Competitiveness. – This also means support for innovation, SMEs and youth employment. b) A Union that Protects All Citizens. – “We commit ourselves to stepping up the efforts in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. In this regard, priority has been given to the swift adoption of measures aimed at modernizing education and establishing links between students and the labor market,” Ambassador Kácer highlights. c) An Energy Union with a Forward-looking Climate Policy – The greatest amount of attention is expected to be paid to reducing Europe’s dependency on the import of fossil fuels. The completion of the EU’s energy market constitutes another priority. d) Freedom, Security and Justice – According to the Ambassador, “we draw our attention to the quality of external border management, the fight against organized crime, corruption and terrorism. The struggle against illegal migration and people smuggling is a very important topic in Europe.” e) The Union as a Strong Global Actor – A stronger partnership with neighboring countries, support for action in conflict prevention and speaking with one voice externally also feature prominently among the efforts of the presidency countries.

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BUILDING A STRONG AND RESPECTED V4 BRAND SLOVAK FOREIGN MINISTER SPEAKING BEFORE HUNGARIAN DIPLOMATS

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HARANGOZÓ

For the first time, at the annual Budapest conference of Hungarian mission leaders serving in different parts of the world, diplomats were addressed by the foreign ministers of all four countries of the Visegrád Group (V4) at the end of August.

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcák began his speech by reminding the audience that his visit to the Hungarian capital took place on quite a historic date – August 29, the day “we commemorate the 490th anniversary of the Mohács battle when the solitary army of Hungarian King Louis II was defeated by the Ottomans. Consequences of the battle profoundly shaped 150 years of our history, but only until this entire region rose up and joined forces to defeat them at Vienna in 1683. A lesson from the past events is that we can achieve much more together – and not only in Central Europe,” he said.

He stressed that many years later we are again facing a new set of huge challenges. “It looks like crisis has become a buzzword. But the answer does not lie in spreading pessimism, embracing fragmentation and accepting radicalization or extremism. We need mutual empathy, the will to compromise and a pragmatic response to the discontent of our citizens,” he pointed out.

The Minister highlighted that the program of the current Slovak Presidency of the European Union does not pretend to contain a miraculous prescription for all EU problems. “But a European citizen is in the heart of our program.”

He said it is clear that the current situation requires the Presidency to be pragmatic, uniting and representing the people’s voice: pragmatic because it is high time to deliver very concrete and tangible results; uniting since fragmentation and individual approach must be overcome in Europe and represent the people’s voice “as we need to deal with the real problems of our people.”

Addressing the Brexit issue, Minister Lajcák stressed that maintaining the United Kingdom as close as possible along with building a sound partnership with the UK after it leaves is a key issue. “While we all agree no negotiations can be launched before the notification, we cannot afford the uncertainty to last for long. Once they start, they must be carried out in good will and with no inclination towards any punishment. The result shall be a balanced agreement with both parties feeling comfortable and satisfied.”

The Minister is certain that the outcome of the Brexit vote represents a reflection of voters’ dissatisfaction with the current EU, but it is not a UK issue only. “It concerns us all – we witness similar fragmenting tendencies in other Member States too. They might have been temporarily weakened after the UK referendum, but a threat of further disintegration persists.” This is something to be clearly avoided, he said. “I am sure that my V4 colleagues will agree with me that further fragmentation and crumbling into small clubs is undesirable. Our countries have profited enormously from European integration. We are thus very cautious when ideas like the opening of founding treaties or creating new dividing lines in Europe are floated.” w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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in the EU supported by the noticeable trend towards regionalization. It has experience in intensifying mutual cooperation through concrete projects (e.g. V4 innovation task force, V4 battle group, Visegrád patent office, V4 as a tool for sharing transformation knowhow in the neighborhood). “It also has a good sense of strategic vision because after 25 years the project is fully viable. All this can provide valuable input into the EU’s reflection process.”

Engaging the member states and the people

Strong and respected V4 brand “By building a strong and respected V4 brand, we do not want to create any new division lines. On the contrary, the full use of one of the guiding principles of the EU – subsidiarity – represents also the basis of the Visegrád cooperation. We believe that this grouping has to be at the heart of discussions about key issues of future Union.

Our voice must be heard aloud no matter how critical or simply different we might be,” he said.

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At an informal summit of EU leaders on September 16 in Bratislava, the Slovak Presidency wishes to start the process of reaching the STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VISEGRÁD COOPERATION consensus on At the forum for Hungarian ambassadors, host Péter the EU’s strategic Szijjártó stressed that the Visegrád cooperation is in priorities. “The the best state it can be in at just the right time, as the Summit will bring European Union is facing many serious challenges, all about a difficult but at the same time. He was of the opinion that in these vital discussion on turbulent times, the positions of the Visegrád Group hold more weight together than they would if its members the EU´s major were representing individual opinions. Therefore, the V4 problems. It will alliance has become relevant in the debate on the EU’s have to deal with future, he added. the most urgent Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski stressed areas in the coming that central Europe expects to be taken seriously and considered as a partner by the rest of Europe. He weeks and months pointed out the NATO summit in Warsaw last month had and obviously strengthened European cooperation. He highlighted that look beyond our Russia’s actions since 2014 had caused some cracks in Presidency. I hope the security system but expressed hoped that Russia did that its future result not intend to undermine NATO’s credibility. He also unwill be mirrored in derlined the need for the V4 to contribute to the security of Europe and the region through defense cooperation a common EU27 and joint military exercises. position on the His Czech colleague Lubomír Zaorálek pointed out that future direction of the European Commission should be unbiased and the EU.” trustworthy and should represent unity – this is not Minister Lajcák the case at the moment, he added. He was of the view believes it is that Europe’s job now is to rebuild its unity. The most important task right now is to ensure the stability of the particularly European project after Brexit, he said. In his opinion, important to better Britain’s decision to leave the EU should be taken as a communicate the sign of impending radical institutional change. As for the EU policies and Visegrád Four, Minister Zaoralek said the V4 has been the benefits of useful in helping its four member states enforce their EU membership interests, especially regarding the migration crisis. to the citizens. ”We should not hide behind complicated language but rather talk simply and clearly. In other words, we must talk the language of ordinary people not the language of bureaucrats. We should also think of new and more attractive forms of engaging the wider public in the EU affairs. Our communication strategy must be tailor-made depending on the situation and audience.”

He stressed that the EU is not only formed by Bringing up the example of migration, he was of the Brussels and its institutions but first and foremost by its Member States who should, therefore, be the main view that the voice of the V4 helped the EU leaders “realize that if we fail to improve protection of external driving force behind the EU’s renovation process. borders and reduce the influx of migrants, the “I believe that all of us in this room know that the EU is a solution and not a problem. And that it has situation can spin out of control. It is in V4’s natural interest to maintain a fully functional Schengen no alternative whatsoever despite its malfunctions.

But we need to find way show to convince those system and preserve the right of free movement of people with all economic and social benefits.” unconvinced – our many fellow citizens outside this room,” the Slovak Foreign Minister concluded.

He also mentioned that the V4 has a legitimate role

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FLOURISHING AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION

OVER A MILLION CARS A YEAR ARE MANUFACTURED IN SLOVAKIA

FLYING CAR FROM SLOVAKIA? HIGH-TECH ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT ATTRACT INVESTORS In late October this year, Slovakia will host an innovation conference with the European Commission that will highlight nano-, bio- and other advanced technologies. During a visit to Bratislava this June, Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, met representatives of a company that is designing what may be the world’s first flying car.

"There is a start-up hype in Slovakia," Patrick Hessel, founder and CEO of c2i s.r.o. in the town of Dunajská Streda, the country’s entrepreneur of the year by Ernst and Young, is quoted by the Bloomberg news agency. "The situation is very different from 10 or even five years ago."

C2i is an 11-year-old company and one of dozens of cutting-edge companies popping up in recent years in the central European nation where entrepreneurs who trained abroad are returning to their homeland.

They are taking advantage of cheap land and skilled workers to develop products from the Hyperloop capsule (to haul up to 50 passengers) and plasma drills to flying cars.

According to Bloomberg, Slovakia seeks to use the six months of its rotating EU Presidency to show off its technological potential. The government’s aim is to broaden the country’s reputation beyond the world’s largest carmaker per-capita and attract high-tech investors.

The news agency reminds that following four decades of state-planned economy that ended with the fall of communism in 1989, entrepreneurship had a slow start in Slovakia when many left the country of 5.4 million to pursue education and job opportunities in Western Europe. After transforming itself into an automotive hub – with about a million cars a year rolling off production lines at factories owned

by Volkswagen, Kia and Peugeot – a reverse ‘brain drain’ is taking hold. And those returning are bringing foreign expertise with them.

"Considering that we are such a small country, we have been able to come up with quite a few innovative products," deputy economy minister Rastislav Chovanec said, adding that "the government wants the country to move in this direction."

Recently, Slovakia has grown to become one of the leading car producers in world, primarily thanks to the presence of three world-class automotive companies being established in the country: Volkswagen Slovakia in Bratislava (since 1991), PSA Peugeot Citroën Slovakia in Trnava (since 2003) and Kia Motors Slovakia in Žilina (since 2004).

