Showa Day Japan - A p r 2 9
Dos de Mayo Spain - May 02
Shōwa Day (昭和の日 Shōwa no hi) is a Japanese annual holiday held on April 29. It honors the birthday of the Shōwa Emperor (Hirohito), the reigning Emperor from 1926 to 1989. The purpose of the holiday is to encourage public reflection on the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito's reign.
On the second of May (Spanish: Dos de Mayo), 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops, provoking a brutal repression by the French Imperial forces and triggering the Peninsular War.
sequently no longer celebrated asThe Emperor's Birthday but instead as Greenery Day, part of Japan's Golden Week. After a series of failed legislative attempts beginning in 2000, the April 29 holiday was finally renamed Shōwa Day in May 2005, and Greenery Day was moved from April 29 to May 4. According to the then-main opposition party (and current ruling party) the Democratic Party of Japan (which backed the bill for the first time after many years of refusal), the holiday encourages public reflection of the turbulent 63 years of Hirohito's reign rather than glorifying the emperor himself. Hirohito's reign saw, among other things, the end of Taishō Democracy, the May 15 Incident, the February 26 Incident, the rise of Fascism, World War II, the post-war occupation, and the rise of Japan as an industrial and economic power.
the occupation of Napoleon's army since 23 March of the same year. King Charles IV had been forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand VII, and at the time of the uprising both were in the French city of Bayonne at the insistence of Napoleon. An attempt by the French general Joachim Murat to move the daughter and youngest son of Charles IV to Bayonne led to a popular rebellion that was harshly suppressed by French troops after hours of fierce street fighting. The uprising in Madrid, together with the subsequent proclamation as king of Napoleon's brother Joseph, provoked resistance across Spain to French rule.
History Emperor Hirohito died on January 7, 1989. April 29 was sub-
Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) Netherlands - A p r 3 0
Koninginnedag or Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba on 30 April or on 29 April if the 30th is a Sunday. Queen's Day celebrates the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands and is supposed to be a day of national unity and "togetherness" (Dutch: saamhorigheid). The tradition started on 31 August 1885, on the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, later Queen Wilhelmina. Since 1949, after the accession of Queen Juliana, Queen's Day is Queen Juliana's birthday on 30 April. Although Queen Beatrix's birthday is on 31 January, she officially celebrates her birthday on 30 April. Queen's Day is known for its "freemarket" (Dutch: vrijmarkt) all over the country, where everybody is allowed to sell things in the streets. Other activities during Queen's Day are children's games, individual musical performances, and music concerts. The night before Queen's Day is celebrated too in most cities, and this is called Queen's Night (Dutch: Koninginnenacht). The largest celebration of Queen's Day is in Amsterdam, Queen's Night inThe Hague and Queen's Dance (Dutch: Koninginnedans) in Rotterdam. During the celebrations as reference to the colours of the House of Orange-Nassau, people dress in the colour orange, which is sometimes called "orange craze" (Dutch: oranjegekte).
History
The present-day celebration of Queen's Day was originally intended by the Liberal Union to be a day of national unity in the Netherlands. It started with the celebration of the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina on 31 August 1885. From 1885 to 1890 the celebration was therefore called Prinsessedag or Princess' Day, until the Coronation of Wilhelmina in 1890. Since 31 August 1891, the celebration was called Koninginnedag or Queen's Day. The day was not only the birthday of the Queen, but also the last day of the summer vacation, which made the celebrations popular with children. Unlike her successors, Queen Wilhelmina almost never attended festivities on Queen's Day. In September 1948 Queen Juliana ascended to the Dutch throne and from 1949 onwards Queen's Day was on her birthday on 30 April. When 30 April is a Sunday, Queen's Day is celebrated on 29 April. On this day, Queen Juliana received a flower tribute at Soestdijk Palace, where she lived. The Queen and her family would stand on a dais and a long line of citizens would walk past, congratulating her and presenting her gifts and flowers. The parade was broadcast on national television from the 1950s. When more and more people received a day off from their work, Queen's Day became a national holiday of togetherness (Dutch: samenhorigheid). When Queen Beatrix succeeded her mother Queen Juliana on 30 April 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on 30 April as a tribute to her mother. Furthermore for practical reasons, the weather on her own birthday in the winter on 31 January tends to prohibit the traditional outdoor festivities, while 30 April normally has better weather. In contrast to her mother, Juliana, Beatrix decided to go into the country to meet the people, rather than receiving people at her residence. Since her ascension to the throne, Queen Beatrix and her family visit one, two, or sometimes three places on Queen's day, where she is shown regional versions of traditional Dutch dances and demonstrations of old crafts. In 2001, the Queen's Day visits of the Royal Family were canceled as there was worry about maintaining the quarantine measures to control an ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Queen Beatrix has visited the following cities over the years on Queen's Day.
Liberation Day Vietnam - A p r 3 0
Victory Day (Ngày Chiến thắng), Reunification Day (Ngày Thống nhất), or Liberation Day (Ngày Giải phóng) is a public holiday in Vietnamthat marks the occasion Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) on April 30, 1975. This signalled the end of the Vietnam War, known in Vietnamese as Chiến tranh Việt Nam (Vietnam War) or Kháng chiến chống Mỹ ("Resistance War Against America"). It was the start of the transition period toward reunification, which occurred July 2, 1976. In the Overseas Vietnamese exile community, the day is remembered as the "Fall of Saigon" or "Ngày Quốc hận". This is loosely translated as "National Defeat Day," or more literally as "National Day of Resentment." These terms are considered treasonous in present day Vietnamand can lead to harassment or imprisonment. This is a commemorative day for exile Vietnamese who served, were affected, and displaced in those overseas communities, and as such is a day of reflection. The anniversary is marked by several festivals around the date.
May Day Eve International - A p r 3 0
The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walburga (ca. 710-777/9). As Walburga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurga's night"). The German term is recorded in the 17th century, e.g. by Johannes Praetorius (1668), as S. Walpurgis Nacht or S. Walpurgis Abend. In earlier references, 1 May is more typically referred to as Jacobi Philippi (after James the Less and Philip, the apostles whose feast day falls on 1 May), e.g. in the Calendarium Perpetuum by Johannes Coler (1603, p. 89). The 17th century German tradition of a meeting of sorcerers and witches on May Day is influenced by the descriptions of Witches' Sabbaths in 15th and 16th century literature.
Finland In Finland, Walpurgis day (Vappu) is, along with New Year's
Eve and Juhannus, the biggest carnival-style festival held in the streets of Finland's towns and cities. The celebration, which begins on the evening of 30 April and continues to 1 May, typically centres on copious consumption of sparkling wine and other alcoholic beverages. Student traditions, particularly those of the engineering students, are one of the main characteristics of Vappu. Since the end of the 19th century, this traditional upper-class feast has been appropriated by university students. Many graduates from lukio, and thus traditionally assumed as university students or alumni, wear a cap. Most people think the caps of the engineering students are distinguished by pom-poms hanging from them; however, nurses and some other vocational school graduates also have caps with pom-poms. One tradition is to drink sima, a home-made mead, along with freshly cooked doughnuts. In the capital Helsinki and its surrounding region, fixtures include the capping (on 30 April at 6 pm) of the Havis Amanda, a nude female statue in Helsinki, and the biannually alternating publications of ribald matter called Äpy and Julkku, by engineering students of Aalto University School of Science and Technology. Both are sophomoric; but while Julkku is a standard magazine, Äpy is always a gimmick. Classic forms have included an Äpy printed on toilet paper and a bedsheet. Often, the magazine has been stuffed inside standard industrial packages, such as sardine cans and milk cartons. For most university students, Vappu starts a week before the day of celebration. The festivities also include a picnic on 1 May, which is sometimes prepared in a lavish manner, particularly in Ullanlinnanmäki—and Kaisaniemi for the Swedish-speaking population—in Helsinki city. The Finnish tradition is also a shadowing of the Socialist May Day parade. Expanding from the parties of the left, the whole of the Finnish political scene has adopted Vappu as the day to go out on stumps and agitate. This does not only include political activists: other institutions, such as the church, have followed suit, marching and making speeches. In Sweden, it is only the left-wing parties that use 1 May for political activities, while others observe the traditional festivities. Left-wing activists who were active in the 1970s still party on May Day. They arrange carnivals, and radio stations play leftist songs from the 1970s. Traditionally, 1 May is celebrated by a picnic in a park (Kaivopuisto or Kaisaniemi in the case of Helsinki). For most, the picnic is enjoyed with friends on a blanket with good food and sparkling wine. Some people, however, arrange extremely lavish picnics with pavilions, white tablecloths, silver candelabras, classical music and extravagant food. The picnic usually starts early in the morning, where some of the previous night's party-goers continue their celebrations undaunted by lack of sleep. Some student organisations reserve areas where they traditionally camp every year. Student caps, mead, streamers and balloons have their role in the picnic, as well as in the celebration as a whole. Vappu/Valborg and Midsummer are Finland's two main holidays in the summer half of the year, on a par with Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in the winter half.
Germany
In Germany, Walpurgisnacht, the night from 30 April to 1 May, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken and await the arrival of spring. Walpurgis Night (in German folklore) the night of 30 April (May Day's eve), when witches meet on the Brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods..." Brocken is the highest of the Harz Mountains of north central Germany. It is noted for the phenomenon of the Brocken spectreand for witches' revels which reputedly took place there on Walpurgis night. The Brocken Spectre is a magnified shadow of an observer, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, thrown onto a bank of cloud in high mountain areas when the sun is low. The phenomenon was first reported on the Brocken. —Oxford Phrase & Fable. A scene in Goethe's Faust Part One is called "Walpurgisnacht", and one in Faust Part Two is called "Classical Walpurgisnacht". The last chapter of book five in Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain is also called "Walpurgisnacht". In Edward Albee's 1962 play 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', Act Two is entitled "Walpurgisnacht". In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called "Easter fires". In rural parts of southern Germany, it is part of popular youth culture to play pranks such as tampering with neighbours' gardens, hiding possessions, or spraying graffiti on private property. These pranks occasionally result in serious damage to property or bodily injury. In Berlin, traditional leftist May Day riots usually start at Walpurgis Night in the Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. There is a similar tradition in the Schanzenviertel district of Hamburg, though in both cases, the situation has significantly calmed down in the past few years.
Sweden In Sweden, Walpurgis Night (Swedish: Valborgsmässoafton
or simply Valborg) has more or less become a de facto half holiday. The forms of celebration in Sweden vary in different parts of the country and between different cities. Sir James George Frazer in The Golden Bough writes, "The first of May is a great popular festival in the more midland and southern parts of Sweden. On the eve of the festival, huge bonfires, which should be lighted by striking two flints together, blaze on all the hills and knolls." One of the main traditions in Sweden is to light large bonfires, a custom that is most firmly established in Svealand and may have begun in Uppland during the 18th century: "At Walpurgis (Valborg), farm animals were let out to graze, and ever since the early 18th century bonfires (majbrasor, kasar) have been lit to scare away predators." In Southern Sweden, an older tradition, no longer practised, was for the younger people to collect greenery and branches from the woods at twilight, these were used to adorn the houses of the village. The expected reward for this task was to be paid in eggs. Singing traditional songs of spring is widespread throughout the country. The songs are mostly from the 19th century and were spread by students' spring festivities. The strongest and most traditional spring festivities are also found in the old university cities, such as Uppsala and Lund, where undergraduates, graduates and alumni gather at events that last most of the day from early morning to late night on 30 April, or sista april ("The Last Day Of April") as it is called in Sweden. More modern Valborg celebrations, particularly among Uppsala students, oftentimes consist of enjoying a breakfast including champagne and strawberries. During the day, people gather in parks, drink considerable amounts of alcoholic beverages, barbecue and generally enjoy the weather, if it happens to be favourable. In Uppsala, since the mid-1970s, students also go rafting on Fyrisån through the centre of town with home-made, in fact quite easily wreckable, and often humorously decorated rafts. Several nations also hold "Champagne Races", where students go to drink and spray champagne or somewhat more modestly priced sparkling wine on each other. The walls and floors of the old nation buildings are covered in plastic for this occasion, as the champagne is poured around recklessly and sometimes spilled enough to wade in. Spraying champagne is, however, a fairly recent addition to the Champagne Race. The name derives from the students running down the downhill slope from the Carolina Rediviva library, toward the Student Nations, to drink champagne. In Linköping, the students and public gather at the courtyard of Linköping Castle. Spring songs are sung by the Linköping University Male Voice Choir, and speeches are made by representatives of the students and the university teachers. In Gothenburg, the carnival parade, The Cortège, which has been held since 1909 by the students at Chalmers University of Technology, is an important part of the celebration. It is seen by around 250,000 people each year. In Landskrona, people gather at the Citadel to play beer-baseball, a game in which one drinks beer and plays baseball at the same time.
International Workers' Day Worldwide - M a y 0 1
International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the internationallabour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their unions labour throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. It is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries.
History International Workers'
Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, which occurred after an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed a public assembly during a general strike for the eight-hour workday. In response, the Chicago police fired on the workers killing dozens of demonstrators and several of their own officers. In 1889, the first congress of the Second International, meeting in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and the Exposition Universelle, following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests. May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891. Subsequently, the May Day Riots of 1894 occurred. In 1904, the International Socialist Conference meeting in Amsterdam called on "allSocial Democratic Party organizations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on May First for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace." The congress made it "mandatory upon the proletarian organizations of all countries to stop work on May 1, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers." In many countries, the working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday, and their efforts largely succeeded. May Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups. In some circles, bonfires are lit in commemoration of the Haymarket martyrs, usually at dawn. May Day has been an important official holiday in countries such as the People's Republic of China, North Korea, Cuba and the former Soviet Union. May Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries. In the United States and Canada, however, the official holiday for workers is Labor Day in September. This day was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, who organized the first parade in New York City. After the Haymarket Massacre, US President Grover Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots. Thus he moved in 1887 to support the Labor Day that the Knights supported. In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated May 1 to "Saint Joseph The Worker". The Catholic Church considers Saint Joseph the patron saint of (among others) workers, craftsmen, and "people fighting communism". Right-wing governments have traditionally sought to repress the message behind International Workers' Day, with fascist governments in Portugal, Italy, Germany and Spain abolishing the workers' holiday, the official May 1st holiday in the US being Loyalty Day, and the Conservative party in the UK currently attempting to abolish the UK's annual May Day Bank Holiday.
May Day International - M a y 0 1
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures.
Traditional May Day celebrations
May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European pagan and the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations. As Europe became Christianized the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and All Saint's Day. In the twentieth century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.
Origins:
The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned orChristianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May 1st. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.
Europe
Great Britain:
Traditional British May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queenand celebrations involving a Maypole. Much of this tradition derive from the pagan Anglo-Saxonand customs held during "Þrimilci-mōnaþ" (the Old English name for the month of May meaningMonth of Three Milkings) along with many Celtic traditions. May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries. May Day is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings. Since the reform of the Catholic Calendar, May 1st is the Feast of St Philip & St James, they became the patron saints of workers. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give farm labourers a day off. Perhaps the most significant of the traditions is the Maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons. The May Day bank holiday, on the first Monday in May, was traditionally the only one to affect thestate school calendar, although new arrangements in some areas to even out the length of school terms mean that the Good Friday and Easter Monday bank holidays, which vary from year to year, may also fall during term time. The May Day bank holiday was created in 1978. Maibaum in Munich, GerIn February 2011, the UK Parliament was reported to be considering scrap- many. ping the bank holiday associated with May Day, replacing it with a bank holiday in October, possibly co-inciding with Trafalgar Day(celebrated on 21 October), to create a "United Kingdom Day". May Day was abolished and its celebration banned by puritan parliaments during the Interregnum, but reinstated with the restoration of Charles II in 1660. 1 May 1707 was the day the Act of Union came into effect, joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. In Oxford, it is traditional for May Morning revellers to gather below the Great Tower of Magdalen College at 6:00 am to listen to the college choir sing traditional madrigals as a conclusion to the previous night's celebrations. It is then thought to be traditional for some people to jump off Magdalen Bridge into the River Cherwell. However this has actually only been fashionable since the 1970s. In recent years, the bridge has been closed on 1 May to prevent people from jumping, as the water under the bridge is only 2 feet (61 cm) deep and jumping from the bridge has resulted in serious injury in the past. There are still people who insist on climbing the barriers and leaping into the water, causing themselves injury. In Durham, students of the University of Durham gather on Prebend's Bridge to see the sunrise and enjoy festivities, folk music, dancing, madrigal singing and a barbecue breakfast. This is an emerging Durham tradition, with patchy observance since 2001. Whitstable, Kent, hosts a good example of more traditional May Day festivities, where the Jack in the Green festival was revived in 1976 and continues to lead an annual procession of morris dancers through the town on the May Bank Holiday. A separate revival occurred in Hastings in 1983 and has become a major event in the town calendar. A traditional Sweeps Festival is performed over the May bank holiday in Rochester, Kent, where the Jack in the Green is woken at dawn on 1 May by Morris dancers. The Maydayrun involves thousands of motorbikes taking a 55-mile (89 km) trip from London(Locksbottom) to the Hastings seafront, East Sussex. The event has been taking place for almost 30 years now and has grown in interest from around the country, both commercially and publicly. The event is not officially organised; the police only manage the traffic, and volunteers manage the parking. Padstow in Cornwall holds its annual 'Obby-Oss' (Hobby Horse) day of festivities. This is believed to be one of the oldest fertility rites in the UK; revellers dance with the Oss through the streets of the town and even through the private gardens of the citizens, accompanied by accordion players and followers dressed in white with red or blue sashes who sing the traditional 'May Day' song. The whole town is dec- May Queen on village orated with springtime greenery, and every year thousands of onlookers attend. green, Melmerby Prior to the 19th century distinctive May day celebrations were widespread throughout West Cornwall, and are being revived in St. Ives and Penzance. Kingsand, Cawsand and Millbrook in Cornwall celebrate Flower Boat Ritual on the May Day bank holiday. A model of the ship The Black Prince is covered in flowers and is taken in procession from the Quay at Millbrook to the beach at Cawsand where it is cast adrift. The houses in the villages are decorated with flowers and people traditionally wear red and white clothes. There are further celebrations in Cawsand Square with Morris dancing and May pole dancing. In St Andrews, some of the students gather on the beach late on April 30 and run into the North Sea at sunrise on May Day, occasionally naked. This is accompanied by torchlit processions and much elated celebration. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow organize Mayday festivals and rallies. In Edinburgh, the Beltane Fire Festival is held on the evening of May eve and into the early hours of May Day on the city's Calton Hill. An older Edinburgh tradition has it that young women who climb Arthur's Seat and wash their faces in the morning dew will have lifelong beauty.
