No one can accuse me of undue pessimism, as the readers of Hungarian Spectrum may have noticed over the years. Yet when I read in 444.hu that László Palkovics, the man entrusted with the revival of the Hungarian economy, thinks that this crisis can offer unexpected economic possibilities for the country, I was unconvinced. I must admit that I don’t see much of a silver lining, especially given the meager stimulus program. But Palkovics pressed his point and said that, because of these undisclosed opportunities, “they don’t want to ask for outside help.”
Here are a few of the items in the government’s stimulus plan.
Although all Fidesz politicians insist that “there is no such thing as free money,” Palkovics said that during the pandemic crisis the government will pay 70% of the wages of employees who have been kept on the payroll on a part-time basis. Yesterday Viktor Orbán called the program “a unique Hungarian solution,” but Palkovics admitted today that the program, called Kurzarbeit, already exists in Germany. The duration of the assistance is three months. Whether the economy will be robust enough in three months to turn all part-time workers back into full-time workers I very much doubt.
As for “engineers and employees of research and development firms,” they will receive only 40% of their wages from the government because “in their case, part-time employment is not applicable.” I am guessing here that he is distinguishing here between hourly workers and salaried workers, but I’m not sure that I’m right.
The social security tax, to which both employers and employees contribute, and which is currently 17.5%, will be lowered to 15.5% as of July 1, 2020. In addition, the deadline for filing tax returns will be extended until September 30.
To outsiders, some of the items are puzzling. For instance, there is a modification to the “Electronic Public Procurement System” (EKR), introduced in Hungary in 2018, according to which anyone who wants to be the recipient of a government tender must conduct his business electronically. Those who use the system will now be given a guarantee waiver from paying customs duty. From the text it looks as if the government took its sweet time reimbursing businesses for import charges that they didn’t owe, for one reason or another. Now, the government promises to introduce “the possibility of automatic reimbursement.”
László Palkovics, minister of innovation and technology, announcing the government’s program
The introduction of these easements reveals some of the tricks the government introduced to the tax system to its own advantage. Here is another example. It looks as if the government was able to retain large sums of paid value added taxes for as long as 75 days. Now, the government has generously lowered its retention to 30 days and, if the taxpayer is “trustworthy,” he can have his money back in 20 days.
And while we are on the subject of taxes, it is a well-known fact that, although the Orbán government promised a tax-return form so simple that it would not be larger than a coaster under a beer mug, today it is even more complicated than before. Now, however, the government once again promises to simplify the forms, which allegedly entails “the possibility of lowering taxes.” They also promise not to punish “accidental omissions.” Finally, people on leave without pay will not lose their insurance as long as their employers pay “ekhó” on their behalf. This strange-sounding tax stands for “egyszerűsített közteherviselési hozzájárulás” or “simplified tax contribution.”
It is highly unlikely that these measures will put enough extra money in the pockets of employers and employees to help re-start the engine of the economy. And, for retirees, the extra week of pension, starting in February 2021, will not compensate for the higher prices of groceries they must buy today. Palkovics made a vague announcement about assistance to parents who can’t work outside of the house because of sick or disabled children who need constant care. Although the opposition has been demanding an increase in the piddling amount of family support for children for years, the government has steadfastly refused to make any change, I assume because it is considered to be money nobody worked for. The monthly amount of government support for families ranges, depending on the number of children, from $37 to $49. Every child who is enrolled as a student in a primary and secondary educational institution can be counted, but they cease to be a dependent on the final day of the school year when they complete their formal education. Now, the government has extended this cut-off. Families will receive support payments until the end of the crisis.
The paltry assistance to the poorer segments of society sharply contrasts with the generosity, even during a mounting economic crisis, toward the better-off classes. Large families are still getting two million forints toward the purchase of a car seating seven. Until now, families had six months to take advantage of the offer. This regulation will change. They can now postpone their decision on the purchase of a car until 60 days after the end of the emergency situation.
The really important announcements were made by György Matolcsy, the chairman of the central bank, starting with raising the interest rate from 0.9% to 1.8%. The forint immediately reacted to the news, strengthening from 366 forints to the euro to 356, effectively settling at 358.
Otherwise, as I wrote yesterday, the central bank’s remedy seems to rely on government guaranteed loans to Hungarian companies. Zoltán Pogátsa, a well-known economist, while praising the increase in the very low interest rate to bolster the forint, is convinced that “Orbán doesn’t understand the problem” when thinking in terms of massive loans because what is today in short supply is “demand.” That’s why money should be put into the hands of consumers. Giving loans to companies cannot create consumer demand. “Today we don’t have a crisis of credit or liquidity. The usual lowering of taxes and introducing loan programs will not work.”
