Boston Tea Party U.S. - D e c 1 6
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. On December 16, 1773, after officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor. The incident remains an iconic event of American history, and other political protests often refer to it. The Tea Party was the culmination of a resistance movement throughout British America against the Tea Act, which had been passed by the British Parliament in 1773. Colonists objected to the Tea Act for a variety of reasons, especially because they believed that it violated their right to be taxed only by their own elected representatives. Protesters had successfully prevented the unloading of taxed tea in three other colonies, but in Boston, embattled Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the tea to be returned to Britain. He apparently did not expect that the protestors would choose to destroy the tea rather than concede the authority of a legislature in which they were not directly represented. The Boston Tea Party was a key event in the growth of the American Revolution. Parliament responded in 1774 with the Coercive Acts, which, among other provisions, closed Boston's commerce until the British East India Company had been repaid for the destroyed tea. Colonists in turn responded to the Coercive Acts with additional acts of protest, and by convening the First Continental Congress, which petitioned the British monarch for repeal of the acts and coordinated colonial resistance to them. The crisis escalated, and the American Revolutionary War began near Boston in 1775.
Background
The Boston Tea Party arose from two issues confronting the British Empire in 1773: the financial problems of the British East India Company, and an ongoing dispute about the extent of Parliament's authority, if any, over the British American colonies without seating any elected representation. The North Ministry's attempt to resolve these issues produced a showdown that would eventually result in revolution.
Tea trade to 1767:
As Europeans developed a taste for tea in the 17th century, rival companies were formed to import the product from the East Indies. In England, Parliament gave the East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea in 1698. When tea became popular in the British colonies, Parliament sought to eliminate foreign competition by passing an act in 1721 that required colonists to import their tea only from Great Britain. The East India Company did not export tea to the colonies; by law, the company was required to sell its tea wholesale at auctions in England. British firms bought this tea and exported it to the colonies, where they resold it to merchants in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. Until 1767, the East India Company paid an This iconic 1846 lithograph by Nathaniel Currier was ad valorem tax of about 25% on tea that it entitled "The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor"; imported into Great Britain. Parliament laid the phrase "Boston Tea Party" had not yet become additional taxes on tea sold for consumption in Britain. These high taxes, combined standard. Contrary to Currier's depiction, few of the with the fact that tea imported into Holland men dumping the tea were actually disguised as Inwas not taxed by the Dutch government, dians. meant that Britons and British Americans could buy smuggled Dutch tea at much cheaper prices. The biggest market for illicit tea was England—by the 1760s the East India Company was losing £400,000 per year to smugglers in Great Britain—but Dutch tea was also smuggled into British America in significant quantities. In 1767, to help the East India Company compete with smuggled Dutch tea, Parliament passed the Indemnity Act, which lowered the tax on tea consumed in Great Britain, and gave the East India Company a refund of the 25% duty on tea that was re-exported to the colonies. To help offset this loss of government revenue, Parliament also passed the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767, which levied new taxes, including one on tea, in the colonies. Instead of solving the smuggling problem, however, the Townshend duties renewed a controversy about Parliament's right to tax the colonies.
Townshend duty crisis:
Controversy between Great Britain and the colonies arose in the 1760s when Parliament sought, for the first time, to directly tax the colonies for the purpose of raising revenue. Some colonists, known in the colonies as Whigs, objected to the new tax program, arguing that it was a violation of the British Constitution. Britons and British Americans agreed that, according to the constitution, British subjects could not be taxed without the consent of their elected representatives. In Great Britain, this meant that taxes could only be levied by Parliament. Colonists, however, did not elect members of Parliament, and so American Whigs argued that the colonies could not be taxed by that body. According to Whigs, colonists could only be taxed by their own colonial assemblies. Colonial protests resulted in the repeal of the Stamp Actin 1765, but in the 1766 Declaratory Act, Parliament continued to insist that it had the right to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever". When new taxes were levied in the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767, Whig colonists again responded with protests and boycotts. Merchants organized a non-importation agreement, and many colonists pledged to abstain from drinking British tea, with activists in New England promoting alternatives, such as domestic Labrador tea. Smuggling continued apace, especially in New York and Philadelphia, where tea smuggling had always been more extensive than in Boston. Dutied British tea continued to be imported into Boston, however, especially by Richard Clarke and the sons of Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson, until pressure from Massachusetts Whigs compelled them to abide by the non-importation agreement. Parliament finally responded to the protests by repealing the Townshend taxes in 1770, except for the tea duty, which Prime Minister Lord North kept to assert "the right of taxing the Americans". This partial repeal of the taxes was enough to bring an end to the non-importation movement by October 1770. From 1771 to 1773, British tea was once again imported into the colonies in significant amounts, with merchants paying the Townshend duty of three pence per pound. Boston was the largest colonial importer of legal tea; smugglers still dominated the market in New York and Philadelphia.
Independence Day Kazakhastan - D e c 1 6
Kazakhstan (Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, pronounced qɑzɑqstɑ́n]; Russian: Казахстан [kəzɐxˈstan]), officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is at ranscontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of 2,727,300 square kilometres (1,053,000 sq mi) is greater than Western Europe. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea. Although Kazakhstan does not share a border with Mongolia, its most easterly point is only 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Mongolia's western tip. The capital was moved in 1998 from Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan's largest city, toAstana. Kazakhstan is one of the six independent Turkic states. Kazakhstan is one of the active members of the Turkic Council and the TÜRKSOY community which is currently being directed by the former Minister of Culture of Kazakhstan. Vast in size, the terrain of Kazakhstan ranges from flatlands, steppes, taigas, rock-canyons, hills, deltas, and snowcapped mountains to deserts. With 16.6 million people (2011 estimate) Kazakhstan has the 62nd largest population in the world, though its population density is less than 6 people per square kilometre (15 per sq. mi.). For most of its history, the territory of modern-day Kazakhstan has been inhabited by nomadic tribes. By the 16th century, the Kazakhs emerged as a distinct group, divided into three Jüz. The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century, and by the mid-19th century all of Kazakhstan was part of the Russian Empire. Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, and subsequent civil war, the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganized several times before becoming the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1936, a part of the USSR. During the 20th century, Kazakhstan was the site of major Soviet projects, including Khrushchev's Virgin Lands campaign, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and the Semipalatinsk "Polygon", the USSR's primary nuclear weapon testing site. Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991, the last Soviet republic to do so. Its communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country's new president. Since independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a balanced foreign policy and worked to develop its economy, especially its hydrocarbon industry. While the country's economic outlook is improving, President Nazarbayev maintains strict control over the country's politics. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan's international prestige is building. It is now considered to be the dominant state in Central Asia. The country is a member of many international organizations, inthe United Nations, the cluding Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, theCommonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Kazakhstan is one of six post-Soviet states who have implemented an Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO. In 2010, Kazakhstan chaired the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Kazakhstan is ethnically and culturally diverse, in part due to mass deportations of many ethnic groups to the country during Artistic depiction of medieval Taraz situated along the Stalin's rule. Kazakhstan has a population Silk Road of 16.6 million, with 131 ethnicities, including Kazakh, Russian, Uyghur, Ukrainian, Uzbek, Tatar, and German. Around 63% percent are Kazakhs. Kazakhstan allows freedom of religion, and many different beliefs are represented in the country. Islam is the religion of more than 70% of the population, and Christianity makes up most of the remainder. The Kazakh language is the state language, while Russian is also officially used as an "equal" language (to Kazakh) in Kazakhstan's public institutions. According to Newsweek magazine the country holds the 61st position in the "The world's best countries" list. This summary index consists of following ranks: education – 14, health – 82, quality of life – 45, economic dynamism – 43, political environment – 81. The best rank is the first. According to World Economic Forum in Global Competitiveness Report on 2010–2011 year Kazakhstan holds the 72nd position.
