Budapest
Nikola Djukic: 'Bosnia may have to wait until 2022 for EU membership'
Croatia’s citizens overwhelmingly voted to join the European union on 21 January. Meanwhile, its neighbour Bosnia-Herzegovina has not yet gained candidate status. We talk to Bosnia-Herzegovina’s ambassador in Hungary about what Croatian membership would mean and why Bosnia is different
budapest, europe, balkans, bosnia and herzegovina, hungary, enlargement, european union
City planning in Budapest: making poverty invisible
Since the new conservative majority came to power in Budapest in 2010, the local council's anti-poverty strategies include putting a ban on begging in public spaces and reversing an old tradition: the 'social' management of bulk refuse collection known as 'lomtalanitás'
budapest, civil society, discrimination, hungary, poverty, homeless, society
Hungarian singer Erzsi Kiss: ‘My language is based on musicality’
It’s much more meaningful gobbledygook, says the singer in the Hungarian band 'Egy Kiss Erzsi Zene' about her lyrics. The musician and puppeteer talks to us about singing 'in no language'
budapest, hungary, culture, music, interview, theatre, culture calendar
Rock band Turbo: ‘absence of taste’ an ‘incurable disease’ in Hungary
When it comes to psychedelic-progressive rock music, Turbo is Hungary’s number one. Bass guitarist Jero and singer Balázs Tanka on genres, role models and taking different viewpoints on music tastes and truths in general
Double discrimination: roma women in central and eastern Europe
Romania has recently announced plans to evict roma from the northern town of Baia Mare, in a move which could leave hundreds homeless. The move emphasises the continued urgency of the theme ‘roma women in central and eastern Europe’, discussed during the European women's lobby’s conference in Budapest on 7 April this year. The lobby aims to bring the double discrimination that roma women endure to the attention of European decision-makers. Interview with Brigitte Triems, the lobby's president
budapest, european court of human rights, men and women, discrimination, hungary, roma minorities, right wing extremism
Summer's here, so travel green for Green Europe on the ground
Going on holiday in this economic climate is impossible for many. But as good old Bertie Einstein said, ‘In a crisis, imagination is more important than knowledge’. cafebabel.com wraps up its second citizen media project of the year, ‘Green Europe on the ground’. The pick of articles from the year encourage you to get on your imaginary bikes through an Italian capital during the day. For the night, you’ll don your telescopes to contemplate the real deal beyond the lights of a Slovenian capital before dancing it all off in a ‘green disco’ in a German capital. We’ll take a serious stop in a Hungarian country to see how the effects of a natural disaster can mobilise people, before taking an organic break in a southern Spanish regional capital. We’ll also have that chat with young Parisians on how they feel about the new political green climate, because environment is essentially inseparable from European politics. Read the ‘best of’ our journalists’ ‘alternative energy’ in a collection of green articles this summer (Image: (cc) annais/ Flickr)
- Read the special edition Summer's here, so travel green for Green Europe on the ground
- Europe's unique light pollution law: dark skies over Slovenia
- Sludge-hit Hungary: Europe’s biggest ecological catastrophe since Chernobyl
- Rome was not built in a day...nor for bikes
- Green dancefloors Berlin: spread the eco-dance germ to Europe
- Organic Seville: too many exports, not enough young workers or local mouths
- Parisian 'eco-geeks': the youngest players in the French presidential elections
Hungary youth: 'I stay out of politics but am Facebook friends with Viktor Orbán'
The new controversial constitution, the first to be created on an iPad, was voted into law by the national assembly on 18 April and signed by the president on 25 April. Hungary’s youth remain apolitical, even to a new rule which would violate human rights. cafebabel.com Budapest interviewed fifty young Hungarians
budapest, fidesz, protest, gay rights, lgbt, discrimination, hungary
Laszlo Tengelyi: the problem of being a philosopher in Hungary
On 8 January Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban launched an investigation into the use of grant money awarded to five philosophers. Questions to a Hungarian-born philosopher who spearheaded an international petition, 'Protect the Philosophers!' from Germany, where he is based
budapest, fidesz, money, eu presidency, university, corruption, germany
Post-communist underground: Budapest 'ruin pubs' threatened with closure
For two decades the Hungarian capital's delapidated yards have become its hottest alternative venues in the form of retro gardens and pubs. That's about to come to an end thanks to a stricter law set in place after a tragic episode at the beginning of 2011 by local right-wing authorities, and dutifully followed by conformist residents
budapest, fidesz, underground, berlin, hungary, culture, left-wing
'Green Europe': Budapest's long green road
We all knew that Hungary was taking over the rotating EU presidency on 1 January 2011, because we all heard about their dubious state plan for a media law. What we weren't too keyed up on as we launched our green resolutions for the new year was what they were planning to bring to the European ecology policy table. Green consumers and young Hungarian activists try to breath down public necks, as citizens such as urban cyclists and eco-designers show of their daily lives. This is not just a green country though, as it slowly recovers from its red toxic waste disaster in October 2010. cafebabel.com proudly presents the first edition in our 2011 monthly series, 'Green Europe on the ground'
Hungary's new media law no surprise for Europe
The 'media act' was passed on 21 December in Hungary and was implemented on 1 January 2011. It's not such a derogation in Europe, because the context of this law is nothing more than just another sign of an alarming trend in Europe
budapest, eu presidency, italy, censorship, hungary, media, czech republic
Vienna, Berlin, Budapest and Paris: blogging city rivers
Europe's city rivers are both the place to be in terms of a good old rave - take the A38 ship on the Danube to Bar 25 on the Spree - and also for a spot of nudity or artificial beach time in the summer. Blog snippets from four cafebabel.com local team bloggers, who pay tribute to their watery city icons
budapest, identity, paris, best of cafebabel.com, berlin, cities, romania
Hungarian minorities in Slovakia: small arrangements between enemies
One week after a law proposing Hungarian nationality to ethnic Hungarians abroad, prime minister Viktor Orbán announced a new era of 'national unity' during his prime ministerial inauguration on 29 May. Hungary is choosing the route of hostile nationalism, much to the delight of Slovak populists
budapest, fidesz, identity, robert fico, economical crisis, racism, nationalism
Swing right, sweet Hungarian election chariot: first round election results
The right-wing conservative alliance of young democrats or 'Fidesz' scooped Hungary's parliamentary elections on 11 April (52.7%). The socialists in power scored a measly 19.3%. Right-wing extremist Jobbik party entered parliament for the first time (16.7%). The Hungarian, Slovakian, Austrian and Italian media on whether the victory is the start of a new era or a rude awakening
budapest, fidesz, hungary, eurotopics, right wing extremism, gábor vona, european press
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
by
by
by