According to a summary by the Slovak Investment and Trade development Agency SARIO, the automotive components industry in Slovakia has flourished hand in hand with the rise in automotive

production. More car component makers are constantly shifting their operations to Slovakia, to the various industrial parks set up near Bratislava, Trnava, Žilina and Martin. Automotive parts production plants have increased the value of their production more than tenfold within the last decade.

Among the important activities of modern automotive industry development can be listed not only the construction of the latest automotive plants with the latest technologies, but also the first initiatives in the development of e-Mobility in Slovakia.

Research and development activities and results in the field of electric vehicles took place at Slovak universities: Technological University in Košice, Slovak Technical University in Bratislava and University of Žilina. Continually developing cooperation with Slovak universities and research centers is also of great significance.

Key numbers provided by SARIO indicate that the automotive industry became the most important sector and driving force of the Slovak economy. Over the past 20 years it has also been an important source of foreign direct investment.

The number of people employed directly by the three car producers – VW, PSA and Kia – and their Tier 1 suppliers is 80,000, while the total number of direct and indirect employees is around 200,000.

The share of the automotive industry in the country's total industrial production is 43%, while the share of the automotive industry in the total industrial export of Slovakia is 35%.

The volume of industrial export generated by the automotive industry is EUR 17 billion, and the estimated added value in the country’s automotive industry is EUR 2.5 billion.

AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCERS IN SLOVAKIA FACTS AND FIGURES VOLKSWAGEN YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT

1991

PRODUCTION - 2014

394,474 vehicles

SALES - 2014

EUR 6.17 billion

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

9,900

MODELS PRODUCED

VW Touareg, Audi Q7, VW Up!, Škoda Citigo, SEAT Mii, Porsche Cayenne, body in white for Bentley Bentayga

ANNOUNCED EXPANSION

construction of new SUV bodyshop (EUR 1 billion investment)

KIA Motors YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT

2004

PRODUCTION - 2015

338,000 vehicles, 582,000 engines

SALES - 2014

EUR 4.59 billion

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

3,800

MODELS

Kia cee’d, Kia cee’d Sportswagon, Kia pro cee’d, Kia Sportage, Kia Venga.

ANNOUNCED EXPANSION

extension of production capacities (EUR 140 million investment)

PSA Peugeot Citroën YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT

2003

PRODUCTION - 2015

303,025 vehicles

SALES - 2014

EUR 2.08 billion

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

3,500

MODELS

Peugeot 208, Citroën C3 Picasso.

ANNOUNCED EXPANSION

start of new Citroën model production in 2017

Jaguar Land Rover YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT

2015

START OF OPERATION

2018

PRODUCTION CAPACITY

300,000

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

2,800

MODELS

Premium SUVs.

ANNOUNCED INVESTMENT

establishment of the new manufacturing facility (EUR 1.5 billion investment)

A TECHNOLOGICAL JOURNEY

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Bloomberg also visited the outskirts of the Slovak capital where a “yellow and grey hangar houses the twodecade-old conception of Stefan Klein, an engineer with a pilot’s license, and Juraj Vaculik, an advertising executive. The third generation of the model – with retractable wings, a petrol engine and a body that can handle motorway speed – has spent seven-and-a-half hours in the air during test flights and is now displayed in the entrance lobby of the European Commission building in Brussels to underscore Slovakia’s focus on new technologies.

The company, AeroMobil, is competing with visionaries such as Google’s billionaire co-founder Larry Page to roll out a flying car. But being first isn’t the goal, says the company’s chief technical officer, Doug MacAndrew. AeroMobil’s next prototype, which now exists in life-size technical drawings on walls and a wooden mock-up of the cockpit, will be the basis for the commercial model that may go on sale in 2018, according to MacAndrew. He points out that "we don’t see this as a race, we see it as a technological journey. Being first would be nice but not necessary."

The news agency notes that while it is easier now to lure talent to eastern European start-ups, access to financing remains a more complicated issue. Unlike in Western Europe and the United States, where developed stock markets allow for initial public offerings to raise money, Slovak entrepreneurs are more dependent on private investors and EU grants. For instance, Aero­Mobil received a EUR 6 million subsidy from the government to cover research costs.

"The entire region is underserved in terms of venture capital," says Christian Mandl, a Belgiumborn managing director of the Bratislava-based Neulogy Ventures, which manages a EUR 26 million fund that now invests in 30 companies. "For an investor, this means an opportunity."

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slovak focus

Slovakia, the center of Europe

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SLOVAK TOURIST BOARD

BECOMING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE VISIBLE AS A HOLIDAY DESTINATION ALL OVER THE WORLD “Nearly 4.3 million tourists visited Slovakia in 2015, which is historically the highest figure in the era of independent Slovakia. While in the past we were a final destination mainly for visitors from neighboring countries, in 2015 we recorded a significant increase in the percentage of visitors from West European countries, as well as from distant markets such as China and the USA,” Soňa Jelínková, Head of the Hungarian Regional Office of the Slovak Tourist Board (SACR) tells Diplomacy & Trade. According to her, in 2015, a 17% increase was seen in the number of international visitors, compared to the previous year. “A considerable increase was also recorded in the number of Czech tourists, which surpassed the half-million mark. There were also more Polish, Germans, Austrians else in Europe. In a total 9 national parks, and Hungarians spending their holidays in tourists will find majestic peaks, deep valleys Slovakia. These countries are priority markets and mysterious gorges, crystal clear glacial in the light of total tourist figures. In 2015, lakes, peaceful lowland rivers, sand dunes 70,000 Hungarians traveled to Slovakia, for and pine forests.” Jelínková also mentions long weekends mostly, spending an average the Herľany Geyser that is renowned for its 2.5 days in the country that is often promoted low temperatures of 14-18°C. “From 1957as the ‘Little Big Country.’” Jelínková explains 2006, it was the only cold geyser in all of that in Slovakia, everything and everywhere Europe. Today, similar geysers can be found is “nearby”. “It takes only a couple of hours to only in Iceland! Also, that the water from get from the Danubian Lowland to the Central the hot springs in Podhájska has even more European Highlands. Travelers can go swiftly beneficial effects than the world famous Dead from urban agglomerations to secluded, Sea water?” Jelínková continues, adding that romantic highway gateways with unspoiled Slovakia is a castle superpower with its 220 nature. At the same time, my compact-sized castles and castle ruins, including the UNESCO mother country is incredibly diverse and is World Heritage site Spiš Castle, one of the ten full of with world rarities, worth admiring. For largest castles in the world (40,000 square instance, no other country has, compared to meters). “An additional 425 chateaus and its size, as many mineral manor houses dots the springs as Slovakia. country, a lot of them are DID YOU KNOW? There are 1,657 officiallyreconstructed and open registered springs, but there 1. A seven-hundred-year-old as 4 or 5 star hotels, enterprise, the Kremnica Mint has probably are many more prepared for guests been making coins since 1328 and yet to be discovered. It's who respect historic is the oldest continuously-operating also difficult to find another heritage, such as the enterprise in the world. It also country where there are so 5-star Hotel Château manufactures Slovak euro coins and is many caves available to the Béla where British Prince renowned in the fields of numismatics public in such a small area: Harry was spotted in and the history of art and technology.

Slovakia has the largest 2014.” Jelínková also 2. SACR receives contributions from the karst area in Central Europe highlights the beautiful State Budget specialized for marketing with more than 7,000 caves Art Nouveau style hotels and state promotion of tourism in the and chasms. Tourists can in the High Tatras, Slovak Republic. The organization was explore caves with ice such as the Grandhotel established in 1995 by the Ministry of decoration (Dobšinská Starý Smokovec and Economy and today it is the competence Ice Cave), limestone the Grandhotel Praha of the Slovakian Ministry of Transport, structures (Domica; with in Tatranská Lomnica Construction and Regional Development. boat ride on the Styx River, which both served as Gombasecká Cave), as well a popular meeting 3. A Slovakian fairytale written by as with extremely precious point for the European Slavomír Szabó about a snail, ’Kraszko csigácska’, grew very popular recently aragonite crystal decoration aristocracy in the last among Hungarian kids. The Hungarian (Ochtinská Aragonite Cave) century, and which, today translation of the book was introduced which is found nowhere offer guests indulging in some Hungarian schools and free copies were sent to disadvantaged children. Schoolkids from the SouthHungarian Szekszárd sent me a number of paintings and drawings influenced by this fairytale character, which will be exhibited during September on the walls of the Károlyi Restaurant and Café in Budapest’s District 5. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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wellness services, unforgettable experiences and lots of romance. “Currently, I look forward to see the re-opening of the legendary Hotel Lomnica that is often referred to as ‘The First Lady of Tatras.’ This majestic,123year-old hotel will officially open following a complete renovation on January 26, 2017, in the presence of Georg Habsburg.”

