Letters to the editor

Congratulations to Imre Kertész who was awarded the Literary Nobel Prize by the Swedish Academy, the first Hungarian to win it. He declared himself Hungarian, as all Jewish people did, they never belonged to a minority and many of them brought fame to Hungary.


Congratulations to Magyar Nobel prize-winner Imre Kertész


CongratulationS to Imre Kertész who was awarded the Literary Nobel Prize by the Swedish Academy, the first Hungarian to win it.


He declared himself Hungarian, as all Jewish people did, they never belonged to a minority (and never said that they were a minority) and many of them brought fame to Hungary.


That?s why most Hungarians were against and are ashamed about the Holocaust and the majority helped where they could.


His photos show that he is a happy person. He must be a kind, noble person. He had to suffer the Holocaust himself in Auschwitz at the age of 14, yet he lived in Germany, translating their literature (Freud, Nietsche, Wittgenstein) from German into Hungarian.


He has received several German literary prizes. In 2001 he became a member of the German Legion of Honor. He lives in Germany, Berlin.


He does indeed show that vengeance doesn?t always have to prevail.


He ought to be awarded a prize for humanity as well.


Hungarians have always been rather talented because of the country being a melting pot and cosmopolitan.


Nowadays, I listen with interest to the debates between the Government and the opposition. They are clever and witty. How great would be the country if they could join their interests and capacities for the same aim.


Mary Pôry


Budapest





Two faces of Medgyessy


IN antiquity, the statue of the god Janus always stood at house doorways. This creature had two faces, one on the front and one on the back of his head. He not only served as a possible watch dog, but was a reminder that we, as humans, are multifaceted beings with parts of us remaining unknown even to ourselves.


When venturing into the official internet-accessible vita sheets of Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy, a perplexing person emerges, who during his life has displayed a variety of contradictory faces. Let?s peer more closely into some of them to discern which might be the real one.


His first face was engraved by the Socialist era when, as a young, ambitious economist, a member of the Communist Party, he accomplished a dazzling career. Ascension within the rank and file of that infamous organization went in tandem with professional advancement. He was invited into the inner circle of the most powerful.


Membership in the Central Committee of the Communist Party apparently escorted him to ministerial velvet chairs, even to the position of vice premiership.


One version of the curriculum vitae proudly claims that the 1989 political change did not impair him. Without hiatus, a French firm (Paribas Bank) hired him as a director and the Socialist-trained economist functioned well in the citadels of international finance.


Here he had a "facelift". In addition, during the next decade, he was bright enough to convert valuable "connectional" capital into impressive, tangible personal assets.


His apparent good labor was acknowledged with the French Legion d?Honneur.


A third, less attractive, face was only recently discovered. Without coercion, at the first invitation, Péter Medgyessy had voluntarily accepted covert membership in the security apparatus of the old dictatorship. He took a (now declassified) grim pledge of allegiance during the initiation into that agency.


Whether this act paved the road of his career or served the interest of the Socialist State, per the contentious conclusions of the Parliament?s bi-partisan investigative committee, is still an unanswered question.


(That body misplaced its efforts, the real issue is not that once as a "small wheel in the system" he wrote secret reports, but that later as a "big wheel in the system" like vice premier and Central Committee member he read secret reports.)


One of the internet transcripts of the Prime Minister?s life story reveals one more face. (Go to www.meh.hu, select his Hungarian home page and then click on Miniszterelnök.)


On the right margin of the document one can find several photographic illustrations and here, without any reference, is a strikingly colorful heraldic seal.


On the shield of the seal in a triangle background stands a green tree with a golden star on each side. A standing gray crane holding a stone in his left claw crowns the knight?s helmet above. The image is the Földesi-Medgyessy family noble seal, granted by Emperor Ferdinand III in 1642 to Paul Medgyessy.


Why is a noble seal displayed, yet no explanation offered?


What might be the cryptic message of such an honorable icon to an uninformed reader?


