Hungary’s former Socialist prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany held a 45-minute consultation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu in Israel on Thursday, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office told the commercial channel ATV.
Gyurcsany informed Netanjahu about Hungary’s domestic affairs and assured Israeli businesspeople that “Hungary has remained open to Israeli investment”, Zsolt Greczy said on Friday morning.
Gyurcsany also met Defence Minister Ehud Barak, opposition leader Tsipi Livni and the governor of the Bank of Israel.
Gyurcsany attended the Herzliya Conference dubbed as “the Davos of the Middle East” at the Israeli government’s invitation.
On the sidelines of the event, Gyurcsany held talks with British ex-premier Tony Blair and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
The conference focussed on security policy, energy policy, global affairs and crisis management. In his address, Gyurcsany dealt with the latter.
Great, now we have to hear from the jobbozos about this until the election. I really don’t understand why any of these people would even want to meet with Gyurcsany.
We’re waiting for the jobos to react to this …
Come on guys, don’t disappoint us!
Wolfi. Let Jobbos do their own work whatever that might be.
Gyurscany is responsible for squandering the great chances Hungary was given over the past five years.
Blair is in disgrace over the Iraq war scandal. Gyurscany lied to the people and his legacy will be that of a failed prime minister.
Political knockabout on this forum is ok but Hungary needs investment – it is only “unstable” in the economic sense. Thanks to you know who and he is still roaming around believing that he is PM.
Bajnai is PM and those Israelis mentioned in the article should have been talking to him…or at least the next PM – Orban Viktor.
If Gyurscany is regarded as an ambassador for this country by the Israelis et al – God help us all.
I read a comment in an Austrian web-site (of all places) that MSZP was thinking of putting up Gyurscany as their rep for Mayor of Budapest
That would be an interesting comeback…
@kereskedelem:
You’re right – politicians should talk to Orban on the measures to take after he gets to be prime minister – I’m just wondering, what’s going on (behind the scenes).
Probably I’ll never understand Hungarian politics, neither does my wife (she told me so). We’re lucky to be old, it seems.
But for the younger generations, at least the people I can talk to (those who speak English or German) – it seems they also totally ignore the political side of Hungary, they are only interested in the business/economic side, some of them necessarily so because today they don’t know how to pay tomorrow’s bills …
So, Gyurcsany is meeting the Israeli war criminals. He should stay there
“To look after his money” that’s the reason for Gyurcsany’s trip to Israel my wife just told me (jokingly ?) – but compared to the little Hitlers and Mussolinis as alternatives …
Hungarian politics …
Bajnaj is in Egypt today (saw him in the news) – now what does that mean ?
Bajnaj is in Egypt today (saw him in the news) – now what does that mean ?
wolfi at February 8, 2010 7:47 PM
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That MSZP is sewing together a new peace deal in the MiddleEast, instead of the Quartet…
Which countries in the world can resist the joint forces of Gyurcsany and Bajnai coming in from different directions?
Viking, you almost made me spill my glass of wine from laughing …
That would be classic…Hungary comes up with the big win for Mid-east peace. The US State Department would shit itself, Jimmy Carter would douse his self in gasoline and lit up like a Vietnamese Buddhist, dogs and cats would start living together, people would stop shaking their head’s at sLaws alternative lifestyle….
people would stop shaking their head’s at sLaws alternative lifestyle….
C’est Moi at February 8, 2010 9:36 PM
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No, no, it would not be *that* big
It is just a MiddleEast Peace Deal
Aliens landing on Kossuth Square requesting time to speak to the World in the Hungarian Parliament, *that* would make people “stop shaking their head’s at sLaws alternative lifestyle”
@ Viking;
HO, HO, your sooo funny tonight!
Now exactly why are you and C’est Moi so interested in somebody else’s life style, alternative or otherwise? Snooping around for an invite per chance?
Now exactly why are you and C’est Moi so interested in somebody else’s life style, alternative or otherwise? Snooping around for an invite per chance?
just asking at February 8, 2010 10:14 PM
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I think it is because he is so odd, frankly
Some of the connections he make, when he is actually writing something himself and not just doing copy&paste, are really hilarious
It is probably that he mix in mysticism and the spiritual world in a hedonist way, that can make me, an old Viking from Valhalla, green of envy
As a technician I am too logical and have zero understanding for that type of logic
But if he is happy, let him be that in his place, as long as he does not disturb anyone with it
When he preaches his thesis, then he is a valid target and he likes the name calling, with which I normally have no big problem with, even it gets a bit boring to be called ‘jew, communist, fake swede, etc’. It must be that it is always in lower case
@ Viking
Law “odd”? – that’s an understatement.
