Budapest - Babel Budapest

Kosovo: dream or nightmare?

jj — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:46:00 +02:00

Written by Lóránt Havas

Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence on 17th March 2008 served as an apropos for the Budapest team of Cafebabel to organise one month later the “Europe on the Ground” debate in Budapest, in the chic yet cosy Central Café. Our guests were Tamás Lattman, international lawyer, József Makai, journalist from the journal “Magyar Nemzet” and Balázs Vizi minority specialist from the Hungarian Academy of Science. The debate was moderated by Veronika Kovács, member of the Budapest team.

The Centrál was once more fully packed with those interested in our debate on Kosovo in the framework of the „Europe on the Ground” series of Cafebabel. We had the honour to host some of the Paris and Barcelona crew members as well, who has recetly published couple of articles in the magazine on hot debated issues Budapest people talk about. During the stimulating discussion it turned out that the Kosovo situation is much more complicated than it could have thought to be.

The independence claims of Kosovars are not new, however, the latest harsh movement started after the collapse of Tito’s Yugoslavia, and it really became intense after the ethnic cleansings during the Milosevic regime – said Vizi. Also the dissatisfaction with the international administration contributed significantly to the worsening of the situation. Although the people of Kosovo believed that the situation of the territory would be consolidated under UN presence, in fact it did not help a lot.

Though international law is his field of profession, nevertheless Lattman emphasised that in the “real world” it is not evidently international law norms, which determine whether a country can qualify for the status of independent state or not. Although Kosovo has the majority of these attributes, nonetheless, it is still not obvious that it is an independent state as it has been established on the territory of an already existing sovereign state and this is something unprecedented in the history of international law. The right of Kosovo to declare independence should not, however, be denied a priori as international law is constantly evolving and changing discipline. Thus the arguments are, from a legal point of view, well balanced, therefore probably international politics should decide at the end.

Makai called Kosovo a „major own goal”. He argued that the current situation does not serve the interest of anyone involved. The newborn state has not been recognised by many, and that for sure, is a huge disappointment for the Kosovars. The situation is undoubtedly bad for the Serbs as they lost a part of their territory yet again; it is bad for Albania who really wants to break out of isolation with the help of the UN, but cannot do so as long as Russia keeps threatening with using its right to veto every time. It is quite appalling for the EU as well, because instead of the consolidation of the situation, the instability on the Balkans has without a doubt increased. Last but not least it is bad for the Hungarians living in Voivodina as, with the depart of Kosovo, Hungarians will be the biggest minority in Serbia and the possible scapegoat for the frustrated Serb society.

The Hungarian government has committed a big communication mistake when it recognised Kosovo – claimed Makai. Although, the Hungarians of Voivodina asked not to make reference to their interests when recognising the new State in order not to deteriorate their already charged relations with the Serb majority, the government did not listen to them. He also pointed out that the timing and that the recognition happened on the same day with Croatia was a good choice.
If anybody is able to profit from the situation, it is Russia – submits Lattman, who finds it still a bit exaggerated to talk about a new Cold War conflict in connection with Kosovo. It is nevertheless true that Russian diplomacy seems to work on the restoration of the superpower image torn after the fall of the Soviet Union and Kosovo is the practice field for that. Russia was aiming to drive a wedge between the USA and the EU, to destabilise the relationship that seemed for a long time very solid, and they did so with some success if we look at the Kosovo case.

However, it would be false to believe that Russia wants to „dominate” or isolate Serbia – adds Makai – as it is much more in the Russian interest to have a strong ally within the EU than just another servile State. On the one hand, the European perspective is appealing for Serbia and the Serb society, tired from fighting and loosing wars, is somewhat reluctant to fight again for Kosovo. If this is the price to pay to get accepted in the EU, then be it – they say. On the other hand the EU can also profit from a stable and prospering Serbia as this is the key to stabilise the whole region. Nevertheless, it is still an ongoing debate where and how should Serbia join the Union – Vizi reminded us.

Is Kosovo a precedent for other ethnic minorities in other countries as well? All minorities are concerned in one way or another – answers Lattman yet many say that it is not a precedent. That is a non-sense from a legal point of view, it is only a political bonmot, not to hurt certain groups so much. It can be seen that Russia acts already according to the Kosovo “receipt” in connection to the Caucasian countries. Yet Kosovo is not a precedent in the sense that there are other States which are States without the consent of the international community, like the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

As the debate went on, other minorities in Europe came to the focus. Talking about the Basque country, our Spanish guests told us that the political and economic situation of Spain was a lot different from that of Serbia. These factors are extremely important in this context as the vast majority of the Basques are content with their lives, and their autonomous status within Spain wholly satisfies them.

We should not expect that, even after Kosovo, a large number of national or ethnic minorities would try to split from the State they are living in – assumed Vizi. Many believed that the wide range of minority rights to be given to the Serbs living in Kosovo would serve as a model for other minorities, but the new constitution of Kosovo does not mention any such right. Why Kosovo? As Makai puts it: first, there is an ethnical conflict in the region between Albanians and Serbs since the beginning of the XXth century and secondly, after the relative calm of the Tito regime and the 1974 Yugoslavian constitution that guaranteed autonomous rights for Albanians, a new generation of Kosovars has grown who are ready to literally die for freedom. The ethnic aggression during the Milosevic era and the pro-Kosovo politics of the USA did not but accelerate the process.

Talking about the current situation in Kosovo, our guests all agreed that Kosovo was really instable and there is always a danger of an armed conflict to burst out between the various clans governing the different regions of the country. The fragile political situation predicts that Kosovo is not an economic stronghold either, though a country of a similar size could be viable. The only way out for Kosovo is the European perspective, concluded Lattman, to gain membership in the Council of Europe and later in the European Union as well.

The risk of the establishment of Great Albania is quite low – replied Vizi to a question. He added that Kosovars and Albanians never lived in the same country; they therefore did not develop a feeling of belonging together or any kind of Pan-Albanian identity. Kosovars do not see Albania as the “motherland”. Lattman further elaborated on the question and told that actually the establishment of Great Kosovo was more likely, as Kosovo is still in a better position economically than Albania, they just declared independence, hence their confidence is also higher.

The future of Kosovo largely depends on how much can Serbia and Serbians tolerate the loss of their former province – suggests Makai. It is highly likely that Serbians, after all, have to accept Kosovo’s independence, what else can they do? They could protest, trust in Russia or their radicals, no matter what they do, Kosovo will probably not be part of a unified Serbia for a while. (It is worth noting however, that after the elections in May, the radicals who do not want to let Kosovo go became one of the biggest parliamentary blocks in the country.) Lattman also listed the possibility for Serbia to launch a lawsuit against those States that had recognised the independence of Kosovo, thereby causing Serbia serious damage.

As a conclusion to the debate, everybody agreed that the Kosovo file cannot be closed as yet; the situation of a State which declares independece unilaterally is a matter of a thorough analysis, taking into account the reaction of the biggest powers, the steps taken by the EU, the Serbian domestic politics and the opinion of the international community amongst other factors.

