Diplomacy & Trade 2020 May

HEALTHY PEOPLE, HEALTHY PLANET

AFTER OVERCOMING THE PANDEMIC, IT WILL ALSO BE NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS, WHICH PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.

SEE REPORT on page 07

Find Out What Your Body Desires!

Maria Mattheisen has turned her passion for health and wellbeing into a career, becoming a culinary nutrition expert as well as Hungary's first natural juice therapist. Not long ago, she proudly presented her first book titled ‘Juice –What Your Body Desires.’ In an interview, she tells Diplomacy&Trade why she chose these particular professions and she also reveals how to aid our bodies to optimum health by drinking juices of vegetables and fruits.

see more on page 10

Living to Tell the Tale

In our WittyLeaks series, ambassadors accredited to Hungary share their personal experiences regarding Hungary and/or the different cultural, social aspects of bilateral relations. This April saw the 6th death anniversary of the world-renowned Colombian author, Gabriel García Márquez. The Colombian Ambassador, Carmenza Jaramillo recalls how meaningful it has been for her and her family that a park was named in Budapest after the Nobel Prize laureate whom the Colombians just call ‘Gabo’. see more on page 12

letter from the publisher

“We are living in challenging times, and the pace of change has accelerated. Our future depends on our ability to create a system that supports healthy people and a healthy planet.” We can only hope that these words – voiced by a leading international expert at a virtual business breakfast for Hungarian corporate executives, professionals and civilians this April – resound in the minds of political decision makers because, as you can read in our report of the video conference, “our current systems make demands that go way beyond the resources of our planet.”

The future of perhaps the most controversial political decision maker, the President of the United States, will be decided in six months’ time. The person to challenge him will not be Bernie Sanders. Our international affairs analyst explains that Sanders (‘the mirror image of Trump’) was in a hopeless situation after the Democratic primaries in March with Joe Biden building a substantial lead in terms of the number of the pledged delegates. Now, Democrats hope that – unlike in 2016 – most of the ‘Sandersista’ voters will support the party’s candidate to beat Trump in the race for the White House.

The health section of this May issue provides tips on how to take care of your body – externally and internally: locally produced lotions to nourish the skin from top to toe, advice from Hungary's first natural juice therapist and how grape seeds contribute to a healthier life.

Not many people are aware of the fact that the Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez visited Hungary in 1957 and wrote a book on Eastern Europe. Six years after his death, the Colombian ambassador to Hungary highlights in this month’s WittyLeaks column how meaningful it has been for her and her family that a park in Budapest has been named after the 1982 Nobel Prize laureate.

It has been six weeks since the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has turned lives upside down. Now, with the ’opening up’ strategy the government has put in place, starting with the countryside, we are experimenting with people’s ability to establish new norms of behavior.

Let’s hope and pray it works.

Please, stay safe!

Peter Freed PUBLISHER

cont en ts

13 HOSPITALITY

Charitable donation by the Budapest Marriott Hotel; Párisi Udvar lunches for hospital staff

14 CULTURE

The Hungarian movie ‘Treasure city’ debuts on vimeo

15 WHAT’S ON Concerts, festivals, events and exhibitions in and out of Budapest

PUBLISHER: Peter Freed EDITOR: Sándor Laczkó COPY EDITOR: Joyce Freed PHOTO EDITOR: Dávid Harangozó

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Tamás Varga DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Tibor Ocsenás

ADMINISTRATION: Éva Madarász ASSISTANT: Ágnes Rapaport

CONTRIBUTORS: Sándor Laczkó, Tamás Magyarics, Réka A. Francisck, Carmenza Jaramillo

PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: depositphotos.com (Cover), Gabriella Steindl (Cover), AUDI Hungaria, NATPE, Esther Horvath for the New York Times, Michael Portmann, Urbán Tamás/Fortepan, Máté Czabán, kosagreta, JYSK, depositphotos.com, Flisom, Budapest Airport, BCSDH, ANITA TOTH Organic Products, Gabriella Steindl, Kisfali Gergely, Budapest's 13th District municipality, Embassy of Colombia, Budapest Marriott Hotel, Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest, Látókép-Production, Bodies, Museum of Fine Arts, Oldtimer Show, BFO, broadway.hu

SWISS FOCUS - COMING SOON

Diplomacy & Trade is preparing a special Focus section on Switzerland as the Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020 with a series of events throughout the year. In an extensive interview, the Swiss ambassador to Hungary, Peter Burkhard highlights some of the aspects of successful bilateral relations. We also look ahead to the annual Swiss Business Day and cover some of the numerous Swiss companies in Hungary. According data by the National Bank of Hungary, Switzerland is the 5th largest investor in Hungary with about 5% (that is, over EUR four billion) of the total amount of FDI in Hungary coming from the Alpine country. Also, in 2020, the two countries celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of Carl Lutz, the Swiss Vice-Consul who rescued tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from certain death during World War II.

Treasure city – the first Hungarian movie to debut online

Event guide to the Hungarian capital page

Grape seeds for a healthier life page 11

AUTOMOTIVECOMPANIES RELAUNCHPRODUCTION INHUNGARY

Four large car manufacturing firms (Audi, Mercedes, Opel and Suzuki) employ approximately 21,500 people in Hungary. They were all forced to stop production in the middle of March due to the COVID-19 pandemic – now, three of these companies have resumed manufacturing with Opel likely to resume in May.

Audi Hungaria resumed production at its Győr plant on April 14. In consultation with the Volkswagen Group, Audi developed a comprehensive package of measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic in the factory, in line with the regulations of the Hungarian health authorities.

In the last week of April, Mercedes and Suzuki workers were also back at the assembly line.

Production at Suzuki started gradually, initially working a one-shift schedule. The company reorganized its operational processes to ensure proper spacing in all respects as well as complete indoor and outdoor hygiene.

The manufacturing process also resumed gradually at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Kecskemét, initially with one shift, as well. Since the closedown on March 20, the operation of essential areas continued, with the number of staff in these departments kept to a minimum, and adequate protection provided.

NEWCEOATTHECENTRAL EUROPEANPRESSAND MEDIAFOUNDATION

on the record

NEWDATEFOR NATPEBUDAPEST INTERNATIONAL

The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), the premier global business association for content producers, distributors, streamers and buyers across all platforms has announced the rescheduling of NATPE Budapest International to August 25th through 27th, 2020, and NATPE Streaming Plus to September 15, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective April 15, 2020, the Board of Trustees of the Central European Press and Media Foundation (Kesma) appointed Dr. László Szabó CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mediaworks Hungary Company Ltd. according to Kesma's website.In recent years, László Szabó was Hungary's ambassador to Washington, and for almost 20 years before taking up a diplomatic career, he had a long and distinguished career in the pharmaceutical industry both in Hungary and abroad, as Vice President of Eli Lilly, a Fortune 500 company based in Indianapolis and as CEO of TEVA Hungary from 2010 to 2014. In 2014, he was appointed Secretary of State and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, followed by his work as Ambassador to the United States from 2017.