A piece of image-building, a clever PR touch, or a quiet, intentional revelation regarding the Prime Minister?s true identity?


Certainly, at the least, another confusing Janus face.


Facts: At one time Péter Medgyessy labored hard in the construction of an egalitarian society, but ended up working as an affluent banker in the capitalist world. Once second in command in a totalitarian system, now he is the first in charge in a democracy. A formerly concealed agent "son of the working class", nowadays he openly shows his noble ancestry. PM of a Socialist-Free Liberal coalition government without holding membership in either party. The question is reasonable: What kinds of values does he embrace? The head of Janus is spinning!


When a noble seal is displayed, then Noblesse Oblige (nobility obligates). Hungary is entitled to know the true face of her perplexing leader.


Only via truthful elucidation of the discrepancies among his multifaceted impressions could Péter Medgyessy realistically hope to become the Prime Minister not just for half, but for the whole nation.


Laslo M Medyesy


Budapest





Amusing story


I read your article Magical Mystery Tourism (Issue 41, October 10-16) with great interest and found it quite amusing. Being an "easy-going, passionate and sometimes crazy" Lithuanian, I found it fascinating to see how easily Ms Lucy Mallows characterizes cultures according to the colors of their flags.


What struck me as peculiar was the assumption that Lithuanians "would appear to have more in common with Africans than [with] their neighbors to the north," because they share those same colors.


That could imply that the US, the UK, France, Russia, Slovakia and quite a number of other countries share the same characteristics of people with each other as well.


I would also like to specify the date of raising the Lithuanian tri-color again on Gediminas castle - it is 1989 and not 1998 as written in your article.


Nevertheless, the rest of the article was very enjoyable to read. I am delighted that Lucy Mallows found Vilnius, my native city, a pleasant place where "really, a wish could come true". I look forward to seeing more articles about travels.


Simona Lipstaite


Alvinci ut


Budapest





No more


I have been in Budapest for a month now and if I read one more letter to the editor complaining about either the complexities of the Metro system, or the tendency of tourists to part with their money in stupid ways, I will stop buying the paper.


I also doubt that ego-massaging responses to these letters from expatriates impressed with their own mastery of the Metro merit a place in your paper.


Of course my letter, dealing with these non-newsworthy subjects, certainly deserves to be printed!


Neil Horner


Budapest





Gripe with US


My wife and I are really disappointed about the American Embassy?s new visa rules. Getting a visa through a travel agency made the whole process almost enjoyable, but having to call the Embassy (watch those digits or you might get a psychic-reader or phone-sex line) and waiting for one of their "appointments" will be disastrous for a lot of people - wasting more time and more money filling out forms and waiting in line...


Jason and Olga Cupp


California


USA





Communicate


I read and enjoyed the editorial by Robin Marshall (A common language, issue 39, September 26 - October 2, 2002). It recalls memories.


It is one of the best things in people?s lives to be able to speak one or two foreign languages in addition to one?s mother tongue.


But it is important to speak the mother tongue very well, otherwise the other languages won?t be a great achievement.


Speaking a foreign language enables us to make contact, it surmounts difficulties between foreigners. One gets to know their country, their culture and their individualities better.


I was lucky to be able to travel around a part of the world. I enjoyed the natural beauty of other countries, the famous buildings, their art.


Nevertheless the greatest experiences everywhere were always people. Without those experiences I would have been much poorer.


We spoke about everything, but in the end we somehow always got to speaking about good and religion - whether it was a Chinese man or an Irish man. Quite strange.


We the people understand and try to understand each other. It is certain people?s greed and lust for power that has divided us.


It is an instructive topic especially for the young. They have luckily been given almost every opportunity to study languages.


MP


Budapest





Keep it up


I visit your website one to two times a week to get the most up-to-date information from Hungary. My grandson is a Hungarian (as well as an Australian and German) citizen. Keep up the good work.


Eric Pihl


Australia

24.10.2002