Etymology The term Kazakhstani (Kazakh: қазақстандықтар, Qazaqstandıqtar; Russian: казахстанцы, kazakhstantsy) was
coined to describe all citizens of Kazakhstan, including non-Kazakhs. The word "Kazakh" is generally used to refer to people of ethnic Kazakh descent (including those living in China, Afghanistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and other countries). The ethnonym "Kazakh" is derived from an ancient Turkic word meaning "independent, a free spirit". It is the result of Kazakhs' nomadic horseback culture. The Persian (See Indo-Iranian languages) suffix "-stan" means "land" or "place of", so "Kazakhstan" is "land of the Kazakhs".
HUNGARY Afghan troops’ professional standards on the increase (Online 12 D e c ) A f g h a n troops have increasingly higher professional standards, rewhich flects credit their on Hungarian mentors too. The Afghan battalion (“kandak”), is which being mentored by a of team Hungarian and American trainers, dewas clared capable of independent operations this summer, so the trainers are gradually transitioning to an advisory role. The Hungarian–American team is
Photo: Szilárd Koszticsák, MTI
Pr e s s r e le a s e by the Gov t in r e a c t ion t o t he c onne c tic ut s hoot ings (Online 15 Dec) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to express its deep dismay at the tragic events of Friday morning, when a gunman killed twenty-six people – including twenty children – at an elementary school in the United States. Gábor Kaleta, head of the Foreign Ministry’s press department, told the Hungarian News Agency MTI that the Ministry extends its sympathy to
(Online 15 Dec) Hungary’s position is that the Assad regime has lost its legitimacy and must step down, as it waged a war against its own people causing the death of tens of thousands, wave of refugees, destruction and humanitarian disaster. Hungary is of the opinion that the sooner a political regime change takes place in Syria, the sooner the Syrian people has the chance to take their future into their hands. Therefore Hungary has decided to recognize the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition
In the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to expand into Central Asia. The "Great Game" period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. The tsars effectively ruled over most of the territory belonging to what is now the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Russian Empire introduced a system of administration and built military garrisons and barracks in its effort to establish a presence in Central Asia in the so-called "Great Game" between it and the British Empire. The first Russian outpost, Orsk, was built in 1735. Russia enforced the Russian language in all schools and governmental organizations. Russian efforts to impose its system aroused the resentment by the Kazakh people, and by the 1860s, most Kazakhs resisted Russia's annexation largely because of the influence it wrought upon the traditional nomadic lifestyle and livestock-based economy, and the associated hunger that was rapidly wiping out some Kazakh tribes. The Kazakh national movement, which began in the late 19th century, sought to preserve the native language and identity by resisting the attempts of the Russian Empire to assimilate and stifle them. From the 1890s onwards, ever-larger numbers of settlers from the Russian Empire began colonising the territory of present-day Kazakhstan, in particular the province of Semirechye. The number of settlers rose still further once the Trans-Aral Railway from Orenburg to Tashkent was completed in 1906, and the movement was overseen and encouraged by a specially created Migration Department (Переселенческое Управление) in St. Petersburg. During the 19th century about 400,000 Russians immigrated to Kazakhstan, and about one million Slavs, Germans, Jews, and others immigrated to the region during the first third of the 20th century.Vasile Balabanov was the administrator responsible for the resettlement during much of this time. The competition for land and water that ensued between the Kazakhs and the newcomers caused great resentment against colonial rule during the final years of Tsarist Russia, with the most serious uprising, the Central Asian Revolt, occurring in 1916. The Kazakhs attacked Russian and Cossacksettlers and military garrisons. The revolt resulted in a series of clashes and in brutal massacres committed by both sides. Both sides resisted the communist government until late 1919.
Kazakh SSR:
Although there was a brief period of autonomy (Alash Autonomy) during the tumultuous period following the collapse of the Russian Empire, many uprisings were brutally suppressed, and the Kazakhs eventually succumbed to Soviet rule. In 1920, the area of present-day Kazakhstan became an autonomous republic within the Soviet Union. Soviet repression of the traditional elite, along with forced collectivization in the late 1920s–1930s, brought mass hunger and led to unrest (see also: Soviet famine of 1932–1933).Between 1926 and 1939, the Kazakh population declined by 22% due to starvation and mass emigration. Estimates today suggest that the population of Kazakhstan would be closer to 20 million if there had been no starvation or migration of Kazakhs. During the 1930s, many renowned Kazakh writers, thinkers, poets, politicians and historians were slaughtered on Stalin's orders, both as part of the repression and as a methodical pattern of suppressing Kazakh identity and culture. Soviet rule took hold, and a Communist apparatus steadily worked to fully integrate Kazakhstan into the Soviet system. In 1936 Traditional Kazakh wedding dress Kazakhstan became a Soviet republic. Kazakhstan experienced population inflows of millions exiled from other parts of the Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s; many of the deportation victims were deported to Siberia or Kazakhstan merely due to their ethnic heritage or beliefs, and were in many cases interned in some of the biggest Soviet labour camps, including ALZHIR camp outside Astana, which was reserved for the wives of men considered "enemies of the people" (see also: Population transfer in the Soviet Union, Involuntary settlements in the Soviet Union). The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic contributed five national divisions to the Soviet Union's World War II effort. In 1947, two years after the end of the war, the Semipalatinsk Test Site, the USSR's main nuclear weapon test site, was founded near the city of Semey. World War II marked an increase in industrialisation and increased mineral extraction in support of the war effort. At the time of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's death, however, Kazakhstan still had an overwhelmingly agricultural-based economy. In 1953, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev initiated the ambitious "Virgin Lands" program to turn the traditional pasture lands of Kazakhstan into a major grain-producing region for the Soviet Union. The Virgin Lands policy brought mixed results. However, along with later modernizations under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, it accelerated the development of the agricultural sector, which remains the source of livelihood for a large percentage of Kazakhstan's population. By 1959, Kazakhs made up 30% of the population. Ethnic Russians accounted for 43%. Growing tensions within Soviet society led to a demand for political and economic reforms, which came to a head in the 1980s. A factor that contributed to this immensely was Lavrentii Beria's decision to test a nuclear bomb on the territory of Kazakh SSR in Semey in 1949. This had a catastrophic ecological and biological effect that was felt generations later, and Kazakh anger toward the Soviet system escalated. In December 1986, mass demonstrations by young ethnic Kazakhs, later called Jeltoqsan riot, took place in Almaty to protest the replacement of the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR Dinmukhamed Konayev with Gennady Kolbin from the Russian SFSR. Governmental troops suppressed the unrest, several people were killed and many demonstrators were jailed. In the waning days of Soviet rule, discontent continued to grow and find expression under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's pol- The Bayterek tower in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan icy of glasnost.
Independence:
Caught up in the groundswell of Soviet republics seeking greater autonomy, Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty as a republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in October 1990. Following the August 1991 aborted coup attempt in Moscow and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared independence on December 16, 1991. It was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence. The years following independence have been marked by significant reforms to the Soviet-style economy and political monopoly on power. Under Nursultan Nazarbayev, who initially came to power in 1989 as the head of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan and was eventually elected President in 1991, Kazakhstan has made significant progress toward developing a market economy. The country has enjoyed significant economic growth since 2000, partly due to its large oil, gas, and mineral reserves.
