The Brief History of the Week

Presenting in one concise package the week’s most important and fascinating national stories, whether they be economic, political, cultural, sporting or among the hundreds of other happenings that go on daily.

Vettel takes victory and porcelain, Ecclestone in verbal commitment

In what was perhaps the most eventful race of the year, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel claimed victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat. Vettel said he was a bit disappointed because “we didn’t have the traditional Hungarian trophy with the porcelain. I was looking forward to that – not that I have a crush on porcelain or a weakness for porcelain but I think it belongs to this grand prix.” He noted that in 2010 he received a very ugly dog with “four legs, or five legs, or six, I don’t even know – then they went back to the porcelain one, now it’s something else!” Upon hearing his comments, organisers somehow managed to find a porcelain vase so Vettel left Hungary with two trophies. Off the track, speculation about the future of the Hungarian Grand Prix provided excitement. Last Friday Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone met Minister of Development Miklós Seszták to negotiate a five-year extension for Hungaroring with the current contract expiring in 2021. In exchange the Hungarian state would spend some HUF 25 billion on the track in the next three years, including repaving the circuit, a new stadium-like grandstand and reconstruction of the main building. Asked about what they would change, Red Bull chief Chris Horner said the press centre needs renovation and Toro Rosso head Franz Tost noted that the garages could be a bit bigger, but these were the only concerns raised. According to Seszták, Ecclestone made a verbal commitment, so the ministry and Hungaroring can prepare a detailed contract.

Higher education to receive 72,000 freshmen

Out of 105,000 applicants, some 72,000 students have met the entry criteria of colleges and universities and will start their studies in September, state secretary in charge of higher education László Palkovics has announced. He said the total was down by 1,500 from last year, due to demographic reasons. Out of the 72,000 freshmen, 55,800 would attend state-financed courses.

Government cuts red tape for Paks

Hungary’s government has declared the obtaining of permits for an upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant a matter of “elevated significance for the national economy”, thus accelerating the process, a decree published in the latest issue of the official gazette Magyar Közlöny shows. Hungary is building another two blocks at its sole source of commercial nuclear power, with Russian financing.

Syrian in hospital after brawl, border crossing

A Syrian man was taken to hospital with injuries near Ásotthalom at the Hungarian-Serbian border on Monday after a brawl on the Serbian side of the border that had claimed one life. A spokesman from Csongrád County police said Hungarian police caught the man while he was crossing the border illegally. He had injuries, so an ambulance took him to hospital and he was reported to the Serbian police and border police in Subotica (Szabadka). Police patrols have been strengthened around Asotthalom to guarantee the safety of residents, the spokesman said. An Afghan man died and two were injured in the brawl between two migrant groups in an orchard in the Serbian village of Backi Vinogradi (Király-halom). Hungarian police said they detained 4,725 illegal immigrants between Friday and Sunday, a much larger number than at any weekend before. Most illegal entrants, including 226 children, were apprehended along Hungary’s southern borders, the report said. The migrants had come from coun-tries including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria.

Nightmare in Sarajevo, fiesta in Debrecen

Only two of the four Hungarian teams are still standing in the European football competitions. Ferencváros has lost the second leg against Zeljeznicar Sarajevo and was eliminated from the Europa League contest after MTK was knocked out in the previous round.
Debrecen, the other Hungarian team in the Europa League, advanced against Latvian side Skonto Riga to meet Rosenborg of Norway. After a 2-2 draw in Latvia, Debrecen scored two goals early in the return match and added three more before half-time. The result was 9-2, which is the biggest victory by Debrecen in a European club tournament. Champions League contender Videoton drew against The New Saints of Wales and advanced to the third qualifying round, to play BATE Borisov of Belarus.

State earmarks HUF 30 billion for campus refurbishment

The central budget would ensure over 30 billion forints for development projects at the National Public Administration University’s Ludovika Campus between 2015 and 2018, according to a government decree published in the official Hungarian Gazette (Magyar Közlöny). The plans are for a new university building, a student hostel and sports facilities to be added to the existing buildings, which will be reconstructed to serve the university’s functions. The plans include refurbishment of the park around the Ludovika campus. The Ludovika Academy was opened in 1872 and trained Hungary’s army officers until 1944. Its central building, designed by Mihály Pollack and built in 1836, was renovated last year.

Ex-prison guard ‘in racially motivated violence’

A former prison guard in Szeged has been accused of a recent racially motivated assault on a young woman (pictured) in the southern city, Ferenc Szanka, a spokesman for the local prosecutor’s office, said. The suspect is believed to have seriously injured the victim, who tried to stop a group of at least three people from harassing her boyfriend they assumed to be an immigrant because of his skin colour. The incident took place on a Saturday night when the victim, her Cuban-born boyfriend and her brother were walking home from a party, Szanka said. One of the attackers shouted “Get out of this country” to the Cuban youth, while the woman tried to explain that he had lived in Hungary for 20 years. The suspect then hit her so severely that she suffered a fractured cheekbone and lost consciousness. The spokesman said the two other men also suffered injuries. The suspect was questioned and denied the charges. He has been dismissed from his current job.