Budapest on the Ground!

jj — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:38:00 +02:00

Between 17-20 April 2008 Budapest team will host 5 Babelian journalist who come to our city to discover the hot debated issues of Budapest.
Do not miss to participate in our upcoming debate held on 17th April 2008 from 6 p.m. in Centrál. With our guest speakers we will talk about the future of national minorities in Europe in light of the independence of Kosovo. Come and join us!

Online media becomes much more important even for diplomacy

jj — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:20:00 +01:00

Budapest, 11 March 2008, 5.30 p.m.

Despite being Tuesday afternoon and the fact that for many our last debate has started long before the end of their working time, around 30 young people, journalists, researchers and students interested in foreign affairs gathered in Cafe Petit Vian, a cosy downtown café.

Participants and especially members of the Budapest team were on pins and needles till the arrive of their special guest, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) of State for Public Diplomacy Colleen Graffy, since it was her personal wish to meet Babelians living in Budapest during her visit in the Hungarian capital.

Shortened version of the discussion is available on video:

Besides questions being on the agenda in the US and current issues of the EU-U.S. relations, the debate focused on the role of web-based journalism and online communities in today’s public diplomacy. It was the first time for our moderator Katalin Szalóki to try herself out in such a role but she found the common words from the very first moment both with Ms. Graffy and the audience.

For the first question why Ms. Graffy kept it important to meet Babelians during her short stay in Budapest, she replied honestly that simply because she praised the idea of cafébabel and young people involved in this project. According to her, such initiatives are very important because they ride the crest of a new wave of web-based journalism and transborder communities. She added that the State Department also uses such online tools. Nowadays they are essential for facilitating people to people communications and to reach target groups anywhere. She mentioned as a good example the blog called ‘dipnotes’ available on the site state.gov launched by diplomats on their everyday work, that is quite popular.

Answering a question from the audience on the influence of international media on diplomacy and politics, DAS Graffy noted that the increasing role of web-based media in international affairs could be a constructive influence bringing, greater awareness and transparency to important issues of the day. Talking about today’s diplomacy, she added that owing to the much more complex and changing international environment, public diplomacy has undergone significant changes during the past decades. For instance, there is not simply a press agency working behind a ministry for foreign affairs but there is a team of experts and psychologists assisting diplomats and politicians to communicate their acts and decisions. Furthermore, there are film-stars, sportsmen and well-known artists operating as cultural ambassadors who have the mission to communicate the U.S. culture all around the world.

She disproved our feeling that young Americans are not interested in international affairs. Moreover, she explained that students spending couple of semesters overseas are always much more opened to politics, they follow current issues being on the agenda even in Europe, and they are often more critical than their fellows stayed at home. She highlighted that the wide-spread use of Internet has certainly contributed to the change of young people’s attitude perceptible nowadays.

Reflecting to the Hungarian example that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has launched a public debate and collaborated with various think tanks, intellectuals and NGOs in the work out of the new strategy of foreign relations of Hungary, she noted that there are no such a concrete example in the U.S., but there is a tendency that think tanks and the public have growing influence in shaping foreign policy. Concerning the current presidential elections, she explained that although the campaign starts to look like a reality TV show, she is happy that it is broadcasted 24 hours a day world-wide because it reaches more and more people and provides the possibility to communicate not only about the candidates but the U.S. itself.

At the end of the discussion - what I would rather call a chat then a debate- , attendants felt free to pose questions on hot topics like the Visa Waiver Policy, the current situation in Iraq, the U.S. policy on climate change, energy security, and the relations with China and Russia. Despite the foul and drizzling weather participants went home with the experience of a conversation of pleasant atmosphere.

Cafébabel Budapest thanks the U.S. Embassy for much assistance and making possible organizing the debate.

Report on Ms Graffy's visit in Budapest is available in dipnotes.

Invitation - Debate on 11 March 2008

jj — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:00 +01:00

Are you following the hottest issues of EU-US relations?
Would you like to know how could new technologies of the 21st century become tools of public diplomacy?
Would you like to put your questions directly to a high level representative of the US?

IT'S YOUR TURN!

Come, and join us in the following programme of cafebabel.com from 5.30 p.m. on 11 March 2008, where you can get answers to all of your questions!

The Budapest team presents

IT'S YOUR TURN!

Come, and join us in the following programme of cafebabel.com,
where you can get answers to all of your questions!

In course of the debate our guest will be

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press and Public Diplomacy

Colleen Graffy

Department of State, United States of America

Venue: 'Petit' Cafe Vian

(Budapest, 5th district, 21 Hercegprímás u.)

Date: 11 March 2008, 5.30 p.m.

You will be our guest for a cup of coffee and some snacks!
Do not forget, registration is a must!
Contact us through e-mail on budapest@cafebabel.com.

See you!
budapest team of cafebabel.com

Sziget Festival without Cafebabel? Not in 2007!

Linda — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:30:00 +01:00

Translated by Lóránt Havas

The Budapest team of cafebabel.com played an active role again for the second time on one of Europe’s most wanted cultural fora, Budapest’s Sziget Festival. The team organised programmes on 11 and 12 August in the Civil Village drawing the attention of many Sziget-dwellers from all around the world.

Four million. That is the number of visitors the popular festival counts from the beginnings, fifteen years ago, that is. Like in the previous 14 years, the 15th Sziget also hosted a bunch of big shots like Pink, the Chemical Brothers, Franz Ferdinand, Nine Inch Nails, the Faithless, Sinéad O’Connor and many others. Despite the changing weather dotted with rainshowers and the consequent mud wrestling, everybody seemed to enjoy her/his favourite music during the eight days of the festival, no matter if it was rock, pop, classic or world music, reggae, blues, electro, punk, jazz or whatever. Two new Guinness records were also born: 14,902 people (or 7,451 couples) were kissing at the same time on the main square on Saturday and the Guinness stage saw the longest ever concert in the history of music, starting off on 7th August to break the actual world record eight days later, at 9 am on 15th August. There were approximately 70 NGOs represented in the Civil Village, offering a wide range of cultural and less cultural programmes.

After last year’s success, our team got invited again and prepared with colourful events to continue the cafebabel story on the Sziget. Voilà!

