William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003-01-01 / 1. szám
Magyar Matters Polls show Hungarians support joining European Union despite some misgivings from The Budapest Sun Although about half of all Hungarians polled admitted they knew little about the European Union, two thirds supported accession, according to the latest Candidate Countries Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission. The results were confirmed by another study conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). In the so-called Laeken Group of 10 countries likely to join the Union in 2004, the level of support for accession was the highest in Hungary, where 67 percent were in favor of EU accession (two points more than in the spring) while only five percent of respondents were against Hungary's EU membership. However when TNS included Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, support for EU membership was highest in Romania (77 percent), then Bulgaria with Hungary tied with Turkey at third. The survey showed that about 10 percent more Hungarians would vote in favor of EU accession than a year ago. According to Eurobarometer, three quarters of Hungarians believed that they would personally benefit from EU membership. Three quarters of the population of the Laeken Group expected better opportunities for travel, while two thirds counted on wider educational possibilities, revealed TNS. However, the study showed that only 41 percent expected a drop in prices. Seventy percent of Hungarians said they would prefer to deal in euros than forints. But despite their optimism, 44 percent of Hungarians polled considered they knew only a little about the EU, and 15 percent said they knew nothing at all, according to Eurobarometer. Half of the population of the Laeken Group countries, plus Turkey, was sure that once in the EU they would be considered secondrate citizens, TNS reported. Auschwitz survivor first Hungarian to receive Nobel Prize for Literature from The Budapest Sun Novelist and Auschwitz survivor Imre Kertész became the first Hungarian writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature when he accepted his award in December during ceremonies in Stockholm, Sweden. Kertész, 72, was awarded the 2002 prize for his stark depictions of life in the Nazi death camps of World War II. "I have never tried to see the complex of problems referred to as the Holocaust merely as the insolvable conflict between Germans and Jews," Kertész said in his acceptance speech, which was broadcast live on Hungarian television. "What I discovered in Auschwitz is the human condition, the end point of a great adventure, where the European traveler arrived after his 2,000-year-old moral and cultural history... .Whenever I think of the traumatic impact of Auschwitz, I end up dwelling on the vitality and creativity of those living today. Thus, in thinking about Auschwitz, I reflect, paradoxically, not on the past but the future." Of Kertész's seven novels, two, Fateless (1975) and Kaddishfor a Child Not Born (1997) were translated into English, and his works have been widely read in Germany and the United States. Bom in Budapest, Kertész was deported by the Nazis in 1944 to Auschwitz and was later transferred to Buchenwald where he was held until liberation in 1945. He is the 13th Hungarian to receive a Nobel Prize. In Brief____ Educators to hold conference in April NEW YORK — The American Hungarian Educators Association (AHEA) will host its 28th Annual Conference April 24 to 27 at Columbia University in New York City. The conference is open to all scholars interested in Hungarian culture. The AHEA has issued a call for papers to be presented at the conference, focusing on the topic “Hungarian Culture, Global Culture.” Abstracts of 100 words or fewer are due Jan. 31. More information can be obtained via the Internet at www.magyar.org/ ahea. Tokaji name is safe BUDAPEST - Beginning in 2007, only Hungarian wine producers will have the right to use the name Tokaji on their wines, according to an agreement at the Council of Ministers of the European Union. Hungary registered Tokaji as a Hungarian trademark in 1970. Despite that, the name Tokaji was claimed by France and Italy as well. According to EU rules, the right to use a brand based on a geographical name goes to the country where the geographical location can be found. Tokaj in northern Hungary is unique in this respect: Neither France nor Italy have their own Tokajs. Have news to share? If you know of news or events in the American Hungarian community, then please send your information to: John E. Lovász William Penn Life 709 Brighton Road Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Hillian Ni Lile, January 2003 11