Ireland:
May Day has been celebrated in Ireland since pagan times as the feast of Bealtaine and in latter times as Mary's day. Traditionally, bonfires were lit to mark the coming of summer and to banish the long nights of winter. Officially Irish May Day holiday is the first Monday in May. Old traditions such as bonfires are no longer widely observed, though the practice still persists in some communities, such as Arklow, County Wicklow.
France:
On May 1, 1561, King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on May 1. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them tax-free. It is also traditional for the lady receiving the sprig of lily of the valley to give a kiss in return. Nowadays, people may present loved ones either with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers.
Germany:
In rural regions of Germany, especially the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht celebrations of pagan origin are traditionally held on the night before May Day, including bonfires and the wrapping of a Maibaum (maypole). Young people use this opportunity to party, while the day itself is used by many families to get some fresh air. Motto: "Tanz in den Mai!" ("Dance into May!"). In the Rhineland, May 1 is also celebrated by the delivery of a maypole, a tree covered in streamers to the house of a girl the night before. The tree is typically from a love interest, though a tree wrapped only in white streamers is a sign of dislike. Females usually place roses or rice in form of a heart at the house of their beloved one. It is common to stick the heart to a window or place it in front of the doormat. On leap years, it is the responsibility of the females to place the maypole. All the action is usually done secretly and it is an individual's choice whether to give a hint of their identity or stay anonymous. May Day was not established as a public holiday until 1933. As Labour Day, many political parties and unions host activities related to work and employment.
Finland:
Celebrations among the younger generations take place on May Day Eve, see Walpurgis Night in Finland, most prominent being the afternoon 'crowning' of statues in towns around the country with a student cap. May Day is known as Vappu, from the Swedish term. This is a public holiday that is the only carnival-style street festivity in the country. People young and old, particularly students, party outside, picnic and wear Queen Guinevere's Maying caps or other decorative clothing. Some Finns make a special lemonade from lemons, brown sugar, and yeast called "sima". It contains very little alcohol, so even children can drink it. You can also buy a similar product in all stores. Some Finns also make doughnuts and a crisp pastry fried in oil made from a similar, more liquid dough. Balloons and other decorations like serpentines are seen everywhere.
Sweden:
The more traditional festivities have moved to the day before, Walpurgis night ("Valborgsmässoafton"), known in some locales as simply "Last of April". The first of May is instead celebrated as International Workers' Day.
Pacific (USA):
In Hawaii, May Day is also known as Lei Day, and is normally set aside as a day to celebrate island culture in general and native Hawaiian culture in particular. Invented by a poet and a local newspaper columnist in the 1920s, it has since been adopted by state and local government as well as the residents, and has taken on the sense of a Morris dancing on May Day in Oxford,Enggeneral spring celebration. The first Lei Day was pro- land 2004. posed in 1927 in Honolulu by poet and artist Don Blanding. Leonard "Red" and Ruth Hawk composed "May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i," the traditional holiday song. Originally it was a contemporary fox trot, later rearranged as the Hawaiian hula song performed today.
USA:
May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These are small baskets usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away. The person receiving the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver. If they catch the person, a kiss is exchanged. Modern May Day ceremonies in the U.S. vary greatly from region to region and many unite both the holiday's "Green May Day festivities at National Park SemiRoot" (pagan) and "Red Root" (labor) traditions. May 1 is also recognized in the U.S. as Law Day. nary in Maryland, 1907.
Background The city had been under
The beginning of the uprising
The spark that provoked the rebellion was the move by the French Marshal in command of Madrid, Joaquim Murat, to send the daughter of Charles IV and the Infante Francisco de Paula to the French city of Bayonne. Murat was the brother-in-law of Napoleon, and would later become king of Naples. Initially the governing council of the city refused the request from Murat, but eventually gave way after receiving a message from Ferdinand VII who was also in Bayonne at this time. On 2 May a crowd began to gather in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Those gathered entered the palace grounds in an attempt to prevent the removal of Francisco de Paula. Marshal Murat sent a battalion of grenadiers from the Imperial Guard to the palace along with artillery detachments. The latter opened fire on the assembled crowd, and the rebellion began to spread to other parts of the city. What followed was street fighting in different areas of Madrid as the poorly armed population confronted the French troops. Murat had quickly moved the majority of his troops into the city and there was heavy fighting around the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de Toledo. Marshal Murat imposed martial law in the city and assumed full control of the administration. Little by little the French regained control of the city, and many hundreds of people died in the fighting. The painting by the Spanish artistGoya, The Charge of the Mamelukes, portrays the street fighting that took place. There were Spanish troops stationed in the city, but they remained confined to barracks. The only Spanish troops to disobey orders were from the artillery units at the barracks of Monteleón, who joined the uprising. Two officers of these troops,Luis Daoíz de Torres and Pedro Velarde y Santillán are still commemorated as heroes of the rebellion. Both died during the French assault of the barracks, as the rebels were reduced by vastly superior numbers.
The aftermath
The repression following the crushing of the initial rebellion was harsh. Murat created a military commission on the evening of 2 May to be presided over by General Grouchy. This commission issued death sentences to all of those captured who were bearing weapons of any kind. In a statement issued that day Murat said: "The population of Madrid, led astray, has given itself to revolt and murder. French blood has flowed. It demands vengeance. All those arrested in the uprising, arms in hand, will be shot." All public meetings were prohibited and an order was issued requiring all weapons to be handed in to the authorities. Hundreds of prisoners were executed the following day, a scene that has also been captured in a famous painting by Goya, The Third of May 1808. On the same 2 May, in the nearby town of Móstoles, the arrival of the news of the repression prompted Juan Pérez Villamil, who was secretary of the Admiralty and prosecutor of the Supreme War Council, to encourage the mayors of the town, Andrés Torrejón and Simón Hernández, to sign a declaration of war calling all the Spaniards against the invaders. The name of this declaration was "Bando de los alcaldes de Móstoles" or "bando de la Independencia".
impact of the uprising The While the French occupiers hoped that their rapid suppression of the uprising would demonstrate their control of
Spain, the rebellion actually gave considerable impetus to the resistance. In the weeks that followed there were further rebellions in different parts of the country.
Commemoration
2 May was chosen as a public holiday in the region of Madrid. The place where the artillery barracks of Monteleón was located is now a square called the Plaza 2 de mayo, and the district surrounding the square is known as Malasaña in memory of one of the heroines of the revolt, the teenagerManuela Malasaña, who was executed by French troops in the aftermath of the revolt. Several memorials to the heroes are located over the city, including the Monumento a los Caidos por España.
National Flag Day Poland - May 02
The flag of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, the upper one white and the lower one red. The two colors are defined in the Polish constitution as the national colors. A variant of the flag with the national coat of arms in the middle of the white stripe is legally reserved for official use abroad and at sea. A similar flag with the addition of a swallow-tail is used as the naval ensign of Poland. White and red were officially adopted as national colors in 1831. They are of heraldic origin and derive from the tinctures (colors) of the coats of arms of the two constituent nations of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, i.e. the White Eagle of Poland and the Pursuer (Lithuanian:Vytis, Polish: Pogoń) of Lithuania, a white knight riding a white horse, both on a red shield. Prior to that, Polish soldiers wore cockades of various color combinations. The national flag was officially adopted in 1919. Since 2004, Polish Flag Day is celebrated on May 2. The flag is flown continuously on the buildings of the highest national authorities, such as the parliament and the presidential palace. Other institutions and many Polish people fly the national flag on national holidays and other special occasions of national significance. Current Polish law does not restrict the use of the national flag without the coat of arms as long as the flag is not disrespected. Horizontal bicolor of white and red being a relatively widespread design, there are several flags that are similar but unrelated to the Polish one, most notably those of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Tyrol in Austria, and two national flags with the red stripe above the white one: those of Indonesia and Monaco. In Poland, many flags based on the national design also feature the national colors.
Constitution Day Poland - May 03
Constitution of May 3, 1791 (Polish: Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja;Lithuanian: Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija) is generally regarded as Europe's first and the world's second modern codified national constitution, following the 1788 ratification of the United States Constitution (however, see also: Corsican Constitution and Constitution of San Marino). The May 3, 1791, Constitution was adopted as a "Government Act" (Polish: Ustawa rządowa) on that date by the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was in effect for only a year, until the Russo-Polish War of 1792. The May 3 Constitution was designed to redress long-standing political defects of the Polish– Lithuanian Commonwealth and its traditional sysof "Golden Liberty" conveying tem disproportionate rights and privileges to the nobility. The Constitution introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility (szlachta) and placed the peasants under the protection of the government, thus mitigating the worst abuses of serfdom. The Constitution abolished pernicious parliamentary institutions such as the liberum veto, which at one time had put the sejm at the mercy of any deputy who might choose, or be bribed by an interest or foreign power, to undo legislation passed by that sejm. The Constitution sought to supplant the existing anarchy fostered by some of the country's magnates with a more democratic constitutional monarchy. The document was translated into Lithuanian. The adoption of the May 3 Constitution provoked the active hostility of the Commonwealth's neighbors. In the War in Defense of the Constitution, the Commonwealth lost its Prussian ally, Frederick William II, when the Commonwealth failed to live up to territorial agreements made in their treaty and also failed to consult Prussia before agreeing on the constitution. It was then defeated by Catherine the Great's Imperial Russia allied with the Targowica Confederation, a coalition of Polish magnates and landless nobility who opposed reforms that might weaken their influence. Despite the Commonwealth's defeat and the consequent Second Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the May 3 Constitution influenced later democratic movements. It remained, after the demise of the Polish Republic in 1795, over the next 123 years of Polish partitions, a beacon in the struggle to restore Polish sovereignty. In the words of two of its co-authors, Ignacy Potocki and Hugo Kołłątaj, it was "the last will and testament of the expiring Motherland."
Background
The May 3 Constitution responded to the increasingly perilous situation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, only a century earlier a major European power and indeed the largest state on the continent. Already two hundred years before the May 3 Constitution, King Sigismund III Vasa's court preacher, the Jesuit Piotr Skarga, had famously condemned the individual and collective weaknesses of the Commonwealth. Likewise, in the same period, writers and philosophers such as Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski and Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki, and Jan Zamoyski's egzekucja praw (Execution-ofthe-Laws) reform movement, had advocated reforms. By the early 17th century, the magnates of Poland and Lithuania controlled the Commonwealth—or rather, they managed to ensure that no reforms would be carried out that might weaken their privileged status (the "Golden Freedoms"). They spent lavishly on banquets, drinking bouts and other amusements, while the peasants languished in abysmal conditions and the towns, many of which were wholly within the private property of a magnate who feared the rise of an independent middle class, were kept in a state of ruin. Many historians hold that a major cause of the Commonwealth's downfall was the peculiar institution of the liberum veto ("free veto"), which since 1652 had in principle permitted any Sejm deputy to nullify all the legislation that had been adopted by that Sejm. Thus deputies bribed by magnates or foreign powers, or simply content to believe they were living in some kind of "Golden Age", for over a century paralysed the Commonwealth's government. The threat of the liberum veto King Stanisław August, principal author could, however, be overridden by the establishment of a "con- of Constitution federated sejm", which operated immune from the liberum veto. The Four-Year, or "Great", Sejm of 1788–92, which would adopt the Constitution of May 3, 1791, was such a confederated sejm, and it was due only to that fact that it was able to put through so radical a piece of legislation. The Enlightenment had gained great influence in certain Commonwealth circles during the reign (1764–95) of its last king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, and the King had proceeded with cautious reforms such as the establishment of fiscal and military ministries and a national customs tariff. However, the idea of reforms in the Commonwealth was viewed with growing suspicion not only by the magnates, but also by neighboring countries, which were content with the Commonwealth's contemporary state of affairs and abhorred the thought of a resurgent and democratic power on their borders. Accordingly Russia's Empress Catherine the Great and Prussia's King Frederick the Great provoked a conflict between some members of the Sejm and the King over civil rights for religious minorities. Catherine and Frederick declared their support for the Polish nobility (szlachta) and their "liberties," and by October 1767 Russian troops had assembled outside the Polish capital, Warsaw. The King and his adherents, in face of superior Russian military force, were left with little choice but to acquiesce in Russian demands and during the Repnin Sejm (named after unofficially presiding Russian ambassador Nicholas Repnin) accept the five "eternal and invariable principles" which Catherine vowed to "protect for all time to come in the name of Poland's liberties": the election of kings; the right of liberum veto; the right to renounce allegiance to, and raise rebellion against, the king (rokosz); the szlachta's exclusive right to hold office and land; and a landowner's power of life and death over his peasants. Thus all the privileges of the nobility that had made the Commonwealth's political system ("Golden Liberty") ungovernable were guaranteed as unalterable in the Cardinal Laws. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth thus became an effective protectorate of the Russian Empire. Nonetheless, several minor beneficial reforms were adopted, and the need for more reforms was becoming increasingly recognized. Not everyone in the Commonwealth agreed with King Stanisław August's acquiescence. On February 29, 1768, several magnates, including Kazimierz Pułaski, vowing to oppose Russian intervention, declared Stanisław August a "lackey of Russia and Catherine" and formed aconfederation at the town of Bar. The Bar Confederation began a civil war with the goal of overthrowing the King and fought on until 1772, when overwhelmed by Russian intervention. The Bar Confederation's defeat set the scene for the next act in the unfolding drama. On August 5, 1772, at St. Petersburg, Russia, the three neighboring powers—Russia, Prussia and Austria—signed the First Partition treaty. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was to be divested of about a third of its territory and population (over 200,000 km2 (77,220 sq mi) and 4 million people). This was justified on grounds of "anarchy" in the Commonwealth and her refusal to cooperate with its neighbors' efforts to restore order. The three powers demanded that the Sejm ratify this first partition, otherwise threatening further partitions. King Stanisław August yielded under duress and on April 19, 1773, called the Sejm into session. Only 102 deputies attended what became known as the Partition Sejm; the rest, aware of the King's decision, refused. Despite protests, notably by the deputy Tadeusz Rejtan, the First Partition of Poland was ratified. The first of the three successive 18th-century partitions of Commonwealth territory that would eventually blot Poland from the map of Europe shocked the inhabitants of the Commonwealth, and had made it clear to progressive minds that the Commonwealth must either reform or perish. Even before the First Partition, a Sejm deputy had been sent to ask the French philosophes Gabriel Bonnot de Mably and Jean-Jacques Rousseau to draw up tentative constitutions for a new Poland. Mably had submitted his recommendations in 1770–71; Rousseau had finished his (Considerations on the Government of Poland) in 1772, when the First Partition was already underway. Supported by King Stanisław August, a new wave of reforms were introduced. The most important included the establishment, in 1773, of a Komisja Edukacji Narodowej ("Commission of National Education")—the first ministry of education in the world. New schools were opened in the cities and in the countryside, uniform textbooks were printed, teachers were educated, and poor students were provided scholarships. The Commonwealth's military was modernized, and a standing army was formed. Economic and commercial reforms, previously shunned as unimportant by the szlachta, were introduced, and the development of industries was encouraged. The peasants were given some rights. A new Police ministry fought corruption. Everything from the road system to prisons was reformed. A new executive body was created, the Permanent Council (Polish: Rada Nieustająca), comprising five ministries. In 1776, the Sejm commissioned Chancellor Andrzej Zamoyski to draft a new legal code, the Zamoyski Code. By 1780, under Zamoyski's direction, a code (Zbiór praw sądowych) had been produced. It would have strengthened royal power, made all officials answerable to the Sejm, placed the clergy and their finances under state supervision, and deprived landless szlachta of many of their legal immunities. Zamoyski's progressive legal code, containing elements of constitutional reform, facing opposition from conservative szlachta and foreign powers, failed to be adopted by the Sejm.
