|  Hungary
- Accession to the EU: 2004
- Accession to the Council of Europe: 1990
- Surface area: 93 036 km2
- Population: 10,01 million (Eurostat-January 2010)
- Capital city: Budapest (1,7 million inhabitants)
- Official languages: Hungarian
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- Main religion: Catholic
- Currency: Euro
- Political system: Republic
- Head of state: Janos Ader - President since May 2012
- Head of government: Viktor Orban - Prime minister (since 2010)
- International code: + 36
- National holiday: 20 August
- The of the European Parliament
 Chain bridge, Budapest ©Hungarian National Tourist Office Despite the Turkish invasions and domination by the Habsburgs, of all the East European nations Hungary is the only country which (since its creation by Saint Stephen in the year 1000) has enjoyed an uninterrupted existence. - 1848-1849 War of independence against the Austrian Empire which ended in 1849 with the capitulation of the Hungarian revolutionary army.
- 1867 Austro-Hungarian compromise. Austria becomes Austria-Hungary.
- 1914 Austria-Hungary joins the war on the side of the German Empire.
- 1919 Admiral Horthy is appointed by the Hungarian Parliament as regent.
- 1920 Signature of the Trianon peace treaty at Versailles. Hungary loses two-thirds of its territory and half of its population.
- 1941 Hungary joins the Reich in its attack against the USSR.
- 1944 The Germans force Admiral Horthy to resign.The Wehrmacht occupies Hungary.
- 1945 Hungary is liberated by the Red Army. Hungary sees its borders of 1920 restored.
- 1947 The communists take power.
- 1953 Imre Nagy becomes head of government and launches a policy of liberalisation.
- 1956 A revolution breaks out in Budapest, with the demonstrators demanding free elections and that their country leaves the Warsaw Pact. The Red Army launches a bloody repression of the Hungarians’ democratic and liberal ambitions.
- 1956-1988 Janos Kadar is appointed to the head of the Hungarian Communist Party. A period of political repression and economic liberalisation begins.
- 1989 The Hungarian Communist Party dissolves itself.
- 1990 First free elections in more than 40 years. Hungary joins the Council of Europe.
- 1999 Hungary becomes a member of NATO.
- 2004 Hungary joins the European Union on May 1st.
- 2006 The Socialist Party (MSzP) won the parliamentary election with its candidate Ferenc Gyurcsany who became prime minister.
- 2009 Prime minister Gyurcsány lays a no-confidence vote.Gordon Bajnai becomes prime minister on 29th march.
- 2010 Dr. Pál Schmitt (Fidesz) becomes Head of state, Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) is elected as Head of government.
 Stronghold of fishermans, ©Hungarian National Tourist Office  Gellert Baths, Budapest It was the unification in 1873 of the districts of Buda and Obuda on the western bank of the Danube and the district of Pest on the eastern bank of the river which led to the creation of Budapest. The two parts of the town are linked by nine bridges spanning the Danube. The Chain bridge, (the first and most imposing of the bridges) was built in 1848. The hills of Buda which overlook the huge plain of Pest include a number of remains from medieval times including the former royal castle, fortresses, and the baroque Mathias Church. From the Fishermen’s Bastion in its neo- Romanesque style, visitors can admire a marvellous view over the Danube and the largest building in the country: the Parliament. Much more recent, Pest is the town’s administrative and commercial centre. It was on this bank of the Danube that the neo-Gothic style Parliament and the largest synagogue in Europe were built. However, it is without a doubt the spa which makes this capital so original and well known. Budapest has more than 80 thermal springs used since Roman times, supplying some 50 spa establishments such as the Király, Gellért and Szèchenyi baths. Budapest has been featured on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1987.  