National Day Bahrain - D e c 1 6
Bahrain Independence Day is on August 15, 1971. The British removed their troops from the Suez in the early 1960s. Bahrain formally declared its independence on the 15th of August, 1971, marked by the signing of a friendship treaty with the British that terminated previous agreements between the two sides. Although August 15 is the actual date on which Bahrain gained its independence from the British, the state does not celebrate or mark that date. Instead, the state annually celebrates the 16th of December as "National Day" to coincide with the day that former ruler Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa was coronated to the throne. As such, December 16, is a national holiday and is usually celebrated with firework displays.
Day of the Vow and Reconciliation Day South Africa - D e c 1 6
The Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday in South Africa held annually on 16 December. The holiday came into effect in 1994 after the end of apartheid, with the intention of fostering reconciliation and national unity. The day is also the de-facto start of the South African summer holiday period. Before 1994, 16 December was commemorated as the Day of the Vow, also known as Day of the Covenant or Dingaan's Day. The Day of the Vow was a religious holiday commemorating the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838. On the other side of the political spectrum, 16 December is also the anniversary of the 1961 founding of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the armed wing of the African National Congress.
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Las Posadas (9 days) Mexico - D e c 1 6
History
The procession has been a tradition in Mexico for 400 years. While its roots are in Catholicism, even Protestant Latinos follow the tradition.It may have been started in 1538 by Friar San Ignació de Loyola or Friar Pedro de Gant in Mexico. It may have been started by early friars who combined Spanish Catholicism with the December Aztec celebration of the birth of Huitzilopochtli.
Reenactment Typically, each family in a neighborhood will schedule
a night for the Posada to be held at their home, starting on the 16th of December and finishing on the 24th. Every home has a nativity scene and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (los peregrinos), who have to request lodging by going house to house singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry statuettes of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lampshade. At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the "innkeepers" let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition. In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home. Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (María) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way, or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead. Children may carry poinsettias. The procession will be followed by musicians, with the entire procession singing posadas such as pedir posada. At the end of each night's journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open star-shaped pinatas to obtain candy and fruit hidden inside, and there will be a feast. Pinatas are traditionally made out of clay. It is expected to meet all the invitees in a previous procession.
(Online 13 Dec) At a conference in Veszprém on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics said we that we must rediscover and redefine Central Europe. At Veszprém County Hall, the Minister of Public Administration and Justice said that while we once shared common statehood and many common cultural traditions, since the end of the First World War we have all gone our own ways as separate states and separate nations. ‘Now, perhaps, the time has come to once again redefine Central Europe,’ he said. Mr. Navracsics was speaking at an international symposium and professional workshop entitled ‘Enhanced Visegrád Cooperation Perspectives’, which was attended by delegates
own nativity scenes with local natural materials including Spanish moss. In the evening, carolers proceed to nativities that are placed among important plants including poinsettias and native Mexican pines. A bonfire and more singing rounds out the celebrations. In Wisconsin, the procession may occur within a home, rather than outside, because of the weather. An event in Portland, Oregon terminates with Santa Claus and donated Christmas gifts for needy children. In New York, worshippers may drink Atole, a corn-sugar drink traditional during Christmas. A large procession occurs along the San Antonio River Walk and has been held since 1966. It is held across large landmarks in San Antonio, Texas, including the Arneson River Theater, Museo Alameda, and the Spanish Governor's Palace, ending at the Cathedral of San Fernando.
Similar celebrations In the Philippines, which shares Spanish culture due to
being a former possession, the Posadas tradition is illustrated by the Panunulúyan pageant. Sometimes it is performed right before the Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass), or on each of the nine nights. The main difference with the original is that actors portray Mary and Joseph instead of statues, and they sing the lines requesting for accommodation. The lines of the "innkeepers" are also sung, but sometimes they respond without singing. Another difference is that the lyrics are not in Spanish but in one of the local languages, such as Tagalog. Nicaragua has an event, called La Gritería (The Shout- A street in Mexico decorated in preparation ings), which happens only one day, on December 7, in honor of La Purísima Virgen (The Purest Virgin). The of the nightly Posada procession people go out on the street, sing to the Virgin and then visit their neighbors for food, drink and gifts. Cuba also has something similar, called Parrandas (Though it is more like a Carnaval in atmosphere). They began in the 18th centry when Father Francisco Vigil de Quiñones, the priest of the Grand Cathedral of Remedios, in order to get the people to come to midnight masses the week before Christmas had the idea to put together groups of children and provide them with jars, plates and spoons so they could run around the village making noise and singing verses. The idea persisted over the years and with time it gain complexity ending in the street party that has remained till these days.
National Day Bhutan Dec 17
The National Day of Bhutan is December 17. The date marks the coronation of Ugyen Wangchuck as the first Druk Gyalpo of modern Bhutan. Celebrations are held at Changlimithang Stadium, and include a public address by the Druk Gyalpo and a procession including a statue of Ugyen Wangchuck to honor the first Druk Gyalpo and the independent Bhutanese nation.
Forces formed by the Syrian insurgents and oppositional forces in Doha last November as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Hungary is not alone with this decision: an increasingly widening circle of countries of the international community – including several EU Member States, and those countries who participated at the meetings of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People and who are committed to the transformation of Syria – have chosen this path. This decision by Hungary gives support to the ef-
forts aimed at democratic transformation, free elections, and the promotion of human rights, the goal of which is that the Syrian people could freely decide about their future. It is important that the National Coalition unite, express the will of and provide opportunities to all ambitions, views, and groups of the Syrian society, as well as ensure the rights and inclusion of ethnic and religious minorities, especially that of the Syrian Christian communities in the decision making process concerning the country’s future.
from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia. He said that it was this spirit that saw the creation of the Centre for Central European Studies at the University of Pannonia, which runs courses in the Polish and Croatian languages and in subjects related to Central Europe. Discussion of experience from cooperation between the countries of the Visegrád Four and the opportunities for cooperation in Central Europe are also part of this process. The event was part of the teaching and research programme centred on the Central European region, launched with support from the Institute of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Pannonia, and the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice. Diplo-
mats from the Visegrád countries agreed that cooperation may continue in the fields of energy policy, transport, infrastructure, scientific research and business (small and medium-sized enterprises). From 1 January 2013, the regional studies research centre will begin operations as an organisational unit of the university’s social sciences and international studies institute. Organizationally the research centre comprises three thematic working groups: migration, dual citizenship and naturalisation; the international political dimensions of Hungarian security policy and peacekeeping; and public administration and regional policy on the basis of cross-border initiatives.
Hungary’s air defence system has significantly improved (Online 12 Dec) “Hunair gary’s defence system has significantly improved the with Gripen fighters entering service” – comthe mander of the Hungarian Defence Forces 59th Szentgyörgyi Dezső Base Air said at this year’s last meeting of the Military Correspondents’ Circle on Tuesday, December 11. While introducing the base, Brig.Gen. Nándor Kilián told the participating journalists that the Hungarian Gripen-fleet, which had been made complete by the end of 2007, was composed of 12 single-seat and another two two-seat aircraft. Since the “retirement” of the MiG-29s on January 1, 2010, Hungary’s airspace has been protected exclusively by the JAS-39 aircraft which can fulfil mission types in fighter, attack and reconnaissance roles as well.