Saturday, August 11, 2007

BRUNCH WITH ÁGI SZALÓKI

The first cafebabel event took place on Saturday morning on the Civil Playground. It was a chat-interview with the singer __Szalóki Ági__, moderated by Bori, a member of our team. It quickly turned out that, though she sings it a lot, Ági is not a classical folk singer. Her music combines Hungarian, Transylvanian, Gypsy and other types of folk music with Fado, jazz, often with children’s music and many more. That is how she already performed with many different bands, such as the Ökrös orchestra (folk), the Besh o Drom (Gypsy music, she became a well-known singer with them, by the way), Makám (folk), the Balázs Elemér Group (jazz), Szakcsi Lakatos Béla (jazz), Palya Bea (folk singer also well known in France) or with Herczku Ágnes (folk singer). She likes to sing best for children. Not only because they are enthusiastic, but because they are really open to everything, including Gypsy culture. These encounters with the youngest generation always fill her up with energy, she claims. Ági has the Gypsy culture in her veins as her mother is of Roma origin. It was her mother who first introduced Ági to the world of Gypsy folk music which had an effect on her from the first moment she got to listen to it. Nevertheless, Ági is not only the honorary ambassador of Gypsy music, she also supports many civil initiatives. She is a well known local patriot and protector of the cultural heritage and the natural environment. Besides, she also campaigns for fair trade, and was, therefore, very happy when cafebabel treated her to some fair trade coffee with the support of the Be Fair! Foundation. When speaking about the accession to the European Union, Ági generally welcomes the move, and hopes that this would encourage Hungarians to think even more European, especially when it comes to the protection of environment. Her aim in music is to get closer to people who are open to her music and get her message through to them. As she very much likes experimenting and would like to stay open to the different musical streams, she told us that she didn’t want to stick to any precise style. This might be great as an artist, however, managing someone without a clear profile is not so easy. For the moment she can live with the situation. She is, as she put it, like a “laboda”, a plant that has few needs and can survive winter and summertime as well.

After the pleasant brunch with Ági, we set up our already well-known giant board symbolising the EU monster, attracting a fair number of visitors again, who got to know cafebabel.com better and could also talk about their fears connected to the EU with the members of our team. In exchange of the opinions and comments put on the EU monster, we gave the Sziget-dwellers our very practical and user friendly invention, the Sziget dictionary. The dictionary , just like a year ago, became a huge success with its funny and catchy phrases translated into eight languages making socialising a lot easier for the inhabitants of the Sziget.

Topping up our fabulous Saturday, the team went to the World Music Stage to see our following day guests, the Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra (PASO) in concert. After the frenetic show the guys put on we could hardly wait the next morning (well, early afternoon) to have a brunch with at least some of them.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

BRUNCH WITH PASO

Two members of the __PASO__, the singer Tóth Kristóf A.K.A. “Krsa” and Benkő Dávid (keyboards) were our tired guests for the brunch on Sunday. While Verus asked the questions and moderated the discussion, the tired audience was shaken up by the zippy sounds of the PASO, some fair trade coffee and the freshly baked patisserie of the Kolosy square bakery. Our plan to involve a lot of people was quite successful as by the end of the brunch one could not find a place to sit before the stage.

The PASO is quite used to the crowd as their concerts also attract many people. They are well known participants on festivals, where they usually play for thousands, but they give club-concerts as well. Their popularity is not surprising if we know that they are one of the leading ska groups in Hungary. The band (or better to say the orchestra) has ten members, all talented young musicians coming from different underground groups who play together since 2003. They released a number of albums, the last in the autumn 2007. Their own style matured and became really peculiar during the years. When one of their early songs was played, they both started laughing and told that they wouldn’t play this kind of music nowadays. Yet their style is still changing, influenced by the members’ individual taste and ambitions. The combination of these musical tastes makes up the original PASO sound, a music that is somewhere between dub, reggae and ska.

Krsa and Dávid told us stories about their concerts in other European countries. It is really important for them to be able to show their music to many people and become well known with the help of it. The sky is the limit – as they said. Even though they don’t have a manager, PASO is already a known name in the international ska community. However, music for them is “only” a hobby, most of them have a university degree (Krsa has a degree in economics for example). Having seen them on the stage it seems unnecessary to stress that their motivation is not mone, they do it for the fun of it and enjoy playing their music until the very last sound.

What does Europe mean for the PASO? Dávid explained that they think it is through the music that the different people can really communicate and that it is music that unites them. It does not matter that you are playing music with Hungarian folk elements in the Netherlands, once the crowd grasps the rhythm you immediately feel that you are speaking the same language and the party is just as good as it would have been in Hungary. Most of their songs are written in English in order to help people understand them better and to pave the way towards world fame. Well, what can we say? Go PASO go! These guys deserve it a lot.

DISCUSSION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Later on that day a more “serious” programme was on stake: a discussion on climate change, animated by the German language editor of cafebabel Katharina Kloss who arrived directly from Paris for this programme. This was her first time in Hungary. We also invited Maria Khovanskaia (Regional Environment Centre), Hasznos Erika (Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water Protection) and Rohonyi Péter, member of Greenpeace to join our discussion. The debate was in English and attracted many Sziget-dwellers from all around the globe, providing for a very lively discussion between the audience and our guest experts.

Maria Khovanskia started the discussion with introducing the audience to the scientific concept of climate change. This was followed by the clash of the views of the Ministry and Greenpeace, yet they were of the same opinion in many matters, for example they both pointed out the dangers of the negative climatic changes took place recently and advocated that a more responsible and environment-friendly approach is desirable on the level of individuals and of the society as well.

Nevertheless, Mr. Rohonyi blamed the government for its bureucratic attitude and that things take always ages to be done in the ministry and environmental investments are still at a low level, he added. He did not deny the results already achieved, yet he stressed that they are not at all fulfilling and claimed that the government was responsible for the lack of political coherence in the field of environment and for the inapt communication as well. He called our attention to the Greenpeace analysis on the effects of climatic change to be issued in the future containing the concrete tasks to be executed for the years to come.

In her reaction Ms. Hasznos outlined the strategy of the ministry and talked about a possible „road show” to be organised by them on the topic of climate change. She pointed out that despite the criticism coming from the civil society, only a limited number of companies care to answer and to provide data for the calls of the ministry and that it does not help their job. She also reminded us to the “Climate Agreement” adopted at EU level, intended to cut the emission of carbon-dioxide and other toxic substances by 10-15% in the next 15 years. This instrument seems to have achieved a globally shared responsibility, contrary to the famous Kyoto Protocol that has not yet been signed by some important global actors.

Mr. Rohony, while fully endorsing the EU initiatives, expressed his doubts about the future impementation of the EU regulation. He underlined again that we have no time to waste, steps need to be taken soon following a strict strategy altering our lifestyles in every possibly ways.

The participants agreed that the emission-trade is not a good solution to the environmental problems, it only delays the emergence of the problems a bit. During the discussion light was shed on the possibility to use nuclear power on a broader scale, on the responsibility of the individuals, the importance of the promotion of positive attitude and of the powers of the nature (wind, sun, biomass, etc.). There was a small confrontation between the partisans of nuclear power and the representative of Greenpeace, but at the end they all agreed that nuclear power can be seen as an alternative substitutive element, only its place on the list is a matter of choice.

The cafebabel team had quite a good media coverage. We gave two TV interviews: Eszter to a cable TV channel – Echo TV, and Linda to the Hungarian Television about the magazine and our programmes organised on Sziget.

Our presence on the Sziget Festival proved to be a success again, we got our message through to many people from many coutries, making cafebabel even better known worldwide and we enjoyed ourselves a lot! See you next time on Sziget!