Newest numbers According to Jelínková, this year has the potential for increased visitor growth, as a result of Slovakia presiding over the Council of the EU which will further raise public awareness of the country. Figures already indicate a 39 % growth in the number of Hungarian tourists who arrived between January and June. "Slovakia is presented as a peaceful and safe country, which is particularly important nowadays. This year Slovakia hosted a number of important sporting and social events that attracted an increased number of visitors. Of these can be mentioned the European Figure Skating Championships held in Bratislava in January, the Women's Ski World Cup in Jasná in March and the Coronation Celebration Festival held in Bratislava in June," she notes, adding, “To me, Slovakia will always remain the center of the whole universe, but if you hear somebody say that Slovakia is the center of Europe, that is not a joke,” the SACR officer laughs. “In a beautiful spot at Kremnické Bane in Central Slovakia, next to the ancient Church of St. John the Baptist, there

is a stone marking the geographical center of Europe.” The growth of tourism in Slovakia has also been appreciated by the ETC (European Travel Commission) in its 2015 report. In terms of percentage growth of international visitors in 2015, Slovakia is ranked third in Europe - surpassing popular destinations such as Austria, Spain, Greece and Italy.

workshops and a roadshow, as well as infotrips for journalists and tour operators across Central European countries, with the aim of heightening the visibility of the destination and increasing the number of arrivals,” Jelínková notes. “In the Hungarian market specifically, SACR has introduced school road-shows, targeting students – and also, indirectly, their grandparents, who may have, once upon a time, learnt to ski in the Czechoslovakian mountains and who would be likely to return to those ski resorts today for a nostalgic winter holiday guarding their grandchildren. Only these places have been transformed to stateof-the-art winter resorts in most cases, all linked with ski buses and complete with superb cable-car service. Today top skiing resorts organize various interesting events for visitors such as the annual Hórukk (Snow Jump) Ski Cup to next take place in Stara Lesna on January 19-22, 2017. Those in love with adrenalin sports in the summer, can choose from canoeing, rafting, water-skiing, sailing, windsurfing, paragliding, bungee jumping in a wide range of attractive locations.” According to Jelínková, golf has become more and more popular in Slovakia. Currently, 12 high-quality golf courses and 10 well-equipped golf academies operate in the country, including the 18-hole golf course ’Grey Bear Tále’ in the heart of the Low Tatras that hosts PGA Tours. Wine routes are extremely popular, too, visitors are invited to discover wine cellars in the lowlands, the southern slopes of the Carpathians and in Tokay. Breweries, still houses, distilleries and mead production facilities are also open for visits, and, according to Jelínková, the best way to enjoy these beverages is with traditional dishes and gastronomic delicacies such as the ‘bryndzové halušky’ (a sort of potato dumplings with special sheep cheese usually topped with fried bacon). “As you can see, our country is a great four season destination to all, from low cost travelers to those looking for a luxury trip. Our new slogan ‘Slovakia, good idea’, says it all.”

V4 cooperation “In distant markets SACR is presenting Slovakia as part of the V4 group countries' cooperation project called 'Discover Central Europe'. In addition to our participation in tourism fairs, we are also holding joint

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ENDEMIC CORRUPTION SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED HOW YOUNG PEOPLE PERCEIVE CORRUPTION - SURVEY

Transparency International Hungary (TI), the Publicus Institute and the Corvinus University jointly researched in July 2016 what young people think of corruption and which media broadcasts they follow. Young people do not believe that endemic corruption should be tolerated, this is perhaps the most important lesson learnt from the representative survey of five hundred people between the ages of 18 and 29.

The study entitled ‘Perception of Corruption and Media Consumption of Young People in Hungary’ was presented at Budapest’s Sziget Festival by Transparency International Hungary executive director József Péter Martin. The research reveals that eighty young people out of a hundred think that corruption is a serious problem in Hungary, and 77% of the surveyed consider that it is public services that are the most infected with corruption. According to the survey, more than half (54%) of young people have personally experienced corruption: 39% in healthcare and 29% during police procedures.

Bell stressed “I believe that by confronting corruption in a systematic and rigorous way, and by doing the hard work of educating people about the importance of transparency and accountability – this culture of tolerating corruption will change. Working together with government and civil society to raise awareness and empower citizens, just as Transparency International is doing here, I believe we can make enormous progress.” She also said that “Fighting corruption is notoriously difficult, it requires a long term commitment, and success is often hard to measure. Events like these raise awareness to the importance of combating corruption, and the studies that you conduct teach us how we can better direct our efforts.”

On behalf of the French Embassy in Budapest, Anne-Marie Maskay underlined that “raising awareness among young people is a key element to fighting corruption, in Hungary and everywhere in the world”. The Deputy Head of the French diplomatic mission in Hungary added that “this is why, in what has now become a tradition, France is happy to lend its support to TI Hungary’s 2016 summer campaign at the Sziget Festival”.

If you are corrupt you can succeed, if you play it straight, you’ll fail 71% of young people think that people who are willing to engage in acts of corruption have more chance to succeed in life compared to straight, decent people. Many of the surveyed therefore think that corruption is the key for success in Hungary. Young people consider politicians (members of government and of the Parliament, mayors and municipal representatives) to be the most corrupt.

For example, 84% refer to the shady real estate deals of politicians as corruption.

Silence about corruption – it is all in the news elsewhere More than half of those surveyed expect the media to inform people about the risks of corruption. At the same time, frequent news of corruption trigger indifference in young people, and news about theft in the size of hundreds of millions or billions of Forints is difficult to comprehend. In a focus group with young people it was also stated that due to the excessive amount of news on the misuse of government funds, it is impossible to follow who stole how much. Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 get information mainly from news sites on the Internet, and they regard online newspapers and foreign news channels as trustworthy. On the other hand, they don’t trust state media, and find that it does not report on government corruption.

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TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL HUNGARY

What exactly young people regard as corruption?

Apart from the questionable enrichment of politicians, young people also regard crony capitalism as corruption: 76% think that it is a form of corruption when government contracts are awarded to family members and business friends of decision-makers. The government-financed construction of stadiums and the money-drain of the Central Bank (MNB) through its various foundations finished in what can be described as a dead heat: both are considered corruption by 61% of young people. The survey shows that the long-term memory of young people is in good shape, as nearly two-thirds of them still consider corruption the scandalous reallocation of tobacco kiosk licenses in 2013 by the government. In addition, three-quarter of those surveyed judged graft, outrageous land auctions and the widespread misappropriation of subsidies from the European Union as corrupt.

Don’t tolerate it!

TI’s report of the study states that although four-fifths of young people think that corruption pervades the entire country, an even larger percentage (84%) feel that this should not w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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be tolerated. Two-thirds of people between the ages of 18 and 29 would be willing to report wrongdoing to the authorities. This is a welcome response, since according to the 2012 survey of TI, four years ago, only a quarter of young Hungarian people would have turned to the authorities with the suspicion of corruption. The majority of those who would not report corruption either fear that they would get in trouble or have no faith in the credible investigation of their report.

József Péter Martin pointed out at the presentation of the study that “findings of our research illustrate that youth view corruption as a serious problem in the country and think it should not go unsanctioned,

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however, they believe that honest people who take a clear stance against corruption have little chance to succeed.”

Contributions from abroad and from Hungary Transparency International Hungary’s research and campaign has been accomplished with contributions from the United States’ Embassy in Budapest, the French Embassy in Budapest and OTP Fund Management Ltd. Colleen Bell, the United States’ ambassador to Budapest and Iain Lindsay, head of the United Kingdom’s diplomatic mission in Hungary also participated in TI’s event at the Sziget Festival. In her remarks, Ambassador

METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH

The survey was conducted in July 2016 by using both quantitative and qualitative methods. In the quantitative phrase, Publicus Institute questioned 500 people by telephone. The results of the quantitative research are representative among the population of Hungary between the ages of 18 and 29 by sex, level of schooling, region and the type of residence. In the qualitative phrase, Tamás Bokor, professor of the Social Communication Doctoral School – which works in conjunction with the Institute of Behavioral Science and Communication Theory at the Corvinus University of Budapest – and the students of the Doctoral School organized five focus groups with 31 people and a duration of one and a half hour each.

Two focus groups were organized in Budapest, one in Gyöngyös, one in Kecskemét and one in Székesfehérvár with participants of mixed sex, level of schooling and age.

Participants of the focus groups were Hungarian citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 living in the given location.

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switzerland

An Active Chamber with Partners SWISSCHAM HUNGARY BEGINS A NEW DECADE WITH FRESH IDEAS

“I always say that the role we – the CEO of Swisscham Hungary and myself – play is that of coordinators. This work obviously depends on what work is required from us by the members and how susceptible they are to the ideas we come up with regarding events or any other programs. In Switzerland, there is an extensive and long tradition of cooperation among the economic players, thus, most of the Swiss companies have an inherent openness towards chamber life. It is really great to work in such an environment and come up with new ideas as we always find people who support us and we can organize an event as it should be. The chamber alone would not be able to do it successfully but we always have partners and we always have very active embassies (in Budapest and Bern) behind us,” he explains.

Dual education is a hot topic nowadays.