A few days before this announcement, an official from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Hungarian news agency MTI, the Ministry is completely satisfied with the work of the Ambassador but he would leave his post in Washington as he had accepted an invitation from the business sphere.

NATPE Budapest International will still take place at the InterContinental Hotel in Budapest. Last year, the annual Marketplace, Screenings + Conference included attendees from 70+ countries, including more than 470 buyers and more than 160 promotional and production companies. As NATPE President and CEO, JP Bommel pointed out, “NATPE recognizes that the industry faces unprecedented marketplace challenges; we want to be part of the solution and bring to bear experiences that will help our constituency continue to do business to their fullest potential.”

HUNGARIANWINNERAT WORLDPRESSPHOTO2020

Hungarian freelance photographer Esther Horváth has been named as the winner of the 1st prize for single photos in the Environment category for her picture 'Polar Bear and her Cub' at the 2020 Photo Contest.

In Budapest, the World Press Photo exhibition is scheduled to be held at the Hungarian National Museum from September 24 to October 25, 2020. Esther Horváth will give a screened lecture on the life of the polar bear in the ballroom on September 26.

HUNGARIANFLAG PROJECTEDATTHE MATTERHORN

On the night of April 24, Zermatt Tourism officials projected the Hungarian flag onto the 1.000-meter-high east wall of the Matterhorn mountain situated on the border between Switzerland and Italy. With the #hope project whose motto is ‘Light is hope!’, the Swiss town of Zermatt wants to give people hope and strength in this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, call for solidarity and say thank you to the people who are doing almost inhuman things these days. Their greeting to Hungary and its population says that “like

Switzerland, Hungary is a landlocked country. Many Hungarians work in Switzerland – also in Zermatt. For them, the Matterhorn lighting is a sign that should bring hope and perseverance. With this campaign we want to express our solidarity with the Hungarian people and we want the signal to give them hope and strength to weather the crisis well.”

ORIENTEERELECTED 'ATHLETEOFTHENATION'

The most successful orienteering competitor in Hungary, 75-year-old Sarolta Monspart has become a new member of the exclusive Athlete of the Nation club. During her active years, Sarolta Monspart won 14 national orienteering championships and six cross-country skiing championships. She was the first European woman to finish the marathon distance within three hours and the first non-Scandinavian female runner to win the World Orienteering Championships back in 1972.

The Athlete of the Nation Award is given to Hungarian athletes over the age of 60 who have achieved outstanding results during their sporting careers and who have played an important role in Hungarian sporting life after their active sporting years. The Athlete of the Nation club consist of 12 members. One of them, Olympic champion Éva Székely died on February 29. Sarolta Monspart was unanimously elected by the other members to be the club’s new member.

company briefs

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION FROM VODAFONE

Two important novel features have been added to the LifeSaver application operated by the Vodafone Foundation and the National Ambulance Service (OMSZ) in Hungary. One of these is the Coronavirus Information button, which takes users to the Hungarian government’s official coronavirus information site, making it directly accessible from the app. The other useful innovation is that the application can now send the most up-to-date, essential information to its users in push messages or notifications.

“At Vodafone Hungary, we are working to support Hungary in the extremely difficult situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic in every way we can. In such times, being wellinformed is of paramount importance; we want to help both the authorities and the public with this. We encourage people to download the LifeSaver app both for themselves and their loved ones, if they haven’t already done so," Dr. Gergő J. Budai, Director of External Affairs at Vodafone Hungary said. Push messages pop up on the screens of smartphones and come from other applications, in this case from the LifeSaver app. Their advantage is that the user receives these important messages even when the application is not open on their phone or they are not using their handset. The National Ambulance Service recommends that everyone authorize these notifications that send important messages and warnings to users.

The primary purpose of the application, launched in January 2020, is to allow people to call for help faster and more efficiently. Through this application, the user can upload health information in advance, which is instantly displayed on the monitor of control room staff when the emergency call is made. And its super-accurate positioning system helps emergency crews find the person in trouble fast, even if they cannot provide an exact address.

WINE BOND ISSUED TO SURVIVE PANDEMIC CRISIS

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Gál Tibor winery in Eger, east of Budapest, has lost all its sales channels: restaurants, wine bars, wine stores are all closed down and the restaurant, which served guests and direct sales is, of course, no exception.

“However, life must go on,” winemaker Tibor Gál says. “Spring is here; buds and shoots have appeared on the vines. To cultivate our vineyards, to harvest the grapes and to survive the intervening period, we need financial resources. This is why we have come up with the idea of Wine Bonds.”

For the owners of the winery, it is of utmost importance to remain loyal to their employees in these hard times and to provide a living for those working in their offices, in catering, in the vineyards and in the cellar.

The Tibor Gál Wine Bond is, obviously, not official security but a kind of pre-financing of a future service, a voucher if you like, the winemaker says. It functions like securities with due guarantees, interests and it is transferable. However, redemption and interest payment will be in wine and treats. The bonds could be a vital contribution to the winery’s survival. The Tibor Gál winery looks back to a history of 27 years and the owner is hoping to run the estate for at least another 27 years. Income from the sale of the bonds will be used to pay their employees.

MAGYAR TELEKOM LAUNCHES COMMERCIAL 5G SERVICE

Magyar Telekom has begun its commercial 5G data transmission service. Initially, it is available in certain parts of Budapest and Zalaegerszeg, SW Hungary. 5G technology, allowing data transmission rates significantly higher than earlier, low latency, and the connection of a vast amount of network devices opens up a number of new possibilities for residential and industrial use, the company says.

Telekom‘s commercial 5G service is operating within the 3.6 GHz frequency range. Similarly to the 2G, 3G, 4G technologies, Ericsson Hungary was Magyar Telekom‘s partner in constructing the 5G stations operational upon commercial launch.

“Magyar Telekom has for long been preparing for the introduction of 5G transmission, we have been investigating the technology and the embedded opportunities for years now, and have also

JYSK DISTRIBUTION CENTER TO BE SET UP IN HUNGARY

The international furniture and home retail chain JYSK has announced that it will build a distribution center in Ecser, southeast of Budapest, to provide stores with goods in countries of East Central Europe and the Balkans. Due to this investment worth EUR 200 million, the Danish furniture company will create 300 new jobs.

Following the opening of its first shop in Denmark in 1979, JYSK founder and owner Lars Larsen opened its first store abroad in the neighboring Germany. Today, JYSK has as many as 2,800 stores in 52 countries worldwide. Furthermore, the Queen of Denmark allowed JYSK to use the designation 'official supplier of the Danish Royal Court'. This recognition is only awarded to credible, economically reliable, reputable companies and individuals who have cooperated with the Royal Court for many years.

