Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2014 (26. évfolyam, 1-39. szám)
2014-06-27 / 26. szám
Hungarian Parliament Approves Nuclear Deal With Russia Hungary’s representatives gave the green light to a controversial financing deal with Russia on two new nuclear power plant reactors in Hungary. The parliament, where the governing Fidesz party has a majority of two-thirds, approved a loan agreement worth up to 10 billion euro ($13.6 billion) with the Russian state at an extraordinary meeting. The project hasn’t been approved by the European Union and there was no open tender for the expansion of the plant. Opposition parties have said the loan would boost the country’s already high public debt, and that the deal increases Hungary’s energy dependency on Russia. A European Commission spokesperson late last week said the body is examining public procurement issues after Hungary awarded Russia the contract in January. The EU won’t give any hints on timing of its assessment on compatibility with EU rules and it is in “discussions with the Hungarian authorities in order to establish more precisely the scope of possible problems and, if needed, to find adequate solutions,” the Internal Market and Services Directorate General said in an email to The Wall Street Journal. A spokesman for the Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said that the body gave an opinion on the project but it hasn’t Hungarians live longer but in worse shape, stats office says Life expectancy at birth in Hungary has increased by 2.7 years during the past decade, similarly to the rest of the European Union, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said in a report. The report, however, warned that both children and adults are in a worse physical condition, and the healthcare system is more and more overburdened. According to the report, Hungarians born in 2012 could expect to live 75 years - men 71, women 79 - a year longer than people in Lithuania and Latvia, but seven years shorter than the Spanish, the longestlived people in the European Union. Among children, the number of asthma patients has grown by 150 percent, the number of diabetics has doubled, and there are 80 percent more children with high blood pressure, and 40 percent, more with scoliosis or tumor than ten years ago, the report said. It added that 15 percent of Hungarian children are overweight, while every other child goes to school hungry. Twenty percent of all Hungarians have chronic ailments. The number of people with asthma, blood-forming or immune disorders, as well as of stroke patients has more than doubled. Eighty percent more people have diabetes, 70 percent more tumor and 60 percent more high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems than a decade ago, the report said. Hungary’s healthcare spending is half of the OECD average, putting it 29th place in a list of 34 countries, according to the report. Compared to other countries in the community, Hungary spends relatively little on hospital care, especially on chronic care and rehabilitation, on outpatient services and prevention, the report added. MTI DUNA Travel 8530 Holloway Dr. ft102 W. Hollywood, CA 90069 Spa, Hotel foglalások, Kocsi bérlés Kedvezményes repülőjegy árak Hajóutak bárhová a világon Hívják ZSUZSÁT TEL: (310) 652-5294 FAX: (310) 652-5287 1-888-532-0168 approved it. The Commission is also assessing the financing agreement but couldn’t comment on the timing of the assessment. Under the deal, Russian stateowned nuclear firm Rosatom will build a 2,000 megawatt addition to Hungary’s state-owned nuclear power plant MVM Paksi Atomerőmű. Hungary is entitled to use the financing until 2025, at an annual interest rate of between 4.50% and 4.95% depending on the year of repayment. The safety of nuclear power plants came into focus after Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant was hit by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Hungary nevertheless considers nuclear energy an essential part of its energy mix, given still very high renewable energy prices and limited access to resources within the country’s borders, wsj.com World War I sunken steamboat visited A diver swims near the bow of the wreck of the Baron Gautsch ship, near the Adriatic town of Rovinj. The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Baron Gautsch, an Austro-Hungarian steamboat that sank in the northern Croatian Adriatic sea, will be marked on Aug. 13, 2014. The ship, originally used to service passenger lines, had been leased by the Austro-Hungarian Army following the July 1914 outbreak of World War I to transport troops, only to run into a friendly minefield off the Brijuni islands less than a month later. Estimates say between 240 and 390 people died in the sinking, making it one of the biggest losses of life in World War I. washingtonpost.com The 7th Annual Gulyas Festival July 12-13, 2014. Chicago, 8260 W. Foster Ave., Norrige, IL 60706 www.gulyasfestival.com At the heart of the Hungarian tradition are customs that celebrate life with delectable food, festive music, and dance, as well as a renowned hospitality amongst family and friends. Featured at the festival is a large sampling of the Hungarian kitchen which includes the bottomless gulyás pot, kürtöskalács, lángos, and a lot more! Consul General of Hungary László Kálmán presents the thank you letters to Andrew Friedman at the Csárdás restaurant PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY Mr. Andrew Friedman Secular President of Bais Naftoli Congregation Dear Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for two remarkable steps you took in the past few weeks concerning Hungary. I am thankful that in a letter to Rabbi Marvin Hier, president of the SimonWiesenthal Center, you pointed out: the leaders of our country unequivocally admitted responsibility for the fact that, during the time of the Holocaust - in collaboration with the German invaders - numerous representatives of the then Hungarian state took part in the realization of the grim design of the “final solution”. Also, I consider it an admirable, magnanimous gesture that, when the newspaper refused to publish your response to an article unjustly condemning Hungary, you, Mr. President, published as a paid advertisement in the Los Angeles Times the text of my speech which I delivered in Auschwitz on April 28 of this year. Please accept my special thanks for being at the disposal of the Hungarian press as well regarding this matter. Dear Mr. President, In my opinion, with these steps you greatly contributed to the dissolution of some such misconceptions that are still prevalent in the public life of the United States regarding Hungary, especially in connection with Anti-Semitism. I sincerely hope that - due in part to your kind help - the image formed about Hungary in the American public opinion will change in a favorable way. My optimism is increased by the knowledge I now have: that in this important work our homeland can count on the support of such committed friends as you, Mr. President. I wish you further successes and good health. Budapest, June 4, 2014 Greetings, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF HUNGARY MINISTER Andrew Friedman President Bais Naftoli Congregation Los Angeles Dear Mr. Friedman, As you may know, my tenure as minister for foreign affairs is coming to an end. After the general elections in April, a new government will be formed and sworn in shortly. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of the Hungarian government and of our efforts to combat Anti-Semitism. I highly appreciate your personal commitment to drawing an objective picture about Hungary’s efforts in combating right extremism. Your unbiased attitude greatly serves the cause of an international dialogue on the Holocaust and of the fight against Anti- Semitism. Finally, please allow me to wish you further success in your work and all the best in your personal life. Budapest, June 2014 Yours sincerely, FARMERS AUTO * HOME * LIFE Gets You Back Where You Belong 21st Century insurance customers CALL & SAVE UP TO 18 % ON YOUR HOMEOWNERS DIRECT * NO BROKER FEE Sokol Insurance Agency * Lie # 772323 Hungarian Journal Június 27, 2014 818 981-8424
