This is a case study of Hungary’s government sponsored “mob journalism.” Within weeks the celebrated mayor László Bogdán, Hungary’s successful Roma leader, has become an enemy of the people.
(from left) Mr. András Siewert, Ms. Brigitta Siklósi of Migration Aid and Mayor Bogdán.
David Kostelancik, the top U.S. diplomat in Hungary has raised concerns about disappearing independent media outlets. He has said that the remaining independent media “face pressure and intimidation.” “Government allies have steadily acquired control and influence over the media market without objection from the regulatory body designed to prevent monopolies.” It seems that journalists at publications run by the allies of Prime Minister Orbán are banned from publishing articles critical of the government and must participate in campaigns to discredit the “enemies” of the regime.
Formerly László Bogdán, the Roma mayor of Cserdi was the “darling” of the government. A couple of months ago Hungarian diplomats brought him to New York to introduce him at the United Nations. Ms. Katalin Bogyay, Hungary’s UN representative, talked about the “miracle of Cserdi” and Bogdán’s “great initiatives for social inclusion.” Representatives of Jamaica, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe were excited to hear about the Hungarian success story. Mr. Ferenc Kumin, Consul General in New York declared Mr. Bogdán his best friend and had “lots of fun” eating “cigány lecsó” (Gypsy ratatouille) in New York, prepared by Bogdán himself.
Ambassador Katalin Bogyay and Mayor Bogdán (right) in the UN.
Ambassador Katalin Bogyay and Mayor Bogdán with country representatives in the UN.
Everything changed when recently Mayor Bogdán announced that he would welcome refugee families to vacation in his village and that he would be happy to work with Migration Aid. This offer is in stark opposition to PM Orbán’s anti-refugee campaign. Not surprisingly Mayor Bogdán was soon in deep trouble. (Read HFP report about Mayor Bogdán.)
Hungarian outlets reported that Mayor Bogdán was physically assaulted and he has said that it is dangerous for him to walk the streets alone. Pro-government media sources have started a vicious campaign, 888.hu declared that Mayor Bogdán is “probably a liar” (read 888 here) and Index.hu reported that “something is not right” with Bogdán’s stories. (Read Index here.) Ambassadors Kumin and Bogyay have abandoned their friend; they are not coming to his defense.
Mayor Bogdán and Consul General Ferenc Kunim (right) – friendly cooking in New York.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Bogdán will resign and we won’t hear about the “miracle of Cserdi” anymore either.
György Lázár
Interesting to see in that photo that Hungary now has five (5) black representatives.
Mr.Bogdan likely will recieve a UN post.
That ought to make Mr.Soros also very happy?!
Bendeguz, you really are taking no effort to properly read the article, nor have you read the photo’s caption.
@ György Lázár
It is customary for low level US appointees to stick their nose into other nations internal affairs without any understanding for that country’s culture. And of course it also apply to Secretary of States and Presidents too but with much more devastating effects.
Therefore there is no surprise that “David Kostelancik, the top U.S. diplomat in Hungary has raised concerns about disappearing independent media outlets.” I wonder how would the liberals react if a temporary assignee of the Hungarian Embassy in Washington would say the same about CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Washington Post, The New York Times and other dozens of fake news media outlets that are clearly on OSF payroll spreading all kind of BS.
In my opinion (which of course is opposite to yours) everybody should stay within his country’s affairs and not monkey around others. The World would be much safer and more pleasant place without the Bush-Obama-Clinton interventions in the Middle East and Africa. But these buttheads think they are the masters of the universe and can tell everybody how to live their life.
Not to the Hungarians please. So Mr. David Kostelancik, who is not a top diplomat, rather a little bureaucrat with very limited knowledge should just shot up when it comes to Hungarian affairs.
Whilst I am unfamiliar with the event that “Hungarian outlets reported that Mayor Bogdán was physically assaulted and he has said that it is dangerous for him to walk the streets alone” and info is very limited on the net-not to mention reliability thereof-, for your credibility’s sake I hope that the story is true otherwise it will fly into your face for jumping on the band wagon prematurely.
Having said all of the above, if he was really insulted as alleged it should serve as a reminder to him and all others that any elected official may think before speak on behalf of their people. The problem is that some simply assume that the community that elected him/her/it crowned them to be their rulers which is obviously just a mirage. When they go against their constituencies’ will they can expect to be spit on and whatever else comes with it. Do I like it? No. Do I agree with it? Maybe. Is it acceptable? ….
