August 14, 2020 – Club Aliga
TV thirty percent Free Europe visits Club Aliga.
The footage below is the result of this visit by TV Free Europe Media Brigade in August 2020.
The performative TV campaign featured in the video was not part of the common camp “Landing” organised by the College of Architects and EASA Hungary. The video was made without the consent of the owners of Club Aliga hosting the camp by members of the Media Brigade as free citizens If you want to know more about this, talk to us or the College of Architect.
Background information:
With the change of regime the former resort area of the Party elite became the property of the citizens. However, the residents and holiday home owners of Balatonvilágos have been struggling for 30 years to make the area known as Club Aliga actually accessible for people.
In 2000 Balaton Act (Act CXII of 2000) was enacted that stated:
- § (1) In all coastal settlements of the resort area, a 5-30 meters wide public promenade shall be established on at least 30% of the shore length connected to the inner area, taking into account the preservation of natural vegetation.
With this 30% act in their hand members of the Aliga Bathing Association fought for their free shore.
The area of Club Aliga became privately owned in 2007, but part of the coastline remained state-owned and could be used by the public.
The Balaton Act was amended in 2018, thus the 30% clause changed as follows:
74. § (3) In all coastal settlements of the Balaton Priority Resort Area, at least 30% of the shore connected to the interior areas shall be provided with a public promenade with a width of at least 5 m in settlement planning measures, unless the designation violates nature conservation interests or impedes state duties.
In 2020, the resumption of the former resort area of the Party from the citizens began.
In April, it received 1 billion HUF from the state for the development of the Club Aliga port, and in May another 7.4 billion HUF for the implementation of the “Balatonvilágos Club Aliga hotel and experience center” within the framework of the Kisfaludy program.
On August 8, 2020, Club Aliga was classified as a national economic priority by a decree.
The new decree also overwrites the owner’s contract with the municipality. According to the new decree, there can be no public beach, promenade, public park in the Club Aliga area.
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Is everything in ALIGnement?
The 30% Free Coast action:
The TV Free Europe Media Brigade spent 1 day at Club Aliga to find out:
where is the 30% Hardly Free Coast? Is everything in ALIGnement?
With the help of measuring instruments, chalk and the TPS boards, we researched what falls into the TOLERED, PROHIBITED and SUPPORTED categories, which are the cord measures of the Kádár era.
Coming from the future of the Kádár era as quality controllers of barely existing socialism, as free art workers we researched where are state duties executed and where does it conflict with free shore?
Is hotel construction a state duty?
Can the free coast harm national economic interests?
What is a more important national economic interest. the creation of 15 jobs OR the free access of citizens to Lake Balaton?
How do freedom of hotel construction and freedom of coast relate to each other?
On the asphalt in front of the beach we started writing a vers libre with chalk. With free-associations and chalk-TV recording of events, we tried to find out what are our freedoms.
The barely begun chalk-poem stream was stopped by the owner’s representatives and we were asked to wash it down.
From the conversation with the owner’s representative we learned:
One has the freedom to consume.
You should not write on the asphalt with chalk.
Video recording is not allowed – one has the freedom to request permission from the owner but one will not get it.
The chalk drawing bothers the bathers.
Only apolitical bathing is allowed.
Doing art is free but: bathing as an artistic action is forbidden.
During the day we also learned:
Most of the Kádár-era villas and buildings in Club Aliga are in a terribly devastated state.
According to the new decree these heritage buildings and natural heritages do not need to be protected.
It is now possible to build six-story buildings on the coast.
In a free country, you have all the freedom to do what you want until you are free.
The spirit of Kádár appeared to several people here.
Participants:
Zsuzsa Berecz, Árpád Bőczén, Csilla File, Sarah Günther, Csilla Hódi, Boglárka Lutz, Júlia Salamon, Luca Szabados
We thank Enikő Rada (Aliga Bathing Association) for the thorough information.
The Facebook page of the Aliga Bathing Association: