From hungary-report-owner Mon Feb 19 06:20:37 1996 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id GAA01050; Mon, 19 Feb 1996 06:20:37 -0800 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id GAA01041; Mon, 19 Feb 1996 06:20:17 -0800 Received: from jbrown@isys.hu () via =-=-=-=-=-= for hungary-report@hungary.yak.net (1039) Received: from kingzog.isys.hu (KingZog.iSYS.hu [194.24.160.4]) (fnord) by nando (8.6.5/8.6.5) with ESMTP id GAA01033 for ; Mon, 19 Feb 1996 06:19:13 -0800 Received: from [194.24.161.32] (dialup-1-032.dial.isys.hu [194.24.161.32]) by kingzog.isys.hu (8.7.Beta.11/8.7.Beta.11) with SMTP id PAA08808 for ; Mon, 19 Feb 1996 15:18:44 +0100 (MET) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 15:18:44 +0100 (MET) X-Sender: jbrown@mail.isys.hu Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: hungary-report@hungary.yak.net From: jbrown@isys.hu (Jennifer Brown) Subject: The Hungary Report 1.38 Sender: owner-hungary-report@hungary.yak.net Precedence: bulk Reply-To: hungary-report@hungary.yak.net ======================== The Hungary Report Direct from Budapest, every week Also available on the World Wide Web (http://www.isys.hu/hrep/) No. 1.38, February 19, 1996 ======================== SPONSORED BY: iSYS Kft., providing full Internet solutions for companies and individuals in Hungary. For further information, send e-mail to , view our World Wide Web home page (http://www.isys.hu) or call (+36-1) 266-6090. ========= CONTENTS BRIEFS Inspectors enforce Slovak language law Bokros resigns from Ministry of Finance OECD membership around the corner Holbrooke on NATO membership New media law criticized Maternity benefits to end soon Court date set for Hungarian-Slovak dam dispute Conference draws successful emigres Minister signs beginnings of economic progress in 1995 Tricks that raise the dead NUMBERS CRUNCHED Value of services Brown & Root provides to U.S. troops in Kaposvar Budapest's 1995 revenues Annual inflation rate Couples getting hitched in 1995 Last year's divorces Illegal workers in Budapest FEATURE STORY Moving the masses PARLIAMENT WATCH Big decisions await opposition parties The Hungary Report is also supported in part by: MTI-Econews, a daily English-language financial news service. For online (fee-based) subscription information, contact the Internet address: . (It's not automated -- write a nice note.) ====== BRIEFS By Jennifer C. Brown Copyright (c) 1996 ------------- GENERAL NEWS Inspectors enforcing Slovak language law The controversial Slovak language law is under enforcement, reports the Budapest Week. The government has issued inspectors to four districts to check on whether citizens are using the Slovak language in administrative matters. The language law banning the use of languages other than Slovak in public was passed late in 1985 despite criticism from Hungary and Western European institutions. The Hungarian daily Kurir reports that a number of violations have occurred so far. Among them: Hungarian and Slovak texts appeared in the wrong order on store signs and in advertisements. Shop assistants addressed customers in Hungarian and report cards were filled out in Hungarian. Violators have been given warnings. --------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMICS Bokros resigns from Ministry of Finance Finance Minister Lajos Bokros resigned Sunday following the cabinet's rejection of his planned social insurance tax and a shouting match with a trade union leader, reports Nepszabadsag. The tax, introduced last Wednesday, aimed to reduce the social insurance deficit from Ft 60 billion to Ft 17.8 billion by replacing the present system of social insurance contributions.Before the resignatin, Bokros said he was unmoved by his lack of popularity among the public but it was the lack of governmental support that drove him to his resignation, according to his resignation letter. Prime Minister Gyula Horn expressed his regret over the Finance Minister's resignation. He told reporters that Bokros had been unjustly attacked and pledged that reforms in the area of economic stabilization and public finance reform would take place, but added that only after experts were consulted and certain compromises were reached. The Constitutional Court had earlier warned that Bokros's social insurance tax reform might be unconstitutional. Bokros's resignation, set to take effect February 29, is not expected to hamper the impending IMF standby loan agreement, even though it is dependent on reducing the social insurance deficit to around Ft 17.8 billion. ----------- SHORT TAKES HUNGARY COULD JOIN THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC Cooperation and Development (OECD) by next month if the organization