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Dear Friends,
The embassy and its partners are happy to invite you to our scientific conference with the title
« L’Avenir est notre affaire
Citoyenneté active, écologie et fédéralisme,
actualité des idées de Denis de Rougemont »
on the 23. of May 2013 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
It will take place in the « Kari tanácsterem » of the ELTE university, Budapest.
Address: Eötvös Loránd University, Faculté des Lettres,
Múzeum krt. 4, building A, 1088 Budapest
The conference will be followed by a cocktail.
The working language will be French with Hungarian simultaneous translation.
Free entrance.
Please register by email or phone to Katalin Győry, Swiss Embassy Budapest (e-mail katalin.gyoery@eda.admin.ch, tel. +36 1 460 70 54)
You can find the official invitation and the program in French and Hungarian Language on the right side under "Downloads".
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The new star of Swiss music: Sophie Hunger was only 24 when she first sang at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Now she is touring through Eastern Europe, sponsored by Pro Helvetia among others.
For the 10 year old Ship A38 – recently nominated best club of the world by Lonely Planet – it is part of their profile to bring European and international stars to Budapest. Together with the Swiss Publisher Ringier they invited Sophie Hunger and her band to give a concert on the 4th of May 2013.
At this occasion the Swiss Ambassador Jean-François Paroz had the pleasure to have dinner with her and her band at the Restaurant A38. It was a good meal, but nothing compared to the amazing concert that followed. She really is a star, giving heart and soul into every single one of her shows. Don’t be surprised if you hear more of her soon.
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Every year in April, Hungary remembers the Holocaust. 
The March of the Living Foundation organizes a walk along the Danube, usually visited by ten-thousands of people. This year the march went north towards the “Carl Lutz Quai”, named after Swiss vice-consul Carl Lutz, who, in 1944, using his authority as a Swiss diplomat, saved thousands of Jews from being deported.
Ms. Maya Graf, the President of the Swiss National Council sent a letter that was read aloud and followed by a short greeting of Swiss Ambassador Jean-François Paroz. She remembered the deeds of Carl Lutz, and thanked the crowd for participating in this March commemorating him. This year’s special guest was Carl Lutz’ daughter, Agnes Hirschi, who has spent her early childhood in Hungary and since speaks the language and visits Budapest every year. Mrs Hirschi remembered her father in a touching speech. After speeches and video-greetings Gergő Oláh and Péter Gerendás closed the event with their songs about being at home in Hungary and about living in peace.
The March was one aspect of the cooperation between the March of the Living foundation and the Center for Jewish Studies of the University Basel, that is financed by a twinning and partnership grant of the Swiss Contribution to Hungary. There has already been a conference named “Swiss Life-Saviours in Hungary” in March, and throughout the year the cooperation will give one-day seminars in Swiss and Hungarian secondary schools to raise awareness.
See more pictures here, and download the President of the Swiss National Council Ms Maya Grafs, and Ambassador Paroz‘ speeches on the right side.
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The star of the Festival was Michel Houellebecq from France; then there was Italy as this years “guest of honour”. But Switzerland did not do badly, either: Three writers visited us for the twentieth International Book Festival in Budapest. Daniel Mezger was invited to this years edition of the European First Novel Festival sponsored by the Pro Helvetia Foundation. He presented his book “Land Spielen” with his young colleges from other European Countries.
Arno Camenisch has been sitting in Mezgers chair three years ago, and has since written two more novels forming his “Bündner Trilogie”. It has been translated into Hungarian and published just days before the festivals kickoff.He held a reading at the MEKS & LUGO houserestaurant. Klaus Merz, the most established author, also came on the occasion of the release of this best-selling book “Jakob schläft” in Hungarian language. “ Bookart” publishers from Csikszereda have this year published three translations of Swiss books to Hungarian, which they presented with the attendence of Klaus Merz at the National Library of Foreign Literature.
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The Swiss based STADLER Rail Group recently enlarged its train factory in Szolnok, investing another 4. bn. HUF. On the 18th of April Ambassador Jean-Francois Paroz and Economic and Trade Officer Robert Kattein attended the inauguration ceremony of the factory that had created another 200 jobs in the region. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also took part in the festivities, highlighting the importance of industry in his economic policy. He gladly welcomed Peter Spuhler, the owner and CEO of the Swiss rail company in Hungary after having signed a strategic partnership agreement with him last December. Switzerland’s success proofs the importance of family enterprises for a sustainably developing economy, Orbán said. For that reason it is essential to have such allies to reindustrialize the country.