Budapest wishes happy birthday

jj — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +01:00

Watch the video!

We are in Top 10!

jj — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:16:00 +01:00

According to cafebabel.com's yearly blog review of 2007, Budapest got the 9th place - 4th among babelian cities!
Thanks for your work guys, namely: Linda, Csacsillus, Agrimald, Oosi, Nori, Lorant and verus!

Here are the list of our best posts. Do not miss to read them, if you had not do that yet.

„TB-BUSTERS” advocating for the privatisation of health insurance by Linda

Legal alien - a Trinidadian in Hungary by Oosi

and

Finally tied the knot by Oosi

Premium launch event in Budapest

jj — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:02:00 +01:00

After Paris, Stockholm, Praha and Bucharest the Budapest team has taken over the buton and invited its babelian friends to celebrate the launch of the community in a cosy downtown coffee-bar. Besides people showing interest for our activity, represnetatives of our most importat partners have also taken part in the event, with whom we clinked our glasses on the success of the babelian community.

In course of the meeting we have demonstrated the Babel story in a powerpoint presentation. We have highlighted the main steps from the beggining till today and have detailed our plans for the upcoming year. Nevertheless, the most popular blogs has been presented as well, while on the other hand, we have called attention to the unique possibility offered by that multilingual forums. Thus, participants have been strongly encouraged to register on the website and become member of the community.

When once gathered together, we have passed around the mike and asked our guests what do they think about the whole project and the launch of the community?

Lóránt, a young lawyer, who has recently returned from Belgium, was the first in giving the answer. “In autumn 2005 one of my groupmates has called my attention to the magazine in Brugge. I've straightaway got in touch with the Budapest team, with whom I still have a very good relation." "I think, the magazine itself is very interactive and we often broach its headlines while chatting with my friends.”

Angéla, who is dealing with EU affairs, has at first heard about the website from one of her colleagues. "I visit the page on a weekly basis, and what I really like is that it interprests informations about the EU in a popular way, and unlike other EU journals I can find not only boring analysis but easy-going texts as well."

Botond, one of the founders of Kitekintő, an on-line magazine on foreign affairs, has know the magazine owing to a recently launched cooperation with the Budapest team. "I think it is a twin project, the two webbased journal operates in the same way, but provides on a different perspective". "We are trying to reach the same target group, but instead of being rivals, we complement each other." - he added.

Ági has at first heard about the website in the Frech Institute based in Budapest." I think it is still quite difficult to come to know the magazine, it spreads mainly from mouth to mouth." "I guess partly because people in Hungary are quite inactive and does not really show interest for public matters. On the other hand many still does not speak foreign languages at all." - she continued. "I personally support such projects and I think cafebabel.com is a good example of transnational communication and it provides a global picture on life of Europe.”

Tamás, chief editor of the magazine called Kitekintő has hit cafebabel.com by accident when searching for some EU-related information on the internet. "Basically I like the new version of the website and the idea of the community. There is no doubt, interactive magazines are the future." Concerning new tools he said: "I think forums and blogs destroy each other." "I personally prefer blogs of good quality, it's no use doing one-sided traditional jourmalism anymore.”

Niki, president of the Association for European Values has at first met us in course of a summer university organised for students studying international relations. "I agree that the 2.0 versions and community portals are the future. It is fundamental to make people take part in public affairs". "I think that the main difficulty that you have to face when popularizing the magazine is the lack of foreign language speeking, tough there is a considerable tenedency that a growing proportion of internet-users knows at least one foreign language." " According to my perception there is a lack of journals especially prepared for people being in their 30's and 40's and cafebabel.com could be a good example of them.”

Orsi who is going to finish her studies next year on the faculty of international relations says: "I've chanced to meet one of the members of the Budapest team who has called my attention to the website and the activity of the Budapest team few eeks ago. Being interested in EU issues, the chance that I can take part in this project sounded quite attractive." "After tonight's presentation I took a fancy even to write for the magazine and to join the community. It was my pleasure to take part in this programme, I am merely enthusiastic for this project." - she added.

Budapest team in Sziget Festival

Linda — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:41:00 +02:00

August 11, Saturday

11:00 – 12:00 Brunch with Ági Szalóki (singer)

Moderator: Borbála Balla, Cafebabel.com Budapest

Venue: Civil Playground

August 12, Sunday

11:00 – 12:00 Brunch with Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra (PASO)

Moderator: Veronika Kovács, Cafebabel.com Budapest

Venue: Civil Playground

14:00 – 15:30 Debate on the climate change

Guests:

Maria Khovanskaia, Regional Environment Center
Ágnes Kelemen, Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water Protection
Péter Rohonyi, Greenpeace

Moderator: Katharina Kloss, the German editor of Cafebabel.com

The language of the debate: English

Venue: Civil Playground

Nabucco versus Blue Stream

jj — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:50:00 +02:00

All those concerned with foreign politics and energy policy, and in particular with one of today’s Europe’s most pressing issues: energy-dependence, were invited to take part in the debate organised by the Budapest team of cafebabel.com in Café Centrál on June 8 2007. The people gathered together with the aim to get some first hand information – free of political influence – about the European context of the energy business to be able to formulate their opinion on the subject.

How to celebrate the 50 years anniversary of the Union in a truly Babelian way?

This was the question that haunted the Budapest team for long when we got together on a chilly Thursday afternoon to hold our weekly meeting. That afternoon we decided to organise a round-table discussion on one of the hottest, but for sure the most pertinent question Europe has to face nowadays: energy security.

The topic is characterised by almost antagonistic national interests coupled with total uncertainty. The Commission is strong on promoting the common energy policy and the realisation of the “Nabucco” gas pipeline project, planned since 2002. Yet these efforts are overshadowed by the fact that some of the Member States have already concluded long-term bilateral agreements with Russia in order to secure their own energy needs. Following the Russo-Ukrainian gas-debate last January it still seemed that Europe was united, and the diversification of gas supplies could be the aim that links the Member States and foster the implementation of the common energy policy.

Is it the same old European story told once more? Will another promising European plan be caught in the net of conflicting national interests yet again? Is there a role for Hungary in the common concept?

We are shortly before five, and the salon on the mezzanine is fully packed. Coffees are already served when, after the introductory words of Linda Mézes, head of the Budapest editorial office, István Szent-Iványi, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament is given the speech. Mr. Szent-Iványi brings our attention to the fact that Energy should not be viewed from a financial point of view, but rather as an important strategic question. The countries that are dependent from others are left behind in the global race. He also reminded us that the common energy policy does not exist today and, therefore, the Nabucco-project is only feasible in as much as the Member States are ready to cooperate and to show a great deal of solidarity towards each other. The diversification of resources is inevitable for Hungary, since the country is 100% dependent on Russian gas. However, the realisation of the Nabucco pipeline would be in the interest of Romania and Bulgaria as well.