A more comprehensive criticism of the Hungarian program will follow tomorrow.
Thank you for giving as the well written and accurate news about the various announced government programs in Hungary.
——
Far more important are the deeds the Coronadictator is doing to make the opposition penniless and powerless before he returns the dictatorship only on paper, to satisfy the spineless and morally corrupt EU politicians.
Simple order – free parking in Budapest. People rejoice about not paying for parking, but the City and the districts lose money and draining their budget at the same time.
There will be other similar and much worse villainous deeds, the victor is the most heinous criminal mind in this century so far, he is already on the level of Kim Jong-un, but I think he will pass him. It is not only the physical torture of individuals that makes a person cruel, inhumane. The actions of the viktor and his henchmen, his band of thieves and the gangsters he employs are ruining Hungary in the present and the future, both economically and morally for generations to come.
Coronaviktátorus!
I wonder what happened to Mihaly Varga? By default it would be his role to roll out any economic rescue package. He seems to have gone AWOL
I think Varga is just the number cruncher, Orbán tells him what he wants and he has to figure out a way to change the budget accordingly. Also he’s probably not the one type to push push himself forward with strong rhetoric, Palkovics is the “no job too big or small” type, just my two fillers’ worth…
fillér’s worth, bocsi!
Right. Varga is needed, Palkovics is a disposable patsy/whore for whom no job is too dirty (to wreck the Hu Academy of Science or the universities status).
Now he’s set up as the face of the measures that may prove to be inadequate, in which case he may be demised.
This is political communication.
Varga’s (who is indeed a number cruncher and a ‘weak’ person) presence would send the wrong message.
Palkovics is Orban’s henchman, hangman, executioner (take your pick) who can speak in English and German well.
The domestic underlings understand clearly that there is no room for criticism, resistance or slacking whatsoever. You either deliver and execute or you are out.
Moreover Palkovics will handle foreign investors in a way Varga is simply unable to.
Re: Political communication.
Szél drafted a bill. She wants to tax those who got above 5 000 000 000 Ft from state or EU tenders, not by nationalisation of the vehicle tax. That’s how you communicate the state of Hungary!
The opposition used the brand name “Tiborcz-tax”. It sounds good, people immediately get it. It works. They only have to keep repeating it.
After opposition won in a few places and Tiborcz threatened the opposition of litigation (for using his name) the name disappeared. The opposition as usual was terrified of offending somebody. They shit into their pants (as expectedby default) from a stupid court case.
I guess now the opposition officially proposes “a value based wealth tax applicable to tax subjects whose assets minus liabilities are greater than HUF 5bn at current market prices according the certified methodology of tax experts.” or whatever.
The opposition can’t communicate and weak. If Fidesz doesn’t approve, they just don’t do it. Usually a winning formula.
Why can’t Szel say that she is proposing the Tiborcz tax?
She’s come up with a good idea, let someone else came up with a catchy name, Oligarch Tax anyone? Or Helicopter Tax?
Helicopter Tax has a nice sound to it, ugye?
No, use the name of a human. It’s easier to personify the term that way and most people are irritated by Tiborcz. They know what Tiborcz stands for.
Oligarch or helicopter are neutral words in the sense that they don’t arouse any emotions. In politics you must use emotionally charged terms (death panel etc.) so people raise their heads when they hear them.
“of course” M [no not for “Migráns” this time] complaining and typical BS-ing again, while not having read nor listened nor taken note of things like:
https://24.hu/kozelet/2020/04/08/koronavirus-meszaros-ado-ner/
https://www.facebook.com/pg/szelbernadett/posts/
so the name is: Mészáros-adó [=Mészáros-tax]
hey, that’s an M again…
I cannot help wondering about the planning that goes into the government’s actions. Who are their experts? (Not the Operational Group: 5 policemen, 1 fireman, 1 village deacon (the surgeon general), 2 doctors, 2 government ministers, 2 undersecretaries and 1 prime minister.) For tomorrow’s blog entry, Éva, I propose the story of the 400 thousand favipiravir tablets that Hungary bought from China to offer for off-label use. This drug is going through Phase III trials in the US, and its original producer, Fujifilm started trials with a number of countries, like Indonesia and Turkey. Hungary, however bought its generic version from China, where the Health Ministry said it was useful in Wuhan. (Note that there was no randomized trial, and – if I read it correctly – the one study about favipiravir and COVID-19 did not look at how viral load changes in the patients with the drug.) Hungarian doctors will be allowed to prescribe it, I just wonder how they are guided in that decision. To me it sounds a little bit like our PM volunteered the country for a drug trial. Or maybe it’s just a quick decision, trusting the Chinese drug agency instead of the (non-existing) Hungarian… Read more »
Good questions! These approaches is what I cumulatively call Felcsutia, as it is in such regimes, eg. the Stalin or Ceausescu ones, where half literate party hacks ignore, overrule or repress science.
