THE BUDAPEST TIMES Volume 10, No. 27 6 July – 12 July 2012 www.bzt.hu HUF 750/EUR 3 Hungary’s English-language weekly. 10 TRAVEL Beauty abounds in Bled 14 SOCIETY Americans celebrate their independence with security checks idesz’s Gabriella Selmeczi Korózs suggested on Auschwitz concentration camp led following health reviews and victims of the Holocaust. Today Socialist MP accused Socialist Party exec- Wednesday that the government’s him to be known as the Angel of cutting back on disability Korózs managed to insult the Futive committee member Széll Kálmán economic reform Death. allowances had driven dozens of victims.” Zuschlág, now in prison Lajos Korózs of suffering from heat plan should be renamed “Mengele The government’s plans for people to suicide, Korózs claimed. for corruption, resigned from his blasted for stroke after he compared a Plan” because the proposal is saving HUF 217 billion (EUR The Fidesz spokeswoman said: position as MP for the Socialist proposed government review of similar to methods used by Joseph 756.35 million) by bringing “We thought that the Socialists Party after he was caught on tele- disabled people’s health to Mengele, a Nazi officer and doctor 200,000 people on disability learned from János Zuschlag’s vision making jokes about victims Fidesz-Nazi slur concentration camp methods. whose experiments on inmates of pensions back into the labour force tasteless jokes at the expense of of the Holocaust in 2004. EUR 1 billion programme Sweat Péter to it out Record-breaking pay Pál weather to stay Government aims to boost jobs, he heatwave has been consumption with tax breaks shattering record after record over the past few rime Minister Viktor Orbán unveiled his days. With thermometers government’s billion-euro employment Tnudging beyond 37 Celsius, elec- action plan in Parliament on Monday, tricity consumption soared as air- promising “tax cuts of unprecedented conditioners battled the heat. Sales scale”. The new package of tax benefits is of air-conditioners were up 80 per Taylor BZT/Aaron Paimed at boosting Hungary’s stubbornly poor employ- cent compared to the same period ment figures, and promises benefits to employers and last year, DIY store chain Praktiker small businesses. However banks – or, rather, their said. And the volume of calls to the customers – look set to fill the huge hole in next year’s emergency services continues to Float by the traffic jams budget via a contentious transaction tax. grow, along with the number of traffic accidents. There has been Hiring inducements udapest’s public transport system has gained (Óbuda) and Kopaszi-gát. The stops were partly newly more than the usual number of three new lines. No, not bus, tram or metro constructed and partly modernised at a cost of around HUF drownings, National Ambulance lines but boat lines. As of 1 July passengers 500 million (EUR 1.74 million). The project was 90 per cent The first five items in the ten-point plan outlined by Service reported, as people seek B can make the trip between Újpest (Árpád út) financed from EU subsidies. Orbán involve a reduction in the rate of social security relief from the sweltering heat on and Haller utca (between Petõfi híd (bridge) and The boats, which are 20 to 40 years old, will run every 30 contributions paid by employers, but only on monthly beaches and swimming pools. Rákóczi híd) on the Danube. minutes at peak times and otherwise every 60 minutes. A wages of up to HUF 100,000 (EUR 350). This rate – ticket for one trip cost HUF 400 (EUR 1.40). Passengers currently 27 per cent – will be halved for employees Where and when with day, week, monthly or yearly tickets can use the service Records tumbling for no additional fee, because the new lines are run by under 25, those aged over 55 and for unskilled workers Line D11 stops on weekdays at Újpest-Árpád út, Meder Budapest public transport company BKV. aged 25 to 54. On Sunday morning the tempera- utca, Népfürdõ utca (Árpád híd), Jászai Mari tér (square, Annual operation of the boat lines will cost about HUF Furthermore, contributions will be waived entirely for ture did not fall below 24.3 Celsius in Margit híd), Petõfi tér (Erszébet híd), Boráros tér (Petõfi híd) 200 million (EUR 698,906), according to BKV. The director the first two years after an employer hires someone who Budapest, smashing the record and Haller utca on the Pest side, and at Batthyányi tér, Szent of Budapest Transport Centre (BKK), Dávid Vitézy, told the has been out of work for over a year or a mother Gellért tér and the A38 ship on the Buda side. weekly Heti Válasz that the new service has certain advan- minimum of 23.6 degrees registered Line D2 runs on weekdays between the end stations tages: “Passengers now not only have the opportunity to returning to the workforce after receiving maternity in 