Jonathan Knott

We held the annual ceremony of remembrance on Sunday. The ceremony was led by a selection of local religious figures from the Christian and Jewish faiths. And Ambassadors from many countries, together with Tamas Vargha Parliamentary State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, came to lay wreaths. It was a moving and a memorable morning as […]

Guest blog by Levente Nyitrai, Senior Policy Officer. Some of you might have heard already that London hosted the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit 31 October and 1 November. OGP, of which the UK is a founding member, is an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open and accountable. Close to […]

Guest blog by Levente Nyitrai, Senior Policy Officer Did you know that 18 October 2013 is the 7th EU Anti-trafficking Day? Did you know that the UK is a signatory to, and has adopted, the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the UN Convention against […]

Formula One is the most internationally watched sport. But it is a peculiarly British sport. Though it may not seem like it, 8 of the 12 F1 teams are based within 100 miles of each other in England. Britain has produced more champions than any other country and UK-based teams have won well over half the […]

Guest blog by Senior UKTI Adviser Barbara Eötvös This weekend Hungary will be host to the Formula One community, as the next race is taking place at the Hungarian circuit, Hungaroring – which has been a long standing, core part of the motor racing calendar since 1986. As I was walking around the city yesterday […]

I had a brilliant weekend. I did the Lake Balaton Cross Swim. That’s a 5.2 km swim across the biggest freshwater lake in Central Europe. It was so rewarding and so much fun. The organisers estimate that some 7700 people did the swim in the glorious sunshine. It was a bit more than a fun-swim, given the distance. But […]

Guest blog by Senior Economic Officer Vilmos Frigyes Nagy Last week was indeed a special week. On Monday in Washington the EU and US started to negotiate the details of an extraordinary trade initiative. The short name is TTIP which stands for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. It has the potential to be the […]

Guest blog by Director of British Council Hungary Simon Ingram-Hill Last Saturday was Gay Pride Parade, and the third I have now been on in Budapest. Quite why it is called a parade I am not sure, more of a stop-start amble but a lot of fun all the same. I was there to represent […]

I try to travel outside Budapest for a couple of days at least once a quarter. Last week I visited Miskolc and Eger. It was an excellent trip. In Miskolc I was able to meet the mayor and chat with him about local developments and challenges, I gave a presentation to the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county Chamber of Commerce […]