Thank you for this Éva, as ever. You are much appreciated, keeping us informed about politics in Hungary, throughout this pandemic. Slightly off topic, but this morning I read an article from the BBC, which revealed that in 2006 Putin created a new law, sanctioning the murder of all “enemies of the state”, on foreign territory. Thence, the numerous murders of Russians in the UK. It was also in 2006 that Orbán brazenly split Hungary into two nations – those who were with him, and those who were not. Whatever machinations he was exercising before that date, 2006 seems to me a turning point in Hungary, and it cannot be a coincidence that Orbán was also labeling his critics “enemies of the state”, just as Putin revved up, a notch or two, his murderous agenda at the same time. By calling personal enemies “enemies of the state”, they both declared themselves to be The State. So it would be interesting to know what sort of meetings Orbán was having with Putin around that time and if that was when he openly aligned himself with Russia. Who knows what sort of leverage Putin had and has over him. The truth will… Read more »
„ … sanctioning the murder of all “enemies of the state”, on foreign territory. …“ I don’t know what you’re trying to say but when Putin wants someone out of the way it just happens.
http://xsovietunion.blogspot.com/2018/03/list-of-suspicious-russia-related.html
Of course you are right, but what I am saying is that in 2006, the right to murder opposition was actually enshrined in law, and written down. Not just acted out.
Pogátsa: “That’s why money should be put into the hands of consumers.”
This never has been the policy of Orbán. Since he believes that consume must be taxed instead of income he never understood that a working internal market is an essential part of every functioning economy. Stupidity going on and on.
Moreover money in the consumers’ hands cannot be easily stolen beyond the world record 27% VAT. Note that all procurement systems were centralized, taken away from local govs, the big, much needed and very successful panel apartment buildings energy saving/insulation program was almost completely shut down and the funds switched to doing the same with public buildings where big money could be sapped. It’s all about the money, not the people.
The most needy were so far left without any assistance, to quote DK’s Agnes Vadai in parliament (yes Marty, they are doing all they can):
Zero forint for the
– full time employed put on reduced pay
– full time employed sent on unpaid leave
– those who lost their jobs
– those forces to remain home with their children
– pensioners suffering from the 10% inflation of basics’ prices
– disabled, special needs and their caretakers restricted by the measures.
Can listen in Hu here: https://demokrata.hu/magyarorszag/vadai-berugtak-a-magyarokat-az-ut-szelerol-az-arokba-227633/
Indeed! I read about it, but also about the detailed plan of action MSZP presented. So again the opposition doesn’t do anything…?
The inhuman actual attitude of the regime transpired from the statement and body language of L.Paragh, a tile merchant turned econ adviser in Felcsutia:
“So many people went bust these days that we can’t do much about them”
https://444.hu/2020/04/08/parragh-laszlo-annyi-ember-ment-tonkre-az-elmult-napokban-hogy-ezzel-nem-tudunk-mit-kezdeni
I simply can’t believe that Orban as a leader is so economically illiterate. Furthermore, his alignment with Putin clearly confirms the direction he is taking. Whilst the Hungarian economy, health and welfare collapses – Orban fiddles.
Spreading of Corona virus per County in Hungary [update]
https://app.flourish.studio/visualisation/1799004
In most counties Corona seemed to have taken a day off [no or only +1], except Budapest [+42 / +12%], Csongrád [+8 / +25%], Fejér [+10 / 26%] and Pest [+11, +7%].
Especially Fejér county* increased spreading is continuing [2nd day in a row highest increase factor], and strongly indicates possible serious hotspot(s)!
*county capital Székesfehérvár, other [in]famous places Dunaújváros, Velence with its lake and … [drum roll] Felcsút
Meanwhile exactly today, after official publication of above figures the mayor of Bp is invited by OV to join “his” special government meeting.