decides that Hungary has made enough reforms in the banking sector. Once Hungary becomes an OECD member it can receive standby credit from the International Monetary Fund. HUNGARY'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS COULD HINDER Hungary's NATO membership, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke. He made his statements following talks with Hungarian government officials last weekend, reported the Budapest Week. Holbrooke said he hopes Hungary can join NATO, adding that the country is held in high regard by the United States. Plans to enlarge NATO are set to continue despite opposition from Russia. THE NEW HUNGARIAN MEDIA LAW WAS MET WITH CRITICISM last week by representatives of the European Media Institute and the International Press Institute, writes Magyar Hirlap. They said the law was too complicated and allowed for political wrestling and power-wielding. Their criticisms came during a conference held by the Prime Minister's Office. In response, Minister of Culture Balint Magyar and Prime Minister Gyula Horn's senior adviser Tamas Revesz said Parliament attempted to pass a law that was in harmony with European standards but blamed domestic affairs for the laws faults. NEW FAMILY HEALTH CARE MEASURES WILL MEAN A CANCELLATION of the pregnancy supplement and child care fees as of April 15 this year, writes Magyar Hirlap. Under the new plan, mothers would be paid a flat fee of Ft 10,000 rather than a maternity supplement. The two-year child care fee would only be paid to those who give birth to a child before April 15. THE HAGUE'S INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE WILL HOLD A TRIAL to settle Slovakia and Hungary's disputes over the Gabcikovo dam in February 1997. Hungary wants to cancel the construction of the hydroelectric dam in Slovakia primarily due to environmental reasons. Hungary and Slovakia may seek an out of court settlement before the trial. PROMINENT HUNGARIAN EMIGRES GATHERED IN BUDAPEST LAST WEEK to increase their solidarity among Hungarians abroad. The conference, called Magyarorszag 2000, was organized by Prime Minister Gyula Horn's office. Speaking to some 100 people, Horn asked the crowd not to put the blame of the past regime on the current reigning Socialists, writes the Budapest Sun. Making a last minute showing was Hungarian-American financier George Soros. He said Hungary has fallen behind the Czech Republic in implementing economic reforms. Hungarians have another two or three years of economic hardship ahead of them, he said. Topics discussed included finance and investment, development and transfer of technology. But whether anything concrete came out of the conference has yet to been seen, writes the Budapest Week. THE HUNGARIAN ECONOMY PICKED UP IN 1995, MINISTRY OF Industry and trade Imre Dunai told journalists last week. He pointed to signs of progress: A foreign trade balance reduced by $1.3 billion in 1995 to $2.6 billion, a 21% increase in exports to $12.9 billion a 7% rise in imports to $15.5 billion. Some 63% of exports went to European Union member states while OECD countries accounted for another 8%. Dunai pointed out that the growth in exports was due mostly to materials, semi-finished products and components, which together increased by 30%. Productivity increased 12% last year. INVESTORS WHO PURCHASED SHARES IN FOUR OF HUNGARY'S SIX electricity distribution companies are trying to purchase majority stakes despite a law that forbids them to do so, reports the Budapest Business Journal. The State Privatization and Holding Co. (APV Rt) sold between 46% and 49% of the six companies to foreign investors for $1.1 billion. Privatization Minister Tamas Suchman made a promise to Socialist MPs to keep majority stakes out of foreign hands for two years. But brokerage firms representing foreign investors are looking for municipalities around the country that want to sell their stakes, much to the chagrin of Socialist MPs. ------------------ NUMBERS CRUNCHED * Expenditures of Brown & Root, the Texas-firm contracted to provide services for U.S. troops stationed in Hungary: (The Budapest Sun) $34 million * Revenues Budapest took in last year (Mayor Gabor Demszky): $736 million * Annual inflation rate, calculated with January's inflation rate of 4.4% (Central Statistics Office): 28.9% * Number of couples married in 1995, 42,000 down from 1970 (Magyar Hirlap): 54,000 * The number of divorces in 1995, compared to 23,000 in 1970 (Magyar Hirlap) 24,000 * Number of Budapest's one million workers who work illegally (Capital Labor Center): 80,000. -------------- EXCHANGE RATE February 15, 1996 (National Bank of Hungary) US dollar - 144.65 (buying), 146.05 (selling) Deutschemark - 98.73 (buying), 99.66 (selling) ============= WACKY AS USUAL Tricks that raise the dead The daily tabloid Blikk recently reported that an elderly woman in Budapest kept the corpse of her husband in her apartment for a week to get his pension check before reporting his death. She reportedly used a shovel to prop up her belated husband so it looked as if he were sitting in an upright position. To make it look like he was merely having a short rest she covered his head with a cap. Eventually, the neighbors and the postman grew suspicious of a strange smell emanating from the apartment and promptly called the police. Later, it turned out the woman was mentally ill. =========== FEATURE STORY Moving the Masses: Charismatic Congregationalists offer salvation in the land of the Magyars By Jennifer C. Brown Copyright (c) 1996 It is the last Sunday of the month. A large sports stadium in Budapest is filled with devotees of the Congregation of Faith who have come from all over the country to be cleansed by what they call the Holy Spirit. The congregation's pastor, Sandor Nemeth, engages the crowd with a passionate sermon. His turquoise suit and sharp blue eyes appear to leap out of the large television screen that looms above the stage. "Not only is the outside world evil," he booms into a microphone, "but those who are not members are stupid." As he speaks, several members nod and smile with self-assurance. His mentions of Satan's manifestations Michael Jackson and Madonna elicit titters from the crowd. "Pop culture is the work of demons," he continues. Many of those who have come to participate in the weekend-long sermon are young and clean-cut. They wear a glazed, serene look on their faces. A few have their arms outstretched. Taking a break from his soliloquy, Nemeth reads the crowd a passage from the book of Matthew in which two men break open the roof of a house so that their handicapped brother can reach the healing powers of Jesus Christ. "Those who lifted the roof were moved by the Holy Spirit. They didn't care about the consequences. You have to receive the spirit and do as the spirit moves you," he said. And that it does. As the sermon builds momentum, possession takes hold of the crowd. "Let the spirit enter the center of your being and fill it in. Realize you belong to Christ, body and soul," he shouts. A television camera pans in on a woman in the front row who has begun laughing and rocking back and forth violently. Suddenly, the whole stadium is awash in raucous laughter. Several bounce up and down at a breakneck speed. One woman shakes furiously, her long blonde hair moving to the tempo of her body. Congregation of Faith Hungary has seen its fair share of imported religious assemblies such as the Hare Krishnas, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists attempt conversions since the dismantling of state-enforced atheism. But they have failed to take root as deeply as the fundamentalist, charismatic, home grown Congregation and its splinter groups. Drawing on the mass participation, flashiness and heavy emotional experiences that characterize American Pentecostal movements such as Foursquare Gospel, World of Faith and the Assemblies of God, the Congregation of Faith claims itself to be completely indigenous. The Congregation was born in Hungary 18 years ago when leader Sandor Nemeth received a message from God to bring charismatic Christianity to the Hungarian nation, according to Congregation literature. Today, the church boasts 30,000 members, with some 3,000 to 4,000 members at a time meeting three times a week. Like much of the conservatism espoused by fundamentalist Christians in the United States, the world of Hungarian fundamentalists is one where premarital sex, abortion, homosexuality and divorce are sins, but curable. Members are advised to abstain from alcohol, cigarettes and drugs in order to remain clean vehicles for the Holy Spirit. The Congregation attempts to shelter itself from the everyday temptations of society and demonic popular culture by offering fundamentalist substitutions, such as its own literature, music and even its own learning institutions. In an ambitious attempt to consolidate its holdings, the Congregation of Faith plans to build a mega-complex consisting of a temple to hold up to 10,000 people, offices, an elementary school and a publishing house. American scholar Daniel Watson, who is conducting research on new religious groups in Hungary, has taken a particular interest in the Congregation of Faith due to its high membership rate, its national message, and its image, which combines ideology with high-tech and upward mobility. "Spiritual bankruptcy made it possible to save large amounts of people at a time," he