Politics

Andrew Friedman and Consul General in Los Angeles László Kálmán with the menorah at the Hungarian Chrismukkah celebration.

Chrismukkah – the latest weapon of Hungarian diplomacy

Chrismukkah (in Hungarian Hanukarácsony) is the merging of two holidays – Christmas and Hanukkah. It was popularized by the TV drama The O.C. where the main character Seth Cohen created an imaginary holiday in an interfaith household with a Jewish father and Protestant mother. The television series was created by producer wunderkind Josh Schwartz and aired on cable TV from […]

by · December 21, 2015 · Politics
The screen capture of the print version of my piece in Wednesday's Népszava.

Hungary’s responsibility – An open letter to Deputy State Secretary Csaba Latorcai

This morning, Népszava–one of Hungary’s daily newspapers–published an op-ed from me, which effectively serves as an open letter addressed to Csaba Latorcai. A couple of weeks ago, here in Ottawa, I met with Hungary’s Deputy State Secretary for Priority Social Affairs, whose works in the Prime Minister’s Office focuses on the Jewish minority, as well as other religious/cultural communities. Deputy […]

by · December 16, 2015 · Politics
Hungarian Consul General in Chicago, Mr. Ferenc Szebényi speaks at the 55th Hungarian Congress in Cleveland.

It’s time to stop the Hungarian diplomatic doubletalk

For the first time a Hungarian diplomat, László Kálmán, Hungarian Consul General in Los Angeles, paid respect at the Pearl Harbor Memorial that is built over the sunken wreckage of the USS Arizona. This is a welcome gesture. The dramatic attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, resulted in the US entry into World War II and changed […]

by · December 15, 2015 · Politics
Viktor Orbán on December 13th, 2015. Photo: MTI.

Left-centre daily reports that claims of an Orbán assassination plot were credible

According to Hungary’s largest circulation political daily, Népszabadság, claims surrounding a possible far-right assassination attempt against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán were credible, despite widespread incredulity in much of the media, when news of the so-called Hungarian National Army (Magyar Nemzeti Hadsereg) and its plot were leaked. Népszabadság refers to police and Interior Ministry sources, who told the opposition daily that the […]

by · December 14, 2015 · Politics
Igor Crnadak (left) with Péter Szijjártó (right).

Hungary and Bosnia: Budapest pushes for Bosnian admission to EU and NATO

One of the tensions in the European Union is between those who seek an ever deeper, more integrated union of member states, and those who prefer a larger, continually expanding EU, but one where fewer areas of national sovereignty are pooled. The two tracks need not be inherently at odds with each, but it is difficult to imagine a deeply […]

by · December 7, 2015 · Politics
Gergely Nyilas, Hungarian journalist in refugee garb.

Support Gergely Nyilas – Hungary’s Günter Wallraff

The Orbán government has decided to press charges against Gergely Nyilas, a journalist who works for the popular Index news site. Nyilas wrote a series of reports on the treatment of refugees, posing as “Georgij Kulakov,” a migrant from Kyrgyzstan, to write his pieces. According to the government, Mr. Nyilas broke the law by registering as a refugee. Many of […]

by · December 4, 2015 · Politics
Photo: dailynewshungary.com

European Commission registers initiative to invoke Article 7 against the Orbán government

On Monday, the European Commission registered what in the EU is called a European Citizens Initiative (ECI), which is calling for the Union to invoke the dreaded Article 7 against the Orbán government, in response to systemic rule of law violations, xenophobia and the disregard for the values of liberal parliamentary democracy. An ECI is actually a new mechanism in […]

by · December 1, 2015 · Politics
Pastor David Crosby

The “Christian” use of razor wire in Hungary against refugees

Razor wire is now stretched along a 110-mile Hungarian border. The razor wire protects the Christian culture of Hungary from the Muslims, according to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Jesus is the Christ from whom the word “Christian” is derived. I doubt that Jesus himself would applaud Mr. Orbán’s use of the word “Christian” to defend his treatment of these desperately […]

by · November 29, 2015 · Politics
Orbán is isolated, US Vice President Biden ignores him

Orbán is isolated, US Vice President Biden ignores him

On November 18, 2015, the US Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration, Anne Richard, met Hungarian Ambassador Réka Szemerkényi at the State Department in Washington DC. There was no Hungarian press coverage, Ms. Szemerkényi didn’t brag about a “turning point” in US-Hungarian relations, she remained quiet. I have a feeling that Ms. Richard had some unkind words about Hungary’s […]

by · November 28, 2015 · Politics
Sándor Szakály, the director of the Orbán government's Veritas Institute.

Hungarian government historian to give racist talk in Toronto

Hungary’s Orbán government is organizing a talk in Toronto for the local Hungarian community, in which Sándor Szakály, a historian closely tied to the far-right, but currently tasked with leading the state-funded Veritas Institute, will give a talk entitled: “Dutiful irresponsibility: How long will Europe be able to withstand, and for how long will there still be a Europe?” The […]

by · November 26, 2015 · Politics