My suspicion, sorry but that’s based on experience [!]:
there could be a relation between the two; that is possibly, by OV and his team of minions, manipulated figures to be used against others not agreeing with the Hungarian Serial Democracy Killer [living in Felcsút]!
Weekly increase for Hungary [Apr.01-08]:
1.70 – meaning doubling time of 9 days
Weekly increase factors [Apr.01-08]:
–count – incr.factor – doubling time
–Fejér – 3.77 – 3-4 days
–Békés – 3.33 – 4 days
–Nógrád – 2.40 – 5-6 days
–Csongrád – 2.35 – 5-6 days
–Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok – 2.00 – 7 days
–Tolna – 1.86 – 8 days
–Budapest, Pest and Hajdú-Bihar – 1.67 – 9-10 days
Also of note the nr.of death has a weekly increase of 2.90 – meaning doubling time of 4-5 days [that’s way above the increase of positive tested people!]
“they don’t want to ask for outside help.”
But they will accept the EU monies and they are waiting for those billions.
In fact everything depends on those outside help.
Luckily the Germans will throw a few billions of EUR at Orban so I don’t think he should be worried.
-That’s why money should be put into the hands of consumers. Giving loans to companies cannot create consumer demand.”
Giving money to companies makes possible for them to maintain constant the prices of their products – to prevent them from rising or even lower them- and thus to maintain the demand for them, that is to avoid decreasing, or even to increase, the consumer demand for their products (simply because the prices stay, or even are going down).
Economics, just as politics, meteorology, football and women, is a field where only experts with irrefutable arguments exist. Remember that uber-expert Paul Krugman (Nobel Prize for economic “sciences”) who divined that Trump winning would lead to a market crash ?.
@Invidious, 3:29 am
Yes, I remember Paul Krugman;
“Donald J. Trump and markets are plunging”.
He got that right on the button. Well done, Paul!
Rubbish
@Invidious, 3:46 am
“Aye, there’s nane sae blind as those that willna see”
Olde Scottish proverb just for you, Invidious
Trump = Rubbish? Yes, the markets were able to stay for a while and just when Trump “won” his trade war against China the problems started and now in the days of a “Democrat hoax” they are….
“The U.S. electoral outcome led traders and money managers to initially take a more risk-averse approach, sending traditional safe-havens like gold through the roof.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/09/us-markets.html
“USD/JPY has posted sharp losses in the Wednesday session, as the pair trades just above the 1.03 level. The pair has taken traders on a roller-coaster ride, dropping close to the 101 line, before reversing directions and climbing up to the 103 level. The volatility is in reaction to the shocking news on Wednesday that Donald Trump has won the US presidential election….”
https://www.marketpulse.com/20161109/usdjpy-yen-surges-on-trump-shocker/
“Trump = Rubbish? Yes”
Got to love the spin, partisanship to the extreme, and blindness of the HS-commentariat
–
When President Trump was elected president, Paul Krugman warned readers of the New York Times to brace themselves for a “global recession.” Now, he admits the economy is “strong.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/paul-krugman-who-predicted-global-recession-under-trump-admits-economy-is-strong
I wouldn’t believe anything I read in this Wash Examiner:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Examiner
It’s culture is officially described as “conservative”, sexist, homophobic, anti migrant, …
PS:
Ovoda, how and where do you find these fake news articles?
Do you browse the internet for hours every day or do you have lists of these channels – like breitfart etc which you also adore so much.
Every morning he receives a list from the Propaganda ministery. Same for Zoli. And Marty?
“It’s culture is officially described as “conservative”, sexist, homophobic, anti migrant, …”
As the poster on kindergartenlevel…!
Besides the fact that the economy during the first time was stronger than Trump could destroy, since the trade wars American economy is not in that great shape any more. If you want to reduce it to the presidents: The positive wave under Obama was finally stopped by Trump, although Trump needed to work harder for it than a lot of people thought.
Hehe..the crazy man alright. The most INCREDIBLE MASTERFUL BUILDER OF THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!! THIS GENIUS COLOSSUS THAT BESTRIDES THE WORLD!!!!!! …..ripping up the boards at WHO too right now deflecting his mistakes.
Re: government money to go to Hungarian companies as remedy.
Most probably that prescription will be an addition to the headache most Magyars have already under very iffy circumstances : more financial worries. They could be turning over the seat cushions in couches soon.
And anyway it’s also the best way to fill the pots of the monied oli-aristos who fear a depletion of the coffers. It helps the clinking chinking Fidesz flow of money.
