The Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) leader Attila
Retkes sent out a bizarre statement announcing the disbanding of the
party’s parliamentary caucus last Monday. The trigger may have been
founding SZDSZ member József Gulyás’s decision to leave the party and
caucus that morning. Gulyás informed the party and its caucus that he
will no longer be active in the liberal ranks. He said the main reasons
for leaving were the caucus majority’s approval of the 2010 budget and
the likely re-election of János Kóka as chairman. Gulyás meanwhile
criticised the line taken by Retkes since the summer as “weak” and
“flawed”. Continue »

Parliament passed the key 2010 budget bill last Monday
by 201 votes to 179, cementing one of the last blocks of the Bajnai
cabinet’s crisis management policy. Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai
described the budget as one of “security and stability”. The government
is targeting a budget deficit of 3.8 per cent next year, despite a deep
recession and an official prediction that the Hungarian economy will be
6.7 per cent smaller by the end of this year than it was at the start
and will contract a further 0.6 per cent next year. “This decision
seals the nation’s security even amid the global economic crisis,”
Bajnai said of the vote. Continue »

The Justice and Law Enforcement Minister Tibor
Draskovics tendered his resignation last Tuesday saying his legislative
work for the parliamentary term was done. The coming months will be
“dominated by party politics rather than technical issues”, Draskovics
said in a statement the following day. There are just under five months
before Hungary must hold general elections, although a date has not yet
been announced. Continue »

The American International School of Budapest last week
held an opening ceremony for a state-of-the art new elementary school
building. The new development, which was decided on in 2006 in the face
of growing numbers of pupils, unites the AISB’s high school and
elementary school in one large suburban campus. When work started in
June 2008, the estimated cost of the project was USD 10 million. Continue »

Parliament adopted the budget for 2010 last week. No
major alterations from the original government proposal were made, nor
did any major political surprises emerge: the Hungarian Socialist Party
and most Free Democrats voted in favour, while other MPs dissented. The
government’s parliamentary majority was not endangered and the Budget
Act meets IMF and the EU requirements. Continue »

Budapest’s Jewish community puts on an dizzyingly array
of Hanuka events spanning Budapest’s Districts VI and VII from 11 to 19
December.  Continue »

Olimpia Restaurant is located in a side street not far from Keleti
pályaudvar (Eastern Station). Despite the name diners should not come
expecting a Greek taverna. The dishes served do not fall into national
categories: the only thing they have in common is the creativity of the
chef. Continue »