1987. Római part (Óbuda) and Kopaszi gát (Rákóczi híd). Boats travel to work by boat but also to drink a coffee while they do benefits, and only half of the full amount will be payable also run at the weekend (line D13) between Római part so and make use of the free WiFi.” in the third year. – Continued on page 4 as ‘A/C’ – Continued on page 3 as ‘Small business’ No more hidden fees: Airlines forced to be upfront with pricing irlines across Europe have announced on Thursday. chosen rather than when the booking been changed to display the throughout the booking process and maximum booking fee (EUR 6). Other been forced to change their Wizz Air, Ryanair, easyJet and process is in its final stages, maximum booking fee (HUF 2,200) making it easier to compare the true airlines have followed suit, changing booking systems to make nine other European airlines are according to OFT. when choosing a flight. Even though cost of a flight early on. their pricing and advertising. A “hidden fees” more obvious affected by the decision. It will ensure Wizz Air recently launched a new this will not have a direct impact on Ryanair has gone a different route According to the agreement between to customers during online booking, that the extra booking fees will be and revamped web portal for its the ticket prices, it will give more with its pricing and put a red notice OFT and the airlines, changes will be the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) shown up front when the flight is booking and the system has already transparency for the customer next to the flights stating the made to all ads before 1 August. RATES STATS 529 000 3.2 MN 3 215 21.2 MN 1-in-20 yearly euro cost to people in central heat records were abortions were people worldwide Norway if Anders China are suffering broken during the performed this took illicit drugs in 360.03 357.33 287.84 286.95 239.62 238.84 231.62 229.38 Behring Breivik from acute water month of June in year: World Health the last year: World www.takarékbank.hu 28 June 5 July 28 June 5 July 28 June 5 July 28 June 5 July gets prison term. shortage. the United States. Organisation. Drug report. 771785 110000 1 2 0 2 7 02 6 JULY – 12 JULY 2012 THE BUDAPEST TIMES P O 1222 Bp. Nagytétényi út 48-50 • Tel: (+36-1) 382-9000 Gov’t tinkers with judicial czar’s powers Fax: (+36-1) 382-9003 • e-mail: [email protected] www.fox-autorent.com • open: 8am-8pm 7 days a week L I The parliamentary proposal also transfers some of the OBH president’s authorities to the National Judicial T Concern remains after Fidesz put friend in a high place Council, including the authority to give priority handling to Orbán office to head The National Judicial issues affecting a large part of the public or that are I judicial amendments Office’s president is considered highly important. The OBH will also be intelligence agency C Tünde Handó, wife of required to hold consultations with the OBT’s judges and Fidesz founder gain their approval before transferring cases to another The running of the intelligence-gath- S court, proposing amendments to the law governing the ering Information Office will be trans- BÉNÉDICTE WILLIAMS member, MEP and co- author of Hungary’s judicial system, and over the office’s annual budget. ferred from the Foreign Ministry to the new Constitution József Prime Minister’s arliament voted on Monday amendments to the Szájer, known to have Two-thirds no guarantee Office under legis- mandate of the National Judicial Office (OBH) close personal ties with lation pushed through by govern- president, the scope of whose authority has the family of Prime The amendment is a halfway success in that it adopts ment lawmakers on come under criticism from the Venice Minister Viktor Orbán. observers’ recommendations towards preserving the inde- P Monday. The Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body on pendence of the judiciary, but concerns remain over the Information Office constitutional matters. implementation of the legal guarantees, anti-corruption carries out non- According to the proposal, approved by 249 votes in Judicial Office’s president as a particular source of watchdog Transparency International Hungary Petra Burai military intelligence favour, two against and 77 abstentions, the head of the concern among the Hungarian government’s other judi- told The Budapest Times. The two-thirds majority require- gathering, mainly OBH will not remain in office after the end of his or her cial reforms, expressing “serious doubts about the reform ment in Parliament is no guarantee of the OBH president’s abroad, from what nine-year appointment, even if Parliament fails to elect model chosen, which concentrates these very large independence and impartiality if the votes are provided János Lázár is written about a new head or re-elect the current president.