Ovi BS
How did Trump strengthen the economy?
IMO, thankfully by not doing much for some time and then he started the China and smaller trade wars and we know how that went …
Here is how went the “We shall open these mines…” nonsense:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-pro-trump-west-virginia-coal-country-the-jobs-keep-leaving-11572269967
(I guess this wasn’t on the party’s propaganda dept. mail list)
Ovi ?!
Where are you?! Haven’t you got any material on the Trump BS?
Try your own knowledge and analyses.
Team Ovidiu is in bed, it´s late in Moscow already, and a new day soon starts.
One just wonders why this old comment became actual again.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/opinion/economy-republicans-deficit.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
DAY 9 OF THE ME FIRST VIKTATORSHIP
“The paltry assistance to the poorer segments of society sharply contrasts with the generosity, even during a mounting economic crisis, toward the better-off classes.” Orban’s principle is clear and consistent on this: there is no “free money” to people. Rural and right wing people simply don’t accept the idea that somebody should receive money for doing nothing. Orban understands this thinking. Human psychology just doesn’t allow universal income and similar initiatives. This is also the basis of the success of the “public work” program too (although it is actually popular among the gipsies too). The ideological success of (nostalgia for) the really existing socialism stem from stability, clear rules and work for everyone, not the social welfare system. Rural people hated that in their view gipsies received money and were not doing anything in return (just, according to the white folks, referring to their constitutional rights). Since rural and even working class voters are allied with Orban on ideological and cultural grounds (not on economic grounds) it doesn’t matter if they don’t get any subsidies. While economically giving free money to poor people to spend might be a good idea (though it would have C/A consequences too since many consumer… Read more »
Marty
You are sounding hollow (if not a troll) by repeating these frivolous opinions of yours.
And you’d be much closer to the truth if you saw these measures as satisfying “the essentials” (per Dictator’s Handbook) needed for the survival of the regime.
I am interpreting Orban’s thinking so that it is clear to everyone. Some things which may be puzzling to some are actually very logical, almost required in Orban’s thinking.
@Observer, 4:09 am
I do not think that “frivolous” (paltry, trifling, futile, silly) is the correct word to describe the direction of Marty’s comment (here) or comments in general. It appears to me that there is a relentless consistency about them and one struggles to construct a coherent argument in opposition because the results that Marty claims for the approach are indeed the results that Dictator Orbán achieves: rural and working class support, firm numbers in national polls, a divided and (essentially) silent opposition and solid maintenance in power of his corrupt regime. Of course, there are other parts to the policy – pay-offs, reward sharing, fake news (see “Hungary Today”), the flags, the strutting on the international stage – you are familiar with others surely but one has to concede, the measured programme of top-to-tail corruption of the country works for Orbán.
Marty paints a bleak picture. None of us likes it. But there is little room for optimism at this time.
Bimbi
Perhaps I should use unsubstantiated; frivolous or gratuitous is used more in legal language.
“a divided and (essentially) silent opposition”. This is simply not true. Marty repeatedly says this and I and others have repeatedly debunked it.
“a divided and (essentially) silent opposition”
for M it’s true, because nobody is following her/him…
Trump’s a loudmouth and so is Orban. When times were even better, back in 2018, there were only posters at the elections from Fidesz and Jobbik in our village, otherwise I didn’t see anything. It may be that some small Orbans of which here are many, have cut off signs of the opposition. I don’t know. There were no campaign posters about an election campaign within a radius of 40 km. I don’t know where you live, Ferenc, but here in the countryside the opposition didn’t do enough. That’s a fact.
The first real campaign the opposition did (in municipalities where it had at least mediocre candidates) was the 2019 municipal elections. It was subpar but it was at least a real campaign. Before than perhaps the 2006 general elections was the last time. Seriously, during the 2018 general election the opposition simply did not do any campaigning. No get out the vote campaign, no street campaigning, no media campaign, no nothing. It was astonishing to see fideszniks on the main squares at their booths (well selected, well groomed, dressed, decent looking folks; lots of wholesome looking young kids coupled with middle aged and elderly people in good shape) and no opposition activists at all. This went on for weeks. A week before the elections I was in Eger and indeed saw a few Jobbik billboards (not too many) but literally nothing else (other than Fidesz) and I was looking. The opposition very simply does not exist in towns other than the county seats and even there (see Győr) it is very weak. There is absolutely no change compared to 2018 or 2014 or 2010 in this respect. Beyond those towns the opposition is literally invisible. This is the sad fact.… Read more »
Well, don’t interpret so freely, keep closer to the facts and figures.
