Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2005 (17. évfolyam, 2-50. szám)
2005-03-04 / 10. szám
AMERICAN Hungarian Journal Farmers protest outside parliament While the government and four leading farmer associations were signing a cooperation agreement last week, dozens of angry farmers braved cold temperatures outside the ministry at Kossuth tér opposite parliament on Thursday (Feb 17) and Tuesday (Feb 22) to demonstrate against what they called the government’s “sloppy agricultural policy”. They said on Thursday that the presence of more than 50 farmers was the first wave of what would become several major demonstrations. By Tuesday there were an estimated 2,000. Several farmers raised their voices and carried signs which read, “Don’t build us warehouses, help us survive instead”. Others warned the government that unless something drastic is done about the state of Hungarian farming conditions there would be deep trouble. Gyurcsány meets Putin Ferenc Gyurcsány with Vladimir Putin,the Russian president in Moscow on Thursday, February 17. In advance of their meeting, Putin told Gyurcsány that the two countries “should develop their relationship so that 1956 should never happen again”. Gyurcsány emphasized that Hungary was grateful to the Red Army and the Soviet Union for liberating it from Nazism. “We must never allow the liberation to become the subject of meän-minded political debate,” he said. The two leaders agreed that the famous Library of Sárospatak College, removed to the Soviet Union in the aftermath of the war, should be repatriated. The leaders also agreed that the problems surrounding stricken oil giant Yukos should not be allowed to affect Hungary. (Budapestsun) “Next, we’ll bring tractors to Kossuth tér!” some chanted, while others shouted about how farmers would block roads all week. Late Monday (Feb 21), some 1,000 tractors rolled into Budapest. Hundreds of people lined American Football is coming to Hungary big time, according to Róbert Mosolygó, press officer of the Budapest-based Budapest Wolves team. “In the up-coming season (April 10-June 11), we will have eight European teams playing second division American Football in various location in Europe, including Budapest,” Mosolygó told The Budapest sun. The Wolves’ first game will take place against the Carinthian Cowboys in Klagenfurt, Austria on April 10. The squad then plays at home in Budapest against the Vienna Knights on April 24. This will be followed by an away match against the Giissing Gladiators in Giissing, Austria on May 7 before a home game against Austria’s Fischamend Oilers on May 15. “The play-off is to take place on May 28, while the Challenge Bowl final is due to take place on June 11,” said Mosolygó. Currently there are no first division teams in Hungary, but Badapest Wolves hope they are heading in the right direction. “First we have to win the Challenge Bowl and then the sky is the limit,” the PR officer said. There are currently five other teams registered to touch-down in the Hungarian league - Győr up near Hősök tere, then marched on foot to Kossuth tér on Tuesday morning, and many more were seen marching along the M0 motorway. Farmers gave a petition to the ministry of agriculture and the prime minister’s office. “We want the government to keep last year’s promises,” one farmer shouted holding up a sign with a similar message. Opposition members of parliament argued that the demo was the result of three years of neglect, while others proposed more speedy pay-outs, but András Pásztohy, political state secretary, was adamant on his earlier promise that all farmers would receive their share of EU and national subsidies by the end of March. However, farmers were complaining that they did not have enough money to purchase this year’s seed and prepare the land for sowing. (Budapestsun) Sharks, Debrecen Gladiators, Kaposvár Golden Fox, the North Pest Vipers and the St Lawrence Giants (both based in Pest) - who hope eventually to make Europe’s second division. Mosolygó explained that competitive American Football took off in Hungary in March 2004. “This summer we will establish the official Hungarian federation and national league.” To promote the game the Budapest Wolves team is to adopt a wolf at the Budapest Zoo before the season kicks off. After the season organizers will visit secondary schools to promote the sport and recruit cheerleaders. “The first American Football team in Hungary was the shortlived Budapest Cowboys, which was more of a beer-drinking club and played no registered matches,” Mosolygó said. The Cowboys, formed in 2000, lasted just one year, he added, Mosolygó recalls that Hungarians really first started catching onto the