JYSK has been present in Hungary since 2004, with its headquarters and 16 sites located in Budapest, it currently employs more than 770 people in total. As a result of the latest investment that was announced this April, the regional logistics distribution center in Ecser will supply stores in seven countries (Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) with goods. The 140,000 square meters building will have a capacity of 205,000 pallets and is scheduled for completion in 2022.

been operating a test network for the past six months. Thanks to this, a few days after the announcement of the results of the successful frequency bidding, we can launch our commercial 5G service. 5G technology, allowing for data transmission rates significantly higher than earlier, low latency, and the connection of a vast number of network devices shall open up new possibilities for industrial use as well as in the everyday life of people. Relying on the newly obtained frequencies, we can further develop our key mobile network infrastructure, according to our plans, by the end of the year, we will further increase our 5G regional coverage, to make the newest generation of mobile technology available to an increasing number of subscribers,” Magyar Telekom CEO Tibor Rékasi said.

company briefs

S2G TO SET UP CENTER IN BUDAPEST FOR EUROPEAN EXPANSION

The US business service provider Support Services Group (S2G) has established its first European unit in Budapest. It offers customer support in five languages from Hungary to a leading US streaming service company that entered Europe recently, covering eight countries.

With its headquarters in Waco, Texas, S2G offers a wide range of business services to more than 60 partners, from classic service center functions to professional B2B business services and its own CRM system. The group currently employs nearly 4,000 people in 11 customer service centers in the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Canada and now Hungary.

The management of S2G chose Hungary as the location of its European center because of its economic and infrastructural conditions, according to report by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA). The new service center currently employs 250 people, but the staff number is expected to reach 300 this year, supporting the operation of the leading streaming service provider in Europe. The Hungarian project is in accordance with the growth strategy of S2G to further strengthen its European presence.

In Hungary, there are currently some 120 business service centers in operation, providing jobs to over 55,000 people. The hubs primarily provide financial, IT, HR and customer service support regionally and globally. Simultaneously with the shift to higher value-added activities, the so-called hybrid centers and centers of excellence are becoming more and more common in addition to traditional models.

UNICREDIT BANK: FASTER PAYMENTS FOR ITS SUPPLIERS

UniCredit Bank supports its domestic suppliers by speeding up the payment of their invoices and settling them immediately after the usual checks. This significantly speeds up the invoice payment process and ensures that payments are made earlier than the 30 days deadline specified in the contracts. The acceleration of payments introduced by both UniCredit Bank and the UniCredit Group will further support businesses in their working capital management.

“We believe that this decision will have a direct impact on thousands of suppliers of our bank and the entire UniCredit Group. By bringing payments forward, we are increasing liquidity in the real economy at a time when it really matters. As always, we strive to be reliable partners for our suppliers and encourage them to do the same among their own suppliers,” according to Balázs Tóth, President and CEO of UniCredit Bank Hungary Co. Ltd.

UniCredit Bank will continue to monitor the situation and always act in the best interests of those involved in its operation, the statement adds.

SWISS FIRM TO PRODUCE SOLAR PANELS IN HUNGARY

Flisom, a developer and manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) thin film solar cells, located near Zurich, Switzerland, has chosen Kecskemét, southeast of Budapest for the location of its first plant of industrial capacity. The Swiss technology company is going to produce ultra-thin, light and flexible solar cells using the most modern technology available. The 50 MW plant, which will be built by an investment worth approximately EUR 40 million, is going to serve the rapidly growing market demands, while also creating 140 new jobs. The Hungarian government is to provide a cash subsidy of about EUR 11 million, some 28% of the investment costs. Flisom AG was established by the Laboratory of Solid State Physics of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH Zurich) in 2005. The company’s industry-leading product is eFilm, which is essentially a ‘solar cell film’ in which the solar panels are already ‘printed’ on an ultra-thin layer of plastic film. As the market leader in Switzerland, Flisom uses proprietary technology to design flexible solar panels for production that are 98% lighter than the others available on the market. These light and flexible panels can be applied to different surfaces due to their nature, such as lightweight roofs, building facades or other curved surfaces. Therefore, their solar cells are used in the construction, automotive, aviation and space industries, among others. In a video message played at the announcement of the investment, Flisom CEO Rahul Budhwar stated that Hungary and Kecskemét were chosen from among the possible locations around the world because of the outstanding talent of Hungarian engineers and skilled workers and the significant support by the Hungarian government.

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

BUDAPEST AIRPORT FORCED TO LAY OFF EMPLOYEES

Ferenc Liszt International Airport lost more than 99% of its passenger traffic in April, due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and therefore, headcount reduction of employees has become inevitable, according to a statement by the facility's management company Budapest Airport.

The document says that since the beginning of the crisis, Budapest Airport Co. Ltd. has taken all possible measures to protect jobs. However, employee lay-offs of the BUD group became inevitable in the interest of the long-term and efficient operation of the company and the protection of the remaining jobs.

The coronavirus pandemic is exerting drastic impacts on the aviation industry all over the world. In April 2020, the busiest European airports all registered a loss of traffic of around 90% and airports with a similar traffic volume to Budapest generally saw traffic decrease by 99%. Traffic at Ferenc Liszt International Airport decreased by 99.3% in April, compared to April 2019. While an average of 44,000 departing and arriving passengers went through the airport per day in April 2019, this number barely reached 275 in April 2020.

TRUMP’S MIRROR IMAGE QUITS

model, but – if we look behind the numbers – in Sweden or Denmark the economic burdens are not quite equally distributed among the well-to-do and not-so-well-to-do people (at the disadvantage of the latter with high valueadded-taxes, etc.), or the number of millionaires and billionaires per capita is higher in the latter countries than in the U.S., that the highest tax bracket starts with middle-incomes, and the like. In sum, Bernie Sanders’ program was left-wing populism pure and simple, defying much of the American Creed, and – if we do not want to mix words – he was/is a left-wing demagogue, a mirror image of Donald Trump. That much was sensed and understood by the Democratic establishment, as well. It was a nobrainer to figure out that a Socialist candidate with a program promising pie in the sky and massive tax increases for the majority of Americans will not have a chance against the incumbent President despite Donald Trump’s series of political and private scandals, his chaotic style of governance, and his torrent of irresponsible and, sometimes, downright dumb twitters. Furthermore, the Democratic establishment also feared that Bernie Sanders may also hurt the election or reelection chances of a number of Democratic candidates to the U.S. Congress, especially in the so-called battleground states; in the solidly Democratic states such as California or New York or Massachusetts, the majority of the voters would even pick a proverbial Democratic Caligula’s horse – or, better to say, donkey. Plus, the Democratic elite had a warning example before their eyes: the political suicide of the Labor Party in Britain in 2019, whose leader, Jeremy Corbyn, the British Bernie Sanders led his party to one of the biggest electoral defeats in its history.

For history

BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS

There was an almost audible sigh of relief in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and, in general, among the elites of the Democratic Party when Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he was suspending his presidential campaign – that is, in plain English, that he was finishing his quest for the nomination for President. In fact, Sen. Sanders got into a hopeless situation after the Democratic primaries in March; Joe Biden had built a substantial lead in terms of the number of the pledged delegates, all the other presidential hopefuls had dropped out, and each one of them threw their support behind the former Vice President, while such Democratic Party heavyweights as, for instance, Hillary Clinton had stepped up their criticism of the Democratic-Socialist Senator of Vermont.

