Diplomacy&Trade 2021 February

RESILIENCE AFTER THE PANDEMIC

SEEMINGLY OVERNIGHT, THE PANDEMIC DISRUPTED ASSUMPTIONS AND FORCED PEOPLE, WITH A SHOCKING DEGREE OF URGENCY, TO BECOME MORE ADAPTABLE AND RESPONSIVE THAN EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE, SAYS DELOITTE GLOBAL’S ANNUAL STUDY ON FUTURE TECHNOLOGY TRENDS.

SEE SUMMARY ON page 14

More German Investments

Germany is Hungary’s most important economic partner, the Hungarian economy highly relies on the ‘well-being’ of the German one. The CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) talks about attracting and maintaining German investments in this country. HIPA carries on with its ambition to continue to successfully position Hungary as an ideal location to invest in and in that, they also count on the German investment community. see more on page 10

Flexible Solutions

In this semester, the Budapest Campus of the 111-yearold ESSCA School of Management welcomed 268 students from 15 different nationalities. They, as well as the institution, have to cope with restrictions and safety measures put in place due the new coronavirus epidemic. As there is a great emphasis on remote and hybrid solutions, they work more closely with the IT department in order to ensure that their academic programs are well supported. see more on page 15

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letter from the publisher

In the world of technology, resilience is defined as stubborn determination to adapt and thrive in the face of change. This is the 12th time that Deloitte Global has prepared an annual study on future technology trends, which is by no surprise dominated by various responses to the pandemic situation. A summary of the study may give you an idea of what 2021 and after can bring in the world of technology.

Another area that has had to adapt to the pandemic restrictions is education. The situation also forced the Budapest Campus of the ESSCA School of Management to alter several aspects of their operation, from recruitment, teaching and exams to student life. In order to teach in an uncertain sanitary situation at a very high level, they have no choice but to be flexible and adapt changes as quickly as possible in a creative and innovative way.

Following the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, our international affairs analyst looks at what the Americans and the world expect from the Biden administration. In the midst of continued division within American society, the single most important task seems to be uniting Americans as much as possible while internationally, there is likely to be a welcome return to multilateralism instead of the Trumpian transactional approach to foreign affairs.

As a follow-up to our recent German Focus, the head of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) talks about the German economic presence here as Germany is still Hungary’s largest economic partner. Accordingly, the majority of the large-scale FDI projects closed by HIPA in 2020 were German. We also tell you about two large German foundations present in Hungary for three decades now.

This month, WittyLeaks is by the Irish ambassador who shows – through the life of a Hungarian artist of Irish ancestry – how art and culture create a bridge between Ireland and Hungary.

Our gastronomy page presents a successful Hungarian tomato growing firm recognized for its environmental production, while the wine section is about the renowned head of Tokaj Oremus retiring and passing the baton on to a new management, as well as about international recognition of a successful Hungarian wine guidebook.

I think it’s safe to say that we are all anxiously waiting for the implementation of the vaccination program and slowly returning to our socially rich lives. Until then please follow the guidelines and stay safe!

Peter Freed PUBLISHER

cont en ts

ESSCA School of Management Budapest Campus

16 WITTYLEAKS

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

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Tamás Varga ADMINISTRATION: Éva Madarász

CONTRIBUTORS: Sándor Laczkó, Tamás Magyarics, Réka A. Francisck, Dániel Kiss, Ronan Gargan

PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: depositphotos.com (Cover), pixabay.com, twitter/iamyourgasman, depositphotos.com, Krdobyns/wikipedia, Hungarian National Film Archive, Budapest Airport/Róbert Baranyi, Márton Király/MFAT, thyssenkrupp Presta Ilsenburg GmbH, DoD photo by U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum, Márk Oláh / Ministry of Justice, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, afstudio.hu, Deloitte, Zsolt Reviczky, Ferenc Martyn Collection/Janus Pannonius Museum Pécs, István Füzi, Dániel Dömölky, shutterstock.com, Hungarian State Opera, Live Nation, István Szécsi, Bence Szabó, Tokaj Guide, MTI Photos: Tibor Illyés, Tamás Kovács,

Biden

HIPA on German investments; Konrad Adenauer Foundation; Friedrich Ebert Foundation;

by the Ambassador of Ireland

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

18 GASTRONOMY Award for Veresi Tomato

19 WINE

Oremus Tokaj winery; Tokaj Guide

HUNGARIAN FOCUS – COMING SOON

In line with the regular country focus compilations on mainly economic relations between Hungary and other states around the national day of the given country, Diplomacy&Trade will publish a Hungarian Focus in its March 2020 issue in connection with the national holiday on March 15 (that commemorates the 1848 Hungarian revolution). According to plans, the leading material of the compilation will be a comprehensive interview with Minister of Finance Mihály Varga on the current status and development plans of the Hungarian economy and the compilation will introduce the most well-known Hungarian companies / brands (irrespective of their ownership structure) to the international readership of Diplomacy&Trade (including the foreign missions in Budapest).

István Filep, Noémi Bruzák

Can the Biden administration return to ‘normalcy’?

Hungarian tomato growing firm receives ‘Mother Earth’ award page 18

Renowned head of Tokaj Oremus winery retires page 19

HUNGARIANPM CONGRATULATES PRESIDENTBIDEN

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a congratulatory letter on the occasion of Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States of America. The Hungarian PM was of the view in the message that "the past four years have proved that friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between US and Hungary could bring about great opportunities in multiple sectors."

He added that "this space of time has opened up new horizons in our bilateral relations in the fields of security, energy policy and economy."

According to PM Orbán, "the Hungarian government remains fully committed to further fostering Hungarian-US relations on the basis of mutual respect and goodwill, building on our alliance in NATO, on our commitment to counter terrorism and on our common aspiration in securing alternative energy sources for Central Europe."

on the record

the recognition. Dr. Szakmány has been at the forefront of efforts to treat seriously ill patients in Gwent, to co-ordinate the critical care response to the pandemic in Wales and to research the viability of potential treatments for the virus. “I thought I was doing my job like everybody else,” he told the paper. “I didn’t think for one minute it was result in this. I’m really surprised.” The 44-year-old anesthesiologist went to Britain in 2004 to gain experience but then, he decided to stay. He was working in Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital during the first wave of the pandemic, and is now based at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s (ABUHB) new critical care center at the Grange hospital in Cwmbran.

KATALIN KARIKÓ ACCEPTS SZEGED HONORARY TITLE

"Dr. Katalin Karikó has accepted the title of honorary citizen of Szeged. It is a great honor for all of us," the mayor of the southeastern Hungarian city of Szeged, László Botka announced on January 19. "Our city, our country, and the whole world can be grateful to her for her exceptional scientific work in the development of the first authorized coronavirus vaccine. We are looking forward to welcoming the Professor and her family home to Szeged," the mayor added. Katalin Karikó and her colleagues made a breakthrough in the fight against the coronavirus. The Hungarian scientist and her research partner, Drew Weissmann developed in the 2000s the basis for the most promising coronavirus vaccines. The joint BioNTech/Pfizer’s vaccine and the American Moderna vaccine have been developed based on their research.

Szeged has always had a special place in the life of Katalin Karikó, according to the local website Szeged.hu. The scientist met her would-be husband in Szeged, they married there and their daughter was born there as well. She built her scientific career on the knowledge she gained in the city. After graduating from the university, she started working at the Biological Research Center in Szeged, and then conducted her research work in the United States. Katalin Karikó will personally receive the award on City Day, May 21.

HUNGARIANATHLETESOF THEYEAR2020

FIVETIMESHUNGARIANOLYMPIC CHAMPIONTURNS100

Five times Olympic champion gymnast Ágnes Keleti, currently the oldest living Olympic medalist, celebrated her 100th birthday on January 19.

Ágnes Keleti won her first Olympic title in floor exercise in Helsinki in 1952 when she also earned a silver and two bronze medals. Four years later in Melbourne, she defended her individual title in floor exercise in addition to taking gold on uneven bars, on balanced beam and as member of the Hungarian portable apparatus team. In 1956, she won two silver medals, as well. She also has three world championship titles (Rome, 1954)

OVER12,000COVID-19 FATALITIESINHUNGARY

The official number of deaths related to the new coronavirus infection in Hungary surpassed the 12,000 level on January 24 as it increased to 12,024. January was a black month in the COVID-19 pandemic in this country as it saw a 30%growth in the number of fatalities (from 9,667 on December 31 to 12,578 on January 31).

