Magyar Hírek, 1985 (38. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)
1985-07-06 / 14. szám
ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE PREVIOUS ONE Parliamentary and local council elections were held in Hungary on June 8th. 7,265,915 people cast their vote, that is 94 per cent of the number of persons on the electoral roll. As we reported earlier the new electoral roll makes it possible for three or four candidates to be nominated at special meetings, a minimum of two being prescribed. In many electorates the candidates ran neck to neck, and a run-off will be necessary in 45 parliamentary and 849 council electorates. 6,636,635 votes (98.8 per cent of the valid ones) were given to candidates, showing that electors agreed with the political programme of the Patriotic People’s Front. 352 members and 285 reserve members have been elected since in terms of the new law, a candidate who obtains at least 25 per cent of the votes becomes a reserve member who takes the place of the elected member in case the latter resigns, dies, or is recalled. 41,885 council members and 30,885 reserve council members were also elected. * The General Meeting of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences was an important function of Hungarian intellectual life in recent weeks. The time-honoured institution established by Count István Széchenyi is now working hard in order to fit scientific research into the life of the country, to efficiently assist the progress of Hungary, while it is also provides appropriate scope for basic research on which further attainments must be built. This was the subject Professor János Szentágothai enlarged upon in his presidential address, and the same subject was also the backbone of the opening speech of a discussion, delivered by István Láng, the Acting General Secretary. “The discoveries of the modern age did not cause the collapse of the classical scientific world image and neither will current research produce that effect’’—said István Láng—“they only reveal the limits of its sphere of validity. The essence of scientific progress is precisely that our conceptual models are in a state of constant metamorphosis.” István Láng emphasised the importance of effective assistance to basic research, and mentioned that thirty-six independent research institutes^ of the Academy operated right now in Hungary while (he Academy also granted financial support to sixty-eight research units at universities and museums. As the general meeting proceeded sections of the Academy discussed their achievements, problems and plans in separate sessions. Talking about the work of the section of philosophy and history, Iván T. Berend emphasised the growing attention given to interdisciplinary studies. A meeting was recently held where historians, economists, sociologists and literary scholars talked about the history of our time. József Bognár, President of the section of economic and legal sciences spoke about the progress of natural sciences and technologies. While the János Kádár at an election rally latter—having been accelerated in the qualitative sense all over the world—exerted an extraordinary socio-political and economic effect, experience in their utilization is still insufficient. Things are even more complex in Hungary for the conditions for intensive management are just being created here. He also emphasised that the effects of the changes in the world economy have not left uneffected the scholars and their mode of their thinking either. Progress has speeded up and crisis symptoms are, in a certain sense, evident also in the sciences. These problems emerge far more forcefully in the natural than in the social sciences. They are connected with the dangerous growth in the role of military research and the reduction of funds used for civilian purposes. “The escape from the internal crisis of research leads via meaningful, well-considered and progressive action” József Bognár emphasised. In the section of technical sciences Ottó Halász, demanded that the prestige and status of engineers be restored. In order to do so it is necessary to give a further boost to the in-service training of technicians on the one hand, and on the other to give more praise and money to workers in this field. During the discussions of the medical section Gábor Petri spoke about the completion of plans for the improvement of the public health service. The general meeting then elected the new officers of the Academy by secret ballot. Iván T. Berend became the new president and István Láng is the new general secretary. * The Hungarian section of this issue contains an article on the outside ring of settlements surrounding Budapest, where—according to the 1980 census—some 400,000 people live, but where the population is expected to reach half a million by the year 2000, one quarter of the population. This is a very high figure, particularly when it is considered that Budapest itself is an agglomeration. In 1950, when an Act established Greater Budapest, former fringe settlements were incorporated in the capital, but that remained little more than a paper measure for quite some time. Kispest, Pesterzsébet, Pestszentimre, Csepel and the other fringe settlements had nowhere near the standard of services of more central areas. Thirty-five years of work succeeded in raising these fringe areas to more or less the standard of the inner areas. Modern high-rise housing estates were built, the transport network grew and improved, sewers, roads, electric and water supplies were extended—and now the fringe around the capital city consisting of no fewer than forty-three settlements is emerging pregnant with new problems. András B. Bálint draws a realistic picture of this ring around Budapest, of the masses that settled close to the big city in the course of industrialization, some of whom were stuck in the surrounding settlements which offered cheaper and easily obtainable accomodation. They commute from there to Budapest to industrial and other jobs, and finally, when the emergency turns into a final solution, try to gradually improve their dwellings, making them more like a home. Similar things have taken place elsewhere in countries which experienced speeded up industrialization. The differences among the various settlements of the Budapest agglomeration are really huge. In some of them industrial and other enterprises have come to be located, thus many found work locally, ceasing to commute daily to and from the capital. Other places turned into garden towns, somewhere between that of a new world suburb and a traditional Hungarian country town. Still others are still severely handicapped regards communal services, transport and schools. Perhaps the next decade or two will bring essential improvement. Dezső Malonyai, director of the National Theatre stated his views in the Hungarian section of the previous issue about the work and plans of his theatre and the new theatre building. Much voluntary work is being done in Hungary and even among Hungarians abroad in the interests of the new building. Malonyai recalls that the National Theatre has not had a home of its own ever since 1904, when the old National Theatre building on Múzeum körút was demolished. From that time right up to the present the company has operated in loaned premises. However, that has never prevented the Theatre in doing its job in staging Hungarian plays and in presenting the most significant plays of other countries. When the company was reorganized, and the duties of the theatre were reassessed in recent years, the job of making the National Theatre the workshop of modern Hungarian drama was given increased emphasis. “In the last two and a half seasons” Malonyai said “the company presented twelve new Hungarian plays in two theatres (e. i. in the National and its studio theatre, the Castle Theatre in Buda). In the coming season we will embark on a new venture. Our company will perform István, a király (Stephen, the King), the rock opera by the author-trio Levente Szörényi, János Bródy and Miklós Boldizsár.” A rock opera on the stage of the National? This is a surprise. But the manager emphasised: he wanted to create a modern theatre by making the ties with the public closer, not looser. One way is renewal besides performing traditional works. “The public, is the judge, they may or may not approve the intentions of a theatre. and vote with their feet either by filling the theater or by staying away. We are performing to capacity audiences every night”, Dezső Malonyai said. ZOLTÄN HALASZ Street scene in the outskirts of Budapest 28