game last year after local television channel Sportl broadcast Super Bowl XXXVIII, when the New England Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in Houston with the last kick of the game. “No wonder people were interested as it was one of the five best ever finals in Superbowl history,” said Mosolygó. “Because of the immense success Sportl has also agreed to also give 20 minute coverage of games played by the Budapest Wolves,” he added. Mosolygó went on to say that the team is currently negotiating sponsorship deals and building media contacts. Currently no Americans are playing in the Hungarian teams, although the Wolves’ chief coach, Lee Hlavka, did coach of one of the leading American schools. (.Budapestsun) ENGLISH PAGE DUNA Travel 8530 Holloway Dr. #102 W. Hollywood, CA 90069 SPECIÁLIS ÁR LAX-BUD-LAX $395 +TX. Információért hívják ZSUZSÁT TEL: (310) 652-5294 FAX: (310) 652-5287 1-888-532-0168 Március 4,2005 AMERIKAI Magyar Hírlap American Football is coming to Hungary DON’T FORGET TO VOTE NEXT TUESDAY! Museum of the American Hungarian Foundation exhibit: Calm Between the Storms: István Szőnyi and Hungarian Art István Szőnyi, Harwest, 1938, oil on canvas New Brunswick, NJ: The Museum of the American Hungarian Foundation presents the exhibition Calm Between the Storms: István Szőnyi and Hungarian Art Between the World Wars - Works From the Salgo Trust for Education from February 20 through September 4, 2005. The show consists of more than 80 paintings and works on paper, all examples of Hungarian art from between World War I and World War II. The presentation commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the American Hungarian Foundation in 2005. The exhibition comes from the collection of Ambassador Nicolas M. Salgo, who over the past twenty years assembled one of the most important collections of Hungarian art outside of Hungary. The collection, now part of the Salgo Trust for Education, is housed at Mille Fleurs, a gracious former Guggenheim mansion near Port Washington, Long Island. In accordance with the Trust’s mandate to make this remarkable collection available to a larger public, the Museum of the American Hungarian Foundation will exhibit an important part of the collection from the 20th Century. The period of Hungarian history between the two World Wars of the 20th Century was one of introspection, idealism and nationalism. The art of this era reflects a mood of nostalgia and a wish to return to a simpler time. 300 Somerset Street New Brunswick, NJ 08903 Exhibit: Calm Between the Storms: István Szőnyi and Hungarian Art Between the World Wars Works From the Salgo Trust for Education On view February 20 through September 4, 2005 Contact: Patricia Fazekas732-846-5777 info@ahfoundation.org Terrorists in Budapest? BUDAPEST Police (BRFK) allegedly detained two suspected terrorists connected to al-Qaida in Buda’s District XII near the Déli railway station last week, according to a report in Népszava, citing unofficial yet reliable police sources. The report said that the source claimed that the two detainees were “removed” from Hungary However BRFK on-duty spokesman Róbert Danes, on February 16, denied such allegations, claiming that there had been no arrests. “We don’t know of any terrorist suspects arrested in Budapest,” said Danes. Ironically the Hungarian media immediately jumped on the story, connecting it to the recent arrest of Arab nationals in Romania. The daily Magyar Hírlap speculated that an al-Qaida cell leader in Romania may have fled to Hungary. A week earlier BRFK had rejected rumors of a terrorist related increased police security in and around “a hotel in Buda”, (believed to be the Mercure Budapest Buda Hotel, near Déli railway station, although no one from the hotel could comment). At the time BRFK said that security in Budapest had been increased in general, but that the hotel was not the focus of any operation. He said security was stepped up in the wider area, but declined to comment more specifically about such action. Despite denials, the city was packed with police last week especially around the major hotels. On the morning of Wednesday February 16 a Budapest Sun reporter witnessed policemen teaming around the ring roads, railway stations and hotels, especially the Grand Hotel Corinthia Royal Budapest. István Benkő, head of the press department of the Interior Ministry said that Monika Lamperth had issued a statement announcing that increased police presence was ordered to stop vehicle drivers. The statement said that the measures were introduced, “in the interest of protecting human lives” and “more policemen have been deployed to control traffic rules, especially speeding”. (Budapestsun)