During the same period, the official number of infected people identified in Hungary increased by over 40,000 from 325,278 to 368,710. Figures published at the related government website say that 237,872 people had been inoculated with coronavirus vaccine, with 61,266 of them having received the second jab as well.

HUNGARIANDOCTOR

ONTHEQUEEN'SNEW YEARHONORSLIST

Dr. Tamás Szakmány, a Hungarian doctor working in Wales, was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to the British public healthcare system NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the local paper South Wales Argus, the doctor said he was “completely astonished and humbled” to receive

Judoka Hedvig Karakas and footballer Dominik Szoboszlai were chosen as Hungarian athletes of the year 2020 by the Association of Hungarian Sports Journalists. The winners of the 63rd annual voting were announced at a gala at the National Theater this January. The award ceremony was held without spectators due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Hedvig Karakas earned the recognition by winning a continental title at the European Judo Championship in the Czech capital, Prague. Finishing behind her in the vote were gymnast Zsófia Kovács and swimmer Boglárka Kapás. In the men's field, Szoboszlai was voted the best due to his great performance in his Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg and the Hungarian national team. He finished ahead of tennis player Márton Fucsovics and another footballer, goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi of RB Leipzig, the team that welcomed Szoboszlai as their new signing this January.

On her100th birthday, she received congratulations from the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach who sent a necklace decorated with the five Olympic rings as well as from the leaders of the Hungarian Olympic Committee who visited her this Saturday as well as from the Hungarian president and the prime minister.

The President of the International Fair Play Committee, Jenő Kamuti, handed over a lifetime achievement award of the Committee to Ágnes Keleti.

Earlier in the month, young athletes at the gymnastics section of the sports club UTE (the legal successor of Ágnes Keleti's one-time club Újpest Dózsa) greeted her in a video message (due to the coronavirus epidemic) and the club announced that its recently renovated gymnasium would be named after her.

THE120TH ANNIVERSARY OFHUNGARIAN FILM

The National Film Institute (NFI) is celebrating the 120th anniversary of the first Hungarian film with several programs that will include film screenings, exhibitions and other activities. The NFI said in a statement to the Hungarian news agency MTI that the programs will begin with the Day of Hungarian Film on April 30.

In July, NFI and the Budapest Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art will open an exhibition presenting the history of Hungarian film. The museum will also play host to film screenings, as will the Budapest Classic Film Marathon, the Valley of Arts festival in Kapolcs (at Lake Balaton) and film clubs across the country.

company briefs

ROGER&ROGER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN BAJA

Belgium based company group Roger&Roger will invest EUR 16.5 million to build a new tortilla chips production facility at the premises of its Hungarian subsidiary, SUGO Food Ltd., in Baja, southern Hungary.

While retaining 99 jobs, there will be also 60 new jobs created, a new production hall will be built and the newly developed manufacturing complex in Baja will be the Eastern-European production center of the company, the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) reports of the project in which over 30% of the costs will be covered by Hungarian government funding.

Roger&Roger's main profile is snack production, besides quick frozen vegetable products they primarily make chips and nachos under various brand names to the market.

SUGO Food Ltd. has been making numerous single and mixed, quick frozen vegetable products since 2019; they sell 60% of their production as export, in Western Europe, South America, Russia and the Middle-East.

INCREASES MARKET SHARE IN HUNGARY

Ford's sales fell by about 20% in Hungary last year as a result of the coronavirus epidemic, yet, the brand was able to improve its share of the new car market thanks to the traditionally strong position of its trucks.

Ford Hungary announced at an online press conference this January that in 2020, the brand sold 18,782 new cars and vans in Hungary, fulfilling its plan modified due to the pandemic, giving it a market share of 12.52%, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported. A year earlier, 23,327 cars were sold and a 12% market share was reported. The number of units sold in 2019 increased by 18% yearon-year.

According to Datahouse, 150,072 cars and vans were sold on the Hungarian new car market in 2020 after 194,109 in 2019, and the market shrank by 18.5%.

Regional director Attila Szabó reminded at the press conference that last year, the manufacturer announced the Go Electric strategy, in the framework of which 14 partially or fully electric models were introduced to the European market. He said that they had been prepared for a downturn of up to 25% as a result of factory closures due to the pandemic, but with alternative powertrain models, the brand was able to adapt to new market expectations. Ford performs particularly well in the light commercial vehicle segment in Hungary, with a brand share of 31.95% after 24% a year earlier, making it the strongest brand. But with a share of 14.6%, it is also the market leader in Europe. The regional director noted that Ford is also performing well in the sports car segment: with 265 cars sold last year, it has a 40% share in Hungary. The epidemic did not necessitate the closure of any Ford dealership, the regional director added.

According to HIPA, the company decided to establish their new Eastern European manufacturing center in Baja building on the reliable and excellent quality local produce supplies. Besides the new tortilla chips factory, their quick frozen food production capacity will be expanded, and new packaging and storage facilities will also be built.

DUNA HOUSE GROUP CLOSES 2020 WITH ALL-TIME HIGH VOLUMES

The real estate group Duna House reports to have been out of the COVID-crisis by the fourth quarter of 2020. Besides the Group's real estate brokerage arm that reached new highs in Q3 2020 and grew by 13% year-on-year in the next quarter, the loan brokerage business line also reached new records with 34% year-on-year growth.

A summary by the Group highlights that 2020 has shown the strength of the diversified operations, while the fourth quarter, in particular, showed the growth potential in the foreign businesses: both the Polish and Czech operations reached historic record volumes in all business segments during the quarter. In Hungary, the residential real estate market started 2020 at previous year's levels, then dropped drastically in the second half of March as a result of curfew restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a 67% year-on-year decline in the last week of the month.

By the end of May, volumes closed back to last year’s levels. The Group’s Hungarian franchise real estate brokerage network reported a 9% year-onyear increase compared to Q4 2019, reaching a total commission volume of HUF two billion in that quarter. Lending ended the year in stellar performance, quarterly record volume of HUF 23 billion.

In Poland, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Group in a strong organic growth phase. With a HUF 10 billion volume increase from the local lows of Q3 2020, Duna House Group's financial intermediary business line grew by 58% yearon-year reaching HUF 49.2 billion new record in Poland.

Besides the two largest markets of the Group, the Czech operations had outstanding performance reaching record highs with double-digit growth both in franchise and own office real estate volumes.

RECORD QUARTER AT BUD CARGO

In spite of the global challenges caused by the pandemic, cargo traffic at Budapest Airport proved very strong in 2020. The airport handled 134,459 tons of air cargo last year and registered a record quarter at the end of 2020.

A statement by the airport management company Budapest Airport says that BUD Cargo City has been operating at full swing since January 2020 as a stronghold in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Preparations for the second phase of the cargo handling complex will begin already this year.

Cargo traffic at Budapest Airport proved very strong in 2020, in spite of the difficulties caused by the pandemic. Ferenc Liszt International Airport handled 6,118 air cargo flights last year,

17.6% more than in 2019. Cargo volume thus reached 134,459 tons in 2020, registering just a 0.8% decrease from last year. Cargo traffic, anyhow flying high, surged even higher towards the end of the year. The 38,868 tons of air cargo transported in the last quarter of 2020 not only exceeded the volume handled during the same period of the previous year by 4.28%, but is also the strongest quarter ever in the life of BUD cargo.

Budapest Airport – and the cargo handling complex operating from January 2020 called the BUD Cargo City – functioned as a stronghold in the fight against the global pandemic. Cargo charter flights transporting medical equipment and other healthcare supplies accounted for approximately 6% of last year’s cargo traffic, which meant the handling of around 350 dedicated flights in 2020, supplementing the important role of scheduled air cargo connections. Since the spread of coronavirus pandemic in Europe, the BUD Cargo City was prepared for the arrival of medical supplies, and commenced preparations in good time to provide the conditions necessary for the delivery and storage of the vaccine.

company briefs

THYSSENKRUPP: ENGINEERING SERVICE CENTER IN VESZPRÉM

The German multinational conglomerate Thyssenkrupp launches another electromobility-related development project in Veszprém, W Hungary where the company will establish an engineering service center with an investment of slightly over EUR 6 million. The Hungarian government is to cover 35% of the investment costs of the project that promises to create 80 new engineering positions within two years.

