Articles by: György Lázár

Baron László Hengelmüller von Hengervár, Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Washington

Baron László Hengelmüller von Hengervár, Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Washington

In the 19th century the Hungarian Kingdom was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so Hungary had no separate representation in Washington DC.   Foreign affairs were handled in Vienna.  I was surprised to learn that the longest serving US Ambassador of Austria-Hungary was actually a Hungarian nobleman who, not surprisingly, did not speak Hungarian. His birth name was Baron Hengervári László Hengelmüller; […]

by · February 7, 2021 · Diaspora
The Orbán government is wooing Secretary of State Tony Blinken, actually his mother, Judith Pisar

The Orbán government is wooing Secretary of State Tony Blinken, actually his mother, Judith Pisar

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 […]

by · January 29, 2021 · Politics
Minister László Palkovics is trying to distance himself from Viktor Orbán

Minister László Palkovics is trying to distance himself from Viktor Orbán

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.  […]

by · January 16, 2021 · Politics
Source: BELKA

Orbán Government insults President-Elect Joe Biden and his family

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 · December 31, 2020 · Politics
Merry Christmas from the Hungarian Free Press

Merry Christmas from the Hungarian Free Press

They might have different shapes, different dough preparation, different filling ratios, different additional ingredients, different finishing touches… But at the end in all of these countries delicious Christmas poppy seed rolls are an indispensable part of the Christmas feast. Have a wonderful mákos bejgli. Happy Holidays.

by · December 25, 2020 · Culture
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.  A shared Nobel-prize for mRNA?

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. A shared Nobel-prize for mRNA?

I’m not a chemist but I wouldn’t be surprised if the next Nobel-prize in Chemistry would go to Hungarian-born Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman of the United States.  I had a chance to talk to several scientists who know a lot more about this subject than I do and they were all excited. Hungarians are somewhat fixated on the Nobel-prize.  […]

by · December 19, 2020 · Diaspora
Bela Kornitzer and Einstein

Bela Kornitzer – well connected biographer of the powerful and famous

As part of our series on lesser known Hungarian Americans we introduce Béla Kornitzer, the influential biographer and journalist. Béla Kornitzer was born in 1910 and as a young man he became a star newspaper reporter in Budapest.  When only in his twenties, he was already a respected Parliament reporter who befriended politicians, aristocrats and hobnobbed with the Hungarian elite. […]

by · December 12, 2020 · Diaspora
Nicholas (Miklós) Nyaradi

Nicholas (Miklós) Nyaradi – from banker to anti-Communist crusader

As part of our series on lesser known Hungarian Americans we introduce Nicholas Nyaradi or Miklós Nyáradi (Scheidl) the Hungarian banker and politician who became a significant voice in the anti-Communist movement in the United States. Miklós Scheidl was born in 1905 in Hungary and after receiving his law degree in 1928 he had a long career in banking.  He became […]

by · November 14, 2020 · Diaspora
Antonia Eliason, Mississippi’s first Democratic Socialist candidate has Hungarian roots

Antonia Eliason, Mississippi’s first Democratic Socialist candidate has Hungarian roots

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 […]

by · November 1, 2020 · Politics
Mr. Gergely Gulyás (right), Hungary's Minister of the Prime Minister's office with Rep. Kaptur. (Facebook photo of Rep. Kaptur)

Rep. Marcy Kaptur co-chair of the Hungarian American Caucus is favored to be re-elected

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur is a Democrat and she is representing Ohio’s 9th Congressional District.  The 74-years-old politician has served in Congress longer than any other woman in history. Her congressional career started in 1983 and in November she has a good chance to be re-elected for another 2-year term. Her Republican challenger is 48-year-old Rob Weber, a lawyer, a West […]

by · October 28, 2020 · Diaspora