Kempo Kinenbi Japan - May 03
Japan commemorates the coming into effect of its new 1947 constitution. Japan’s constitution reflects Japan’s total abolition of war and military armament. Japan’s Constitution Memorial Day is one of the four public holidays in the Golden Week which also includes Emperor’s Birthday, Greenery Day, and Shōwa Day on April 29, Greenery Day on May 3, and Children’s Day on May 4.
History Two years after the end of World War II, Japan promulgated a new
constitution. It was recognized as a holiday since the passing of the new constitution on May 3, 1947. The renouncement of war is considered as Japan’s sovereign right and using war as an instrument to settle international dispute is forever banned. Article 9 of the Japanese constitutions states that: ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. A number of known personalities, writers, and members of media in Japan have long been criticizing the above law such as the 2003 editorials in some major newspaper publications in the country.
TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS AND ACTIVITIES
During this day, the National Diet Building, housing Japan’s upper house, the House of Councillors and lower house which is the House of Representatives (National Diet of Japan), becomes open to the public. Also, the Japanese government calls for a nationwide reflection on the meaning of democracy in Japan and its forever renouncement of war as stated in the controversial and criticized Article 9 of the 1947 Japanese constitution.
World Press Freedom Day Worldwide - May 03
The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991. UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Created in 1997, the prize is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals. Names are submitted by regional and international non-governmental organizations working for press freedom, and by UNESCO member states. The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogotá, on 17 December 1986. Cano's writings had offended Colombia's powerful drug barons. UNESCO also marks World Press Freedom Day each year by bringing together media professionals, press freedom organisations and UN agencies to assess the state of press freedom worldwide and discuss solutions for addressing challenges. Each conference is centred around a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity and the role of media in post-conflict countries. The 2011 World Press Freedom Day celebration is being held in Washington, D.C., USA on May 1-3. This will be the first time the United States has hosted the World Press Freedom Day celebration. The theme of this year's event is 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. The event will affirm fundamental principles of media freedom in the digital age—the ability of citizens to voice their opinions and access diverse, independent information sources— 20 years after the original declaration was made in Windhoek, Namibia. The World Press Freedom Day 2011 program and agenda are available here.
Día de la Santa Cruz International - May 03
The Fiesta de las Cruces ("Festival of the Crosses") or Cruz de Mayo ("May Cross") is a holiday celebrated 3 May in many parts of Spain and Hispanic America.
Origins Religiously, the festival is rooted in the search by
the Byzantine Empress Saint Helena for the cross on which Jesus died, but the popular traditions connected to the festival certainly originate from pagan traditions brought to Spain by the Roman Empire (see May Day). The legend is that Emperor Constantine I, in the sixth year of his reign, confronted the barbarians on the banks of the Danube, in a battle where victory was believed to be impossible because of the great size of the enemy army. One night, Constantine had a vision of a cross in the sky, and by it the words "In hoc signo vincis" (With this sign, you shall be victorious). The emperor had a cross made and put it at the front of his army, which won an easy victory over the enemy multitude. On returning to the city and learning the significance of the cross, Constantine was baptized as a Christian and gave orders to construct Christian churches. He sent his mother, Saint Helena, to Jerusalem in search of the True Cross, the cross on which Jesus died. Once there, Helena summoned the wisest priests to aid in her attempt to find the cross. On Calvary Hill, traditionally considered the site of Jesus's crucifixion, she found three bloody logs hidden. In order to discover which was the True Cross, she placed the logs one by one over sick people, and even dead people, who were cured or resuscitated at the touch of the True Cross. The veneration of the True Cross, and the use of pieces of the True Cross as relics, begins at this time. Santa Helena died praying for all believers in Christ to celebrate the commemoration of the day the Cross was found.
Casinga Day Namibia - May 04
Cassinga Day is a national public holiday in Namibia remembering the Cassinga massacre. Occurring on 4 May yearly, the day "remembers those (approximately 600) killed in 1978 when the South African Defence Force attacked a SWAPO base (refugee camp) at Cassinga in southern Angola". Commemorations are marked yearly by ceremonies at Heroes' Acre, outside of Windhoek. These ceremonies are attended by many important national political figures, including Presidents Hifikepunye Pohamba and Sam Nujoma.
Herdenkings Day Netherlands - May 04
Proclamation of Independence Latvia - May 04
The Declaration "On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia" (Latvian:Deklarācija Par Latvijas Republikas neatkarības atjaunošanu) was adopted on 4 May 1990, by the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR. The Declaration stated that, although Latvia had de facto lost its independence in 1940, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union, the country had de jure remained a sovereign country as the annexation had been unconstitutional and against the will of the people of Latvia. Therefore it resolved that the MolotovRibbentrop Pact and the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 were illegal, and annulled the declaration on the accession of Latvia to the Soviet Union of 21 July 1940, re-instituted the Constitution of Latvia of 1922, which was thereupon partly suspended, and set a period of transition to de facto independence, which would end upon the first session of Saeima. It also ruled that during the transitional period the Constitution of the Latvian SSR and other laws would remain applicable as long as they did not contradict articles 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the Constitution of Latvia, which were reinforced by the declaration. It was provided that a committee to elaborate a new edition of the Constitution of Latvia should be created. Social, economic, cultural and political rights were granted to citizens and residents of Latvia in accordance with international human rights. The declaration also stated that Latvia would form its relationship with the Soviet Union on the basis of the Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty of 1920, in which the Soviet Union had recognized the independence of Latvia as inviolable "for all future time".
Overview
Historical and juridical background:
In its beginning the Declaration establishes several historical facts and on the basis of these facts concludes that the Republic of Latvia de jure is a sovereign country. It observes that the Republic of Latvia proclaimed independence on 18 November 1918, and was internationally recognized in 1920, and that Latvia was admitted to membership in the League of Nations in 1921. The first country to recognize the independence of Latvia de jure was Soviet Russia on 11 August 1920, when the Soviet-Latvian Peace treaty was signed (it is generally considered that the independence of Latvia de jure was internationally recognized on 26 January 1921, when it was recognized by the Allies of World War I). The declaration notes that in April 1920 the Latvian nation followed the principle of self-determination by electing a Constitutional Assembly of Latvia, which adopted the Constitution of Latvia on 15 February 1922, in general, equal and direct elections, based on proportional representation. On 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which included a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Latvia was apportioned to the Soviet sphere and on 5 October 1939, signed a mutual assistance pact. On 16 June 1940, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Latvia accusing it of not carrying out the treaty, namely of forming amilitary alliance against the USSR, and requested a new government to be formed and to guarantee Soviet military free entrance in Latvia. The Latvian government decided to give in to the ultimatum and on 17 June 1940, Soviet forces entered Latvia. The Declaration states that the Soviet ultimatum and military aggression on 17 June 1940, should be viewed as an international crime, which led to the occupation of Latvia and loss of its sovereignty and points out that the new government was formed as dictated by the Soviet Union and by international law should not be viewed as executive of Latvia as it represented Soviet, not Latvian, interests. On 14-15 July 1940 a parliament called the "People's Saeima of Latvia" was elected, which on 21 July 1940, declared accession to the Soviet Union. The declaration states that the election of the People's Saeima took place on the basis of unconstitutional and illegally adopted election law in a state of political terror and notes that out of 17 lists submitted for the election only one was allowed to participate in the election, which had not stated prior to the election that Soviet power should be established in Latvia and it should join the Soviet Union and that results of the election were falsified. The declaration observes that the People's Saeima was formed by misleading the people and therefore did not express the sovereign will of people of Latvia. It also notes that the People's Saeima had no right to change the political system in Latvia and liquidate its sovereignty as only the people have such right and the issue was never submitted to a national referendum. Therefore the Declaration rules that, in accordance with international law, the annexation of Latvia to the Soviet Union was not valid and the Republic of Latvia is still de jure subject to international law as recognized by more than 50 countries.
Basis:
After concluding that the Republic of Latvia de jure is a sovereign country the Declaration makes note of previously adopted documents and explains that the Supreme Soviet is acting according to the will of inhabitants of Latvia. First it notes two previous declarations of the Supreme Soviet — "On sovereignty of state of Latvia" of 28 July 1989, which declared that the Latvian SSR will act as a sovereign state and that laws adopted by the Soviet Union will come in force in the territory of Latvian SSR only if the Supreme Soviet has ratified them and "In question of independence of Latvia" of 15 February 1990, in which the Supreme Soviet condemns declaration "On accession of Latvia to Soviet Union" of 21 July 1940, however none of these explicitly called for secession from the Soviet Union. Secondly it notes Appeal of All-Latvian congress of people deputies of 21 April 1990, which called for restoration of independence. Then it is stated that the Supreme Soviet is acting in accordance with the will of inhabitants of Latvia, which had been clearly expressed by electing as a majority those deputies, who had stated that they will restore independence of the Republic of Latvia in their reelection programme.
Act:
After establishing that the Republic of Latvia de jure is a sovereign country and that by the will of its people it should be independent, the Supreme Soviet ruled: 1. To recognize the priority of international laws over national laws. To hold to be illegitimate the treaty between the USSR and Germany of 23 August 1939, and the consequent liquidation of independence of Latvia resulting from Soviet military aggression on 17 June 1940. 2. To proclaim the declaration "On accession of Latvia to Soviet Union" of 21 July 1940, to be void from the moment of adoption. 3. To re-establish the authority of the Constitution of Latvia. The official name of the state of Latvia is the Republic of Latvia, in short Latvia. 4. To suspend the Constitution of Latvia until a new edition is adopted, except for the articles, which in accordance with the 77 article of the Constitution can only be amended if submitted to a national referendum: 1. Latvia is an independent democratic republic. 2. The sovereign power of the State of Latvia is vested in the people of Latvia. 3. The territory of the State of Latvia, within the borders established by international agreements, consists of Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale. 6. The Saeima shall be elected in general, equal and direct elections, and by secret ballot based on proportional representation. Article 6 shall be applied when the governmental institutions of independent Latvia have been restored, which grant free elections. 5. To set a period of transition to de facto independence until the first session of the new Saeima. During the transitional period the highest power of the state shall be the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia. 6. During the transitional period the Constitution of the Latvian SSR and other laws of the Latvian SSR in force at the time when the declaration was made may be applicable as long as they do not contradict articles 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the Constitution of Latvia. Disputes over the applicability of laws shall be resolved by the Constitutional Court. During the transitional period laws shall be made or amended only by the Supreme Council. 7. To constitute a committee, which will elaborate a new edition of the Constitution of Latvia, suitable to the current political, economic and social state of Latvia. 8. In accordance with international human rights, to grant social, economic and cultural rights, as well as political freedoms, to the citizens of Latvia and other countries, who reside in the territory of Latvia. This shall fully apply to those citizens of the Soviet Union who chose to reside in Latvia without its citizenship. 9. To build Latvian-Soviet relationships upon the Latvian-Soviet peace treaty of 11 August 1920, in which the Soviet Union recognizes eternal independence for Latvia and which is still in force. To constitute a committee for negotiations with USSR.
Further developments On 21 August 1991, after the Soviet coup d'état attempt, the Supreme Council adopted a Constitutional law, "On
statehood of the Republic of Latvia", declaring Article 5 of the Declaration to be invalid, thus ending the transitional period and restoring de facto independence. However some elements which defined the transitional period remained in force until the first session of the 5th Saeima on 6 July 1993 - The Supreme Council remained the highest power of the state and the constitution was suspended. On 31 July 1990, the Supreme Council formed a work group of 22 deputies, which had to elaborate a new edition of the Constitution until 1 January 1990, though a new edition was never drafted and the Constitution was restored unamended. The Constitutional Court which was intended to resolve Constitutional disputes during the transitional period was only founded in 1996. To comply with international human rights as indicated in Article 8, the Supreme Council adopted a declaration of human rights immediately after the Declaration of independence.
Adoption
The Supreme Soviet was elected on 18 March 1990; it was the first election in Soviet Latvia in which multiple parties were allowed to participate. 201 deputies were elected. The declaration was adopted on 4 May 1990, in an open vote, a majority of two thirds — 132 votes — was required, 138 deputies voted for adoption of the declaration, 1 abstained, while others did not participate in the vote and therefore there were no votes against the declaration.
Response On 4 May 1990, after the declaration was adopted, the Communist Party of Latvia resolved that it was unconstitutional,
contained notable contradictions and historical inaccuracies, and noted that such issues should be decided by referendum. The Communist Party deemed that the declaration might trigger the President of the Soviet Union to take countermeasures, therefore the party should launch a propaganda campaign against the declaration and ask the President of the Soviet Union to annul the declaration of the Supreme Soviet. On 14 May 1990, the President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev issued a decree stating that the declaration violated the Constitution of the Soviet Union and the Constitution of the Latvian SSR and thus stood void from the moment of adoption. The Supreme Council answered that the Constitution of the Soviet Union did not grant the president the right to annul acts adopted by Supreme Soviets of Soviet republics. Furthermore the Supreme Council announced that the Supreme Soviet, as the legal successor of the People's Saeima, had the right to annul its decisions which contradicted the Constitution of Latvia which was in force at the time these decisions were made and as the Constitution of the Soviet Union ruled that the Soviet Union was founded upon principles of self-determination, but Latvia was forcibly annexed, reference to it had no juridical basis regarding the Latvian SSR. It also noted that the law of the Soviet Union regarding secession from the Soviet Union to which the decree also referred was not in force in the territory of the Latvian SSR as the Supreme Soviet had not ratified it and that the law contradicted the Constitution of the Soviet Union and the Constitution of Latvian SSR, which provided that Soviet republics can freely secede from the Soviet Union. It was stated that the call for a referendum on secession from the Soviet Union to take place has neither a legal or a political basis, because Latvia had been annexed by the Soviet Union without holding a referendum, which was required by the Constitution of Latvia and Latvia was not seceding from the Soviet Union, but restoring its independence. It was noted that the Constitution of the Latvian SSR did not call for a referendum as it had been stated in the decree, but recommended two alternatives - either a referendum or a public debate which had de facto taken place as it had been discussed in the press and several public opinion polls had taken place showing that a majority of the public supported independence. Similarly in the All-Latvian congress of people deputies of 21 April 1990, 8003 had voted for restoration of independence and the declaration had been adopted by a vote of two thirds of members of the Supreme Soviet which was required for constitutional amendments. Furthermore, the Supreme Council referred to the result of elections of Supreme Soviet as a clear indicator of public opinion that supporters of independence had won the election. The Supreme Council stated that by 28 May 1990, it had received letters and telegrams from 646,726 residents of the Republic supporting the declaration and only 8,993 people had expressed opposition. Given these provisions, the Supreme Council stated that the Declaration was legitimate and in force.
International Midwives Day Worldwide - May 05
International Midwives' Day was first celebrated May 5, 1991, and has since been observed in over 50 nations around the world. The idea of having a day to recognize and honor midwives came out of the 1987 International Confederation of Midwives conference in the Netherlands.
History It is known that midwives have been making efforts to meet in-
ternationally for over 100 years. There are records of a midwives´ conference held in Berlin, Germany, in the year 1900, when over 1,000 midwives attended. You may wish to consider for a moment that this was arranged without the use of telephones, computers, credit cards or aeroplanes - and took place at a time when women travelling on their own was difficult and not always acceptable. In 1919, a group of European midwives, centred in Antwerp, Belgium, established the first beginnings of what was to become the International Confederation of Midwives. By this time, many countries already had a national association of midwives; communication among them increased and a series of regular meetings was launched. During the 1930s and 1940s, travel and communication in Europe was disrupted by war and unrest. Unfortunately, the detailed records of the earlier midwives´ meetings and documents were destroyed. However, the desire to continue international work was still strong. In 1954, the initiative grew again and this time the location was London, UK. For the first time, the name of ´International Confederation of Midwives´ was decided, and also the idea of regular triennial congresses was established. Since 1954 the series of such meetings every three years has remained unbroken. The ICM now has over 100 members – all autonomous midwifery associations, from around 100 countries spanning four regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe. Each member association sends delegates to the ICM Council, which is the overall governing body; each region elects representatives to a smaller board, which oversees the continuing business of the Confederation. The ICM Council decided in 1999 to move the location of the headquarters office from London to The Hague, in the Netherlands, and it has been established there ever since. The headquarters permanent staff has increased from the appointment in 1987 of one part-time executive secretary, to the present larger group including the Secretary General, Programme Co-ordinator, Communications Manager and other part-time administrative assistance. The ICM journal, International Midwifery, is now in its 18th year of communicating "to, from and among midwives across the world" and the ICM website at www.internationalmidwives.org has been assisting speedier access to ICM news and activities since 2000. International congresses are held every three years. The site of each is decided six years ahead, and the event is co-hosted by ICM and one of its member associations. Venues over the past 50 years have included Jerusalem, Kobe, Manila, Santiago, Sydney, Vancouver and Washington, as well as numerous European cities. These congresses have become the major regular focus for midwives’ global business, professional and scientific meetings. In addition, regional meetings and conferences are often held in the years between congresses. The ICM's Mission is to "advance world-wide the aims and aspirations of midwives in the attainment of improved outcomes for women in their childbearing years, their newborn and their families wherever they reside".