HUF 540 MILLION INVESTMENT AT SOPRON BREWERY

In order to strengthen its competitive market position, Heineken Hungária Breweries will invest HUF 540 million in its 125-yearold Sopron brewery. The Hungarian government is to cover half of the investment costs, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported. Improvements in the development project increase the efficiency of brewing and food safety and can also produce new products. The Dutch company has undertaken to preserve 465 jobs and that it is buying 85% of the raw materials used at the Sopron brewery from domestic suppliers. Heineken's global network also has several Hungarian companies as suppliers. Barley, elderberry and cherries are procured from Hungary by Heineken, and hop production in Hungary can be restarted by local producers with the help of a program launched jointly with Heineken.

The new engineering service center will support the special automotive R&D activities of the German large enterprise in Hungary, which is unique in the whole world.

VODAFONE RENEWS FREQUENCY SPECTRUM

Mobile telecommunications service provider Vodafone Hungary has renewed its existing frequencies in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum at the NMHH (National Media and Infocommunications Authority) spectrum auction, for a total cost of HUF 49.1 billion. The service provider has already had spectrum in these bands, so at the auction, the frequencies expiring in April 2022 were renewed, and the company acquired rights to use them for the next 15 years up until 2037. Vodafone Hungary will use the re-acquired frequencies to increase the capacity needed for faster mobile internet and better voice quality.

Japanese companies are introducing new production technologies in Biatorbágy, Székesfehérvár and Esztergom, respectively. They invest a total of HUF 4.5 billion to which the Hungarian government adds HUF 2 billion of public funding. Alpine European Electronics Industry Ltd. in Biatorbágy, Denso Manufacturing Hungary in Székesfehérvár and Diamond Electric Hungary Ltd. in Esztergom (all in western Hungary) are introducing new production technology, increasing the supplier capacities available to the Hungarian automotive industry. Currently, 180 Japanese companies employ more than 30,000 people in Hungary, with Japan being the second most important investor in this country from the Far East.

As the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) notes, Thyssenkrupp Components Technology Hungary Ltd. was founded in 2007. It operates branches in many places throughout the country in addition to its headquarters in Budapest with a total of more than 2,300 employees.

The company carries out both R&D and production activities in Hungary: it manufactures electromechanical steering servos and camshafts in Jászfényszaru, produces stabilizers and springs in Debrecen, while operates a chassis assembly plant and a Steel Service Centre in Győr. The company develops electromechanical power steering systems at its Budapest competence center, which are able to cooperate with a wide range of driving support or self-steering systems. In just a few years, the center has become an international leader and it is now considered one of the best in the world in its field.

BATTERY PARTS FACTORY CAPACITY INCREASE IN JÁSZBERÉNY

Sangsin Hungary Ltd. that produces metal frames for rechargeable (secondary) battery installation in electric vehicles for Samsung SDI in Jászberény, SE of Budapest, decided to make a EUR 28.8 million investment project to increase their production capacity, to match the

Vodafone Hungary had already had spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, so at the frequency auction, the service provider's aim was to extend formerly gained frequencies, thus ensuring the service continuity, since millions of devices are currently communicating in those bands. In addition, these frequencies are key to further increasing the capacity of Vodafone 4G services. The spectrum acquired has a 15-year duration until 2037, with the option of a further five-year extension to 2042.

According to Vodafone Hungary CEO, Amanda Nelson, "last year has highlighted the fundamental role of the telecommunication sector, as it helped us to stay in touch with our loved ones, to learn and to work. It is crucial for us to ensure that this is done smoothly in the future too for our customers, and to do so, we must constantly develop our networks and services. With the frequencies re-acquired we can ensure the continuity of our services and with capacity extensions we can provide even faster mobile internet and better voice quality."

growing market demands. The development is expected to create 150 new jobs. The Hungarian government covers about 30% of the cost of development. The Sangsin company was established in 1985 in South-Korea and have two main production activities: they manufacture rechargeable (secondary) battery parts (including battery housing, external modules for ESS energy storage systems, electric breakers and connectors) and injection molded car parts.

Besides electric cars, Sangsin also delivers products for smartphones, laptops, electric tools, bicycles, scooters and drones. The company has three plants in South-Korea, two in China, one in Malaysia and one in Hungary.

Sangsin Hungary Ltd. produces battery parts, including enclosures, breaker units, fuses and clamp plates since 2018, they chose Hungary to open their first European plant for the skilled workforce and the continuously strengthening battery industry segment.

BACK TO NORMALCY 2.0?

WHAT THE AMERICANS AND THE WORLD EXPECT FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS

The proper word would have been ‘normality’, and what the Republican presidential candidate in 1920, Warren G. Harding, meant was a return to the ‘good old (prewar) times’ with fewer regulations, smaller federal government and, in general, a hands-off approach to governing. Exactly a hundred years later, a presidential candidate, this time the Democratic Joseph R. Biden also hinted that his overall goal would be to return to ‘normality’ – under which he mainly meant the continuation of the pre-Trump policies. The core ideas were diametrically opposed to Harding’s so far as they incorporate the extension of the role of the federal government, the welfare state, in practically all walks of life. The expectation of large segments of the American society, and quite a number of people outside the U.S., was – and is – also a repeat of what happened in 2008 when Biden’s predecessor as a Democratic candidate, Barack Obama’s election was welcomed almost as a Second Coming. The reality turned out much more

prosaic than that – and there is quite a likelihood that President Biden’s promise will be much more than he will be able to deliver.

Continued division

The single most important task seems to be uniting American society as much as can be. It is a tall order given the fact that the proverbial center of American political life is getting emptier than it was just a few decades ago. The populist forces on the right and the left have gained ground in the past years. While the Republican Party is more and more defined by the ’Joe sixpacks’ and the Tea Party and even more radical groupings, the Democratic Party has been taken hostage by the Black Lives Matter movement, the outlandish demands of the Green New Deal people, and the Antifa and like-minded neoMarxist groups even to their left to a large extent. On top of it, or under the surface, there is a bitter fight for the history of the U.S. (”whoever controls the past, controls the present …”), on one side with the antics of the 1619 Project and, on the other one, the 1776 Commission. Though one of the major

themes of Joseph. R. Biden’s inauguration address was ’unity,’ his first batch of executive orders, and the bitter partisan fight in Congress do not really point towards this direction. It is, of course, too early to draw any conclusion, but it seems safe to predict that if President Biden will be acting from the playbook of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (the Squad in general), and is giving free rein to a vindictive Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill, the divide across a wide spectrum of American society will grow wider instead of being narrowed.

Return to multilateralism

The area where President Biden is enjoying a bit more freedom of action is foreign affairs. Overall, what we can expect is a welcome return to multilateralism instead of the Trumpian transactional approach to foreign affairs. Moreover, a comprehensive (re)assessment of U.S. foreign and security policy is in much demand, especially with regard to China, Russia, and the European Union. Here an Obama-style foreign policy 2.0 is not impossible, especially given the

list of key foreign and security advisers around President Biden. The big question is whether these people would like to pick up where they finished in early 2017; if yes, they are in for some surprise as the world has changed quite a lot in the past four years. In fact, for one thing, they cannot ignore some of achievements of the Trump administration in places such as, for instance, the Middle East. The U.K.’s leaving the EU has also resulted in a sort of new dynamic in the transatlantic relations, and the EU has further slipped in terms of being a global player, as well as an important junior partner for the U.S. as a consequence.