(Photo: Sándor Ujvári, MTI)
Two armed Gripens provide 24/7 Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) service on the base, and a third reserve aircraft is ready to scramble at very short notice, the commander added, noting that today only a staff of three Swedish experts assist the smooth maintenance of the aircraft in Kecskemét, in contrast with the earlier 10-plus-member staff. Nándor Kilián stressed that the reconnaissance and airspace surveillance capabilities as well as the communication had improved since
the aircraft entered service. The reaction time has shortand ened the combat radius has increased, the while strikes have b e c o m e premore The cise. brigadiergeneral said that the service facilities the for Gripens had involved building renovations and alterations, the while comprehensive reconstruction of the base would be due in five years. Col. (Eng.) József Szücs, the commander of the HDF Air Command and Control Centre informed the journalist that around 450,000 aircraft – including 19,000 state-owned planes – fly over Hungary every year. Last year 32 aircraft entered Hungary’s airspace without contacting the Hungarian air traffic control. Only six of these cases ended with the Gripens in scrambling Kecskemét, he added.
Hungary condemns DPRK’s rocket launch (Online 12 Dec) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is deeply conabout the cerned implemented rocket launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 12 December, 2012.
The launching is a clear violation of the country’s international obligations and UN Security Council Resolution 1718 and 1874. Hungary calls upon the DPRK to abide by its international obligations especially as it
is defined by the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. Hungary also urges the DPRK to refrain from any destabilising actions that could further increase tensions in the region.
Republic Day Niger - D e c 1 8
December 18th 1958 is commemorated in the Republic of Niger as Republic Day, the national holiday.
Importance of date
Although not the date of formal, complete independence from France, December 18 marks the founding of the Republic and creation of the Presidency of the Republic of Niger, following the constitutional changes of the French Fifth Republic, and the elections of 4 December 1958 held across The French Colonial possessions. Nigeriens consider this date to be the founding of their national institutions. Between December 18th, 1958 and August 3rd, 1960, Niger remained a semi-autonomous Republic with in the French Community.
Commemoration
Since 1958, the 18th has been an historic anniversary, widely commemorated, but not a national festival. In 2005, the government of the Fifth Republic of Niger declared the 18th a national holiday, in conjunction with the August 3rd Independence Day. The 18th is celebrated in Niger with official festivals and appearances of political leaders, as well as public parties and festivities. It is a Public Holiday, in which government offices and many businesses close. The 50th anniversary celebrations were held in 2008, centered not in the capitol, but in the regional center of Tillabéry, and surrounded by sports, musical and arts competitions, the opening of new buildings, a National Youth Festival, and other public festivities. Since the beginning of this national festival in 2006, the official commemorations have always taken place at Regional capitals. Zinder was chosen for 2006 (the 48th anniversary) and Tahoua for 2007. The National Youth Festival, previously held at other dates, has been tied to the new Holiday.
Separation Day Anguilla - D e c 1 9
December 19, 1980 was the day that Anguilla separated itself politically from the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The association with Saint Kitts was never favorably seen in Anguilla. Even though today Anguilla still remains under Britain’s influence, it is with joy that they celebrate Separation Day. This day may sometimes be referred to as Anguilla’s Heroes and Heroines Day, but this is not correct.
HISTORY Anguilla was first colonized by the English com-
ing from the island of Saint Kitts in 1650, growing tobacco and corn. In the meantime the Carib Indians invaded Anguilla in 1656 and burned down the settlements. Ten years later, the French invaded the island. The British regained possession of Anguilla in 1667 and stoically remained through years of drought and famine that followed. By 1824, Anguilla was placed by the British under the administration of Saint Kitts, later to be the colony of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. Anguillans never liked this idea since they faced discrimination by the Saint Kitts administration. It was in the 1960s that the protests of Anguillans found some attentive British ears. In 1967 the territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla was granted some self-governance powers, so Anguillans took the opportunity to distance themselves from Saint Kitts. In the same year, the Saint Kitts police were evicted from the island, and Anguillans asked to be placed under the administration of the United States. However, the request was denied. A referendum was held, and the people of Anguilla almost unanimously wanted to secede from Saint Kitts. After some political back and forth, a second referendum was held, and Anguilla declared itself as an independent republic. The British countered the declaration with paratroopers and police from London. Finally, on December 19, 1980, Anguilla seceded from Saint Kitts to become a separate British dependency. Saint Kitts and Nevis later became fully independent from Britain, yet Anguilla still remains a British overseas territory.
TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS AND ACTIVITIES Separation Day is celebrated on this island with dancing, arts and crafts fairs, street parades, and sports competitions like boat racing and cricket. Anguillans will flock to the beautiful beaches for family picnics and watch people engage in Anguilla’s national sport, boat racing. Although not one of the biggest holidays on the island, it is a day off that gives the population an opportunity to enjoy the sunny weather in December and welcome the many tourists that choose this Caribbean island as their holiday destination.
Day of Mourning Panama - D e c 2 0
The United States Invasion of Panama, codenamed Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989. It occurred during the administration of U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and ten years after the Torrijos–Carter Treaties were ratified to transfer control of the Panama Canal from the United States to Panama by January 1, 2000. During the invasion, de facto Panamanian leader, general, and dictator Manuel Noriega was deposed, president-elect Guillermo Endara sworn into office, and the Panamanian Defense Force dissolved.
