Hungarian Politics

[Tamas]

 This is also relevant to the level of waste allowed by EU funding I guess: since the start of pandemic in March, the government has allocated extra spending on sport facilities to the DAILY average of 1.25 million pounds. This has been mostly to prepare extensions and new projects.

The major religious organisations have also received around this amount of extra funding. And of course this is over what these facilities and churches received as per the annual budget.

[Sheilbh]

This isn't about Hungarian politics - it's more Hungary-adjacent.

Romania's just had parliamentary elections with extremely low reported turnout (35%). According to exit polls not a great result for the government, but the big shock is the nationalist/far right party which has apparently won 8% which is over the threshold.

It was only founded last year and is inspired by PiS in Poland. Apparently they are very anti-Hungarian in their discourse, also support unification with Moldova, rail against foreign companies taking money out of Romania, anti-gay marriage etc. Lots of Iron Guard sympathisers in the "intellectual" wing of the party, more weirdly apparently one of their big issues has been opposition to a ban on abortion and their strong stand against illegal logging.

Still a minority party of course and we'll see what happens - though it's worth noting the minority Hungarian party in Romania has in the past been in and out of government in exchange for looking after their interests. I wonder if especially the centre-right will have a look at the nationalists as a more reliable coalition partner.

[Tamas]

If a Romanian far right party is pro-abortion, I assume that has something to do with their views in gypsies

[Tamas]

This morning, if you are a concerned Hungarian citizen and go to "koronavirus.gov.hu" to learn about the latest official pandemic news and regulations, you will not be disappointed.


Because the leading article on the government's coronavirus info page lets you know of Orban's great victory over Brussels in our fight for freedom!

[Tamas]

Bunch of changes to the constitution have been voted on and accepted (shocking) by Parliament:

-"the mother is woman, the father is man"
-"Hungary protects children's rights to an identity matching their birth sex"
-"Hungary protects and ensures children's education according to Christian values"
-In a sate of war, Hungarian citizens resident in the country will do military service. Conscientious objectors ca be put on non-armed service. Details to be established in a follow-up law
-The foundations/"charities" created and funded by the state recently to run things like universities have had their budgets declared non-public funds and any change to them must have 2/3rd majority vote in Parliament. In other words once tax money is wired to them it is nobody's business what it is spent on and can remain a safe haven to Fidesz cronies as long as Fidesz doesn't lose more than simple majority.

[Sheilbh]

The other one I noted was the one around restricting political parties - I think it was some form of registration. Currently parties need to run over 20 candidates to qualify, in future they'll need to run over 70.

All in all not a bad week for Orban - secure funding equivalent to 10% of Hungary's budget and follow up by re-writing the constitution

[Tamas]

The other one I noted was the one around restricting political parties - I think it was some form of registration. Currently parties need to run over 20 candidates to qualify, in future they'll need to run over 70.

All in all not a bad week for Orban - secure funding equivalent to 10% of Hungary's budget and follow up by re-writing the constitution

Yeah the opposition parties are now working on having a pre-election election between each other to establish how a united front shall look like because that's the only change they have in 2022 - although seeing all Orban has done, I find it laughable that people think if he is facing election numbers that would mean he loses power, he'd not have them doctored. No way.

The opposition pre-election of course is going to be a shitshow, as they lack the national infrastucture and media coverage to pull it off on a proper scale, and there'll be petty bickering, not to mention pro-government trolling. But I guess it is something to suffer through before everyone realises this regime will not be defeated at the polls.

[Tamas]

BTW I read that all these changes to the electoral law have been a big mess with quite a lot of chaos among Fidesz what change to the bill to support and what not and how they kept changing it around.

It cannot be coincidence that this was during the weeks that Orban was focused on EU matters. There have been a lot of stories and indications on to just what insane extent Orban micromanages everything. I reckon he kept changing his mind and/or reacted to happenings with a lag due to the mess with the EU. Ridiculous.

[Duque de Bragança]

Bunch of changes to the constitution have been voted on and accepted (shocking) by Parliament:

-"the mother is woman, the father is man"
-"Hungary protects children's rights to an identity matching their birth sex"
-"Hungary protects and ensures children's education according to Christian values"

Le Monde blew it by saying Hungary was enshrining the  traditional notion of gender (sic) i.e genre in the constitution.  Copy pasting AFP is risky sometimes. 

La Hongrie conservatrice de Viktor Orban n'en finit pas de restreindre les droits des minorités. Le Parlement a adopté mardi 15 décembre plusieurs textes anti-LGBT, l'un inscrivant la notion traditionnelle de « genre » (sic) dans la Constitution, l'autre interdisant de facto l'adoption aux couples de même sexe.

I guess Orban needed a diversion for something. The question is what exactly.