Extended honeymoon

Joseph R. Biden will likely to have an extended honeymoon – at least in the first two years of his presidency. The Democrats enjoy a majority in both houses of Congress (even is only with Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-break vote in the Senate). The mainstream media are exceptionally friendly (and uncritical) towards him; he is bound to get strong tailwind from the major social media providers, too. He may prolong this beneficial environment for his administration if he is able to deliver on the most pressing outstanding issues such as an efficient handling of COVID-19, restarting the economy, keeping jobs inside the U.S., and offering a doable vision for the middle class that has been under attack by various forces – from outside and inside – for some time. However, he also has to reckon with Donald Trump’s 70 plus million voters, and a rather strong pushback by the Republican leadership both in the House and the Senate. One of the major factors affecting his presidency will be the outcome of the struggle between the Trumpists and the traditional moderates, centrists within the Republican Party. From President Biden’s, and the Democratic Party’s point of view, the best outcome will be a sort of split within the Republicans, even if forming a new party under Mr. Trump’s leadership seems to be a far too long shot. If the Republicans are able to pull themselves together, and to bridge over the differences within the party, then they will be formidable opponents in the congressional elections in 2022. The pattern lately (in 2010 and 2018) is that first-term presidents tend to lose one or both houses of Congress during these elections, and then have to govern with a hostile House or Senate (or both) for the rest of their presidency. The result is mainly a political gridlock. Another scenario is that the Republican Party will get divided to such an extent that it won’t be able to offer a strong alternative to the Democrats for years to come, and the result will be practically a one-party rule. Neither of them would be good for the U.S. and the world, either.

Tamás Magyarics is a foreign policy analyst

ASPIRING TO FINE FORM for a future generation

COUNTING ON THE GERMAN INVESTMENT COMMUNITY

undertook to carry out investments in EUR 373 million, committing to preserving close to 46,000 jobs while receiving financial support from the Hungarian government. So, all in all, I believe that German companies have been among our partners in relaunching the economy in these pandemic times,” he summarizes.

Competitiveness and compensation schemes

He is of the view that these COVID-19 schemes have been an important element of the government strategy to relaunch the economy. “Basically, we introduced two new schemes of different legal titles. The first one based on the temporary framework of the European Commission announced at the end of March 2020. Then, in April, we were able to launch a subsidy program to help competitiveness with a maximum financial support of EUR 800,000. This amount was available to large and mid-size enterprises that committed to maintaining headcount and carrying out investment at least in half the amount they received as support. The second program was introduced in July after necessary approvals from the Commission. It was a compensation scheme, applicable to large enterprises with no upper limit of compensation, aimed to compensate companies with financial losses that occurred because of the pandemic. Again, the requirements were retaining jobs and carry out investments up to 50% of the support they get. All in all, we received 1,338 applications for these two programs combined. In 2020, we closed 810 cases, which means that many companies have already received financial support and we are currently working on the remaining few hundred applications and hope to conclude those in the first quarter of 2021.”

2021: challenges and opportunities

Germany is Hungary’s most important economic partner, the Hungarian economy highly relies on the ‘well-being’ of the German one. The CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), Róbert Ésik explains to Diplomacy&Trade his agency’s role in attracting and maintaining German investment in this country.

“From the foreign direct investment (FDI) point of view, Germany is our number one trading partner: over 27% of Hungary’s foreign trade is with Germany and close to a quarter of all FDI in Hungary is from Germany. In 2020, HIPA successfully closed 907 projects that represent a total of EUR 4.1 billion of capital expenditure, creating more than 12,900 jobs in the coming years. 2020 was also a special year because, in addition to the normal large scale FDI projects that we usually deal with, we were also mandated with taking part in the government’s pandemic economic action plan aimed at preserving as many jobs as possible and relaunching the economy as early as possible. Within the framework of this plan, we launched several new subsidy programs and 810 out of the 907 programs mentioned were closed successfully. The remaining ones, that is, the large scale FDI projects, were the ‘business as usual' for us.” He adds that within these 97 deals, German investors represented the highest share in terms of the number of projects: twenty of them altogether in a total value of EUR 438 million, creating some 1,500 new jobs. In

terms of volume, Asian dominance continued from 2019-20: China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and India represented about half of all of the investment volume here in the last year. Another important business and investment community was that of the Americans who came up with the highest number of new jobs.

“As for improvements, we already have great cooperation with the large multinationals and we are able to welcome new investments from large German companies, but of course, as the German economy is strong, there is a wide network of family businesses there. They are mid-size firms according to German standards, but these are large-scale companies in Hungary. These are the businesses where we expect further investments from. Also, typically, when an investor decides on a new location, then, sooner or later, the optimization of the value chain starts. This opens up opportunities for Hungarian mid-size enterprises to enter these value chains as suppliers,” Róbert Ésik points out.

German automotive presence

Hungary is the only country in Europe outside Germany where the three German premium automotive OEMS (Audi, BMW, Mercedes-

Benz) are, or will soon be, present with manufacturing capabilities – as a result of site selection. According to the CEO, “all three of these manufacturers have stepped on the road of electro-mobility. In case of Audi, it has already started the serial production of electric engines and made substantial investments in e-mobility. As for Mercedes-Benz, even during the pandemic year, they decided to build a new press shop. Before the end of the year, we could also announce that a fully electric SUV, the EQB, would be manufactured in Kecskemét –the first fully electric vehicle to go into serial production in this country. With regard to BMW, the company’s management announced that their plant to be built would be an important part of their production network with the allocation of their battery electric vehicle platform there. As I said, we had twenty large deals from Germany in the past year alone. In addition, German companies have been very active in taking part in COVID-19 specific subsidy programs that we launched in 2020. In fact, German firms were applying in the highest number (67), after Hungarian companies, for funding from these programs. Altogether, they

Regarding the new year, the CEO says HIPA carries on with its ambition to continue to successfully position Hungary as an ideal location to invest in and in that, they also count on the German investment community. “If I look at the current portfolio, we have 78 large deals under negotiation, they are either in excess of EUR 50 million or 250 jobs. These projects represent a total capital expenditure of EUR 13.3 billion and close to 32,000 new jobs. It means that there is a continued interest by foreigners to invest in Hungary. E-mobility related projects are the most popular, representing 80% of the investment volume and 45% of new jobs. We have 23 projects related to the automotive sector while the medical sphere is a new element as the healthcare industry represents some EUR 250 million of potential investments – partly due to the pandemic –, possibly with close to 5,000 new jobs. Last but not least, in the service sector, there is continued interest towards Hungary and we are currently talking to a dozen potential investors who are thinking about setting up expanding business service centers in the region. Another aspect of the opportunities is the country of origin of the investments. As I said the Asian dominance continued in 2020 and we expect something similar in 2021, too. Despite facing the challenges of the pandemic, we have good chances of concluding significant deals in 2021 as well,” Róbert Ésik concludes.

HIPA PURSUES THE AIM OF MAKING HUNGARY AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR INVESTMENT

germany

WORKING IN A TRUSTING AND COMPREHENSIVE MANNER

GERMAN FOUNDATION COOPERATING WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS IN HUNGARY

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a German foundation that has over 110 offices worldwide, has been in Hungary for more than three decades.

The Foundation was established some 60 years ago to promote democratic development in Germany. It stands close to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and is governed by Christian values. Its guiding principles of supporting democracy, promoting the rule of law and social market economy, coming to terms with history and expanding European integration were also the starting point for its activities in other countries. KAS established its office in Budapest in 1990. In the beginning, its focus in Hungary was on promoting the country's integration into the community of common transatlantic values. In concrete terms, this meant membership in the European Union and in NATO. In addition, the Foundation helped to build strong political partner parties with their respective supporting organizations. Another goal was to strengthen the participation of civil society in political

decision-making processes. Its measures were always integrated into the manifold bilateral activities to foster German-Hungarian relations.

Day-to-day activities and partners

The Foundation's work focuses on the people. Its projects are therefore characterized by a large number of different educational

measures to promote dialog on equal terms on all important socio-political challenges. Within the framework of the Foundation's international network, it wishes to expand

CONNECTING INTERESTED PARTIES FOR DIALOGUE

FOUNDATION TO HELP BETTER INTERPRET CURRENT AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENTS

The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the oldest political foundation in Germany, has been represented in Budapest since 1990. Its goal in Hungary is to promote political dialogue between Hungary and Germany as well as EU member states, the exchange of analysis, views and concepts.

As the leadership of the Foundation tells Diplomacy&Trade, when the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung opened offices in Budapest over 30 years ago, it was during a period of great excitement and change. Everybody knew, that the fall of the Iron Curtain would change the world as it had been known since the Second World War, but nobody could be certain what exactly the future would bring. Also, the constellations of relevant actors in politics and society were in a flux, including international networks and orientations. During that period, FES tried to add value to the general atmosphere of change primarily by doing both networking with new relevant

actors emerging in the political sphere and in civil society with counterparts in Germany and Europe, and connecting interested parties and trade unions with debates on social democratic values, traditions and programs. The repeated and strong feedback from Hungarians shows that these contributions by FES have helped paving the way for Hungary’s excellent development, the good

and friendly relations between Germany and Hungary and, not the least, the very successful integration into the European Union alike.