Cinco de Mayo International - May 05
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico— which is actually celebrated on September 16.
History
Events leading to Cinco de Mayo:
Cinco de Mayo has its roots in the French occupation of Mexico, which took place in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48, the Mexican Civil War of 1858, and the 1860 Reform Wars. These wars left the Mexican Treasury in ruins and nearly bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, Mexican President Benito Juárez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years. In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, at the time ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to establish a Latin empire in Mexico that would favor French interests, the Second Mexican Empire.
The French invasion:
Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat. Moving on from Veracruz towards Mexico City, the French army encountered heavy resistance from the Mexicans near Puebla, at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. The 8,000-strong French army attacked the much more poorly equipped Mexican army of 4,000. Yet, on May 5, 1862, the Mexicans managed to decisively crush the French army, one which, according to an article in Philadelphia's The Bulletin daily newspaper, was the best army of the time.
The Mexican victory:
The victory represented a significant morale boost to the Mexican army and the Mexican people at large. In the description of The History Channel, "Although not a major Cinco de Mayo dancers greeted by U.S. strategic win in the overall war against the French, President George W. Bush Zaragoza's success at Puebla represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement." The description of Time magazine was: "The Puebla victory came to symbolize unity and pride for what seemed like a Mexican David defeating a French Goliath." It helped establish a much-needed sense of national unity and patriotism.
Events after the Battle:
The Mexican victory, however, was short-lived. Thirty thousand troops and a full year later, the French were able to depose the Mexican army, capture Mexico City, and establish Emperor Maximilian I as ruler of Mexico. However, the French victory was also short-lived, lasting only 3 years, from 1864 to 1867. With the U.S. Civil War over in 1865, the U.S. was able to provide more assistance to Mexico to expel the French, after which Maximilian I was executed by the Mexicans, along with his Mexican generals Miramón and Mejía, in the Cerro de las Campanas, Queretaro.
Significance The Battle of Puebla was important for at least two reasons. First, although considerably outnumbered, the Mexicans
defeated a much better-equipped French army. "This battle was significant in that the 4,000 Mexican soldiers were greatly outnumbered by the well-equipped French army of 8,000 that had not been defeated for almost 50 years." Second, it was significant because since the Battle of Puebla, no country in the Americas has been invaded by any other European military force.
Consequences to the United States Some historians have argued that France's real goal was to help break up
the American Union, at the time in the midst of a civil war, by helping the southern Confederacy: "The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build a powerful army. This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War." The consequence of Cinco de Mayo to the United States has been thus recognized: "The defeat of the French army had consequences for America as well...the French defeat denied Napoleon III the opportunity to resupply the Confederate rebels for another year." Donald W. Miles adds, "At the time, there were fears in the United States that the French would use Mexico as a base to back the Confederacy, so President Lincoln and his Secretary of State went out of their way to appear 'neutral' in the Mexican situation. They did not want to take on the French and the Confederates at the same time". Dr. Miles goes on to explain that "Napoleon III had hesitated to take on the United States directly, but now the news of the Civil War changed everything". It meant that the Americans would be occupied with their conflict between North and South for some time. Upon hearing the Spaniards and the British had sailed off to grab the customs house in Veracruz to start collecting their duties, Napoleon decided he would not only send the French navy, but would also start looking for someone to place as emperor in Mexico. He would then use Mexico as a base to help the Confederates win their war against the United States. Napoleon saw this as an opportunity not to be missed. Dr. Miles then concludes, "The Emperor of France ordered his generals to spend a few months taking on Mexico and then - using Mexico as a 'base' Cinco de Mayo performers at - help the Confederates win their war against the United States. What if they had succeeded? The United States would never become the signifi- the White House cant world power it is today...the Mexicans not only took their nation back, but influenced the outcome of the U.S. Civil War." Historian Justo Sierra has written in his Political Evolution of the Mexican People, that had Mexico not defeated the French in Puebla on May 5, 1862, France would have gone to the aid of the South in the U.S. Civil War and the United States' destiny could have been very different.
Observances United States:
On June 7, 2005, the U.S. Congress issued a Concurrent Resolution calling on the President of the United States to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate ceremonies and activities. In a 1998 study in the Journal of American Culture it was reported that there were more than 120 official U.S. celebrations of Cinco de Mayo, and they could be found in 21 different states. An update in 2006, found that the number of official Cinco de Mayo events was 150 or more, according to José Alamillo, professor of ethnic studies at Washington State University in Pullman, who has studied the cultural impact of Cinco de Mayo north of the border. In the United States Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico.Celebrations tend to draw both from traditional Mexican symbols, such as the Virgen de Guadalupe, and from prominent figures of Mexican descent in the United States, including César Chávez. To celebrate, many display Cinco de Mayo banners while school districts hold special events to educate pupils about its historical significance. Special events and celebrations highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music Cinco de Mayo celebration in and regional dancing. Examples include baile folklórico and mariachi Saint Paul, Minnesota demonstrations held annually at the Plaza del Pueblo de Los Angeles, near Olvera Street. Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration, advertising Mexican products and services, with an emphasis on beverages, foods, and music.
History of observance:
Mexicans and Latinos living in California during the American Civil War are credited with being the first to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States. According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture about the origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, the modern American focus on that day first started in California in the 1860s in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico. "Far up in the gold country town of Columbia (now Columbia State Park) Mexican miners were so overjoyed at the news that they spontaneously fired off rifles shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches." A 2007 UCLA Newsroom article notes that "The holiday, which has been celebrated in California continuously since 1863, is virtually ignored in Mexico." TIME magazine reports that "Cinco de Mayo started to come into vogue in 1940s America during the rise of the Chicano movement." United Press International reports that "The holiday crossed over into the United States in the 1950s and 1960s but didn't gain popularity until the 1980s when marketers, especially beer companies, capitalized on the celebratory nature of the day and began to promote it."
Mexico:
Cinco de Mayo is a regional holiday limited primarily to the state of Puebla. There is some limited recognition of the holiday in other parts of the country.
Elsewhere:
Events tied to Cinco de Mayo also occur outside Mexico and the United States. For example, a sky-diving club near Vancouver, Canada, holds a Cinco de Mayo skydiving event. In the Cayman Islands, in the Caribbean, there is an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitarcompetition. As far away as the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, revelers are encouraged to drink Mexican beer on May 5.The city of Brisbane, Australia, also holds an annual Mexican Festival to honour the day.
Kvetnove povstani ceskeho lidu - 1945 Czech Republic - May 05
Remembrance of the Dead (Dutch: Dodenherdenking) is held annually on May 4 in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II. Until 1961, the commemoration only related to the Dutch victims of World War II. Since 1961, the victims of other military conflicts (such as the Indonesian National Revolution in Indonesia) and peacekeeping missions (such as in Lebanon or Bosnia) are remembered on May 4 as well. Traditionally, the main ceremonies are observed in Amsterdam at the National Monument on Dam Square. This ceremony is usually attended by members of the cabinet and the royal family, military leaders, representatives of the resistance movement and other social groups. At 8:00 p.m., two minutes of silence are observed throughout the Netherlands. Public transport is stopped, as well as all other traffic. Radio and TV only broadcast the ceremonies from 19.00 until 20.30. Since May 4, 1994, the flags, having hung at half-staff during the day, are then hoisted to the music of the "Wilhelmus", the Dutch national anthem. Since 2001 the new protocol says it is correct to let the flag hang half-staff. The main celebrations in Amsterdam are broadcast by the public broadcasting company NOS, but there are ceremonies in other cities and places as well. Especially notable are those at the Waalsdorpervlakte near the Hague, where many Dutch resistance fighters were executed during the war, and at the war cemetery Grebbeberg, which are broadcast by the commercial broadcasting companies. In many towns, before or after the two minutes of silence, people gather around a monument, listen to speeches, and lay down flowers to remember the dead. The next day, on May 5, Dutch people celebrate the liberation of the nation from the German occupation of 1940 to 1945.
military leaders of Hitler's Germany realized that the end of the Third Reich is unavoidable, and their only hope was the desire to create rift between the Allies and German troops involved in the fighting against the Soviet Union alongside the U.S. , Britain and France . On the territory of Bohemia and Moravia should be created "Fortress" where it should be worth millions Schörner army stopped the procedure the Red Army , which was important to avoid the expected uprising of the Czech population, which was prepared by the Czech resistance .Already in 1944 the aktivizovala guerrilla war that led to the western, eastern revolt there. Conditions were prepared for the transportation of weapons from abroad and capture the weapons they produced Czech arms factories. In the second half of the year played an increasingly important role in resistance organization , the Council of three . There was výsadkům penetration and guerrilla groups in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia , among which played a big role to play, Guerrilla Brigade Jan Žižka , partisan divisions Jermak , Miroslav Tyrš , John Kozina , and Jan Hus . Other guerrilla groups began to occur mainly in March and April 1945 , when the culmination of a guerrilla struggle against the German occupiers, and particularly in the eastern and western Moravia (Wallachia and Highland ), there were also open to guerrilla warfare. There were more assaults German columns were discharged from the fuel tank, vykolejovány trains, blown bridges. Eg. 10th April was an important rail track fired Brno - Jihlava , which was not until the end of the war corrected. At this event, was blown up by a German military transport which killed or injured nearly 200 people. In addition to the actions of diverse assaults on the track were the Nazi crew, ammunition depots, military installations, was punctuated by electric and telephone and telegraph lines.
The 2010 ceremony on Dam Square was disrupted towards the end of the two-minute silence by a 39-year-old man with a history of violent crimes and drug trading. Standing on the Rokin side of the square dressed as an Orthodox Jew, he refused to end a loud conversation on a cell phone during the two-minute silence, then pushed his way through the crowd while muttering unintelligibly and issued an extended loud scream that was heard all over the square. A person nearby dropped a suitcase in the resulting panic which prompted a cry of "Bomb, bomb, run!" which caused a panicked stampede among the 20.000 people crowd. Many people were trampled and some ended up trapped underneath crowd control barriers that were pushed over in the chaos. The sounds of the barriers falling were mistaken for gunshots by many people and added to the chaos. A total of 63 people were treated for injuries, mostly minor ones and some broken bones. The panic reaction was explained by many as resulting from the tension after the attack on the Dutch royal family that killed eight people just over a year before the incident. Queen Beatrix, who had been rushed to safety with the rest of the royal family, returned once the situation was under control and the ceremony was continued. The owner of the dropped suitcase was arrested but released because his suitcase contained only personal belongings. The 39-year-old man was also arrested and charged with disrupting public order and indirectly causing bodily harm. He later confessed to the police that he had been drinking and had screamed because of "frustrations in his personal life." He professed to be sorry and claimed there was no deeper meaning or thought behind his action.
By late April Soviet troops has two operations - Ostrava and Prague-Brno liberated part of Moravia, with a subsequent report on Hitler's death given us reason for defiance. uprising began on 1 May Přerov when spread wrong messages about the surrender of Germany . It was disarming German and Hungarian troops took the power of the National Committee . The revolt spread to the same day in Olomouc and the surrounding communities, but are affected unit SS . But insurgents have managed to stop the transport and disposal of industrial equipment and supplies that the Germans wanted to take away from Ostrava, Vsetínsko and Zlín. 2nd May rose Nymburk , Podebrady , Chlumec over Cidlinou , Upice next day Semily , Zelezny Brod , Turnov , Jilemnice , Old and New Paka , Pribram , Beroun , Vizovice , 4th May Vsetin andKladno , 5th May Louny , Jindrichuv Hradec , Rokycany , Klatovy , Domazlice etc. for about a thousand sites have been reported anti-occupation demonstrations, which consisted of posting Czechoslovak flags, banners, Germany's disposal, destruction indicative tables to celebrate the liberation demonstrations, protest actions against the occupation authorities Were also like to strikes in factories and confiscating weapons from the arms race in favor of the insurgents. The negotiations on the takeover took place more than 120 locations Protectorate. In some areas of the insurgency burst through the activities of guerrilla groups, which are increasingly entering into open warfare. Eg. in Vsetín fourth attack May Guerrilla Brigade Jan Žižka the Germans , who began to perform the work in the city of destruction, which had to be stopped. The city was the fourth the afternoon free units first Czechoslovak Army Corps . Guerrilla groups have also played a major role in the foothills and elsewhere.
2010 incident
Greenery Day Japan - May 04
Greenery Day (みどりの日 Midori no hi) is a Japanese holiday. Between 1989 and 2006 it was celebrated on April 29. In 2007 Greenery Day was moved to May 4. The present observation of Greenery Day as a national holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the Emperor Shōwa's birthday on April 29 every year during the Shōwa era. In 1989, following the ascension of the current Emperor Akihito to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the name of the holiday was changed from "Birthday of the Emperor" to "Greenery Day". Officially, as its name suggests, it is a day to commune with nature and to be thankful for blessings. The day was renamed to "Greenery Day" to acknowledge the controversial wartime emperor's love for plants without directly mentioning his name. However, in practice it is seen as just another day that expands the Japanese Golden Week vacation. In 2007, Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was changed to Shōwa Day in accordance with a 2005 revision of the law pertaining to public holidays. The Shōwa Emperor reigned for 62 years and 2 weeks. On May 3, 1947, he became a symbol of Japan by the new constitution of the country.
May the people of the Czech uprising was an armed uprising of the Czech people against the German invaders in the second World War II in the Czech Republic, which took place in early May 1945 . Actively attended by about 130 000 people plus 14 000 (part of them were Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian ethnicity) guerrillas. Another 100 000 people helped build barricades in Prague.
Preparing for the insurgency With the approaching end of the war, the
The outbreak of the uprising
Prague (and others) Rebellion
On 5 broke out in May uprising in the capital city of Prague . The Czech National Council issued a statement about the end of the Protectorate and the takeover of government and executive power. Here first demonstration took place, but soon moved into open opposition.Insurgents in Prague and throughout the territory of Bohemia and Moravia in strength of arms, occupies the post, rail and major road intersections. The odbojovým and guerrilla groups were added one thousand rebels from the Czech population, ex-military, gendarmerie, and the Soviet liberation of prisoners working at menial jobs in the Protectorate. Occupiers were prevented from removal made machinery, equipment and vehicles to Germany , to prevent the destruction of factories, etc. (plan ARLZ - scorched earth tactics). Insurgents prevented a continuous supply of the front and a retreat organized by the Wehrmacht . The uprising, which erupted in 37 cities and 240 villages, got in some tough places Counterstrike - German troops began to occupy the major roads, streets, intersections, railway stations and posts, was announced by the state of emergency , the occupants hostage and murdered interested to intimidate the Czech population. Their goal was not to allow the creation of a continuous rebel territory. However, insurgents have managed to bind itself with great force of German troops that could be used to suppress the uprising in Prague . Countryside Prague supplied not only food but also medical equipment and light weapons were zbudovávány roadblocks thrown bridges that Wehrmachtunits and the Waffen SS as much as transport is difficult. The resistance of the population continued in the countryside, where he is constantly expanding. In many places there was an open battle, elsewhere only to sabotage actions. Germans are increasingly resorting to assassinations and massacres of the Czech population, which took as hostages or decapitating the warning, not only in Prague , but virtually throughout the occupied territories of Bohemia and Moravia. On 8 May 1945 began a retreat Staff Field Marshal Ferdinand Schorner , who was at Hořic rebels attacked and partially scattered. A day later, the crew was broken at the Saaz tank armies Red Army . 8th May at 16.00 pm was among the German leadership and the Czech National Council signed a protocol that allowed the Germans to Prague with a passage that is to stop fighting. However, the fighting lasted even after the signing of the unconditional surrender of Germany on the 8th May 1945 , when German troops tried to surrender to the U.S. Army because of Soviet captivity, fears. These fighting units of the participants in the Waffen SS , but it was the exception that the names of the participating units and the Wehrmacht . Even from 9 to 11 May there was sporadic fighting and killings of civilians Czech. Eg. in the village Lejčková Tabor shot on the ninth May the German troops to the people who came to watch the road retreat of German army to shoot unarmed civilians there and elsewhere. Last shots fell on the 11th May 1945 Milína in Pribram , where units of the SS elicited a white flag partisan parliamentarian and shot them. 1945th Then the battle began, in which an open confrontation with the Germans fell 60 Czech partisans. In total, Czech uprising required in Prague 3700 lives, in the Czech and Moravian countryside died about 8000 other people, while the number of victims are included as people who fought against the invaders, the Nazis and murdered civilians. Czech uprising in May significantly undermine the German leadership's intentions to build a "fortress" that should be defended to the rift between Western powers and the USSR . Avoid the widespread and devastating military engagements in the Czech Republic and probably was also shortened the war.