Uphill ideological battle

In fact, the writing for Bernie Sanders was on the wall even in 2016. His challenge to the party favorite, Hillary Clinton, did not endear him to the Democratic Party establishment (from the DNC through the mainstream liberal media to the ’fat cats’, that is, the rich donors of the Democratic

Party on Wall Street or in Hollywood). The lost presidential election gave rise to scapegoating within the Democratic Party and its supporters, and Bernie Sanders became one of the most visible individuals who was accused of helping put Donald Trump into the White House. On the other hand, a large number of Sanders’ supporters strongly – and with justification – believed that the playing field was not level in the primaries, and their resentment weakened the cohesion of the Democratic Party. However, the real cause of Sanders’ failure in 2016 was his uphill ideological battle, and so was the case in 2020 too. The ’Sandersistas’ constitute only a relatively small portion of even the Democratic Party; it is somewhere between 15-20% of the selfproclaimed Democrats who identify themselves as ’very liberal,’ a.k.a. ’progressives’. The great majority of the Democratic voters are either ’somewhat liberal’ or moderates or even conservatives (some 10%). Bernie Sanders was/is especially popular with younger voters, but the problem is that it is this age group that is less reliable to vote than the older generations. In terms of the ethnic composition of Sanders supporters, they are predominantly white and Latino at a time when the most reliable voters of the Democratic Party are the

African Americans – who actually delivered a number of crushing defeats to Sanders during the primaries (for example, in South Carolina, where the primary was seen as a game changer by revitalizing Joe Biden’s weak campaign). The vocal progressives with the Quad (Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley), as their vanguard, pushed Sanders even further to left in 2020 as compared to his platform in 2016 – which was seen to be much too radical even at that time.

Left-wing populism

The socialistic demands of a single-payer Medicare-for-All, tuition-free public colleges, cancellation of some USD 1.6 trillion of outstanding debt, USD 15 per hour minimum wage were topped with the ’Green New Deal’ with its unrealistic goals and exorbitant price tag (Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed it as a ’Green Dream’). Bernie Sanders, and his campaign team, has never been able to explain how this USD 70 trillion package over 10 years will be covered without forcing a radical restructuring of the economy – which was doing quite well during the primaries. The Democratic-Socialist Senator repeatedly mentioned the Scandinavian

Bernie Sanders is likely to be just a footnote in the history of the U.S., similar to his Socialist predecessor, Eugene V. Debs, who ran for the President of the U.S. five times between 1900 and 1920, and the highest percentage of the votes he received was 6% in 1912. It is more than possible that Senator Sanders knew from the beginning that he would not be able to get the Democratic Party’s nomination. However, his and his program’s specter is haunting the Democratic Party, the Democratic members of Congress, and Joe Biden. His ultimate goal was likely to push the Democrats even further to the left, and to have elements of his program adopted by the Democratic presidential and congressional candidates in November 2020. He has been partially successful in this endeavor because the party clearly does not want to repeat the mistake made at the election in 2016 when they ignored a lot of disillusioned Sandersistas who felt cheated and stayed at home, or even voted for Donald Trump. The question is whether a candidate, forced into a position to the left of even Barack Obama, will be able to attract enough votes from ’middle America’, where a large segment of the votes are still to be found.

Tamás Magyarics is a foreign policy analyst

HEALTHY PEOPLE, HEALTHY PLANET

"OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS"

While right now the key factor is the survival of the supply chain, after overcoming the pandemic, it will also be necessary to address the challenge of sustainable food systems, which play an essential role in maintaining the health of people and the planet. This was highlighted by Diane Holdorf, Managing Director of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Food and Nature program early April.

Diane Holdorf delivered a highly successful and thoughtful presentation at the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary’s (BCSDH) Virtual Business Breakfast and Action 2020 Forum. The business breakfast of the organization, which has 92 member companies responsible for 30% of Hungarian GDP, was followed by a workshop with company executives and

experts. This served the purpose of helping the business sector to take real steps forward in the area of food sustainability and biodiversity. In his opening remarks, BCSDH President Attila Chikán Jr. emphasized that “in the field of sustainable development, we often say that business as usual is no longer viable and cannot be allowed to continue. Now, the world has turned on its head because of the coronavirus. Business is anything but ordinary. While some sustainability

BUDAPEST INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY REPORT

DEMAND FOR CORPORATE PROPERTY IS DOWN ON LAST YEAR

In the first quarter of 2020, over 40,000 square meters of new space was added to the total modern industrial stock in Budapest and its surroundings, with the handover of the BUD Cargo City (8,700 m2) and the new building of CTPark West (31,320 m2). The total modern industrial stock in Budapest and its surroundings stood at 2,286,970 m2 at the end of Q1 2020, according to a report by the Budapest Research Forum of large real estate companies.

Total demand amounted to 79,660 m2 in Q1 2020, indicating a 5% decrease from the figure noted in the same period last year and a 10% decrease compared to the previous quarter. Lease renewals accounted for an outstandingly high ratio, reaching 85% of the quarterly volume, followed by new leases with a share of 10%.

Pre-lease stood for 5% and expansions stood for 0.2% of the quarterly figure. Take up excluding renewals added up to 11,840 m2 – 13% lower than in Q1 2019.

19 leasing transactions were recorded in the first quarter of 2020, out of which three agreements were signed for more than 10,000 m2. The average transaction size was 4,190 m2 during the quarter. 96% of the transaction volumes was recorded in logistics parks, with an average transaction size of 5,470 m2. The remaining 4% of the transactional volume was registered in city logistics parks, reaching an average transaction

size of 630 m2 which consists of an average transaction size of 1,000 m2 in case of warehouse space and an average transaction size of 235 m2 in case of office space.

The two largest transactions in Q1 were renewals in the building of Batta Park on 28,590 m2 and the other was in Prologis Park Budapest M1 on 15,880 m2

aspirations are being neglected, it is our common responsibility to develop new impetus for climate protection and to create a sustainable world once our current problems are solved. Thus, the professional work continues at BCSDH.” Agriculture is estimated to be responsible for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as for around 80% of deforestation and 70% of freshwater use worldwide. Hungary has one of the largest proportions of obese people in

Europe, and produces about 1.8 million tons of food waste each year, about a quarter of which comes from households. Around 46% of Hungary's total area is arable land, about 60% of which is threatened by soil degradation, and has very low ecosystem service capacity and biodiversity. “We are living in challenging times, and the pace of change has accelerated. Our future depends on our ability to create a system that supports healthy people and a healthy planet. We have been able to produce a great amount of food for the world's population, and there are already solutions that allow us to feed the growing population. But our current systems make demands that go way beyond the resources of our planet,” Diane Holdorf explained.

The business breakfast was followed by a virtual Action 2020 Professional Forum, the primary purpose of which was to initiate joint thinking and work in the business sector that will make a real impact. A total of 60 corporate executives, professionals, academic and civilian experts participated at the forum in four groups. The main objective of the Action 2020 Hungary program is to promote the creation of a sustainable, safe, and local food production and supply system, which can provide everyone with a healthy, balanced diet, while also restoring and preserving biodiversity.

