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Hungary’s new regulation that keeps stores closed on Sundays entered into effect on March 15. The National Economy Ministry contends that no impact study is in its possession, because the relevant legislation was not prepared by the ministry itself.

GLOOMY SUNDAY SEE MORE ON page 25

C O UN T RY F O C US

Japan “Japan’s diplomatic relations with Hungary date back as many as 146 years. Over this long period of time, both countries have experienced hardship as well as glory. It is important to note that after the change of regimes in 1989, Hungary became a democratic country as did Japan when it rebuilt itself after World War II. Therefore, now, we share common values such as democracy, rule of law, market economy, basic human rights, freedom of the press and the freedom of expression,” the Japanese Ambassador to Hungary, Junichi Kosuge tells Diplomacy & Trade. see articles on pages 8-15

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letter from the publisher

Kitty van der Heijden, director of World Resources Institute on sustainability page 22

This issue of Diplomacy & Trade focuses on Japan, whose diplomatic relations with Hungary dates back as far as 146 years. Japan is an important investor in Hungary with its corporate investments exceeding EUR 700 million to date. Japanese companies present in Hungary number around 140, providing jobs for more than 20,000 people. We attach special importance to the interview with the Japanese Ambassador to Hungary, Junichi Kosuge. Issues regarding bilateral economic relations (including trade and investment) as well as cultural, social and civil ties are discussed. Special thanks go to the Japanese embassy staff for their help and support in preparing this focus. Also in this issue, we continue the Sweden country focus with articles in the field of diplomacy, business and culture. Our political analysis deals with the topic that is clearly on top of the agenda for global leaders; the threat posed by ISIS. Also another global issue, that of sustainability, is addressed in an interview with Kitty van der Heijden, the director of the World Resources Institute Europe. On the local front our cover story deals with the questions raised regarding the effect of the new laws limiting Sunday shopping and certain business activity and the recently unearthed broker scandal. Diplomacy & Trade held its 5th Annual International Gala around the theme of international cooperation. I would like to thank our event patron Dr. László Szabó, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as István Salgó, President of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary for their support and participation. Please, see our picture compilation. March also is the time when the Best of Budapest and Hungary awards are given. In addition to the quality assurance awards, 10 special individuals are honored for their exceptional work in the hospitality industry. Our very best congratulations to the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award received by the well deserving József Bock. Please, see the full list of winners on pages 30 and 31. April always brings smiles to Hungarians and visitors alike as the weather warms, trees and flowers bloom and the restaurants prepare their terraces. Everything is perfect right – well, not exactly. Last year, at this time, we were relieved that long term construction projects like the Várkert Bazaar, Metro 4, Elizabeth Square and numerous pedestrian streets opened to everyone’s delight. Now, the capital’s residents and visitors have to cope with a new wave of construction throughout the city, which has turned some areas to what you may call resembling a war zone. In any event, keep your mobile phone charged and your air conditioning primed as you may have to spend quite some time in traffic.

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EXTRAORDINARY AMBASSADORS MEETING

CONFERENCE ON ENERGY SECURITY The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has hosted the ‘Energy Security of Central and South Eastern Europe’ conference in Budapest. The conference’s intent was to facilitate energy security in the region, and promote resource diversification objectives. Speakers at the event included Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Colleen Bell and U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos J. Hochstein. The minister was of the view that it was in the interest of the region to acquire as many sources of energy from as many routes as possible, adding that Russia has –and will continue to have – an important role in energy supply in Central and South Eastern Europe. The Hungarian government’s priorities include infrastructure developments such as the LNG terminal in Croatia and the gas interconnector between Hungary and Slovakia, he said, adding that gas could be received from Azerbaijan as well as Russia and that neither project should exclude the other. He announced that the energy ministers from Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey as well as special envoy Hochstein would meet in Budapest in early April to review how to bring Russian gas to Europe through Turkey.

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On March 20 Hotel Sofitel Budapest was the venue of the Jubilee Financial Summit XVI., organized by the Hungarian Business Leaders Forum. Where are we now and where are we heading? - this was the question to be answered by the presenters and speakers, among others Mihály Varga, Minister of Economy, Borbála Czakó, President of HBLF, Zoltán Cséfalvay state secretary, István Stumpf and Lajos Bokros.

Addressing Hungarian ambassadors at an extraordinary meeting in Budapest the Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the pursuit of an independent foreign policy could be at times ‘uncomfortable’ but they should get used to it. At an extraordinary general meeting of ambassadors of Hungary, PM Viktor Orbán has defined the basis of Hungarian foreign policy doctrine – independent foreign policy based on national interests – by saying that Hungary is not looking for uniformity of interests with influential countries (Germany, USA, etc.) but the aim is to ensure that Hungarian success is in other countries' interests. As a result, Hungary's task is not to seek uniformity of interests – indeed, it frequently already exists – but to ensure that Hungarian success is in Germany's and America's interests, he explained. Regarding Ukraine Viktor Orbán said "we do not see the possibility of a quick and full solution to the conflict just yet. Ceasefire, however, is important for us given it is about our neighbour. The destabilization of Ukraine is sharply in conflict with Hungarian interests. There must be a country between Russia and Hungary, we do not want common border with Russia, he added. As for the new direction of 'southern opening', it has to be implemented in the next year or two, and this new target area for Hungarian foreign policy will be Latin America and Africa – a region which the Hungarian government expects will undergo stabilization Foreign policy should adjust to the new world order - the PM said - but it is now time for Hungary to pursue an independent policy, the prime minister said. The Együtt (Together) party said that the need to hold an extraordinary meeting six months after the regular meeting in itself indicates that the policy announced in August has failed. The Socialist Party said that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's remarks made at an extraordinary meeting of Hungarian ambassadors humiliated Hungary's diplomats. Attila Mesterházy, of the Socialist Party's foreign affairs cabinet, said in a statement that the government's approach to the foreign economy lacked "any values of classical diplomacy" and expected diplomats to be merely "sales people" rather than "diplomats having ideas and analytic capabilities". Far-right Jobbik is pleased to see that the Fidesz government has adopted a long standing Jobbik policy directive regarding the diversification of Hungary's foreign policy said Jobbik floor leader Márton Gyöngyösi reacting to Orbán's remarks. The Jobbik politician said: The Orbán Government a bit late, but finally adopted "Jobbik foreign policy initiative based on the German-Turkish-Russian triangle; this foreign policy strategy alone serves Hungarian national interests said Gyöngyösi.

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BUDAPEST AIRPORT THE BEST IN EASTERN EUROPE AGAIN

Budapest Airport was declared the winner of the ‘Best Airport in Eastern Europe’ award by British aviation analysts Skytrax for the second year in a row. Péter Huszka, chief operating officer for Budapest Airport, lifted the prestigious accolade at the Passenger Terminal EXPO 2015 international exhibition in Paris early this March. 550 airports from worldwide participated in the independent passenger satisfaction survey scheme organized by the aviation quality assessment and consultancy company Skytrax, with the award bestowed purely on the basis of totalized passenger votes. “The Skytrax Award for best airport in Eastern Europe is one of the most prestigious professional accolades that we could achieve in international aviation. It is also important feedback for us and all airport partners and

service providers that last year’s success was not a oneoff. We have proven that we are not only able to maintain our excellent service quality and performance but also to improve it further,” the CEO of Budapest Airport, Jost Lammers said. “The greatest joy for us is that our airport

MAGYAR TELEKOM TO SET UP ENERGY SERVICES JV Magyar Telekom (MTel), Hungary’s leading telecommunications group, has signed an agreement with MET Holding AG, a leading integrated retail energy services trader in the region, to establish a joint venture that will provide energy services for business customers. The cooperation is based on the strategic agreement that was signed in July 2013 between Magyar Telekom and the oil and gas company MOL, which has a significant ownership share in MET Group, MTel said in a statement on the website of the Budapest Stock Exchange this March. "The primary aim of the joint venture is to improve and optimize the energy operations serving the business customers of both Magyar Telekom and MET Group. [...] The parties see significant opportunities for utilizing the synergies, driven primarily by greater economies of scale, and the potential for risk sharing," the document added. Due to the establishment of the joint venture, natural gas and electricity services, currently provided by Magyar Telekom to business customers, will be ceased in mid-term as these services will be provided by the joint venture. The change in the business

energy service operation will have no impact on the residential energy service offered by Magyar Telekom, the company said. The JV will be set up by the parties on a 50-50 ownership basis with balanced rights in the management structure. As a consequence, total revenues for Magyar Telekom are now anticipated to be proportionally lower than previously guided, down by around HUF 35-40 billion in 2017, implying roughly stable revenues compared to 2014 of HUF 626.4 billion. Completion of the transaction, which requires approval by the relevant authorities, is anticipated in the second half of 2015.

developments implemented over the past years and the new services provided to passengers all contributed to making Budapest the best airport in the region. This is what passengers recognized with their Skytrax votes, for which we are very grateful,” he added. The Skytrax passenger satisfaction survey is the largest independent, professional survey scheme in international aviation. Voting took place in a total of 39 different categories, spanning the quality of airport services and products, from departure right through to arrival. The result is determined on the basis of anonymous feedback collected from passengers using a standard voting system. The 2015 World Airport Awards are based on 13.02 million survey questionnaires completed by 112 different nationalities of airline customers during the survey period from May 2014 to January 2015.

BEIJING-BUDAPEST DIRECT FLIGHTS COMING SOON

Chinese national flag carrier Air China will launch four weekly flights between Budapest and Beijing later this spring. Technical preparations are underway at Budapest Airport to work out the details of the servicing and ground handling of the Air China flight, following government-level agreement about the restart of a direct aerial connection between Hungary and the People’s Republic of China. Regular flights on the Budapest-Beijing route will arrive in Hungary at 19:40 hours and will leave for China at 21:10. The new service will be flown by an Air China Airbus A330-200 type aircraft with 30 business class seats and 207 economy seats on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The schedule will fit the needs of both business and leisure travelers. Direct flights between Budapest and Beijing were halted in 2012 when Hungarian flag carrier Malév was grounded and Hainan Airlines decided to cancel its flights due to the lack of transfer connections from Budapest. The resumption of flights between Hungary and China required high-level negotiations between the two governments, to modify the existing, bilateral aviation agreement, as part of the Hungarian government’s ‘Opening to the East’ policy. Hungary is home to the largest Chinese community in Central and Eastern Europe, and the new flight is welcome news for developing new business opportunities, maintaining family ties and for tourism. The new service is also welcomed by Budapest Airport. CEO, Jost Lammers said they are delighted to welcome Air China as a new airline to the airport and Beijing as a new direct destination. “Hungary is a rapidly growing tourism market for China, which generated a 19% increase in Chinese visitors travelling to Budapest last year. We are proud to offer our services to Air China customers, and have no doubt that this new route will be a huge success.”

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ISIS - A MODERN FRANKENSTEIN’S CREATURE POPULIST MOVEMENTS MAY BUMP AGAINST THE STONEWALL OF REALITY BY TAMÁS MAGYARICS

As it is, in Mary Shelley’s original tale, Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (1818), the creator of the monster-like creature is known, Victor Frankenstein, the slightly deranged scientist. Later on, the story acquired a life of its own, and the name ‘Frankenstein’ was transferred over the creature itself; in fact, it has been popularized in this sense all over the world.

No other authority

Excuses and promises

Territorial denial

Though, radical Muslim movements and groups have always existed, one of the most pressing – and troubling – questions is the background of ISIS/ISIL. It is clear that it enjoys the support of powerful forces which use it, or wished to use it, as a proxy to promote their interests in the Middle East or perhaps beyond that region. The list of potential Sunni backers is long; in fact, it may be the case that the movement which they armed and possibly called into being has gotten out of their control and may as well threaten the creators, themselves. Although, ISIS/ISIL wants to reset history’s clock some hundreds of years, it seems to be modern communication savvy too. It launched its al-Hayat media center in spring 2014 and has continued to show the horror executions ever since. Tens of thousands of pro-ISIS/ISIL Twitter accounts disseminate these videos online. Besides Twitter, Facebook is one their major channels for recruiting people almost all over the world: recruits have travelled to areas controlled by ISIS/ISIL (predominantly northwestern Iraq and sections of Syria) from the United Kingdom to Australia. They are predominantly radical youth who feel excluded from mainstream societies in the countries they live. It is not only the relatively new immigrants in places such as the French banlieues who join ISIS/ISIL or other radical Islamist movements, but so-called home-grown Islamists (radicals), as well, whose mother country is the U.K. or Germany or Belgium or any other (West) European country. The Western media inadvertently also play into the hands of ISIS/ISIL when they cover extensively the atrocities committed by its followers, and even made such deranged persons as ‘Jihadi John’, who has decapitated hostages, a sort of a star. ISIS/ISIL has also become or been made a kind of global ‘brand’ for a new ‘gold standard’ of terrorism. A few years ago, al-Qaeda was playing the same role; now, such movements as Boko Haram have pledged allegiance to ISIS/ISIL. Moreover, a number of talking heads and (so-called) experts in the Western media, and even in official circles, reinforce the idea of the West versus the Muslim world (‘us against them’) by lumping all the Muslims together and, by doing so, making it more difficult to unite the anti-ISIS/ISIL forces of different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

ISIS/ISIL builds on all the grievances aired by other radical Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda before. People from the West ‘occupied’ the holy lands of Islam only because of material greed (especially oil); they have been humiliating the Muslims for centuries (since the crusades); they corrupt the Muslims by trying to impose their liberal values and standards on them and, thus, undermining the traditional Muslim families and societies and morals. The followers of ISIS/ISIL are not only attracted by the anti-Western rhetoric, but also by such promises as free housing, food, and clothing for all – the only question is where funds for these ambitious goals will come from. The Muslim version of millenarianism also lures the religious radicals. In the Muslim apocalyptic vision, the Mahdi will come and lead the Muslims to victory against the ‘infidels’ before the end of the world. The final battle against ‘Rome’ will take place at Dubiq near present-day Aleppo, that is why it is paramount to secure the territory for the ‘true’ followers of the Prophet Mahommed into a ‘caliphate’.