I do think he is completely sincere in his “truth”
but then again so is everyone who subscribes to conspiracy theories (Bush knew about 9/11, H1N1 government plan to kill people, Moon landing a hoax, Princess Diana killed by the Royals and on and on)
” The Believers” will always find a way to rationalize away evidence to the contrary that do dot line up with their rigid beliefs.
Eyewitnesses or those who do not buy into the theories and who dispute their conclusions are mistaken or most often part of the conspiracy.
Moreover, more than anyone else posting on this website, Law appears to have anger management problems that are usually under control but the anger sometimes rears its ugly head.
I would not “sign up” as a member of his household either as a woman, child or pet. May be a dangerous assignment.
A pincer movement by Gyurscany and Bajnai the terrible twins. Strange days indeed. Hungary is in the grip of the bailiffs and the two blockheads responsible are in the Middle East for reasons best known to themselves.
Truth is stranger than fiction and you only have to spend a day in Hungary to have this confirmed.
I saw Orban Viktor on TV today. He had the appearance of a vagrant: no tie, no suit, unkempt grey hair, poor hygiene in the “teeth” department,
and wearing a shirt that was faded and creased.
The situation is farcical and is fast turning into something bordering on the surreal and
ludicrous that could only be matched in a science fiction novel.
I saw Orban Viktor on TV today. He had the appearance of a vagrant: no tie, no suit, unkempt grey hair, poor hygiene in the “teeth” department,
and wearing a shirt that was faded and creased
WaywardHo at February 8, 2010 11:28 PM
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Yes, I did much the same observation, but it was Morning-TV, so maybe he had been partying all night for the good reviews he got for his ‘Speech to the Nation’?
so now lets see..
Gyurcsany in Israel ,speaking at the herzliya
economic forum and asking for israeli investment
in hungary.There is nothing wrong with that only… there will be no israeli investments in hungary for the foreseeable future thanks to the
“hungary for hungarians” campaign.So here the nationalistic right got what the wanted.No foreign investment.
Now if one imagine what will be in 4 -5 years from
now in hungary: Fidesz government in economic
troubles,the politicians of the right by now corrupt and “fat”.Jobbiks followers disappointed
of their slow progress to recreate a magyar empire
and the people of hungary ???….. like always the loosers.
A new political force ,with new faces,somekind
of liberal,uniting ,middle of the way -force tries
to establish itself and ……fails.
So who will come back…good old ferenc GY.
In the meantime he will take care of his already
considerable wealth and one has to say Bajnai’s performance up til now is surprisingly good.
Hungary you have a good PM,doing a quite good job under difficult circumstances.
A pitty though that he is already fed up with politics leaving the ground to Vic Von Morvai.
@ Judas
It appears that I have been pissing people off by constantly asking questions so I am turning over a new leaf and will try to figure out things on my own. For this week anyway.
Here is my homework for the next few days.
1. “good old ferenc GY.” is in Israel. Why is this guy anywhere representing Hungary since he is a completely disgraced politician. I don’t see disgraced priests representing the Vatican.
2. Bajnai seems like a good guy with good financial background credentials. – why would he accept a job knowing that even if he walked on water he would always be associated with Gy. which is a no-win situation. I must find out if he actually cared so much about Hungary that he was willing to sacrifice his political future in order to minimize the damage to Hungary’s economy by implementing band-aid measures, – better than letting your country bleed to death financially
3. FIDESZ had years to find a new leader other than Orban who already showed incompetence as PM.
How come they are still running the same old horse in the race?
No answers required.
Bajnai is a puppet. The austerity package is courtesy of the EU.
There is no money currently getting into the “street” economy. People are desparate. Low wages and high prices- are a recipe for disaster.
@Viking. Good reviews for Orban’s, Speech to the Nation. So what? Reality and hot air are two completely different things altogether.
T-Shirt and jeans for the young voters, perhaps?