Background The United States long maintained numerous
military bases and a substantial garrison throughout the Canal Zone to protect the American owned Panama Canal. On September 7, 1977, President of the United States Jimmy Carterand the de facto leader of Panama, General Omar Torrijos, signed Torrijos–Carter Treaties, which set in motion the process of handing over the Panama Canal to Panamanian control by the year 2000. Although the canal was destined for Panamanian administration, the military bases remained and one condition of the transfer was that the canal would remain open for American shipping. Meanwhile, the U.S. had long standing relations with General Noriega. Noriega served as a U.S. intelligence asset and paid informant of the Central Intelligence Agency since 1967, including when Bush was head of the CIA (1976– 77). Noriega had sided with the U.S. rather than the USSR in Central America, notably in sabotaging the forces of the Sandinistagovernment in Nicaragua, and the revolutionaries of the FMLN group in El Salvador. Noriega received upwards of $100,000 per year from the 1960s until the 1980s, when his salary was increased to $200,000 per year, for his loyalty and efforts against the much better-funded, Soviet-backed groups. Although he worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration to restrict illegal drug shipments, he was known to simultaneously accept significant financial support from drug dealers, because he facilitated the laundering of drug money, and through Noriega they received protection from DEA investigations due to his special relationship with the CIA. However, beginning in the middle of the 1980s, relations between Noriega and the United States started to deteriorate. Beginning in 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan negotiated with General Noriega, requesting that the Panamanian leader peacefully step down after Noriega was publicly exposed in the New York Times by Seymour Hersh, and later exposed in the Iran-Contra Scandal. Reagan pressured him with several drug-related indictments in U.S. courts; however, since extradition laws between Panama and the U.S. were weak, Noriega deemed this threat incredible and did not bend to Reagan's efforts. In 1988, Elliot Abrams and members of the Pentagon began pushing for a U.S. invasion, but Reagan refused, due to Bush's ties to Noriega through his previous positions with the CIA and the Task Force on Drugs, and their negative impact on Bush's presidential campaign. Later negotiations involved dropping the drug-trafficking indictments. In March 1988, an attempted coup against the government of Panama was resisted by Noriega's forces. As relations continued to deteriorate, Noriega appeared to shift his Cold War allegiance towards the Soviet bloc, soliciting and receiving military aid from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Libya. American military planners began preparing contingency plans for action against Panama. In May 1989, during the Panamanian national elections, an alliance of parties opposed to the military dictatorship of Noriega counted results from the country's election precincts before they were sent to the district centers. Their tally showed their candidate, Guillermo Endara, defeating Carlos Duque, candidate of a pro-Noriega coalition, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin. Endara was beaten up by Noriega supporters the next day in his motorcade. Noriega declared the election null and maintained power by force, making him unpopular among Panamanians. Noriega's government insisted that it had won the presidential election and that irregularities had been on the part of U.S.-backed candidates from opposition parties. Bush called on Noriega to honor the will of the Panamanian people. As tensions continued to escalate, the United States reinforced its Canal Zone garrison, and increased the tempo of training operations and other activities intended to put pressure on Noriega. In October 1989, Noriega foiled a second coup attempt by members of the PDF, led by Major Moisés Giroldi. Pressure mounted on Bush as the media labeled him a "wimp" for failing to aid Panama in spite of campaign rhetoric that called for a tough stand against known drug traffickers. Bush declared that the U.S. would not negotiate with a known drug trafficker and denied having any knowledge of Noriega's involvement with the drug trade prior to his February 1988 indictment, although Bush had met with Noriega while Director of the CIA and had been the Chair of the Task Force on Drugs while Vice President. On December 15, the Panamanian general assembly passed a resolution declaring that the actions of the United States had caused a state of war to exist between Panama and the United States. The sense of crisis was greatly intensified by an incident the next day. Four U.S. military personnel were stopped at a roadblock around 9:00 PM outside PDF headquarters in the El Chorrillo neighborhood of Panama City. The four officers were Marine Captain Richard E. Hadded, Navy Lieutenant Michael J. Wilson, Army Captain Barry L. Rainwater, and Marine First Lieutenant Robert Paz. The four officers had left the Fort Clayton military base and were on their way to have dinner at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Panama City. The U.S. Department of Defense reported that the servicemen had been unarmed and in a private vehicle and that they attempted to flee the scene only after their vehicle was surrounded by an angry crowd of civilians and PDF troops. Later the PDF asserted that the Americans were armed and on a reconnaissance mission. The PDF opened fire on the four officers as they attempted to flee the angry mob. Lieutenant Paz was fatally wounded by a round that entered the rear of the vehicle and struck him in the back. Captain Hadded, the driver of the vehicle, was also wounded in the foot. Paz was rushed to Gorgas Army Hospital but died of his wounds. He received the Purple Heart posthumously. According to U.S. military sources, a U.S. naval officer and his wife witnessed the incident and were subsequently detained by Panamanian Defense Force soldiers. While in police custody they were assaulted by the PDF. The US naval officer spent two weeks in the hospital recovering from his beating. His wife was not injured but was sexually threatened by PDF soldiers. The next day, President Bush ordered the execution of the Panama invasion plan; the military set H-Hour as 0100 on December 20.
Forefather's Day U.S. - D e c 2 1
Forefathers' Day is a holiday celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 22 . It is a commemoration of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 21, 1620. It was introduced in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1769. In adjusting the date to the Gregorian calendar, the anniversary was erroneously established on December 22 instead of December 21. Forefathers' Day is a well known and well celebrated holiday in Plymouth.
Winter Solstice Macau - D e c 2 1
The Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬至; pinyin: Dōngzhì; literally "the Extreme of Winter") is one of the most important festivals celebrated by theChinese and other East Asians during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice) on or around December 22 when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest. It occurred on December 21 (East Asia time) in 2012. The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram fù (復, "Returning").
Traditional activities Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time
for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and inChinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of tangyuan (湯圓) or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Each family member receives at least one large tangyuan in addition to several small ones. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savoury broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl. It is also often served with a mildly alcoholic unfiltered rice wine containing whole grains ofglutinous rice (and often also Sweet Osmanthus flowers), called jiuniang. In northern China, people typically eat dumplings on Dongzhi. It is said to have originated from Zhang Zhongjing in the Han Dynasty. On one cold winter day, he saw the poor suffering from chilblains on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and other ingredients, and distribute them among the poor to keep them warm, to keep their ears from getting chilblains. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named the dish "qùhán jiāoěr tāng" (祛寒嬌耳湯) or dumpling soup that expels the cold. From that time on, it has been a tradition to eat dumplings on the day of Dongzhi. Old traditions also require people with the same surname or from the same clan to gather at their ancestral temples to worship on this day. There is always a grand reunion dinner following the sacrificial ceremony. The festive food is also a reminder that we are now a year older and should behave better in the coming year. Even today, many Chinese around the world, especially the elderly, still insist that one is "a year older" right after the Dongzhi celebration instead of waiting for the Chinese New Year.
Army Day Vietnam - D e c 2 2
Regional variations In Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco the Vallarta Botanical Gardens
Children in Oaxaca, Mexico celebrating Las hosts a Las Posadas celebration on December 20th. Posadas by breaking a traditional starDuring workshops in the daytime, participants make their shaped Piñata.
said in a press release that she is deeply shocked by news of the shooting. José Manuel Durao Barroso, President of the European Commission, said that it is devastating to hear that young lives full of hope have been cut short by such a random act. Various EU leaders have also expressed their condolences following the tragedy.
‘We must redefine Central Europe’: Tibor Navracsics
Kazakh Khanate:
Russian Empire:
the bereaved families. Twenty-year-old Adam Lanza reportedly killed his mother at their home and then, armed with three guns and wearing a bulletproof vest, he drove his mother’s car to Sandy Hook Elementary School. There he shot twenty-five people – including twenty children – before killing himself. Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, has
Statement of the MFA on the recognition of the Syrian national coalition
History
Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age: the region's climate and terrain are best suited for nomads practicing pastoralism. Archaeologists believe that humans first domesticated the horse in the region's vast steppes. Central Asia proper was originally inhabited by Indo-Iranians. The best known of those groups was the nomadic Scythians. The Turkic people began encroaching on the Iranians starting at least in the 5th century Inside a Kazakh yurt AD, possibly before. They became the dominant ethnic component of Central Asia. While ancient cities Taraz (Aulie-Ata) and Hazrat-e Turkestan had long served as important way-stations along the Silk Road connecting East and West, real political consolidation only began with the Mongol invasion of the early 13th century. Under the Mongol Empire, administrative districts were established, and these eventually came under the emergent Kazakh Khanate (Kazakhstan). Throughout this period, traditionally nomadic life and a livestock-based economy continued to dominate the steppe. In the 15th century, a distinct Kazakh identity began to emerge among the Turkic tribes, a process which was consolidated by the mid-16th century with the appearance of a distinctive Kazakh language, culture, and economy. Nevertheless, the region was the focus of ever-increasing disputes between the native Kazakh emirs and the neighbouring Persian-speaking peoples to the south. By the early 17th century, the Kazakh Khanate was struggling with the impact of tribal rivalries, which had effectively divided the population into the Great, Middle and Little (or Small) Hordes (jüz). Political disunion, tribal rivalries, and the diminishing importance of overland trade routes between East and West weakened the Kazakh Khanate. During the 17th century Kazakhs fought Oirats, a federation of western Mongol tribes, including Dzungars. The beginning of the 18th century marked the zenith of the Kazakh Khanate. During this period the Little Horde participated in the 1723–1730 war against the Dzungars, following their "Great Disaster" invasion of Kazakh territories. The Dzungars seized the pastures of the defeated Kazakhs, taking many captives, and slaughtering entire clans. Under the leadership of Abul Khair Khan, the Kazakhs won major victories over the Dzungar at the Bulanty River in 1726, and at the Battle of Anrakay in 1729.Ablai Khan participated in the most significant battles against the Dzungars from the 1720s to the 1750s, for which he was declared a "batyr" ("hero") by the people. Kazakhs were also victims of constant raids carried out by the Volga Kalmyks.