The problem is, at the moment, that it is not only the West that seems hapless in the face of the threat posed by ISIS/ISIL but also the establishment and/or moderate Muslim religious leaders. They may dismiss radical Salafism (not the Quietist version, which emphasizes the perfection of the personal lives), the ideology behind ISIS/ISIL as a nostalgia for or throwback to the past, but the imams are not likely to win this battle. The best option to defeat ISIS/ISIL seems to be territorial denial: if the leaders of the Islamist ‘state’ are unable to deliver the much promised ‘caliphate’ with extensive political, social, and economic security for their followers, the latter’s enthusiasm may evaporate and the state may become just another failed one in the region. The downside of any armed action taken by the West is the unpleasant choice of having to cooperate with some unsavory partners in the name of ”my enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

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The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a terror-inspiring creator and a creature at the same time, though, it is murky who were collaborating with its leaders in calling this monster into life. What it ostensibly wants to (re)create is a 7th century world of the Prophet Muhammed and his early followers. This endeavor has, naturally, spiritual/religious implications: a return to the pure teachings of the Prophet Muhammed and a literal interpretation of these teachings despite the fact that the world, to state the obvious, has changed beyond recognition since then. These thoughts of the intellectual leaders of ISIS/ISIL do not differ that much from those of the al-Qaeda’s leaders. One of the greatest differences is, however, ISIS/ISIL’s requirement to possess territory to remain legitimate in the eyes of its followers and sympathizers. The differences do not end here: ISIS/ISIL believes that al-Qaeda is too moderate because the latter does not identify the fellow Muslims as potential enemies. ISIS/ISIL openly wages a war against the some 200 million Shia Muslims, who are regarded ‘apostates’ because of committing such sacrileges as taking part in political elections. The ISIS/ISIL logic holds that by participating in any political process or, for that matter, entering into negotiations with any other political entities or joining international organizations is a serious breach of faith because it would imply that one recognizes other authorities as well besides that of the Prophet Muhammad’s. Thus, any potential negotiated settlement with ISIS/ISIL seems to be illusionary, partly because its members reject peace as a matter of principle by the way.

Background

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The Best known Japanese in Hungary

Toyota Central Europe

Hungarian-Japanese Economic Club

Suzuki Motor Corporation Hungary

The Sounds of Spring

His carreer started with Budapest victory on the International Competition of Conductors back in the 70s. Visiting us again in May .. . . . PAGE 9

Attracting customers with quality. Toyota reorganizes its Central Europe operations with Budapest headquarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 11

A civilian engine of trade relations serving mutual interest and development of connections for more than 44 years.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 12

The agreement to establish a Hungarian factory was signed in 1991 and proved to be a successful one. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 13

Japanese students of Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music brought spring sounds for the audience of the concert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 15

HARANGOZÓ

SZIGETVÁRY/MTI, SHUTTERSTOCK.COM: SEAN PAVONE, TAKAYUKI

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TAKING COOPERATION FURTHER INTERVIEW WITH JAPANESE AMBASSADOR JUNICHI KOSUGE ▶ CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE BY SÁNDOR LACZKÓ

"One of my most important missions here is to strengthen this basis of partnership between our two countries"

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It was more than 30 years ago that the new Japanese Ambassador to Hungary, Junichi Kosuge first visited Hungary. “Back then, I was a very young diplomat serving in Vienna. It was at the beginning of the 1980s when Hungary was still behind the Iron Curtain. At that time, I had the impression that the atmosphere in Hungary was already free and lively,” he recalls to Diplomacy & Trade. Another of his observations is that in Hungary,

when pedestrians attempt to cross the road drivers kindly stop and wait – “that is not something one would very often see in Tokyo,” he adds. He recalls that at certain conferences Hungarian people, for example photographers, crouch in front of the audience so as not to block the view, which he thinks is another indication of the politeness of the Hungarian people. Ambassador Kosuge presented his credentials to Hungarian President János Áder in November 2014. He says that over these the past four months, he has had opportunities to visit places A P R I L

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like Gödöllő, Eger, the porcelain factory in Herend and the Magyar Suzuki factory in Esztergom. He plans to explore many more places in Hungary as well as areas where ethnic Hungarians live outside the mother country such as in Transylvania, Romania. As for gastronomical delights, the Ambassador says he likes the salami, Mangalica pig and he is fond of Hungarian wines. This prompts him to recall that in March this year, “a delegation was here from Japan to promote the sale of Sake, Japanese rice wine – a very promising deal.”

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STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH JAPANESE CARBON FIBER MANUFACTURER The Hungarian government has signed its 56th strategic agreement with Zoltek, which is owned by the Japanese company Toray, and operates one of the world’s largest carbon fiber manufacturing plants in Nyergesújfalu, west of Budapest, where 86% of the suppliers are Hungarian companies. Zoltek intends to expand its production capacity in the Nyergesújfalu plant, which entails the creation of 100 new jobs in the near future, and consultations are being held about the creation of a further 200-300 new jobs within 2-3 years in the town near Esztergom. According to Zoltek President and CEO, Masahiko Kawamura, the company is a global leader in carbon fiber technology; it has 1,600 employees and their revenues exceeded USD 200 million (HUF 56 billion) last year. A wide range of carbon fiber materials are being manufactured in Nyergesújfalu, including flameproof fibers, as well as carbon fiber materials to be used in wind turbines, aircraft manufacturing and the automotive industry. The company has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics on teaching carbon fiber technology in Hungary. As for the economic sentiment felt by Japanese investors in Hungary, Ambassador Kosuge believes it is determined by the fact that most of the Japanese firms in this country are in the manufacturing industry. The investment conditions are basically favorable for them, as they enjoy the strong support of the Hungarian Government in infrastructure, for example, the construction of connecting roads. When answering the question why so many Japanese investors have chosen Hungary, the Ambassador notes that being in the heart of Europe, this country has excellent

geographical location, it is a member of the European Union (and thus, establishing a foothold here positions Japanese firms inside the EU common market), the infrastructure is well-developed, the labor force is highly skilled and the wage level is reasonable. “Japanese businessmen find Budapest a very safe and comfortable place to live in. Recently, however, some companies have come across the problem of finding properly skilled labor force, especially in NW Hungary where a lot of firms have settled and now compete for the workforce. CULTURE Although, he has only been here for a few months, Ambassador Kosuge has found that “there are a lot of Hungarians interested in traditional Japanese culture like Kabuki theatre, tea ceremony, Ikebana or flower arrangement, etc.” Last year, Japanese artists performing in Hungary included composer and conductor Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi (see box) and a Kabuki theater. The Ambassador notes that Japanese pop-culture, recently, is popular in Hungary – “it is especially the younger generation that is interested in Manga and Animation and exchange in this area has become active in the past few years. For instance, a number of Hungarian animation artists were invited to – and actually participated in – the 2014 International Anime Festival in Hiroshima. This April, Budapest will host the 7th Kiskakas Animation Festival and we hope some Japanese animation artists will also be able to take part in it.”

Political relations When the Hungarian Prime Minister visited Japan in November 2013, he and his Japanese counterpart issued a communiqué, declaring the two countries as global partners united by universal values. “I categorically believe in this statement. One of my most important missions here is to strengthen this basis of partnership between our two countries, to promote our friendship and advance our cooperation further,” the Ambassador points out. He also sees similarities in the international circumstances surrounding both Japan and Hungary. He explains that Hungary has the issue of Ukraine and that in Asia the security situation surrounding Japan is complicated. “Japan, as well as Hungary, is determined to resolve any international issues by peaceful means and not by force. Hungary and Japan can cooperate further to advance the principles of peace, democracy and rule of law in the world,” he stresses.

He also says that “Japan, under its recent policy of proactive contribution to peace and stability of the world, wants to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in order to tackle global issues such as the reform of the United Nations, humanitarian assistance, refugee assistance and climate change, and other problems including the fight against terrorism, piracy, infectious diseases, etc.”

Partners As for the Embassy’s partners in Hungary, Ambassador Kosuge highlights that “we work together with various government ministries, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I have also started paying courtesy calls to the various political parties. We feel that for deepening the bilateral relationship, it is vital that we create and maintain good relationships with private companies – especially those of Japanese interest –, as well as the media and the educational institutes.

FACTS COMPARED

HUNGARY JAPAN 93,028 sq km 377,915 sq km AREA 110 62 country comparison to the world: 9,919,128 (July 2014 est.) 127,103,388 (July 2014 est.) POPULATION 90 11 country comparison to the world: -0.21% (2014 est.) -0.13% (2014 est.) POPULATION GROWTH RATE 214 210 country comparison to the world 9.26 births/1,000 population 8.07 births/1,000 population BIRTH RATE 214 222 country comparison to the world 75.46 years 84.46 years LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH 93 3 country comparison to the world 1.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population NET MIGRATION RATE 55 93 country comparison to the world $19,800 (2013 est.) $37,100 (2013 est.) GDP - PER CAPITA (PPP) 71 36 country comparison to the world 10.5% (2013 est.) 4.1% (2013 est.) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 112 34 country comparison to the world 11,580,000 (2012) 138,363,000 (2012) TELEPHONES - MOBILE/CELLULAR 67 7 country comparison to the world 41 (2013) 175 (2013) AIRPORTS 104 33 country comparison to the world Source: World Factbook

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THE BEST-KNOWN JAPANESE PERSONALITY IN HUNGARY

There are some 150 Japanese companies If it is classical music and Japan, for most Hungarians operating in Hungary, creating about 26,000 local it is the name of Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi that comes to their mind first, the composer and conductor whose employment. According to 2013 figures quoted by the Ambassador, the total amount of foreign international career kicked off in 1974 when he won the direct investment (FDI) from Japan to Hungary is Hungarian Television’s First International Conductors EUR 834 million. The trade figures for the same Competition. Kobayashi served as the principal conductor of the Hungarian State Symphony (now the Hungarian year show EUR 448 million of Hungarian exports to Japan and EUR 933 million of Hungarian imports National Philharmonic) Orchestra from 1987 to 1997, from Japan. As for tourism, about 80,000 Japanese and is now conductor laureate of the orchestra. He has people visit Hungary every year. received several recognitions in Hungary, such as the Regarding new Japanese investments, the recent Liszt Memorial Decoration (1986), the Hungarian Order entrants include Takata and JSR while Alpine, of Culture (1990), and the Middle Cross with the Star of Denso, Diamond, Epcos, Exedy, Musashi, Nisshin the Order of the Republic of Hungary (the highest civilian and Zoltek (see box) are expanding their capacities honor) from the Hungarian Government in 1994. In May in Hungary. ALWAYS BY YOUR SIDE

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this year, he will take stage in a Hungarian concert hall again, conducting Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade for Strings’ and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. The Ambassador was very happy to learn that the number of people studying Japanese in Hungary is around 1,600. So far, over 400 Hungarian students have received the Japanese government’s scholarship to study in Japan. “As I mentioned earlier, 40-50 Japanese students are currently enrolled at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest. Also, the recent years have seen a growing number of Japanese students – currently, about 250 – coming to study medicine at various universities in Hungary. During his 2013 visit to Japan, the Hungarian Prime Minister offered scholarships (‘Stipendium Hungaricum’) to a hundred

Japanese students per year – a gesture we very much appreciate.” In the year 2020, Tokyo will be hosting the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Last year, the Japanese capital celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and invited guests included the previous Hungarian President Pál Schmitt. “In February this year, I invited to my residence Dr. Tamás Aján the Hungarian President of the International Weightlifting Federation – and also a member of the International Olympic Committee – on the occasion of the visit by Ms. Yuriko Koike, a Member of the Parliament of Japan and President of the Japan Weightlifting Association. I hope to see the growth of bilateral exchange in the area of sports in the coming years toward the 2020 Games,” Ambassador Junichi Kosuge concludes.

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One example of an educational institute is the renowned Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, which is very important for us as there are more than 40 Japanese students studying there every year. My motto is that the Embassy and I myself will work hard to convey to the Hungarian people more about Japan, the Japanese society today, the Japanese culture, life-style –and I’m ready to work to promote them.” The Embassy’s Japanese partners in Hungary are the trade promotion agency JETRO Budapest and the Japan Foundation Budapest that act as the hubs strengthening bilateral and Japan-EU relationships. JETRO Budapest is responsible for the field of economy, while the Japan Foundation Budapest caters to cultural and people exchange. The Japanese School of Budapest, the Hungary-Japan friendship societies and sister cities cooperate with the Japanese Ambassador and the Embassy in Budapest, as well.

COURTESY PHOTO, PIGPROX/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS WITH QUALITY TOYOTA REORGANIZES CENTRAL EUROPEAN OPERATIONS As of January 1, 2015, the business activities of Toyota and Lexus brands for the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia were reorganized into the newly established Toyota Central Europe (TCE) Ltd. headquartered in Budapest. As TCE President, Shingo Kato, who has 20 years’ experience in European Toyota operations, including Hungary, explains to Diplomacy & Trade, “traditionally, each country had its own Toyota import and distribution system (including marketing, training, finance, accounting, HR, sales, etc.), which is O.K. for significant markets such as the UK, France and Germany, but is not viable in the countries of East Central Europe because of their individual market size and purchasing power where the combined sales figures equal just 10% of those in the United Kingdom and only 15% of those in France.” Toyota has special offers for diplomats. “Although, it does not involve a large number of vehicles sold, it is an important program for us. Diplomats here are from many nationalities and they know Toyota in their respective

countries. These are people who trust the Toyota quality and it is important for us that they be able to drive a Toyota after they move to Hungary, as well. One important issue – linked to the TCE reorganization – is that now, we are able to sell to diplomats VAT-free. I trust that this development and more concentration on diplomatic sales will appear in our sales figures in 2015.” Toyota is the first of the first pioneers in hybrid technology and it has already sold 7.5 million hybrid cars worldwide. According to Kato, this is not a transitional technology but the ultimate one, adding value to conventional engines. “At the same time, we are looking into the future with the development of electric and hydrogen-fueled cars. The latter was already introduced by Toyota in Japan last year. This ‘Mirai’ vehicle represents the ultimate of the ultimate technology in reaching the zero emission goal as its ‘emission’ is pure water.”

TOYOTA CORE VALUES 1. Genchi Genbutsu means going to the source to find the facts to make correct decisions, build consensus and achieve goals. 2. Kaizen is continuous improvement. As no process can ever be declared perfect, there is always room for improvement. 3. Challenge, sets the aim to maintain a long-term vision and meets all challenges with the courage and creativity needed to realize that vision. 4. With teamwork, Toyota stimulates personal and professional growth, share opportunities for development and maximizes individual and team performance. 5. Respect. Toyota makes every effort to understand others, accepts responsibility and does its best to build mutual trust. The President points out that the world is continuously changing and the company must adapt to the changing circumstances “if we want to have Central Europe’s most successful and most admired company, say, in five years time.” He recalls the words of Charles Darwin who said that the species that survived had not been the biggest ones, the strongest ones or the most intelligent ones but the most adaptable. “We cannot resist the fast changing world – we have to adapt to the changes to conduct a successful business operation in the future, too.”

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The picture is for illustration purposes only. Combined fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100 km): 4,9-7,2; CO2 emissions (g/km) 127-176.

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A CIVILIAN ENGINE OF TRADE RELATIONS THE HUNGARY-JAPAN ECONOMIC CLUB The Hungary-Japan Economic Club (MJGK) was founded in 1971 to assist with information, events and contacts (companies and individuals) interested in economic co-operation between Hungary and Japan and to aid in the improvement of those relations. It is a non-profit and non-political organization that has been providing this forum for its members for 44 years now.

