Hungarian Politics

[Tamas]

Last night, second round of protests:




Even more people than on Sunday. Lots of people yelling against the Russian orientation and corruption in general, not just the internet tax.

It is not until long that these people will be accused of being under foreign organisation. To be honest I would not be surprised if the Americans did send a political advisor to the organisers or something. These demonstrations made by amateurs were pretty, well, amateurish, but last night the speeches were quite good, and very determined. The clear goal helps I guess, so the speakers declared: "there will be no Internet Tax!".

It is a clear challenge to the government. The whole tax is a horrible idea, even in its watered down present form in the bill, it would simply eliminate all but the largest ISPs, unless they put all the tax into subscription prices which would mean an almost 50% raise across the board (except for the more expensive packages).
Even some FIDESZ politicians are openly criticising the idea, not to mention their press.

But can they cancel it now? If they do, the people will learn that the absolute power these guys want to project is just an illusion, and every time they make an unpopular bill (about ever fortnight), they will face similar demonstrations. I think they cannot yield, and that's how the government is speaking this morning.

The Internet tax bill will be voted on the 17th of November, that's when the next demonstration is going to be held. Will be interesting.

[PJL]

[Monoriu]
Where's the police to get rid of the rioters that are blocking the bridge
[/Monoriu]

[Martinus]

Damn those rioters.

[Josquius]

I had no idea Hungary had  so many Jews. Such a large turnout over a $2 tax...

[Tamas]

I had no idea Hungary had  so many Jews. Such a large turnout over a $2 tax...

I guess its closer to 3 bucks

For the cheaper subscriptions, that's about 50% raise, OR the total elimination of the ISP's profit margin.

AND there is already the 27% VAT on the whole thing, plus all the taxes the ISP is paying.

Don't start Tyr, because Hungary is one of the still standing monumental proofs of the utter failure of your economical worldview.

[Jacob]

Don't start Tyr, because Hungary is one of the still standing monumental proofs of the utter failure of your economical worldview.

[garbon]

Don't start Tyr, because Hungary is one of the still standing monumental proofs of the utter failure of your economical worldview.

But none over Jos's slur/use of stereotype?

[Jacob]

But none over Jos's slur/use of stereotype?

I generally don't engage with displays of anti-semitism on the internet.

But fair enough, Tamas' retaliation was not unprovoked.

[Tamas]

The Italian company owning 66% of the Slovakian energy company (which in turn owns their nuclear power plant and their hydro plant), is selling its share.

One of the interested parties is... Hungary. The state-owned company handling state assets, to be precise. Together with MOL the Hungarian oil company, which is under heavy state influence (and its CEO owes a big one to Orban, because he protected him from being sent to jail in Croatia).

A huge question of course is: where the fuck are we getting the 2 billion euros needed for this deal? Surely not from the budget. So based on recent happenings, the conclusion is self-evident, really: we are the strawman for the Russians buying up energy production in Slovakia.

[Tamas]

I know this is probably crazy, but:

-Maybe 6 months ago or so, a shady player, maneuvering between organised crime and political circles since the 90s, Tamas Weisz, got into the limelight when arrested. News about him and his dealings started to gather up in the press after that, and it was quite clear he had deals with politicians from both sides.
He supposedly made a deal with the prosecution (which is led by Orban's close friend). Then one morning two police officers went to pick him up to gather up some documents of his as evidence. He, supposedly, claimed he took some pills to kill himself, and died in the police car. But that's the version we know. There was much confusion about the autopsy report. He would have been a nice asset for the government in flinging shit at the socialist opposition party (which has fallen so silent and weak that I believe it has been bought out by Fidesz), but also obviously had dirt on Fidesz as well, so he is definitely more convenient dead.

-Just before the local elections a couple of months ago, the candidate running against Orban's close friend the incumbent mayor of his hometown (and probably handler of his corrupt wealth), was hit by a car and died. The culprit was an old Austrian guy who stayed at the scene, so again, very hard to even suspect foul play, but again, very convenient timing. He was just a poor shepherd who was driven from the state-owned land his family's livelihood was depending on, because that land was granted to the mayor. When he started speaking out, the mayor's men used tractors to destroy his crops, for example. So he was quite the folk hero for the opposition.

-A Socialist crooked MP came out of prison about a year ago. He wrote a book about dirty Socialist businesses trying to cosy up to Fidesz, and then kind of tried to reboot his career.  A month ago or so his car was rammed on the side by a SUV or a pickup, can't remember. He survived relatively unharmed, so again, suspecting anything is a pretty long stretch, but just like that Weisz fellow above, he is quite the wildcard, potentially dangerous to the current establishment of Fidesz governance with the Socialists resigned to working on keeping opposition activity muted.

-Today, one of the most active young opposition figure, always in the forefront of demonstrations, aged 26, jumped in front of a train and died. He suffered of depression, and he was kept for days in custody recently, after trying to prevent other demonstrators from damaging the Fidesz HQ during the anti-Internet tax demonstrations.
His friends say this is surely suicide, yet one cannot help but add it to the above list.

I mean, add these to the clearly dramatically rising Russian investment in the power and survival of the Orban regime, and it gets a bit hard to dismiss conspiracy theories.

[Tamas]

BTW is it even possible to be THE most active and daring organiser of demonstrations and political actions for years, AND suffer in a severe enough depression to eventually off yourself?

[Agelastus]

Needs more umbrellas.

[mongers]

I know this is probably crazy, but:

-A Socialist crooked MP came out of prison about a year ago. He wrote a book about dirty Socialist businesses trying to cosy up to Fidesz, and then kind of tried to reboot his career.  A month ago or so his car was rammed on the side by a SUV or a pickup, can't remember. He survived relatively unharmed, so again, suspecting anything is a pretty long stretch, but just like that Weisz fellow above, he is quite the wildcard, potentially dangerous to the current establishment of Fidesz governance with the Socialists resigned to working on keeping opposition activity muted.
....

How is this evidence of anything other than people have routine car accidents?

How many Languishites have been involved in car accidents, when really it was because of their posting activities here. 

[Tamas]

I know this is probably crazy, but:

-A Socialist crooked MP came out of prison about a year ago. He wrote a book about dirty Socialist businesses trying to cosy up to Fidesz, and then kind of tried to reboot his career.  A month ago or so his car was rammed on the side by a SUV or a pickup, can't remember. He survived relatively unharmed, so again, suspecting anything is a pretty long stretch, but just like that Weisz fellow above, he is quite the wildcard, potentially dangerous to the current establishment of Fidesz governance with the Socialists resigned to working on keeping opposition activity muted.
....

How is this evidence of anything other than people have routine car accidents?

How many Languishites have been involved in car accidents, when really it was because of their posting activities here. 

Yes its probably nothing. But kind of weird that it happens in relatively short time of other unfortunaties befalling other inconvenient people.

[Tamas]

"Orban is our man" says Russian editorial:

http://www.vedomosti.ru/opinion/news/35668551/madyarskie-pesni