HUNGARY Senior Citizen's Day Palau - M a y 0 5
Palau celebrates Senior Citizen’s Day on the 5th of March every year. The holiday aims to recognize the important role played by the old folks when they were still young. Palau citizens believe that how the young treat its old citizens is a reflection of their culture and their personal values.
History
Palau is one of the few countries in the world with comprehensive programs on the welfare of old citizens. It dedicates this holiday to people whose age fall from 55 and up. Palau also provides trips to Airai, Ngardmau, and Melekeok, for senior citizens during the celebration. The holiday is a clear indication that Palau’s culture shows appreciation and value to the elders and that the bonds between the elderly and the youth is still strong and that the seniors are the clear link to Palau’s national heritage and traditions.
CUSTOMS AND ACTIVITIES TRADITIONS, During Senior Citizens’ Day, local dance performances from seniors and children are held along with handicraft ex-
hibitions. Parades with colourful floats are common in streets during the holiday with senior citizen contingents coming different sectors of society. It is also during this time when the government announces important projects or laws pertaining to this sector and reports on the many developments for the welfare of its senior citizens. Local governments invite key senior citizens in the region for seminars, and luncheons. Senior Citizens’ Day is a public holiday; it is a work-free day and government offices including the congress are closed.
Liberation Day Netherlands - M a y 0 5
In the Netherlands, Liberation Day (Dutch: Bevrijdingsdag) is celebrated each year on May 5th, to mark the end of the occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. The nation was liberated largely by Canadian troops, with the assistance of the British and American Armies (see Operation Market Garden) and French airborne (see Operation Amherst). On the 5th of May 1945, the Canadian General Charles Foulkes and the German Commander-in-Chief Johannes Blaskowitz reached an agreement on the capitulation of German forces in the Netherlands in Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen. One day later, the capitulation document was signed in the auditorium of Wageningen University, located next-door to the hotel. After the liberation in 1945, Liberation Day was commemorated every 5 years. Finally, in 1990, the day was declared to be a national holiday, when the liberation would be commemorated and celebrated every year. On May 4th, the Dutch hold the Remembrance of the Dead for the people who fought and died during World War II, and in wars in general. There is a remembrance gathering in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam and at the National Monument on Dam Square in Amsterdam. Throughout the country, two minutes of silence are observed at 8:00 p.m. On May 5th, the liberation is celebrated and festivals are held at most places in the Netherlands.
Battle of Puebla Mexico - M a y 0 5
The Battle of Puebla took place on 5 May 1862 near the city of Puebla during theFrench intervention in Mexico. The battle ended in a victory for the Mexican Armyover the occupying French forces. The victory is celebrated annually in the United States and some parts of Mexico during the festivities of Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May.
Background The 1857–62 Mexican civil war known as The Re-
form War had disorganised the country's finances and the new President, Benito Juárez, was forced to suspend payments of foreign debts in 1861. In late 1861 Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, under the Treaty of London (1861) sent a joint expeditionary force to Mexico, alongside Spanish and British forces, to protect their interests and collect the debts owed by the previous Mexican government. The allied troops occupied the port city of Veracruz on 8 December 1861 and advanced to Orizaba. Napoleon III wanted to seize the opportunity presented by the U.S. involvement in the Civil War to set up a puppet Mexican regime. Napoleon's intrigues led to the withdrawal of the Spanish and British troops in April 1862 at the same time that French reinforcements arrived.
Event
The French expeditionary force at the time was led by General Charles de Lorencez. The battle came about by a misunderstanding of the French forces’ agreement to withdraw to the coast. When the Mexican people saw these French soldiers on the march, they took it that hostilities had recommenced and felt threatened. To add to the mounting concerns, it was discovered that political negotiations for the withdrawal had broken down. A vehement complaint was lodged by the Mexicans to General Lorencez who took the effrontery as a plan to assail his forces. Lorencez decided to hold up his withdrawal to the coast by occupying Orizaba instead, which prevented the Mexicans from being able to defend the passes between Orizaba and the landing port of Veracruz. The 33-year-old Mexican Commander General, Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín, fell back to Alcuzingo Pass where he and his army were badly beaten in a skirmish with Lorencez's forces on 28 April. Zaragoza retreated to Puebla which was heavily fortified – it had been held by the Mexican government since the Reform War. To its north stood the forts Loreto and Guadalupe on opposite hilltops. Zaragoza had a trench dug to join the forts via thesaddle. Lorencez was led to believe that the people of Puebla were friendly to the French, and that the Mexican Republican garrison which kept the people in line would be overrun by the population once he made a show of force. This would prove to be a serious miscalculation on Lorencez's part. On 5 May 1862, against all advice, Lorencez decided to attack Puebla from the north. However, he started his attack a little too late in the day, using his artillery just before noon and by noon advancing his infantry. By the third attack the French required the full engagement of all their reserves. The French artillery had run out of ammunition, so the third infantry attack went unsupported. The Mexican forces and the Republican garrison both put up a stout defense and even took to the field to defend the positions between the hilltop forts. As the French retreated from their final assault, Zaragoza had his cavalry attack them from the right and left while troops concealed along the road pivoted out to flank them badly. By 3 p.m. the daily rains had started, making a slippery quagmire of the battlefield. Lorencez withdrew to distant positions, counting 462 of his men killed against only 83 of the Mexicans. He waited a couple of days for Zaragoza to attack again, but Zaragoza held his ground. Lorencez then completely withdrew to Orizaba.
Aftermath
The Battle of Puebla was an inspirational event for wartime Mexico, and it provided a stunning revelation to the rest of the world which had largely expected a rapid victory for French arms. Slowed by their loss at Puebla, the French forces retreated and regrouped, and the invasion continued after Napoleon III determinedly sent additional troops to Mexico. The French were eventually victorious, winning the Second Battle of Puebla on 17 May 1863 and pushing on toMexico City. When the capital fell, Juárez's government was forced into exile in the remote north. With the backing of France, the Habsburg Archduke Maximilian became Emperor of Mexico in the short-lived Second Mexican Empire. "Some have argued that the true French occupation was a response to growing American power and to the Monroe Doctrine (America for the Americans). Napoleon III believed that if the United States was allowed to prosper indiscriminately, it would eventually become a power in and of itself."
Celebration
On 16 September 1862, President Juárez declared that the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla would be a national holiday, regarded as "Battle of Puebla Day" or Battle of Cinco de Mayo". Although today it is recognized in some countries as a day of Mexican heritage celebration, it is not a federal holiday in Mexico. A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. The actual Independence Day,Grito de Dolores, is celebrated on dieciséis de septiembre, the 16th of September. Since the 1930s, a re-enactment of the Battle of Puebla has been held each year at Peñón de los Baños, a rocky outcrop close to Mexico City International Airport.
The s howc a s e of Eur ope a n H ighe r Educ a t ion in B uc ha r e s t (Online 27 Apr) “The Hungarian Higher Education further strengthens the common European values” There were ministers of state for education from 47 countries in Bucharest in order to discuss the future of the European Higher Education Area and the progress of the Bologna Process. Hungary was represented by Norbert Kiss dr. Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education, who emphasized
the importance of the European Higher Education in strengthening the economy and employment in Hungary. The most important mottos of the conference: quality-oriented development and the consolidation of the Higher Education. The Ministry of National Rehas completed the sources development policy of the Higher Education on this basis. The Hungarian universities need to attract students
and get financial resources in an intensifying competition with other European universities. As a result of this competition the number of Hungarian students participating in European exchange programmes will need to be tripled in the coming years. The Campus Hungary programme is due to be launched in July and will hopefully contribute to this objective.
For e ign M inis t e r J á nos M a r tony i’s dis c us s ions in B r une i (Online 27 Apr) János Martonyi has arrived in Brunei to participate in the EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 26-27 April 2012. The Foreign Minister had a bilateral discussion with Erlinda F. Basilio, Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines on the first day of the meeting, mainly negotiating on issues of economy. The 19th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is organised in Brunei, which is attended by Catherine Ashton, Head of the European External Action Service on behalf of Europe, and several European Foreign Ministers including Guido Westerwelle from Germany, William Hague from the United Kingdom, and Carl Bildt from Sweden. János Martonyi is the first Foreign Minister of Hungary participating in the ministerial meeting of the two regional organisations. Hungary has
been a partner in the dialogue since 2004. Foreign Minister János Martonyi’s meeting with his Philippine counterpart fits in with the global opening of Hungarian foreign policy, which includes opening towards Southeast Asia. The parties mainly discussed the improvement of bilateral economic relations during their talks. Mr Martonyi requested assistance from his Philippine counterpart to remove – as soon as possible – the administrative obstacles preventing Hungarian agricultural products, especially meat products, from entering the market of the Philippines with nearly 100 million consumers. The Undersecretary represents the Philippines in the multilateral meeting instead of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who unexpectedly cancelled his participation in the Brunei conference for private reasons. The Foreign Minister of Hungary
gives a speech at the conference on 27 April 2012, by which he calls attention to the Danube-Mekong cooperation initiative, which plays an important role in building relations with Asia. As a follow-up to the AsiaEurope Dialogue (ASEM) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Gödöllő during the Hungarian EU Presidency, the Foreign Ministry of Hungary organizes an academic conference in Budapest on 20-21 June 2012. The aim of the event is to specify the areas – including development, water management, and other fields – of an overarching cooperation between the Danube Strategy approved this year and the region of the Mekong River. János Martonyi is received by the Sultan in Brunei. In addition, he has a meeting, among others, with Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN including ten Southeast Asian states, to exchange opinions.
Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union (Online 27 Apr) The second formal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council under the Danish Presidency is being held on 26-27 April 2012 in Luxembourg. On the first day of the Council meeting issues of internal affairs were on the agenda. The Head of the Delegation of the Ministry of Interior was Mr Károly Kontrát Parliamentary State Secretary. Hungary welcomes the adoption of the joint EU Action Plan on fighting illegal migration considering that appropriate management of increased irregular migratory pressure is the common interest of the Member States - said Mr Károly Kontrát on the meeting. Development of the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) is the most important item ensuring security in the European area without internal frontiers. SIS II is expected to replace the current system in 2013. The test phases of the central system will be completed in May and national systems will be further tested. Hungary contributes to all central testing phases and the National System of Hungary has successfully accomplished all tests so far. Hungary supports the Danish Presidency approach to broaden the home affairs and justice cooperation with Turkey in order to ratify the EU-
Turkey Readmission Agreement – emphasised Mr Károly Kontrát. According to the Head of the Hungarian Delegation substantive progress is necessary to envisage negotiations on visa liberalisation. There is a need that visa policy of Turkey should apply same entry requirements to all EU citizens. Hungarian Presidency initiated discussions on the proposal for an EU PNR Directive in late February 2011. Hungary supports the aim of the Danish Presidency to adopt general approach on the Council meeting in order to start negotiations with the European Parliament. The EU-US Passenger Name Record (PNR) Agreement was adopted with 409 votes in favour, 226 against and 33 abstentions on the plenary meeting of the European Parliament on 19th April 2012 therefore the agreement can be ratified with the USA. Council decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement was adopted on the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting as an agenda item without discussion. The importance of this issue is shown by the fact that Mr Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security joined the working lunch of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Hungary supports the strengthening of the joint commitment concerning
the development of the legal and regulatory framework – highlighted Mr Károly Kontrát. The objective of the proposal is to limit the access of private persons to precursor substances that can be used to produce explosives and to decrease homemade explosives. According to the proposal economic operators shall report any suspicious transactions of legal materials that may be used in the manufacture of explosives. Ministers adopted Council Conclusions on radicalisation and disengagement from terrorist activities which aims to pay more attention to the prevention of radicalisation and de-radicalisation by facilitating cooperation between public and private players. During the working lunch ministers have discussed the latest terrorist attacks and shared their experiences on the ways of dealing with radical criminals. They have agreed on that much more attention should be paid on lone criminals and effective measures against this phenomenon should be analysed as soon as possible. Ministers have agreed that any necessary and proportionate initiative that ensures progress in the fight against violent extremism will be supported.
Pr e s s c onf e r e nc e giv e n by m inis t e r wit hout por t f olio Ta m á s Fe lle gi (Online 27 Apr) Talks over the last few months have culminated in the breakthrough achieved by Viktor Orbán and José Manuel Barroso at their meeting in Brussels yesterday. This is an important milestone, which is already producing favourable results in the markets. As you know, today there was a de- Tamás Fellegi (photo: Károly Árvai) cision by the European Commission − the College In order to strengthen the independof Commissioners, to be more pre- ence of the judiciary, the Government cise − according to which, and I will enact those measures which it quote: “The Commission has decided has adopted in response to the comto start talks with Hungary on precau- ments made by the Venice Commistionary financial assistance.” A favourable decision on talks between the Commission and Hungary emerged from today’s meeting of the Commission. The organisation has accepted the answers given to questions it had raised on the National Bank of Hungary (MNB), and the infringement procedure in this area may photo: Károly Árvai now be terminated. The Government will carry out the measures it has committed to with sion. It will continue dialogue with urgency and in full, while at the same institutions of the Council of Europe time continuing discussions with the on outstanding questions. European Central Bank (ECB) on ‘The process, which started in last questions which that institution has November and December has been wide-ranging and far-reaching, and raised. ‘These two decisions represent a vic- has required complex and lengthy netory for compromise, in which the win- gotiations at political and expert levners are Hungary, the EU and the els. Over the last few weeks the pace of events has quickened, together market.’ As a result of continuous discussion with the acceleration of infringement between the European Commission procedures. and the Hungarian government, sig- ‘Last week in Brussels I had very fruitnificant progress has been made on ful informal talks with European FiCommissioner and the other disputed questions. On the nance issue of the data protection authority Commission Vice President Olli which saw a narrowing of the Rehn, there is a single outstanding question, and the same is true for retirement gap between our positions on outquestions. ‘Minister Navracstanding conditions affecting judges. If the European Commission seeks to sics’s talks with representatives of the bring before the European Court of Venice Commission and the dediJustice the questions of the termina- cated work of the Ministry for National tion of the former data protection Economy and the Ministry of Foreign commissioner’s mandate and of the Affairs have laid new foundations in retirement age of judges, the Hungar- the areas of infringement procedures ian Government will present to the and financial policy. Court the arguments supporting ‘The meeting yesterday in Brussels these measures, and will implement between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán the decisions arrived at by the Court. and President of the Commission
José Manuel Barroso resulted in a genuine breakthrough. Thus talks can begin between Hungary, the European Union and the IMF – with the participation of representatives from the ECB and the MNB – on a financial package providing a safety-net. ‘Since my appointment in December as lead negotiator for preparatory negotiations on a financial safety-net, I have striven for the earliest possible commencement of talks on a precautionary financial agreement, which was my brief from the Government. ‘The talks yesterday, at which both Viktor Orbán and I were present, were held in a spirit of cooperation and have resulted in an agreement based on rational compromises which is acceptable to all parties. ‘During the process of preliminary talks, which took place according to fixed procedures and deadlines, the Government’s goal has always been to arrive at a solution which does not damage our country’s sovereignty, does not employ double standards, serves Hungary’s economic and political interests, and is in accord with overall government policy. ‘We have achieved that goal. Whilst making clear our openness and willingness to compromise, we have striven throughout to ensure that − in accordance with the IMF Articles of Agreement − only economic and economic governance issues should feature in the preconditions and conditions on financing negotiations. Separate EU institutional measures and procedures exist for the resolution of all other disputed questions.’ It continues to be the Government’s express intention for substantive negotiations to begin as soon as possible. The Government also wishes to clarify in the near future the type of programme to be implemented, the amount of potential funding, and the conditions that may accompany the offer of a financial package to Hungary.