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support their programs in Hungary. Every five years, the Club organizes the ‘National Grammar School Japanese Competition’, a knowledge quiz about the Far Eastern country with the first prize being a one-week trip to Japan. Also, every year, the Club invites the Japanese Ambassador to Hungary and the Hungarian Ambassador to Japan to talk about bilateral relations from their own perspective. There are Club events about six times a year. The Hungary-Japan Economic Club also supported the publication of the HungarianJapanese Business Dictionary. Sándor Kiss, who has been the President of MJGK since 2003, says the number of club members jumped from 20 to 40-45 around 1990 and remained there for an intensive period of about five years that included the arrival of Suzuki and other Japanese companies. (Currently, the ‘big guns’ of Japanese investors in Hungary are Suzuki and Denso.) “As a result, until the turn of the millennium, Hungary raked in the majority of Japanese investments in the post-Soviet bloc of East Central Europe. Then, the neighboring countries caught up while the Hungarian investment environment became less predictable,” the President adds. Now, the Club has 18 members, one third of them Japanese companies present in Hungary and the rest are Hungarian firms, including law firms who act as advisors to Japanese companies, and there are also Hungarian suppliers to Japanese companies. Nowadays, he says, Hungarian exports to Japan include Hungarian Mangalitsa pork, which is of excellent quality and taste, in the amount of some USD 70 million a year, as well as alumina, aluminum products, pharmaceutical base materials, gallium, and others like foie gras, Herend porcelain, Suzuki cars, Archicad software, Rubik’s cube – a continuously changing portfolio of 300-400 commodities. Recently, Hungarian software and scientific instruments have become popular in Japan.

Sándor Kiss worked at the Commercial Counselor’s Office at the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Tokyo twice. He was decorated by Emperor Akihito in 2010 for the development of economic relations and the enhancement of mutual understanding between Japan and Hungary (Order of the Rising Sun with Golden Rays and Neck Ribbon). From 1982 to 1987, he was Second Commercial Secretary and the person in charge of chemical, electrical, electronics, table and house ware, glassware, porcelain, furniture and artistic goods and commodities as well as of marketing activities for these commodities and handling claims. He was the initiator of the Hungary-Japan Friendship Sumo Cup (a vase from the world renowned Herend porcelain factory in W Hungary) that has been presented six times annually since January 1986. It has been one of the most effective means to promote the name of Hungary in Japan. He himself presented the cup to the winners over 20 times. From 1992 to 1997, he was the Commercial Counselor appointed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. He was in charge for all high level economic missions visiting both Hungary and Japan. His main activities covered the development and promotion of bilateral trade, Japanese investments into Hungary and a consulting service to solve trade policy and business problems. Until the opening of the Hungarian National Tourist Office in Tokyo in April 1998, his office was responsible for the promotion of tourism, as well. He organized promotional events, investment seminars with JOI, JETRO, Keidanren, MITI, Rotobo and the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of several prefectures. He was also a coordinator of Hungarian participation at exhibitions and trade fairs in Japan. He created and edited the Internet home page bringing daily economic news and statistics for the Japanese business community. The Japanese Language newsletter has been edited by his office since 1991. The last position he held at the Hungarian Embassy in Japan (from mid-1997) was that of Chief Trade Representative of the investment and trade development agency ITD.

transactions, Hungary imported copper from Japan and bartered it with rice from Egypt and Burma, in 1954. After the 1956 revolution, a major deal – machinery imports for the Hungarian lamp factory Tungsram – helped re-launch bilateral trade and business relations. The first ever Japanese-Hungarian joint venture, Polifoam Co., Ltd. was set up by Hungária Műanyagfeldolgozó Vállalat (later Pannonplast), Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. and Itochu in 1984.

In a new framework After the political changes of 1989-90 in Hungary, civil organizations were allowed to be set up, and the Hungary-Japan Economic Club

was also re-established in this new format. Until 1991, the Club operated within the framework of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, and then, according to new regulations, it was transformed into a social organization with legal entity. Its spheres of activity – within HungarianJapanese economic relations – include the monitoring of economic and investment trends and bilateral trade developments; the discussion of problems arising (the latest concern being the Hungarian government’s slight shift of policy away from Japan and towards China); the carrying out of occasional tasks of advocacy, interest representation and conciliation; the organization of events as well as the collection and dissemination of information related to Hungarian-Japanese investment relations. Sándor Kiss, who has been involved in bilateral relations for three decades since he was first appointed as Trade Secretary and then commercial counselor at the Hungarian Embassy in Tokyo (see box), points out that the Club maintains regular contact with the leaders and staff members of the Nippon Keidanren (Japanese Business Federation), and helps A P R I L

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The history of the Club’s predecessors closely intertwined with that of Hungarian-Japanese diplomatic and economic relations that date back a long time but were broken several times. “One interesting period was between the two world wars when civilians managed these relations,” the current President of the Hungary-Japan Economic Club, Sándor Kiss tells Diplomacy and Trade. As he explains, the collaboration of civilians was necessary since neither of the two countries had money to maintain an embassy in the other. During this period, the Japanese dealt with Hungarian issues from Vienna while Hungarian affairs in Japan were handled by the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo where their head of mission was the Don José Caro y Széchényi, a man of Hungarian noble descent. In Hungary, it was the Hungarian Nippon Society that became the engine of bilateral economic relations. It was established by former Hungarian prisoners of war who had been held as prisoners from the army of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in prison camps in southeastern Siberia following World War I. The control of those camps was later taken over by the Japanese expedition army whose leaders developed a mutual respect with the Hungarian prisoners. One of the main sponsors of the Hungarian Nippon Society was Baron Takaharu Mitsui of the Mitsui concern. “Actually, the Mitsui Trust was our first Japanese buyer after the war when they imported refined sugar in 1926. The head of Mitsui zaibatsu, Mitsui Takakimi, the richest Japanese at that time, visited Hungary in 1927,” Kiss notes. Between the two world wars, commodities transported from Hungary to Japan included pharmaceutical products, the then world class Hungarian X-ray tubes, photo paper, steel shapes, special leather and even caoutchouc plates of military grade, while Hungary mainly imported copper, rice, paper and silk, says Sándor Kiss who is a researcher of this period. The re-launch Although, the Hungarian Embassy in Tokyo was reopened in 1959 only, commercial relations started to develop from 1954-55. In the first

DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, COURTESY PICTURE

Antecedents

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JAPANESE QUALITY PRODUCTION in HUNGARY MAGYAR SUZUKI CORPORATION SUPPLIES CUSTOMERS WORLDWIDE

The agreement to establish a Suzuki Motor Corporation factory in Hungary was signed in 1991 and proved to be a successful investment. As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Magyar Suzuki Corporation, Ryoichi Oura explains to Diplomacy & Trade, “with this agreement, Suzuki became the first car manufacturer to establish a factory in Hungary. The second success is that currently, Magyar Suzuki Corporation lists 74 companies in Hungary as suppliers. It is a good thing in itself that this number is growing but it is even more significant that due to the presence of these suppliers, other important car manufacturers appeared in Hungary, such as Opel, Audi and Mercedes. Therefore, the Hungarian car production industry became the beneficiary of Suzuki’s investment in Hungary. This factory, which has produced over 2.5 million vehicles so far, now supplies markets worldwide, to 31 countries in Europe and 54 countries outside Europe.” Over the years, Suzuki has invested EUR 1.5 billion in the Hungarian facility (in Esztergom, NW of the Budapest) that now employs 3,100 people. The production plan for 2015 is 165,000 vehicles as demand seems to be increasing with the introduction of the new model, the Vitara.

Our car The company is working to increase the number of local suppliers as well as total purchase amount. “Our aim is to purchase as much material and as many components as we can from Hungarian suppliers. Of course, they must meet the standards and criteria set by us in terms of quality, cost and lead time. In order to improve their performance, we have formed a working team together with the relevant ministries and the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA),” the CEO adds. Suzuki models 'Made in Hungary’ are also popular among Hungarian buyers. In the year 2014, a total of 67,476 new passenger cars were registered in the country – an increase of 20.2% compared to the year before. In 2014, 4,735 of these were Suzuki models which earned them

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SUZUKI PREMIERES AT THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW

a market share of 7.02%, putting Suzuki into 5th position among the different brands.

Japanese quality As for how much Magyar Suzuki Corporation applies Japanese traditions and business philosophy in its activities, CEO Oura highlights the ‘Japanese production policy’ that has already been introduced at the group’s manufacturing sites in Japan. Briefly, it means ‘smaller, lighter, shorter’. “This thought with these key words appears in our organization, pieces of equipment, the parts used, in our environmental approach, etc. The gist of it is that we conduct an efficient and profitable management of the company without any unnecessary elements. In Japan and in Hungary, Suzuki factories make their products in the same manner in accordance with Suzuki standards. We are proud of the fact that our products are the same quality as Japanese-made products. This was proved by the fact that our Splash model successfully launched on the Japanese market and its high quality level was appreciated by the Japanese customers.”

THE NEW BOOSTERJET 1.0 LITER DIRECT-INJECTION TURBO ENGINE This engine, newly developed by Suzuki, saves fuel while delivering driving pleasure. Fuel efficiency has been improved by reducing engine displacement, and output and torque are boosted with a turbocharger. In addition to fulfilling fuel efficiency and dynamic performance expectations, the

NEW-GENERATION PLATFORM Suzuki's new-generation platform is designed to efficiently increase rigidity while reducing weight via a fundamental redesign of the underbody's structure and also optimizing overall vehicle design, including parts mounted on the underbody.

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Ryoichi Oura was born in 1960. He took his degree in Chemical Engineering at the Department of Engineering of Yokohama National University. He started his career in 1984 when he joined Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) to be in charge of the paint shop’s production planning at SMC’s headquarters. In 1990, he participated for a year in the establishment of a new paint shop in Korea. Having spent a decade at the SMC headquarters, he was put in charge of another plant’s construction and operation in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was stationed in the USA for four years. Then, he returned to SMC’s Kosai plant, and assumed the position in charge for the paint shop. In 2011 he was transferred to the Suzuki plant in Esztergom, as head of the Production Department." He is married with a child. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing.

This improves fuel efficiency, safety, handling, stability, and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) performance across the board. Moreover, Suzuki will streamline development by consolidating its existing four platforms to three and modularizing functional components. This will enable bringing out new cars in a more efficient way that can be tailored to fast-changing market demand.

iK-2 – the new compact hatchback concept: the smartest compact car developed by pursuit of compact hatchback ideals to a new even higher level for Suzuki. iM-4 - Suzuki's new mini 4x4 concept: intelligent, yet tough. An iconic mini 4x4 which expands possibilities and enjoyment of a compact car that represents new environmental technologies.

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layout has been optimized and various technologies used to reduce weight in order to meet the rigorous size and weight requirements specific to compact cars. INNOVATIVE SHVS MILD HYBRID SYSTEM The SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki), Suzuki's new mild hybrid system incorporating an ISG (integrated starter generator), provides engine power assistance using the motor and achieves efficient power regeneration. The SHVS system used for the iM-4 also features lithium-ion batteries. Coupled with a newlydeveloped high-efficiency ISG, this regenerative braking system is the perfect hybrid system for a compact car. As well as improving fuel efficiency, it also keeps down the size, weight, and cost.

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Serial production of the new Vitara model began this March. Similar to the previous model, the S-CROSS, it is not produced in Japan, but it is the factory in Hungary that supplies it to customers all over the world. “I believe that the recognition of the quality the previous model, the S-CROSS produced here in Esztergom contributed to convincing the decision-makers in Japan that the right to manufacture the Vitara model

Oura has been with Magyar Suzuki since 2011 and was named CEO last spring. He recalls that “I worked as a production engineer before and when I arrived in Esztergom, my job was also the supervision of production. When I was appointed CEO, the production – and the overseas export – of the S-CROSS model had just begun. Under such circumstances, the clear goal was to match the quality achieved at the Group’s Japanese production sites. It was also about this time that preparations for the production of the Vitara model began. Now, we have begun the mass production of the Vitaras, which – I can say – goes according to schedule. The number of export target countries is growing and we continuously try to improve the quality, as well.” As for living in Hungary, he says “I like it here. This is the first time I have worked in Europe. Japanese people associate Europe with streets of cobblestone, brick houses, etc. – in fact, that is exactly what I found here. It may be the usual answer by a foreigner, but I definitely go for the really thick goulash soup. By the way, President Suzuki is also fond of the goulash soup.”

was assigned to the Hungarian factory. This is something we are very proud of and a fair share of this recognition goes to our employees. It is not only I who believes that this is a very good car – this is the feedback from the customers, also. The new Vitara will also give us opportunity to play even more important role within the Suzuki group.

Advice by the President Group Chairman Osamu Suzuki visits Hungary often. “He does not only show up in the offices to listen to various reports but he thoroughly visits the production sites, as well. Of course, we prepare for such occasions and gather different ideas for further enhancing the manufacturing process and also report on the implementation of such ideas. Still, the President always finds little details of how to improve production. He has wise suggestions on company management, sales and the work of the different departments,” CEO Oura points out.

Helping the community Magyar Suzuki Corporation, in the course of its business activity, has paid great attention to social responsibility. Its foundation supports scholarships for talented Hungarian children to Japan. The company is committed to helping the players of its cultural, social and economic environment since being committed to its employees, business partners, customers, and local communities is a good investment and contributes to the competitiveness and sustainability of the company in the long term. Good examples are the Suzuki kindergarten for the employees’ children, local festivals, Japanese-Hungarian concerts and volunteer activities.

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FIELD! NEW

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The Sound of Spring was the title of the concert given by Japanese students in the Solti Hall of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. The event that was organized by the Japanese Embassy and the Academy of Music was opened by Ambassador Junichi Kosuge and the Rector of the Academy Dr, Andrea Vígh. Zoltán Sűdy former ambassador in Japan supports for many years the traditional event. The opening piece a Haydn Piano trio was played by Sasazhuka Modiri (violin), Shimanuki Megumi (piano) and Fujimoto Akane (cello).

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DIPLOMACY & TRADE 5TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL GALA

Diplomacy & Trade held its annual gala at the beautiful Corinthia Hotel Budapest ballroom on March 14. The theme of the event was international cooperation which was highlighted by the event’s Patron Dr. László Szabó, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and special guest István Salgó, President of the Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary. The event was well attended by members of the diplomatic and business community. One of the highlights of the evening was a specially created gourmet menu featuring the flavors of over 20 countries, a real international treat!

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“We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.” BILL CLINTON

Irish Photo Exhibition KEVIN DOW LING Ambassador of Ireland opened the photo exhibition of Béla Szabó introducing the magic scenery and places of the beautiful country. The exhibition was organized on the groundfloor of Bank Centre.

New Ambassadors St Patrick Day THE IRI SH E M BASSY launched its Bursary Award Program in close cooperation with the Irish Hungarian Business Circle. The special guest of the reception Aodhán Ó Ríordáin Minister of State congratulated and handed over the award to the winners.

PRESIDENT JÁNOS ÁDER accepted the credentials of Abdelkader Dehendi (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria) Ebrahim Mahmood Ahmed Abdulla (Kingdom of Bahrain) Sabah Zita Okaikoi (Republic of Ghana) and Wening Esthyprobo Fatandari (Republic of Indonesia).