As András György Deák, the expert on Russia at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, put it: both the “Nabucco” and the “Blue Stream” projects are “standing on elusive ground”. Russian presence is already established on the Turkish as well as on the European markets but the Gazprom cannot exercise enough pressure on Turkey, thus it is not in its interest to build a pipeline there. The building of the Blue Stream pipeline would be an extremely expensive enterprise. What is more, Mr. Deák also recalled that in the gas industry the role of transit states (such as Ukraine) is just as important as that of the producer or consumer states. As for Hungary, the country “needs the pipeline through the Balkans like a piece of bread” to shorten its dependence on Russian supplies by becoming a transit country, thus making itself less vulnerable. In case of a pan-European accord on the pipeline András Deák did not exclude the possibility that Russian capital would play a part in the construction of Nabucco.

Tamás Magyarics, the USA expert of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, evaluated the two different options from a geopolitical and American point of view. He pointed out that the biggest oil and gas fields lie in politically instable regions. Moreover, the USA are confronted with Russia in the Central-Asian region and the American interests are contrary to the interests of the Chino-Russian tandem in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Tamás Magyarisics reasoned that Turkey is one of the key countries in the energy debate, being a transit region of paramount importance. The Caucasian countries are divided between the USA and Russia, Azerbaijan and Georgia being in favour of Washington whilst Armenia is a traditional ally of Moscow.

Szabolcs Ferencz I. the communication director of the biggest Hungarian oil company, MOL, agreed with the fellow speakers in that it is essential for Hungary to be the transit country for as many pipelines as possible, may it be the Nabucco or Blue Stream, to help minimize the transit-risks. According to him, the installation of a pipeline should foremost be a financial and not a political question. It is all the more so, since the estimated costs of the Nabucco project amount up to 5 billion €, a sum that nobody is ready to pay from taxpayers’ money. He drew attention to the fact that contrary to what is widely believed, both the Nabucco and the Blue Stream would carry resources both from Central-Asia and from Russia. The Nabucco would still rely primordially on Russian gas (70%) and only to a lesser extent on other, mainly Central-Asian, supplies (30%).

Haszan Haszanov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Hungary, also took part in the debate. The diplomat told that the Nabucco-project was planned to involve three gas producer countries: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan; three transit states, namely Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey; and Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria and other EU Member States as final consumers. Though the EU has not entered into negotiations with either of the states concerned, the ambassador, nevertheless, underlined his country’s willingness to make investments in order to help realizing the project.

István Szent-Iványi pointed out that a project of almost the same volume had already been realised concerning the “Adria” pipeline, which, though never been used, could have allowed Hungary to secure its energy needs independently from Russia during the 90’s. Mr. Szent-Iványi further claimed that President Putin’s Central-Asian tour is not such a factor that can jeopardise the Nabucco project, as the Turkmen and Kazakh leaders only made vague promises to the Russian head of state and neither of them approved of the exclusivity clause Russia wanted to sign.

Mr. Ferencz explained, based on the report of the American Geological Institute, that in our region the complete independence from Russian gas supplies is not imaginable, for the Russian gas stocks are far greater than the other stocks in the region altogether.

This was the time when the silent public became alive and joined the debate. In the answer to one of the questions concerning China’s growing energy consumption, Mr. Ferencz highlighted that it is fundamental for Europe to become a carrier-buyer of Russian gas before the always “hungry” China makes a move. He informed the public that the feasibility study for Nabucco is already done and the Blue Stream study will be finished by autumn. The communication expert also reported that MOL takes part in the preparatory works of the LNG-terminal, to be built on the Croatian island of Krk, so as to ensure another possible gas market for Hungary. He stressed the fact that the Western-European countries dispose of a more integrated gas network, which makes them less vulnerable than the Central and Eastern European states.

Mr. Deák recalled that Europe has a yearly gas consumption of 500 billion m3 and it is expected to skyrocket in the upcoming years, and that makes the further rise of Russian gas import inevitable. The arrival of the Russian giant, the Gazprom with its 580 billion m3 yearly output would probably raise questions of competition on the European market, he warned.

Mr. Magyarics reminded that Gazprom is not only a giant company, but it is also under considerable political control. Enough to think about the 2003 Putin speech, given on the 10th anniversary of Gazprom, in which the president not even limited the further inflow of foreign investment concerning Gazprom, but he successfully discouraged all attempts to privatize the energy-conglomerate. The market shaped by the importers demand seems a far away dream until an alternative energy supply has not been found. Europe has to acknowledge that under the present circumstances producers are in control. For these reasons Europe has to do all it can to “prevent a gas-OPEC to be formed” – Magyarisics added. The audience got pretty excited about the topic, since even after the debate had officially come to an end it actually continued yet in a more informal atmosphere.

The press also snapped at the topic, proven by the next days’ strong presence in the papers and online as well.

Translated by Lóránt HAVAS

Together since 1957

Linda — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:39:00 +02:00

The Representation of the European Commission in Hungary and the Information Office of the European Parliament in Budapest organized a street festival on May 12, 2007 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the EU.

For the first time the Budapest team of Cafebabel.com has also participated in the program in Deák Ferenc street where promotional materials of our magazine and special games were waiting for the visitors. The famous “Who Fears Europe Panel” was reinstalled too where comments and personal concerns related to the EU were collected. We also increased our readership intensely at this outstanding event.

Tricks and Traps in Central Europe

jj — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:22:00 +02:00

Cafébabel Budapest took a risky decision by inviting high profile guests on 16th December 2006, in the pre-Christmas rush, to discuss and give answers to question of political instability, economic problems and disillusionment of EU membership recognised in Central European countries during the past period. The debate was organised in course of the Europe on the Ground project of cafebabel.com, thus 5 journalists from all over Europe took part in the discussion as well.

The 2004 Enlargement was awaited with great expectations by most of the Central Europeans. Looking optimistically into the future, they were convinced that EU membership would boost the economy and bring political stability that would strengthen the democratic achievements. However, the past two and a half years did not bring about many things on the wish list, even on the contrary. Some of the states of the region face economic disorders, others political stability has weakened over this period, not to mention the ones struggling both with economic and political problems at the same time.

Political populism and extremism is on the rise, corruption is still firmly present at every level of the administration, economies are vegetating; what Central European states resemble today is rather a chaotic hub of problematic states than a prosperous region. Why is this U turn? Are we talking about a childhood flue of the infant democracies, or is it still the communist heritage that has its backlash-effects on these countries? Maybe, to find the veritable roots of the problem one has to dig even deeper than this.

January 2007, being the beginning of the new budgetary period of 2007-13, will mark an important step in the life of Hungary and the other "Visegrad-countries." External sources of a never seen volume will flow in to the government purse through the EU budget. The question arises: will these states be able to make use of these enormous sums effectively, converging their economies and the standard of living to the West European standards, given the political and economic status quo? Is there any chance that the political progress reaches the level of the old Member States?

Cafebabel Budapest took a risky decision by inviting high profile guests on 16th December, in the pre-Christmas rush, to discuss and provide alternative answers to the above listed questions.

