HUNGARY

Physical geography

Hungary, 93,030 km², is situated in the Carpathian Basin. It is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Its climate is temperate: cold, cloudy, humid winters and warm summers. The ground is mostly flat to rolling plains with hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border.

An iconic place

The Hungarian Parliament in Budapest where the National Assembly is located.

An iconic object

Bohemian crystals are a typical object of Hungary. They are glass beads.

Something the country has done for the world

Hungary has distinguished itself in its research and technological innovation. It has many Nobel Prize laureates and a high-level of scientific research.

Famous historical figure

Joseph Pulitzer is best known for the Pulitzer Prizes, which were established in 1917 by money he bequeathed to Columbia University to recognize artistic and journalistic achievements. The prizes are given annually to award achievements in journalism and photography, as well as literature and history, poetry, music and drama. Pulitzer founded the Columbia School of Journalism by his philanthropic bequest; it opened in 1912.

Important living person

Zsa Zsa Gabor is a very famous Hungarian-born American actress. She is 98 years old today. She acted with Marilyn Monroe in 1943, and with Fernandel.

History before 2000

The Hungarian kingdom was set up in the 10^th  century. In 1526, the kingdom was divided in three: Ottoman Hungary, Royal Hungary and the Principality of Transylvania. Then it became a country under Austrian domination. In 1867, a compromise gave birth to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Hungarian Democratic Republic was declared in 1918.

History after 2000

Hungary joined the European Union on the 1^st May 2004. The new government adopted a new constitution in 2012 that modified several aspects of the institutional and legal framework in Hungary.

Human geography

The population is around 10 million, with a birth rate around 9,59 per 1000, and a death rate around 13 per 1000.

Language(s) and culture(s)

The language is Hungarian. Hungarian music is popular in Europe; it is associated with Gipsy music.

Politics, economy, place in the EU

The country's capital and largest city is Budapest. Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income nearly two-thirds that of the EU-28 average. The currency is the Florin. The government plans to eventually lower its public sector deficit to below 3% of GDP to adopt the euro.

Youth

Hungary is in political and economic crises and youth unemployment is 27%; many young people are leaving the country…

Article by Eleonore PARADIS

For an article on the migrant crisis, read below!

Migrant crisis

Since 2010, many people from the troubled countries of the Middle East and Africa have come to Europe seeking asylum. The flows of refugees have become so massive that they have created a crisis in Europe...

In 2015, over one million refugees entered the EU. The migrants cross the Mediterranean and travel through Southeast Europe. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees lists the top three countries of origin as: Syria (49%), Afghanistan (21%) and Iraq (8%).

Hungary has been directly concerned by this crisis. In 2015, the Hungarian government built a fence on the southern borders of Hungary; this provoked an international outcry.

Migrants taking the Balkans route cross into the Schengen Area first in Greece. In June 2015, Hungary said it was contemplating countermeasures against the influx of illegal immigrants from Serbia, a non-EU and non-Schengen state.

The Schengen Area is the area comprising 26 European countries that have abolished passport and any other type of border control at their common borders. As a result of the on-going migration crisis and terrorist attacks in Paris, a number of countries have temporarily reintroduced controls on some or all of their borders with other Schengen states.

On 17 June 2015, the Hungarian government directed by Viktor Orbán announced the construction of a 4-metre-high, 175-kilometre-long fence along its southern border with Serbia. The European Commission warned EU members against steps that contravene EU obligations and urged members like Hungary to find other ways to cope with the inflow of refugees. The first phase of the construction was finished at the end of August and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that it would be completed by the end of 2015.

Orban

Viktor Orbán was born on 31st May 1963. He is a lawyer and politician who has been Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010 and President of Fidesz, the ruling national conservative party. He also served as Prime Minister from 1998 to 2002. Fidesz is Eurosceptic. Orbán is often described as the "strongman" of Hungary or Europe by domestic and international media.

On 4 September 2015, about a thousand migrants  set off from Keleti Pályaudvar by foot towards Austria and Germany. The same night, the Hungarian government decided to send buses to transport the migrants to Hegyeshalom, on the border with Austria.

On 14 September 2015, it was reported that the Hungarian police were blocking the route from Serbia, and that the regular entry-point was heavily manned with officers, soldiers and helicopters hovering above,  sealing this border with razor wire and detaining migrants crossing the border, threatening them with arrest and criminal charges.

On 15 September 2015, Hungary sealed its border with Serbia.

Several hundred migrants broke the fence between Hungary and Serbia twice on Wednesday 16 September, and threw chunks of concrete and water bottles over the fence. Hungarian police reacted with tear gas and water cannons.

On 18 September, Hungary started building another fence, this time along the border with Croatia, a fellow EU member state, but not part of the Schengen Area. Within two weeks, tens of thousands of refugees crossed from Croatia into Hungary, most of whom went toward the Austrian border.

On 16 October 2015, Hungary announced that it would close its border with Croatia to migrants.

Since 17 October, thousands of migrants have been diverted to Slovenia.

Click on map to enlarge

The refugee crisis is not without consequence for road transport companies in Europe. The closing of borders and the strengthening of controls in effect cause many delays in deliveries.

The other concerns in Hungary are for tourism; hoteliers are faced with cancellations for the month of October. Tourists and business customers fear complications when visiting the country.

The article on the migrant crisis and its affects on Hungary is by

Anguerrand LAMY & Jacques FONLUPT