Interview with the Austrian Ambassador to Hungary, Dr. Alexander Grubmayr

Austria and Hungary have traditionally had a close economic and cultural relationship over the centuries, which significantly impacted people’s lives. During these unprecedented times, Economia.hu sought to better understand the bilateral relations between the two countries, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the two countries’ relations, and the significant achievements over the years.

Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, the Austrian Ambassador to Hungary, has kindly agreed to give us an interview on this topic. We are pleased to publish the first part of the two-part interview, in which Dr. Alexander Grubmayr talks about the close diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries. We would like to thank Dr. Alexander Grubmayr for his time to answer our questions.

Could you briefly summarise Austria’s role in the region and its relationship with Hungary?

In 2020, Austria has celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Austrian Federal Constitution. Our constitution is the foundation of our democracy and the Republic of Austria. It proved to be a guarantee of political coexistence and stability of the branches of power, and a guide during the Second Republic and in unprecedented situations such as the current Covid crisis. But 2020 is also the 25th anniversary of Austria’s membership of the European Union, which has brought significant positive changes to the country. The four fundamental freedoms of the Euro and the EU’s internal market are an everyday reality today. Austria will always be actively involved in resolving international issues and developing the European unification project.

As neighboring countries, Austria and Hungary are historically, culturally and economically closely linked and Hungary’s relations with Austria has been intensive.

Could you elaborate on the diplomatic engagements between the two countries and the common foreign policy goals?

Several delegations have visited in recent years, the highlights of 2020 were the official visit of President János Áder to Vienna. On the 30th of October, Federal Minister Alexander Schallenberg participated in the so-called “Central five”, a meeting of Hungarian, Slovak, Slovenian and Czech foreign ministers in Budapest. Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler met Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the 14th of July, and Judit Varga, Minister of Justice on the 25th of September. In the framework of parliamentary cooperation, László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, visited Wolfgang Sobotka, Speaker of the Austrian National Council, on 2-3 September.

A very important foreign policy topic, in which the good co-operation between Austria and Hungary is reflected, is the enlargement of the EU, to which our countries actively contribute, by being committed to the pre-accession of several countries in our region.

When bilateral relations are concerned, what are the main sectors of cooperation between the two countries?

Regarding bilateral relations, economic relations and tourism play an important role. Hungary is Austria’s most important export partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Austria is Hungary’s second most important trading partner in terms of trade volume and the third largest investor in Hungary. About 1,200 Austrian companies employ approximately 60,000 workers and about 45,000 workers commute to Austria every day.

Both countries also cooperate in the field of High-Tech. Here, I would like to refer to the activities of the Austrian company AVL, in general to research and development activities and in particular to the test track for “Zalazone” self-driving cars in Zalaegerszeg.

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the Covid-19 bit was moved to the end

This is part two of our two-part interview series with Dr. Alexander Grubmayr, the Austrian Ambassador to Hungary. Among other things, Dr Alexander Grubmayr talked about the cultural, scientific, educational and regional cooperation between Austria and Hungary. Additionally, he also shared some details of the work the Austrian embassy has accomplished during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Could you elaborate on how Austria and Hungary cooperates in the field of culture, science and education?

Important aspects of bilateral cultural, scientific and educational cooperation are the implementation of the 2018-2020 bilateral work program, the activities of the Austrian-funded Andrássy University in Budapest as the only German-language university outside the German-speaking area, and several events at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Budapest. I would also like to mention the language courses of the Austrian Institute, the Department of Austrian Literature and Culture in Szeged, the Austrian School in Budapest and the Austro-Hungarian European School in Budapest, and the Austrian Hungarian Action Foundation, which has provided more than 10,000 scholarships since 1990.

What are the main regional cooperation programmes, in which the two countries jointly participate in?

Austria and Hungary also committed to jointly participate in regional cooperation programs, such as INTERREG V-A Austria Hungary 2014-2020, with a total budget of almost 95 million euros. I would like to mention HealNow as an important example. It aims to lay the foundations for a long-term health co-operation in the border regions of both countries, by bringing together key players, thus making health services more accessible to the population living in the border area. In order to identify the steps and measures needed for effective cross-border healthcare in the future, HealNow is also carrying out a cross-border pilot project between Landesklinik in Vienna (under the Landeskliniken Holding in Lower Austria) and the Sopron Medical Center (Erzsébet Training Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital). This is a rapid data-based, cross-border consultation mechanism in the field of pathology between the two hospitals. This research platform helps with the early detection of cancer and shortens the time needed until diagnosis, which is critical for patients in this life-saving period.

Could you share some details on the embassy’s work during the coronavirus pandemic and how it assists Austrian nationals?

Almost all areas of cooperation in 2020 were defined by the COVID-19 crisis. It was a crisis that showed the importance of cooperation in the regional context and cross-border co-operation. Thanks to the good relations between the Austrian Embassy in Budapest and the Hungarian authorities, economic relations were able to survive despite travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. The consular service, in order to assist Austrian citizens, organized the largest repatriation operation in its history with 39 repatriation flights following the cessation of commercial air traffic. Thanks to the excellent support of the Hungarian official bodies, the Austrian Embassy in Budapest was also able to help countless Austrian citizens return home through Hungary.

How do you think cooperation between the two countries will develop in the future?

Therefore, there is no doubt that Austria and Hungary are cooperating in many areas. The aim for this cooperation is to become even more intense and deep in the future, for the well-being of our citizens in both countries.