Activities

As for the day-to-day activities of the Foundation, FES is trying to stay in permanent contact and constructive debate with a variety of progressive persons and organizations in Hungary. In its conferences, workshops, FES-supported studies and surveys, the main intention is to link

the fact-based exchange of information and ideas as well as open discussion, including debates on critical issues, and thus to strengthen cohesion in Europe. These programs are complemented by publications, studies, opinion polls and analyses. Its scholarship program for studies in Hungary and Germany are of particular importance. The fact that the Foundation's work is based worldwide on the partner approach means that all its projects are carried out on request with local partners on the ground. This ensures that the expertise and organizational support is available in the country and that the activities are not seen as interference from outside. KAS is primarily approached by institutions that share its value orientation. In Hungary, the Foundation has been able to establish a solid network with a large number of like-minded organizations with whom it has been working for a very long time, in a trusting and comprehensive manner. This is certainly an important expression of the acceptance of its work in Hungarian society.

As to how much the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has contributed to the good relations between Germany and Hungary, the leaders of the Foundation say it is very difficult to assess the overall impact of the activities conducted by KAS. However, they can assure the readers of Diplomacy&Trade that in close cooperation with many other organizations, they always strive to contribute within the Foundation’s means to ensure that both countries remain "good neighbors without a common border" in a strong Europe.

Hungarian analysis and debate to European and German discussions. Being the oldest political foundation in Germany and strongly anchored in both the trade union movement as well as in the Social Democratic Parties’ family, FES says it will always try to work out the particular progressive and labor-friendly views and concepts. In this, issues of social justice, imbalances between genders and European values are always key reference points throughout all their activities. Thus, the programs include exchanges between Hungarian, European and German politicians, trade unionists and civil society actors. The analysis of current developments on either side of this dialogue are key in this, as the Stiftung wishes all discussions to be based on facts and research. They find it important that the details are very transparently available on their website in Hungarian, English and German. When asked how much has the Friedrich Ebert Foundation contributed to the good relations between Germany and Hungary, the organizations leadership uses the word ‘tremendously’ – based on the feedback they receive. They add, though, that the final judgement should rather rest with those they intended to assist and connect through their work. Another indicator is the (sometimes great) amount of requests received from both Hungary and Germany or European member states to help better interpret current affairs and developments on the respective other side. During the year 2020 and in the context of the pandemic, they had to move their programs online – and were surprised very positively about the ever-increasing numbers of interested participants from Hungary and abroad.

Handing over KAS-Scholarships by Frank Spengler, Head of Office, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Hungary and Judit Varga, Minister of Justice on January 15, 2020.

Panel discussion with Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony on February 6, 2020

NEW PERSPECTIVES: AVIATION AND BEYOND

LUFTHANSA SYSTEMS HUNGÁRIA PREPARES FOR THE ‘NEW NORMAL’

Leader in aviation informatics, Lufthansa Systems opens new chapter in strategic partnership and looks beyond hard-hit traditional markets to thrive.

Airlines had to quickly adapt to new demand behavior and change their steering processes along with their IT-solutions, following the adverse effects of the pandemic. There was a sudden need of urgent repatriation flights and rapidly growing demand in the cargo business. Lufthansa Systems, one of the leading global aviation IT providers, responded swiftly and supplied many airlines with adjustments in their flight planning, flight operations, and commercial solutions. This rapid reshuffling of activities kept Lufthansa Systems Hungária, the parent company’s 450-strong technology and delivery center in Hungary, very busy in this turbulent period. Their efforts to ensure business continuity for all airline customers became a common purpose, expressed by the motto, “we are in this together, and we will get out of this together”.

Business as (un)usual in the New Normal The company adjusted to changes and prepared itself for the post-COVID operating environment,

called the New Normal. Lufthansa Systems Hungária had to change its working methods, which, considering that remote work and home office were already part of their day-today operation, went smoothly. They continued to provide services aiming to produce added value in terms of enhanced efficiency, reduced costs

or increased profits for airline companies. While the company took advantage of its agile and flexible approach to make required changes, Lufthansa Systems Hungária decided to go ahead and open its new Szeged office in SE Hungary in March of last year, setting its ambitious growth targets even higher.

Local staff was expanded by 50 % in 2020, to be boosted further this year. “With our deep industry knowledge coupled with the sharp IT skills, our people have given us an edge even in these very difficult times. In the end, not only did we manage to keep all our employees, but we increased our headcount by the end of 2020,” Michael Herrmann, Managing Director of Lufthansa Systems Hungária pointed out.

From university to the labor market

Innovation and the influx of new talent is crucial for every technology company. Lufthansa Systems Hungária continues its complex, projectbased learning and integration initiative for fresh graduates including soft skill improvement in addition to professional trainings. One of the key goals of the IT Young Professional Program is to provide a transition from the university to the labor market, where participants can acquire not only the necessary practical knowledge but also the agile business model of the company. After completing the two-month training period, participants have the opportunity to get involved in live projects and start their career at the firm.

Flexibility 4.0

Common values create an extensive domain of collaborative opportunities with existing business partners. The Austro-Hungarian software company Capture GmbH has experience with a wide range of BroadCom products and ServiceNow applications and has been providing highly skilled IT experts for Lufthansa Systems Hungária for over ten years. Now a tighter strategic cooperation is in the focus, based on the existing customer relationship network of Capture and the extensive expertise and development capacities at Lufthansa Systems Hungária. The primary goal of the collaboration is outsourced software development and application operation in the DACH region, which both partners are familiar with.

“We’ve worked with Capture for about a decade now. They have the network, the salesforce, the business acumen and the expertise to make this happen, and we have the scalable development and operations capability – the perfect symbiosis,” Michael Herrmann said.

According to Gábor Oláh, founder & CEO of Capture GmbH, "our long-time partnership with Lufthansa Systems has proved that we have seamless cooperation between our teams, and our journey now takes a new direction with the search of new business opportunities jointly".

As Michael Herrmann concluded, “this is a kind of market opening which enables us to serve customers outside of aviation. At the same time, Capture can expand its IT development capacities with our help.“

www.capture.eu

Dream a little higher with us

Capture provides software solutions and services to support you to become an agile digital enterprise. We enable you to make an impact –from 4 locations in Europe, with special focus on Germany, Austria and Switzerland and with expertise of more than 250 clients across 8 verticals. Our strategic partnerships allow us to deliver the best-in-class software solutions and the most appropriate near-shore resources from Hungary to make your expectations happen.

RESILIENCE AFTER THE PANDEMIC

DELOITTE PUBLISHES TECH TRENDS 2021

In January 2020, companies had plans, thoughtful road maps to guide organizations, technology and lives through the months to follow – up until COVID-19 punched the entire world in the mouth, rendering useless many of these best-laid plans. Seemingly overnight, a strange, historic event disrupted assumptions and forced us, with a shocking degree of urgency, to become more adaptable and responsive than we had thought possible. This is the 12th time that Deloitte Global has prepared an annual study on future technology trends.

BY DÁNIEL KISS

The theme of Tech Trends 2021 is resilience. In the world of technology, this means a stubborn determination to adapt and thrive in the face of change. According to Deloitte’s study, the pandemic crisis has driven change in an important and unexpected way. A growing number of organizations across sectors are accelerating their digital transformation efforts not only to make their operations nimbler and more efficient but to respond to dramatic fluctuations in demand and customer expectation. It was not only the digital transformation that was speeded up but executive level planning discussions about the future of work also squeeze schedules from years into weeks.

Short-term forecast: what can 2021 and after bring in the world of technology?

Key findings of the Tech Trends 2021 study for the next 18-24 months are as follows: For enterprise technology, aligning corporate strategy with technology strategy. The future of critical core systems must be addressed, including cloud options for digital nonnatives. The so-called ‘lowcode’ and ‘platform-first’ strategies to juice legacy assets. The planning of supply chain transformation is also of key importance.