Swisscham had already voiced the necessity for this last year and even before. “It is obviously the task of the government but we have tried to help with visits to our member companies and meetings with government

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THE GRAND TOUR OF SWITZERLAND IN HUNGARY

As the Swisscham President explains, the idea originated from the Swiss Embassy in Budapest, and Ambassador Paroz, based on a project that had proven successful in Switzerland. “An interactive map of Hungary, found on the website of the Embassy, includes as many places as possible in connection with the different aspects (cultural, historical, economic, etc.) of Swiss-Hungarian relations – aspects that symbolize the past, present and hopefully, the future ties between these two countries. The Embassy approached us with this idea and what we could contribute to the success of this initiative was actively involving in the project those members of ours that also had some anniversary to celebrate. This made business life appear on this map in a more accentuated way. We also agreed that this map would not simply be a website presentation but also a series of events.” A couple of important companies welcomed this idea – the first being Nestlé, celebrating their 150th anniversary as well the 25th year of their presence in Hungary.

They had a large-scale event in the Hungarian Parliament Building where they emphasized that the company not only had a past in this country but a future, as well, announcing their biggest ever investment in Hungary, a pet food production plant in Bük. Other anniversary companies mentioned by Dr. Béres in this respect include the railway rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail (10 years in Hungary) and the world’s leading quality insurance firm SGS (25 years in this country). “So, all in all, our contribution to this presentation of Switzerland in Hungary was to put more emphasis on business life,” he points out.

officials, presenting the Swiss examples that already work well. Ambassador Paroz even offered to set up meetings with competent Swiss government officials, if needed, so that decades-long experience could be passed on – at least partially,” the President highlights.

As for Swisscham trying to be topical, he mentions the example of EKÁER (the Electronic Trade and Transport Control System). “When the idea suddenly came up, we organized a forum, involved tax advisory companies, summed up the experiences and sent it to the Ministry in charge of the issue. Eventually, some of our findings were included in the Hungarian regulations.”

framework and background, so, no wonder that Switzerland ranks No. 1 in global innovation.

Naturally, the companies themselves also invest in innovation – it is part of their life. In Hungary, you cannot emphasize enough the necessity of all this,” the President says. He adds that the other issue to be highlighted in next year’s Swiss Business Day is human resources.

“We plan to present positive examples in dual training so that the companies and future employees alike find this initiative useful.”

As business lunches with government officials or corporate lecturers are no longer that popular, “we are going to organize professional forums on topics like dual education or taxation. We hope that lectures such as the one regarding the regulations Hungarian companies must comply with if they wish to start a business in Switzerland will be popular.

This is an area where we would like to share information, provide contacts, etc. The Hungarian embassy in Bern is very active in this area but we also do our best to help,” the Swisscham President concludes.

Launching the next two decades One of the most successful events at Swisscham Hungary is the Swiss Business Day; next edition will be held in 2017. “We will stick to the well established structure and ideas but there will be novelties, as well. What we will keep is the theme of innovation, partly because innovation has a huge tradition in Switzerland. Billions of Swiss francs are spent each year by the state on its innovation institute that provides a secure S E P T E M B E R

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“The whole of last year was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Swisscham Hungary Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce,” the President of the organization, Dr. István Béres points out in an interview with Diplomacy & Trade. “It began with an anniversary gala dinner where all the previous chamber leaders were invited. The event was also honored by the presence of Swiss Ambassador to Hungary as well as the Hungarian Ambassador to Switzerland, former Hungarian foreign minister János Martonyi, Hungarian government officials as well as the high-ranking representatives of member companies and sponsors who are very important in the life of Swisscham, including the top eight Swiss firms present in Hungary. For those of us managing Swisscham, the presence of such prestigious people was very reassuring feedback,” he adds.

At the anniversary general assembly, lectures were delivered by the Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Marie-Gabrielle IneichenFleisch (who timed her 2015 visit to Hungary for this occasion) and the Hungarian Minister for National Economy, Mihály Varga. Both speakers discussed bilateral relations and declared that business ties between the two countries are quite solid and vivid.

István Béres has been President of Swisscham in three quarters of the chamber’s two-decade history. He has had good working relations with all Swiss ambassadors during this period but he says “in retrospect, I believe Ambassador Jean-François Paroz, who left Hungary this August, was the most active of them all. He gave priority to economic issues in which he considered Swisscham (with its 100 members) the Embassy’s No. 1 partner.

If we turned to him with major programs, like dual education or Swiss Business Day, he always supported our endeavors.”

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SZEMREVALÓ | SEHENSWERT

EYEFUL IS BACK IN 2016!

FESTIVAL OF NEW FILMS FROM GERMANY, AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND On September 22 – October 1, the EYEFUL Festival is back for the fifth time. Organized jointly by the Embassy of Switzerland, the Austrian Cultural Forum, and the Goethe-Institut, EYEFUL brings, to Budapest’s Művész Cinema, the best new films from German-speaking lands, including a number of prize winners. The films will be shown in original language, with Hungarian – and in some cases English – subtitles. Guests can watch 18 films, many of which have female directors. During the course of the festival, the audience can meet many of the filmmakers. A short selection of SZEMREVALÓ will be shown in Szeged, Debrecen and Pécs.

On September 22, the SZEMREVALÓ Festival will begin in the Művész Cinema with ‘Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer’ staring Burghart Klaußner and Ronald Zehrfeld. The film – winner of 6 prizes this year at the German Film Awards – tells the story of the man who brought highranking German Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann to justice.

One of the gems of the festival this year is ‘Toni Erdmann’ written and directed by Maren Ade. Its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival gained the film immense success. In this comedy-drama a father tries to reconnect with his adult daughter and he chooses a most unusual way to do it. The audience at SZEMREVALÓ can choose from a unique selection of 18 German, Austrian and Swiss films. Some talk about human values and dramas, while some will be truly entertaining.

The following films can be watched with English subtitles:

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German actress and director, Nicolette Krebitz’s ‘Wild’ was in competition at Sundance Film Festival this year. It is a surreal modern Little Red Riding Hood story about a girl living in a flat alone with a wolf. In the shocking Austrian film, ‘Agony’ a twenty-four-year-old student from Vienna kills his lover and chops up her corpse.

Her torso is found in a dumpster, other body parts and the head are missing. There is no clue about the motive of the murder. The film is a silent chronology of the events revealing the life of 24-year old Christian and 17-year old Alex. In ‘Einer von uns Julian’, a 14-year old teenager, dies surrounded by the colorful products of a huge supermarket. The film is inspired by a true story and shows the rebellion of the local youth against the bleak life of suburbia. Awardwinning ‘Herbert’, a German film directed by Thomas Stuber, shows the life of a former East German boxing champion working as a bouncer and debt collector who is forced to reflect on his life when he is diagnosed with a fatal disease.

Im Spinnwebhaus Jonas is already head of the family at just 12 years of age. He has been helping his two younger siblings and supporting his mother, Sabine, since his father left. Sabine is very loving towards her children but she often loses her patience and disappears into her room for the day. Mysterious demons drive her to spend a weekend away to relax in the "sunny valley".

Finally, in ‘Nichts passiert’, Thomas Engel is always anxious to avoid conflict at any cost.

This compulsive striving for harmony, however, proves to be his road to ruin. He will fight for a peaceful solution. Violently, if need be.

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Certifying Fair Business Deals SGS IS ON THE FORBES LIST OF MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES Testing, inspection, certification – these three words and their abbreviation (TIC) cover market activities estimated at around USD 80 billion worldwide. One of the major players on the global scene in this business is SGS S.A., based in Geneva, Switzerland. As András Kákonyi, the Deputy Managing Director of the Hungarian subsidiary, SGS Hungária explains to Diplomacy & Trade, this sector is basically about reducing risks and providing security for companies in virtually every field of business: producers, service providers and their clients and even the government sector.

“What we do reduces the risks in business transactions. Also, with new innovative solutions, we can enhance the operational efficiency of businesses, as well. For this purpose, we develop solutions and provide advisory services.

SGS inspects and certifies whether goods and services comply with national or international standards or even with specific requirements – whatever the client wishes.”

are also proud of the fact that SGS Hungária is a market leader in Hungary in the system certification area, as well, and that the largest and most important firms in Hungary – national and multinational – are all among our clients,” he adds.

Last year, Forbes ranked it among the world’s most innovative companies. Gábor Párkányi, Business Manager for Agriculture, Food and Life at SGS Hungária, offers an example in which the Hungarian subsidiary contributed to the achievements of the global SGS network.

“In 2008, we developed a process in connection with pneumatic sampling. One could read about this vacuum technology from the 1960s in the United States. However, that was a stationary machine, we actually developed the mobile version and also managed to achieve reaching 30-40 meters into the pile of material to be sampled (like in silos or ship holds) that no one could do before.”

As regards the company’s social responsibility policy, András Kákonyi points out that SGS as a service provider has a small environmental footprint. “Although, if we take into consideration that it is present in some 140 countries with close to 80,000 employees and given the characteristics of the services we provide whereby our staff travel a lot relatively, it is not hard to indentify issues where SGS has its responsibilities. We wish to minimize the hazardous material emission of both our offices and the vehicles we use and we always set challenging goals for ourselves as far as the protection of the environment is concerned. We would like to set examples and be market leaders in this respect, as well.”