[Tamas]

Agreed. It is  important to remember that Orbán and at this point his entire party are an organised crime outfit holding a country hostage. Orbán never had any political convictions he kept with other than his own power.

[Tamas]

I guess Hungary is really getting deep into Russia territory now.

The 10th richest man in Hungary, one of the last remaining non-Orban allies of that wealth as I understand,has been arrested on a bribery charge. He has been constantly harassed by police these last couple of years, a big fertiliser factory of his especially has been on the wishlisht of one of Orban's allies apparently.

This particular case began in May. I mean, I have little doubt he did bribe some public official because in Hungary even in better times you could get no public contracts (only sure way to become really rich) without that of that I am fairly certain, and it is really done almost in the open nowadays.  But that means he is far from being unique in that.

Back in May he was the 5th richest so I guess things have took their toll. He claimed to some newspaper that he was privately offered to sell his wealth and leave the country quietly, otherwise he'd end up in prison. He took offense and decided to fight.

[Sheilbh]

Agreed. It is  important to remember that Orbán and at this point his entire party are an organised crime outfit holding a country hostage. Orbán never had any political convictions he kept with other than his own power.

Meanwhile, that party still sits in the largest party group in the EU alongside the mainstream centre-right like the CDU-CSU, the Moderates, Fine Gael, the Republicans etc

Article from Politico on the latest round of keeping Fidesz in the EPP:

Viktor Orbán's MEPs aim to dodge Parliament group expulsion
Senior members set to decide whether to vote to expel Hungarian party leader Tamás Deutsch.
By Maïa de La Baume and Hans von der Burchard   
December 15, 2020 9:22 pm

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party faces yet another test of whether it can maintain its place in the European Parliament's biggest political group. And yet again, it looks likely to cling on — for now.

Senior members of the European People's Party are set to decide Wednesday whether to hold a vote on potentially expelling the head of Hungary's Fidesz delegation in Parliament, Tamás Deutsch, after he compared comments made by EPP group leader Manfred Weber to the slogans of the Gestapo and Hungary's communist-era secret police.

Deutsch's remarks were the latest in a string of clashes between Fidesz and other EPP members, culminating in the group's suspension from party ranks last year. If a vote is held and Deutsch is expelled, it could prompt the rest of Fidesz's 12 MEPs to walk away from the EPP as well.

But despite the continued conflicts, among Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) delegation — the EPP's largest and most powerful group of MEPs and the sister party of Weber's Bavarian CSU — there is still reluctance to cast Fidesz out.

Deutsch apologized Tuesday to Weber and "all other colleagues" in an email to EPP members seen by POLITICO.

"It was a mistake on my part, for which I am sorry," Deutsch said in the email. "Also, I take back the unfortunate comparison I used. I hope that we can cool tensions and continue our work together for the betterment of our common European Union in a moment of crisis when unity is more needed than ever."

On Tuesday, after the apology was sent, some of the CDU's most senior members showed no signs that they were ready to sanction the governing Hungarian party, at least not immediately.

"I'm advocating that there be an intense debate on Wednesday and that we then use the Christmas season to reflect and make a decision in the new year," said Daniel Caspary, the head of the CDU delegation.

Last month, Deutsch told Hungarian television that the Gestapo and the AVO, Hungary's secret police during the communist era, had the "same slogan" as Weber's prior comments that "if you have nothing to hide, you don't have to be afraid." Weber was speaking about plans to link EU funding to rule of law standards, which Hungary had opposed.

Deutsch's criticism prompted almost 40 MEPs, led by Austrian MEP Othmar Karas and mainly from northern EU countries, to make a formal request to expel him from the EPP group. They argued that his comments were a "blatant and intolerable distortion of historic facts," and that the Hungarian MEP "must no longer undermine the EPP group credibility."

Expelling Deutsch would require a two-thirds majority of votes cast, according to group rules. Officials say this is unlikely within the 187-member group. Twenty-nine German MEPs and nearly 30 Spanish, Italian and French MEPs have defended Fidesz and Orbán despite accusations that Hungary is backsliding on rule of law standards. On Tuesday, Hungary faced further international criticism from LGBT rights advocates and others after its parliament passed amendments that would prevent same-sex couples from adopting children, and make it more difficult for single parents to adopt.

Insiders say expelling Deutsch has greater implications for Germany beyond the Parliament, with Chancellor Angela Merkel likely reluctant to sideline Orbán after reaching a compromise with Hungary and Poland on linking EU payments to respect for the rule of law so EU leaders could pass an historic €1.8 trillion budget-and-recovery package last week.

Some officials say Caspary may try to delay any vote on Deutsch's exclusion, and his colleagues would be inclined to follow the party line.

"Most German EPPs will not change their position ... while Merkel would postpone [the vote] until eternity," one German MEP said. Caspary has denied receiving instructions from Merkel on Deutsch.