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On the 8th and 9th of April a conference entitled “Territorial Autonomies in Europe: Solutions and Challenges” organized by the Research Institute for Hungarian Communities Abroad (NPKI) took place in Budapest. Mr. Andreas Gross, member of the National Council of Switzerland and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe attended the conference. Mr. Gross was asked to give a speech about “Autonomy as Part of the Democratization Process”.
He talked about the fact that full democracy will never be achieved but it is the overall goal to diminish the imperfect aspects of the democracy we live in. He described democracy as too nationally based, even though economic affairs happen mostly on a transnational level. Asked about some specific anti-Hungarianism Mr. Gross replied that there is no specific anti-Hungarianism in the west, rather it seems, that at the moment many countries sense a lack of respect towards them as the economical and political crisis is Europe carries on.
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On the 10th of April 2013 Ambassador Paroz was invited to cut the ribbon at the inauguration ceremony of the Nestlé pet food factory enlargement in Bük. In his speech, Ambassador Paroz stressed the importance of multinational companies like Nestlé as a flagship of the Swiss economy (Download the speech on the right side). By the completion of the 13 bn. HUF investment the Bük facility expanded to 55,000 square meters and became the state-of-the-art pet food factory in Europe. In August of 2012 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took part in the inauguration of the first enlargement step of Nestlé’s pet food factory in Bük.
Nestlé Hungary Kft’s managing director, Michael Nixon, told the audience, that the factory is part of the Nestlé group since 1998 and represents a total investment of 35 bn. HUF.
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The project “Development of the Hungarian air quality network (OLM) and laboratory background” is aiming at procuring modern sampling and laboratory measuring equipment, as well as mobile stations to carry out air quality monitoring in line with EU requirements in Hungary.
The kickoff of the implementation was held in the building of the Ministry of Rural Development on the 12th of March 2013. Present were Zoltán Illés, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs and András Rácz Deputy State Secretary for Environment and Nature Conservation, Swiss Ambassador Jean-François Paroz, Liliana de Sá Kirchknopf, Head of Swiss Contribution Office, Hugo Bruggmann, Head of Department at State Secretariat for Economic Affairs in Switzerland, and also Balázs Simó, Head of Department at the National Development Agency.
The project is supported with 5.8 million CHF through the Swiss Contribution Program, covering 85% of the project costs. Hungary finances 15% of the overall costs. Hungary receives a total of 131 million CHF under this bilateral program.
Find further Information about the project here and more information about the Swiss Contribution to Hungary through the links on the right side of this page.
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Szófa Budapest is an art project that presents itself through six encounters over the course of a year, from autumn 2012 to autumn 2013. In each instance, two artists from the contemporary improvised music and performance scene meet at regular intervals and present their collaborative efforts and ideas in the form of a performance or presentation. These events take place in the Budapest Architecture Centrum FUGA. Afterwards, the invited guests have the opportunity to work together for a week and then choose a suitable performance or exhibition venue to present the results. Advance notice of the performance/exhibition venue is deliberately not given. This concept allows the work in progress to take on its own dramatic sense. Next presentation on 2nd till 7th of June / FUGA / 18:00 with Vass Imre (dance/performance) and Samuel Stoll (horn/performance).
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The travelling exhibition of ten swiss cartoon-artist original work is visiting Hungary!
In the frame of the Francophone Festival the exhibition has been shown in the gallery kArton in Budapest, and can now be seen at the gallery re:public, in Pécs. (27.3-12.4. Monday–Saturday 10.00–18.00).
If one thinks of comics, one first thinks of France, with its Asterix and Obelix or Belgium with Tin Tin. But Switzerland has quite a lively and versatile cartoon-culture aswell, as this exhibition prooves. It is not only frenchspeeking artists, that have achieved sucsess with their albums all over Europe. David Boller, for example sold his "Wilhelm Tell" remake quite well in Germany and Austria.The little boy, with the blond hair by famous cartoonist Zep has even conquered the big screen: “Titeuf” was shown at the Francophone Film Festival in Budapest.
If you're around Pécs these weeks, don't miss the original drawings of these unique artists.
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On the 13th of March 2013 a delegation from DEZA/SECO, led by Ambassador Kurt Kunz visited Budapest to hold the 5th annual meeting of the Swiss Contribution to the EU in Hungary. The Delegation and the local staff visited various projects that are sponsored by Swiss Funds.