Well, it doesn’t even matter if the reality is different. The point is this is how Orban thinks and since Fidesz’ popularity is consistently strong (though of course for many reasons, like propaganda etc.) Orban sees his thinking justified. Other similar successes like those of Johnson, Trump, Modi etc. reassure Orban that he is on the right path, that he is reading the people’s mind (the masses) well. This is the sad reality in Hungary (and the world).
Bod about the situation in Hungary: “The political risks are even higher than the economical risks.”
https://444.hu/2020/04/08/bod-peter-akos-a-politikai-kockazat-nagyobb-a-gazdasaginal
A very good interview.
Official CoViD-19 data, Hungary, April 8th vs April 1st.
The number of confirmed infected people in Hungary has increased by 70.5%.
Fejér county: +277%
Békés county: +233%
…
Pest county: +67.3%
Budapest: +66.8%
…
Vas & Heves counties: +33.3%
Győr county: +25.0%
Baranya: 21.1%
Borsod: 16.7%
The ratio of Budapest in the country has decreased from 44.2% to 43.2%
The ratio of Pest county has gone down from 18.7% to 18.3%
The number of deceased people in Hungary has increased by 190.0% during the same period.
A type of mortality rate = [deceased]/[confirmed infected] :
Hungary:
2020.03.25: 10/226 = 4.42%
2020.04.01: 20/525 = 3.81%
2020.04.08: 58/895 = 6.48%
Italy:
2020.03.11: 827/12462 = 6.64%
2020.03.18: 2978/35713 = 8.34%
2020.03.25: 7503/74386 = 10.09%
2020.04.01: 13155/110574 = 11.90%
2020.04.07: 16523/132547 = 12.47%
Hungary is about four weeks behind Italy.
more details see my earlier comments @3:18am and follow-up @3:44am
A quote from the Chair of the New York City health committee today on:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
“An estimated additional 180 – 195 deaths per day occurring at home in New York City due to COVID-19 are not being counted in the official figures. “Early on in this crisis we were able to swab people who died at home, and thus got a coronavirus reading. But those days are long gone. We simply don’t have the testing capacity for the large numbers dying at home. Now only those few who had a test confirmation *before* dying are marked as victims of coronavirus on their death certificate. This almost certainly means we are undercounting the total number of victims of this pandemic,””
As the Hungarian Coronavirus death toll continues its slow increase Koronavirus.gov.hu one must ask whether deaths occurring in the “red-flagged” houses get into the official count?
It appears that much government thinking is given over to preserving accumulated wealth by “rescue packages”, not too much seems to be happening in regard to lessening the attack of the pandemic on the population: wear a mask (if you can find one), stay at home, telephone your doctor if you must, die.
Masks.
Yesterday we heard Szíjjàrtò mentioning already 12 million masks ….somewhere, because in many pharmacies there are no masks at all, eg. wholesale pharma supplier Hungaropharma doesn’t have any.
Szijjártó, Apr.07: Because of migration we donated 100.000 masks and 5.000 protective clothing to North-Macedonia
source: https://444.hu/2020/04/07/szijjarto-a-migracio-miatt-adomanyoztunk-100-ezer-maszkot-eszak-macedonianak
Re:
‘It appears that much government thinking is given over to preserving accumulated wealth by “rescue packages”, not too much seems to be happening in regard to lessening the attack of the pandemic on the population: wear a mask (if you can find one), stay at home, telephone your doctor if you must, die.’
That last one is a kicker. In NYC now doctors must make decisions on who is to live and who is to die in the face of a lethal virus. They practice medicine with the experience of triage in the extreme. It must be difficult for them in this war because they cannot practice the art of healing but rather ushering some individuals to their deaths.
The medical profession around the world awaits how doctors take all this in after the great ‘drop-of the-ball’ in human miscalculation. Who knows? Maybe Magyarorszag can see a revolution in its health care. If health professionals and leaders there don’t take the disaster in with critical attention well they might as well be made out of stones sitting on the bottom of ponds.
The triage decision making in NYC hospitals has generally not been happening here in Chicago, certainly not at Stroger Hospital where I have volunteered. The driver of the need for triage has been around ventilator availabily in NYC at certain hospitals that are overwhelmed.
