Hungarian politicians often visit Canada and the Unites States. Lately, serious questions have been raised about their activities: Do these politicians represent a security risk?
Thirty-nine year-old Mr. Márton Gyöngyösi is an MP representing Jobbik, Hungary’s neo-Nazi party, in the county’s Parliament. He is pro-Iranian and his party does not hide its contacts with Iranians. It is also long suspected that Tehran has provided financial support for Jobbik. Ms. Krisztina Morvai, Jobbik’s representative in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, met the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2009. She assured the Iranians: “We absolutely support prosecution of Israeli war criminals.” (Read Ms. Morvai’s statement in the Tehran Times.)
Mr. Gyöngyösi also organized a pro-Iran demonstrations at the US and Israeli Embassies in Budapest. In a speech he declared: “The Persian people and their leaders are considered pariahs in the eyes of the West, which serves Israeli interests,” … “This is why we have solidarity with the peaceful nation of Iran and turn to her with an open heart.” (Mr. Gyöngyösi’s speech with English subtitles.)
Congressman Robert Pittenger is the Chairman of the Congressional Taskforce on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare in the US House of Representatives. He hosts an annual Intelligence-Security Forum for foreign MPs. The sessions are led by former NSA Directors, House Intelligence Committee specialists, House Judiciary and Homeland Security experts. The goal of these briefings is to develop focused and effective strategies with the closest and most trusted allies of the United States.
In 2015 Hungary sent a four person, four party parliamentary delegation: Mr. András Schiffer (LMP), Mr. Gergely Gulyás (Fidesz), Mr. Tamás Harangozó (MSZP) and Mr. Márton Gyöngyösi (Jobbik). Yes, Mr. Gyögyösi represented Jobbik on an Intelligence-Security Forum to discuss intelligence, terrorism financing, and cyber security to counter Islamic extremism. (Pittenger report 2015-16.)
Needless to say, we are speechless. How did pro-Iranian Mr. Gyöngyösi get an invitation to a confidential US Security Forum? We will ask this question from Congressman Pittenger and also raise the issue with Hungary’s Ambassador to Washington, Ms. Réka Szemerkényi and the State Department. (Read here the Economist’s piece about Mr. Gyöngyösi.)
In the past we published several articles about far-right Hungarian operatives in North America and their frequent contacts with Hungary’s diplomats. We didn’t get a satisfactory explanation why accredited Hungarian diplomats embrace and support far-right activists and their local surrogates. Why did Ambassador Réka Szemerkényi brief a Jobbik delegation in Washington? Why did Consul General Mr. Ferenc Kumin receive a Jobbik delegation in New York? Why do Hungarian taxpayers support far-right events in Canada and the US?
Hungarian diplomats simply refuse to answer questions and make no effort to curtail far-right activity in North-America. In fact, they continue the usual doubletalk: willingly condemning neo-Nazis with words while supporting them with actions.
Just like the noted historian Mr. László Karsai, I consider Jobbik a neo-Nazi party. Jobbik supporters like to call themselves “radical nationalists”. They filed a lawsuit against Mr. Karsai but was unable to prevail in Hungarian courts. The western media also considers them neo-Nazis. (Read about Jobbik’s lawsuit here in Hungarian.)
In the next couple of month we’ll publish a series of articles about kuruc.info, Hungary’s decade-old, Jobbik-run neo-Nazi portal which is registered in California. We’ll take a hard look at the far-right propaganda activities of the Hungarian Government’s Kőrösi Csoma Program and of Hungarian language radio stations operating in North-America. We also plan to report about the financial activities of the Hungarian Initiatives Foundation.
Stay tuned.
György Lázár