CUSTOMER SERVICES DURING THE PANDEMIC

A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN WORKING CULTURE

The COVID-19 epidemic has radically transformed the way customer services work. Due to restrictions, customer activity has slowed down and customer interaction has changed. Given the economic difficulties, the willingness to pay is expected to weaken, which may lead to an increase in the debt portfolio and a decrease in the number of customer inquiries. Some of the payment solutions that have worked so far have been pushed back, while other methods that have not been widely used before are on the rise, a study by Deloitte Hungary suggests.

“After the restrictions imposed due to the epidemic, personal visits to administration offices are not recommended. However, the availability of customer services must be ensured in spite of exceptional circumstances, in such a way that customer satisfaction is maintained. At the same time, there is a need to be prepared for the proliferation of problematic issues in an emergency, which can pose new challenges for customer services. In order to maintain a smooth business, it is worth assessing what risks are involved and how they can be managed,” Senior Manager in Advisory Services at Deloitte Hungary, Eszter Lukács points out.

In most businesses, customer service staff now work from home, which represents a fundamental change in work culture. In order

to manage the resulting risk, when setting up a home office system, it is also necessary to ensure the introduction of IT solutions that help monitor the quantity and quality of work performed and enable the motivation of employees working in isolation. It is extremely important that either the home office system itself or the employee control system be the best possible in terms of cyber security, as both are used to transmit sensitive personal and corporate data.

“I DON'T BELIEVE IN MAGIC POTIONS BUT I DO BELIEVE MY SKIN DESERVES THE BEST. AND SO

DIPLOMACY&TRADE (D&T) Please, tell us your story: how did you end up founding a cosmetics brand?

ANITA TÓTH (AT) A few years ago, I had a complete lifestyle overhaul and changed my eating habits. Despite maintaining an active lifestyle and a healthy diet, I realized that I also needed to focus on what I was putting onto my body. I tried dozens of skincare products but couldn’t find any that worked for me; it was then that I decided to create my signature product. I sought to use unrefined, organic ingredients which were efficacious but also as environmentally conscious as possible. The packaging was key too; I wanted something unique. The rest you can say is history; the concept behind ANITATOTH was born.

D&T When did your products debut?

AT We launched the ANITATOTH website towards the end of 2018. In February 2019, we set up our first pop-up store at the New York Palace, Budapest - something we hope to be doing a lot more of in the future!

D&T Who were the first people you asked to test the lotions? What were their first impressions? And, how has the Hungarian market reacted so far?

AT The first people who tested the products were my close family and colleagues. The feedback was amazing. They adored how they enriched their skin. When it comes to skincare, women tend to spend a lot of time pampering their face, and forget to continue with their body. I personally believe that we should be nourishing our bodies from top to toe. Moisturizing all over is essential to give the skin the boost it needs to stay healthy. We launched our brand presenting a Body Lotion in two divine scents – Chocolate and Sweet Lavender. We’re still at an early stage in our journey and we are thrilled to have already built a loyal customer base. The fact that our products have received such brilliant feedback so far, is very motivating.

D&T Are you planning to introduce new products such as makeup or a broader spectrum of skin care in the near future?

AT Absolutely! We will be expanding our range and launching facial products soon.

D&T Are you planning to go international?

AT We are a Hungarian cosmetics brand and couldn’t think of a better place to launch than where there is such an emerging market for health-conscious enthusiasts. Naturally we want to grow, and our next plan is to expand internationally. We can’t wait to share our products with the rest of the world!

D&T How many people work with you (including product development, sales, marketing, even web design) on the brand?

AT It’s hard to give an exact number as the brand is constantly evolving, and as a result, so is our team. Right now, I would say our team is comprised of 10-15 people.

D&T Products reviews speak highly of the packaging of the lotions – why did you go for this particular design and the colors white and gold?

AT I wanted to design a distinctive product that looked exclusive and luxurious. This was not only important from a branding perspective, but a means by which we could stand out among our competitors. We also wanted something that would make a stylish addition to any bathroom cabinet! The unique hexagonal

design incorporates airless technology to preserve product freshness while minimizing oxidization and external contamination.

D&T How do the products work on super sensitive or extra dry skin? Can they heal contact dermatitis?

AT Our Body Lotions are extremely nourishing and hydrating. The organic ingredients we use within the formulas are tested in laboratories, though we have not tested our products for contact dermatitis. If someone has this specific skin condition, I recommend asking a dermatologist, or at least trying a test patch only on a small area on the skin first, to see how they react.

D&T Do you have any beauty tricks to share with us (while isolated because of the COVID-19 pandemic)?

AT I truly believe that nutrition and exercise is extremely important right now. We need to nourish our bodies inside out. Of course, washing hands correctly is essential, as is hydrating the skin afterwards.

D&T As an ambassador for a Hungarian organic skincare product, do you feel any pressure to perform?

AT I love what I do, and I feel extremely passionate about it. It is important to listen to customer’s feedback and reviews, so that the brand can further grow and flourish.

DOES YOURS!” AN

ANITA TÓTH

Maria Mattheisen has turned her passion for health and wellbeing into a career, becoming a culinary nutrition expert as well as Hungary's first natural juice therapist. Not long ago she proudly presented her first book titled ‘Juice –What Your Body Desires.’

to be called a ’Health mentor’. Can you please summarize what exactly your profession is?

MM Health coach is written on one of my certificates, and I am also a certified juice therapist and a culinary nutrition expert. However I do identify with being called a health mentor. A mentor is someone who offers knowledge, expertise and advice to the less experienced. In an informal way I guide my clients, provide them with science-based information, letting them make decisions regarding their own health. Having said that, most of the time we do have goals to reach, but at the end of the day, the ultimate goal is very simply their optimal health. The relation between us is open-ended. I do not take on too many clients. Just as many as I can focus on properly. They can message me, call me at any reasonable time with a question or for guidance.

D&T Disease prevention and personal health have never been more in the spotlight than today. Do you have any suggestions on how to stay as healthy as possible, once we return to our ‘normal lives’?

DIPLOMACY&TRADE (D&T) In your book, you stress the importance of fresh, hydraulic pressed raw juices for the immune system. What led you to discover this?

MARIA MATTHEISEN (MM) Fresh juice in general came to my attention over ten years ago, shortly after my youngest son was born. He was only a few months old when it was discovered that he had several serious food intolerances. I was looking for options and enrolled in a nutrition school, where I was introduced to juicing. I immediately felt this was the answer I was searching for, as I was determined that there must have been something that could be done about intolerances and that they must be reversible, at least in my son’s case. I started making juices with a rather good quality masticating “slow” juicer. Once I became a juice therapist, we bought a hydraulic press for the business.

MM When I removed the majority of non-nourishing food from my diet my physical and mental health improved, then I added the juices and some supplements, such as K2 D3 vitamins, iodine, magnesium, and the improvement was so great that I know that I never want to return to my old diet. Charlotte Gerson said in a documentary called Food Matters – which by the way was a real eye opening film – “You cannot heal selectively. You cannot treat one disease and leave two untreated”. When you nourish your cells with vital elements you cannot channel it and say oh this is going in for my eczema and not for my intestines. Whatever you put in your mouth is either fighting a disease or feeding it. So I would say avoid anti-nutritional foods, which for example contain colorings, additives. Eat healthy fats, good quality proteins and preferably starchy carbs. Regular physical activity is also key to optimal physical and mental health.