To round up the positive and constructive three-day meeting all partners and stakeholders were invited to a reception at the residency that allowed for an informal exchange between the different projects and the Swiss Delegation.
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On the 8th of March 2013 Ambassador Paroz took part in the opening ceremony of the FRAISA Hungaria Kft. factory enlargement. The new facilities cost about 435 million HUF and almost half of it was financed by the ÉMOP project which is part of the EU cohesion funds.
The ceremony was also the kick-off event for a follow-up investment of 1.5 billion HUF, which will also be supported with 690 million HUF of EU money by the Hungarian Center for Economic Development. The long-term investment creates 50 new jobs for the area of Sarospatak. In his speech Mr. Paroz congratulated the management of FRAISA on their successful work in Hungary and expressed his appreciation of the investment.
You can find the Ambassadors speech in the “Economy – Downloads” section on the right side.
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Budapest, 13 February 2013, Wednesday (MTI) - Building industry’s innovation competence centre has been opened by 13 Hungarian companies leading in building material sector.
In C3 Atelier showroom and conference centre in Budapest visitors could get acquainted with the most innovative ways of cement and concrete’s use - told Ottó Magera, CEO of one of the founders Holcim Magyarország Kft. operating in cement industry, at the opening ceremony on Wednesday.
The centre has been established on 600 m2 with HUF 100 million investment in 6 month.
Jean-François Paroz, ambassador of Switzerland in Hungary highlighted the importance of innovation in the cement and concrete industry as well at the opening ceremony. As Switzerland is a world leader of this field, Hungarian branch of Holcim has joined the foundation of the competence centre as well. You can find the full speech at the download list on the right.
Cement showroom C3 Atelier have been already established in Paris, Vienna, and the one opened in Budapest is the third in line.
Visitors can see polished industrial floor, concrete chandelier and the translucent concrete, invention of Áron Losonczi at the Budapest showroom.
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On February 5th, 2013 Ambassador Jean-Francois Paroz visited the factories of Goessler Kuverts, Phoenix Mecano and Hilti in Kecskemét. The factory leaders reported about their impressions on doing business in Hungary in today’s difficult economic situation. They told H.E. about their satisfaction with the location of Kecskemét. “The city council is very cooperative and workers are motivated and competent”, they said.
Phoenix Mecano and Hilti recently expanded their capacities: Phoenix Mecano built a new logistic centre; Hilti built two new production hangars. Both companies’ investments are going to be taken into operation this year.
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In April 2013 Hungarian artists will be painting colourful and cheerful pictures on the walls of the Szent László Hospital in Budapest to make children who have to stay at the hospital during their medical treatment happier. This action was announced at a press conference on January 8 by Dr. Albert Royaards, founder and board chairman of the Smiling Hospital Foundation and Countess Éva Csáky-Bornemissza, founder of the Smiling Hospital Foundation and Mr. Jean-Francois Paroz, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Hungary. After the press conference the participants created together a painting which will figure in the newly designed wards.
The project is being financed from the Twinning and Partnership Block Grant within the framework of the Swiss-Hungarian Cooperation Programme and will be realized with the partnership of experts from the Swiss Anouk Foundation.
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Please find on the right at the download list the newsletter of our embassy.
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The book “Essays on Jean-Luc Godard” came out on December 3 2012.
The volume about the most famous Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic is the first of its kind it contains 25 tractate about Godard from Hungarian authors.
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Fraudsters try on various occasions to obtain information concerning accounts and credit cards, as well as copies of taxpayers' passports by sending e-mails. These e-mails use false sender addresses. Consequently the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has been improperly listed as the sender in several of these e-mails. The FTA is now issuing a warning not to respond to these e-mails or ones of a similar nature.
Any FTA claims are sent to taxpayers solely by letter and indicate the dossier number. The FTA never makes enquiries about taxpayers' confidential information via e-mail.
Should you receive fraudulent e-mails, please report this to the FTA and forward the e-mails to the following address: kommunikation@estv.admin.ch
Thank you.
The former Ambassador of Hungary to Switzerland, Prof. László Ódor wrote a cultural dictionary about Switzerland: «Helvetismen – Deutsches Kulturwörterbuch der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft».
You can read more about the book under: www.bernerzeitung.ch (de)
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Last modification: 17.05.2013