said. "[The Congregation] will become a permanent fixture in Hungarian politics. Their Bible school is graduating an elite group who are intellectual, fundamentalist, knowledgeable about computers and savvy in business and foreign languages." "They are impressive," adds Elena Tsui, an American Christian missionary working in Budapest. "They are one of the best organized groups I've seen and the fastest growing religious group in Hungary, if not Europe." Mass conversions occurred in the mid-80's when Nemeth's seven followers took to the streets to recruit young people to a secret Hungarian Christian movement. One well-known alternative punk rock band, Neurotics, went from being head-banging, drug-addicted punks to musical missionaries. The congregation has politicians, rock stars, corporate heads and even an owner of a popular night spot in Budapest amongst its members. The mere mention of the name sparks recognition in the minds of young Hungarians, though not always a positive one. "We used to call them, 'The Congregation of God's Cock'," said Budapest resident Anna David. Anna attended one of the Congregation's early services in 1986, when it was just starting to get a foothold. Back then, any gatherings dealing with spiritual matters were considered illegal, forcing members to meet secretly in each others homes. While Anna resisted the conversion despite what she calls, "intense psychological and social pressure," other intellectuals have embraced the religion with zeal. "This is a side effect of 40 years of religious oppression," she said. Twenty-year old Jano Farkas was drawn to the Congregation of Faith seven years ago while he was attending a Catholic boarding school. "I met some members on the street. They told me interesting things about the Bible," he said. Eventually, Jano began attending meetings and soon enough, became a member. "It was unusual and exciting because it wasn't like the Catholic church. It was lively. It was inspirational...There was laughing and dancing and everybody was close to each other. They told me about emotions and messages of the soul. It was easy to [see how] I was converted." During the services, Jano participated in a practice that is called speaking in unknown tongues. Jano often experienced what the Congregation calls, the cleansing of the Holy Spirit, which happens spontaneously during a service. "I always fell down," he said. "It was an ecstatic feeling. I burst into tears. I felt happy and free." But when asked if he believed it was really the Holy Spirit he answered by saying, "I don't know what it was." Jano eventually met another Congregation member at his boarding school and they began holding Bible study meetings in secret. Eventually, a Congregation pastor suggested that Jano leave the school for good and was told he should receive a blessing every weekend to cleanse him of the "evil spirit of Catholicism." That incident, coupled with other strict edicts he was told to adhere to, forced him to leave the Congregation for good. Today, Jano looks far from a bible-toting fundamentalist. He sports a goatee and round glasses. He is a big fan of Seattle grunge bands and enjoys reading Hungarian philosophers - things that were forbidden in the Congregation. Today Jano calls he methods employed by the Congregation a a mild form of brainwashing and worries that his ex-girlfriend, an avid member, is starving because she gives half her salary to the Congregation. "I still believe in God but I'm not a member of any church now. But I think it was a good decision to leave because a lot was left out of my life," he said. Immanuel While a few like Jano drop out of the Congregation, it continues to grow, even inspiring several smaller movements in other parts of the country. One such as Immanuel , a 7-year old charismatic, fundamentalist group based in the western Hungarian Catholic stronghold of Szombathely, home of the Bishop's palace. With his neat appearance, stylishly-framed glasses and bright smile, Immanuel's leader Karoly Geczi could be the Hungarian version of Pat Robertson. Like Nemeth, Geczi, a former Baptist minister, received his own calling from God to start Immanuel in a town he had never been to before. Today, Immanuel espouses 80 members and a foundation that sells Christian literature, organizes youth camps and assists the town's needy. He explained that the fundamentalist movement is gaining popularity in Hungary because traditional churches compromised during the Communist regime. "They lost both the trust of the people and their authority," he said. Immanuel's appearance in Szombathely earned its share of critics in an 80 percent Catholic town. At one time both Immanuel and the Congregation of Faith were