Hungary by Atlatszo – Orban’s new, ‘austere’ office decorated with 38 pieces of historic artwork from public museums

This is what Atlatszo.hu wrote last week:

Pay or die? Onco-tourism and corruption in Romania and Hungary

Wealthy patients are seeking better treatment conditions in Turkey or even in Western European countries. However, poor patients are left almost without care. A significant part of the public funds (including the European Funds) is diverted from public institutions towards private firms.

Orban’s new, ‘austere’ office decorated with 38 pieces of historic artwork from public museums

The carpets of the building complex were borrowed from the Museum of Applied Arts, and the paintings and sculptures are loaned by the National Gallery. The total cost of moving the Prime Minister’s Office amounts to approximately 21 billion forints (€65.4 million).

Hungary: A smooth way to better patriotism

High school military programs are spreading in Hungary where the government’s educational policy aims at making students more ‘patriotic.’ The Ministry of Defense is financially supporting historical re-enactors and sports associations as well.

One public defender called in 70 percent of all cases in a Budapest district

In one Budapest police station 267 out of 384 cases were referred to the same public defender. How was one public defender able to represent the defendants with such a heavy workload? How was he or she able to be present of every hearing when his or her defendants were questioned?

Here is your reading list about what is going on in Hungary:

The Wall Street Journal: Hungary Bucks U.S. Push to Curb Russian and Chinese Influence

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told U.S. diplomats that he wants his country to be “neutral, like Austria” as Washington pushes for a tougher line on Russia and China, deepening fears that a longtime American ally is drifting from its orbit.

Euronews: Budapest announces boycott of EP debate on Hungary next week

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó announced that no representative of his government will attend next week’s European Parliament debate on the rule of law situation in Hungary.

Reuters: Hungary, Russia to modify financing for Paks nuclear plant expansion -minister

The governments of Hungary and Russia are working on changes to the financing of Hungary’s planned expansion of its Paks nuclear power plant partly because of EU concerns, the Hungarian minister in charge of the project said on Friday.

Bloomberg: Striking Hungarian VW Workers Seek Parent Company Aid in Dispute

Workers at Volkswagen AG’s Audi factory in Hungary vowed to continue their strike and asked for help from the automaker’s headquarters in Germany after rejecting several wage offers made by local management during the weekend.

Guardian: Hungary: pithy insults fly as anti-Orbán protesters resort to ridicule

Visitors to Budapest in recent weeks may have noticed the proliferation of a strange three-character code all across the city: “O1G”. The abbreviation is short for Orbán egy geci, a pithy phrase deriding the prime minister, Viktor Orbán.