There was already a fair number of curious students, professors, intellectuals both Hungarians and foreigners in the tiny club of the Merlin theatre when Kálmán Mizsei, professor at the Central European University, addressed his opening speech to the public. Two and a half years after the so much wished accession the popularity and the backing of the EU membership has drastically fallen in the new Member States, especially in the Visegrad countries. What is the cause of this disenchantment? – wondered Mizsei. „Is it possible that this story is typically Central European?”

Ferenc Hörcher, reader at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University, investigated the reasons of the current crisis in Hungary. He asserted that the high tensions and every day confrontation in politics and the lack of a "common democratic minimum" amongst the political players are the most important components of today’s "moral crisis".

Péter Balázs, former EU commissioner pointed out that "political pluralism had practically no history in these countries at all". A completely new generation came on scene and they had to learn the rules of the new game: how to be on government and how to make politics in opposition.

Miroslav Beblavy, director of the Slovak Government Institute, estimated that the Central European region is still on the way of transformation, which has not finished yet. We all have to bear the consequences of our troubled history for a long time, until the Visegrad countries become normalized, he concluded.

The participants are all agreed on one point, namely that, as numerous examples showed lately (e.g.: Italy, Belgium, France), there is no unique pattern to follow. ”It is obvious that the European social model is not a satisfactory solution for all countries, yet – even with its weak points – it is the only alternative EU can offer to the Central and East European countries – added Michael Mejstrík, professor of economy and finances at the Charles IV University in Prague.

Beblavy believes that the political situation in the Czech Republic and in Hungary is significantly different from that in Slovakia and in Poland. In the two former countries the political spectrum is reasonably solid, even too solid. The power is already divided up by the most influential political groups and it is not likely to change in the near future. The rigidity of the political system creates conflicts between the public opinion and the actions of the political elite, in particular concerning the economic and social changes.

Beblavy labelled Slovakia and Poland as the "rebels of the present". Voters turned their back on the EU-conform leaders and voted for populism. ”It is not the electoral will that has changed with the accession, but more likely the constraints of politicians” – he reasoned. Before the accession politicians like Fico or Kaczynski would probably not have allied with the forces they coalesced now. EU membership being achieved, they do not have to make uncomfortable compromises any more to meet the requirements of the West.

Jaroslaw Pietras, professor at the University of Warsaw, called the present situation a “period of exploration”, as the new Member States are still testing the limits of the possibilities available for them and trying to find their place in the European construct. “The situation is somewhat similar to the arrival of a new child to a family. Now matter how carefully it was prepared, it always takes some time until all the members accept the newcomer.”

“It is not the financial gain that is the most important for Poland and the other newly joined states, but the possibility to take part in the decision making process of the Union. No decisions can be made in Europe without us any more.” – Pietras stressed. He also admitted that on the other hand, it is not so easy to defend one’s interest. This makes it sometimes inevitable to make use of extreme means of negotiation, like blocking minority or the right to veto.

All the guest speakers agreed on the fact that by joining a highly respected international community, the appreciation of the region has changed a lot in a positive direction, which is important not only to governments, but also to all players on the region’s market, including, above all, the biggest enterprises.

Péter Balázs went on to discuss the application of EU funds. “The economic transformation came as a natural disaster in the beginning of the ‘90s for our countries.” External help and private capital have eased the situation appreciably, yet the real inflow of financial aid will only start in 2007, almost twenty years after the “due date” of these sums. “It is a miracle that none of these countries went bankrupt in those twenty years” he commented.

The positive consequence of the incoming funds is, according to Beblavy, “that we are able to realize projects we would not be able to do ourselves, like building roads and schools”. As a negative corollary, however, the Central Europeans can expect an even bigger corruption rate together with governments being more reluctant to implement the necessary reforms to keep certain regions profit from the structural funds. “Nevertheless, I am convinced that the balance of positive and negative effects will, at the end, be above zero.”

"Union funds, under certain circumstances, can have a disintegrating role as well”, Michal Mejstrík precised. “Enough to think about the common agricultural policy: the majority of the farmers in Central and Eastern Europe would be better off without the current, intervention-based and contra-competitive system. I truly believe that competition is always a better option than adopting ill-functioning models.”

The problem with the funds is, Mejstrík continued, that people want immediate results and they want those results to be spectacular. But “the more aid we get, the less infrastructural development can be proportionally done. This makes people lose their faith in the system, which is why they get the more and more disenchanted from politics and this is how populism can gather ground in this part of Europe.”

The speakers further discussed about the different ways of application of the EU funds, mentioning the utmost importance of their effective use. Light was also shed on the pros and contras of the centralized and the de-centralized models of distribution as well as other economic issues, linked to the question.

What transpired during the meeting is that there seems to be a common challenge the Visegrad Fours all have to face. It will be crucial for them to make good use of the money they can spend. They have to build up a rational and well-adapted institutional system, combat corruption successfully and introduce the necessary reforms. In other words: it is not just the quantity that will count but also, or even more importantly, the quality. Let’s hope they are going to avoid the traps.

transleted and editied by Lóránt Havas

Let's go to the Sziget!

jj — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:02:00 +02:00

76 hectares, 385 thousand spectators, 750 concerts, 10.2 tons of waste produced during a week at the heart of Budapest. Since its debut in 1993 the Sziget Festival has grown a reference point. It is not only a music festival anymore but also a wealthy cultural programme. Alike previous years, visitors of the festival could enjoy not only the high variety of concert-supply and the cultural cavalcade; but yould meet representatives of the civil society as well. The area separated for almost 120 civil organisations has become one of the most colourful fields of the festival during the past years. In 2006 Café Babel got the chance for the first time to bring new colour into the programme of the Civil Village.

This year almost one third of the spectators were foreigners: most of them were French, German, Austrian, and Dutch. Tough the six thousand visitors of the Civil Village were still mainly Hungarian, more and more organisations tried to offer programmes for the visitors coming from abroad. Café Babel was represented by seven volunteers of the Budapest team, who installed a 25 square meters large tent where the visitors could get acquainted with headings of the magazine and could play with a scrabble laying down on mats and pillows.

Following opening the tent of Café Babel an ardent going and coming begun around the Civil Playground, where László Mérő mathematician was awaited for an accommodating brunch. The senior lecturer of Psychological Department of University of Sciences of Budapest became internationally known particularly by his researches on game theory and artificial intelligence. In a few minutes a smaller audience gathered together around the professor. Looking for some intellectual filling up they stood silent and intent while sipping a hot coffee and nibbling sweet cakes.

Afterwards, at around 5 o’clock in the afternoon a debate began with the title “Speak your mind!” where representatives of different civil organisations could meet each other. The young volunteers discussed the role of young people in shaping the public opinion and talked about the possibilities and tools that they have to reach wide range of public. Guests of the debate were: Nikoletta Incze Foundation for European Values); Sára Vári (Young for Development Association); Tibor Ibránszki (Pillár Foundation); Dániel Fehér (European Civil Initiation); Márton Vay (Védegylet Association).