The local company has dedicated environmental experts – conscious of protecting and developing the environment – who operate an environmental management system. One great example of this environment consciousness is the planting of a whole forest at Kunszállás in the eastern part of the country.

“Every year, a certain amount of money is earmarked for social responsibility activities. The latest example being the support for the Hungarian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing whose representatives visited schools with our help to talk to kids to make them conscious of people with impaired hearing,” the Deputy Managing Director concludes.

From grain shipments to system certification

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SGS in Hungary SGS has a quarter of a century history in Hungary. András Kákonyi notes that there was a representation office here even before the change of the political system in this country in 1990. “It was at that time, though, that markets opened up and it was important for SGS to gradually appear on the markets of the former Soviet bloc among which Hungary was the first where SGS established a daughter company. I must say that establishing a subsidiary in Hungary in 1991 and our activities in the past 25 years have been a success story for SGS. It started with a few staff members and today, it provides employment – in one way or another – to close to 400 people. We have Central Europe’s largest agriculture and foodstuff inspection laboratory in Nyíregyháza, NE Hungary. Given Hungary’s natural endowments, this lab mainly provides services in connection with the food chain.”

The company has gone through a continuous, unimpeded development in the past quarter of a century and nowadays has sales revenues of over HUF 3 billion (close to EUR 10 million).

This puts SGS into the market leader position in Hungary. SGS Hungária is an important element within the global SGS network. “It has been a

regional leader for many years and many approval functions of the network – both regionally and globally – are in Hungary, which we are very proud of,” he stresses. Also, SGS’s highest decision-making body, the Operations Council, had Hungarian member for many years, the former MD Ágnes Berki and the present MD Ladislav Papik. Currently, Ferenc Petik, András Kákonyi’s predecessor in the post of Business Manager for Certification and Business Enhancement, is Global Technical Manager at the mother company in charge of continuously developing the professional contents of SGS services. “We

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, SGS HUNGARIA

also in the 1980s that system certification was added to the portfolio through an acquisition. In 1981, the company was introduced to the stock exchange and it has continued to grow ever since.

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The history of SGS began 138 years ago with the inspection of grain shipments in a French port. “It was important even back in 1878 to verify the quality and quantity of shipments so that sellers and buyers could be assured of making a fair business deal. It was the world’s first quality inspection company for which the verification of grain shipments remained the core business for a long time,” the Deputy Managing Director adds. Headquartered in Paris, the firm grew steadily and by the eve of World War I, its network comprised 45 branches in all the major European harbors in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic Coast, the Mediterranean and the Black sea.

During the war, the corporate headquarters were transferred from Paris to Geneva in 1915. “This move also demonstrates the impartiality and independence of the company – values that are among the most important ones in our business,” he points out.

Even in the 1950s, some 80% of the company’s sales revenues were from the core business.

However, from the 1920s, a new tendency emerged: the inspection of other raw materials such as mineral products (like ores and coal).

Then, after World War II came the inspection of consumer goods and in the 1960s, SGS extended its services to other industrial areas (inspection of machinery and other pieces of equipment), as well. In the mid-1960s, the company acquired various laboratories and set up its oil, gas and chemicals branch, targeting the oil and gas industry. While in the 1950s, SGS’s international presence meant European dimensions, by the 1970s, it appeared on the American continent and – with the dissolution of the colonial system – in Asia and Africa, as well, turning it into a global company. The ‘80s also produced an important transformation: in 1980, only 50% of the sales revenues came from activities conducted a decade before. It was

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witty leaks WITTY

LE A K S

IN THIS SERIES, DIPLOMATS SHARE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES ON “EXCURSIONS”

into Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy & scenery.

A GREEK WALK IN BUDAPEST

REFLECTIONS ON A ‘LIVING BRIDGE’ BETWEEN GREEKS AND HUNGARIANS

BY GREEK AMBASSADOR DIMITRIS YANNAKAKIS

For a Greek, Budapest is a very interesting place because of the presence of the Greek diaspora here in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many buildings of the 5th district in particular, bear witness to the presence of Greek merchants. On Széchenyi Square (recently renamed but for most people still known as Roosevelt Square), you can see the Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Lánchíd), which was financed to an important extent by Georgios Sinas, who is commemorated below one of the lions on the Buda side of the bridge. His son, Simon Sinas, was the largest donor and founder of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences )see upper right corner) on the same square. Both were important benefactors of the new Greek state and Simon Sinas even served as Greek Minister to Vienna.

On Vörösmarty square, you can see the house of the Mouratis family (currently the building of the Bank of China), one of whom, Irene Mourati, bore a future Prime Minister of Hungary, Pál Teleki. On the other side of the Gerbeaud building stands the building of the Lykas family, whose descendants are still

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the economic crisis, tens of thousands of Greeks visit Budapest every year, many of them during the Christmas holidays.

Traffic is, of course, not one-way. The role of Hungarian civil engineers in the construction of the Isthmus of Corinth is well-known. Over the years, many Hungarians have visited Greece and continue to visit it every year, attracted by our beaches, warm weather, hospitality and culture. Hungarian football players and coaches are very well-known in Greece. The most famous was of course Ferenc Puskás, who brought Panathinaikos to the final of the top continental competition for clubs, the European Cup in 1971. A plaque celebrating his contribution was inaugurated in Athens in 2014, in the presence of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Coach Márton Bukovi is remembered for leading Olympiacos to winning two Greek championships in 1967 and 1968, whereas wellknown players such as Lajos Détári, Márton Esterházy and, more recently, goalkeeper Balázs Megyeri, have also made their mark.

This historic and continuing presence of Greeks in Hungary, as well as of Hungarians in Greece, forms a living bridge between our two peoples. There is certainly a lot of sympathy on both sides and I have found many Hungarians to be warmly supportive during the difficult period which Greece has been living through in the last few years. This human link makes Budapest an even more pleasant and interesting place for a Greek diplomat.

From Beloiannisz to Puskás

present at meetings of the Greek community.

On Váci street 26, you can see inscriptions with the name of prince Alexandros Ypsilantis, who started the fight for Greek independence in 1821 in what is now Romania. After his effort was suppressed, his fighters were helped by the Hungarian people. The Greeks of Hungary were grateful for this and fought on the Hungarian side during the 1848 revolution. On Haris utca, a memorial plaque commemorates George Harisis who built the first covered market in Pest. Overlooking the Danube on Petőfi tér stands the impressive and graceful Church of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin which was built at the end of the 18th century by wealthy Greek merchants.

The Greek presence in Hungary is, of course, very much older and dates back to the early Hungarian Kingdom. The lower part of the Hungarian Holy Crown has Greek inscriptions and is thought by many experts to have originated in workshops of Constantinople, the Byzantine capital. There were marriages between Byzantine and Hungarian royal families. The Hungarian princess Piroska, who married the important Emperor Ioannis Komnenos, was renowned for her piety and was sanctified by the Orthodox

The Greek presence in Hungary is however not just matter of history. About 4,0005,000 Greeks live in Hungary today and are officially recognized as one of the country’s national minorities. Most of them are former political refugees who came here after the Greek civil war, or their descendants. They were well-received and today are very well integrated in Hungarian society and active in all walks of life. Although, about half of them live in Budapest, in Greece the best known locale is the village of Beloiannisz, about 45 kms to the south of Budapest, which was built in 1952 on land which had once been owned by the Sinas family.

The village now has a Hungarian majority but relations are very harmonious and its Greek-origin mayor was reelected in 2014.

There have also been more recent arrivals of Greeks since 1989, including businessmen, students, as well as managers and staff of multinational companies. Other Greeks simply married Hungarians and stayed. Despite

COURTESY OF THE EMBASSY OF GREECE, DÁNIEL JUHÁSZ

Relics of Greek past

Church under the name of Saint Irene.

Memories of this Greek presence live on in other places too, such as the Fiumei út cemetery in Budapest where there are some beautiful graves and in towns such as Szeged, Ηódmezővásárhely, Szentendre, Szentes and even Tokaj where Greeks were involved in the wine business two hundred years ago.

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When I arrived in Budapest as Greek Ambassador three and a half years ago, the city was not new to me. I had first come here in 1989, just before the political change. It was on official business, so I did not get to see much. However, I liked what I saw, so ten years later, I came back with my wife for a few days. Unfortunately, it was freezing cold and difficult to see much.

Nevertheless, once again, I liked what I had seen. So, when I had the opportunity in 2012 to request a posting abroad as Ambassador, I asked for Budapest and to my great pleasure, was sent here.

Budapest is a very pleasant place to work.

The architecture is very impressive, the setting on the Danube unique, the traffic is very good except during rush hour, the people are friendly, the shops well-organized, the food excellent and the cultural life of very high quality. Even the weather is much better than I had expected after my second visit. Impressively, Budapest keeps getting better. During my time here, for instance, magnificent edifices such as Kossuth tér, the whole Várkert area (pictured in the lower right corner) below the Buda Palace and the Vigadó have been very impressively renovated.

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society Independence Day of India

Korea Liberation Day

The Ambassador of the Republic of India, Rahul Chhabra celebrated the 69th anniversary of his country’s independence on August 15 with representatives of the Indian community in Hungary at the Embassy Residence. The national day commemorates India’s independence from the British Empire in 1947 following an independence movement distinguished by largely nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience.

