Post Tagged with: "Terrorism"

The Záhony border crossing between Hungary and Ukraine. This represents one of the EU's external borders, which Hungarian border security patrols and protects and where you will come into contact with Hungarian border guards and customs officials. Photo: MTI.

The death of Schengen is not what Viktor Orbán wants…

This has been an annus horribilis for the European Union. In the spring and summer, the euro looked set to crumble, as Greece devolved into political turmoil, teetering on the brink of Grexit and as deep divisions within the eurozone emerged about how to deal with the debt crisis and whether to even salvage the unity of the euro. As often […]

by · November 21, 2015 · Politics
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán with school children in the town of Szombathely. Photo: Facebook.

Viktor Orbán on defending Europeans and “the invasion of the outsiders”

We rarely publish verbatim long texts produced by Hungary’s current government, but to understand how Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is using the terrorist attacks in France to position himself as the defender of Europe, the “common sense” voice of “the people,” standing up to detached liberal elites who still believe in diverse societies and inclusion, we must read him. We […]

by · November 18, 2015 · Politics
A photo posted on Socialist MP Márta Demeter's Facebook page from the vigil held in front of the French Institute in Budapest.

Budapest residents light candles for victims of Paris attack

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday night at the steps of the Institut français de Budapest to light votive candles in memory of the 129 people killed on November 13th, when eight terrorists launched coordinated attacks in Paris. The French Institute, overlooking the Danube, was founded by France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to promote the French language and culture in Hungary, and […]

by · November 15, 2015 · Politics
Hungary declares day of mourning following Paris terror attacks

Hungary declares day of mourning following Paris terror attacks

Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has cancelled its congress, scheduled for Sunday, and has instead declared a national day of mourning following the coordinated, ISIS-led terrorist attacks in Paris, which left at least 128 dead in the French capital. As well, the Orbán government has announced new, stricter national border controls and a military presence on the streets of Hungarian cities, […]

by · November 14, 2015 · Politics
El-Sisi and Orbán - the two authoritarian leaders understand each other.

Travel safety, Egypt and the Orbán Government

On October 31st, a Russian plane crashed in the Sinai-peninsula and all 224 people on board were killed. It is suspected that terrorism had something to do with the crash: officials say it was likely caused by a bomb. The disaster has escalated fears over the capabilities of Islamist terrorists. Russia has already suspended flights to Egypt, Germany has warned […]

by · November 9, 2015 · East
Muslim prayer in Budapest. Photo: Ahmed Miklós Kovács.

The Hungarian far-right and Islam

Traditionally, Hungary’s extreme right was not openly Islamophobic. In fact, the Hungarian right-wing in general tended to differ markedly from conservative politicians in North America and much of western Europe in its support for Palestinian nationhood and its criticism of Israel. At the time of the war with Hezbollah back in 2006, I wrote a response to a piece published […]

by · July 27, 2015 · Politics
"If you come to Hungary, you have to respect our culture!" Photo: 444.hu

Hungarians deface government’s openly racist billboards

It’s reassuring to see that there are some residents in Budapest who will take a bucket of paint and a brush to erase the words on the Orbán government’s virulently racist and populist new billboards, which tell immigrants (in Hungarian), and in no uncertain words, that they are not welcome. Two such billboards went up yesterday in Budapest’s 13th District, […]

by · June 6, 2015 · Politics
Hungarian immigrants in Québec in the 1920s, before heading west, to the prairies. Source: Department of the Interior photographic records / Collections Canada.

Demonizing immigrants — Here’s why Hungary’s Fidesz is no less dangerous than Jobbik

There is a very common misconception in the West that Fidesz is somehow the lesser of two evils when it comes to the Hungarian right and the rising fortunes of the far-right Jobbik. Nothing could be further from the truth. For Fidesz, the only thing that counts is political expediency. To some extent, being effective politically, and thus being ideologically […]

by · April 25, 2015 · Politics
Hungarian soldiers undergo training. Photo: honvedelem.hu / Sándor Galambos.

Hungary sends troops to fight ISIS

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) joined Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz and the Christian Democratic Peoples’ Party (KDNP) in voting to send 150 soldiers into Iraq, in order to bolster the American-led campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS). While Fidesz, KDNP and DK supported the mission, the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), the Politics Can Be Different (LMP) green party, the […]

by · April 14, 2015 · Politics
TEK has effectively been spying on President János Áder.

The Hungarian president no longer trusts Orbán’s secret service

The Orbán regime’s infamous Counter Terrorism Centre (Terrorelhárítási Központ, TEK) has reportedly fallen out of favour with President János Áder. The president, who is a Fidesz politician previously charged with developing the country’s new, controversial electoral system, recently decided to engage the Operational Police (Készenléti Rendőrség) for his personal security needs, even though this is a role that would normally […]

by · March 28, 2015 · Politics