called cults. But Geczi dismisses those labels saying,"When the MDF (Hungarian Democratic Forum, the last government regime) and the Roman Catholic influence came, everything that wasn't Roman Catholic was considered a cult. What is strange is that when the government changed, those voices shut up." Geczi calls Roman Catholicism an "arrogant and exclusive religion," and is critical of the political influence that it gained under the Center-right MDF. However, Geczi doesn't deny, however, that his church, which closely identifies itself with the current ruling coalition, the left-leaning Free Democrats, seeks political influence in Hungary as well. Recently, Geczi met with Hungarian President Gyula Horn to deliver him three messages "personally received" from God. "One was a personal thing because he had an accident. [Horn hurt his neck in a car accident before the May elections.] The others were about leading the country. One message was about righteousness because there is very little in present-day societies," says Gezci. "We talk about politics during our service. We pray a lot for the leaders of the country and for the ministers to make decisions that are good for Hungary," adds Zsuzsa, a 23-year old member. "We pray every morning for Szombathely and Hungary. We have a responsibility for the town and the country. Not surprisingly, Geczi also preaches a classic, American capitalist ethic. Members are expected to work hard both in their careers and in assisting the work of the foundation. According to him, Immanuel's members are in high demand by the town's employers. "We believe in growing and prosperity, not in a religious or sacrificial purity; that's a Roman Catholic concept. Communism is a patriarchal system that says if you are good, you will be rewarded. I preach that God's work is a creative power." Attila, a 20-year old college student, said he was only able to pass the entrance exam into college after finding Immanuel."I was an average student and I failed the first entrance exam. After converting, I got 100 points out of 100 points possible on the next exam." Like other Immanuel members his age, Attila leads a life contrary to the hedonistic youth lifestyle promoted in Hungary, but he says he has found a more positive substitute. Having had no previous religious experience, Attila came to the church with a natural curiosity of the occult and Eastern religions. Following his conversion, he immersed himself in the book of Matthew and lost interest in going to discos and movies. "I have many friends but I lost some because I didn't want to lead a life like theirs." he said. "Because I changed, only God is the main aim of my life." Even after family members expressed concern that he wasn't leading a normal life, he eventually managed to convert his mother and his father, a former devout Communist. Today, Attila's book collection consists of the Bible, Christian books, and objective historical books, but no fantasy or fiction, unless, that is, it is Christian fiction. Instead of listening to the radio while driving his parent's Opel to school, he pops in a cassette of an American Christian choir. For young Hungarians who can find few other opportunities for personal fulfillment elsewhere in an increasingly status-ridden and materialistic society, groups like Immanuel and the Congregation of Faith are striking a deep chord, according to religious studies scholar Daniel Watson. "It's liberating emotionally. There are few places where people have an optimistic alternative," he said. "What do Hungarians do to make their lives better? They can go to strip joints and tanning salons. They can acquire clothing and spend money. But who else but these churches offer a successful life, certainly no government party," he said. * * * Jennifer C. Brown (jbrown@isys.hu) is a freelance journalist in Budapest who writes for regional trade and general interest publications besides editing The Hungary Report. This article originally appeared along with photographs in the February issue of Pozor. =============== Parliament Watch By Tibor Vidos Copyright (c) 1996 Big decisions await opposition parties Two of the four opposition parties in Parliament, the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) and the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), are facing crucial decisions these days. MDF will have to elect a new president in March, KDNP has just re-elected its parliamentary leader despite a challenge from the party president. Electing party leaders is normal business in any political party -unless the nominations reflect serious rifts in the leadership of these organizations. Such is the case with the two rightist parties. The conservative opposition