On the 71st anniversary of his country’s Liberation Day, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Yim Geun-Hyeong gave a reception for fellow diplomats and other guests at the Hopp Ferenc Museum of East Asian Arts in Budapest on August 1. On this day, known as Gwangbokjeol ("the day the light returned"), Koreans celebrate their liberation from colonial Japanese rule.

Swiss National Day The Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Hungary, JeanFrançois Paroz welcomed guests at his residence to celebrate Swiss National Day in remembrance of the Federal Charter of 1291 (Pacte du Grutli), when three Alpine cantons (Schwyz, Uri and Nidwalden) swore the oath of confederation, an action which later came to be regarded as the foundation of Switzerland. This was also a farewell event for Ambassador Paroz who continues his diplomatic service as Ambassador to Japan.

Morocco Enthronement Day The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Dr. Nourdine Benomar hosted a reception at the Budapest Marriott Hotel on the 17th anniversary of the accession to the throne by King Mohammed VI. Morocco’s Enthronement Day was established when the northeastern African country gained independence (in 1956) and the title of Sultan was replaced with the title of King.

finanCial summit sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge 1051 Budapest, széchenyi istván tér 2.

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HARANGOZÓ, BALÁZS FARKAS-MOHI

Kitörés BreaKout Brexit SpeakerS JÁNOS LÁZÁR • MIHÁLY VARGA* • JÁNOS MARTONYI • ISTVÁN STUMPF • BORBÁLA CZAKÓ HMA IAIN LINDSAY • HE KRISTÓF SZALAY-BOBROVNICZKY • GYÖRGY SZAPÁRY MÁRTON NAGY • LEVENTE MAGYAR • ZOLTÁN CSÉFALVAY • ÁRPÁD KOVÁCS • PÉTER ÁKOS BOD TAMÁS MELLÁR • ELEMÉR TERTÁK • BOTOND RENCZ • BOTOND SZIRMÁK Organiser

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TASTE A BIT of FRANCE! BRIDGING EUROPE – A SPARKLING FESTIVAL

French culture is much more than a delicious glass of wine, a bite of baguette and a dozen of oysters.

The Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFO) and Müpa Budapest invite you to enter a wonderful universe full of bohemian composers, living legends and unique musical encounters. Join the Bridging Europe festival on September 21-28 at Müpa Budapest and be French for a week!

Campra, Rebel and the undisputed master of French baroque music, Rameau. Don’t be surprised if you feel like dancing during the concert!

The orchestra will be demonstrating its experimental spirit as well. During their contemporary concert the audience will hear the sound of tissue paper and a contrabass clarinet too. In addition, it is also rare in music history that a cello (Sonia-Wieder Atherton) and a cimbalom (Françoise Rivalland) meet – don’t miss it! Another interesting feature of the concert on September 25 is that the choice fell on rarely heard but extremely original authors, rather than

the well-known modern composers.

Besides Dutilleux, Gérard Grisey, the pioneer of spectral music, and Georges Aperghis, the Paris-based Greek composer, will be presenting the new directions of 20th century French music.

The festival will also feature key members of 20th century French music such as the legendary Juliette Gréco, Michel Legrand and Jean-Luc Ponty. La Gâpette is bringing its special Breton sound to the stage, the literary performance Trance-action promises to be astonishing, and the festival will also host the world première of the Krisztián Gergye Company’s ‘Lautrec’.

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BFZ.HU

“The goal of the Bridging Europe festival is to get to know the flavors of a European country. Besides the wonderful tastes of French food and drink, Verlaine’s poems and Monet’s colors, Debussy’s chords are similarly mouth-watering, harmonious and creative. Even though we are only going to get a little taste of this vast menu, we won’t be disappointed,” says Iván Fischer, Music Director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

The BFO will be giving its triple symphony orchestral concert on September 23-24 and 26, and invites you to travel back in time to the 19th and 20th century bohemian world of Montmartre’s artists. “Four very different, yet unmistakably French composers make up the program. As well as the impressionists Debussy and Ravel, we will meet the endearinglyeccentric Erik Satie, followed by a journey to the second half of the twentieth century for Henri Dutilleux’s modern, poetic and colorful violin concerto, with the sensitive Chinese violinist Ning Feng.” The early music ensemble of BFO has some true baroque curiosities in store, under the baton of the internationally-renowned French early-music specialist, Hervé Niquet. On September 22 they will perform music by

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travel DID YOU KNOW? The tallest tree in the world is a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), named Hyperion. The tree is no less than 115.72 m (379.7 feet) tall. This enormous tree was discovered only in August 2006 in a remote part of Redwood National Park, California.

SUMMER EXTENDED FOLLY ARBORETUM AND WINERY

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BÁLIINT SZÉLL, NORBERT VARGA

The Folly Arboretum is a place to discover the intricate beauty of nature. A living museum that is kept stunning year round, the arboretum is set in Badacsonyörs on the southern side of Kisörsi Hill, and is part of the Balaton Uplands National Park.

At this time of the year, most of us would love to delay the coming of autumn. There is a place in Hungary, where one can fully embrace summer in the fall: The Folly Arboretum. Here, visitors are invited to walk underneath towering cypresses and cedars, with a glass of fragrant wine in their hand, to enjoy a true Mediterranean atmosphere. The air is sweet and balmy, and the screeching of the cicada makes you feel if you were strolling along the seaside somewhere in Greece. This place enchants you enough to forgot not only about time, but about the need to check the time: you will enjoy the present moment, hear the rhythm of your heartbeat (especially if you make your way uphill to the lookout-tower, for a breathtaking panorama). A well-known German dendrologist, Gerd Krüssmann once noted that to him, this arboretum is much like a jewelry box: although it is tiny, it holds real treasures. Indeed, the compact sized arboretum lies on 3.06 hectares with a connected forest area of 1.6 hectares, and it is cared for by the fourth generation of the Folly family. “It was my great grandfather, who planted the first trees in 1905,” says Réka Folly, manager of the Folly Arboretum Ltd. “He observed ‘the hillside seemed to call for large scale planting’ and he carried out his vision with a bold enthusiasm that has left an impact on the landscape long since his death.” Dr. Gyula Folly, a medical doctor from Pécs planted the core of today’s arboretum, the steep and stony ‘Old Arboretum’ above the vineyards. He purchased exotic evergreens from southern Europe and selected rare species from across Europe. According to Réka, those plants were transported to his lands by mule in wicker baskets, and the young trees were irrigated with water carried from Lake Balaton. “There are around 1,000 coniferous species on our planet,” Réka reveals.

“An estimated 600 of these are natural variants living in the temperate zone. The Folly arboretum shelters one fifth of these (130 pine species, 20 deciduous tree species, and 20-30 types of evergreen and deciduous shrubs). In addition, there are 16 species of juniper living here, some of them in several variants. There are more than 15 types of silver fir and spruce despite the unfavorable climate of the dry, sunny, southern oriented location. Stone paved nature trails meander between and beneath the trees, and from these trails one can observe hundreds of magnificent and rare trees, such as the coastal giant redwood.”

Wine in the house Instead of severe weather conditions, it was the storms of history that effected the arboretum which has survived Socialism, expatriation, and a systems change.

“In the Communist era, both the family home and the estate were expropriated by the state. My father had to re-purchase the lands, and he decided to open it to the public as previously it rather functioned as a family garden and vineyard,” Réka explains. According to her, grapes have been part of the family enterprise since 1878. Considering the climate and the geological specifics of the region, the Folly family settled for making white wine, with preference to the Pinot gris, Muscat ottonel, Budai zöld and the Welschriesling. “The cellar my great-great grandfather built is still in use today. We cultivate about 6 hectares of grapes currently on the land connected to the arboretum. Today, the winery is run by my sister Judit.

Our aim is to maintain most of the aromas and tastes of the grapes that grow in this place with its special microclimate,” Réka continues, adding, “Our botanic garden is a result of dedicated work and perseverance. Judit and I represent the fourth generation of the Folly family, and we strive to live up to the example of our ancestors. A few years ago, in cooperation with the municipality of Tapolca we submitted an EU tender and received a HUF 106 million fund which I believe we used as best we could to maintain and renew the properties and to turn the arboretum to a serene oasis.”

EDUCATION

Due to its rare collection of evergreens, Folly Arboretum is often used as an educational site: naturalization and plant breeding experiments as well as ecological and phenological observations take place here. Schools with appointment can send their students on excursions and the arboretum offers free guided tours for them. The arboretum also creates a charming backdrop for weddings and for festive celebrations. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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what's on HIROAKI UMEDA: DRIVES (2016) & HOLISTIC STRATA (2011)

SEPTEMBER 15-16 AT TRAFÓ Tokyo-based multi-disciplinary artist Hiroaki Umeda presents two hypnotic works that fuse motion with astonishing sonic and light-scapes.