In the field of data, the industrialisation of artificial intelligence (AI) is the future, with machine learning operations (MLOps) solutions and, consequently, developing new approaches to managing data for machine,

rather than human consumption. Emerging trends in cybersecurity is a key issue. For human and machine interaction, we look at emerging trends in the future of the workplace, digital experiences, and technology that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Long-term forecast: what’s ahead in the next decade?

Based on the technology trends of the past 12 years, development has three phases: the first phase in the 2010s enabled the development of phase two that appeared with its disruptive solutions at the beginning of the 2020s. The third phase is horizont next, the coming decade, shaped by the business and technology strategies of the future: ubiquitous interfaces, seamlessly integrated into the environment that anticipate and meet human needs. Exponential intelligence will be able to recognize and respond to human emotions and understand external environment to perform almost any task. Meanwhile, quantum harnesses the properties

of subatomic particles to solve problems that are too complex for today’s supercomputers. As human-technology engagement continues to increase, the end game is simplicity – transparent and natural interactions. As the ways that machines manage information evolve, the ultimate objective is omniscience – machines that combine insights and understanding to recognize not only correlation but causation. As computation abilities scale, the long-term goal is abundance – the limitless ability to work with, and gain benefits from, technology and information. Finally, to scale sustainably, emerging technologies must rest on a solid foundation comprising the business of technology, the evolution of the IT function; trust, encompassing risks related to cyber, regulatory, and ethics; and core modernization, the organization’s approach to rejuvenating legacy core systems.

(Dániel Kiss is a Partner at Deloitte Technology Consulting Services in Hungary)

WHERE STUDENTS GET READY FOR TOMORROW'S CHALLENGES

ESSCA SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT SUCCESSFULLY ADAPTS TO PANDEMIC CONDITIONS

In this semester, the Budapest Campus of the 111-year-old ESSCA School of Management welcomed 268 students from 15 different nationalities. They, as well as the institution, have to cope with restrictions and safety measures put in place due the new coronavirus epidemic.

At the Budapest Campus of the ESSCA School of Management, the stateof-the-art facilities and equipment, as well as the preparedness of the professors and staff made it possible to react very quickly to the pandemic situation. “ESSCA was among the very first institutions that delivered 100% of the classes online right after the lockdown was announced. The questions of safety, compliance with the rules, maintenance of the continuity of education as well as the assurance of the highest quality of teaching are of the utmost importance,”

Campus Director Professor Dr. Zsuzsa Deli-Gray tells Diplomacy&Trade.

Flexible solutions

As for the best practices applied during coronavirus epidemic, the professor adds that “the pandemic forced us to alter several aspects of our operation, from recruitment, teaching and exams to student life. In order to teach in an uncertain sanitary situation at a very high level, we have no choice but to be flexible and adapt changes as quickly as possible in a creative an innovative way. As there is a great emphasis on remote and hybrid solutions, we have to work more closely with the IT department in order to ensure that our academic programs are well supported. The professors have to be even more engaging as they teach and they need to find new, innovative solutions in order to maintain the interactivity of the courses.”

They all attended trainings provided by the Advanced Pedagogical Institution of the ESSCA School of Management which aimed at showing how to deliver online courses in a creative way, how to define creatively challenging assignments for the students and how to evaluate students’ work online by ensuring that all competences defined at the beginning of the semester are checked and controlled. Virtual company visits and virtual cultural programs were also introduced into the curriculum. All of the classrooms were redesigned in a way to ensure that the Campus can welcome

the students offline, online or in a bi-modular form. This latter solution makes it possible that in case of a given sanitary situation, even if only half of the student group is in the classroom and the other half is following the courses from home – they all have the same learning experience, they can all participate at the classes at the same level.

“A very important element of the current organization of the semester is that we keep a very close contact with all of our students and we organize them several online meetings where they can raise professional and personal questions and remarks. They are all very enthusiastic about the variety of their courses as well as their international experience in Budapest. They all look forward to being able to continue their studies offline in some weeks,” she highlights. When it comes to conducting online exams, the professor is of the view that there must

be a certain level of flexibility from the students’ as well as the institution’s side. “The ESSCA School of Management was amongst the very few educational institutions who immediately introduced the usage of a remote computer-based assessment system after the outbreak of the pandemic. By the usage of this system, we managed to ensure that all of students could sit for their exams in a transparent and well interpretable set of conditions and to be able to control the students during the exams.”

Virtual internships

The pandemic situation also raised issues in allocating students to internship positions and in organizing summer and winter programs ESSCA School of Management is well-known about. “The current situation has led to the cancellation of the internship programs at many companies, which unfortunately narrowed down the opportunities for our students as well. Nevertheless, employers are still eager to connect with students and many of them were able to offer virtual internships, and thus our students could also find internship positions at local companies,” Zsuzsa Deli-Gray explains. After the successful online and bimodal spring and fall semester in 2020, the School’s short-term summer and winter programs were conducted fully online and were scheduled to suit all participating students regardless of their time zones.

Recognition by students

This past December, the Budapest Campus of the ESSCA School of Management proudly announced to have received a ‘Happy®AtSchool 2021 accreditation’. This accreditation recognizes a quality student experience and it is based solely on student feedback. The label measures student satisfaction in five areas: teaching, student

life, quality of facilities and respect for the environment, strength of relationships with companies and trust in the future.

Professional Club events

The Professional Club of the Budapest Campus was established in 2018 with the objective of organizing interactive professional events. It covers a mix of topics that deal with questions relating to general management practices, sustainability, human capital management or business development. “These topics are always of great interest among students, academics and corporate partners as well, since the audience can hear authentic information from the invited speakers who are acknowledged professionals and experts in their fields. We organize these events in the form of ‘afternoon tea meetings’ where participants can get involved in lively discussions after the presentation delivered by the invited speaker. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, we have been holding the events online and try to make sure that the high level of interactivity of the events is maintained,” the professor explains.

111th anniversary

“The pandemic rewrote the plans of our anniversary as well but even so, the series of events went exceptionally well with the active participation of all eight ESSCA campuses, students, alumni, faculty and staff. We celebrated with colorful programs, webinars, our own choreographed BirthDance, Anniversary Photo Shoot and a special online tailormade exit room game. We also presented 111 portraits of alumni whose openness to the world, the diversity of their backgrounds, their commitment to serving society, entrepreneurship and innovation are the perfect illustration of what ESSCA represents,” she concludes.

witty leaks

WITTY LEAKS

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

ART&CULTURE:ABRIDGE BETWEENIRELAND&HUNGARY

DISCOVERING, CELEBRATING AND PROTECTING THE LEGACY OF FERENC MARTYN

BY THE AMBASSADOR OF IRELAND, RONAN GARGAN

Art and culture has the power to connect people, to bridge divides, either physical or emotional. I come to learn this even more since my arrival in Hungary. Since arriving in this beautiful country, I have been struck by the depth, richness of, and love for art and culture. There is nothing I enjoy more than strolling through the National Gallery or visiting Szentendre to soak up its artistic and creative spirit or to travel to Pécs to ramble around the Hungarian Modern Art Gallery. And of course, to rest my weary feet and discuss the amazing art over coffee and cake.

Hungarian artist of Irish ancestry

You can only imagine my delight that this infectious love for art, Hungary’s deep cultural tradition and amazing Hungarian artistic talent has a strong link with Ireland. That link comes in the form of Ferenc Martyn, one of Hungary’s leading modernist artists. Ferenc Martyn has a special place in the hearts of the Irish people and I know that Ireland had a special place in the heart of Ferenc Martyn. He was very proud of his Irish roots. In 1790, his great-great grandfather, Peter Martyn, who hailed from Galway in Ireland and came from the famous Galway tribe of families, came to Hungary to join the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army, rising to the rank of major and eventually settled with his family in Hungary, dying in 1827 at Arad. This Irish heritage stayed with Ferenc and came to influence much of his work.

We do not know for certain if Martyn visited to Ireland but Éva Hárs, the biographer of Martyn, cites his words about the journeys he took throughout his life: “At the age of ten, I went to the home of my ancestors, to Ireland”. Martyn expressed many times his longing for his ancestral home. A number of his Irish themed works have titles containing the word “memory” – Memory of Ireland, Memory of an Irish loom, Memory of Ireland with a harp. But it is not clear whether “memory” refers to actual recollections of a visit to Ireland or means rather nostalgic, emotional images of Ireland.