assisting the training of 800 Afghan troops altogether at Khilagay base in Baghlan Province. The number of mentors is around 50. “This battalion is one of the best-trained and readi-
est battalions in the northern corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA), so it will not need more training soon”, stressed Lt.SzCol. a b o l c s Pécsvárady, comthe mander of the Operational Mentoring and L i a i s o n T e a m (OMLT). The Hungarian soldiers are partnering the soldiers of the US Ohio National Guard in the OMLT to assist with training and mentoring a battalion of the Afghan National Army (ANA).
The Vietnam People's Army (VPA) (Vietnamese: Quân Đội Nhân Dân Việt Nam, also known as the Vietnamese People's Army and the People's Army of Vietnam) is the army of Vietnam. The VPA is a part of Vietnam People's Armed Forces. The VPA includes: Ground Force (including Strategic Rear Forces), Navy, Air Force, Vietnam Border Defense Force and Vietnam Marine Police. However, Vietnam does not have a specific separate Ground Forces or Army branch. All of the ground troops, army corps, military districts, and specialized arms belong to the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam), directly under command of the Central Military Commission, Minister of Defence and General Staff (Vietnam People's Army). Communist Party of Viet Nam leaders of the People's Army of Vietnam absolute and direct all aspects; the centralized leadership of the Party is unified into the Central Executive Committee that directly, often the Politburo, the Secretariat (Charter of CPV - Article 25). The name People's Army can be traced to President Ho Chi Minh's phrase"born from people, for people to fight and for people to serve".[citation needed]The word People are also present in many names of such organizations in Vietnam such as the People's Public Security, Supreme People's Court,Supreme People's Procuracy. One other name for the army that Vietnamese named by love is Uncle Ho's soldiers (Bộ đội Cụ Hồ).[citation needed] The military flag of the Vietnam People's Army is the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with the words Quyết thắng (Determination to Win) added in yellow at the top left. During the French Indochina War (1946– 1954), the VPA was often referred to as the Việt Minh. In the context of the Vietnam War Vietnam General Staff in First Indochina war and (1959–1975), the army was referred to as Vietnam war, from left: Prime Minister Pham Van the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). This al- Dong, President Ho Chi Minh, General Secretary lowed writers, the US Military, and the gen- Truong Chinh and General Vo Nguyen Giap eral public, to distinguish northern communists from the southern communists, or Viet Cong. However, northerners and southerners were always under the same command structure. According to Hanoi's official history, the Vietcong was a branch of the VPA. In 2010 the Vietnam People's Army undertook the role of leading the 1,000th Anniversary Parade in Hanoi by performing their biggest parade in Vietnam's history.
History
Establishment:
The predecessor of the VPA was the Armed Propaganda Unit for National Liberation which consisted of 34 fighters headed by Vo Nguyen Giapwho later became the first full General of the VPA on May 28, 1948. Giap was a famous military commander known for leading the VPA to victories over French forces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and against US backed South Vietnam in the Fall of Sai Gon in April 30, 1975. This Propaganda Unit was formed under the guidelines of President Hồ Chí Minh on December 22, 1944 with the aim to introduce its members as main force to drive theFrench colonialists and Japanese occupiers from Vietnam. The group was renamed the "Vietnam Liberation Army" in May 1945. In September, the army was again renamed the "Vietnam National Defence Army." At this point, it had about 1,000 soldiers. In 1950, it was officially named after People's Army of Vietnam.
Hungary's interests have been asserted at the Brussels summit, Orbán (Online 14 Dec) Hungary has successasfully serted its interests concerning the Europ e a n Union's planned banking union at an EU summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced at press a conference following the summit. Hungary is not being pressed for a decision; the country can decide at any time whether it wishes to join the commu-
nity's planned system of central banking supervision, the Prime Minister said.
He added the that summit's conclusions had met Hungary's expectations, namely that the banking u n i o n should not involve competitive drawbacks the for c o u n t r y, that joining the union should not be made mandatory for countries outthe side euro zone, or that newcomers should not be considered as second-class members in the banking union.
Foreign affairs council reaches compromise (Online 11 Dec) Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared that the document adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council has created a balance in that it disapproved of the Israeli plans for further settlement while it also condemned the statements made by Hamas over the weekend. The Hungarian Foreign Minister described the position of the Council on Syria as a compromise. The EU foreign ministers were deeply dismayed by the Israeli plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, and in particular plans to develop the E1 area. The E1 plan, if implemented, would seriously undermine the prospects of a negotiated resolution of the conflict by jeopardizing the possibility of a contiguous and viable Palestinian state and of Jerusalem possibly being the future capital of two states. It could also entail the forced transfer of civilian population. In the light of its core objective of achieving a two-state solution, the EU will closely monitor the situation and its broader implications, and act accordingly. The European Union reiter-
ates that forced settlement is illegal under international law and constitutes an obstacle to peace. At the same time, the foreign ministers reiterated the fundamental commitment of the EU to the security of Israel, including with regard to vital threats in the region. The European Union will never stop opposing those who embrace and promote violence as a way to achieve political goals. The EU finds inflammatory statements by Hamas leaders that deny Israel's right to exist unacceptable. A compromise was reached at the Foreign Affairs Council regarding the European recognition of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. Foreign Minister János Martonyi stated that it was absolutely up to the individual members states when and how they would recognize the Syrian opposition organization. The adopted document declared that the EU accepted the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people, but this does not mean that the EU recog-
nized it as the legitimate government of Syria. The document adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council declared that the EU was appalled by the increasingly deteriorating situation in Syria, primarily due to the unprecedented use of force by the regime. The current situation is unsustainable and does not allow for the adequate protection of civilians, in particular vulnerable groups and religious communities. The EU is seriously concerned about the potential use and transfer of chemical weapons in Syria and reminds the Syrian regime and other parties that, in case of their use, those responsible will be held accountable. The EU foreign ministers held a meeting with Moaz Al-Khatib, President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, before the session of the Foreign Affairs Council. János Martonyi claimed that the foreign ministers had received „reassuring answers” to their questions in many respects. There was a general mood, he added, that in Syria there was „no alternative” to the National Coalition.