One of Japan’s most exciting experimental artists, Umeda mixes butoh, hip-hop and digital technology to create multi-sensory works at once minimal and provocative. “Engaging…Like a tin man with oil flowing freely through his veins, Umeda mirrors the pulsating score with an accumulation of motion” reads a New York Times review. www.trafo.hu

NICKELBACK CONCERT

OCTOBER 9 AT PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORTARÉNA Bryan Adams released his thirteenth studio album, Get Up, last October. Produced by famed ELO frontman Jeff Lynne and co-written with his long-time collaborator Jim Vallance, the album features nine new songs and four acoustic pieces. The album’s lead single, “Brand New Day” is supported by the official music video directed by Adams and features BAFTA Awardwinning actress, Helena Bonham Carter along with musician Theo Hutchcraft from the acclaimed synth-pop duo, Hurts. As Canada's best-known ambassador, Adams has spent the last three decades making music history. He has sold upward of 65 million records, toured six continents and achieved #1 status in over 40 countries around the world. He has been awarded the Order of Canada, has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and has a Star on Canada's Walk of Fame. Adams has also been nominated for and won - several Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Grammy Awards. He has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been inducted into Wembley's Square of Fame. His latest tour kicked off on February 11 in New York City at the historic Beacon Theatre before hitting cities throughout North America, UK, Ireland and Europe through the end of 2016. www.livenation.hu

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BRYAN ADAMS: GET UP TOUR

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SEPTEMBER 17-18, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS COUNTRYWIDE European Heritage Days have been organized since 1999 as a joint action of the European Union and the Council of Europe. The participant states to the European Cultural Convention take part in European Heritage Days by putting new cultural assets on view and opening historical buildings normally closed to the public. In Budapest, buildings and listed monuments open their gates to the public. Cultural events highlight local skills and traditions, architecture and works of art. Organized tours are being held, to promote mutual understanding among EU citizens. This year’s event pays tribute to Gyula Forster, late President of the National Heritage Preservation Committee, born 170 years ago. Many programs will be dedicated to ‘Heritage and community,’ this year’s main theme. www.oroksegnapok.hu

MÁRTON MÓNUS, GYULA FORSTER NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT, COURTESY PICTURES

CULTURAL HERITAGE DAYS 2016

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SEPTEMBER 16 AT PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORTARÉNA Multi-platinum selling rock band Nickelback are set to embark on a massive headline tour in 2016. Their European tour starts in Helsinki, Finland on September 2 and culminates in Newcastle on October 25, with support coming from fellow Canadian rockers Monster Truck. The tour marks Nickelback's tenth world tour and will see the band performing in 30 cities across Europe, including Budapest on September 16. Singer Chad Kroeger said, “Get ready Europe, we are bringing one hell of a loud party to our fans over there!” Nickelback’s worldwide sales exceed 50 million and their irresistible smash “How You Remind Me” remains Billboard’s “Top Rock Song of the Decade”. Amongst all of these accolades, they’ve been crowned Billboard’s “Top Rock Group of the Decade” as well. Along the way, they’ve received a staggering nine Grammy Award nominations, three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, and a People’s Choice Award. In their native Canada, the band has garnered 36 JUNO Award nominations of which 12 were won in a variety of categories and has been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. www.livenation.hu

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what's on NATIONAL GALLOP

SEPTEMBER 16-18 AT HEROES’ SQUARE Since its inception, the annual Nemzeti Vágta (National Horse Racing) has drawn huge crowds to Budapest’s Heroes’ Square. The grand event, which this year celebrates its 9th anniversary, offers visitors many events: hussar and horse shows, archer shows, folklore programs and handcraft exhibitions, in addition to the races. The ‘Racing Prom’ will host a colorful cavalcade of even Hungary’s smallest villages’ most typical cultural, art and touristic characteristics. It is a representative ‘mini Hungary’. Do not miss the ‘Kitchen of Hungary’, extending from the Art Hall to the 1956 monument, where show jumping, polo, special coachdriving races and free horse riding will be available. www.vagta.hu

DINING WITH MONKS

UNTIL OCTOBER 31 AT THE CAMALDOLESE MONASTERY IN MAJKPUSZTA What have monks got to do with gastronomy? More than we would think. They dine by strict rules so healthily that their diets can be envied by fittness-idols, however their rules do not only serve the body’s health but the spirit and soul. They manufacture wine, beer and healthy liqueur, and in their gardens they grow vegetables and fruits alongside herbs and spices. Their tables are filled with festive delicacies or – more often – simple dishes of their fast. Cooks of monasteries have not only cooked for their own small community but for thousands of the poor and the sick. Visitors to the monastery can taste flavors of old and new cloisters and convents; they can also get acquainted with those orders in Hungary that have played an important role in the development of gastronomy. www.majk.hu

RESEARCHERS' NIGHT

SEPTEMBER 30 AT MULTIPLE VENUES ‘Research is cool!’ is the motto of this year’s Researchers' Night, an annual series of events that celebrates its 11th anniversary in 2016. The special jubilee program will include a great number of programs in Budapest and in 10 additional cities countrywide, all free to visit. The main objective of the organizers is to overcome the prevailing stereotypes about researchers and contribute to the enhancement of their public recognition through aspects of innovation, gender, mobility, international research and lifelong learning. Therefore, the programs intend to show the attractiveness of the research career, and are designed to “edutain” the public, especially the new generation – so do not forget to bring your kids! Scientific presentations will be mixed with entertaining elements, even at the world-famous Ericson labs and at Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research, a leading Hungarian applied research institute. Visit the latter for interactive workshops, hands-on experiments and a robot race, and visit the Zipernowsky House of Science and Arts for Google Ground programs with SMEs/start-ups and young innovators. For a fully detailed program and a list of all venues, visit www.researchersnight.hu/programmes-for-hungary

WORLD PRESS PHOTO 2016

MÁRTON MÓNUS, GYULA FORSTER NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT, COURTESY PICTURES

KEVIN FRAYER/GETTY IMAGES, GELLÉRT ÁMENT, 123RF.COM, ARTSILLUSTRATEDSTUDIOS.PRO, ANDRÁS HAJDÚ, COURTESY PICTURES

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SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 23 AT THE MUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY The world's most prestigious annual photo exhibition returns to Budapest this fall.

JEWISH CULTURAL FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 4-11 AT MULTIPLE VENUES Organized annually by the Jewish Tourism and Cultural Centre, the Jewish Summer Festival in Budapest is a great opportunity to learn about Hungarian Jewish culture. Klezmer music, cantor concerts, classical music concerts and light music concerts are on the list of programs every year, in addition to film screenings and theater programs. Performers in 2016 include Myrtill & the SWINGUISTIQUE, Andrea Rost and the Ferenc Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Mörk featuring Palya Bea, the Europäischer Synagogalchor and Erika Lux, to name only a few. www.zsidokulturalisfesztival.hu

Hailed as the Oscars of photojournalism, the World Press Photo exhibitions attract up to 4 million people each year worldwide in some 45 different countries.

Now, in its 59th year, the World Press Photo exhibition is the most significant travelling exhibition dedicated entirely to photojournalism, profiling the globe's top press photographers and showcasing the world's most provocative and poignant press photos. Every February, an international panel of judges selects the winning photographs from the entries. For the 2016 edition, 82,951 images were submitted by 5,775 photographers from 128 countries. The jury gave prizes in eight themed categories to 41 photographers of 21 nationalities from: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey and the USA. Top honors this year went to Warren Richardson, an Australian freelance photojournalist who is currently working in Eastern Europe, for the haunting black & white photo he took on August 28, 2015 at the Hungarian border near Röszke. Titled ‘Hope for a New Life,’ the photo depicts a baby, handed through a hole in a razor wire barrier, to a Syrian refugee who has already managed to cross the border from Serbia into Hungary. www.worldpressphoto.org

THE REAL SAINT MARTIN AND PANNONIA

UNTIL SEP 30 AT THE MUSEUM OF PANNONHALMA ABBEY (9090 PANNONHALMA, MÁTYÁS KIRÁLY STREET 1-3.)

UNTIL NOV 30 AT THE ISEUM SAVARIENSE (9700 SZOMBATHELY, II. RÁKÓCZI FERENC STREET 6-8.)

A unique archaeological exhibition opened recently as part of Saint Martin’s Memorial Year in two locations: Pannonhalma and Szombathely. The collection – boasting an array of famous archaeological finds and numerous gold objects, among them one item of the Nagyszentmiklós hoard – presents a period spanning nearly five centuries of Pannonia, Saint Martin’s land of birth, and provides an insight into how Christianity spread in this region. Saint Martin, a world famous saint born 1700 years ago in the territory of our country, a Roman soldier who became the Bishop of Tours, is being celebrated this year by Pannonhalma Arch-Abbey and the Town of Szombathely. As the outstanding event of the Saint Martin memorial year, this twin exhibition offers a unique collection of international importance, gathered from the territory of Pannonia, a Roman province of that time. The lavish material of the exhibition is presented through the collaboration of two museums, divided in two parts and arranged to present two periods of history. The double identity of a Roman soldier converted to Christianity is, at the same time, the precise reflection of his age: through the objects on display in this exhibition visitors, for the first time, have a comprehensive insight into the way Christianity spread within the territory of the Roman province. One part of the twin exhibition is located in the Iseum Savariense museum in Szombathely, where the history of Pannonia and Savaria can be traced back to the Roman roots of the time when Saint Martin lived, whereas in the Museum of Pannonhalma Abbey, it is the age of Saint Martin, the Christian monk and bishop, as well as the subsequent centuries that are on display. www.szentmarton-pannonia.hu w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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gastronomy

Take part in an enchanting Asian trip this fall by visiting Sushi Sei, a restaurant in the heart of Óbuda, where the gastronomical experience evokes all the senses. This restaurant brings the clear elegance of Japanese culture to life in Budapest with a beautiful, intimate interior where guests are served authentic food on original hand-painted china. The open kitchen presents the widest variety of sushi and sashimi in Budapest that Seiichi Kusumoto, the Japanese chef prepares using the freshest ingredients. Guests are invited to gain insight into this oriental culture’s art of cooking and also to taste the traditional Japanese spirits that are perfect supplements to the dishes.