Is Robert M
a mercenary or a volunteer apologist of Orbán’s kleptocratic fascist regime?
Who cares, in any case he’s just bleating the gov propaganda lines and peddling the fabricated “alternative facts”.
Bandi’s comments below (Robert Morrison that is ) just confirm his status. As with almost all fideszniks, one is better off to assume that whatever they write the exactly opposite is true, saves time and effort.
Another proof regarding the nature of the current regime – “nulla contro lo stato” of Mussolini. Just like the earlier fascist states (or other dictatorships) they would attack, repress or trample on any dissenters with no respect for achievement or knowledge.
Loyalty and obedience are the foremost criteria and the resulting counter selection brings up the likes of G.Budai, A.Tallai, Sz.Németh…
Observer on October 21, 2017 at 11:50 pm
You are such a hopeless disappointment.
If you quote something at least do it right “”Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato.” Not that this has any significance here but at least it should look like you had some idea which of course you had nada.
I would gladly debate you should you trip-over some meaningful thoughts which so far eluded you. You are just an empty barrel without real substances just keep babbling about things which you have little knowledge if at all, thus making loud noise for no reason.
However I observed your observable observation and I observed that the only observation point to observe the level of the intelligence of your observation is from under a bloated false-eyed frog butt. I try to observe some humours in your observation but it is not observable to be able to call it laughable, therefore your observation is ridiculous. Keep observing the observables and you might observe that your observations are also observed by other observers too.
Have an observable nice day.
This piece would seem to indicate that the locals reaction to the proposed initiative is actually rather more nuanced:
https://budapestbeacon.com/village-cserdi-welcomes-refugees/
Even after the bombardment of vile racist propaganda from the Fidesz regime, there are still those prepared to follow Christ`s teachings in regards how we treat others.
It seems that the comment below is stuck in the cloud of „Your comment is awaiting moderation.” at http://hungarianfreepress.com/2017/09/18/balint-magyar-at-concordia-university-hungary-as-a-mafia-state/ therefore I repeat it hereunder:
@András B. Göllner on September 19, 2017 at 7:18 pm
“Hungary is the only EU country where ….. the EU taxpayers’ moneys are most often stolen and misappropriated in the EU.”
While I am not sure that Hungary is the ONLY country, it is an unfortunate fact that lots of EU money was stolen by politicians like Mr. Demsky, the MSZP, Mr. Gyurcsany, the SZDSZ and perhaps Mr. Magyar, etc., But of course your “natural” forgetfulness clicks in as it happened a while ago.
“On May 17, 2017 the European Parliament voted with a significant majority to do something it had never done in its entire history. It initiated procedures against Hungary under Article 7 of the Treaty of Europe, for systematic theft of community funds, and rule of law violations.”
Is it so? Not because of the rejection of the mandatory quotas, the building of the fences, the holding area of the illegals, the requirement to register foreign founded NGOs and the unaccredited CEU? Are you sure that you are up to date on the subject? Or you are the official spin doctor of the Open Society Foundation?
It seems that the comment below is stuck in the cloud of „Your comment is awaiting moderation.” at http://hungarianfreepress.com/2017/09/27/frank-koszorus-jrs-letter-to-the-editor-koszorus-action-prevented-laszlo-baky-from-deporting-the-jews-of-budapest/ therefore I repeat it hereunder:
Thank you Mr. Koszorus for this article, and to your late father for his loyalty to his Commander-in-chief. Others attribute the sema event to other players of the time. It makes no difference. It looks to me as it was a great team work for one person could not do the whole action alone. The most important (for me) is not who saved the Jewish population of Budapest but the fact that they were saved. However it would be nice if the contributors of this blog could prepare a joint statement listing all of the brave man at the time to whom I can say thanks you for being here today.
Dear Mr.Hungarian Free Press;
You have posted the photo, and the text underneat that read;
Ambassador Katalin Bogyay and Mayor Bogdan with country representatives in the UN.”
I figured that Hungary might not have afro-representatives yet, but it was all about Hungary, the only “country” the article is about.
That is what the HFP posted in print.
You might want to correct that Bogyay and Bogdan are with some african/asian representative at the UN.
So ,please do not blame me for it.
Oh boy, reading seems sometimes not easy, so herewith for you from the article:
“Representatives of Jamaica, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe were excited to hear about the Hungarian success story.”
