Budapest tests
April is Hungary’s month: we watch it make a staggering sway to the political right on the 11th and 25th, which are election days. ‘Financial crisis’ is an easy towel to throw in and explain this alarming wave - others include discontent from empty political promises and the rising poverty rate of the country. This has nurtured a breeding ground for xenophobia and increased the backlash on the nation’s black sheep. Against the backdrop of this political dilemma, the cultural, social and economical landscape is awash with the likes of stand-up comedy, social lending practices and monthly design fairs. Citizen initiatives are fashioning the road out of the crises. Five pan-European journalists hit the Hungarian capital for the next installment of a monthly cities reporting mission, ‘EU crisis on the ground’ - read what they discovered, with an image gallery from the streets of Buda and Pest below
Looking for Hungarian activism in election Budapest
On 11 and 25 April Hungarian voters are poised to elect the right or even the far-right. Only a handful of people in the country are swimming against the increasingly strong right-wing tide – and even these few are drifting off course, or have thrown their faith in politics completely overboard
fidesz, music, civil society, roma, jobbik, populism, elections, budapest, politics, viktor orbán, extremism, jews, racism, neo-fascism, society, neo-nazis, cities, gábor vona
Budapest: stand-up comedy and playback theatre 'cures' crisis
It's an American pursuit gaining momentum in central Europe. Young comedian Balàzs Hajdù explains why he might eventually have to leave his job, and a doctor explains how theatre helps cure his patients
eucrisis on the ground, theatre, civil society, budapest, culture, economical crisis, society
WAMP: inside the monthly Hungarian design fair
Since 2006, the monthly design market has attracted hundreds of young local designers like 'Musu' who display their creations in front of an ever-growing crowd of visitors. But WAMP is not only a collective promotion of Hungarian design, it’s also a formidable economic catalyst, with its international design week too
eucrisis on the ground, consumers, budapest, cities, youth, economical crisis, art market, cities, fashion, design
Social lending: Noba.hu and the problematic Hungarian 'peer to peer' system
Since their emergence in 2005 'person to person' or 'p2p' lending platforms have become an increasing global alternative to conventional banking. But Hungary's version of the online banking model has found its ability to make the concept financially appealing to potential clientele stifled by Hungarian law
eucrisis on the ground, money, budapest, economical crisis, person-to-person lending, cities