Pakistan National Day PA K I S TA N A M B A S S A D OR to Hungary Iftekhar Aziz pointed out the difference between his country's National Day, or Pakistan Day, and Independence Day when he hosted a National Day reception in the InterContinental Hotel Budapest

VENCZEL

VENCZEL, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

photos by ZSOLT

Cook Islands RE Z SŐ SÁR D I New Zealand Honorary Consul introduced the photo exhibition entittled "Cook Islands: the secret of the Pacific Ocean. The site of the event was the Museum of Flags (Zászlómúzeum).The owner of the collection László Balogh invited dance artist Katalin Nemecz to show local dances on the opening event.

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WITTY

LE A K S

IN OUR SERIES, DIPLOMATS GIVE THEIR PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE EXPERIENCES OF THEIR “EXCURSIONS”

to Hungarian culture, art, gastronomy & landscape.

LIFE IN THE CITY OF BATHS ‘RELAXING’ AND ‘AWESOME’ SPAS IMPRESS DIPLOMATS

Introduction to Hungarian spas Even on my first two-day trip to Budapest back in the late nineteen eighties, I managed a visit to one of the baths. The Hungarian husband of a Latvian friend indulged me in a taste of the local culture. Little did I know then that this was to be a precursor of things to come. My next encounter was shortly before arriving as Ambassador in the autumn of 2012. Seeking a break from viewing numerous properties as a potential residence, I

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was dropped off at the magnificent Széchenyi Baths. Awesome. Their size and splendor took some getting used to. I didn’t manage a game of outdoor water chess. However, I have also not returned there since the first, somewhat crowded, experience. Being a resident of Buda is also a factor which prevents me from making that ‘arduous’ journey across the river. Given our preference for swimming as a form of exercise, my wife and I got down to the serious business of seeking a conveniently located pool soon after our move to Budapest. Gellért was tried and tested, but scored low on its complicated infrastructure and not so helpful staff.

The Rudas delights Before long, we discovered the delights of Rudas. The size of the pool is perfect, neither too small nor too big. When we started our regular visits, the swimming area had tasteful yellow walls combined with a blue color. Very relaxing. The place has, however, been spruced up during last year. The pool area has been given a coat of whitish paint, and two extensions consisting of an area with whirlpools and another with a variety of saunas have been added to the original facilities. Instructions on the ‘does and don’ts’ now appear not only in Hungarian and English, but also in Russian. No doubt, reflecting customer demand. My conservative tendencies with an

inbred reluctance to accept change mean that I much preferred the Rudas of old with its very special atmosphere. This, of course, still exists in the original Turkish part. It offers pools of various temperatures around an octagonal pool below a beautifully arched ceiling. Slightly on the dark side, but somehow very cozy – a treat for trying different temperature extremes. Plunging into the very cold basin brings fond memories of our sauna culture in Latvia and other parts of Northern Europe. The Rudas swimming pool still remains a gem, especially if the timing of the visit is gauged to ensure that there are not so many competitors for the available space. I usually try to swim a minimum of one kilometer, but on a recent visit had the time and energy to just about double my distance. Perhaps, I should start to consider taking part in that summer swim across Lake Balaton… Rudas is really my winter and autumn option. Once the weather perks up, open air facilities become more tempting. There is nothing like spending half a day during the weekend swimming, bathing and enjoying the sun at the Lukács Baths. I can usually get my serious swim over and done with in some 40 minutes. The rest of the time A P R I L

involves lazing under blue skies or floating in the thermal pools. Lukács very successfully promoted their facilities the year before last by offering Embassies a tour and opportunity to try out their facilities. I’m very impressed by the messages inscribed on the outside walls in the beautiful grounds from people who claim to have recovered from serious ailments after receiving treatment at Lukács Baths. An offshoot of Lukács is the Király Thermal Bath, which is just a 10-minute walk from my residence. Without a direct supply of water from Budapest’s numerous springs, Király is linked in to Lukács. The building is another beautiful Turkish design constructed back in the 16th Century, and so exudes a special atmosphere of its own. The downside, however, is that it has no swimming pool.

Polite swimmers In my experience, fellow swimmers in Budapest are polite and considerate. Very rarely have I encountered the aggressive types who ignore other swimmers and do their Olympic training for the butterfly or front crawl events. My preference is back stroke, especially after recovering from a frozen shoulder just before arriving in Budapest. I have to take care about 2 0 1 5

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Countryside offers Some diplomatic colleagues encouraged my wife and me to venture further afield. So, of course, a trip to Lake Hévíz, plugged as the second largest thermal lake in the world, was not to be missed. A dip in this radioactive, warm lake is certainly an invigorating experience. Rather than resting on a supportive rubber ring as most of the bathers seem to do, I made sure that I had my 40-minute swim, exploring the lake from end to end and looking up at the clear blue skies en route. Extremely enjoyable, especially if you can find time it for when the water lilies are flowering. Diplomats in Budapest are not only spoilt by Hungarian wines, a unique cuisine and rich culture. Budapest is the place to enjoy the waters. It thoroughly deserves the description of “the City of Baths”, offering visitors and locals the chance to indulge in the delights and variety of thermal baths. We are spoilt for choice. Needless to say that my biggest incentive in meeting the looming deadline for this “WittyLeaks” article is – you guessed – a visit to the baths.

OF EMBASSY OF LATVIA

I have a confession to make. I’m a great fan of Hungary’s thermal baths. They help overcome the worries and cares of diplomatic life – especially when Latvia’s EU Presidency is taking its toll on me and other members of the Embassy staff. It must have something to do with the fact that as the child of Latvian refugees to England, I had grown up in spa town. Royal Leamington Spa housed the Pump Rooms, with a swimming pool next door. It was where I took my first lessons in keeping afloat in water. These formative years were followed by half a year after university studies working at a Thermal Hotel in Aix-les-Bains in an endeavor to improve my French language skills. This was my introduction to “les cures” and the magical remedies offered by different types of water.

who I may bump into, but usually manage to avoid head on collisions. Even minor incursions into the space of other pool users normally results in a friendly exchange of “bocsánat”. If I’m on top of my workload, I can occasionally manage a lunchtime swim. The option is the nearest municipal pool: MOM Sport. Its indoor pool – I’ve yet to try the outdoor one – is divided into lanes. So, this is the stuff of serious swimming. The lanes can easily handle 2 or 3 devotees: manageable and comfortable. The two-hour time slot also offers the chance to use a separate whirlpool and a few dry and moist saunas. Although there is no shortage of baths in Buda, I am intrigued to find out whether the choice will be increased by the addition of the Rác baths just by Erzsébet Bridge. No signs of life there during the last few years, but legal dispute allowing, I would hope that it is able to open its doors before my eventual departure from Budapest.

photos by COURTESY

BY IMANTS LIEĢIS, THE AMBASSADOR OF LATVIA TO HUNGARY

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GEORGIA’S MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY FIGHTING FOR LANGUAGE, SHAPING NATIONHOOD

photos by

SALVA LEZSAVA, COURTESY PICTURES

BY DR. RUDOLF SÁRDI

On 31 March, Georgia held a premature celebration of its Mother Language Day at the Faculty of Humanities of Eötvös Loránd University. The landmark occasion was held in commemoration of Georgia’s endeavor to eventually gain sweeping victory over the Soviet repressive machine and maintain, as a result, Georgian as the country’s official language. On 14 April 1978, Georgian intellectuals gathered to defend the status of the Georgian language, which was planned to be annulled by the oppressive Soviet Georgian machinery. On this day, 36 years ago, hundreds of Georgian took to the streets in Tbilisi in protest against the Soviet Empire’s decision to remove words in the Georgian Constitution that would guarantee Georgian as the country’s official language. It was this act of camaraderie and the pursuit of a common goal that is seen today as an unprecedented case of a captive nation and its people venturing so far as to meet the community’s demands and make the regime step back. Students of Tbilisi, professors, teachers, and citizens constituted the multitude that showed resistance to accept the impairment of the values and unalienable rights of a nation. Georgia’s nationhood has been largely determined by its own unique language, but much more so by the fact that the preservation of its language met with success due to the courage of Georgian people. In order to solemnly celebrate this event on the historical grounds of the Faculty of Humanities of ELTE University, Hungarian Kartvelologist and researcher Dr. Hajnalka Babirák delivered a speech, which has contributed to the development of Kartvelological sciences as a fundamental field of studies for Hungarian scholars and those interested in Georgian literature, history, archaeology, ethnography, and arts. Georgian Ambassador Zaza Kandelaki honored the wellattended event with his presence. It attracted university students, professors, and experts from a variety of fields with a keen awareness of the important mission that Georgia has played in the Caucasus region as of late. Dr. Babirák spoke at length about the history of Georgian language, its evolution and interaction with other languages of the region, and presented a strongly convincing argument of how Hungarians in the Caucasus w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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region settled down, establishing a visible link between our nations and offering something of an affinity between Georgians and Hungarians. In this context, it is worthy of mention that numerous Hungarians have conducted research in Georgia, made generous contributions to the maintenance and eventual development of Kartvelological sciences, and deepened the good relationship between the two nations. The exhaustive list includes Miklós Kis Misztótfalusi, one of the first printers and letter cutters of the Georgian type letters; Mihály Zichy, who lived in Tbilisi, where he prepared the illustrations for “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” at the request of the Georgian intelligencia, exerting significant influence on Georgian artists. The library of Kartvelologist Márton Istánovits has been bequeathed to the Faculty of Humanities of ELTE, covering all areas, including Georgian folklore, ethnology, history, and linguistics. Additionally, Georgia and Hungary have ratified an agreement of cooperation between their academies of sciences. Increasing numbers of Georgian students have been granted a scholarship by Hungary and arrived to study at several state universities. It must be emphasized that the relationship between the two countries is not limited to scholarly activities. In recent years, Georgia and Hungary have experienced and economic boom, a visible token of which is the recently introduced scheduled flight between Budapest and Kutaisi by Wizz Air. Georgian PM Garibasvili Irakli visited Hungary recently in order to give further impetus to the development of relations. Georgia’s great victory – commemorated on Mother Language Day – demonstrated to the world that Georgians must be remembered as a having committed an act equal to heroism. Today, the country considers it as a primary duty to respect and take care of its mother language, which will help strengthen its official status in the long run. In addition to its wonderful heritage of art and humanities, Georgia has become a popular tourist destination among Central European. Its sublimely perched old churches and watchtowers dotting fantastic mountain scenery to its green valleys spread with vineyards will make one recall the country’s complicated history, while at the same time, one will set foot in a country where guests are considered blessings and hospitality is the very stuff of life.

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diplomacy diplomacy.

BUSINESS LIKE A SWEDEN ADDENDUM TO SWEDISH-HUNGARIAN RELATIONS

developed in the last couple of years with our Hungarian counterparts called the SwedishHungarian Smart Forum.

BY SWEDISH AMBASSADOR NICLAS TROUVÉ

Sweden and Hungary are already close partners in the quest for technological advancement and increased competitiveness. Both countries have proud traditions as leaders in science and technology. Furthermore, we share the conviction that free trade is the best policy to stay sharp, to open up for competition and ultimately to provide the best solutions for the consumers and for society at large. Develop and prosper or stagnate and die. That is the bitter truth. Nothing can be taken for granted. We must stay competitive and creative, or find ourselves in the footnotes of the history books. Or to paraphrase the old sailors’ motto: Innovare necesse est!

The Nordic model I believe that career development must include measures to free up time by supporting families with generous child care and parental leave schemes for men and women. I also believe that every successful organization needs to organize the work in a balanced way, allowing for individual career development irrespective of gender or age. Together with my Nordic colleagues, I will soon host an event on these aspects of work and life, the ‘Nordic Sustainability Model if you like’. Our part of the seminar is called ‘Business like a Swede’. We hope that there will be some interesting ideas to share with our Hungarian guests – and viceversa. In the same vein, I was proud to organize a feminist dinner discussion a month ago which resulted in a very stimulating dialogue on how to advance the role of women in society at large – not least in politics and diplomacy. As you might have heard or seen already, Sweden has a feminist government and a feminist foreign policy. I am proud of this fact. I am proud to be a feminist male Ambassador!

Human resources and life puzzle Technological advancement is important, but it is not a sufficient condition for success. The key assets in any activity or organization are the people – the human resources, their well-being and development. The success of a company or a country, therefore, is defined more by its staff and people, than by its physical infrastructure. This is why health

and education are the single most important issues for most governments. We all need to be healthy and happy to be productive – and we need motivation and development to excel. But knowledge and skills have to be accompanied by sound values, ethics and a balanced approach to life as a whole in order

for us to perform well. This is the basic insight behind the co-operation developed between the Embassy of Sweden, Business Sweden and some of the major Swedish companies in Hungary to focus on the ‘Life Puzzle’, the ‘Good Employer’ and the ‘Sustainable Working Environment’. We do this in the framework

FROM BOFORS TO GRIPENS

HUNGARIAN GRIPENS PRACTICE IN SWEDEN

Hungarian Gripen fighter jets and airmen flew to Sweden’s Vidsel Air Base, located nearly a hundred kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, this March to carry out a livefiring missile campaign and air-to-air gunnery there. The six JAS–39 Gripens participating in the exercise ‘Air Superiority’ departed from the 59th ‘Dezső Szentgyörgyi’ Air Base of the Hungarian Defense Forces. They were followed by an AN–26 transport plane, which carried the ground crew on board. The approximately six-hour flight was interrupted with only one landing at Ronneby Air Base, Sweden, where the ground crew refueled the Gripens in the form of a 15-minute ‘hot refueling’, that is, with the engines running. At Vidsel Air Base, they conducted a live firing campaign executed with Sidewinder missiles. In another exercise, they shot 27-mm Mauser guns at targets, similar to windsocks used at airports, released from an aircraft at high altitude. The Hungarian planes took off for home on March 20th and the pilots and the crew were able to watch at – at an altitude of 41,000 feet or 12,500 meters – the eclipse of the Sun…

HUNGARIAN–SWEDISH MILITARY COOPERATION

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Even days and weeks after the visit to Military relations between Hungary and Sweden reach back to the first half of the 20th century. The Hungarian military used a couple of Swedish defense products at that time, e.g. the famous ‘Bofors’ air defense guns that were in service for many years at the Hungarian Defense Forces (HDF). The products of the Swedish defense industry have long been well renowned for their excellent quality and reliability in all corners of the world. Twenty years ago a ’government-to-government’ military cooperation agreement was signed between Hungary and Sweden. It was modified in 2004 and entered into force in 2005. The Hungarian Ministry of Defense says both sides are eager to explore an increasing number of fields for cooperation, thus making the bilateral relations even stronger. As the Ministry points out to Diplomacy & Trade, the Gripen Lease Agreement signed in 2001 (amended in 2003 and in 2012) is a significant part of the bilateral relations between Sweden and Hungary. In the framework of this agreement, Hungary has been leasing 14 Gripen fighter planes. The first one was delivered in 2006 and the fleet was completed by the end

of 2007. Currently, this cooperation covers trainings, exercises and logistic support for the Gripen aircraft (including Swedish experts at Kecskemét Air Base in Eastern Hungary). Hungary is one of the five countries operating Gripen fighters. Based on the experience, these fourth generation aircraft satisfy the operational needs of the Hungarian Air Force. In the framework of NATO’s Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) initiative (in which Hungary participates as a NATO member and Sweden as a ‘Partnership for Peace nation), Swedish soldiers have been serving at HDF Pápa Air Base (Western Hungary) since 2009. This is a multinational cooperation which brings 11 countries together. The upcoming challenge for the Hungarian Air Force will start in September 2015 when the Hungarian fighters will be responsible for the security of the airspace of the three Baltic countries (Baltic Air Policing). Swedish and Hungarian high-ranking military and defense ministry leaders meet regularly, maintaining the strong and strategic relationship. The two ministers of defense met in Stockholm in 2012 where they took part in the signing ceremony of the amendment of the Gripen Lease Agreement that allowed both sides to reach mutually favorable conditions. The Swedish minister of defense paid a visit to Hungary where she attended the International Airshow and Military Display at Kecskemét Air Base in 2013.