Investors money is essential wherever it comes from and would certainly be a plus for the economy and help create much-needed jobs.
Corrupt Hungarian politicians are to blame for the country’s poor showing in recent years.
Jobbik have some good ideas but they should
have a rethink about foreign investment etc. Here’s one reason why:
“When Ryanair flew to Balaton 3 times a week from London and also 2 German cities, close to 3,000 people a week arrived or departed with Ryanair, money well spent by Hungary. Then someone or someones decided Ryanair would come without giving them money..the money was redirected!!
and Ryan Air said byebye…”
“Corrupt Hungarian politicians are to blame for the country’s poor showing in recent years.”
_________________________________
I’m not saying that Hungarian politicians are not corrupt, but anyone who thinks that political corruption is the main reason for Hungary’s economic problems has their head in the sand.
The main reasons are pension rorting and widespread tax avoidance at every level of Hungarian society. Basically Hungary’s problems are very similar to those that Greece is currently experiencing (although pension rorting is not so prevalent in Greece).
And old article but a very interesting read and still very relevant:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123793340762430957.html
Bajnai is worse than a puppet. In most western countries, he would be in prison for cleaning out hundreds of Hungarian farmers, stealing the money he got for their products and transferring it to another one of his companies and eventually to his offshore accounts. Several of the people Bajnai robbed, committed suicide.
A Hungarian director made a movie about Bajnai and his corrupt schemes and Bajnai is suing him for defamation. I predict that Bajnai will lose his defamation suit because one cannot be defamed with truth.
I predict that Bajnai will lose his defamation suit because one cannot be defamed with truth.
Mark at February 10, 2010 7:06 AM
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Since when had courts to do with the truth?
The courts just deal with what can be proven, regardless it is the truth or not.
Given the normal level of ‘proof’ in the Hungarian political ‘debate’ it is hardly proving anything, just claiming.
The question the court will have to answer is if Bajnai’s reputation as a public figure has been damaged enough, to support his claims, or if Bajnai asa public figure needs to live with the fact that people claims things without proper evidence to support that.
If this person making allegations against Bajnai had proper evidence they should go to a criminal court.
And Mark, do not try that a court in Hungary would not take up any allegations against Bajnai, when Bajnai was not a politician before 10 months ago, so before that anyone could have taken him to court, if they wanted, but they did not
Mark wrote some weeks ago that because Bajnai did not take the people who many years ago made the same claims as in the recent films, to court was a sign of his “admittance to the crime”
Well, now Bajnai is obviously not ‘admitting” any more, so he must therefore, with Mark’s twisted logic be innocent?
The difference why he is suing now could actually be the media the accusations are put forward, it is a difference to write something in a blog or the press or making a film about it, especially with its title
Anonymous. You shall remain so. Nobody can afford to pay tax and, in case it may have escaped your attention: AFA the direct tax is now at 25%.
Wages are incredibly low whilst prices are high and increasing by the day.
Politicians, bureaucrats, executives (e.g BKV),
are all corrupt. Hungary is awash with corruption.
It has held on grimly to the old communist blueprint (or redwash) of cheat and deceit methods
to get ahead.
Twenty years have passed and nothing has changed.
Will it ever. Wait and see…
Nice to see a member of the Hungarian elite hanging out with Israeli war criminals, at the Herziliya ‘We thrive on anti-semitism’ Conference no less. And Tony Blair as well? Ain’t that sweet! Wonder if he washed his hands afterwards, just to keep the war criminal manicures from seeping into his neo-liberal skin.
@kereskedelem
“Nobody can afford to pay tax…”
Widespread tax avoidance is a major problem in Hungary, and has reduced the state of the economy to the point where you feel that nobody can afford to pay tax.
“Wages are incredibly low whilst prices are high and increasing by the day.”
Again Hungarians have nobody to blame except themselves for the state of their economy.
“Twenty years have passed and nothing has changed.
Will it ever. Wait and see…”
Given that it seems Orban is going to be voted back into office, I’m guessing change won’t come soon.
Who was our last PM that hasn’t done the Hajj to Tel Aviv? When Werber http://tr.im/NPtQ still bothered to come here to pick our PM… I wonder if Kurcsány got his ass branded http://tr.im/NPr4 since he obviously wants to be Quisling again…
Thank you for taking your time to write such a great article about this