C r e a t ing a c om m on Eur ope a n m igr a t ion a nd r e fuge e polic y e s s e ntia l Members of a (Online 11 Dec) roundtable discussion held on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day urged the creation of a common European migration and refugee policy. According to Boldizsár Nagy, international law expert and lecturer at the ELTE and CEU Universities, the European Union has taken no steps so far to create a common migration policy even though it distinguishes citizens of third countries. Tamás Molnár, Head of Department at the Ministry of Interior stated that there is a demand for a common policy, which is signalled by the introduction of the Asylum and Migration Fund in the upcoming EU budget. He also noted that Member States currently are not interested in creating such a
common regulation. Gottfried Köfner, the UNHCR’s Regional Representative for Central Europe, highlighted that several Member States have their own migration policies, adding that politicians tend to postpone discussions on such issues, but that this might result in a catastrophic situation. He emphasised that the EU must create a common migration strategy by the end of 2012. Köfner also mentioned the problem of diversity in migration, as there is no legal definition regarding political and economic refugees, adding that it would be important to ensure the same rights for refugees in every Member State. According to Judith Tóth, expert on constitutional law, even though burden-sharing with regard to migration
is a good idea, it has never been realised. She emphasised the importance of Hungary’s Supreme Court, the Curia, having set up an immigration and migration workgroup. According to the workgroup’s findings, decisions should be made on a caseby-case basis. András Kováts sociologist, Director of the Menedék Hungarian Association for Migrants, talked about the European context, recalling that there are 500 million people in the EU, of which 38 million people are third country citizens. In recent years, the number of people arriving in the EU has decreased significantly, from 2.5 million to 1.7 million. Kováts emphasised the importance of reuniting families and humanitarian immigration, mostly practiced in Scandinavian countries.
IMF delegation to visit Hungary in January 2013 (Online 11 Dec) Coordination talks are under way with the International Monetary Fund and an IMF delegation is scheduled to visit Hungary between January 14 and 26 next year when official talks could be started, Hungary’s chief negotiator Minister Mihály Varga said on Tuesday. The Minister told an economic conference organised by daily Napi Gazdaság that once the 2013 budget is approved, coordination talks with the IMF could intensify. He stated that a bond issue by state-owned Hungarian
Export-Import Bank (Eximbank)had been very successful and the Public Debt Management Centre (AKK) will test the foreign currency debt market in the first quarter of 2013 which is expected to bring some "concrete results". Minister Varga, quoting a recent report by the OECD, said Hungary's economy has passed its economic growth nadir after the financial consolidation started in 2010. He added that the government expects an economic uptick next year.
The priorities of the Hungarian Government are to keep the budget deficit low, reduce public debt and expand employment, he added. The Minister stated that in the future it would be necessary to make the budget balance smoother in the course of the year. Almost every year "blood-curdling" figures are announced early that spook the markets, and indicators improve later on, he noted.
Construction of the South Stream has commenced (Online 10 Dec) With an official ceremony in the presof ence Russian President Vladimir Putin, the construction of the S o u t h Stream pipeline has been launched the near S o u t h Russian of town Anapa. as First, Aleksey Miller, CEO
f o Gazprom anhas nounced previously, the world’s largest and state-ofthe-art compression station will be built the on of shore the Black Sea, after which they start will a laying 900-kilometre-long pipeline under the sea.
Photo: MTI/AP/Mihail Metzel
Deputy Prime Minister Semjén rejects ethical accusations (Online 10 Dec) Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén considers the issue regarding his theses written at the Eötvös Lóránd University (ELTE) and at the Péter Pázmány Catholic University "finally and officially" closed, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister's press chief stated. The Deputy Prime Minister noted the findings of ELTE University’s three-member commit-
tee, but rejects the ethical accusations against him. Péter Pázmány University examined the thesis that the Deputy Prime Minister had written at the institution and stated that the process through which he was awarded a PhD had been justified. On Friday, ELTE’s committee announced Deputy Prime Minister
Semjén's sociology thesis dated 1992 contained "textual overlaps" with work published later by his supervisor Attila Károly Molnár, as well as with a thesis he wrote earlier in theology at Péter Pázmány Catholic University. She added however that the 1992 university guidelines gave no authority to proceed in cases where a degree had already been awarded.
District heating prices should also drop: PM (Online 10 Dec) The planned 10 per cent drop in gas p r i c e s must be applied to district heating as well, Prime Minister V i k t o r Orban said in Salgótarjan on 10 December, where he held talks on the northern town’s debt settlement. The Prime Minister said that the Government's objective was to free the municipality of its loans by 2014. Viktor Orbán told a press conference that district heating bills must fall by at least 10 per cent from 1 January 2013. The Government also made a decision last week on reducing residential gas and electricity prices by 10 per cent. The Prime Minister stressed that although gas and electricity-sector investors may lose profits due to the
Photo: Károly Árvai
price cut, the current crisis has made equal burden-sharing an absolute necessity. The current 10-per cent drop in utility prices is the first step in a longer process, he said, adding that in Hungary the proportion of living costs in relation to salaries is particularly high when compared to the Western European average. Orbán also briefed participants that the Government was fighting against debt on three levels, making efforts to
cut the public debt, to help families by enabling them to pay back mortgages taken out in foreign currencies at a fixed exchange rate, and by paying off the debts of local councils. He added that the total cost of paying off the debts of local councils in towns and villages with fewer than 5,000 residents would fall below 100 billion forints. In the wake of talks held with the local mayor, full employment has been targeted in Salgótarján by 2014. Although private equity will not be able provide labour to everyone by that time, through the new Start labour programme Salgótarján may become a place where everybody who has the will to work shall find a job.
92 civil society and professional organisations are participating in the creation of legislation (Online 14 Dec) The Ministry of Public Administration and Justice has signed another strategic partnership agreement with three civil society organisations, bringing the number of strategic partnerships to ninety-two. Intended to assist the legislative process in Hungary through involvement of the civil sphere, such agreements have been made possible by the Act on participation in the legislative process by organisations within society, which was submitted to Parliament by the present government in its first year in office. The new regulation in the Hungarian legislative process is an important vehicle for the representation of interests within society, and for improving the quality of law-making. On Thursday the Ministry signed agreements
with the Association of Hungarian Translation Companies, the Paneuropean Lawyers’ Union and the Young Entrepreneurs Association Hungary. This means that such agreements have been completed with a total of ninety-two organisations. The aim of all agreements so far has been to involve civil society organisations comprising experts with outstanding professional experience and knowledge to prepare legislation affecting the civil sphere. The intended result is legislation of higher quality, which is realisable and well-suited to reallife conditions. When the agreements were signed, Parliamentary State Secretary Bence Rétvári said that with this agreement the abovementioned organisations have also accepted an obligation to
represent their sectors. Partnership with society, directly involving those affected, is necessary to create laws serving the public good. When preparing legislation in a given field, strategic partnerships can be formed with those organisations which are able to put forward the interests of a wide spectrum within society, or which carry out specialist activities in that field. Strategic partners are first and foremost civil society organisations, churches, professional and scientific organisations, interest groups, public bodies, national minority selfgovernments and institutions of higher education. Such partnerships may also be formed with organisations representing Hungarians beyond the borders.
Non-Eurozone members in a much better position regarding the banking union (Online 13 Dec) Conditions under which non-Eurozone countries may join the new European banking supervisory system are appropriate, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Thursday. "In view of the proposals, we are in a much better position than anticipated," the Prime Minister told re-
porters in Brussels. The non-Eurozone countries are now free to decide whether or not they wish to join the European banking supervisory system. "Sometimes even we can be lucky," he said. Prime Minister Orbán arrived in Brussels earlier today to attend a session of European People's Party leaders,
hold a consultation with Visegrád Four counterparts, and take part in the EU's two-day summit meeting, starting late afternoon. The summiteers will focus on economic and financial issues, primarily the banking union.