Informal Meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs (Online 26 Apr) On 24-25 April 2012 the Danish Presidency organized the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs, which meeting is traditionally held terminally. The Hungarian delegation was led by dr. Miklós Réthelyi, Minister of National Resources and dr. Sándor Czomba, Minister of State for Employment. Each of them represented their own fields of responsibilities. The main topic of the informal meeting was the employment policy. Commissioner László Andor presented the new Employment Package of the EU came out on 18th April, which summarizes the initiatives aiming to increase employment and create more jobs. The most important topic for the Ministry of National Resources was the draft on employment in healthcare. The Commission sug-
gested the development of forecasting and planning of health workforce needs - together if it is necessary. It encouraged that Member States should exchange experiences on best practices in retention of doctors as well as workforce of health in order to secure the flawless healthcare service in Europe. Mr. László Andor detailed the initiatives of Member States against the unemployment of youth. In the plenary session the ministers debated the proposal of the Commission concerning the posting of workers into another Member State. According to the informal character of the meeting the ministers discussed the issue in three parallel workshops later on. Dr. Miklós Réthelyi presented the Hungarian efforts in the workshop for
social services. He highlighted that the reconsideration of the social services is necessary even in Hungary, due to negative demographical processes, changing needs and demands deriving from them as well as financial constraints. The Hungarian Government has already undertaken several measures to improve the efficiency of social services. He mentioned the positive experiences of the tender based, performance orientated financing in basic services. He underlined the need for a client-based approach, which places the needs of the clients in the centre, instead of the current institution-based approach. He mentioned the social network of solidarity hamlets as well as the alarm-based home assistance for elderly as positive examples.
Award of the French National Order of Merit to the Deputy State Secretary (Online 26 Apr) Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic awarded Mr. Péter Szaló, Deputy State Secretary to the rank of Officer in the National Order of Merit. Deputy State Secretary for Area Management and Cons t r u c t i o n received the award from Amb a s s a d o r Roland Galharague during Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy a ceremony at the French Residence in Buda on Development between 1995 and 1998 during which time he has deep25th of April. Ambassador Roland Galharague ap- ened his knowledge in the French preciated Mr. Szaló’s working career, international publications and professional activity which contributed to the development of friendly relations between Hungary and France. Mr. Péter Szaló is a real Hungarian patriot and a great European person, a friend of France – said the Ambassador. Deputy State Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy Secretary expressed his gratitude for receiving the award and said that he has often ex- public administration. His experience amined French experiences, practices during his work and he intends to facilitate friendship between the two countries in the future too. Mr. Péter Szaló was involved in numerous projects realized with cooperation of France and Hungary over the past two decades. In 1994 he was co-author of the publication “Towards a New E u r o p e a n Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy Space” printed in three languages – English, French gained from the French system made and German - and prepared jointly a major contribution to the creation of with the University of Stuttgart and Act XXI of 1996 on Regional Develthe French Academy of Sciences. He opment and Regional Planning. was Deputy State Secretary of the Between 1998 and 2002 he has Ministry of Environment and Regional worked closely together with DATAR
– French administration responsible for agriculture, rural development and regional development – with many other Ministries and with the French T r e a s u r y Agency too. Mr Szaló and the president of INFH – French Hungarian Initiative – launched a joint programme of Bud a p e s t University of Technology and Economics and the University of Sorbonne. He was professional vice president of National Regional Development Office in the Prime Minister’s Office between 2002 and 2003. The planning practice carried out in France has strongly influenced the Act XXVI of 2003 on National Regional Development plan. He was Secretary of State for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development from 2006 to 2008. He participated in the French-German-Hungarian professional cooperation aimed at the working out of the National Strategic Reference Framework. Poles of competitiveness (pôles de compétitivité) approved by the Hungarian Parliament have been worked out under the French example. From 2010 and under the Hungarian Presidency of the EU besides his other duties, the Deputy State Secretary for Area Management and Construction was also Head of the Urban Development Group. He took part in the drawing up of two manuals: one of them was the Manual on Climate, the French Government contributed to the publication of it too.
W o r k i n g To g e t h e r f o r S u s t a i n able Cities (Online 25 Apr) "Only technical dition, the Ministry will be reviewing comments arrived from the Euro- cases and legislation regarding air pean Union with regard to the new pollution. As an example, the State Act on waste management. Replies Secretary mentioned incineration, were received from three member states: France, Austria and Germany, and our nation will incorporate the observations into the draft of the new legislation", announced the State Secretary for Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Rural Development at the conference entitled SymbioCity. At the event, o r g a n i s e d Photo: Ernő Horváth within the framework of the "Green Sweden" which – similarly to regulations in programme, Swedish and Hungar- Germany – will only be permitted folian experts presented opportunities lowing the extraction of PVC and heavy metals. for sustainable city development. "The Ministry of Rural Development "Only technical comments arrived applies special attention to protect- from the European Union with reing air quality", announced the State gard to the new Act on waste manSecretary for Environmental Affairs. agement. Replies were received Zoltán Illés also stated that the cur- from three member states: France, rent measuring network must be de- Austria and Germany, and our naveloped further, and so 30-40 air tion will incorporate the observations pollution measuring stations will be into the draft of the new legislation", built between 2014 and 2020. In ad- announced the State Secretary for
Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Rural Development at the conference entitled SymbioCity. At the event, organised within the framework of the "Green Sweden" prog r a m m e , Swedish and Hungarian experts presented opportunities for sustainable city development. "The Ministry of Rural Development applies special attention to protecting air quality", announced the State Secretary for Environmental Affairs. Zoltán Illés also stated that the current measuring network must be developed further, and so 30-40 air pollution measuring stations will be built between 2014 and 2020. In addition, the Ministry will be reviewing cases and legislation regarding air pollution. As an example, the State Secretary mentioned incineration, which – similarly to regulations in Germany – will only be permitted following the extraction of PVC and heavy metals.
Viktor Orbán had talks in Warsaw with Chinese and Slovak Premiers 27 (Online of funding Viktor Apr) cross-border and Orbán developments, MaGyörgy that is, railway tolcsy, Minister and road deNational for velopments, E c o n o m y, and any further Government aid that each Commissioner country negotifor Hungarianates with the Chinese RelaChinese is septions attended arate from this. a round-table We shall lay discussion of the foundations Chinese and for HungarianCentral- and Chinese ecoEastern-Euron o m i c pean Premiers cooperation on in the Polish the basis of on capital s e p a r a t e Thursday agreements. they photo: Barna Burger where agreeThe also met with ments repreSlovak Prime Minister Robert Ficó mier they discussed options for sup- sent primarily the creation of new porting the growth of the Hungarian jobs for the Hungarians; however, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The Prime Minister said at the forum economy, development funds and fi- there will also be scope for the acquiEurope that sition of scholhad to be dug arship grants. out of heaps of At the meeting debt, and in held with Slothis effort it Prime vak may be helped M i n i s t e r by allies such Robert Fico, as China. In a the parties laid world laid on the emphasis new foundaon potential tions, new alsuccess stoare liances ries and affairs born. being that merely reThe speed and quire positive extent of the intentions as reconstruction joint achieveof Europe are may ments only comparahelp to resolve ble with the the more diffipost-World cult issues in War II re-conBoth hand. struction effort. are parties break- Viktor Orbán, Robert Fico (photo: Barna Burger) A open to all through can questions that only be achieved through reason nancial cooperation. According to the require sensitive and personal conand diligence, which are equally im- Prime Minister, Hungary is on the sultation and we sincerely hope that portant values for China and Central right path to achieving the goal that these will be resolved on the basis of China become one of the most sig- the joint achievements we are about Europe. According to Viktor Orbán, those nificant players of business in Hun- to forge, the Prime Minister said. I countries will succeed which will be gary. They also discussed the and the Slovak Prime Minister able to avoid the external debt trap outlines of a comprehensive eco- agreed on the construction of a new with internal savings; Hungary is the nomic agreement which may be ac- bridge on the Danube; according to worst affected by the external debt complished this year, as anticipated, plans, the bridge will be built at trap in this region. In addition to rais- when the Hungarian party pays a Komárom, and at least two bridges ing the level of employment and visit to China at the invitation of will also be built on the River Ipoly, maintaining a viable and operational China’s Prime Minister. he confirmed. We shall accelerate financial sector, a strong industry At the Warsaw round-table discus- cooperation in the energy sector; in may be the pledge of success. A low sion China committed itself to play- addition to the construction of a gas fiscal deficit may also contribute to ing a financial role in the resolution pipeline, we have also resolved to success as external financial de- of the economic crisis in Europe, connect the power line systems of pendence restricts the state in pur- however, China is additionally willing the two countries. The parties did not suing an economic policy tailored to to make significant funding available discuss the issue of dual citizenship for developments in Central Europe. at the meeting. its own needs and features. The Prime Minister said, at the bilat- The Hungarian party construes the eral talks held with the Chinese Pre- Central-European framework as the
Hungary to host this year’s Memorial Day for the victims of totalitarian regimes (Online 27 Apr) Hungary will host this year’s Day of Remembrance of the victims of totalitarian regimes to be held with the participation of EU Member States on 23 August. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Public Administration and Justice Dr Tibor Navracsics will inform the justice ministers of Member States at the Friday justice session of the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting to be held on 26-27 April. He will also invite his colleagues in person to the joint remembrance to be held in Budapest. EU Member States decided on the memorial day in 2011, at the initiative of the Hungarian justice presidency of the Council of the European Union. The first remembrance took place at the time of Poland’s EU Presidency, and
representatives of the Member States first honoured the memory of the victims of totalitarian regimes on 23 August last year in Warsaw. In response to a Hungarian-PolishLithuanian initiative, the justice ministers of EU Member States decided at the last justice session of Hungary’s EU Presidency, on 9 June 2011, on commemorating the victims of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes in a joint statement. The document was approved in Luxembourg on 10 June 2011. With this statement, the European Union took an historic step towards raising awareness of the common European past and reinforcing collective remembrance. The approved Council Conclusion lays down that on the day of the anniversary of the signing
of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on 23 August, the signatory Member States remember the victims of totalitarian dictatorships, and simultaneously invites Member States to consider how to commemorate it, in the light of their own history and specificities. The document encourages the Member States and the Commission to raise or support initiatives aiming at informing and educating the public about Europe’s totalitarian past, including programmes, research projects, conferences and works of art, and last but not least invites the Commission to examine how to foster participation of the beneficiaries from the Eastern partnership countries and Russia in common initiatives and projects.
In Q1 2012 the number of employed increased more than in the previous quarter 27 (Online In Q1 Apr) 2012 the dynamic increase of the number of employed continued in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year – the Central StatisOffice tics (KSH) reported in its latest survey. The number of jobs the among population 15-74 aged in- Source: KSH years creased significantly by 59 000, more than in the previous quarter, from 3 732 thousand the year before to 3 791 thousand. Consequently, the rate of employment rose to 49.5 percent from the 2011 level. The number of employed among the population aged 15-64 increased from 3 701 thousand in the previous year to 3 756 thousand, by 55 000, and the rate employment thereby increased to 55.7 percent. According to the latest labour market statistics of the KSH, in Q1 2012 on an annualized basis the number of employed increased for the twentieth
time. Among the population aged 1574 the number of employed rose by 1.6 percent (year/year), which is more than the 1.4 percent registered in the previous period, therefore the employment rate of this age group increased from 48.6 percent in the corresponding period of the previous year to 49.5 percent. Among the population aged 15-64 years the annual increase of 1.5 percent was also more than in the previous quarter. As far as the gender aspect of employment is concerned, the rate of employment for men aged 15-64 in-
creased by 1.2 percent to 60.8 percent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, whereas the employment rate for women increased by 0.9 percent to 50.8 percent which is on a par with the increase of the previous period. Out of men aged 1564 years 2 mil13 lion thousand were employed, which is 26 000 more than in the corresponding period of 2011. As for women, the number of employed increased to 1 million 743 thousand. With respect to age groups, the number of employed in the most optimal working age (25-54 years) increased by 1.6 percent and in the 55-64 age bracket by 0.2 percent. The phenomenon that employment rates have been steadily increasing in the past year and a half in spite of unfavourable external market conditions we consider it a longer trend and a consequence of structural reforms.
Talks with IMF to last weeks, size of aid undecided, says Fellegi (Online 25 Apr) Hungary's talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on financial assistance are likely to last for weeks, under the current international financial climate, Tamas Fellegi, chief negotiator for talks, told a press conference on Wednesday. He said the size of the loan package has not been decided, this is one of the issues to be addressed in negotiations. He underlined the talks targeted a precautionary deal. He said concrete dates will not be set as yet, as there should be no time confinement for talks. He said Hungary arrived at a milestone, and that the government had succeeded in reaching its aim of restricting talks with the IMF/EU to eco-
nomic issues. As regards earlier unresolved questions concerning the Central Bank Act, Fellegi said the Hungarian government had held a clear position throughout and considered the issues at hand "matters of principle which it is ready to defend in court if necessary". One of these issues is a salary cap which affects the central bank governor, but which the government insists was a part of an across-the-board salary cut at the central bank and at other public institutions. The other is the central bank governor's oath. Regarding this matter Fellegi said it was natural for the National Bank of Hungary's head to take an oath on the constitution and
this would not undermine its independence. On the third question, the enlargement of the rate-setting Monetary Council and the appointment of a third deputy governor, Fellegi said the government still aimed at taking this step but would not address this issue until the mandate of the central bank leadership expires. Governor Andras Simor's mandate expires early in 2013. The European Commission said earlier today that it would close the inprocedure against fringement Hungary concerning the central bank, paving the way for talks to begin on IMF/EU financial aid.
Géza Szőcs opened the China Centre of the University of Miskolc (Online 25 Apr) On 23 April, Minister of State for Culture Géza Szőcs opened the China Centre of the University of Miskolc, which is going to offer linguistic and cultural training. The Centre has been established in cooperation with Chinese-owned chemicals group Wanhua-BorsodChem. “In today’s world, we need a reliable economic partner, on the other hand, particularly in today’s globalizing world, a relationship with an old, tradition-based culture like the Chinese culture”, said Géza Szőcs at the opening ceremony of the Centre. Dr Gyula Patkó, Rector of University of Miskolc, Wang Hongliang, Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, Ding Jiansheng, President and CEO of Wanhua-BorsodChem, and Dr Imre Hamar, professor, director of ELTE Confucius Institute and Institute of East Asian Studies also took the floor at the opening ceremony.
Gyula Patkó highlighted that Szőcs had a significant role in the establishment of the Centre. The training centre, established with the financial support of the Chineseowned, Kazincbarcika-based chemicals company, offers the opportunity for all the students of the university to study Chinese linguistic and social sciences. The Centre contributes to the expansion of Chinese–Hungarian academic and education relations with the organization of the exchange of lecturers and researchers as well. The China Centre provides the expansion of knowledge of university students who are interested in the Chinese language, culture and society, as well as of professionals with educational background who work for Hungarian companies of Chinese background. The interest in the Chinese language and culture has increased in the Northern Hungarian region since Wanhua acquired full
control over BorsodChem in February 2011, and many Chinese professionals have arrived to work at the company. The Wanhua Industrial Group, which has interest in forty countries of the world, provided the modernization of BorsodChem with funds of EUR 140 million (approximately HUF 39 billion), and has thereafter taken control of the company. Currently, around 170 students take part in Chinese language courses organized by the University of Miskolc and the Zrínyi Secondary School. Students become acquainted with the language and culture two hours a week as part of the credit system. Employed by the university, native Chinese teachers hold workshops twice a week in the secondary school, and the teaching of Chinese language will be introduced as a second foreign language in September 2012.
Patriotism is based on the community 25 (Online Apr) In particular, thinking about patriotism has a spestake cial nowadays, especially when working on the renewal of the Hungarian defence system, “… and when thinking about the future of Europe what is in a crisis now” – said Csaba DeHende fence Minister of Hungary at the conference (photo: Mária Krasznai-Nehrebeczky) “Patriotism in the European Union”, organised by the defence of homeland and the nathe Association of the Hungarian tional interest. During the hardest times, the power of togetherness Graduates of Germany in 21 April. In his opening speech, Minister and the ability of resumption led Csaba Hende quoted from Ferenc through the Hungarian nation in hisKölcsey, the author of the national tory. anthem of Hungary: “Humanity is no The Minister characterized our relamore than a genus what is divided tionship to Europe as, “...we look at into many houses; all of them are our Europe as the world that unites for relatives, who are interested in our freedom. Europe and Hungary’s future depends on whether there will love and duty”. The Minister pointed out that: “free- be a shared life, mutual interests and dom is an important part of together- values what could lead us to sucness and modern day patriotism. cess” The bottom line of patriotism is laid The chair and moderator of the conon the community and moreover on ference were jointly Tamás Bornethe protection of the freedom and missza, the president of the rights of the individuals. Patriotism association, and Gábor Márki must not be discriminatory, it needs Deputy State Secretary for Defence to be recipient. Like Sándor Petőfi Economy from the Ministry of Dewrote it once: “home is where the fence, who is also the chair of the asrights are” – as he quoted from the sociation’s supervisory board, and being a graduate of a Germany unigreat poet. Csaba Hende analysed the question versity. One of the conference of patriotism from the perspective of speakers were Zoltán Balog rea soldier, he emphasized that the formed pastor, State Secretary for use of force is the very last option for Social Inclusion from the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice,
who made a speech about the context between migrants and minorities patriotism. Hans Kaiser former provinminister cial from Germany, Colonel Alexis M e r d a c i atFrench taché, moreGuido over and Mathes Colonel Martin Hofbauer on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Deof fence German and the Federal Armed Forces of Germany. Among the speakers was also Wilhelm Droste, professor of the University of ELTE, dr. Michael Zimmerman Ambassador of Austria to Budapest, dr. István Horváth former Hungarian Ambassador to Bonn and Wien, furthermore László Bíró catholic bishop of the Hungarian army who had a speech about ‘globalism and patriotism in the church’. The association was founded in 1994, and today it has more than a thousand and two hundred members. All Hungarian citizens who completed his/her full study period in Germany and earned a university degree could join the association. For instance, Edward Teller Hungarian-born nuclear physicist was also a member and the dean of the association. The activities of the association are financed from the membership fee. The present 17th annual conference was supported by the Ministry of Defence and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Spe c ia l GM O M onit or ing of Foods br ings R e a s s ur ing R e s ult s (Online 25 Apr) The authorities tested 146 products primarily containing rice, corn, soya and linseed, but found no foods that did not comply with GMO regulations. The laboratories of the Food and Feed Safety Directorate of the National Food Chain Safety Office analyzed a total of 146 food samples: products containing rice, corn, soya and linseed. Within the European Union, the food industry is permitted to use several soya and corn species containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but consumers must be made aware of the GMO content (above 0.9%), meaning it must be written on the label.