Saturday morning started with a brunch, as usual. The guest of the agreeable chat was György Pálfi, a talented Hungarian director, who has already scored full marks in Cannes with his genius movies: Hukkle and Taxidermia. The friendly talk attracted a large audience again who could at the end of the joint breakfast, even ask the moviemaker. Pálfi imparted the crowd to secrets of filmmaking and his plans for the future.

During the afternoon a transparent installed close to the road passing by the Civil Village called attention of the visitors of the festival. The title of the panel was: “Who fears Europe?” on which members of the Budapest team collected concerns and opinions about the European Union. Number of comments multiplied quickly. Finally it was a real challenge to know our way among the slip of papers hung on the table: number of languages and different hand writings.

Besides Hungarians, Austrians, British, Dutch, French, Germans, Swedish, Romanians, Turkish, and even Australians and Canadians placed a slip on the board. Surprisingly, mainly the foreign visitors were interested in the action, while Hungarians seemed to be a bit timid. Some of the people standing by the panel have already heard about Café Babel, and many of them belong to the readers of the magazine.

Fortunately, struggling with the slips of paper was not unreturned: the volunteers distributed more hundreds of dictionaries among people passing by. The Budapest team complied a pocket-dictionary especially for the festival in order to ease communication between the visitors coming from abroad and the Hungarians. Fifteen useful expressions were collected together on the seven official languages of the magazine, like: „Hi! How are you?” or “How much is the beer here?”. The pocket-dictionary became popular with the visitors shortly, mainly among the foreigners.

Sunday started a bit gloomy, particularly because it looked like rain and the ground was still wet because of previous night’s rain that almost upset our plan of making a picnic. It seemed that we have to cancel our usual chat, when Palya Bea the beautiful and charming Hungarian singer arrived with a face beaming with happiness to the Civil Playground. The internationally known folklore and world music singer woke up spectators camping close to the Civil Village with singing. Many of them immediately took his pillow and joined the audience. During the one and a half hours long conversation Bea talked about her childhood, her attachment to France and about her future plans. Then, she sang again and all the people around her wished she would never stop.

Meanwhile almost two hundreds comments gathered together on the panel during the 3 days; bit by bit there was no place left on the board. Opinions and fears were discussed among experts during Saturday afternoon in course of a debate “Quo vadis Europe?”. Guests of the event were: András Bozóki, former cultural minister; Gabriella Lantos, expert of development policy and Zoltán Pogátsa economist researcher. Questions such as competitiveness of the European Union, the sustainable development, the democratic deficit and bureaucracy of Brussels were mentioned in course of the discussion. The audience took the floor quite shortly and asked the guests about a wide range of questions from new challenges of the common foreign and security policy, through national identity of new member states and the allocation of EU-funds.

The three-day long presence was a serious showdown for the Budapest team, not only in respect of teambuilding but physically as well. They left a exhausting weekend behind themselves, but their efforts yielded fruit: countless people visited the tent of Café Babel who were informed about the magazine and in a way they were “babelized” as well. They gave out almost 300 pocket-dictionaries to the visitors of the festival, and asked 200 young about their fears concerning the EU. A similar number of people participated the debates and brunches organised in the Civil Village. On Saturday Kinga Göncz, minister for foreign affairs and István Szent-Iványi, member of the European Parliament visited the tent as well.

During the weekend a television and a radio report were recorded with the representatives of the Budapest team that finally spent Sunday evening with celebration.

Quo vadis Europe?

jj — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:54:00 +02:00

Dragon is the head; polyp is the lower body; and holds a briefcase in its hand. This is how the two-meter-tall canvas-monster, displayed in one of the busiest transport hubs of Budapest by the Hungarian editorial team of cafebabel.com together with the Foundation for European Values, looks like.

On 9 May 2006 Hungarian team invited students, journalists, professors and others to “Centrál”, a famous café from the early years of the XXth century, to discuss their fears together with eminent experts.

The title of the show-piece, EU paraván / para van contains a play on words, meaning a display panel (paraván) for fears (para van). Thus, passers by were invited to stick their concerns connected to the Union on the monster. Here are some of them:

“Everything is going well, but it was better in the past”, says one. “I cannot see the future” or “We are second class EU Members” voice others, and so it goes on the bumpy road of our everyday-fears. Besides the resistances towards the EU, there are, nevertheless, some positive remarks: “I like it! The best thing is that, at the border check, you don’t have to pass under the “Non-EU” sign”, “I am glad that I can choose to go and study in the EU, and it only depends on me”, or briefly: “No para” (No fear).

It was in the ambient surroundings of “Centrál”, a famous café from the early years of the XXth century, where all the interested (students, journalists, professors and others) gathered following the invitation of the Hungarian edition to discuss their fears and also to hear the reactions of eminent experts of the field. Bod Péter Ákos, University professor, Jeszenszky Géza, historian, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1990-94), Rácz Margit, research director of the Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Sükösd Miklós, political scientist, Central European University were all acting as “fear-therapists” in “Centrál”, where one could scarcely find an empty spot before 6 pm. The latecomers could only get a seat next to the various delicacies, such as “Somlói”-art noodle, stacked up on trays. The therapy begun over steaming coffee and the clattering sound of spoons, with the speakers starting in medias res talking about fears.

We always fear the unknown, asserts Rácz Margit, whereas Jeszenszky Géza claims that these fears are rooted in the period after the changes in 1989, when the rise of the standard of living could not meet previous expectations. The speakers are, nonetheless, united in affirming that membership of the Union is the only possible way for Hungary to progress. In the meantime, the first questions bring up the first concerns: “How can the Hungarian economy adapt itself to the introduction of the Euro?” The biggest problem, according to Sükösd Miklós, is that the information concerning EU matters is mostly communicated in professional jargon, if there is communication at all. Thus, it is not much of a surprise if citizens are still uninformed about certain issues. One of the most common fears connected to the introduction of the Euro is that “with the Euro prices go high, but wages stay low”, yet it is only the form that changes, not the value. The same situation can be interpreted as a potential danger or as an opportunity – as it was put forward by Bod Péter Ákos, commenting on the same question. He went on to explain that only the discouraged, lacking the necessary impetus would perceive this opportunity as something dangerous. The Union does constitute a chance for Hungary, even if, as someone added, “the country does not exploit its opportunities with efficiency”.

The responses tell us what kind of disadvantages Hungarians fear most. They would blame the Union for the loss of diversity, Christendom and poppy seed pasta, or even the loss of the whole country. Despite these opinions, the discussion ended in a positive atmosphere. In Jeszenszky’s words: “The Union holds the promise of a better Europe”.

Dora Haller

Poland’s Role in Europe (1956-2006)

jj — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:45:00 +02:00

On the occasion of launching the new, polish language version of cafebabel.com, the Budapest team organised a debate in Café Pollack on 16 Febuary 2006. One who called around the Café did not have to be a specialist to understand the three guest speakers’ debate about Poland or to take part in the ensuing question and answer session. The event was supported by the Polish Institute in Budapest.