One EPP insider said that "if the CDU expels Fidesz, Orbán will take it personally and will declare a war to German economical interests in Hungary ... For Merkel, expelling Fidesz is not a party decision, it is a state decision."

Still, since the vote would be carried out by secret ballot, there's a chance German MEPs could feel they have some wiggle room, especially those within the CDU and CSU who say they have grown tired of Fidesz's repeated provocations. Several officials said Weber himself is feeling fed up with Fidesz and told an internal EPP group meeting last week that "enough was enough."

"Caspary will be the great guilty one if no decision is taken tomorrow," the EPP insider said.

[Sheilbh]

In addition to the EPP issue seeing a lot of European journalists who cover Brussels are outraged after a press conference with Margethe Vestager (the Competition Commissioner) because the Commission press officer stopped/wouldn't allow questions about Hungary and Poland using competition law to shut down hostile media outlets. One Italian journalist said it was a "new low" for the institutions in dealing with Hungary and Poland. Apparently they've been asked to submit those questions in writing.

[Sheilbh]

So a bit of a slap on the wrist for Deutsch:

EPP sanctions head of Viktor Orbán's MEPs
Center-right group kicks can down the road on bigger question of whether to maintain ties with Hungarian party.
By Maïa de La Baume
December 17, 2020 12:31 am

The European People's Party decided to sanction but not expel the head of Hungary's ruling Fidesz party in the European Parliament after he made comments critical of the center-right bloc's leader.

The EPP said in a statement after the decision Wednesday evening that the group "strongly condemns" the statements made by MEP Tamás Deutsch, which it described as a "clear contradiction to European Christian Democracy and to EPP values."

Deutsch had sparked outrage among fellow EPP group members when he compared comments made by Parliament group leader Manfred Weber to the slogans of the Gestapo and Hungary's communist-era secret police.

A group of nearly 40 other EPP members, led by Austrian MEP Othmar Karas, had pushed to expel Deutsch from the group as a result.

According to Wednesday's statement, Deutsch will be denied all rights to speaking time in plenary on behalf of the EPP, and will be barred from holding any formal positions on behalf of the group, such as rapporteur, "until further decisions are made."

The sanctions stop short of the full expulsion Karas and others had called for, which would have required a two-thirds majority and may have prompted the rest of Fidesz's MEPs to leave the EPP as well. But the EPP statement said Karas' letter "remains on the table."

"My initiative had an impact: Tamas Deutsch has just been suspended," Karas tweeted. "I am glad that my motion triggered this debate, that the EPP group likewise condemned his unspeakable comparisons, and that there are now consequences."

The statement adopted by the group also kicks the can down the road on the bigger question of whether Fidesz should remain in the EPP: The group had faced mounting pressure to formally kick Fidesz out given long-running tensions and accusations that Hungary is backsliding on rule of law standards, culminating in the group's suspension from party ranks last year.

But German members have been reluctant to go so far, and they proposed the lighter suspension.

The statement adopted by the group — with 133 votes in favor to six against and three abstentions — says the EPP must "take a final decision on the membership of Fidesz immediately when health conditions allow this to happen." It also calls on Fidesz MEPs to "reflect on whether their fundamental political convictions still are compatible with the values and core content of the EPP Group."

Polish MEP Róża Thun said she was one of the six MEPs to vote against the statement, tweeting: "Dear Opinion Makers, if you intend to hammer #EPP tomorrow, I kindly inform you that I fought to expel #TamasDeutsch and voted against the text postponing the decision until 'health conditions allow this to happen'. I have lost. And #Orban opened another champagne!"

In a direct response to Thun's tweet, Deutsch said: "No comment. That's it."

Speaking on Hungary's Hír TV earlier Wednesday evening, Deutsch acknowledged that he had apologized to his EPP colleagues. He also said that when it comes to the criticism directed at him, it was necessary to "rise above it" with a "calm heart and smiling." Citing a friend's advice, the Hungarian politician said that "the wise person gets offended not when he is hurt, but when it is in his interest."

Insiders said expelling Deutsch could have also had greater implications for Germany beyond the Parliament, with Chancellor Angela Merkel likely reluctant to sideline Orbán after reaching a compromise with Hungary and Poland on linking EU payments to respect for the rule of law so EU leaders could pass a historic €1.8 trillion budget-and-recovery package last week.

Before Wednesday's decision, Karas said Fidesz was "dividing us within the parliamentary group," and that he hoped his motion would bring the group back together.

"Sanctions against Mr. Deutsch alone do not solve the problem of Fidesz in the EPP," Karas said ahead of the decision. "It is important to me that we do not go back to business as usual now."

Hans von der Burchard and Lili Bayer contributed reporting.

[Tamas]

Pathetic.