Politics

Hanna Tetteh, foreign minister of Ghana and Péter Szijjártó, foreign minister of Hungary.

Orbán: “The real threat is from the heart of Africa” — Maybe from Ghana?

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán often gives hard-hitting speeches on the threat to Hungary posed by multiculturalism and immigration. At Tusványos in 2015 Orbán argued that African immigration was an existential threat to European nationhood and civilization. “Let us speak plainly: the intensification of modern-day mass migration is a consequence of political processes. The countries of North Africa once functioned […]

by György Lázár · May 13, 2016 · Politics

Refugees arriving in Hungary, in 2015. Photo: MTI.

Hungary to hold anti-migrant referendum

After Prime Minister Viktor Orbán questioned the masculinity of Jobbik leader Gábor Vona in Parliament on Monday, and suggested that Jobbik should stop trying to impress the European Union by striking a more moderate tone as of late, both Fidesz and Jobbik voted in favour of holding a referendum on whether the decision-making bodies of the EU had the right […]

by Christopher Adam · May 10, 2016 · Politics

Conductor Iván Fischer pays the price for his criticism of Orbán regime

Hungarians received yet another reminder of the consequences of speaking out against the Orbán regime. The Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFZ), which is known for innovative, even experimental presentations of music, in order to promote what it refers to as “communal creativity, tolerance and equal opportunities,” saw its municipal funding from the Budapest City Council cut by two thirds, from 260 […]

by Christopher Adam · May 7, 2016 · Politics

Philadelphia Daily cover with Trump - "The New Furor"

Trump, Csurka, Orbán and David Duke

US politics has taken a wild turn with the almost-certain nomination of Donald Trump as presidential candidate of the Republican Party. Few US politicians have endorsed Mr. Trump so far, but he gotten one excited fan, David Duke the far right activist and former Ku Klux Klan (KKK) Grand Wizard. Mr. Duke enthusiastically endorsed Mr. Trump and sees him as […]

by György Lázár · May 6, 2016 · Politics

Hungary's former President, László Sólyom, seen in this MTI file photo hiking with his late wife, Erzsébet.

Hungary’s former president calls Orbán regime aggressive and merciless

László Sólyom served as President of Hungary–a largely ceremonial role–between 2005 and 2010. Mr. Sólyom, an environmentalist who was well respected among conservatives and many liberals as well, was Viktor Orbán’s ally at the time. He was elected President of Hungary by Parliament–which at the time had a left-centre majority–thanks to the strategic machinations of Fidesz, then in opposition, and […]

by Christopher Adam · April 28, 2016 · Politics

A police officer in Budapest guards the highly controversial Monument to the German Occupation in Liberty Square from Holocaust survivors, descendants and civil activists in 2014. Photo: HFP / Christopher Adam

Hungarian court upholds bizarre law banning media from showing faces of police officers

The Supreme Court of Hungary (also known as the “Kúria”) ruled against an earlier decision by the Constitutional Court, which would have allowed for newspapers, news sites and the media in general to publish photographs depicting Hungarian police officers while on active duty. At the moment, journalists using photographs of officers engaged in police action of any sort must conceal the […]

by Christopher Adam · April 27, 2016 · Politics

Fidesz expels journalists from Parliament for asking questions on Central Bank corruption scandal

Journalists associated with some of Hungary largest publications, including hvg.hu, index.hu and Népszabadság, were banned for an indefinite period of time from Parliament, after they videotaped Fidesz and Christian Democratic politicians in the hallway, peppering them with questions about one of the worst corruption scandals in recent Hungarian political history. In one of the videos, a completely silent and clearly […]

by Christopher Adam · April 26, 2016 · Politics

Corruption and the Hungarian Central Bank–This is how Fidesz destroys Hungary’s independent media

At the heart of the Fidesz party’s ability to stay in power is to detect the vulnerabilities of people and organizations, and then exacerbate these, making Hungarians beholden to the regime. The chaos surrounding a major Hungarian news site called VS.hu and large state subsidies that traveled to the site’s publisher in a secretive and a roundabout way, is indicative […]

by Christopher Adam · April 25, 2016 · Politics

Budapest, as showcased in the city's 2024 Olympic bid video.

Budapest and the Olympics: Creating perceptions of an ultra-liberal, hipster city

Budapest submitted a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. As a candidate city, the Hungarian capital is competing against Paris, Rome and Los Angeles. The bid was submitted jointly by the General Assembly of Budapest and the Hungarian Olympic Committee; the candidacy is supported strongly by Hungary’s Fidesz government and by Parliament. This week, the organizers published an English-language […]

by Christopher Adam · April 17, 2016 · Politics

János Lázár at Thursday's press conference. Photo: MTI.

Key Fidesz minister suggests Viktor Orbán is an “unprincipled pragmatist”

János Lázár, the Minister overseeing the all-powerful Prime Minister’s Office, took a rare, public swipe at Prime Minister Viktor Orbán today, as he explained to journalists in Budapest how much he disagrees with the government’s decision to allow all shops and commercial establishments to once again open on Sundays. Mr. Lázár had previously been billed by some sources close to […]

by Christopher Adam · April 14, 2016 · Politics