“To fall with my corpse: it is the servant’s business.” (Endre Ady) Who seriously thinks today that power and fairness are compatible? How many in our country share the saying attributed to Lincoln: „If you want to test a man’s character, give him power” What became of those who were given power in their hands? Regimes based on unlimited personalist […]
In a speech on the Day of Victory over the Nazis, in the city of Uzhhorod (Ungvár in Hungarian) Ukraine’s young and photogenic president sent a not so subtle message to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Volodymyr Zelensky talked about the “expulsion of invaders” from Zacarpathia, a clear reference to the illegal 1939 occupation of the area by Hungarian ruler […]
At first glance Wizz Air, Hungary’s low-cost carrier, may appear well-placed to be among those European airlines that survive the pandemic without filing for bankruptcy. In 2019, Wizz Air transported nearly 40 million passengers, making the Hungarian carrier the eighth largest airline or airline holding in Europe. At the start of the pandemic-related lockdowns in March, József Váradi, Wizz Air’s […]
Donald Francis Shula, a Hall of Fame NFL coach who led the Miami Dolphins to two Super Bowl titles, has died. He was 90. The team issued a statement that Shula passed away peacefully at his home. “Don Shula was the patriarch of the Miami Dolphins for 50 years. He brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and […]
Carl Schmitt, the influential fascist German philosopher of the last century wrote that it is a waste of time to conduct politics through discussion, civilized debate and negotiation. That is a “liberal idea.” Schmitt believed that politics is a realm of struggle. As he phrased it, “political actions and motives can be reduced to the struggle between friend and enemy.” […]
Oh boy! This kind of mano-a-mano fistfight is rarely seen even in the murky and often tumultuous politics of Central Europe. Donald Tusk ex-Prime Minister of Poland is the current Chairman of European People’s Party (EPP). Tusk in an interview to Der Spiegel called Orbán the follower of Nazi philosopher, Carl Schmitt. He said “We have seen many times in […]
Last fall, I had the chance to travel to Athens, Ohio, to see the premiere screening of Edit Jakab’s short film In Praise of Angela. Many years ago, Edit and I taught at the same Hungarian Saturday school in Montreal. We reconnected just a few years ago and it was a pleasure to see the direction that life took her these […]
Although the Coronavirus pandemic in Hungary has not yet peaked and with 2,284 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 239 deaths, the Orbán government announced that it will be prepared to begin re-opening the economy soon after May 4th. On April 29th, the government intends to announce its plan on re-opening the economy. The current model predicts that the coronavirus will […]
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo’s Remarks to the Press (from the official transcript) 04/07/2020 02:34 PM ED Washington, D.C. QUESTION: How concerned are you about leaders using coronavirus to weaken democracies in their countries? There is this specific example of Hungary, which the State Department has commented on. Are you seeing that elsewhere, and what tools does the U.S. Government have […]
In early April 2020, three civil societies released an Open Letter to the European Commission in response to Hungary’s so called Authorisation Laws adopted under the disguise of the government’s handling of the COVID pandemic. The letter is intended to express the frustration of 51% of Hungarian voters who in 2018 did not authorize Viktor Orban to continue to hold […]
