Hungarian Politics

[Solmyr]

[Tamas]

One of the bills that has just made it into law despite the chaos was the final neutering of the courts.

The government now will establish a "special court" where all cases concerning the management of public affairs (so including all corruption charges on public figures and the like) will go. Judges for this special court will be appointed by the Justice Minister, unlike for the regular courts where an independent body of judges decides on appointments. Fidesz has been trying hard to inflitrate and take over this organisation but they have had only partial success until now. This law eliminates that problem. Independent judges will continue to decide in cases that do not concern the rulers. The cases that do concern them will be handled by their own people.

[Tamas]

I was watching live a few hundred protesters in a phalanx-style pushing-match with riot police on the stairs of Parliament. The two guys streaming just had to retreat from the first line after getting a face-ful of pepper spray. They are brave people but there are very few of them compared to the evilness of the laws accepted today, and there are far more police than protesters. It's hopeless.

[The Brain]

I was watching live a few hundred protesters in a phalanx-style pushing-match with riot police on the stairs of Parliament. The two guys streaming just had to retreat from the first line after getting a face-ful of pepper spray. They are brave people but there are very few of them compared to the evilness of the laws accepted today, and there are far more police than protesters. It's hopeless.

I'll wait for BB to weigh in.

[Barrister]

I was watching live a few hundred protesters in a phalanx-style pushing-match with riot police on the stairs of Parliament. The two guys streaming just had to retreat from the first line after getting a face-ful of pepper spray. They are brave people but there are very few of them compared to the evilness of the laws accepted today, and there are far more police than protesters. It's hopeless.

I'll wait for BB to weigh in.

I'm about 172 right now.

[The Brain]

I was watching live a few hundred protesters in a phalanx-style pushing-match with riot police on the stairs of Parliament. The two guys streaming just had to retreat from the first line after getting a face-ful of pepper spray. They are brave people but there are very few of them compared to the evilness of the laws accepted today, and there are far more police than protesters. It's hopeless.

I'll wait for BB to weigh in.

I'm about 172 right now.

OK katmai.

Oh you probably mean pounds, I was thinking stone.

[Tamas]

Hod bless technology. You can see on live stream as a journalist gets pepper-sprayed straight into his eyes and into the mobile camera he is holding.

[Barrister]

I was watching live a few hundred protesters in a phalanx-style pushing-match with riot police on the stairs of Parliament. The two guys streaming just had to retreat from the first line after getting a face-ful of pepper spray. They are brave people but there are very few of them compared to the evilness of the laws accepted today, and there are far more police than protesters. It's hopeless.

I'll wait for BB to weigh in.

I'm about 172 right now.

OK katmai.

Oh you probably mean pounds, I was thinking stone.

Ideally I should try and drop around 10 pounds. 

[Tamas]

Government's press guy: last night's protest was anti-Christian, anti-Christmas violence perpetrated by organisations on Soros' payroll.

[Tamas]

Not exactly Paris, but hey. Unfortunately our hooligans are all with the far-right, which is on government.

[The Larch]

One of the bills that has just made it into law despite the chaos was the final neutering of the courts.

The government now will establish a "special court" where all cases concerning the management of public affairs (so including all corruption charges on public figures and the like) will go. Judges for this special court will be appointed by the Justice Minister, unlike for the regular courts where an independent body of judges decides on appointments. Fidesz has been trying hard to inflitrate and take over this organisation but they have had only partial success until now. This law eliminates that problem. Independent judges will continue to decide in cases that do not concern the rulers. The cases that do concern them will be handled by their own people.

Isn't that similar to what Poland tried to do that got them bitchslapped by the EU into submission?

[Tamas]

One of the bills that has just made it into law despite the chaos was the final neutering of the courts.

The government now will establish a "special court" where all cases concerning the management of public affairs (so including all corruption charges on public figures and the like) will go. Judges for this special court will be appointed by the Justice Minister, unlike for the regular courts where an independent body of judges decides on appointments. Fidesz has been trying hard to inflitrate and take over this organisation but they have had only partial success until now. This law eliminates that problem. Independent judges will continue to decide in cases that do not concern the rulers. The cases that do concern them will be handled by their own people.

Isn't that similar to what Poland tried to do that got them bitchslapped by the EU into submission?

IIRC they wanted to get all the courts under the government's  direct control. Orban's people are much smarter: who cares who rules over divorces, petty crimes, etc? They already control the chief attorney anyways. But every case where the state is one of parties will go to this special court. Including stuff where citizens will have an argument with it.

[Valmy]

I find it a little interesting how Austria, home of the centralizing and tyrannical Habsburgs, have adapted to democratic institutions so well. On the other hand: Hungary, who fought so long to preserve their institutions from those same Habsburgs, has embraced centralized arbitrary authoritarianism every chance it has gotten since independence.

Granted Austria had a few issues from 1919 until 1945.

[Barrister]

I find it a little interesting how Austria, home of the centralizing and tyrannical Habsburgs, have adapted to democratic institutions so well. On the other hand: Hungary, who fought so long to preserve their institutions from those same Habsburgs, has embraced centralized arbitrary authoritarianism every chance it has gotten since independence.

Granted Austria had a few issues from 1919 until 1945.

Well Hungary did have some pretty serious issues from 1945-1989...

[The Brain]

I find it a little interesting how Austria, home of the centralizing and tyrannical Habsburgs, have adapted to democratic institutions so well. On the other hand: Hungary, who fought so long to preserve their institutions from those same Habsburgs, has embraced centralized arbitrary authoritarianism every chance it has gotten since independence.