D&T Does your new book offer the key to eternal youth?

nagyon tudományosan is csinálni vannak helyzetek, amikor muszáj is –, most azonban az volt cél, hogy útmutatót kapjanak azok is, akik a frissen préselt levek fogyasztásával szeretnének tenni az egészségükért, de nem tudják, hogy hogyan kezdjenek hozzá.

Egy baráti összejövetelen “útmutatásom mellett” gyerekek és felnőttek egyaránt ismerkedtek a zöldségek és gyümölcsök préselésének technikájával és kísérleteztek az ízek kombinálásával. Gabit megkértem, hogy hozza magával fényképezőgépét és dokumentálja ezt jókedvű délutánt. Ennek eredményeként született ez könyv.

D&T What is the difference between a juice and a smoothie?

MM Juicers and blenders are made to do very different tasks. A juicer separates the liquid from the pulp. Although consuming fiber is very important, the juice itself is what we absorb and that is what nourishes our cells. On the other hand, a blender is chopping all the ingredients placed in it at a high speed, in other words liquefying them, basically doing what our teeth should be doing by chewing. There are a few ingredients such as mangos, avocados or bananas that we simply cannot juice, those can be blended with freshly pressed juice.

D&T Is it true that there is a relationship between hemoglobin and carrot juice?

MM Dr Norman W. Walker mentioned that the carrot juice molecule is exactly analogous to that of the blood molecule in his book, which was published in 1936. This statement was taught to us in the juicing courses as a very important fact.

D&T Why shouldn’t we just eat fruits and veggies?

MM There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating them, however the sad truth is that we simply just don’t do it! Juicing is a very effective and fun way of consuming at least the recommended daily amount. Unlike most forms of cooking, juicing does not destroy any of the nutrients in our produce. Juicing

makes it easier to consume a greater volume of produce than we ever comfortably consume in a raw form as it removes the fiber from the produce. We could call it almost self-digested as the body almost immediately absorbs the nutrients. This saves the energy required for digestion and allows the body to rest while cleansing. Raw juice also supplies the body with water while providing all the necessary phytochemicals, enzymes, minerals and vitamins.

D&T You don’t like to be referred to as a ‘health coach,’ a title you may use ever since you graduated from the largest nutrition school in the world, the U.S.-based Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Instead, you prefer

MM Oh, I would not say that eternal youth exists, but you may always turn to natural juices for their anti-aging effects. Irrespective of our chronological age, we should stay healthy and biologically efficient.

GRAPE SEEDS FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE

THE

The Gere Attila Winery in Villány farms its vineyards organically, without chemicals. The health of their grapes and environment protection are high on their list of priorities. They’ve been processing grape seed and grape skins in their facility since 2010.

Grape seed oil

The oil extracted from the seeds of perfectly ripe black grapes is extremely rich in bioactive antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C and E. It can be used both internally and externally. Ingesting grape seed oil might protect blood vessels, cells, the eyes, strengthen veins, aid memory and increase the levels of good cholesterol. It can be used to dress salads, or it can be served simply with bread and sea salt. With its high smoke

point it can be used in cooking. There is one thing you should be careful about and that is getting the portions right, because grape seed oil has a more intense flavor than other widely used oils. If you prefer more neutral aromas, use two doses of regular oil and one dose of grape seed oil. Applied on skin it might neutralize free radicals, enhance collagen production and rehydration, flatten out wrinkles and make your skin softer and tighter. No wonder that it’s one of the pillars of the Andrea Gere Skin Care product line which debuted last autumn. Another benefit is its ability to make dry and dull hair look silky and shiny again.

Black grape seed and black grape skin micro-granulate

It was Hungary’s Nobel-prize winning scientist, Albert Szent-Györgyi who first reported on the health benefits of grape seeds pointing out that grape seeds might contain the highest concentration of antioxidants in nature. First, the seeds are pressed to extract the oil and then the pressed cakes are worked into granulates in mills. Pulverization is essential because this is the way to bring the active ingredients to the surface; whole seeds even when chewed do not have the same positive effect. Researchers from the University of Pécs have conducted tests on Gere grape seed and

skin granulates. Their research has demonstrated that the most potent antioxidant ingredients found in grapes are present in the Gere products. (Further health enhancing ingredients found in grape seeds: boron, bioflavin, vitamin P, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and some trace elements as iron, copper, molybdenum, manganese, etc. These together with the polyphenols protect the nervous system.) The therapeutic properties in treating heart disease, protecting blood vessels and their anticancer potential have made grape seeds popular but they can have numerous other health benefits, so it is advisable to consume them regularly.

The best way to consume grape seed and peel extracts

These products are great supplements to a healthy breakfast mixed in yoghurt, kefir, porridge, muesli or granola. Adding 3-4 tablespoons to the dough will make your home-made bread not only look excitingly purplish but also increase the complexity of its flavors. Grape seed can be used in the same way to make milk-loaves or focaccia, practically any kind of pastry. And if you want something truly extraordinary, why not cover your chocolate bonbons in grape seed granules instead of cocoa powder? The simplest way to consume grape seed granules is, of course, by ingesting them packed in capsules.

STRESS RELIEVING EFFECTS OF THE GRAPE

Regular consumption of Gere Grape Seed Oil and Black Grape Skin and Seed Microgranulates have numerous proven health benefits and can assist in preventing diseases.

You can buy them at gere.hu/webshop, pharmacies and drugstores.

Wine is not the only way to utilize grapes, there are alternative modes of processing and exploiting their values. Grape seeds and skins are processed to make oil and microgranules which both have health benefits.

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GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE AND JOIN ME TO EVOKE THE WRITINGS OF COLOMBIA’S MOST CELEBRATED AUTHOR, GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ

BY CARMENZA

On April 17th, we commemorated the six-year anniversary of the death of the greatest Colombian writer who ever lived, Gabriel García Márquez. It was only a few months ago, on the banks of the Danube river here in Budapest, that we had the honor to name a city park after him. Before I start, let me say I would be lying if I did not admit that my feelings get mixed up every time I talk about Gabo, our Gabo, as most Colombians used to call him.

Feeling at home

From the day the park was named, it has become extremely meaningful for my family and me. It feels as if it is a little slice of Colombia in this beautiful city that we are now proud to call home. We visit often, taking family and friends to walk through the gardens and admire the city while drinking Colombian coffee, of course!

In my experience as a diplomat, I have always considered the education, sports, and culture sectors as fundamental axes for bilateral relations and for achieving a much deeper understanding between different cultures. During my time as Head of Mission of Colombia to Hungary, it has not been the exception. Although, our two countries have many common fields, we certainly want to keep learning from those in which Hungary is a world power such as the environment, science, and technology sectors, in which we work harder every day. We have attended relevant meetings to strengthen existing alliances and develop all kinds of initiatives for these sectors. Nonetheless, in terms of friendship, having materialized the project of this public space has a very special singularity: it will remain forever.