And therefore in the picture are most likely those countries’ “representatives in the UN”
It seems that the comment below is stuck in the cloud of „Your comment is awaiting moderation.” at http://hungarianfreepress.com/2017/09/18/balint-magyar-at-concordia-university-hungary-as-a-mafia-state/ therefore I repeat it hereunder:
@ Stranded in Sopron
My observation is that you mistakenly chose the pseudo. Your attitude would be much better reflected by a name like “Stranded in the Labeling machine with fascist on its handle”.
It is amusing how the left-lib demagogues keep using this word without understanding the deep rooted meaning of it. The liberals never learn. Hillary Clinton kept using labels like “racists”, “homophobes”, “deplorables”, “sexists” ,”supremacists” etc., and how far did she go with it? All the way to the bookstore to cry her eyes out.
Mr. Balint Magyar can spend his entire remaining life as the guest of Prof Gollner, the two of them together will make no difference in Hungary’s political life. Both of them are toothless dogs, nobody give a damn about what they preach, not even their pals in Hungary, while they think that they are the smartest intellectuals on the surface of the Earth, which of course they are not. As you know; Dog barking does not reach the sky.
Let’s say ‘pig snorring’ is OV&Co’s form of informing the people through their (OV&Co’s) media, all done to reach not so much the sky, but first of all more power (and who knows for what more their aiming…)
Results see Ocseny.
Here, also for you Mr.Morrison, a decent report about the aftermath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCPZEqgMDQM
For who doesn’t understand Hungarian, best demand asap subtitling from ATV.
Observer on October 23, 2017 at 8:49 am
“In view of the RM ad hominem outbursts above”
This is an empty unsubstantiated allegation. If you want to say something, say it and prove it with quoting what you are objecting to and try to argue your case rather than using phrases and empty rhetoric.
“it may be a good idea to ban him for a while”
It might not be a good idea at all. It is an idea what the Nazis implemented by sending their opponents to concentration camps “to cool off”. Same method was applied by the communists like Lenin, Stalin, Rakosi, Kadar, Castro, Kim family, and other dictators like Pinochet, Hussein, Gaddafi and the list goes on and on. I guess these are your idols to follow when it comes to free speech and freedom of expression.
“It’s tedious enough to refute the “alternative facts” often repeated”
I agree with you on this one. Just to take the use of “fascist” by people without the slightest knowledge of the origin and the deep meaning of the word. It became trendy to label everybody fascist for not pushing the leftist idea.
“gratuitous personal attacks are” Same as above, put up or shut up. Quote what you find “gratuitous personal attack” and let’s discuss it. It might not be such rather an exact description of your attitude. Of course if you are a cry baby, you should implicate it in your comments that you cannot take the heat. Perhaps you should leave the kitchen until it cools off rather than running to the editor for protection.
Cool off Body and try debating on factual bases rather than punching your uneducated labelling machine and you will be treated accordingly. Try to copy Prof Göllner, who has the leverage to bench me but he chose to punch back. Of course he is not a cry baby.
Thank you HFP for not heeding to Observer’s request.
Erm…right Mr Morrison. I (and probably also your doctor/psychiatrist) am glad you got that, whatever point you were trying to make, off your chest.
My point was that there was a divergence of opinion in Cserdi which wasn`t reflected in the original post.
Whether I consider the Fidesz regime to be fascist or not is my prerogative… and unlike the State media in Hungary, this blog permits a range of opinion.
If that fact bothers you, then for the sake of your blood pressure keep to 888.hu
Stranded in Sopron on October 22, 2017 at 10:17 pm
“Whether I consider the Fidesz regime to be fascist or not is my prerogative… “
I am not sure that this is a question of personal preference. It is an overused word that originally had exactly the opposite meaning and originated from the far left socialist movement on the early 20th century. That is the only point I wanted to bring into your focus, which “this blog permits”.
HFP
In view of the RM ad hominem outbursts above it may be a good idea to ban him for a while to cool off.
It’s tedious enough to refute the “alternative facts” often repeated, but the extensive and gratuitous personal attacks are irritating (I use simple “Cretin” or “Fid troll”).
Observer on October 23, 2017 at 8:49 am
“In view of the RM ad hominem outbursts above”
This is an empty unsubstantiated allegation. If you want to say something, say it and prove it with quoting what you are objecting to and try to argue your case rather than using phrases and empty rhetoric.