has two major problems to overcome: the overwhelming (72%) dominance of the governing parties, and secondly the lack of a moderate conservative tradition in Hungarian political culture. The Smallholders' Party and Fidesz, opposition parties strongly controlled by their respective chairmen, have developed their own quite differing responses to this situation. The Smallholders, led by Jozsef Torgyan, took the populist alternative, while Fidesz has decided to try to fill the vacuum on the moderate right. Both tacks, according to opinion polls, are popular. MDF and KDNP both appear to be split between the two alternatives. Gyorgy Giczy, the populist-leaning president of KDNP, lost his last minute bid to also become the party's parliamentary leader. Tamas Izsepy, who was re-elected leader of the Christian Democratic caucus, is known to favor cooperation between the non-populist opposition parties. In MDF, the party which governed the country from 1990 to 1994, the situation is even more complex. Lajos Fur, the party's current president, has decided not to run for office at the forthcoming convention of the former major governing party, unless "extraordinary circumstances" force him to do so. With this move Fur opened the door for an all-out war between the populist-nationalist wing of the party, which supports Sandor Lezsak for president and the moderate conservatives, who are represented by former finance minister and faction leader Ivan Szabo. Lezsak, whose garden housed the wedding tent where MDF was formed in 1987, has declared his willingness to cooperate with everyone inside the right wing's big tent. This includes Imre Pozsgay, the nationalist reformed communist who was in Leszak's garden in 1987 and Istvan Csurka, the extreme right-wing nationalist, who was kicked out of MDF by former prime minister Jozsef Antall. With both KDNP and MDF split between competing ideologies and political strategies, it seems more and more unlikely that the script developed by Fidesz will ever come together by the 1998 elections. That is, an MDF-KDNP-Fidesz alliance will challenge both the Smallholders and the governing coalition. If the Fidesz dream does not come true, Torgyan may represent the strongest challenge to the current government in the next elections. This may be pleasant for the coalition parties, but is quite unfortunate for the development of Hungarian democracy. * * * Tibor Vidos is a lobbyist and political consultant in charge of the Budapest office of GJW Government Relations. or A version of this article appeared in the Budapest Business Journal. =========== FINAL BLURB The Hungary Report is free to readers. To subscribe, send an email message to the following Internet address: hungary-report-request@hungary.yak.net containing (in the body of the message, not in the headers) the single word subscribe Conversely, to stop receiving Hungary Report, simply send to the same address (in the body of the message) the single word unsubscribe Please note: all mailing lists suffer from frequent "error" addresses. If we have problems with sending to your address more than one week in a row, we will remove you from the list. If you haven't received the report for more than one week, feel free to inquire directly to Steven Carlson (but please wait for at least a week, as we're also just famously late in getting the thing out sometimes : ) * * * Back issues of The Hungary Report are available on the World-Wide Web http://www.isys.hu/hrep/ and via FTP ftp://ftp.isys.hu/pub/hrep/ * * * The entire contents of The Hungary Report are copyrighted by the authors. Permission is granted for not-for-profit, electronic redistribution and storage of the material. If readers redistribute any part of The Hungary Report by itself, PLEASE RESPECT AUTHORS' BY-LINES and copyright notices. Reprinting and resale of the material is strictly prohibited without explicit prior consent by the authors. Please contact the authors directly by email to inquire about resale rights. * * * For information on becoming a corporate sponsor of The Hungary Report, contact Steve Carlson by email. Feedback is welcome. Rick E. Bruner, Creator <74774.2442@compuserve.com> Steven Carlson, Publisher Jennifer C. Brown, Editor Tibor Vidos, Parliament Watch Attila Beno, Magyar Net Watch * * * For its briefs, The Hungary Report regularly consults the news sources listed below -- for information about subscriptions, contact them by email: The Budapest Business Journal <100263.213@compuserve.com> & Budapest Sun <100275.456@compuserve.com> Budapest Week <100324.141@compuserve.com> Central Europe Today (free online) , as well as most Hungarian-language media (e-mail addresses to come). ================= END TRANSMISSION