Magical realism in Budapest

Incredibly, more than a year has passed since we arrived in Hungary. We settled, made friends, found our favorite places, got into a routine, and, in a matter of weeks, our lives were all drastically changed forever. COVID-19, the first pandemic of this millennium, has unexpectedly found its way into nearly every single town, city, and country on this great Earth. No one was expecting this and no one was prepared.

In Budapest’s current state, looking out the window of my residence to the eerily abandoned Andrássy út seems like a piece of magical realism that our Nobel Prize winning author, Gabo, so famously depicts in many of his books. As the coronavirus spreads, self-isolation or quarantine

is one of the key strategies in ‘flattening the curve’ of infection rates. This isolation period involves individuals and families staying within their homes to prevent having physical contact with the outside world. Nevertheless, this has also been a time for many to strengthen their family ties, to reconnect – remotely – with old friends, to re-organize their homes, to realize the importance of small details in life that are easy to forget because of routines and the daily hustle and bustle we so commonly find ourselves in. The silver lining that my family and I have found in all of this misfortune is a new-found desire to make every single second in our lives count, from this day on.

Retrospective

In 1957, nearly a decade after the end of World War II, García Márquez traveled to Budapest for the first time as correspondent of the Colombian newspaper El Espectador in Paris. During his time here, he wrote the book De Viaje por Europa del Este (Travelling through Eastern Europe), where he told with precision, and a brutal handling of small details, the complex political environment of Eastern Europe during that time. His book shed light on an unimaginable world. One that the people of Eastern Europe were not expecting and did not recognize at that time.

It is hard to believe that Colombians, as well as the majority of the people of Latin America, came to learn of the heroism of the Budapesters during those trying times through the melancholic writings of García Márquez, just one year after the end of the Hungarian Revolution. Now, in a different time and under much different circumstances, we reflect on those teachings and look to the future with more force and,

in my particular case, admiration for how the government and the people of Hungary have faced this time; with compassion, competence, and a respect for science that will undoubtedly save countless lives.

Convergence

In the 1980’s, I had the privilege of meeting García Márquez and his wife, Mercedes, on a sunny day in Havana, Cuba. I still clearly remember how awe-struck I was by Mercedes. Her strong soul and effortless confidence was just as impressive as Gabo’s gentle, kind and humble demeanor. I strongly believe that those two qualities, empowerment and humility, must certainly converge amongst us now if we are to overcome this dark page in our history. Whether the time I still have ahead in the ‘Queen of the Danube’ is short or long, I look forward to the many more afternoons I will spend walking through the Gabriel García Márquez Park, coffee in hand, strolling with family and friends as we reflect on how, after all that has happened, we have re-invented ourselves as a society and as human beings.

I hope that someday my daughter, Camila, will come with her children to this very park and that they will enjoy it as much as my husband, Christophe, and I do now.

As a final thought, I invite everyone to reflect on the importance and value of yourself, your friends, and your families during this time. You are truly, as stated in one of Marquez’ most celebrated titles, Living to Tell the Tale.

DIPLOMATS

ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES ON “EXCURSIONS” into Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy & scenery.

JARAMILLO, AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA TO HUNGARY

VALUABLE COLLABORATION

MARRIOTT HOTELS IN HUNGARY MAKE CHARITABLE DONATIONS DURING CORONAVIRUS

The Budapest Marriott Hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Budapest City Center, The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest and the Four Points by Sheraton Kecskemét handed over more than a thousand textiles: towels, bed linen, slippers and hundreds of hygiene products: shower gel, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toilet paper to Szent László Hospital, the capital’s main dedicated quarantine hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, and to the Bács-Kiskun County Hospital in Kecskemét.

The total value of the material donations exceeded HUF 2.5 million. Hertz Car Rental offered their assistance with the delivery to the two selected health-care institutions. The coronavirus epidemic has also made the day-to-day work of the National Rescue Service significantly more difficult. From the textiles offered by the Budapest Marriott Hotel – which

has remained open during the epidemic – 130 sheets were made for ambulances transporting coronavirus patients, thanks to the charitable work of the Massi 21 Tailor. The total value of this donation is HUF 1 million.

The Budapest Marriott Hotel's DNB Budapest restaurant has also proudly contributed charitable donations. For each order of home-delivered Easter

PÁRISI UDVAR HOTEL BUDAPEST SUPPORTED HOSPITAL STAFF

BY PREPARING 50

LUNCHES EVERY DAY IN APRIL

food, the restaurant gave HUF 1,300 to support the work of the National Ambulance Service. In addition, the restaurant is preparing and delivering 50 portions of chicken paprika to the health-care staff of Szent László Hospital and the National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology on a weekly basis. Fabri Tours has partnered with the restaurant to complete the deliveries. Four Points by Sheraton Kecskemét distributed 100 servings of hot food to

the socially deprived at the Happy Karol Wojtyla Friendship Center during the Easter holidays. “The coronavirus pandemic is an astonishing challenge for doctors and nurses. Through our support, we would like to thank all health-care workers for their sacrificial and exemplary work, and we wish everyone very good health!” said Arne Klehn, General Manager of the Budapest Marriott Hotel, on behalf of the Marriott Hotels in Hungary.

Your Home Office in Style – Downtown Budapest

Do you need a stylish ‘home office’ that is as safe as at home? We ensure the tranquillity you need for a productive day, enhanced with free WiFi and refreshers – all here in downtown Budapest. Your new Kempinski Home Office is easily accessible, and meets the highest safety and health standards.

OUR SPECIAL PACKAGE INCLUDES

• Stunning Park View Room between 8:00 and 18:00, providing a quiet place for your online video meetings

• Refreshment station set-up in your booked room upon arrival with freshly brewed coffee/tea, power bars, fresh fruits and mineral water

• Business services: unlimited WiFi connection, scanning service and up to 20 pages of B&W printing with delivery to the doorstep of your room

• Parking space for one car in our underground garage with direct access to the hotel lobby

Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest, operated by Mellow Mood Hotels, supported doctors, nurses and other hospital staff at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Szent László Hospital, and Bethesda Gyermekkórház (Bethesda Children’s Hospital), with 50 lunches every day last month, prepared by the hotel's restaurant Párisi Passage Café & Brasserie. “The appearance and rapid spread of COVID-19 has a serious impact on our lives. Hospital staff performs beyond all of their strength on a day-to-day basis, and their health and well-being are vital. With this gesture, we wanted to help them and thank them for their work," Andrea Schwindt-Kiss, General Manager of the hotel, said. Executive Chef László Papdi and his team started cooking early in the morning every day to be able to deliver fresh meals on time. “Our goal was to cook simple but delicious, easy-to-have and very nutritious meals,” the chef notes. “Working in hospitals can be extremely stressful and tiring, especially these days, so choosing the right food is crucial.” Schwindt-Kiss added, “This was an excellent example of donation and collaboration, which involved several partner companies of Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest who also volunteered by offering free delivery and packaging.”

FEEL FREE TO BRING ALONG YOUR PET; WE AWAIT IT WITH A SMALL SURPRISE AS WELL.