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sweden.

FRAMEWORKS of JOINTS RESEARCH HUNGARIAN-SWEDISH ACADEMIC COOPERATION

MTA EXTERNAL MEMBERS IN SWEDEN

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) has had institutional relationship with the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, since 1990 and with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences since 1972. The cooperation with all three partners played a very important role in the development of MTA’s international relations. Although, the institutional cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences no longer continued after Hungary's accession to the European Union, that – according to MTA officials – does not mean a reduction in the activity of research relationships. In line with international (European) trends, scientific research is implemented in the framework of European and international consortia in, in many cases through tenders financed by the European Union (eg. FP7, Horizon 2020) trends. The weight of the traditional bilateral academic agreements with universities in the EU decreased a lot, and practically lost their importance in case Western European partners. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences has grouped its cooperation agreements and joint research projects into three categories: science research centers and institutes; life sciences and social sciences.

Science research centers

photos by ISAK55/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM,

ADRIAN PINGSTONE, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ

As for the first category, researchers at

the MTA Science Research Center Institute of Enzymology and the Department of Pharmacology of Semmelweis University conducted research, with the involvement of Finnish and Swedish researchers, on the development of narcolepsy. MTA and the University of Szeged Research Group of Stereochemistry (recognized as a Supported Research Group) forms successful cooperation with Prof. Reko Leino at the Department of Organic Chemistry of the Swedish University of Turku (Abo Akademi University). Several members of the research team are also involved in the research and educational work conducted at the Medicinal Chemistry – and Organic Chemistry – departments: in project work management, as well as in the doctoral program. Life sciences The Veterinary Science Institute at MTA’s Agricultural Sciences Research Center, is a molecular and comparative virology laboratory, considered as the reference center for animal adenoviruses. It cooperates with Brazilian, Dutch, Swedish, American, German, Russian and Spanish researchers. The functional virological group conducted joint research with the Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA), the Veterinary Faculty of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Uppsala) for the development of Nidovirus constructions, as well as in FIPV and PRRSV research. The Zoonotic Bacteriology and Mycoplasmatology group signed an official scientific cooperation

THE SCANDINAVIAN HOUSE FOUNDATION organized a Scandinavian Day on March 28. They expected all those who are interested in Scandinavian Culture. The participants could listen to lectures, play quiz about Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, see films, have special children's programs and listen to concerts. The event was opened by Tom Norring, Ambassador of Denmark and Zsolt Vattamány, Mayor of Erzsébetváros (7th district of Budapest). w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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• Sándor Belák • Egon Diczfalusy • Balázs Gulyás • Tibor Hottovy • Éva Klein • György Klein

veterinary virology and epidemiology, Agricultural Sciences (Professor, Uppsala University of Agriculture) Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Medical Sciences Neurobiology, Department of Biological Sciences (Karolinska Institutet) urbanism, IT, Department of Engineering Sciences tumor biology, immunology, virology, Department of Biological Sciences (honorary member) – tumor virology, tumor genetics, tumor immunology, Department of Medical Sciences, the 2014 honoree of the Semmelweis Budapest Award

agreement with the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy (Kosice, Slovakia) and the Swedish Defense Research Agency with (Umea, Sweden). One staff member of the research team spent three months as a visiting researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy (Kosice, Slovakia) and spent one week as a guest researcher at the Swedish Defense Research Agency. The Institute of Ecology and Botany MTA’s Ecological Research Center took part in joint fieldwork and held a conference presentation with an international team of researchers comprised of mossers and mycologists, which explored the communities appearing on dead trees in European beech groves. The research community is made up of Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, German and Hungarian participants.

The Nuclear Mitochondrial Interactions Research Group (another Supported Research Group) was set up jointly by MTA and the University of Pécs. In order to develop fluorescence microscopy studies, this working group initiated a cooperation with Linnaeus University (Kalmar, Sweden) through which they learned to define the persistence length of protein filaments. Yet another Supported Research Group is

the ‘Momentum Immune-Genomic Research Group’, established by MTA and the University of Debrecen. As part of an international consortium, Swedish and Hungarian researchers work together on a project that examines the context of the immune system and metabolic control. The main objective of the project is the training of young and experienced researchers through research work and research exchanges.

Social sciences The Law Institute at MTA’s Social Sciences Research Center organized, in May 2013, an international conference of great interest on the ‘Enforcement of EU Law against Member States’. The academic event was sponsored by the embassies of United States, France, Sweden and the Netherlands, as well as the French Institute. Several countries (including the United States and numerous EU member states) were represented at ambassadorial level. The many lectures were held by internationally recognized, prestigious experts, including people from Harvard University and leading Western European universities. The event was attended by approximately a hundred people, and it was considered as great success by the organizers as well as by the chief patrons.

SAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS EUROPEAN NETWORK with the addition of four routes during the course of last week. With the longest sector being the 1,360-kilometre route from Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) to Budapest (BUD), Commenting on the route Stephan Hedelius tne Vice President of SAS in the press conference of the launch, organized on the Swedish Ambassador’s Residence told that last year 17,000 travelled ny flight between the two cities, there are over 150 Swedish companies in Hungary and about four thousand Swedish live in the country that makes relaunch of the flights reasonable. Ambassador Niclas Trouve expressed his hope, that the new flights contribute to the further development od Swedish-Hungarian economic and touristic relations. As commencing the summer schedule the first Boeing 737 has landed in Budapest, March 29. SA of Hungarian-SwedishS will commence a four-times weekly service to Stockholm Arlanda, meeting considerable consumer demand for more flights between the Swedish and Hungarian capitals. These new services from SAS offer passengers convenience, comfort and choice and we’re looking forward to working closely with the airline to give our customers the very best choice of how they can travel to Scandinavia and beyond.” The route Stockholm Arlanda–Budapest will operate four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, during the period March 29–June 21 and August 20–October 24. The route is served by a Boeing B737-600 and flying time is estimated to be about 2 hours and 10 minutes.

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economy economy.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

ILLUSION OR OPPORTUNITY? THIS WAY OF LOOKING AT THE ISSUES IS A FALSE DILEMMA Diplomacy&Trade Magazine was invited to a business breakfast entitled ’The Illusion of the Business Case for Sustainability’. The event, organized by The Business Council for Sustainable Development on Hungary (BCSDH), was opened by Gajus Scheltema the Dutch Ambassador to Hungary and István Salgó President of BCSDH. The guest speaker Kitty van der Heijden, Director of the World Resources Institute Europe, former Ambassador for Sustainable Development of the Netherlands depicted a rather grim status of our Earth as it is at the moment. Despite many calls for action by scientists, policy makers and private sector actors to act on climate change and sustainable development in general, the transformation to a low-carbon economy is realized at a slower pace than is needed to avoid the consequences of climate

change. In her lecture she stressed that a part of the problem is that many decision makers equate action on these issues with economic costs: a trade-off between ’green’ and ’growth’. They see a reduced return on investments in sustainable growth. In her keynote speech the lecturer argued,that this way of looking at the issues is a false dilemma, and it doesn’t have to be this way. It is possible to promote economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation, all while fighting climate change and reversing the trend of ecosystem

it took us 200 yers to use half the world’s carbon budget, and it will take only 30 years to use the other half at current rate. But she also shows the main findings of the Global Comission on the Economy&Climate saying that economic growth and climate mitigation can be achieved together. We do not need to choose. There are multiple economic benefits of action, e.g. reduced health costs from air pollution, less congestion & road deaths, enhanced energy, water and food security. In many cases these will outweigh the costs of action. Among many of the transformative actions we have to integrate climate risk into strategic decisions, scale up low-carbon innovation and end deforestation as it ’results’ at the moment the size of 50 soccer field lost each minute.

degradation. She quotes frightening numbers: 3.3 million death per year from air pollution, 3 times more cement production, fifty percents more CO₂ emissions 13 million hectares of forest lost per year, 1.2 billion people facing water scarcity. Showing the brutal arithmetic:

’The difficulty lies not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones.’ She insists that awareness drives actions and transparency drives accountability. With the words of the famous economist John Maynard Keynes ’The difficulty lies not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones.’ KITTY VAN DER HEIDEN GAVE AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW TO DIPLOMACY&TRADE MANAGING DIRECTOR PÉTER KERÉNYI.

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‘Well I think we are the system in the sense that the way we consume and produce is leading to the grim statistics you were referring to. At the moment we use about one and a half of

Every minute four children are dying somewhere out of thirst, for lack of water… And you write, that we should get up, stand up, do not forget to fight / so what should we do? A P R I L

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the earth while by my last count we have only one. That if you look at the way we have dealt with our Earth in just 40 years time / in just my lifetime, the bio-diversity, the variety of species has gone down by fifty percent.’ adds Kitty van der Heijden

photos by DÁVID

Talking about the big triangle of economy, equity and ecology, the Director of WRI says that ‘We are the system. When we use at the moment 1.5 of the Earth and we are to use 3.5 in 2050 as you say, then I have to ask the question Are we the system? How much are we the system?

HARANGOZÓ

“First of all I think it is raising awareness. In WRI we say we count it, you change it and You scale it. That is our theory of change. We have to make people aware that this, at a global scale, is a serious problem whether it is deforestation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, or climate change. Then we have to find ways of addressing these issues within an economics system. It is not about the moral imperative, it is not because we like green; it is because we have to embed sustainability in the economic system. “And you need to start scaling it - she continues - because it is not just an individual business. It is to bring about a coalition of the willing for societal change. If you take the example of deforestation, we now have a coalition that is called the Tropical Forest Alliance which has governments, large multinational corporations that consider the harvesting of palm oil, and it has a number of NGOs starting scaling this, so we can have systemic change. We have far too often dealt with this as a case by case issue, now we need to move beyond that.”

photos by DÁVID

On the question what was her personal motivation that made her ump into this issue she stares with a smile looking back ’I have been very much engaged with environment from childhood. My biggest dream when I was young,was to become a tropical veterinary dealing with large game in Africa. Unfortunately I can’t stand blood, so that was not a good carreer choice for me. My whole family comes through the business environment. When I was growing up, my Dad worked for SHELL, and we had big debates at home on the impact of economy in the environment. And, in my young years, I was pretty much an activist. But I did that as a personal hobby and at the same time I studied economics. So I became an economist because I was convinced that as countries we have to start working together.’ After finishing her studies, she could do two things, either go into business or do something that is of service to the community. So she went into Foreign Service basically to help address the poverty issue. That was not a very environmentally conscious choice until in the mid-nineties more and more she started to see ‘how our efforts to eradicate poverty were undermined by an erosion of our natural systems, by water scarcity, by solar degradation, bio diversity loss. That is how she became an conscious to an environmental way of growing out of poverty.’ The more you do that, the more you see the importance of business in getting it right. Then I started to work on the intersection between growth and development and environment. That is still what I am passionate about. I am passionate about green but I am equally passionate about growing people out of poverty, which means that our economy needs to grow, just on a different way’

What do you believe about the gaps between the realization and the solution – in general, as people are in many cases using the word but not feeling the impact?

“It is really hard to see that at the level of individual sometimes, as individuals we see that we are small in the larger global atmosphere in which we operate and the global challenge that we face. But I think at the same time, each and every individual can make a change. Very often there is not real awareness about our ecological footprint as individual consumers. We must look

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economy economy.

at the way we use natural resources in our supply chains. Once people become more aware about what is in the products, they may change. For example, half of the products we use contain palm oil, which is a cause of massive deforestation, and the result is that we will suffer the consequences of. It is not that people do not want to change, they do not know, how to change. The same goes for corporations. She summarizes: “So what we do as a science community and as a cooperation of think tanks is use science-based targets where by sector we are helping the business to determine what their contribution to achieve should be based on the latest possible science…. we help them to think through what that means for their business, and help them to achieve those results, and we do the same at the level of countries. Making them do that and learning from each other. That is the way, as a science community we want to help countries, cities and the corporate sector to move forward, based on science and with very practical hands on tools.”

photos by DÁVID

HARANGOZÓ, TAMÁS KOVÁCS/MTI

I am interested that in her lecture she said to look at your personal environment as a business case, for example when she had to take care of her children Magnus and Elsi. eating, how could she stay in line with these principles? How could she manage her private life as a business case?

“It is a very valid question”, she admits, “And it is not very easy. This is why I say you need to have a good business case whether it is at an individual or corporate level. For example we hardly eat any beef, because the environmental footprint of beef is very high. It’s very water intensive and very carbon intensive. We have meat three days, we are not vegetarian, I love meat. Look at the public transport – we biked to school or to the office. I have a car, and I have to buy a new one. As a diplomat, I am supposed to care about appearances but I keep the old because it’s a waste of resources that I don’t want to have, though it looks ugly, it still drives. “Then I am very conscious of what type of shampoo I buy because shampoo has parabens which end up in the plastic soup in the ocean. So I check what is in my shampoo before I buy it. You know I work very hard I work seventy hours a week and when I get home I’m really tired and I want to take a hot bath. My children tell me no, because it is taking too much water and it’s too high in energy. They say ‘take your three minute shower Mum”(Mom). So the way we use our natural environment, for them is more natural almost than for me. My cleaning products are environmentally sound. These are the choices I can make as an individual consumer and I try to do it. I still drive a car that perhaps I shouldn’t. I can’t always find the products I would like and when I am in a hurry so sometimes I buy products that do not comply with my personal belief. It’s not always easy. But I think we all have a choice to make and we all can make a difference. And if we don’t, the consequence affects our children. We are the first generation that rather than sacrificing ourselves for our future are sacrificing our children’s future for ourselves, with the way we consume and we live. And that I find unacceptable. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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HIGH-INTEREST PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT HUNGARY’S ROLE FOR GERMAN COMPANIES JÁDI NÉMETH Attorneys at Law was delighted to welcome the guests of a full house panel discussion about Hungary’s role as a regional competency center and industry hub for German companies. Stakeholders from German leading industries contribute significantly to the development of our national economic development. This favorable evolution is not only due to the country’s high standard education system, central location, strategic and innovative mindset but also to certain areas of the domestic legislation. But how can we move forward? This was the main question we aimed to answer with the help of highly esteemed members of the panel discussion: Ágnes Fábián, Managing Director

and President at Henkel Hungary; Javier González Pareja, General Manager at Robert Bosch Kft.; Gergely Prőhle, Deputy State Secretary for International and EU Affairs of the Ministry of Human Capacities and Peter Inzenhofer, Vice-President at German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce; Managing Director at Hirschmann Car Communication.