The illustrator of Ulysses

However, Martyn’s connection with James Joyce and his seminal book, Ulysses, is perhaps his most well known connection with Ireland and Irish culture. Twenty-four

of twenty-seven of Martyn’s illustrations of scenes from Ulysses hang to this day in the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, donated by Martyn to Ireland in 1982 to mark the centenary of Joyce’s birth. Of course, Hungary has a strong link with Ulysses. The father of Leopold Bloom (or Virág, the Hungarian word for flower), the hero of Joyce’s Ulysses, hailed from Szombathely. Martyn’s generosity to the country of his ancestors did not end there. He also gifted eleven of his paintings to Ireland. I am proud that one of those paintings hangs today in the High Lanes Gallery in Drogheda, my hometown, something that I was not aware of until moving to Hungary and exploring the life and work of Ferenc Martyn and his Irish connections. His other paintings hang in galleries all over Ireland, including in Cork, Galway, Sligo and Waterford.

Tata and Pécs

I have enjoyed immensely exploring the work and life of Martyn since my arrival in Hungary and come to be a great admirer of his work, so much so that three of his original paintings now hang in my residence as well as eight prints of his Ulysses illustrations. This love for the work of Martyn has helped in building a strong relationship with the town of Tata, where Martyn lived part of his life and with Pécs, where is also lived and died, and is home to the Ferenc Martyn Museum.

In March this year, I visited the University of Pécs where I donated 24 prints of Martyn’s Ulysses illustrations, which I hope will act as an inspiration for the students of Ireland’s rich literary heritage. I have also had the honor to visit the Hungarian Modern Art Gallery in Pécs, where I had the privilege to view three of the twenty-seven Ulysses illustrations, which remained here in Hungary.

I also visited the Ferenc Martyn Museum when I could take in many of his paintings inspired by his Irish heritage, such as the High King of Ireland, my personal favorite.

In August this year, I visited the town of Tata where a number of Martyn’s paintings hang in the city hall. In the city hall, I also had the opportunity to admire a wonderful stained glass representation of Martyn’s painting, the High King of Ireland. Thanks to the generosity of the Mayor of Tata and the Director of the Kuny Domokos Museum, in October, the Embassy and I could host a temporary exhibition of Ferenc Martyn’s paintings. I am delighted that the city of Tata has allowed

us to keep three of Martyn’s paintings in my residence on a more permanent basis, including Martyn’s painting, Ulysses. In some respects, it felt like a homecoming, Martyn returning to the home of his ancestors, to the representation of ancestral home here in Hungary.

Hungary’s vibrant art scene

My family and I have felt so welcomed here in Hungary and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this wonderful country and people. The good thing is that we have another few years in which to explore every corner of Hungary, its culture, language, food and to sample its well renowned sense of humor, something I think Hungarian and Irish people share in abundance. But it is the thought of strolling through Hungary’s art galleries and learning more about Hungarian art and Hungary’s vibrant art scene that excites me the most. And a big part of this great Hungarian adventure will be exploring more about Martyn Ferenc, learning more about his work and life and his love for Ireland. But why? Apart from the inherit joy that comes from admiring good art, something that can lift the spirits, especially in these difficult times, for me it is important to strengthen the cultural bonds between Ireland and Hungary. Culture and art brings people together, and it is through that act of togetherness that understanding and cooperation grows. Discovering, celebrating and protecting the legacy of Ferenc Martyn is another example of the strengthening relations between Ireland and Hungary and our peoples. Martyn Ferenc, a proud son of Hungary and a valued member of the Irish tribe, is yet another stone in the bridge that links Ireland and Hungary.

High King of Ireland

BEATRIX SIMKÓ: THE CREDENZA

LEFT IN THE CELLAR – "PRESENTATION"

FEBRUARY 26, 2021. AT 20:00 HOURS, STREAM PERFORMANCE

Does the process of ageing build up a wall between the seniors and youths? And the fact that we have grown up in a different way than our grandparents? How could we get closer to each other in spite of all that?

The "pre-sentation" is the screen-optimized essence of the dance performance – which was originally planned to be premiered at this date, on the main stage of Trafó House of Contemporary Arts. Similarly to the stage production, the online version is focusing on a rarely discussed topic: how the passing of decades affect us and how the continuously changing spirit of the age forms us. Merging the genres of dance, interview, roundtable discussion and behind the scenes film, the creators are looking for a universal language, which can be understood regardless of its social, cultural or generational context. The viewer and the creator are sharing a virtual space this time, so theatrical seats are not needed.

(The production took place within the framework of the Staféta Program established and supported by the Municipality of Budapest, with the additional support of the Ministry of Human Capacities.) trafo.hu

44TH TRAVEL EXHIBITION

MAY 6-9, 2021, HUNGEXPO FAIR SITE BUDAPEST

2021’s Travel exhibition will play a key role in relaunching tourism, revitalizing the industry, developing new business relations and promoting destinations. As Hungary’s No. 1 tourism exhibition, Travel strives for the success of the industry and aims to safely meet exhibitor and visitor demands at the highest possible level.

“We thank our exhibitors and visitors for their contribution to the success of Travel exhibition and Caravan Salon 2020. Special thanks to them for sticking with us among this year’s unique challenges! We hope that their participation has lived up to their expectations!

Travel Exhibition and Caravan Salon was again a meeting place for the professionals and annual celebration for travelers in 2020, for whom the most important thing is to establish personal contact with exhibitors, learn about domestic and foreign offers, and find discounted offers,” the organizers say. hungexpo.hu

THE WEEKND: THE AFTER HOURS TOUR

NOVEMBER 4, 2022 AT BUDAPEST SPORTS

ARENA

THE MASTER AND MARGARITA

FEBRUARY 13, 2021. AT 20:00 HOURS, OPERA STREAM

Satan appears in Moscow in the company of a resolute talking cat and other strange characters. Some people disappear under strange circumstances, witches fly through the air, and we are transported back to Biblical times from one minute to the next. The surreal story of Bulgakov’s ‘The Master and Margarita’ comes to life in a special musical format in Levente Gyöngyösi’s opera-musical. “I had wanted to write, for quite a while now, a piece where the stylistic elements of contemporary and pop music synthesize. Something that is easy to understand, well laid out and modern: an experiment to do away with boundaries.” The world premiere will be performed in a special format reminiscent of musicals, with the participation of the artists from the Hungarian National Ballet and the Hungarian Aerial Gymnastics Association, under the direction of Vajk Szente, who is at home both as an actor in musical theater and as a director. opera.hu

TOM JONES A CELEBRATION

JULY 18, 2021 AT VESZPRÉM ARENA

On July 18, the legendary Sir Tom Jones will take to Veszprém Arena’s stage to repeat his hugely successful concert of 2017. One of that night’s special surprises was when Tom Jones invited Mátyás Probijszki, his warm-up act, to perform with him at the end of his concert.

Tom Jones is one of the few musical acts who began singing at the dawn of modern pop music and continues his musical career uninterrupted to this day with important records and performances. His fascinating interpretation spans musical eras and genres, and is intended for fans from young to old, men and women, mainstream and niche music lovers. The 80-year-old musician has released 41 studio albums throughout his eventful career, of which more than 150 million copies were sold worldwide. His latest studio album entitled ‘Long Lost Suitcase’ was released in 2015. He has had 36 songs in the UK and 19 songs in the US Top 40 chart. In 1966, Jones was awarded a Grammy for Best New Artist, he received an MTV Video Music award in 1989, as well as two Brit Awards. In 2006, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music. From 2012, with the exception of one series, he has been one of the main coaches on ‘The Voice UK’. veszpremfest.hu

The worldwide tour announcement came just days ahead of the multiplatinum singer’s headlining Super Bowl performance, and also includes a handful of rescheduled dates shifting from 2021 to be a part of the After Hours World Tour in 2022. With the addition of 39 new tour dates – including Budapest on November 4, 2022 –, The Weeknd also releases ‘The Highlights’. The Highlights is a way to present some of The Weeknd’s most notable works in one place. While this isn’t a 'Greatest Hits' album, it does provide a new listener a rich foray into some of the iconic artist’s best and favorite work. livenation.hu

gastronomy

MOTHER EARTH DIPLOMA TO HUNGARIAN FIRM

VERESI PARADICSOM RECEIVES YET ANOTHER RECOGNITION

Veresi Paradicsom Ltd., which produces premium tomato specialties, has received the ‘Mother Earth’ recognition of Koppert Biological Systems, the market leader in the field of biological plant protection and natural pollination, for paying maximum attention to biological pest control. The Hungarian company is the only recipient of this award in the CEE region.