Really sick patients arriving at the ER at Stroger Hospital are in some cases not surviving long enough to even have a team prepare to put them on a ventilator. The code blue team simply can’t save them using defibrillation, one very common underlying condition among patients being brought in by ambulance is congestive heart failure. The ER staff because the vitals of the patients are electronically being sent to them from the ambulances in route are fully prepared, but unfortunately in many situations these patients do not survive. I have not had to perform defibrillation on any walk in patients to the ER as yet, there is an automated external defibrillator (AED) located just feet away from my station, I am very aware of its presence.
GREAT POST
And now for the good news:
Our neighbour on whose infection with the corona virus I wrote has come home from the hospital after two weeks.
Seems she’s manged the infection, my wife just talked with her, she’s a bit week but in good health and in a good mood too.
Police and/or Red Cross are checking on her every day of course.
Can you imagine how happy her little dog Boldisag is?
Btw she is 80 years old …
What are police and/or Red Cross checking every day?
And shouldn’t any checking be first of all the task of the local general practitioner?
No, Ferenc, the local doctor has not the necessary resources – time, protective clothing and the ability to send away people who don’t follow the isolation rules.
“send away people who don’t follow the isolation rules”
but the [elderly?] lady was 2 weeks with Corona in hospital, in my opinion she should only be brought home when fully recovered, so why do isolation rules still apply for her?
I’m not an expert there – but the saying is:
Better safe than sorry!
Of course we don’t know the medical details but as I’ve said she looks alright, walks around and talks with us and her other neighbours – from a safe distance of course.
We have to wait and see – I’ll keep you informed.
Would be interesting, if she could give some details about what she has seen in the hospital [which hospital, how many patients with Corona, etc.]
I know you are not the praying sort wolfi, but at least here in Chicago we are seeing some released Covid patients go into sudden respiratory arrest at home. I have not been able to find much data on these cases, but they are called readmissions and I sure there will be many studies on this issue in the future.
Just because someone is released from a hospital setting whether in Hungary or here in Chicago does not insure they will not end up back in an ER. Families become outraged when this happens and hospital security has had to intervene with distraught family members who believe their loved ones were tossed out of hospital setting too soon. A standard protocol is being used for releasing Covid patients and it doesn’t always work to be honest. Doctors and nurses are deeply disturbed when this has happened and really require some support from other staff so as to not internalize guilt.
Rural people hated that in their view gipsies received money and were not doing anything in return (just, according to the white folks, referring to their constitutional rights). Since rural and even working class voters are allied with Orban on ideological and cultural grounds (not on economic grounds) it doesn’t matter if they don’t get any subsidies.
https://thammyxinh.vn/tiet-lo-hoc-phi-cua-cac-dia-chi-day-phun-xam-tot-va-chat-luong-nhat-o-ha-noi/
Am I the only one here, or are there others, who think about the influences on society by the many talented HU students, who passed through EU-universities and CEU??
Surely, they should have the means, opportunity and will to exert some positive and democratic influence on economic and social, political matters. Obviously, it’s not as if there is no need for improvement!
Where are they in the political and economic world in HU today? How do they influence their professional surroundings?
The money from the EU to the Orban government is flowing undeterred:
around March 31: 0.304 million euros,
around April 7: 0.304 million euros.
https://www.portfolio.hu/unios-forrasok/20200408/mar-megint-utalt-az-eu-110-milliardot-magyarorszagnak-425012
Orban’s Ermächtigungsgesetz is effective since March 31.
Correction:
around March 31: 0.304 BILLION euros,
around April 7: 0.304 BILLION euros.
This article https://news.yahoo.com/european-union-science-chief-resigns-233351768.html about president of the EU’s top science funding agency Mauro Ferrari stepping down Tuesday, issuing a damning indictment of the EU’s collective response to the coronavirus crisis is actually supportive of Orban’s go it alone Hungarian approach. The parallel is of course the situation in the USA where many of the States have largely gone it alone to the extent possible due to confusion at the federal level. Here is a link to Ferrari’s statement https://g8fip1kplyr33r3krz5b97d1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ferrari-statement.pdf .
I am back on duty tomorrow as a volunteer EMT at Stroger Hospital here in Chicago. Our data yesterday for the City of Chicago, can be seen here https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/sites/covid/reports/2020-04-07/Chicago%20COVID-19%20Update%20V2%204.7.2020.pdf . There are still a number of ventilators available at Stroger Hospital, unfortunately it seems due to the fact that some of the patients are dieting off more rapidly than in the past. Effectively both Stroger and Christ Hospital where the many of Chicago’s low income patients get services at, are now getting sicker admissions most with numerous underlying conditions than just a week ago.