Hungarian Paprika ©Hungarian National Tourist Office Hungarian cuisine is famous for being the best cuisine in Central Europe. The emblematic spice of Hungary is without a doubt paprika. Introduced during the 17th century by the Turks, it was firstly used by country people before becoming the characteristic ingredient of Hungarian cuisine. It exists in countless varieties including pink, mild or spicy. Hungarians cook it to flavour their traditional dishes such as “Gulyas” which is none other than their famous goulash (careful, this is actually a soup and not a stew), the “Halászlé” a fish soup or the “pörkölt” which is a stew. The country also offers other less spicy treats waiting to be discovered such as the “Palacsinta” (pancakes) and even the duck liver pâté served fried. Recognised for its cuisine just like France, Hungary is also famous for its wines, with the most famous being the “Tokaj”. Louis XIV once described this wine as being “the king of wines and the wine of kings”. Hungary now has exclusive use of the “Tokaj” appellation. Indeed, the Alsatian “Tokay Pinot gris”, a wine from a different grape variety, is now called only “Pinot gris”.  Frantz Liszt ©Hungarian National Tourist Office Hungary is a country of musicians and of music lovers. Among these, we should mention Franz Liszt, Bela Bartok or Zoltan Kodaly. Franz Liszt, the son of a steward to Prince Esterhazy was born in Hungary in Doborjan in 1811. He took his first piano lessons with his father. Being a brilliant musician, he studied composition in Vienna with Antonio Salieri and the piano with Karl Czerny. From 1823 to 1835 he came to Paris to perfect his musical education and made the acquaintance of Chopin, Hugo, Lamartine, Berlioz and Heine. Between 1839 and 1847 he performed throughout Europe and achieved a level of fame never equalled by any performer before him. In 1847, he ended his career under the influence of the Russian Princess Carloyne Sayn Wittgenstein. Liszt became cantor at the court of the Grand Duchy of Weimar until 1861. He then settled in Rome where he took holy orders. He died during the Bayreuth Festival in 1886. As both a pianist and conductor, Liszt created a musical academy in Budapest where he taught. A great connoisseur of Hungarian folklore, he leaves us no less than 19 Hungarian rhapsodies. The discovery of vitamine C  Albert von Szent-Györgyi © The Nobel FoundationIt was the Hungarian biochemist Szent-Györgyi who discovered vitamin C in 1933. Although the work was already well advanced in France and in the United States, he was the first to isolate this vitamin in a sufficiently large quantity which derived from paprika, a Hungarian spice. The first underground train system in continental Europe  1896, the first underground in Budapest, ©Hungarian National Tourist Office In Budapest in 1896 the first underground train system in continental Europe started operation, this being the oldest in the world after the London Underground which entered service in 1863. The Rubik’s cube or the Hungarian cube was the invention of Erno Rubik
in 1974. During the 1980s, the enthusiasm for this game created by the
Hungarian architect was such that a world championship was organised. | European diary
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23 june 2013
June 23th marks the anniversary of the sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Originally celebrated on 23 January, the birthday of the Grande-Duchesse Charlotte, June 23 was chosen since 1961 due to climatic conditions which fit with outdoor celebrations.
On this day, two major events punctuate the celebrations: the Te Deum in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg and the taking up of arms, accompanied by a civilian event, organized the Liberty avenue in Luxembourg.
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25 june 2013
The National Day commemorates the independence of Slovenia, obtained in 1991.
The
first Slovenes, the Slavic people, settled down in current Slovenia, at the borders of the Italy, Austria and Hungary, during the fourth century.
Since the eighth century,
Slovenia was incorporated into various empires or states. The last one was ex-Yugoslavia from which it would become independent
in 1991.
Its independance was recognized by Germany in December, 1991 and by
the international community in January of the following year.
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From
27 june 2013 to
28 june 2013
The European Council meets at least twice every six months in the
Justus Lipsius building in Brussels. It comprises the heads of state or
government of the EU Member States and the President of the European
Commission. It is chaired by its President, Herman Van Rompuy. The High
Representative for Foreign Affairs also takes part in its meetings. -
Place:
European Council
Justus Lipsius building
Rue de la Loi 175
1048 Brussels
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