Hungarian Politics

[Syt]

Well, looks like the law passed.

Vienna's vice-mayor has extended an invitation to the CEU to move to Vienna.

[Tamas]

Presently I see two possible scenarios:

-CEU was just a box to tick on a long list of "possible trouble spots to eliminate" a list they have been working on since 2011. They totally did not anticipate the scandal, but since the scandal is not bad for them, they are just rolling with it

-They were looking for a brawl and they were smart enough to realise CEU is a great target for that.
As I mentioned, they have just started a huge media campaign about "let's stop Brussels!" which seemed problematic, as though it has been in line with their rhetoric from the past half a year, Brussels, until this point, had not obliged them to start any rucus over anything.

So they were about to start a fight where the other side was not going to show up. They have that nicely covered now, with the exact suspicious international elite they have been warning their followers about, rallying to save CEU. Which is of course just proves the long reach of Soros.

[Tamas]

Oh and one of the conspiracy theories is that Putin during his February visit ordered Orban to close CEU, as it is considered a spy base and a tool to plant agents to Russia, by the Russians.

[Tamas]

Next ones up are NGOs.

This week they'll file the bill that will force all NGOs receiving over around 25 thousand dollars in foreign donations to register with the state and make their finances public.

Those who receive aid from abroad will also have to include a notification on all their publications that states they are "an organisation funded from abroad"

By the end of this year, the EU will truly have a mini Russia within its borders. And will do nothing about it.

[celedhring]

It seems that right now the EU has too many fires to put off, and it's abandoning this one. But we should show up. One of the big minuses of the Brits fucking off is that it shrinks the ranks of liberal nations within the EU.

[Tamas]

Also Hungary has signed a nuclear deal with Iran to build small scale nuclear reactors together for sale to African and Asian countries 

[The Brain]

Also Hungary has signed a nuclear deal with Iran to build small scale nuclear reactors together for sale to African and Asian countries 

[Tonitrus]

African managed nuclear reactors?  What could go wrong...

[The Brain]

African managed nuclear reactors?  What could go wrong...

They haven't blown up yet.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Also Hungary has signed a nuclear deal with Iran to build small scale nuclear reactors together for sale to African and Asian countries 

sounds like a plot to stop migrants by irradiating them at the source...

[Tamas]

Right now the pro-CEU demonstration, is/was the demonstration closest to turning violent since 2010. I am watching it live on a journalist's FB feed.

the more hardcore couple of thousand people decided to march on the Fidesz headquarters, the and the riot police stopped them in a fairly tight street.

The crowd tried to push through (not violently, just pushing against police) when that failed the police cohort pushed forward and was probably minutes away from creating a stanpede as they pushed people against each other in the tight space. Luckily they stopped.

Now there is a standoff that I think is going to see the end of the demonstration.

[Tamas]

The CEU law has been signed by the President. A spontaneous demonstration in front of his office attracted around 1500 people, they are still marching through Budapest.

I have big respect for the demonstrators, who are mostly young people. But I am almost certain this will die down without achieving anything. I don't think a private university owned by the Jewish villain of the year will do much to unite the country behind them, even if for most of them I believe this was just the final straw, and the realisation that their hopes of being able to live some remotely modern/free life under Orban is impossible, and they are not specifically on the street to just save CEU.

[Richard Hakluyt]

When we talk about free movement it is usually in the context of the host nations. I'm equally interested in what happens in what one might call the "donor" nations.

So Hungary has a nasty small-minded government. It is also a relatively poor part of the EU. One has to wonder what proportion of the bright, liberal-minded and well-educated youth leave in disgust. It makes it easier for Orban to run the place but is pretty disastrous for Hungary of course.

The worst case of this in the EU is probably Bulgaria, which is experiencing demographic collapse. Apparently the overwhelming majority of new doctors, for example, simply leave http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25014725

[Josquius]

Many Eastern European countries seem to have the same problem the UK has but on a much greater scale.
You've the capital. Which is really doing quite well. Warsaw us emerging as the new Berlin as Berlin is selling out, Budapest too is apparently popular with a certain set.
They're really becoming rich international cities with lots of very good jobs.
... Then you've the rest. Berift of industry and with minimal government interest in trying to fix things you've a situation where you get out or slowly rot.

[Tamas]

Many Eastern European countries seem to have the same problem the UK has but on a much greater scale.
You've the capital. Which is really doing quite well. Warsaw us emerging as the new Berlin as Berlin is selling out, Budapest too is apparently popular with a certain set.
They're really becoming rich international cities with lots of very good jobs.
... Then you've the rest. Berift of industry and with minimal government interest in trying to fix things you've a situation where you get out or slowly rot.

It's a cultural thing. As always in history, big cities are on the forefront of cultural change. There are far more differences between the middle-class/young portion of Budapest and the rural parts of Hungary, than there are between middle-class/young Budapest and middle class/young London, for example, and I am quite sure the same is true for most countries.