It’s something of a funeral, although with certain glimmers of hope, at Budapest’s Klubrádió: the last remaining pro-democracy talk radio station in Hungary. Hungarian courts, beholden to the Fidesz party state, have decided to strip the station of its FM frequency, citing legal “infractions.” In essence, the station’s frequency license will expire at midnight on Valentine’s Day and the authorities […]
Authoritarian far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán knows that he can expect tougher treatment from the Biden administration after his bold bet on a win for President Donald Trump backfired. Orbán declared his admiration for Trump many times and viciously (and unwisely) attacked “corrupt” Joe Biden. Recently pardoned White House advisor Steve Bannon even called Orbán “Trump before Trump.” In […]
Just as expected, politicians from Viktor Orbán’s inner circle have started to distance themselves from the authoritarian Prime Minister. Orbán’s grip on power is a bit shaken. According to Hungarian media sources, László Palkovics, Hungary’s Minister of Innovation and Technology attempted to leave the government but Orbán repeatedly refused to accept his resignation. Now Palkovics has made an unusual statement. […]
Hungary is a small country and now the Orbán government has picked a fight with Joe Biden. In a decade Viktor Orbán has transformed Hungary. He commands blind trust from his officials, dissenting views are not tolerated. Bellicose rhetoric is commonplace and his lieutenants are ready to pick a fight with anyone, at any moment, to “defend” Orbán. Speeches are […]
By now you have all heard about Hungary’s recent attacks on American film star George Clooney. Just as Clooney suspected, tightly controlled Hungarian media did not print his full response and we thought that it would be important to publish the full text. Just a brief background. In November GQ Magazine interviewed Clooney who spoke about his movie The Midnight Sky and […]
Antonia Eliason is the Democratic candidate in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District. Since 2013 Ms. Eliason has been a professor at the University of Mississippi, School of Law. She is the state’s first ever Democratic Socialist candidate focusing on environmental justice, universal healthcare and workers’ rights. I called her on the phone because I discovered in her CV that she speaks […]
A 66-year-old Republican, Agnes Gibboney is running for the Congressional seat in District 31, Rancho Cucamonga, California. Gibboney is an Angel Mom who supports President Trump and has appeared with the President on several occasions. (Angel Moms: a group of mothers whose child was killed by an undocumented immigrant.) Gibboney speaks Hungarian and travelled to Budapest to appear on Zsolt […]
Namedropping, exaggerating influence and political connections are hallmarks of Hungarian foreign policy. Let’s face it, Hungary is a small country with less than 10 million people; it is one of the poorest countries in the European Union with a GDP close to Cincinnati’s. Hungary’s political gravitas and strategic importance are insignificant. (And please don’t be offended.) Yet, according to its […]
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blackmailing the rest of the European Union, but MEPs and EU leaders must call his bluff to hold up the COVID-19 recovery fund if rule of law criteria are included. This may be the EU’s last chance to crack down on his rogue regime. Orbán is threatening to withhold Hungary’s agreement to the EU’s […]
A statue of Imre Nagy was erected on the southeast corner of Kossuth Square in 1996, to commemorate the 1956 Revolution he led as the Communist leader of his country and for which he gave his life. He is standing on a bridge looking towards the Parliament building. That bronze sculpture stood there until the fall of 2018 when Viktor […]