A very different point of view:
https://444.hu/2020/04/09/europai-kutatasi-tanacs-a-lekoszono-igazgato-fontos-megbeszeleseket-hagyott-ki-es-allandoan-amerikaban-volt
Before the virus:
A= average net salary = 249 508 Ft/month = 697 euro/month
M= minimal net salary = 107 065 Ft/month = 299 euro/month,
GA= government’s take on the average salary = 78.95% * A
GM= government’s take on the average salary = 78.95% * M
The virus relief plan of Hungary:
Suppose the worker is employed half-time.
The worker will get the same net salary.
GA= government’s take on the average net salary = 16.32% * A
GM= government’s take on the average net salary = 16.32% * M
https://24.hu/fn/gazdasag/2020/04/08/bertamogatas-koronavirus-palkovics-laszlo/
Zoltán Kovács described as “Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations of Hungary”, responsible for the web site “Hungary Today” also, no doubt has a hand in the Koronavirus.gov.hu website. That website is pleased to give out details (obtained how?) of those who have died of coronavirus while under the care of the Hungarian health system with regard to “pre-existing conditions”. I ask, under whose authority are such details published? For each patient, has the government obtained specific written permission to release such details? The release of such information appears to be an attempt to absolve the Hungarian government of responsibility to provide the very best care available, as was guaranteed by Minister for Justice Várga in the wording of the law “On Protecting Against the Coronavirus”, also known as the Enabling Law for the recently-established Hungarian Dictatorship. For a person whose title proclaims him as responsible for “Public Diplomacy and Relations”, these revelations – especially concerning a recently-deceased diplomat – can only be seen as crude and crass in the extreme. The diplomatic skills of “Zoltan’s Pox”, as he is known, do not extend beyond boorish, loud-mouthed and dismissive abuse of those who do not agree with the… Read more »
A piece of good news.
The daily increase of the deceased people in Italy,
% from the previous day:
03.27: +11.9%
03.28: + 9.7%
03.29: + 7.5% Sunday
03.30: + 7.5%
03.31: + 7.2%
04.01: + 5.8%
04.02: + 5.8%
04.03: + 5.5%
04.04: + 4.6%
04.05: + 3.4% Sunday
04.06: + 4.0%
04.07: + 3.7%
04.08: + 3.2%
Orban visited the Koranyi lung hospital yesterday.
A snapshot from a government propaganda video:
https://www.facebook.com/dk365/photos/a.175110892579333/2858659404224455/?type=3&theater
While Orban is wearing an FFP3 mask, the doctor has not received one, his is a cheap surgical mask, which does not protect too well. In addition, the doctor’s nose is not covered. Orban does not wear gloves either.
The elevator does not work, tiles are off the wall of the rundown hospital.
Just checked the 52sec video, even in that short time OV, the Hungarian Serial Democracy Killer, wasn’t able to leave out his “M” word [no no that’s not Marty, but “Migráns”], when listing all Hungary’s “troubles”
Oh dear! What will ever become of those who believe?
That’s exactly why I ask about the presumably well educated and talented younger Hungarians who have experience from EU-universities and CEU. Where are they in all this madness?
The One-Party-State-“public”-Media M1 Hirado [“news”]:
yesterday it had an item about the weakening of the Hungarian forint, titled “Gyengítették a forintot” [translation: they were weakening the forint]
the picture of its youtube video says it all*:
*that is all what OV’s “own” private and “public” media can come up with…
and today the 1PS”p” M1 Hirado [“news”] followed up with another item, this is the image of its video on youtube:
“Speculative attack”
comments? anybody?
Next to above “speculative” items, the 1PS”p”M M1 Hirado [“news”] is increasing the number of items against “spreading of fake/scare-mongering news related to Corona”.
Well what about the fake content of above two items, and report these to the “anti-fake news” authorities… [feljelentés!]
The short story appeared about the Roma people of Central Europe and Covid 19 was on the US National Public Radio network today https://radio.wpsu.org/post/where-going-lead-roma-people-europe-face-coronavirus-disaster .
The roma are the strongest indicatior of how the Catholic cultures of South-Eastern Europe have handled the former slaves’ transition to citizenship.
Wonder how the International Roma Day is being treated in the HU media.
I suppose it was this:
”
”
End of quote.
Magyar Nemzet attacks Ben Novak see https://magyarnemzet.hu/belfold/leleplezzuk-a-nyt-tollnokat-7977902/ . Good job Ben, wear the attack as a badge of honor.