The menu has changed recently, and is updated with new dishes and spirits.

AUTHENTIC JAPANESE KITCHEN in ÓBUDA

The atmosphere

The two separated rooms of the restaurant and the shady, roofed terrace, are preferred spots for business lunches and dinners alike. Sitting outside, guests are just a step away from the buzzing Óbuda Promenade. Weekends are about families. A children’s corner ensures diverse activities both for toddlers and kids with a programs designed to meet their needs. Parking spaces are available in the building’s garage.

ADDRESS: 1036 Budapest Bécsi út 58.

TEL: +361 240 4065; +3630 435 0567 www.sushisei.hu

SUSHI SEI INTRODUCES

NEW MENU IN SEPTEMBER

SVÉT 8

SEPTEMBER 11 IN VESZPRÉM, 122 KM FROM BUDAPEST

DESIGNFOOD ANTONIO PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY PICTURES

Hungary's best countryside restaurants will gather during this event to prove that high-end gastronomy is indeed available outside of Budapest. This time, the event takes place in Veszprém, often referred to as the City of Queens. Organized by SVÉT (Stylish Countryside Restaurants), this event will be hosted by SVÉT member Chianti Restaurant and the square in front of the Archbishop's Palace will serve as the main venue, within the Castle of Veszprém.

For an outstanding culinary experience, great wines and festive atmosphere, head to Veszprém, and sample dishes presented by the 15 SVÉT members such as Anyukám Mondta (Encs), Baricska Csárda (Balatonfüred), Chianti (Veszprém), Erhardt (Sopron), Gusteau Kulináris Élményműhely (Mád), Ikon (Debrecen), Kistücsök (Balatonszemes), Macok Bisztro és Bor-Bár (Eger), Mandula Étterem és Bor-Bár (Villány), Nomád Hotel és Glamping (Noszvaj), PalKonyha falusi lakásétterem (Palkonya), Rosinante Hotel és Étterem (Szigetmonostor), Viator Apátsági Étterem és Bor-Bár (Panonhalma), in addition to two local restaurants, the Oliva and the Villa Medici Hotel and Restaurant, and those restaurants that are currently aspiring to SVÉT membership: Spaletta Étterem és Sörház (Kecskemét), Jankovich Kúria (Rácalmás) and

photos by

Kővirág (Köveskál). The program is free, but you registration is a must, via the festival's website. www.svet.hu

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­­gastronomy 25TH BUDAPEST WINE FESTIVAL

“The festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the Buda Castle from all over the world, and it is a unique festival even

by European standards,” organizers say. They believe that the combination of the world heritage setting, and the assortment of premium local wines can greatly contribute to the acknowledgment of Hungarian wines in the world market and to a more pronounced image of the country as a popular travel destination. “Even if you are not a wine expert, the ambience and the programs guarantee an unforgettable time spent in Budapest.”

ONE OF CENTRAL EUROPE'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS, MOST POPULAR WINE AND ART FESTS Every September, Budapest’s International Wine and Champagne Festival proves to be the highlight of the festival scene, traditionally presenting thousands of Hungary's best reds and whites, live music, gourmet food and countless programs, in the beautiful historic setting of the UNESCO World Heritage site Buda Castle. To be organized on September 8-11, this is the 25th consecutive annual festival, dedicated to introducing the best wines of Hungary and the world, to inviting winemakers to a personal meeting with wine-lovers and provide unforgettable experience for everyone.

Event attendees will again be able to taste and network with independent growers to learn about the differences between styles, regions and country production methods and take mundane wine tasting to new levels.

TWICE THE FUN

Trying the so-called ‘A couple of wine couples’ program is a must at the festival: winemakers will offer their wine in a "two drinks for one" system, to encourage experts and non-experts alike to make comparisons, to recognize certain types of grapes or vintages. By enrolling in the two-day Wine University, guests can make an exciting journey back to the 90s and early 2000s, then, returning to today's trends, they can learn what has changed in wine making and wine consumption habits during the past nearly three decades. To draw more attention to the diversity of Hungary's wines, the characteristics of local grape varieties and local wine styles, a special program will be introduced, entitled ‘Taste of Hungary’. With thematic tasting tours, this program provides guidance to foreign guests and those Hungarians who are newcomers to the world of wine tasting. On Sunday, starting at 1 PM, a parade will be held: representatives

of Hungarian wine regions, members of wine orders and wine-lovers' associations march through the streets in the castle, in a colourful, spectacular procession, to evoke the atmosphere of harvest parades. Another tradition is the Charity Wine Auction that will be held for the 18th time this year. The income (last year almost HUF 5 million) will serve the aims of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service. During the four days of the festival, the most popular Hungarian bands in world music, folk music, folk dance and jazz genres will step on stage, such as Csík Band, Szabó Balázs' Band, Equinox and Mihály Borbély, Binder Károly Quartet, the Sárik Péter Trio and Tamás Berki, the Budapest Ragtime Band together with Angelika Kelemen and Ferenc Muck, the Kertész Dance Company and the Fitos Dezső Company, to name only a few. On the weekend, arts and crafts programs will be available for children at the Oroszlános Courtyard: they can learn how to use corks to create different types of toys, presents and decorations.

GASTRONOMY

The Wine Festival offers a cornucopia of culinary delights, ranging from traditional festival cuisine and street food to gourmet specialities.

Gastronomy exhibitors this year include Sarki Fűszeres, Szarvasgomba Világa, Gerbeaud Café, Bolka Bonbon, Molnár's Kürtőskalács, the Low Cost Gourmet Trailer, Montenegrói Gurman, Reinpold's KOLBice, Bakker, Budapest Burger, Szittya Buci, SZEGA Market, Országkonyha, Csülök Bar and Nespresso. Those wanting to enjoy their lunch or dinner at a laid table, still in the midst of the Festival, can do so under the Baroque gate at the exclusive Budapest Terrace, by choosing the Laid Table service. This includes a three-course lunch or dinner with wines plus the daily ticket for the Wine Festival.

about

THE SWEET SONJA ADLER CHARITY COCKTAIL PARTY

photos by

ZSOLT SZIGETVÁRY, SONJA ADLER

SONJA ADLER

Dedicated to a delicacy that is not well-known in Hungary, Rita Istiván introduced her favorite dessert to the Hungarian audience under the name 'Sonja Adler'. "I gave my daughter's first name along with my mother's second name to the brand, honoring the people I love the most," explains Rita, who fell in love with the cake & syrup combo more than 25 years ago.

Coming from the corporate world, Rita knows how to launch a product, and with Sonja Adler, a dream of hers came true.

"I worked on the perfect recipe for ages, trying to find the most up-to date ingredients." w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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Delicious desserts in golden liquid (either Cointreau or Limoncello concentrate) - a bottle of the Sonja Adler cakes are a real treat for the eye. The latest news for the brand is that the bottles are dressed in hand-made mini-dresses and are transformed to ethnic dolls. These ‘edible sculptures’ were introduced on August 18 at the Hill Bowling Club and Restaurant during a charity cocktail party. An auction was held to support the Seedling Trust, an independent charity that aims to improve the quality of life for severely disabled children and young people in a care home in Hungary.

What's in the bottle?

According to Rita, spelt (whole wheat and white), egg, butter, whole milk, agave syrup, coconut sugar, water (Pi-water), along with concentrated Cointreau and Limoncello make up the Sonja Adler dessert's ingredients, and there are no preservatives used. The alcohol content of the Cointreau is 13.5 % (V/V ) and the Limoncello is 12.9% (V/V), so it is recommended for adults only. Rita suggests pairing her desserts with fresh fruits, ice cream and always topped with whipped cream.

A little history The Sonja Adler pastry pays homage to the Babba pastry, which appeared in 'The Thousand and One Night'. The usual form of the babba was similar to the babka, a tall, cylindrical yeast cake. In Slavic languages, this word means “old woman” or “grandmother”, while babka is a diminutive of babba. The modern babba, with dried fruit soaked in spirit, was invented on the rue Montorgueil in Paris, France, in or around 1835. The original baba was introduced into France in the 18th century from Alsace-Lorraine. This is attributed to Stanisław Leszczyński, the exiled king of Poland.

With the purchase of any Sonja Adler pastries, you are supporting Seedling Trust.

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