During the day, our staff is at your service to walk your dog or arrange flowers or small gifts for your beloved ones, when you arrive home after a tiring day. Furthermore, our car wash service (with 24 hours’ prior notice) are provided for your convenience as well.

Rates start from EUR 99/day/person* The offer is valid from 4 May to 30 June 2020.

If your day is getting too long, you can extend your stay after 18:00 till 8:00 the next morning at a surcharge of 50% of the above price.

*For payment, we accept SZÉP cards as well.

FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS: reservations.corvinus@kempinski.com + 36 1 429 3375 kempinski.com/budapest

The film’s plot takes place overnight and revolves around the issue of dominance, harassment and vulnerability in different human contexts, on the border of imagination and reality, be it a marriage, a friendship, a parent-child or state-citizen relationship. The main roles are played by Lilla Sárosdi, Domokos Szabó, Lujza Hajdu, Szabolcs Hajdu, Árpád Schilling, Fanni Wrochna, Nóra Földeáki and Orsolya Török-Illyés.

TREASURE CITY

Szabolcs Hajdu and his team have chosen a pioneering solution for presenting their latest full-length feature film: on April 23, the film debuted on vimeo in Hungary and Romania – with optional Romanian and English subtitles. Treasure City was realized within the framework of a special educational project in cooperation with Látókép-Production and the Filmtett Association of Kolozsvár. The crew and some of the actors consisted of highly experienced film professionals. Under their leadership, the students of Romanian and Hungarian film schools gained experience in making a feature film. “In recent years, we have led several groups for actors and directors, with

On April 23, 2020, Szabolcs Hajdu's new feature film, Treasure City, made its debut on vimeo. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the forced closure of cinemas has prompted the creators to uniquely market their recent work on an online platform.

Orsolya Török-Illyés, in a film camp organized by the Transylvanian Filmtett Association. Traditionally, short films are made during the 10 days of the camp, with essentially all film departments of film making – from actors through sound engineers to the production manager – represented and led by experienced filmmakers. Most recently, we decided to step out of the framework of the camp and create a full-length feature film with the participation of the young people in the camp. The aim was to allow those who wanted to learn and move on to try themselves in sharp situations. I originally intended the scenes as acting rehearsals and wrote them specifically for the actors, but

later, when the idea of the feature film came up, I expanded these scenes, concatenated them, and beyond personal current events, such motives have also been included, which have been of great concern to the public in recent years and have generated heated social debates,” director Szabolcs Hajdu explains. Treasure City is a film anthology with several interconnected stories. It revolves around the issue of dominance, harassment and vulnerability in different human contexts, on the border of imagination and reality, be it a marriage, a friendship, a parent-child or a state-citizen relationship. The plot takes place overnight and combines four storylines: the conflict between a priest and his family; the parenting struggles

of a political activist; the marriage crisis of an actor and his wife; the story of a famous theater director and her young protégé. “Although watching movies is primarily a community experience for us, and the distribution of home cinema in the case of ‘It's Not The Time Of My Life’ also served this, in the current situation we still felt that in our own way we could help people to spend this difficult period meaningfully. This is how the idea came about, that is we would not wait for the revival of cinema distribution and film festivals with Treasure City, but present it online. Last but not least, watching it is an excellent opportunity to support independent Hungarian filmmakers,” says Orsolya Török-Illyés, one of the main characters and producers of the film.

FIRST HUNGARIAN MOVIE TO DEBUT ONLINE

QUARANTINE SOIRÉES ONLINE, BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Each night, as of March 16, members of the Budapest Festival Orchestra play live chamber music concerts called Quarantine soirées, online. Streamed from the BFO's rehearsal studio, these concerts are recommended for all music-lovers in isolation. Iván Fischer, Music Director of the BFO says: “We all need music, now more than ever. This is a time of intimate home listening and chamber music because it would be dangerous to invite a whole symphony orchestra and audiences into a closed space.” BFO appeals to listeners to support musicians of the Quarantine soirées who lost most of their income due to cancellations of the orchestra’s concerts. The Quarantine soirées can be enjoyed via the orchestra's website or Facebook-page at 19.45 each day, until further notice. www.bfo.hu

BODIES 2.0 – THE UNIVERSE WITHIN

UNTIL JUNE 30, BÁLNA

This is a scientific, educational exhibit comprised of appr. 200 specimens including whole body specimens that have been preserved using a method known as polymer impregnation. Bodies 2.0 literally as well as figuratively goes ‘under the skin,’ revealing the complexity of the human body and allowing visitors an up-close, 3-dimensional look at their inner make-up. Rather than using models of the human body, this exhibition uses real human bodies to provide the general public a look at what normally only doctors and scientists can see first-hand. The goal of the exhibition is for visitors to leave with a deeper understanding of their own body’s form and function and a stronger appreciation for staying fit and healthy. www.bodies-kiallitas.hu

FROM FALSE BEARDS TO HIPSTER BEARDS ONLINE, HUNGARIAN FINE ARTS

MUSEUM

Due to the public health emergency caused by COVID-19, the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest is closed for an indefinite period of time (just as all museums in Hungary). To please art fans, the institution is offering several virtual tours, sharing its digital content with the public. Taking a walk in Budapest’s city center or looking around in a ruin pub, one encounters more beards than clean-shaven faces. This is the trend for men right now, but some fashion bloggers assert that sporting a beard has already had its heyday and a freshly shaven face will become the norm again. What do we know about beards? What does a beard say about its wearer? According to Giovanni Scaliger, a 16th-century humanist, the beard is “the most important and most sacred part of a man.” Is that be true? Find out via the Hungarian Fine Art Museum’s virtual tour. www.szepmuveszeti.hu

OLDTIMER SHOW 2020

JUNE 12-14, HUNGARIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM

BONNIE TYLER

JUNE 19, BARBA NEGRA TRACK

Bonnie Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, was brought up in Skewen, a small village near Swansea. She grew up to become one of Wales’ best known performers, achieving chart success all over the world. She is recognized for her distinctive husky voice, and a long list of hit singles including ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, ‘It’s a Heartache’, ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, ‘Lost in France’, ‘More Than a Lover’, ‘Bitterblue’ and ‘If I Sing You a Love Song’. In her 50-year career, Bonnie has performed for audiences in countries across the world and has enjoyed critical acclaim for her latest albums ‘Rocks and Honey’ and ‘Between The Earth and the Stars’. www.broadway.hu

Oldtimers represent the true value of craftsmanship and preserve memories of the car industry. It's best to admire them at this festival that is, according to organizers, one of the largest veteran vehicle exhibitions in Central Eastern Europe, with 500 vehicles on show, including a very unique 104-year-old hybrid car this year, named Woods. The annual event which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2020, offers a large outdoor and indoor space (100,000 square meters) for exhibitors and visitors alike, with interactive and family programs, including steam engine rides, velo-rails or railbikes, a train rotating platform, railcars and an omnibus. There will be farm animals and kids are also invited to play in the bouncy castle and enjoy face-painting. A gastro-street will offer Hungarian specialties. For those with an eye for beautifully restored veteran, antique, nostalgic and classic vehicles, this event is a must.

www.oldtimershow.hu