The members of the panel discussion agreed that Hungary offers a great potential for German companies to develop regional centers around their core competences and many factors improved during the recent years, however it is important to see that these companies contributed to this development significantly and huge part of the positive trends were generated by themselves.

Although everyone welcomes the positive tendency, there is a consensus among the key stakeholders that there is room for improvement in terms of the implementation of new regulations. The representatives of the companies agreed that they would need not only more time in order to prepare themselves for changing regulations but they would also require more consultation with the government. Overall, based on the discussion, we can expect that leading German companies will further invest in Hungary and will recommend the country as business destination but in order to be able to make the leap from good to great there Hungary needs to take further steps towards legal stability and predictability.

AFTER THE BROKERAGE SCANDALS IS THERE HOPE FOR GAINING BACK THE TRUST OF INVESTORS?

The brokerage scandals of the last few weeks reveal that there is still room for the improvement of corporate transparency in Hungary. Transparency International Hungary (TI) expects the Hungarian government and the Hungarian National Bank (MNB) to prevent such financial abuses with the modification of the related regulations, instead of letting the companies decide about their anti-corruption policy alone. TI urges legislators to develop corporate transparency legislations otherwise there is no hope for gaining back the trust of investors. As an organization fighting against corruption, TI considers the responsibility of powerful companies very important in shaping a fair business environment. At the same time, TI calls for the government to develop a regulatory framework that obliges financial companies for transparent internal audit mechanisms. In order to prevent and identify the corporate misconducts, the current legislative framework of protection of corporate whistleblowers needs to be enhanced. „These mechanisms should be able to prevent corporate frauds covered as creative accounting tricks and overseen by the management” - emphasized József Péter Martin the CEO of Transparency International Hungary. The management has to be accountable. Real progress can be only made by independent effective control mechanisms separate from the company management. Above all, financial companies should be obliged to set up an audit committee, independent from the management, which oversees the company’s business activity. Companies should provide secure and accessible channel through (a whistleblower hotline) employees and others should feel able to raise concerns and report violations in confidence and notify both the audit committee and the MNB (the financial regulatory body). After strengthening supervision and accountability, the government has to create an effective regulation to prevent corporate corruption. This regulation should obliged companies to establish anti-

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corruption programs with international standards and to make those programs publicly available. This way the financial companies should be accountable for their activities by investors, owners and the public. Corporate transparency should be emphasized otherwise companies are able to hide their poisonous products and their tricky solutions via different subsidiaries. Therefore the disclosing obligations should be extended for subsidiaries, associated companies and also for joint ventures. TI suggests that the government should establish the Hungarian corporate transparency legislation by adopting the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) guideline on

Principles of Corporate Governance. According to this OECD guideline a transparent company should give full and substantive information to the public in the following: financial and operating results, major share ownership, associated companies, management, decision making, allowance policy, risk factors and measures controlling them, contracts with the state and other governmental actors and financial warranties from the state. „Transparent companies are better protected against corruption, which leads to clear markets, profit growth, and in the end, the growth of competitiveness” – József Péter Martin indicated.

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economy economy.

ECONOMY PREDICTED TO WEAKEN

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS

THE HUNGARIAN ECONOMY IN 2014 – FORECAST FOR 2015

FORECAST FOR 2015

2012

than 10%) was particularly high by EU standards in agriculture and construction, and to a lesser extent in industry. The performance of services was below the average, that of finances and real estate decreased further. Basically with stagnating investments, the growth rate of Hungary’s GDP is expected to decelerate to some 2% in 2015. Industry is likely to grow most dynamically. Some deceleration is expected in finances and after two good years in agriculture, and a pronounced one in construction. In 2014 GDP growth was driven by investments. In 2015, the main driving force will be consumption, leading to further deceleration 2013

2014

FACT

2015 FORECAST SEPTEMBER

DECEMBER

MARCH

GDP

98.5

101.5

103.6

102

Agriculture (1)

77.4

115.1

112.6

100

Industry (2)

98.8

96.5

105.3

104

Construction (3)

94.2

106.6

113.6

106

103

Trade (4)

99.9

106

103.7

101

104

Transport and storage (5)

98.4

102.5

103.7

102

Information, communications (6)

103.9

101.0

102.9

102

Financial services (7)

97.2

97.4

99.3

Real estate services (8)

98.2

100.6

99.5

101

Professional, scientific, technical and administrative activities (9)

100.7

104.3

105.4

102

Public administration, education, healthcare (10)

101.8

105.3

99.9

100

Arts, entertainment (11)

96.2

102.7

103.1

100

Core growth (2)+(3)+(4)+(5)+(6)+(7)+(8)+(9)

99.1

100.6

104.2

102.5

102.8

GDP domestic demand

97.0

101.2

103.7

101.7

Private consumption

98.0

100.2

101.6

101.2

102.5

Gross fixed capital formation (investments)

95.8

105.2

111.7

100

Exports

100.9

104.8

108.7

105.5

Imports

100.0

105.0

110

105.5

Consumer price index (preceding year = 100)

105.7

101.7

99.8

102.5

102.0

100

EUR billion

4.4

7.8

6.5

5.5

7.2

In per cent of GDP

4.5

7.8

7.7*

6.5

5.3

6.8

Unemployment rate (annual average)

10.2

7.7

7.4

-2.3

-2.4

-2.2

-2.5

-2.4

-2.2

Foreign trade in goods

Balance of current and capital account

General government balance in per cent of GDP (ESA) * GKI forecast | Source: HCSO, GKI

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EUCHAM PUBLISHES MONTHLY CHARTS ON EUROPE-WIDE ISSUES

in growth. In 2014, GDP growth was attributed mainly to EU transfers funding public investments. In 2015, temporarily factors promoting consumption will contribute to GDP growth. In 2016, the contribution of both demand factors is likely to diminish. In 2015, global growth will be somewhat more dynamic than in 2014. The most important driving force of global growth is the low world market price of energy. First of all net oil importing countries, including Hungary, will benefit from this. The growth rate of the global economy will be restrained by increased political risks, such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the more resolute approach of the West towards Russia, the unpredictable governance of Syriza in Greece as well as the further expansion of the Islamic State in the Middle East. Investments in Hungary fell by more than 15% between 2010 and 2012, they picked up modestly in 2013, and sharply in 2014, by 13%. In 2015, stagnation is most probable. This can be explained by the high statistical base of last year, by the termination of the investment projects in the motor industry and by the fall of investments funded by EU financial sources. With the Credit for Growth Program of the National Bank of Hungary (NHB), the average cost of loans dropped somewhat, but it is still rather high, and the major part of businesses does not want to borrow from the banks. In 2014, gross production of industry went up by 7.6%, an increase that has not been seen for three years. This was due to the fact that former investments in the motor industry were put in operation. In 2015, industrial production will mount by about 5%. Construction rallied in 2014, after a recession lasting for three years and a nearly 10% expansion in 2013 its performance jumped by 14% last year. This high growth rate was due to the absorption of EU funds and with the drop of EU transfers it will decelerate substantially in 2015. This year the rate of growth is anticipated to fall to 3%. After 2013, agriculture closed an excellent year in 2014 as well. Under average whether conditions some decrease is expected in this performance. The expansion of trade was most rapid. The “whitening” of the turnover played a significant part in it. The modernization of public services is not on the agenda either. Credit rating agencies expect from the government sustainably decreasing government debt trajectory and economic policy that ensures improvement in the investment climate and stability in the banking system. If favourable external and internal equilibria will be accompanied by the enactment of the reduction of the special bank levy in the context of the budget to be approved by Parliament in June 2015, an upgrade may take place in the second half of the year by referring to improving the perspectives or putting Hungary back to investment grade category. Various developments, such as further acquisitions of private companies by the government, the uncertain situation concerning the Paks2 project, the deteriorating evaluation of the Hungarian capital market as a result of the default of brokerage firms and their financial implications may have an adverse impact on the stance of international rating firms. A P R I L

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EuCham is an independent, nongovernmental, privately organized institution representing the interest of national and international companies. EuCham Charts are monthly releases consisting in rankings of countries in Europe based on various socioeconomic criteria. This month's chart focuses on FDI inflow figures (per capita) to highlight its relevance to a country's economic growth and its impact on society welfare. • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a controlling ownership in an enterprise by a company based abroad • There is a strong correlation between FDI inflow per capita and the degree of ease in doing business with a specific country • Luxembourg attracts most of the foreign investments per capita, with USD 55,367 per resident • Malta positions at the bottom, facing a loss of USD 4,414 per resident in terms of foreign investments SOURCE: eucham.eu/charts

EUCHAM CHART MARCH 2015 FDI NET INFLOWS PER CAPITA - IN USD

1. LUXEMBOURG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,367 2. IRELAND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,872 3. NETHERLANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,911 4. AUSTRIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,634 5. ICELAND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,451 40. HUNGARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -435 44. MALTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -4,414 2013 DATA PUBLISHED BY THE WORLD BANK IN 2014 44 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WERE CONSIDERED

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photo by PESHKOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

In 2014, the performance of the Hungarian economy was much better than anticipated by anyone. Nevertheless, in a forward looking perspective, it did not reach a trajectory that ensures sound caching-up by Central and Eastern European standards. The spectacularly favourable statistical figures of 2014 are attributed to temporary factors and/or unduly heavy sacrifices made in other fields. The extension of the model aiming at the roll back of the market economy and the increase of buy-outs of private companies by the government is continuing. The objective of the government is to strengthen its political power whose scope is increasing and the position of its preferred social and business groups. The government faced sharp conflicts with the EU, the US, several social strata as well as domestic and foreign business groups. As a consequence of these factors, the performance of the Hungarian economy is predicted to weaken significantly in 2015 compared to 2014. In 2014, Hungary’s GDP grew by 3.6%. This growth rate was not only much more dynamic than the EU average of 1.3%, but after Ireland it was the second highest in the EU. Hungary was the last country in the CEE region whose GDP reached the pre-crisis level (2007). Investments rose spectacularly sharply, by 11.7%, the 1.6% growth rate of consumption was close to the EU average. The rate of increase in the production of GDP (more

w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

4/3/15 12:24 AM

cover story

cover story.

GLOOMY SUNDAY WHAT IS BEHIND THE SUNDAY CLOSING of HUNGARIAN RETAIL STORES? ▶ CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

Portfolio assumed that legislators must have given a great deal of thought to a bill of this magnitude and used thorough calculations and estimates to back it up. The weight of numbers • 870,000 families are affected by the measure directly, as this many people buy consumer goods on an average Sunday; • 60,000 businesses are affected directly, as this many make their living from retail activities; • 260,000 employees who work sensu stricto in this sector are affected directly; • practically every family in the country is affected indirectly, even if they usually shop on other days. As 15 March was approaching, Portfolio made another attempt obtain the information they needed. They wanted to find out exactly what factors made the government and the Economy Ministry give their backing to the idea of the minor Fidesz ally, the Christian Democrats. The ministry did send them a quick but rather concise response: "The bill was submitted to Parliament as a private member’s bill. Considering that the bill was not prepared and submitted to Parliament by the National Economy Ministry, there is no impact study relating to it. On the basis of the above, we are not in a position to fulfill your request for data of public interest." PORTFOLIOS FINAL SUMMARY: Yup, that’s the end of the line folks. Everybody off the train, please! A private member’s bill - that does it. It’s pure genius. Bence Rétvári parliamentary state secretary who was one of the main promoters of the Sunday closure bill besides KDNP’s Péter Harrach told ATV: "We do not want to ruin anyone here.There is no doubt that it is advantageous for Hungary if Hungarian companies prosper in the country rather than foreign businesses. But this proposal creates the same conditions for every large corporation. It creates an advantage only for family businesses."

photos by

BALÁZS MOHAI AND ZSOLT CZEGLÉDI/MTI

The other way in Britain From 2014 from the correspondent of The Daily Mail in London: ‘We are living with a ridiculous anomaly. If people want to keep Sunday special that is fine, they can do so. It is about freedom of choice. Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994 shops of over 300,000 sq ft can only open for a maximum of six hours on a Sunday and not before 10am. And the big stores are fighting to lengthen Sunday opening hours. Two years ago, the Government suspended the Sunday trading laws during the Olympic Games and allowed stores to open for eight hours. Asda, Morrisons and Selfridges have told Ministers they would like the extra opening hours to be permanent. Since one of the March Sundays were the first time most larger retail stores were closed by law, Hungarian Spectum came to evaluation of as they say ’to one of the most politically foolish and economically harmful decisions’ of the present government. This was not the first time that KDNP pressured the Orbán government to curtail the liberal retail store hours that have existed in Hungary for the last twenty years. In 2011, when the idea was first proposed, Viktor Orbán wisely rejected it, saying that the Hungarian economy couldn’t afford the luxury. After an unsuccessful try in 2011, in early November 2014 the KDNP w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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leadership returned to its favorite hobby-horse. This time, learning from the 2011 fiasco, they decided to turn in their bill in the form of a proposal by an individual member of parliament. In 2011 it was the government that vetoed the suggestion for economic reasons, citing the results of an unpublished impact analysis. When an individual member of parliament submits a bill, however, no impact study is necessary. Mihály Varga publicly voiced his opinion that “‘the move wouldn’t be wise.” Lajos Kósa, another heavyweight in the party, was also against the bill. So was Miklós Seszták, minister of national development. Initially, even Viktor Orbán was unenthusiastic about the idea. In one of his radio interviews he admitted that he himself shops on Sundays and added that he “is not planning to influence the behavior of the people, who can decide for themselves what to do on Sundays.” But by early December the government parties gave their unanimous blessing to the measure. Since then they have been tinkering with it with scores of amendments which at times loosen, at other times tighten its grip on retail stores. Although it was always pretty clear that the majority of Hungarians were against the Sunday closings, since March 13th we know how strongly people feel about KDNP’s idea. Ipsos conducted a poll which showed that 64% of the population want stores to be open and only 32% are for store closings. Ipsos broke down the data on the basis of sex, cities and towns versus villages, young versus old, and interestingly enough the differences were not substantial. In fact, there were some unexpected results. For example, people living in villages opted for keeping stores open on Sunday in higher numbers (70%) than people in Budapest (62%). Clearly, the measure is not popular. The song that is spreading like wildfire on YouTube expresses people’s sentiments about the Sunday closings. It was written to the tune of the internationally known song “Gloomy Sunday,” from the 1930s. Opinions about why KDNP was so eager to change the law vary. Some

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people believe that since it is a religious party (and here and there even call the leaders bigots) it wants Hungarians to go to church instead of to the mall. Others interpret the move as an attack on multinationals in favor of the one large Hungarian chain that is made up of familyowned franchises, most of them small enough not to be affected by the new law. The latter theory might explain why Viktor Orbán eventually decided to support the KDNP proposal. After all, he wouldn’t at all mind if the foreign supermarkets and large chains simply abandoned their businesses in Hungary. Such an outcome would benefit some oligarchs, who could purchase their stores on the cheap. The writer on Hungarian Spectrum states, that his own theory is that the Christian Democrats, realizing Fidesz’s rapid loss of support and the decline in Viktor Orbán’s popularity, decided to put pressure on the prime minister, most likely accompanied by a threat. KDNP has 23 votes in parliament, which can be withheld at any time. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the KDNP heavies told Viktor Orbán that it is either Sunday closings or no parliamentary support from the Christian Democrats on certain key issues. As of this morning we know what was in the impact studies of 2011, which were leaked toNépszabadság. Pretty much the same negative results that trade unions and trade associations have predicted since the bill resurfaced last November. There will be a loss of 10,000 to 15,000 jobs. This can be translated into a 2.3 to 3.4 billion forint expenditure for the government in the form of unemployment insurance. About 26 to 27 billion forints would be lost annually in income taxes and social security payments. Expected lost sales for the companies would be 20.4 billion forints. VAT collections would drop by about 7.6 billion forints. All told, the Sunday closings would cost the Hungarian government 43.9-49 billion forints. That’s a steep price for Fidesz to pay to accommodate KDNP and a heavy burden for the Hungarian taxpayers to bear to keep the Fidesz-KDNP government in power.

