Two-thousand residents, 90 per cent Roma, 100 per cent unemployment – that is the reality in Tiszab?. About 120 kilometres away from the neighbouring villages of Tiszab? and Tiszabura, there is talk in Budapest within the framework of the EU Presidency of the importance of education in integrating Roma citizens. In the two villages, which have the nation’s lowest income level, people would be happy if the local schools could operate as normal: while the school in Tiszabura has already closed because of unpaid bills, in Tiszab?, the nation’s poorest village according to market research company GfK, it is touch and go whether the village will be able to afford to keep its school running.  Continue »

A nation is judged by the way it treats its weakest members – so wrote Aristotle in the third century BC. One wonders what he would make of last Thursday’s conviction and sentencing of five Roma and one Hungarian to a total of 29 years in prison for what prosecutors said was a racially motivated attack on a Hungarian student. Four of the six suspects had been held in detention since their arrest on 23 October 2009 even though their victim did not sustain any permanent or life-threatening injuries. If their conviction is upheld on appeal, most of them will serve out the balance of their sentences in prisons usually reserved for murderers and repeat violent offenders. Continue »

2010 was the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. And yet Europe’s estimated 8-10 million Roma found themselves poorer and more socially excluded than ever after the Italian and French governments demolished “illegal” Roma settlements and deported thousands of Roma in clear violation of their rights as citizens of European Union member states. A bill introduced recently in the Romanian parliament to change the official name of the Roma people to “Gypsy” so as not to confuse them with ordinary Romanians merely added insult to injury. Continue »

Ordinarily men and women throughout life and especially in youth feel a strong impulse to share that life with another person, usually of the opposite sex. Thus both seek companionship, affection and complementary psychological help with their projects, dreams and difficulties that existence presents us all. Through the satisfaction of sexual union they bring children into the world. This trend to marital union becomes more intense as they reach adulthood and grow in maturity and sense of responsibility. Continue »

European Union membership has been a mixed blessing for Hungary. While certain sectors of the economy have thrived, agriculture has been dying a slow, painful death. Farmers find themselves no better able to compete with their Western counterparts today than when the import tariffs were first lifted seven years ago. Small farmers who traditionally grew produce and raised livestock for local consumption have been particularly hard hit.  Continue »

Cycling alone across the whole continent of Africa from north to south and back again has to be the crazy adventure of a lifetime, but Polish traveller Kazimierz Nowak was a suitably queer fish of his time and had the guts to do just that. In truth it wasn’t only his passion for travelling and discovering exotic lands that led him to fulfil his mission because the Great Depression that began in 1929 played a big role in his decision to set off.  Continue »

After a solid 2010 for junior Hungarian tennis players, 31-year-old Gréta Arn’s victory at the Auckland Classic this month may have been the perfect start to the outstanding year for which the nation’s fans have long been waiting  Continue »

Organisers of the Budapest-Bamako car rally have gone ahead with the event despite warnings that a trip to the west African country, one of the world’s poorest, is fraught with danger.  Continue »

Hungary’s former light-heavyweight (WBO) and cruiserweight (WBC) world champion Zsolt Erdei (undefeated in 31 fights, with 17 knockouts) has signed an agreement with one of the most famous American promoters, Lou DiBella, and will step into the overseas ring as soon as 20 November as part of Sergio Martinez’s middleweight title defence against Paul Williams.  Continue »

Veterans of the tennis world are coming to town for the “Tennis Classics” gala at Papp László Budapest Sportaréna on Saturday 30 October. Old-timers such as Mats Wilander, Mansour Bahrami and Ivan Lendl will be joined by young talents including Robin Söderling and Tomas Berdych. Tactical play will be tested against pure power tennis.  Continue »