Articles by: Christopher Adam

Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó, standing in front of the banner of the Hungarian National Trading House.

Controversial Hungarian National Trading House to open office in Canada

The Hungarian National Trading House, affiliated with Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has been amassing significant financial losses and is mired in corruption allegations, yet it is now expanding to Canada. The MNKH Hungarian National Trading House Cls. published public procurement and bidding documentation online for parties interested in the “creation, operation and management of a Trading House […]

by · September 19, 2016 · Focus
The statue and tomb of  Ottoman poet Gül Baba in Budapest. The tomb was constructed between 1543 and 1548.

Hungarian Islamophobia and the anti-migrant referendum: A review of an essay by Zoltan Pall and Omar Sayfo

This week, the Bratislava-based Visegrad Revue published an essay entitled “Why an anti-Islam campaign has taken root in Hungary, a country with few Muslims,” co-authored by Zoltan Pall, a research fellow in the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, and Omar Sayfo, contributor to the pro-Orbán Demokrata weekly magazine, who defended his PhD at the University of […]

by · September 18, 2016 · Focus
The liberal Együtt (Together) party and two smaller partners produced a campaign poster featuring Hungarians sitting out the referendum and giving the government the finger. Literally.  Their slogan: "This is the answer to a stupid question. Those who stay at home, stay in Europe."

Hungary’s anti-migrant referendum — The most recent poll and what religious leaders are saying

We are entering the final stretch of Hungary’s anti-migrant referendum, scheduled for October 2nd. A new poll by Republikon suggests that 48% of the electorate is certain to cast a ballot, while an additional 23% say that they will likely vote. These polling results suggest that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will get exactly what he is looking for: a massive […]

by · September 16, 2016 · Politics
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. Photo: MTI / György Varga

Hungary’s foreign minister furious after demand for country’s expulsion from European Union

Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, was visiting Moldova Tuesday morning, when he commented on statements made by Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn, who suggested that Hungary should be expelled or at least suspended from the European Union, for its rule of law violations and the poor treatment of refugees and migrants. Interestingly, Mr. Szijjártó used a line of attack just […]

by · September 13, 2016 · Politics
Budapest's Living Memorial vandalized late at night on September 9th. Photo: Péter Fávics

Antisemitic attack in Hungary — Holocaust memorial vandalised

The Living Memorial, a grassroots monument in Budapest’s Liberty Square, in memory to the 600,000 victims of the Holocaust in Hungary, was vandalised this weekend, shortly after the neo-Nazi Kuruc.info website published an article threatening to destroy the monument. Photographs displayed at the site were torn and other items of remembrance added to the Living Memorial by survivors and descendants […]

by · September 11, 2016 · Antisemitism
Constitution Protection Office headquarters in Budapest.

How Hungary’s intelligence agency tried to intimidate a journalist into becoming an informant

A Hungarian journalist, known only as “G,” was heading to work in December 2015. As he approached the offices of his media firm, two men suddenly came up to him and flashed identifications indicating that they were agents of the Constitution Protection Office (Alkotmányvédelmi Hivatal – AH). The internal intelligence agency, which bears an uncomfortable resemblance in name (and apparently […]

by · September 7, 2016 · Focus
Olympic Park in Budapest.

No Olympics for Budapest? Hungarian journalist proposes referendum to oppose 2024 Summer Games

Hungarian journalist Katalin Erdélyi submitted a referendum proposal to the National Election Commission, in the hope of giving Hungarian citizens the right to vote on whether Budapest should continue its bid to host the 2024 Summer Games. Both the Hungarian government and the Budapest municipal government are enthusiastically supporting the bid to host the Olympics in the Hungarian capital, even […]

by · September 6, 2016 · Culture
Hungary's territorial gains in World War II, as an ally of Nazi Germany.

Putin ponders border revision between Hungary and Romania

Russian President Vladimir Putin raised eyebrows among Romanians and raised hope among some Hungarian nationalists, by suggesting that reviewing the post World War II border between Hungary and Romania could be on the agenda, if people question Russia’s borders and territories. In June 1920, the Treaty of Trianon confirmed Hungary’s loss of Transylvania and its transfer to Romania. During the […]

by · September 5, 2016 · Politics
György Budaházy receives a standing ovation in the Budapest Capital Regional Court on Tuesday from Jobbik supporters, right before his sentencing. Photo: Balázs Mohai / MTI.

Hungarian extremist sentenced to 13 years in prison for terrorism

A far-right extremist, whose group sadistically assaulted and nearly killed a media personality, bombed gay clubs in Budapest and attacked the homes of Socialist and liberal politicians using Molotov cocktails, received a 13-year prison sentence on Tuesday in the Budapest Capital Regional Court. Between 2007 and 2009, György Budaházy led a group of far-right terrorists, called the “Arrows of Hungarians” […]

by · August 30, 2016 · Politics
Viktor Orbán with Pope Francis. Photo: Facebook.

Viktor Orbán visits Pope Francis — And Fidesz supporters attack the Pontiff and George Soros

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán appears to have had an audience with Pope Francis  and the Hungarian leader–whose government has explicitly gone against the message of compassion that the Catholic pontiff has shared in regards to the refugee crisis–was quick to post a photo of his reported visit to Facebook. Fidesz does, after all, govern together with the Christian Democratic People’s […]

by · August 29, 2016 · Politics