HUNGARIAN SPECTRUM

Hungarian Spectrum features daily analyses of news from Hungary— political, economic, and cultural. Its editor and primary pundit is Eva S. Balogh, who formerly taught East European history at Yale University. Guest contributors include Kim Lane Scheppele, professor of sociology and international affairs at Princeton University; Charles Gati, senior research professor of European and Eurasian studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Randolph L. Braham, distinguished professor emeritus of political science and director of the Rosenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York; and Janos Kornai, professor of economics emeritus at Harvard University and Corvinus University of Budapest. The site, which is archived at the Library of Congress, is recognized by diplomats, journalists, scholars, and representatives of non-governmental organizations as a source of thoughtful analysis and high-level discussion of contemporary Hungarian affairs.

25 4/3/15 12:25 AM

what's on what's on.

‘PHOTOGRAPHED BY VILMOS ZSIGMOND’

TRAFÓ ELECTRIFY SERIES VOL. 7. BEN FROST, VESSEL

ON APRIL 10- JUNE 21 AT LUDWIG MUSEUM

APRIL 18 AT TRAFÓ

Oscar-winning Vilmos Zsigmond, the winner of a great many prestigious international cinematic and achievement honors, became seriously interested in photography in the early 1950s, while still living in Hungary. This exhibition offers an insight into Vilmos Zsigmond’s art as a photographer through the presentation of some 150 photographs.

OLDTIMERS WEEKEND

ON APRIL 10-12 AT RAILWAY MUSEUM

Open Society Archives (OSA), an organization committed to architecture, initiated this program five years ago to open as many 100-yearold houses to the public as possible. As part of the joint 100 Year-Old Buildings of Budapest project, on the 99th and 100th day of the year, OSA and the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Center will open to the public several dozen buildings which were erected in Budapest in 1915, and, to celebrate the jubilee, organizers invite all those houses to participate that missed being part of the programs in the last five last years “These events give the residents of the buildings the opportunity to get to know each other and the often hidden treasures of their houses,” organizers say. “We are organizing walking tours from building to building, from district to district.” Each building has its own story, and maybe its own historian. Budapest100 offers the opportunity for these hidden attractions to be discovered. www. budapest100.hu

His compositions bear witness to his sensitivity and empathy, and like his cinematic frames, define an unmistakable creative style through their alternately poetic and detail-rich vision. Definitive works of his cinematographic career include The Deer Hunter, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Black Dahlia. As a photographer, Vilmos Zsigmond was deeply influenced by Jenő Dulovits’s Artist Photography, a volume translated into several languages. It helped him to teach himself the principles of composition, the importance of handling light, and the characteristics of materials. The exhibition furthers the recognition of the relationships between photography and the work of a cinematographer with the help of excerpts from films.

VESSEL Bristol-raised UK producer Seb Gainsborough aka Vessel has received international recognition by his releases Order Of Noise in 2012 and Punish Honey in 2014 at the acclaimed underground label Tri Angle. Both albums draw a unique approach to leftfield club music and sound structures by blending experimental beats, futurist dub, noisy ambient. Vessel’s bold statement on noise has a crucial effect on his production in every aspect making his new generation music idiosyncratic and remarkable.

APRIL 23-26 AT MILLENÁRIS PARK

Budapest’s International Book Festival is considered the largest event on the Hungarian book scene. The festival’s 22nd edition offers a great number of cultural programs and at least 50,000 books along with the opportunity to meet noted authors (up to a hundred, from 25 countries). The festival’s guest of honor this year is American novelist Jonathan Franzen, author of ‘The Corrections’ and ‘Freedom’. Visitors are invited to enjoy book presentations, readings and on-stage conversations. Concerts, record and film screening will make the event a true festival. www.konyvfesztival.com

The festive celebration of books and literature draws its inspiration from a Catalan tradition, the Festival of the Rose. Legend has it that Saint George, Patron Saint of Catalonia and international knight-errant, slew a dragon about to devour a beautiful Catalan princess. From the dragon’s blood sprouted a rosebush, from which the hero plucked the prettiest rose for the princess. The traditional Rose Festival is celebrated in Barcelona to honor chivalry and love. In 1923, the festival merged with ‘El dia del libre’ (The Day of the Book), to mark the nearly simultaneous deaths of two giants of literary history, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. The fest soon grew beyond Barcelona and Spain.

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BEN FROST His latest release Aurora has been critically acclaimed by numerous magazines charting on their 2014 favorites. Also, he scored the Palme d ́Or nominated Sleeping Beauty by Julia Leigh and The Enclave audiovisual art project by Richard Mosse. In his monumental music, the cinematic structures melted into massive soundscapes as well as post-classical electronic music merged with sound art, altogether result into a melodic yet powerful sonic adventure.

INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

THE DAY OF THE BOOK

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

22ND TITANIC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 10 - APRIL 18

The Titanic Film Festival is one of the greatest film events in Hungary that gives an overall selection of the best contemporary films every spring. In total, 52 films will be presented at five Budapest venues: at Uránia National Film Theatre, Toldi, Puskin and Örökmozgó cinemas and on board of the A38 ship. The festival has a grand prize to award the most outstanding, daring and innovative movie. This time, eight films are competing for the Breaking Waves Award. This year’s selection of the competing motion pictures is truly international, with films arriving from 34 different countries.

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D I P L O M A C Y

MOHAI, BÖRKUR SIGTHORSSON, DÁVID HARANGOZÓ, COURTESY PICTURES

ON APRIL 18-19, ALL OVER THE CITY

photos by BALÁZS

BUDAPEST100 – JUBILEE EDITION

This show is one of the largest veteran vehicle exhibitions in Central Eastern Europe, according to organizers. If you have an eye for beautifully restored veteran, antique, nostalgic and classic vehicles, don’t miss this event! Oldtimers represents true values of craftsmanship and preserves memories of the car industry. This year’s event offers a large outdoor and indoor space (100,000 square meters) for exhibitors and visitors alike, with interactive and family programs, including steam engine rides, velorails or railbikes, a train rotating platform, railcars and an omnibus. An animal farm will present farm animals; kids are also invited to play in the bouncy castle and enjoy face-painting. A gastro-street will be set, offering Hungarian meat specialties, such as Csabai kolbász, for the delight of meat lovers. www. oldtimershow.hu

The seventh installment of Trafó ELECTRIFY series presents the Island resident Ben Frost presenting his volcanic new release Aurora and UK producer Vessel making his Budapest debut with his sophomore album Punish Honey. ELECTRIFY is a contemporary electronic music series with a focus on adventurous sound and stimulus for memorable sonic experience. Featuring established and emerging artists the diverse line-up aims to push boundaries for challenging exploration of new musical dimensions.

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4/3/15 12:34 AM

culture

culture.

SINÉAD O’CONNOR STEPS ON STAGE in BUDAPEST BUDAPEST SPRING FESTIVAL - 2015

Victoria Hesketh, aka Little Boots, one of the British electropop scene’s most informal artists, will perform songs from her forthcoming album on April 23, on the A38 Boat. Little Boots has been to Hungary before: her last Hungarian gig was in 2013, when she had crowds dancing at Sziget Festival. World music lovers will be able to hear the charismatic fado singer Ana Mourat on April 16 in the Bálna. Fans and collegues agree that Mourat was born a fado singer. However, she’s not only a natural at Portugese fado, but also at singing rock and roll. Her fans include stars like Prince, and Billboard has called her the best young fado singer of our time. Festival goers will also be able to hear a cross-cultural concert by the world famous sitar player, Nishat Khan and the Saint Ephraim Male Choir: a timely musical dialogue between Christianity and Islam today. Tunisianborn Dhafer Youssef is a highly-praised virtuoso of the Arabic lute, the oud. Although he was born into a family of many generations of muezzins, he is not afraid to participate in modern jam sessions. His latest album, Birds Requiem, debuts in Hungary at this year’s Budapest Spring Festival. The three folkdivas, Szilvia Bognár, Ágnes Herczku and Ágnes Szalóki will present a new cycle of songs – a modern interpretation of Hungarian folk music heritage – composed specially for them by Ferenc Kiss on the Vigadó’s stage.

MOLONEY, COURTESY PICTURE

Sinéad O’Connor debuted at the end of the 80’s with her album The Lion and the Snake. Her real breakthrough came a few years later though, with her cover and minimalist music video for Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U. She’s been in the music business for nearly 30 years, and has never been afraid to mix musical genres. She’s experimented with everything from jazz and Jamaican beats to Irish folk music. Considering the bounding energy of her concerts, it’s not a surprise she’s still one of Ireland’s most iconic performers. Her newest album I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss reflects upon the American campaign Ban Bossy which aims to raise awareness to the negative effects the label “bossy” imposes upon young women. Sinéad has expressed multiple times that the music business is an especially difficult field to prove your point as a woman. Her tenth studio album starts with the song How About I Be Me. It was originally meant to be on her previous album, but wasn’t finished in time. Unlike her previous works, it builds upon her personal experiences. The other interesting feature of this album is that it’s Sinéad’s first record that only has love songs on it – though obviously in her uniquely characteristic style.

A new world star has joined the prestigious list of performers of the 35th Budapest Spring Festival. The Palace of the Arts will be one of the stops on Grammy Award winning Irish singersongwriter Sinéad O’Connor’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss tour on April 21.

Contemporary Movies from North SCANDINAVIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2015

photos by DONAL

A strong north wind with the coolest Swedish, Danish and Norwegian films of recent years whipped into Budapest on March 25-29. Opened by Ambassador of Denmark, H.E. Mr. Tom Nørring, Deputy Head of Mission of Norway, Mr. Arild Moberg Sande, and Deputy Head of Mission of Sweden, Mikael Elmehed, the Scandinavian Film Festival presented a rich variety of Scandinavian movies that have been produced throughout the last couple of years, including Lisa Langseth’s Swedish drama ‘Hotel’, Swedish documentary ‘Palme,’ a Norwegian thriller titled ‘Pioneer,’ Danish documentary ‘Dreaming of a Family’ by Mira Jargil and a number of short films. At the official opening, the Hungarian and international audience was invited to the screening of ‘Four letters apart – Children in the Age of ADHD’ by Erlend E. Mo – a Danish documentary that won the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival’s Audience Award last year, along with the Budapest Documentary Film Festival’s Audience Award. The five-day-long program series took place at Örökmozgó Filmmúzeum and was supported by the Embassy of Denmark, the Embassy of Norway, the Embassy of Sweden and the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities. w w w . d t e u r o p e . c o m

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gastronomy gastronomy.

In Vino Scientia

THE ‘WINE OF THE HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 2015’ Award winners of the title

Wine of the MTA 2015 TOP CATEGORY red wine Mayer Kopár Cuvée 2011 MAYER PINCE

white wine Szent György – hegyi hárslevelű 2013 NYÁRI PINCE

dessert wine Patricius Tokaji 6 puttonyos Aszú 2006 PATRICIUS BORHÁZ

MEDIUM CATEGORY white wine - dry and semi dry Csopaki Olaszrizling 2012 PETRÁNYI PINCE

white wine - semi sweet and sweet Zsófia Cuvée 2012 PELLE PINCE

rosé Szöllősi Rosé 2014 SZÖLLŐSI PINCÉSZET

red wine Szekszárdi Merlot 2012 TAKLER BORBIRTOK

Our Fourth MICHELIN STAR On March 10, the Michelin Guide 2015 announced that Budapest’s Borkonyha, Costes and Onyx restaurants have retained their well-earned stars and are joined by Tanti as the fourth Hungarian restaurant to score the top culinary honor. The release of the "French Gastro Bible" can bring the tears of joy and grief in equal measure, making or breaking careers. As for Hungarians, it is only joy this year. According to the ‘Michelin Guide - Main Cities of Europe 2015’, Borkonyha, Costes and Onyx have successfully retained their stars while Tanti received a new star rating. The Michelin guide describes Tanti as a restaurant that is “located in the corner of a pleasant little shopping mall and comes complete with an appealing terrace. It's light, bright and simply kitted out and offers a concise menu of attractively presented, accomplished dishes. Classic combinations are respected but there's also originality to be seen.” The news found the crew of Tanti, and head chef István Pesti utterly surprised. “First, we’d like to get through with the lunch and then we’ll get a grip and will come up with a press release, too,” they said about an hour after they learned about the recognition.

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During this program, some of Hungary's best countryside restaurants will gather to prove that high-end gastronomy is indeed available outside of Budapest. This time, the event takes place in Palkonya, on April 11. We suggest you head to Villány the weekend after Easter, for an outstanding culinary experience, organized by SVÉT (Stylish Countryside Restaurants). In Villány and Palkonya, some of the country's best restaurants and wine bars will gather so you can sample their gourmet dishes and try their beautiful wines. Jazz and blues concerts will add to the festive atmosphere. Participating restaurants are: Baricska Csárda - Balatonfüred, Chianti Étterem – Veszprém, Erhardt Étterem, Panzió, Borpince – Sopron, Mandula Étterem és Bor-Bár – Villány, PalKonyha – Palkonya, Viator Étterem és Bor-Bár – Pannonhalma and Dobai András & Kredenc Borbisztró – Balatonfüred. A P R I L

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12TH MEDVEHAGYMA FESTIVAL The Medvehagyma Festival is a unique gastro-weekend celebrating medvehagyma (wild garlic) and its heritage in Hungarian cuisine and culture. Organized annually in Orfű, a little town near Pécs, this year's 12th edition presents cultural and family programs in a fun atmosphere. Visitors can learn about the various forms of and special preparation of this rare type of garlic, such as medvehagyma honey, in lectures and tastings. A special train service will also be available to the nearby woods, so those interested can collect as many medvehagyma as they wish.

about wild garlic

Wild garlic, also known as ramsons, buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, and bear's garlic, is a wild relative of chives that are native to Europe and Asia. The Latin name is due to the brown bear's taste for the bulbs and its habit of digging up the ground to get at them; they are also a favorite of wild boars. Medvehagyma literally translates into “bear onions" in English.

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SZIGETI, BALÁZS MOHAI/MTI, WWW.RAKOSILDIKO.HU

HÚ-SVÉT+7

photos by TAMÁS

At this year’s sixth edition of the nationally registered wine competition of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), seven wines were chosen for the title ‘The wine of MTA 2015’ in recognition of high quality. Dessert wines and reds were this year’s favorites. “It would be difficult in Hungary to find a person who is not somehow related to wine” – emphasized László Lovász, president of the MTA in his speech at the awarding ceremony held on March 30. As he said, both the family of his wife and his grandparents produced wine, so he knows, that winery requires extensive knowledge. “The Hungarian Academy of Sciences will always be happy to organize such a high quality wine muster,” he added. This year, 45 wineries and winemakers submitted 110 wines in total, to the upscale and medium categories. Nearly one third of the entries competed from the Tokaj region, while 22 wines were tasted from the Villány region and 10 from Szekszárd. Although one of the main purposes of the wine competition was to popularize the “autochthonal” Hungarian wines (that are perceived to be indigenous in Hungary or the Carpathian Basin), there were very few quality Welschriesling, Kéknyelű, Irsai Olivér or Cserszegi fűszeres, and Kadarka was completely missing from the range of entries. Only a few rosé wines were nominated (7 in total, which, compared to last year’s 21, is very low), and the number of middle-category dry white wines was also much lower than in 2014. The jury, led by academician Tamás Freund, the vice-president of the MTA and a member of the Hungarian Wine Academy, owed this trend to the unfavorable 2014 vintage. On the other hand, outstanding titles were competing in the category of dessert wines and upscale red wines.

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hospitality

hospitality.

RUBIK’S CUBE, WINE and ROMAN SPAS in BERLIN

HUNGARY’S PRESENTATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL TOURISMUS BÖRSE 2015

Hungarian Tourism Ltd. (HT) and its 27 co-exhibitors presented Hungary's touristic values on 300 square meters at the world's biggest tourism fair.

A plethora of stands, tens of thousands of visitors each day, a gigantic fair: the event took up 160 000 m2, where 11 thousand exhibitors, from 180 countries introduced their tourism products to tourism professionals in Berlin, on March 4-8. International Tourismus Börse retained its place among the top world rankings for tourism fairs this year: 26 pavilions received up to 115,000 visitors. HT experts were in constant discussions with representatives of the tourism industry, affiliates, the media and they were also present at ITB's programs. At the Hungarian stand visitor’s eyes were mesmerized by the Rubik's cube show and their taste buds were conquered by snacks and wine-tasting. A folk dance performance was also presented. Ádám Ruszinkó, Deputy State Secretary for Tourism and Gergely Horváth, Deputy CEO for Tourism gave a press conference reporting on the results and goals of the Hungarian tourism industry and also on Hungary's cultural and touristic values. “It is a tendency all across the world that while tourists prefer to stay shorter periods of time in one place they also want to spend their time productively and turn to quality services when visiting a country. Due to the developments of recent years, Hungary is becoming more and more competitive in this area, thus the possible gross revenue/day/hotel room (RevPAR) rose by 11.6% to 26.8 EUR last year” Ruszinkó said. Horváth added that Germany remains the most prominent market for Hungarian tourism. “In 2014 the number of German tourists in Hungary grew by 4.7% as opposed to 2013, and the nights spent in commercial accommodations are still over 2 million. Hungary is attractive to German tourists also because of the advantageous quality/price ratio; according to welt.de's tourism experts a Hungarian holiday will be 5.2% cheaper this year, than it was last year. The level of our tourism services is best represented by its recently attained international recognition.”

Hungarian spas are hot this year

photos by KATERYNA

MOSTOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM, COURTESY PICTURE

During the event, the Hungarian Baths Association held a Roman style reception, in line with a running EU project “In the footsteps of the Romans”. The project unites all European spas based on their ancient history in the world. The project, financed by the EU, aims to present and introduce the novel opportunities born from the merger of “health and cultural tourism” on an equal platform. The exhibition hosted several professional conferences: amongst others, ITB housed a conference organized by the European Travel Commission (ETC), where the representatives of the national and commercial spheres discussed their experiences and their opportunities in making Europe a more attractive destination for tourists across the globe. HT Ltd. did not miss the opportunity to promote its new mobile app, developed exclusively for the German market, named Budapest app. With this app tourists can browse interactive, digitalized content showing both the classical and the fashionable side of Budapest; supplemented by current links, maps, videos, recommendations and advice.

DELIZIA GOURMET & MORE Hegyvidék Shopping Center 11-12. Apor Vilmos Square | 1124 Budapest +36 1 951 0204

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coffee break

Be our guest...

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Visit Delizia Gourmet & More and be our guest to an Oscar-award winning coffee! Just mention Diplomacy & Trade.

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best of budapest best of budapest and hungary award 2014

and THE BEST of AWARD GOES TO... This year the Best of Budapest & Hungary award has been presented in 59 categories, based on more than 9,000 votes, to acknowledge the best of the domestic hospitality, hotel and service industries. out to the deserving establishments. The importance of this award is recognized by those receiving it as proof that their hard work throughout the year is noticed! Look

for the seal of approval and be assured. We look forward to your comments and participation in next year’s voting. For more info@bestofbudapest.com

JÓZSEF BOCK

SÁNDOR CSÍKI

ANDRÁS WOLF

RÁCHEL RAJ

ÁRPÁD LÁSZLÓ

KÁROLY RUDITS

THOMAS M. FISCHER

SZABOLCS AND SZILÁRD DUDÁS

PÉTER KATZ

MIHÁLY FIGULA JR.

In addition to the quality assurance awards the professional jury has selected 10 outstanding individuals who have excelled in their field. The "Lifetime Achievement Award" this year goes to József Bock, who has been an active participant and developer of Hungarian wine culture, gastronomy and catering for decades, and has also played a significant part in the development of the Villány area and the recognition of Hungarian wines internationally. As a new category, the "Gastroblogger of the Year" award is introduced, recognizing the growing influence of this genre. Sándor Csíki, whose blog, titled Food & Wine, is known for its quality writings, thoroughness, preparedness and manifold interests is our choice. András Wolf was named "Chef of the Year" due to his extraordinary capacity and performance by being, at the same time, the chef of the 5-star Boscolo hotel, the world's most beautiful café, and one of the most elegant restaurants in the heart of Budapest, the New York Café and Salon Restaurant., Chef Wolf has achieved to make

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international opinions of Hungarian gastronomy recognized as rivaling all. The "Confectioner of the Year" award goes to cake-designer, Ráchel Raj. The owner of Tortaszalon is one of the most well-known cake-designers in Hungary, who believes that baking is a form of art and can create anything out of a bit of marzipan. She is also ready to impart this knowledge to all that are interested through workshops, radio and TV appearances. She is sure to make people's life sweeter for many years to come. The "Restaurateur of the Year" award in the Modern category goes to Árpád László, owner of Robinson-Timeless kitchen, and the BRGR- street food chain who seems to have prophetic talents given his knack not only for always keeping up with the newest fashions and adapting his restaurant accordingly, but also for setting the trends himself. Károly Rudits, who is an ambassador of French cuisine in Hungary (which is not a small feat to do, as French cuisine has been put on UNESCO's world heritage list in 2014), receives the "Restaurateur of the Year" award in the Classic category.

"Hotelier of the Year " in Budapest is Thomas M. Fischer, director of Corinthia Hotel Budapest. During his management the hotel has gained new momentum: its services aiming at the MICE-market have been accentuated by elements only accessible in Budapest (for example: “Sleep to perform” and “Food for thought”), its CSRactivity has grown, and its suites are frequently renewed. Moreover, the hotel's recently launched management trainee program educates tomorrow's hotel managers.

merits travelling across numerous counties. The brothers also take significant part in the gastronomy movement SVÉT (Stylish Countryside Restaurants). Péter Katz, the manager of the Danubius Health Spa Resorts in the Bükk and in Sárvár was named "Best Hotelier in the countryside". He was awarded for his almost daring changes in the hotel, like the complete profile change of the hotel in the Bükk and the addition of all-inclusive services, with which he significantly raised the appeal of his hotel.

Ever since 2012, when Best of Budapest has extended to the entirety of Hungary under the name of Best of Budapest & Hungary, the best catering establishments of the countryside are also amongst the awarded.

Mihály Figula Jr. wins the "Gastro-winemaker of the year 2014" title, based on votes from restaurateurs. He gained the sympathy of the industry not only by creating outstanding wine, but also by his professional support, sommelier training program, and active participation at wine dinners. He enthusiastically travels the country despite the fact that the Balaton-highland wine region holds a special place in his heart. In our rushing world “the last essence of romance is to be found in wine” he says without an ounce of doubt.

The "Best Restaurateur in the Countryside" award goes to Szabolcs and Szilárd Dudás, not only because many still believe that they make the best pizza in all of Hungary, but also because the success of their restaurant is exemplary. Anyukám Mondta has first become a cornerpizzeria out of a corner-bar, then a bistro that A P R I L

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HARANGOZÓ, WWW.PIXELTASTER.COM, KATALIN KARSAY, TAMÁS KAUNITZ/WWW.AFSTUDIO.HU, WWW.IMAGESBYRAJNA.COM

industry. Through an annual online survey, a professional jury, and the publisher’s editorial team the Best of Budapest & Hungary quality assurance award is given

photos by DÁVID

Since 1993, the Best of Budapest & Hungary has been a leading source to provide guidance to Hungarians and visitors alike regarding the hospitality and services

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best of budapest

best of budapest and hungary award 2014

BEST CASTLE HOTELS

Gróf Degenfeld Kastélyszalló**** | Hertelendy Kastély***** Superior Hotel | La Contessa Kastélyhotel | Szidónia Kastélyszálloda

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

Seasons Wine Bistro | Tanti | Bistro Mandarin | Yamato Babel | Sophie & Ben Bistro

BEST HUNGARIAN RESTAURANTS

LIST OF THE BEST OF BUDAPEST & HUNGARY WINNERS 2015 HARANGOZÓ, WWW.PIXELTASTER.COM, KATALIN KARSAY, TAMÁS KAUNITZ/WWW.AFSTUDIO.HU, WWW.IMAGESBYRAJNA.COM photos by DÁVID

BEST COUNTRYSIDE RESTAURANTS

BEST INTERNATIONAL CUISINE

BEST JEWISH RESTAURANT

BEST 5 STAR HOTELS

BEST MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT

Két Szerecsen | Peppers! Mediterranean Grill | Robinson

BEST 4 STAR HOTELS

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BEST BEAUTY & SPA FACILITIES

BEST SPORT & FITNESS FACILITIES BEST TRAVEL SERVICES

BEST SIGHTSEEING TOUR OPERATORS

City Tour | Eurama | Program Centrum Travel Agency | Hosszúlépés

BEST INCOMING AGENCY

BEST FAR EASTERN RESTAURANT

BEST TAXI & CHAUFFEUR SERVICE PROVIDER

BEST FUSION RESTAURANT

Gerlóczy Dental Clinic | Implant Center | Medicover M Dental | Tóbiás Optika

BEST OUTDOOR DINING

BEST AMERICAN RESTAURANT

Hard Rock Cafe Budapest | Starbucks | T.G.I. Friday’s | Spíler

Malatinszky Borszaküzlet Budapest | Monarchia Borok | Bortársaság

BEST STEAK HOUSE

BEST SPECIALTY FOODS, DELI

KNRDY American Steak House and Bar | Robinson Rotisserie

BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH

Budapest Marriott Hotel | Corinthia Hotel Budapest Hilton Budapest - Icon The Restaurant Intercontinental Budapest | Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest Le Meridien Budapest | Continental Hotel Budapest

BEST PERFORMANCE ARTISTS

Budapest Bár | Vegas Showband | Gyarmati István | Fool Moon | Smile

Budapest Agency | Continental Travel | Microcosmos

BEST WELLNESS HOTELS

BEST CATERING

Fuji | Nobu | Sushi Sei

BEST VIEWS

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BEST MUSIC CLUBS, RESTAURANTS

New Orleans Club | Orfeum | NOMURI BUDAPEST | Symbol Budapest

Celebi Ground Handling Hungary Ltd. | Malév Ground Handling Morea Travel | Tensi | Szállodák.hu | Ambiance Travel

BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT

BEST RUINBAR

Szimpla Kert | Instant | Fogasház

BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT

Arany Kaviár | Matrjoska Bisztró

BEST SUITE HOTELS

BEST WINE BARS

Oxygen Wellness Központok | Római Teniszakadémia

BEST RUSSIAN RESTAURANT

Millenium Court, Budapest - Marriott Executive Apartments Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments | Boscolo Residence Corinthia Royal Residences

BEST SPORT BAR

Puskás Pancho Sport Pub | Hooters

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT

Lou Lou | Araz | Paris-Budapest

Budapest Marriott Hotel | Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest | Hotel Silvanus**** Visegrád | Intercontinental Budapest

BEST PUBS

Becketts | Élesztő | Jónás söröző

BEST GREEK RESTAURANT

Indigo | Curry House | Shalimar

BEST CONFERENCE FACILITIES

BEST CAFÉS

Magnolia Day Spa | Álomarc Szépségklinika | Bamboo Masculin | Oscar Hair & Beauty Salon | Zsidró Hajszalonok

Taverna Dionysos | Görög Kancsó

Novotel Budapest City & Congress Center | Corinthia Hotel Budapest Four Points By Sheraton Kecskemét | Intercontinental Budapest Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest | Larus Étterem és Rendezvényközpont RaM Colosseum Budapest | Hilton Budapest

BEST STREET FOOD PLACES

BEST WINE RESTAURANTS

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Grand Hotel Glorius Makó

BEST BREAKFAST PLACES

Cserpes Tejivó | Fruccola | Legelő Salátabár | á table! | Coyote

BEST NEW 4 STAR HOTEL

BEST BUSINESS LUNCH

Café Kör | Déryné Bistro | Gerlóczy Kávéház

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6×6 Taxi | City Taxi | Mayday Sofőrszolgálat

BEST HEALTH & MEDICAL BEST PASTRY & BAKERY

BEST WINE STORES

Culinaris | Delizia Gourmet & More Sarki Fűszeres | Szega Foods Mészár Steak | Vörös Homár | Gourmet de Bordeaux

BEST COFFEE

Nespresso | Pascucci | Illy

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