5th January 2011
Well, for those of you who read my previous posting, I did get stuck in London when my plane was cancelled. I eventually made it back to Budapest on Tuesday with two of my children and a colleague – using a combination of taxis, train, ferry and a 16-hour drive from Calais in stormy weather conditions. […]
29th December 2010
The traditional and the modern are about to come together at beautiful Godollo Palace, the venue for most of the Ministerial meetings under the Hungarian EU Presidency. I had not been to the Palace for some 20 years, when it was in ruinous condition. But last Friday the diplomatic corps were invited by Foreign Minister […]
19th December 2010
I have spent the last week in cold, wet, snowy London and hope I am not going to be stuck here for too much longer by flight cancellations due to the snow. This is as a result of the huge, current level of interest in Hungary and how it is going to manage its EU […]
Read more on 6 shopping days to Christmas, 12 to the Hungarian Presidency | Reply
8th December 2010
The harrowing media pictures of Hungary’s red sludge disaster are the past. The clear-up is underway, but other people’s problems have displaced the red sludge from the headlines. So what is life in the affected villages like now? And how is remediation work progressing? I was hoping to join a field trip to the site […]
7th December 2010
I am just travelling slowly back to Budapest through driving snow, having spent the afternoon in the West Hungarian city of Győr. I had discussions with the Mayor (recently made Head of the Hungarian Olympic Committee); the Chairman of the County Council; the “Kisalfold” newspaper, a British investment (who also interviewed me for their next […]
Read more on Gift of Life, Tolerance without Boundaries | Reply
29th November 2010
Last week the National School of Government came to Budapest for an extremely useful training session for a group of Embassy staff on what to expect under the Hungarian EU Presidency. They covered for example the EU decision making process; the challenges we will face; how the rotating Presidency fits into the new EU architecture; […]
27th November 2010
The Lord Mayor of London and Speaker of the House of Commons have now left Budapest! The Lord Mayor’s programme today included a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Navracsics, who is also Minister for Justice (to talk about proposed EU economic regulation). And a speech to British Chamber of Commerce members (including Hungarian companies) to […]
26th November 2010
The 683rd Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Michael Bear, is currently in Budapest with a party from the City. Rushing back from meetings in Brussels, I narrowly made it back to Ferihegy Airport just in time to greet him on arrival. The Lord Mayor tries to visit all countries taking on the EU Presidency just […]
24th November 2010
This week we have been focusing on Climate Change again. The subject has gone quieter since the Copenhagen Summit, around this time last year. But the problem is as big – and getting bigger. And the issue is about to be addressed again at the Cancun meeting and will feature prominently on the agendas of […]
24th November 2010
Although preparations for the Hungarian EU Presidency are now gathering pace, ordinary life does not stop. And we know how accidents, natural disasters or international events can throw out the best laid plans. When I saw the moving reports of the Hungarian red sludge accident on 4 October, I was shocked by the acute hardship […]