“it may be a good idea to ban him for a while”
It might not be a good idea at all. It is an idea what the Nazis implemented by sending their opponents to concentration camps “to cool off”. Same method was applied by the communists like Lenin, Stalin, Rakosi, Kadar, Castro, Kim family, and other dictators like Pinochet, Hussein, Gaddafi and the list goes on and on. I guess these are your idols to follow when it comes to free speech and freedom of expression.
“It’s tedious enough to refute the “alternative facts” often repeated”
I agree with you on this one. Just to take the use of “fascist” by people without the slightest knowledge of the origin and the deep meaning of the word. It became trendy to label everybody fascist for not pushing the leftist idea.
“gratuitous personal attacks are” Same as above, put up or shut up. Quote what you find “gratuitous personal attack” and let’s discuss it. It might not be such rather an exact description of your attitude. Of course if you are a cry baby, you should indicate it in your comments that you cannot take the heat. Perhaps you should leave the kitchen until it cools off rather than running to the editor for protection.
Cool off Body and try debating on factual bases rather than punching your uneducated labelling machine and you will be treated accordingly. Try to copy Prof Göllner, who has the leverage to bench me but he chose to punch back. Of course he is not a cry baby.
Thank you HFP for not heeding to Observer’s request.
I see Mr Morrison is rapidly metamorphosing into his real self – a.k.a. István Lovas – the Orbán regime’s resident “alt-right” white supremacist troll, who changes his IP address like others change their underwear, and who dismisses (albeit, in Hungarian) all critics of the Hungarian Pocket Dictator, as “Left-Liberal Jews.”
Mr. “Morrison”. The more frequent your comments, the more transparent your mask, the one you are obsessed with wearing. We are all waiting when you will break out into your other obsession – your battle against grammatical shortcomings, especially those committed by your rather pedestrian side-kick, the Bendy Goose.
Pisti ! Come clean ! Leave the “creatures in the Budapest Hills” for a spell ! You are a genuine spelling bee yourself ! Tell us, what you get if you take the F out of Bread. We’re not interested in all the other nonsense you come here to spew. Make a name for yourself, rise to the challenge, show us what you’re made of !
András B. Göllner October 24, 2017 at 1:51 am
Since you love riddles, here is one for you:
What is the difference between Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s famous quote which I am sure you know: “We learn from history that we do not learn from history.” and a political science professor emeritus? Three letters ….
I despise you for being a compulsive liar. I have never used your alleged quotation “Left-Liberal Jews.” It is the usual yourself falsifying everything to suit your low level intellectual needs. As you are unable to conduct an honest debate you throw labels around without the shred of evidence to prove it. The best description of your being is what Denzel Washington said about the fake news media: “We don’t care who it hurts, we don’t care who we destroy, we don’t care if it’s true. Just say it, sell it.” He must know you very well.
I wonder if you had any thought that you wanted to share here or just threw up some meaningless sentences for the sake of showing off?
It is strange that there is no news about this issue on the net. If anybody has a link that contains some kind of new information please share it. Tx
Is index pro-government now? I wouldn’t have guessed reading their articles.
index as government media… haha. your bias is over the top. ridiculous.
FERENC;
But it’s only your wildest guess.
That is not what the HFP given under the photo !
Can you read ?
@ Troll ! (a.k.a. Robert Morrison)
My apologies for not responding sooner to your disclaimer and hateful rejoinder, which I will quote from above: “I despise you for being a compulsive liar. I have never used your alleged quotation “Left-Liberal Jews.”
Troll ! We have strong reason to believe you are Mr. István Lovas, the voice of Hungary’s anti-Semitic Alt-Right movement, and one of Viktor Orbán’s favorite journalist, who has disgraced this site under different guises, pseudonyms, many times before.
Troll ! We tracked you down. We have no idea who the real Robert Morrison is, but we know it is not you, since you refuse to reveal your real name to us. We know, however, who Mr. Lovas is, and his disparaging of the people of Abraham is well known.
Please turn to Lovas István. “Interview with András Bencsik” in Kettős mércével, Budapest. Kairosz Kiadó. 2003. pg 340. Here is the exact translation. “All those who attack Orbán, or Bayer, are Left-Liberal Jews….Just look at their dirty names”.
Troll ! If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen !
@Mr. György Lázár
Where is the follow up to this article?