Government to ease the financial burden on families (Online 12 Dec) Government Spokesperson András Giró-Szász announced n o Wednesthe day Government’s decisions to increase the minimal as wage well as to decrease gas, district heating and elect r i c i t y prices. Following a meeting of a consultative body consisting of representatives of the Government, the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) and the National Unions' Association Trade (MSZOSZ), an agreement was reached to raise the minimal wage from HUF 93,000 to HUF 98,000, and from HUF 108,000 to HUF 114,000 forints for skilled labour, from January next year. According to the calculations of trade unions, this will enhance purchasing power of families by 2.2%. Additionally, gas, district heating and
average Hungarian household spends 30% of its income on utility bills. In Europe this number is gene r a l l y under 10%. With these measures the Government has begun to ease the financial burden on families, unprecedented in the past 20 y e a r s . Also, Parliament approved the 2013 central budget bill with 248 yes, 79 no votes and a single abstention. The budget calculates with 0.9% economic growth, envisages revenue of HUF 15,314 billion and expenditures of HUF 16,156 billion, with HUF 400 billion set aside as a precaution, determining the deficit at 2.7%. It also earmarks HUF 300 billion for job protection, promoting the employment of unskilled workers, women returning from child-care leave, and those under 25 or above 55.
András Giró-Szász (photo: Gergely Botár) electricity prices will see a 10% decrease as of 1 January 2013. The process will be overseen by a committee including representatives of the Ministries of National Economy, National Development, Human Resources and the Prime Minister’s Office. The Spokesperson pointed out that since the sector’s privatisation in 1995, companies saw on average an annual 20% profit. On the other hand, he pointed out that between 2002 and 2010, consumer prices for gas rose by 200%, while in the case of electricity by 100%, adding that an
Gov t s igns a s tr a te gic pa r tne r s hip a gr e e m e nt with Mic r os of t H unga r y (Online 12 Dec) The Hungarian Government concluded a Strategic Partnership Agreement with Microsoft Hungary Ltd. today in Budapest. At the signing cerem o n y , State Secretary for foreign affairs and external economic relations Péter Szijjártó said that a strong info-communications and technology sector is a key component of Hungary's competitiveness and that the Government is giving special attention to supporting innovation and R&D, as well as to cooperating with large corporations. The State Secretary announced that the Government would cooperate with Microsoft in launching a national digital public education website and a digital home project, adding that related talks are at an advanced stage. He also stated that, in times of crisis, the Government should encourage honest hard work; this is why tax policy has shifted its focus from employ-
Photo: Gergely Botár
ment to consumption. In addition, a “competition” for seeking partnerships has started in which the Government should also be involved. This is why it has concluded strategic agreements with companies that represent significant added value within the Hungarian economy and which use Hungarian suppliers. He recalled that a total of 40 such agreements will be signed, of which the eighth was concluded with Microsoft. The State Secretary stressed that Microsoft pays more than HUF 500 million in corporate tax, contributions paid after its employees reach some HUF 1 billion annually, and its wage
costs exceed HUF 3 billion. He added that the firm has three thousand partners out of which 60 percent are Hungarian. I s t v á n P a p p , Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft H u n g a r y, said the company was present in the Hungarian market as an innovator, investor and employer, as well as a major participant in Hungary's economy. He said Microsoft has strategic and not tactical objectives in Hungary. He emphasized that Microsoft works with Hungarian employees and according to Hungarian initiatives, adding that the company is committed to supporting Hungarian education and regards the development of digital literacy and digital business culture as important. Furthermore, he called it encouraging that the Hungarian Government regards large companies that wish to thrive in an equitable manner as allies.
Central Asian and Central-Eastern European countries to discuss genetic resources (Online 11 Dec) Experts from countries in Central-Eastern Europe and Central Asia are meeting at the Ministry of Rural Development on December 11-13 to discuss the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on genetic resources. The meeting was organised jointly by the Ministry and the Montreal Directorate of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Communiqué. At the opening of the Budapest talks, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Katalin Tóth stated that Hungary regards cooperation between Central-Eastern European countries and Central
Asian countries as especially important, and this is one of the reasons why Hungary is hosting the talks. Katalin Tóth stressed that regional cooperation plays a key role on the successfully realisation of international treaties. The sharing of experiences and good practices helps to bridge difficulties that may crop up and prompt us to work together to achieve success. The Deputy State Secretary passed on the Ministry's invitation to visit the Plant Diversity Centre in Tápiószele, which functions with joint financing from the European Union and the Ministry of Rural Development, and
which nor operated with extended functions within the framework of the Pannon Megabank project. Accordingly, the institute is now responsible for preserving the full biological diversity – including both livestock and crops used in agricultural production and the wildlife – of the entire Pannon Bio-geographical Region. The Nagoya Protocol was adopted in 2010 and regulates access to genetic resources and the equitable distribution of the assets created through their exploitation. The Budapest talks will hopefully encourage the region's countries to ratify the Protocol as rapidly as possible.
Govt’s higher education reform enables more students to attend higher education (Online 11 Dec) In response to student demonstrations, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has written an open letter to Hungarian national student union HÖOK in which he pointed out that the Government’s current decisions on higher education reform did not take place unexpectedly. In his letter, Viktor Orbán recalled his pleasant memories of last year’s meeting with a HÖOK student delegation about the act on higher education, which was under discussion in the Parliament at the time. At that meeting, the Government briefed participants about all the details of the planned multi-step reorganisation of higher education. The Government previously also held consultations with the university rectors’ conference. The Prime Minister stressed that nothing has changed compared
to what had been scheduled at that time. The Government approved the basic elements of the reorganisation of Hungary’s higher education system on 6 December. The proposal sets aside 10,480 full scholarships and 46,330 partial scholarships in postsecondary education. In addition, 16,000 scholarships would be awarded at master’s level and 1,300 at doctoral level. Considering labour market needs, studies in technical subjects, science, IT, agriculture, and medical and health sciences would be given a priority and sport scholarships would also be introduced. The new higher education concept is based on a system in which the State will finance everyone’s studies, either by granting them scholarships or a new type of student loan. Under the
old system in which only the first type of free-to-use student loan existed (diákhitel 1), when someone did not get a state-financed place, they could only attend higher education if they were able to finance their studies from their own resources. Under the new terms, the State will repay the student loan for anyone who works in the public sector after completing their studies. If they find employment in the private sector, the Government will offer tax incentives to companies to repay the student loans on behalf of new employees who have just graduated. The new system will enable 100,000120,000 students to attend higher education as against 50-60,000 within the current system.
Hungary is open to dialogue with the US, says Péter Szijjártó (Online 11 Dec) Hungary is open to construct i v e , friendly and sincere dialogue with the United States, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó said after meeting Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Brent Hartley in Budapest today. At the meeting, the two politicians reviewed bilateral relations and con-
Photo: Károly Árvai
cluded that successful strategic cooperation had taken place between Hungary and the United States within NATO's framework.
The State Secretary provided information about the Hungarian Governm e n t ' s measures aiming at renewing the country, reducing public debt and reorganising state-financed sectors such as education, healthcare and public administration over the past
two and a half years. Brent Hartley also briefed the State Secretary about the US position on these measures.
State Secretary Szijjártó met with Vice Chairman of China’s CCPIT Wang Jinzhen (Online 10 Dec) State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó held talks with Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International
Trade (CCPIT) Wang Jinzhen. He presented Hungary’s policy of opening up towards the East and discussed the possibility of the Chinese partners financing the modernisa-
tion of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line. The parties also discussed investments that would give Hungary an important role in importing Chinese goods into Europe.