Laboratory tests concluded that none of the 27 products containing rice and the 7 products containing linseed were GMO-contaminated. Of the 30 samples containing corn, 1 contained GMOs, but only within permitted levels. The GMO contamination of products containing soya is decreasing year by year: in 2009, 51% of samples contained higher levels of GMOs than permitted, while this figure dropped to 42% in 2010 and to 17% in 2011. This year, 20 of the tested 83 soya products were found to contain GMO contamination, but in no case did GMO content exceed the legal limit of 0.9%.
Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas ordered the special, inand pre-emptive formative monitoring in early March. The authorities held strict inspections in warehouses and at supermarket chains, which brought reassuring results. The Ministry has concluded that the government's consistent policy on GMOs is being respected by the market. The monitoring of foods containing GMOs does not end with the completion of special testing; the authorities test 350-400 samples each year.
Foreign Minister János Martonyi’s discussion with his Indonesian partner 25 (Online Business Apr) Foreign Council will be Minister János visiting HunMartonyi – on gary in July his official visit 2012. to Indonesia – The Indonehad a meeting sian party exwith his counits pressed terpart, Marty appreciation Natalegawa in for the high Jakarta on 24 level of medical April 2012. The education in exparties Hungary, which plored several is one reason new areas of why they wish cooperation to assist Intheir during donesian stutalks. dents in taking Indonesia, a advantage of significant the opportunicountry of the János Martonyi and Marty Natalegawa (photo: Ministry of For- ties of HungarS o u t h e a s t eign Affairs) higher ian Asian region education. and of ASEAN, is the most populous areas of economic partnership of- Within the framework of the cooperMuslim state and – following India fered by Hungarian companies such ation of Foreign Ministries, an idea and the United States of America – as automotive industry, oil and gas emerged that foreign policy experts the third most populous democracy production, construction technolo- could participate in mutual trainings. of the world. Indonesia is the only gies, pharmaceutical industry, soft- The parties signed an agreement on country in the region that is a mem- ware development, water-purifying partial visa exemption for holders of ber of the G20. In 2011 it reached an and environmental-friendly technolo- diplomatic and service passports, economic growth of more than 6%, gies, food industry, information tech- which facilitates the communication and it is searching for partners in nology, and biotechnology. Special of the bodies of the two states, and order to achieve its highly ambitious emphasis was given to the planned may result in the promotion of culcooperation between the Hungarian tural and other relations in addition plans. The Hungarian Foreign Minister Oil and Gas Public Limited Company to the areas of economy. and the Indonesian oil and Marty Natalegawa has been Foreign (MOL) praised the democratic and economic development of Indonesia, gas industry company, as well as to Minister since October 2009. As a water-purifying project. a which resulted in raising tens of milMinister, he already visited Hungary lions of people out of poverty over The institutional framework of the during our EU Presidency, participatcooperation already ex- ing in the Asia-Europe (ASEM) Foreconomic the last decade. He pointed out that the Central European market with ists. The Indonesian Foreign Minister eign Ministers’ Meeting on 6-7 June 100 million consumers offers consid- pointed to the fact that their Trade 2011. János Martonyi invited his Inerable opportunity for cooperation Promotion Centre in Budapest con- donesian colleague to visit Hungary within the European Union. János tributes to the improvement of rela- in order to continue their bilateral diMartonyi provided information on the tions to a great extent. The alogue. Indonesian delegation of the bilateral
Hungarian ideas for environmentfriendly transport (Online 24 Apr) Alternative fuelled vehicles constructed by Hungarian university teams were presented on 23 April, 2012 in the driving technology centre of Hungaroring. The apparatuses that were available for on-site testing will compete at several international competitions in the near future. The Ministry of National Development will of to promote the engineering students' successful participation. A separate project office was set up in order to promote and coordinate higher education workshops. The Ministry plans to set up a National Project Office for Students in order to support vehicle developer teams active in higher education institutions. Regular consultation will be initiated between universities, students, professional organisations and industrial companies on the
terms of operation and maintenance. Research findings, which will increase in number as a result of talent support and the popularization of technical and scientific careers and training, may subsequently be used as Hungarian world patents. The Ministry will help each Hungarian team to compete at this year's Shell Eco-Marathon by contributing one million forints to their travel and accommodation costs. The winner of the international competition will be the creator of the vehicle that is capable of travelling the longest distance with one litre of petrol. For the first time this year, near 300 teams over 3000 students from 24 countries will be allowed to test their vehicles in the street. Hungary will be represented by students from the Kandó Kálmán Technical School, the College of Kecskemét, the University
of Óbuda, the University of Pécs and the Széchenyi University of Győr. The operation of alternative fuelled vehicles do not increase emission and thus contribute to sustainable mobility and compliance with the climate protection obligations undertaken by Hungary. Elaboration of the required manufacturing technology will create jobs for young engineers starting out on a career with specialised knowledge. The extension of Hungary's knowledge base may lead to the elaboration of solutions that can be disseminated in the international markets. Emission may be reduced most spectacularly in energy, closely followed by transport. Both in Hungary and in the international context, this requires the close cooperation of the specialised fields and the coordination of sectoral strategies.
Viktor Orbán’s speech at the EPC (Online 24 Apr) On 23 April Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took part in a workshop at the European Policy Centre in Brussels where he spoke about the general political and economic situation in Europe, and Hungary’s goals within that. Mr. Orbán mentioned the areas of discussion between the European Commission and Hungary: the system of data protection institutions, the salary of the Governor of the Hungarian National Bank and the retirement age of judges. He said that eventually these matters could easily come before the European Court of Justice. However, the Prime Minister highlighted that many of the questions related to infringement procedures have now been agreed between the two parties. He said that infringement procedures are part of normal EU operations, and that hundreds of such procedures are now being pursued in the EU, with Hungary very far from the top of the list of those countries involved. Mr. Orbán also spoke of the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in which Hungary is seeking a financial guarantee rather than a loan. EU/ IMF guarantees would reduce the costs to Hungary of debt financing, and delay in agreeing them is bad for the country. He said that the Hungarian government is prepared to come to a quick agreement on this question at a mo-
ment’s notice, and if it depended on Hungary’s decision alone, such an agreement would already be in place. The Prime Minister repeated his assertion that Hungary was being unfairly treated and subject to double standards, as international organisations had not imposed preconditions to negotiations on other countries. Egypt, for example, made approaches at around the same time as Hungary, and that country has already received a positive response. The Prime Minister expressed his optimism for the Central European region’s future, provided the necessary reforms can be implemented. The large-scale reforms currently being undertaken in Hungary make it ‘Europe’s laboratory’ in a sense, he said. He said that between 2004 and 2010 the country was not able to meet EU deficit targets, but this situation changed last year. In order to achieve this, the Cabinet had built its programme around three core goals: the fair sharing of burdens, strengthening of the economic system, and structural reforms. He said that burden-sharing is one of the essential ingredients for success. The Prime Minister said that Hungarians accept the need for change. The Government received a mandate to manage the crisis in such a way that burdens do not fall solely on the public, and it will continue to fulfil this mandate.
The Prime Minister said that, according to the EU, some crisis taxes on large companies and banks must be withdrawn. The Government is looking for ways to retain them in a transparent and sustainable way which is acceptable to the EU. There are no plans for an internet tax. He stated that it is clearly in Hungary’s interest that there is successful cooperation with the EU. He said that history has shown that it is especially difficult for Hungary to be successful when Europe faces difficulties. ‘We need a strong Europe, just as we declared in the Hungarian presidency of the EU last year. One of the central goals of our efforts over the last twenty years has been the creation of a strong centre-right that is supportive of the EU,’ he stated. Mr. Orbán nevertheless favours the reform of EU institutions and procedures in the light of the ongoing crisis, and he said that protection of the euro is primarily the responsibility of those countries which are currently members of the eurozone. An important role in the strengthening of the euro area’s stability is played by the so-called ‘Six-Pack’ of measures on fiscal discipline and cooperation, which was developed under the Hungarian presidency of the EU. The Prime Minister said that Hungary’s most important short-term goal is that it should end the year with positive growth figures.
Success of the innovative corporate tax relief in Hungary approved by the EU Commission (Online 24 Apr) Participation of private capital in Hungarian sport financing system used to be quite poor and that is the reason why the new system of tax benefits for companies that provide additional subsidies for team sports was introduced. The legislation adopted by the Hungarian Parliament and approved last year by the European Commission allows the subsidy of five team sports (football, waterpolo, basketball, handball and ice hockey), thus involving new financial resources from outside of the state budget. The participation of the corporate investment which was only around 10% earlier, now has been increased con-
siderably. There is a large range of beneficiaries. In the period 2011/2012, 42 billions HUF of subsidies were paid to more than 1500 different sport development programmes presented by the five national sport federations, sport organisations working in one of these five sports, sport schools, sport foundations as well as the Hungarian Olympic Committee. In this unique and innovative financing system the use of the resources is subject to a strict double-phase professional and financial control before and after the programmes’ realisation. The controlling and monitoring system set up in the pub-
lic administration is composed by three levels. The National Sport Institute is the agency responsible for the control and surpervision of the sport development programmes and the renovations or building of the sport facilities financed by the subsidies for team sports based on the applications. For the financial period 2012/2013 sport development applications are currently being presented. The number of these applications as well as their overall amount is estimated slightly over the figures observed in the period 2011/2012.
Turnover of industrial products and foodstuff was higher in February (Online 24 Apr) According to the late s t flash report of the Central Statistics Off i c e (KSH), in the initial t w o months of 2012 retail sales totaled almost 1115bn HUF in Hungary. The turnover of foodstuff which makes up almost half of sectoral sales (48 percent) increased by the greatest extent in 5 months (1.7 percent) in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year. The total volume of retail trade moderated by 1.4 percent in February compared to the corresponding period of 2011. This development was mainly attributable to weaker demand for automotive fuels and certain non-food products. Demand, however, was stronger for food, drinks and tobacco as well as indus-
trial products than in February 2011. Among non-food products books, clothing, cosmetics articles and mail order services were in higher demand than in the corresponding period of the previous year. The retail sales of non-food goods declined by 2.7 percent in comparison to February of last year, which figure is primarily due to the turnover of furniture and electrical goods that make up the 9.5 percent of total retail trade, as well as to the 22.5 percent fall of the trade of second-hand goods which constitute a much smaller part of total sales.
At filling stations whose turnover makes up the 19 percent of total retail trade volume, as a consequence of high f u e l prices s a l e s w e r e down by 2 percent. According to a Eurostat report, in the countries of the eurozone in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year the volume of retail sales declined by 2.1 percent, consequently Hungary in this regard performed better than the euro-zone. The retail sector of Germany, our key trade partner, contracted by 2.5 percent, and via foreign trade that can have an adverse effect on Hungary as well. As far as the region is concerned, the decline of retail sales was smaller in Hungary than in Bulgaria (-6.4 percent) or Poland (-2.7 percent) and on a par with Austria.
Hungary, Pakistan have elongated record of associations and cultural 18 (Online These Apr) reopening marks were made by Mr Attlia Veizer at the Hungarian-Pakistan fusion musical concert featuring Hungarian folk singer Ms Katalin Burns and Pakistani Mr singers Khan Suraj and Mr Chand Khan. The ATTLIA of Hungary said , Just in nutshell, let me refer here to only the fact that the first registrar of the Punjab University was the Hungarian professor Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner or that ano t h e r renowned scholar and oriental list of Hungarian origin, Stein Aur also l used to be registrar of this university. Ta l k i n g about the concert which 18 April, he said the general idea and concept behind this event is a wellknown and old to one: use the universal language of music as a tool, a as transmitbeter tween the people of two countries with each haviming mensely diverse and rich cultural heritage. We see this concert – the first of its in kind the history of bilateral relations between Hungary and Pakistan – as an excelinlent strument in developing an even better understanding between our two nations
and strong friendly ties between our two countries. Later in the concert, Hungarian traditional folk presongs sented by Ms supKatalin, ported and supplemented by the singing and harmonium tunes of Mr Suraj and Mr Chand, further accompanied by instrumentalists, Mr Mohammad Ajmal on tabla, Mr Salman on Adil flute and Anil Mr Saleem on guitar p e r formed. During the performance, the audie n c e cheered a n d clapped as the enjoyed the classical performance of Pakistani singers S u r a j Khan and Chand K h a n along with Hungarian singer Katalin Burns. The local Pakistani musicians also performed verses from the Kalam of p o e t B a b a S h a h Hussain. E v e r y participant both local and foreigners lauded
and in strengthening the already
Mausikaar Foundation.
their perf o r mance the mom e n t t h e y started kalam A l i Mula,Ali Mula . The concert was arranged by the Hungary Embassy in Islamabad in collaboration w i t h Tu r k i s h Airlines, M O L Pakistan, Marriott H o t e l a n d
János Martonyi’s discussion with Peter Slipper, Speaker of the Australia (Online 24 Apr) On 17 April 2012, Foreign Minister János Martonyi conducted negotiations with Peter Slipper, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives. In the discussion, Mr Slipper thanked Hungary for supporting Australia’s application for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council. The parties considered it to be a sign of mutual confidence that from 6 March 2012 the Hungarian Embassy in Damascus ensures the consular
representation of the citizens of Australia in Syria under the agreement between the two countries. The Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives expressed special thanks for this. The partners agreed that economic and scientific cooperation is a further area to be developed in our balanced bilateral relations based on the community of values and interests. The parties expressed their commitment to give real content to this by exchanging
high-level business delegations. Peter Slipper’s visit contributes to the maintenance of the nearly twodecade long continuity of relations between the two countries’ top leaders, the importance of which is increased by the fact that Mr Slipper came to Hungary in the framework of his first visit to Europe as the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives.
Hungarian Help towards EU Inclusion of Serbia (Online 23 Apr) Hungary and Lithuania are jointly providing help to Serbia so that it may integrate the European Union's food safety and animal welfare requirements into the Serbian legal system as smoothly as possible. The EU is providing 2 million Euros in support until 2014 towards the professional cooperation between our countries. The twinning programme aimed at developing food safety and animal welfare is an important EU tool that makes it possible for Serbia, a prospective member of the European Union, to develop its legal system in cooperation with partner organisations of other EU member states. The assurance of harmony with EU norms is of decisive significance, because this is required for Serbia's successful inclusion in the European Union, and at the same time legislative harmonisation with food safety
and animal welfare regulations is also of commercial and economic significance for Serbia. As a member state, Serbia will increase both its exports and imports of animal-based products. These products must fully comply with EU rules and regulations, which will serve to further increase Serbia's commerce with EU member states. An important aspect of helping Serbia is that the risk of illnesses of animal origin will decrease to a minimum through the observance of the Community's regulations, providing increased health safety for Serbian consumers. The Ministry of Rural Development, the National Food Chain Safety Office, and the competent directorates of the Fejér and Baranya County government agencies are participating in the recently signed agreement. The Hungarian Government is com-
mitted to providing expert aid towards the integration of prospective new members of the European Union. The National Twinning Development Action Plan serves to support this commitment. According to the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Development Agency, which is responsible for the national coordination of twinning programmes, the Ministry of Rural Development is the country's most active ministry when is comes to supporting twinning development programmes. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry and its various background organisations have been and are involved in the realisation of 8 twinning projects since 2006, in Turkey, Estonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro.
The Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0 has been completed (Online 23 Apr) With the Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0 Hungary has complied with the requirements of the Council of the European Union, and the excessive deficit procedure related to the country can be resolved after years of failure to meet targets up until last year’s success. The Hungarian government has adopted the programme entitled “Next Step: Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0”, which includes the Convergence Programme and the National Reform Programme sent to Brussels earlier today. With the Széll Kálmán Plan, the Government has launched a comprehensive structural reform programme in 2011 which has enabled it to carry out a successful monetary and fiscal consolidation over the past year.The fiscal trend change has already been achieved and the Government has balanced the budget in a way which makes it sustainable in the long term. As a consequence of the first and second Széll Kálmán Plans, the deficit targets of 2.5 per cent of GDP for 2012 and 2.2 percent of GDP for 2013 can be safely attained, and as a result central government debt will
continue to decline. This programme is proof that the Government can secure the stability of the state budget, even under unfavourable economic circumstances, and can boost growth. In 2012 the first Széll Kálmán Plan aimed for a fiscal adjustment of HUF 550bn, 83.4 per cent of which was achieved. The measures in the Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0 target additional fiscal adjustments totalling HUF 150bn in 2012. Seventy-three per cent of the objectives of the first Széll Kálmán Plan – as a consequence of government measures – will be met by 2013, whereas in 2013 the Government will further improve the situation of the state budget by about HUF 600bn ( HUF 567-665bn) through the Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0. Consequently, Hungary is carrying out a structural adjustment programme totalling two per cent of GDP in 2012 and four per cent of GDP in 2013. In order to fulfil a prior promise, the Government will phase out crisis taxes in 2013 and the bank tax will be halved, in accordance with an agreement concluded with the Hungarian
Banking Association. With the Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0 the Government is finalising transition to a tax system which enables reduction of taxes on labour by increasing taxes on consumption and sales. This will be a minor burden on individuals but will contribute significantly to the budget as a whole. The new tax measures are structural, and thus they will enable the Government to create sustainable stability on the revenue side of the budget. The Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0 also includes the National Reform Programme of Hungary for 2012. The National Reform Programme introduces measures which aim to achieve the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy in the fields of labour market policy, research-development-innovation, climate policy and energy efficiency, education and social inclusion. Next Step: Széll Kálmán Plan 2.0 is available in Hungarian and related texts (Convergence Programme and the National Reform Programme) are available in English on the right side of the page, in the attached document.
Gov e r nm e nt C om m is s ione r ov e r s e e s r e ne wa l of public t r a ns por t (Online 23 Apr) On 1 May the Government will appoint János Fónagy as government commissioner for the restructuring of public transport, for a one-year term. The restructuring of public transport is one of the important commitments in the structural reforms launched in 2011 (Széll Kálmán Plan). The Government sees provision of quality services to passengers as a central requirement for public transport organisations. The new public transport system arising from com-
plete reorganisation must remove all the organisational, personal and regulatory restrictions which have developed over recent decades and which have inhibited modern and cost-effective operation. The government commissioner will participate in the modernisation of the organisational framework and property portfolio related to public transport. His extensive experience will be brought to bear on the review of regulation related to the institutional and operational system and re-
structuring of the system of fares and concessions. He will take part in procedures aimed at harmonising timetables across public transport sectors and promotion of supporting industry: primarily vehicle and equipment manufacture serving road and rail public transport. The appointment of a government commissioner is justified by the complexity of the task and its social, budgetary and political importance.
Hungary Discusses Timeline for Drawdown of Forces from Afghanistan (Online 23 Apr) This year Hungary is not planning to significantly reduce its contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, but it has started discussions with the allies on the timeline of the expected future drawdown – Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende told General John Allen, the Commander of ISAF in Brussels on April 18. Csaba Hende, who was parin ticipating the meeting of NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers, conducted a bilatr a l e discussion with the US at general John Allen’s At request. their meeting, the Commander of ISAF said thanks for the outstanding professional performance of the Hungarian troops deployed in Afghanistan, and spoke highly of the efforts that Hungary has made so far.
“I myself also praised the dedicated work of our soldiers serving in Afghanistan, which enables the transition process in Afghanistan to be implemented according to the planned timetable”, Csaba Hende said.
The Minister of Defence said that at the meeting, he reasserted that – in spite of economic difficulties – Hungary stays committed to supporting the goals of the Alliance in Afghanistan. During the meeting the two sides discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and the Sunday series of attacks by insurgents. “General Allen said that they had prepared coming for under attack, and the Afghan National Security Forces rethese pelled sucattacks cessfully, which shows that their training standards have improved” – the Minister of Defence told us. Over the last year there have been more than 700 different atplotted tacks against Kabul, all of which were successfully thwarted or repelled by the ISAF and the Afghan government forces taking joint action – Csaba Hende told us, referring to the update from the Commander of ISAF.
D is c us s ions a t t he B unde s we hr Ope r a t ions C om m a nd (Online 23 Apr) On April 18 Maj.Gen. László Domján, the Commander of the HDF Joint Force Command paid a visit to Potsdam at the invitation of Lt-Gen. Rainer Glatz, the Commander of the Bundeswehr Operations Command. The two commanders met in Germany for the first time. Their discussions focused on the current issues concerning the role of the two nations in ISAF in Afghanistan, which is one of the key areas of joint cooperation. As it its known, most contingents and staff officers of the Hungarian Defence Forces serving in Afghanistan are assigned to the German-led ISAF Regional Command North (ISAF RCN) or operate in its subordination. These include the HDF Provincial Reconstruction Team (HUN PRT),
the staff officers and experts of the RC-N and the HDF Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (HDF OMLT). The German partner – in his capacity as the operations commander of the lead nation in the region of northern Afghanistan – spoke with satisfaction of the activities and professional performance of the Hungarian troops serving in Afghanistan. He gave a comprehensive update on the security status of the area of responsibility and the current operational issues, with special regard to his concept for the next period which concerns the timetable of transition, i.e. the han- (photo: MoD Press Office) dover of security responsibilities to the Afghan government forces, and sidering the topicality and complexity the main tasks related to the with- of the task, the two sides agreed that drawal of the German forces. Con- they will meet regularly in the future with the aim of joint coordination.
M or e e ff e c t iv e ins ulin t he r a py for pa t ie nts wit h dia be t e s (Online 26 Apr) The public reimbursement system for medicines of patients suffering from diabetes and prostate cancer has been recently amended. The provisions concern medicines of the above mentioned patient groups with increased (50%, 70%, 90%) and super increased (100%) reimbursement rates. The aim of the amendment was to further specify previous provisions, as well as to enhance the practical application of professional rules. According to the new provisions, since 1 July 2012 the use of analogous insulin therapy, following a oneyear period of application, may only continue if the patient’s appropriate carbohydrate metabolism target values, based on two measurements, were sustainable during the six months prior to the renewal of the specialist’s recommendation. The Ministry of National Resources (NEFMI) expects the current amendment to significantly improve the effectiveness of insulin therapies for patients suffering from diabetes. The advantages of analogous insulin therapy – which is rather more expensive than human insulin – and the justification of its public financing can only prevail if patients fully comply with their doctors’ therapeutic recommendations. It is important to note that we do not wish to penalize chronic patients, on the contrary: we wish to treat and support them in a way that motivates general practitioners (GP), via the
GP indicator system, as well as specialists to constantly check their patients’ condition. It should be highlighted that the State Secretariat for Health of NEFMI puts great emphasis on the appropriate cooperation with patients, as good doctor-patient relationship and effective and fluent communication can be the guarantee for early recovery. Therefore, it is important that patients take responsibility for their own recovery. It is evident that the state takes responsibility for its citizens, but individuals also have to take responsibility for themselves. Patients who do not cooperate with their doctors and do not follow their prescribed diets will not lose their reimbursements either. The only change in the treatment of these patients is that the reimbursement rate of the more expensive product will be reduced temporarily. Reduced, and not discontinued. It is also worth mentioning that the amendment does not affect the reimbursement of regular, human insulin. Of course, those patients who temporarily do not receive full public reimbursement for their analogous insulin treatment can return to their original therapy with the higher reimbursement rate, following a certain period of time and proper patient-doctor cooperation. The super increased reimbursement rate of a patient’s medicine may be recovered if the patient either received human insulin treatment for a year after the analogous insulin treatment, or if the patient received anal-
ogous insulin treatment with a reduced 50% reimbursement rate for a year and fulfilled the requirements necessary for super increased reimbursement rate. The amendment does not apply for children under the age of 18 and patients with severe conditions, regusuffering from diabetic larly hypoglycaemia. The ever changing diet and insulin treatment needs of continuously growing children are naturally more unstable, which makes adjusting metabolism balance more difficult. Not to mention the more frequent infection related diseases smaller children suffer from each year, which can disturb their metabolism for weeks. Furthermore, adolescence has an influence on the effects of insulin treatment, a negative mental impact on patient compliance, thus unambiguously impairing the doctor’s endeavor to adjust metabolism and its results. Therefore, exact values for metabolism parameters which would verify the effectiveness of the treatment can not be set for those under the age of 18. In this age-group, the effectiveness of the treatment, as well as the justification of its continuation, is definitely indicated by the improving values of certain metabolism parameters as a result of the analogous insulin treatment, as compared to the intensivehuman insulin conservative treatment and the average values of the previous year.
The s howc a s e of Eur ope a n H ighe r Educ a t ion in B uc ha r e s t (Online 27 Apr) “The Hungarian Higher Education further strengthens the common European values” There were ministers of state for education from 47 countries in Bucharest in order to discuss the future of the European Higher Education Area and the progress of the Bologna Process. Hungary was represented by Norbert Kiss dr. Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education, who emphasized
the importance of the European Higher Education in strengthening the economy and employment in Hungary. The most important mottos of the conference: quality-oriented development and the consolidation of the Higher Education. The Ministry of National Resources has completed the development policy of the Higher Education on this basis. The Hungarian universities need to attract students
and get financial resources in an intensifying competition with other European universities. As a result of this competition the number of Hungarian students participating in European exchange programmes will need to be tripled in the coming years. The Campus Hungary programme is due to be launched in July and will hopefully contribute to this objective.
2 5 0 ,0 0 0 t h H unga r ia n c it ize ns hip a pplic a t ion r e c e iv e d (PR) The 250,000th Hungarian citizenship application for simplified naturalisation was received; the largest number of applications were submitted in Csíkszereda, Szabadka and
Kolozsvár, the State Secretariat for Hungarian communities abroad announced. Based on the information provided by Tamás Wetzel, ministerial commissioner for simplified natu-
ralisation, some 157 thousand people have taken the Hungarian citizenship oath to date.
Is s ue of na tiona l m inor it ie s f or m s pa r t of t he EP a nnua l r e por t (PR) The European Parliament voted with an overwhelming majority for the European Parliament’s Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in the World and the EU’s policy thereon on 18 April. Thanks to a motion submitted by Fidesz EP Member Kinga Gál, a separate chapter of the report deals with the issue of national minorities. The People’s Party politician stressed the importance of providing equal opportunities for
„minority” and “majority” nations living together. She further welcomed the commitment of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton that EU observers should, on the occasion of elections, pay particular attention to ensuring that individuals forming part of national minorities be able to take part in the elections with equal opportunities both as candidates and electors. “The human rights aspect identified in the report must be un-
avoidable and determining in the EU’s foreign policy and must serve as a yardstick for the Foreign Service, the Commission and the Council alike. The provisions relating to national minorities incorporated into the report may represent a major step in the process of the EU recognition of the protection of national minorities”, Kinga Gál, Vice-Chair of the Minority Intergroup said in praise of the significance of the report.
M otion of no c onf ide nc e a ls o due t o M OGYE c a s e (PR) With signatures collected from 116 legislators, the opposition Social Democratic Union (USL) initiated a vote of no confidence on 19 April under the title “Government open to blackmail should be forced to step down”, inter alia, due to the case of the Hungarian faculty of the Marosvásárhely University of Medicine and Pharmacology (MOGYE). The opposition branded the fact that the Government established a sepa-
rate faculty at MOGYE for Hungarian-language instruction as a case of ethnic separation. RMDSZ (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania) Members of Parliament will attend but will not vote on the motion of no confidence. Hunor Kelemen, President of the Alliance said on Saturday he is concerned which way the MPs of coalition partners will vote. The President of the Alliance and the Prime Minister decided on the is-
suance of a joint position on the motion of no confidence vote to be held this week. The majority of the joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the Senate will decide on the motion of no confidence. 231 votes would be necessary for ousting the government. This number of votes is not available at this point in time.
RMDSZ would declare Hungarian an official regional language in Romania (PR) The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) considers it a long-term objective to make Hungarian an official regional language in regions in Romania in which there are considerable Hungarian communities. RMDSZ Secretary General Péter Kovács said at a press conference held in Kolozsvár that 22 years ago minorities had no language rights of any kind; by now RMDSZ has succeeded in taking 64 little steps towards the enforcement of rights. According to the Secretary General, making Hungarian an official regional language in the regions
inhabited by Hungarian block communities is an attainable target within the next twenty years. Among these regions he mentioned Szeklerland and certain micro-regions of Bihar, Szatmár and Szilágy Counties. The politician drew attention to the fact that the recognition of these rights required the votes of minimum 43 per cent of Romanian politicians, in addition to Hungarian politicians representing seven per cent. Péter Kovács added making Hungarian an official language is only possible through an amendment to the Constitution. The RMDSZ Secretary General also in-
troduced the publication edited by the Romanian minority research institute which presents the most important language rights of national minorities in Romania in an easy-tounderstand, simplified form. The studies conducted by the institute show that Hungarian may be used in public administration and in public institutions in areas where the ratio of Hungarians is in excess of 60 per cent. The law therefore fails to make an impact in parts of the country where the ratio of Hungarians is between 20 and 40 per cent, István Horváth, chair of the institute said.
Hungarian and Slovak local television stations have created a network (PR) The Pons Danubii European Regional Cooperation Association (EGTC) created a network comprised of the local television stations of four localities in Hungary and five in Slovakia. The Révkomárom media centre of the organisation will make at least one programme daily on the localities concerned and will broadcast the programmes on the televi-
sion stations forming part of the association, the director of the organisation said. According to the information provided by Zoltán Bara, the localities of Kisbér, Komárom, Oroszlány and Tata joined the initiative in Hungary; participants from Slovakia: Érsekújvár, Gúta, Ógyalla, Révkomárom and Szőgyén. The television stations created a media cen-
tre. They will prepare their programmes mostly in Hungarian and will provide subtitles in Slovak. The budget of the project is HUF 80 million, 85 per cent of which is provided by the European Union. State contributions account for ten per cent, while equity accounts for five per cent.
Regional interests are a priority for VMSZ President István Pásztor (PR) The Partner Consulting Agency conducted an opinion poll in the light of the national, provincial and local elections to be held in Serbia on 6 May. The (coalition organised around) the Serbian Progressive Party continues to lead with 29.7 % of the votes, (the coalition of) the Democratic Party would obtain 25.1 % of the votes, while third place would be obtained by (the coalition of) the Serbian Socialist Party with 13.2 %. The alliance United Regions of Serbia may reckon with 6.7 % of the votes, while the coalition Change may hope to obtain a 7.3 % share. The Democratic Party of Serbia would only just exceed the parliamentary threshold with 5.2 %. The newcomer „Dveri” may acquire 2.9 % of the votes. On 4 April 2012, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) set up a temporary representation in Belgrade in order to monitor the parliamentary elections to be held on 6 May. In the early presidential elections, also to be held on 6 May, the
Alliance of Hungarians in Vajdaság (VMSZ), too, will nominate a candidate, István Pásztor. The party’s leadership is aware that the candidate of VMSZ will not qualify for the second round. They are convinced, however, that they have to take part in the first round and gather one hundred thousand votes. The votes obtained will represent a negotiating position for VMSZ in the subsequent coalition talks and will also justify the election programme represented by them. 12,963 signatures were gathered in three days for Pásztor’s nomination. Pásztor remarked, he is the only candidate from Vojvodina for whom regional interests are a priority in the elections. “For this reason, I expect to obtain a large number of votes also from the non-Hungarian-speaking population of Vojvodina”, Pásztor stressed. The Vojvodina politician would like to find a “common denominator” with the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, Boris Tadić in respect of the priorities that matter most to VMSZ, and the support to be
provided by the Hungarians in the second round of the presidential elections, too, will depend on the outcome of these negotiations. As a guest of VMSZ, Zsuzsanna Répás, Deputy State Secretary for Hungarian Communities Abroad, visited church institutions in North-Bácska last week. The Deputy State Secretary said in Martonos that she would like to visit as many Hungarian communities in Vojvodina as possible and to gather personal experiences. The presidential candidate of the Serbian Progressive Party established three and a half years ago, Tomislav Nikolić also visited Zenta and Magyarkanizsa as part of his campaign. According to the party president, minorities must take part in the Serbian government. 31% of Serbian electors would vote for Boris Tadic, while 27% would cast their votes for opposition leader Tomislav Nikolic in the first round of the presidential elections according to the survey of the International Republican Institute (IRI).