“Poland is one of the big winners of the 20. century” – was the opening remark of Péter Tálas, the head of the Strategic and Defense Research Centre ZMNE. He went on to explain that it was the end of the First World War that put an end to division and foreign rule for this nation that has always boasted a „Western” identity, despite being firmly entrenched in the „Eastern” part of Europe. The unity of the Polish society was formed by a series of recurrent crises (1956, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1980), up to the point where the working classes finally joined forces with the intelligentsia and were thus able to stand up to the repressive communist rule. These efforts to create a European democracy have resulted in the peaceful change of regime of 1988 that was negotiated and not fought, and the creation of a real political opposition – possibly the only one in Eastern Europe.

Mr Pál Tamás, director of the Sociology Institute of the Hungarian Science Academy analyzed how open Poland really is towards the outside world, and came to the conclusion that Poland’s geopolitical frustration is apparent on various levels: the traditionally strong German, Austrian and Russian influences have lead to Warsaw’s ambivalent relations to its neighboring super powers, but the effects of geopolitics have also left their mark on the uneven nature of the country’s railway system. This is why renewing relations with Germany, Russia and Ukraine turned out to be one of the main challenges for the post-1988 Polish democracy. According to Mr Tamás, it was due to Western Europe’s guilty conscience that Poland – and the other Central and Eastern European countries with it – were allowed to join the European Union despite their weak economies and chaotic political situations.

It wasn’t a question of good or bad conscience, retorted Mr Tálas, who thinks that the EU’s decision to – finally – enlarge was rather economic in nature. Mr Gábor Lagzi, a research fellow at the Teleki Institute perfectly agreed with this latter view. After a brief presentation of the intricate Polish party system, he concluded that economically speaking Poland benefited from the period that the fall of communism heralded in.

And this has brought us to the question and answer session. We found out that Polish minorities do not play an important role neither in interior politics nor in external affairs. The reason for this is that after the war Poles asked their brethren living in Ukraine, Bielorussia and Germany to „come home” to Poland. Those who stayed are therefore considered to have done so by their own will. Other subjects were also touched upon, such as the decline of the Hungarian-Polish friendship (at least regarding high politics), the effects of the pro-American Polish diaspora living in Chicago – where they enjoy a more or less dominant role –, or the political importance or the extensive structure of Polish trade unions.

Finally, Poland’s intention to become a regional power has also come up in our conversation. Mr Tálas found it natural that this ambition should be a concomitant of Poland’s search for identity and of their Europeanization process as well. And we also got our answer as to why this soul-searching country needs to take such an active part in a military campaign in the Middle East: the underlying reason is their wish to live up to American expectations and the prospect of economic expansion.

Translated by Adrienn Kézsmárki

Who’s afraid of sharing the EU pie?

jj — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:36:00 +02:00

On the 26th November 2005 around 100 people came to the superb Grand Café Oktogon, for a discussion over a cup of coffee with aim of shedding some light on the possible fears relating to the next enlargement round of the EU. Our event was honoured by the presence of several special guests who all answered with pleasure to the public’s questions and remarks throughout the debate. The basis for the debate was the issue previously published by cafebabel.com on the same theme.

We were glad to notice that the representatives of the Hungarian civil society, academics, and experts also accepted our invitation and participated in the discussion. We appreciate the active contribution of the visiting café babel journalists as well, which was facilitated by the simultaneous translation by a professional interpreter.

The conclusion of the debate can be defined by the different opinions of our four major guests:

As István Szent-Iványi, Hungarian member of the European Parliament remarked: “we are talking about a European enterprise, where everyone is a shareholder”. Dimo Gyaurov, the Bulgarian Ambassador in Hungary underlined the efforts and the interest Bulgaria made in the last years, to become a full member of the European Union in 2007. University Professor Balázs Forman highlighted some key figures that are providing ground for understanding how the European funds are allocated to poorer regions of present and acceding member states. Ödön Szabó, Councillor of Bihar County in Romania, expressed his belief that the accession of Romania to the Union is a unique opportunity for the Hungarian minority to get back to the motherland and therefore the diverse European identity might actually present the best future for all.

Referring to the future scenario, some shared their vision of Europe as a political and military player on the global level.

Declaration of principles

jj — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:23:00 +02:00

You are reading the official blog of the local team of cafebabel.com based in Budapest. This site has been lanuched not only to report about our acitvites, but only to make Europe, and you, Babelians, aquainted with everyday life of people living in this beautiful city and to discover our what-abouts. Furthermore, this blog is predestinated to treat of Europe as well, and of those people living in this old continent. You will find news, facts and comments, explanations and reports, so everything that a blog should be about.

Before saying anything here is a piece from the film The Citizen Kane:

(A. Grimaldi) “Declaration of Principles”. Don't smile, Mezes. Got it all written out. Declaration of Principles.

(Mezes L.): You don't wanna make any promises, Grimaldi, you don't wanna keep.

(Grimaldi): These will be kept. I'll provide the people of this city with a a blog that will tell all the news honestly. I will also provide them...

(Jaradi J.) That's the second sentence you've started with "I."

(A. Grimaldi) That’s a blog. People are gonna know who's responsible. And they're gonna get the truth in the http://budapest.cafebabel.com quickly and simply and entertainingly and no special interests are gonna be allowed to interfere with the truth. I will also provide them with a fighting and tireless champion of their rights as citizens and as human beings.

Signed, Alessandro P. Grimaldi.

(Jaradi J.) Can I have that, Alessandro?

(A. Grimaldi) I'm gonna posting it.

(Exerption from the The Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, 1941)

Dear Babelias,

However there is no Charles Foster Kane(x) among us (though we would be happy about it), we promise from the deep of our heart - dear Reader - that we will do our work according to his declaration of principles. Thus, we will commit ourselves to show you the truth, mothing but the plain truth, spontaneously without any consratint , just as we think and see.

Kind regards,

The blog-editorial team of Babel Budapest

(x) The protagonist of one of the most famous film of cinematics. Journalist, editor in chief, politician, milliardaire. He has blated his life behind the wings of journasism and politics.A man, who has always been dreamed of having a sledge and a man for who his mother wanted the best....he might as well has been a famous blogger of the 40's.

About the movie: The story traces the life and career of Charles Foster Kane, a man whose career in the publishing world was born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolved into a ruthless pursuit of power and ego at any cost. Narrated principally through flashbacks, the story is revealed through the research of a newspaper reporter seeking to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word, "Rosebud." Citizen Kane is often cited as being one of the most innovative works in the history of film.

Who we are?

jj — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 14:59:00 +02:00

The Budapest team has been founded in spring 2005, and now it counts 14 members. Our main activity is to organise events and debates about relevant European issues, but we are also pleased to write articles for the magazin. In the long run, we would be happy to see Hungarian amog the official language versions of the magazine, though we are aware that till, there is a lot work to do