Over the past year, Veresi Paradicsom has won several prestigious awards, including the Ernst & Young ‘New Generation Production Technologies Special Award’, the ‘Highlights of Hungary’ Forbes special award, the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture's ‘Agricultural Innovation Award’, and most recently, the Koppert Biological Systems ‘Mother Earth Diploma for Biological Plant Protection’. The latter was awarded to the company for its efforts to strive for chemical-free biological plant protection with innovative technology, growing premium tomato specialties in Veresegyháza, east of Budapest, including one of the sweetest varieties in the world.

Shipping to the finest restaurants

In Hungary's most state-of-the-art greenhouse with artificial backlighting, the firms grows the same delicious, high-quality and high-nutrient tomatoes every day of the year, including the autumn and winter seasons, making unnecessary the imports of more than a thousand tons of tomatoes from abroad. In addition to shops, the Veresi produce also reaches the Hungarian Michelin-starred restaurants, shipping tomatoes to the Onyx restaurant in Budapest managed by Ádám Mészáros and to the Stand Restaurant, also in the capital, managed by Szabina Szulló and Tamás Széll.

Special cultivation method

The outstanding quality of the tomatoes in all respects, in addition to the use of excellent seeds, is due to the fact that, as an environmentally friendly solution, no unnecessary chemicals are used in cultivation, pollination is carried

out by bumblebees, pest control by wasps and predators. In a closed hydroculture system, the stems are planted in Sri Lankan organic coconut fiber quilt instead of earth, which is compostable, meaning it does not burden the environment after use, and irrigation water is constantly monitored so that only controlled substances can enter the tomatoes.

It is no coincidence that the pure cultivation process of Veresi Tomato is now a curriculum at several universities and has now been recognized by Koppert Biological Systems, which offers sustainable crop production solutions and is present in more than a hundred countries. With the Mother Earth Diploma in Biological Plant Protection, the Dutch company congratulates Veresi Tomato for its commitment to the environmentally conscious cultivation, free of unnecessary chemicals, of food plants, to which Koppert Biological Systems Naturpol bumble bees also contribute.

Protecting the ecosystem

Koppert Biological Systems, located in the southern part of the Netherlands, has been a world leader in biological plant protection for more than fifty years, aiming to make agriculture healthier, safer and more productive in partnership with nature. All this is accomplished by using natural enemies of pests to fight pest infections, using bumblebees for natural pollination, and supporting and strengthening the underground and above-ground parts of plants with bio-stimulants. According to their philosophy, healthy crops and a balanced environment are based on restoring and protecting the ecosystem in a natural way.

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THE END OF AN ERA AT TOKAJ OREMUS

CHANGING LEADERSHIP AT THE RENOWNED HUNGARIAN WINERY

One of Hungary’s best known, internationally renowned wineries, Tokaj Oremus was founded in 1993. The winery belonging to the Spanish Tempos Vega Sicilia group was managed by András Bacsó right from the beginning. Over the years, his name has become synonymous with that of Tokaj Oremus. A highly esteemed wine professional, András Bacsó played a decisive role in the creation of the winery, the development of the product range and it was under his management that Tokaj Oremus took the first steps towards international recognition.

András Bacsó was born and raised in Tokaj-Hegyalja (east of Budapest) and worked in that wine region even before the foundation of Tokaj Oremus. Following his university years, he returned to the land of his childhood and dedicated the next 40 years of his life to strengthening the reputation of Tokaj wines. Now, he has decided to end his illustrious career and pass the baton to the next generation. The news was broken by the winery at an exclusive press meeting on January 21.

The life of a man is limited

“This Estate has been driven by three factors. First, the Tokaj terroir, which has been a given for centuries, second, the network of underground cellars both ancient and new, and third, the people working here. The life of a man is limited. The apprentice years are followed by the active years and then the moment arrives when it’s time to call it a day and responsibilities have to be handed over to the younger generation. At Tokaj Oremus, we have always worked with a constantly evolving active team. I’m stepping down and I wish from the bottom of my heart that those who follow me succeed in achieving their goals,” András Bacsó says.

The Hungarian leg of Tempos Vega Sicilia

The group Tempos Vega Sicilia is made up of five wineries, four of which are located in Spain and one, Tokaj Oremus in Hungary. The owner of the firm, Pablo Álvarez lauded the achievements of Tokaj Oremus and praised the 27-year tenure of András Bacsó.

“This is a very special and at the same time undeniably sad moment as we have to say farewell to András Bacsó who has made an amazing contribution to the winery over his 27-year term. I want to express my gratitude

for raising the Estate to such heights and for reinstating the esteem and fame that the wines of Tokaj had enjoyed historically. There is no doubt in my mind that actually, András will never be able to stop working and in his heart, he will carry on the legacy of Oremus. I consider his personality and unmatched professional experience an invaluable asset, therefore I’m hoping that he remains a member of our ‘family’ as a consultant.”

The successor

It took a year for Tempos Vega Sicilia to find the right person to succeed András Bacsó, but finally they have found a Hungarian professional who fits the bill. “We believe that Róbert Kindl has the ability to carry on András Bacsó’s legacy, to outline a vision for the future of Oremus and to achieve the goals he sets out. From now on, everything happening here is his responsibility. I wish him the best to succeed in this beautiful and challenging task,” Pablo Álvarez said in his introduction of the new Managing Director of Tokaj Oremus.

In his reply, Róbert Kindl stressed that “I would like to say thank you to Don Pablo, Vega Sicilia and András Bacsó for putting their trust in me to be worthy of this role and giving me the opportunity to prove myself. I will do my best to meet the challenges lying ahead.”

TOKAJGUIDE NOMINATED FOR INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Presented by Gourmand International, the Gourmand Awards for Drink Culture is the biggest competition for books about gastronomy and drinks, with more than 175 countries involved. Authors were informed in late January about their nominations. This time, for the first time in history, a Hungarian guide is nominated. It is written by Gergely Ripka.

The four nominated books in ‘European wine’ category are:

• Austria – Ruster/Ausbruch DAC, Rudolf Lantschbauer, Yulan Cai (Vinothek)

• Bosnia – Wine Stories, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Zeljko Garmaz

• Hungary – TokajGuide, Gergely Ripka (Scolar Publishing)

• USA – The New Wines of Mount Etna, Benjamin North Spencer (Gemelli Press)

“It makes me more than happy to see Tokaj and Hungary on this shortlist. My aim is to put Hungary (back) on the world’s wine map,” the Hungarian author says, revealing that the final winner of the competition will be announced in Paris, this summer.

Independent compass for the Tokaj region

The TokajGuide is being published since 2014, with three re-edited versions so far. The independent

guide is refreshed every other year, to keep it the most up to date and complete piece about the values of the historical Tokaj region. The book includes more than 150 wineries, along with restaurants and accommodation in the region, as well as festivals, and sights worth to visit. The book can be regarded as an international reference about Tokaj, and can be enjoyed by thousands of wine enthusiasts worldwide. The next edition is to come out in April, 2021.

Róbert Kindl, András Bacsó and Antonio Menéndez

The all-electric

The future has parked and it’s just wait for you to get onboard. The all-electric ID.3 brings you the fun and sustainable side of driving. The unique details of the car like the optional front Matrix LED headlights or the redesigned Volkswagen logo foreshadows what awaits you inside. Because it’s not just smart in so many ways – voice assistant, intelligent lighting concept – but one fast charge will cover your travel to work, dropping the kids off at school on the way and coming home at night. What more could you wish from a dream car?

Combined, configuration-dependent energy consumption of ID.3 models: 14.1-19.4 kWh / 100 km, CO2 emission: 0 g / km. Values were determined based on the fixed factory configuration used at the type approval, and are valid at the time of posting the advertisement. The values named here do not apply to individual vehicles, are not part of the information brochure, they only serve to compare different vehicle types, in accordance with the current requirements of Regulation (EC) No. 715/2007. These values can be affected by certain optional equipment, accessories, driving habits and other non-technical factors (e.g. environmental conditions). The vehicle in the photo is only for illustration.