Hungarian Politics

[alfred russel]

Oh and other people seem to have heard what I did but could not believe: the PM said (IIRC after dissing the EU as an oppressive organization that "they (not-defined foreigners who "disrespect" us) should give us respect, because nazism and communism was not invented by Hungarians!"

Can you figure out, which country he meant?

If he wasnt my country's PM, I would find this awesomely funny.

What is crazy isn't so much that he is the EU president, but that in 40 years when Hungary is dragged into the 1st world by the EU, anyone who digs through old quotes like this is going to think he was insane.

[Valmy]

It's just fucking priceless, when -as part of his speech to a huge crowd on our national holiday about the start of our 1848 extravaganza- the Prime Minister, curent leader of the EU, draws a connection between the Vienna of 1848 times, Moscow of Soviet fame, and Brussels of present.

Hungary applied and was granted admission into the Austrian and Soviet empires?  That was generous of Vienna and Moscow to let them in.

[alfred russel]

It's just fucking priceless, when -as part of his speech to a huge crowd on our national holiday about the start of our 1848 extravaganza- the Prime Minister, curent leader of the EU, draws a connection between the Vienna of 1848 times, Moscow of Soviet fame, and Brussels of present.

Hungary applied and was granted admission into the Austrian and Soviet empires?  That was generous of Vienna and Moscow to let them in.

It kind of did, actually--especially the austrian one.

[alfred russel]

It kind of did, actually--especially the austrian one.

I think I was getting Hungary confused with Romania at the end of WWII. 

[Tamas]

lol, more embarassing trivia from our national  holiday.

The actual historical day's focal point was a young poet, Petofi, who was quite a liberal guy. He was already a known poet back then but raised to total fame on the 15th of March 1848, as he mobilized the youth of Budapest that day to rise up.

So anyway, he wrote a somewhat lengty poem the next day, praising the results of their revolution.
As part of the official celebration this Tuesday, this poem was performed by a woman.

Except that, she left out about third of the poem. Surprise surprise, that part was the fanboyish happy ravings over the importance of the censorship-free press they achieved, plus the closing part mentioning Napoleon's glory (as a thing to be not favorized over the prior day's glory)

Seriously. They thought nobody would notice? That they censor the iconic poet of the event in question? That they leave out the part which would remind the auidence of their epic fail with their dictatorial media law?
They really failed to see the irony in celebrating the short-lived victory of liberal freedoms, by censoring the very people they pretended to idolize?

[Jacob]

That's tragic and comic in about equal measures.

[Valmy]

Seriously. They thought nobody would notice? That they censor the iconic poet of the event in question? That they leave out the part which would remind the auidence of their epic fail with their dictatorial media law?
They really failed to see the irony in celebrating the short-lived victory of liberal freedoms, by censoring the very people they pretended to idolize?

Communist states did stuff like that all the time during the Soviet Empire.  I remember the East German being arrested for quoting Rosa Luxemburg in Luxemburg square...he had a sign saying "freedom is the freedom to dissent" or something similar.

[KRonn]

lol, more embarassing trivia from our national  holiday.

The actual historical day's focal point was a young poet, Petofi, who was quite a liberal guy. He was already a known poet back then but raised to total fame on the 15th of March 1848, as he mobilized the youth of Budapest that day to rise up.

So anyway, he wrote a somewhat lengty poem the next day, praising the results of their revolution.
As part of the official celebration this Tuesday, this poem was performed by a woman.

Except that, she left out about third of the poem. Surprise surprise, that part was the fanboyish happy ravings over the importance of the censorship-free press they achieved, plus the closing part mentioning Napoleon's glory (as a thing to be not favorized over the prior day's glory)

Seriously. They thought nobody would notice? That they censor the iconic poet of the event in question? That they leave out the part which would remind the auidence of their epic fail with their dictatorial media law?
They really failed to see the irony in celebrating the short-lived victory of liberal freedoms, by censoring the very people they pretended to idolize?

Heh... I'm half expecting one of the next national rebellions to occur in Hungary! After all your nation went through dealing with, and against, Communist Totalitarianism, I'd expect higher expectations and loftier goals than this mess your politicians are putting you into.   

[Razgovory]

I found out recently that the Hungarian Fahdiz party is allied with the GOP.

[Tamas]

The planned new constitution will be presented to the EU today.

But they still try the old trick: they left out the less EU-friendly parts from the translation (like giving voting rights for the Hungarians living accross the border, or lifelong prison sentences), and they completely left out the preamble with those ridicoulous archaic shits in it.

[Martinus]

Seriously. They thought nobody would notice? That they censor the iconic poet of the event in question? That they leave out the part which would remind the auidence of their epic fail with their dictatorial media law?
They really failed to see the irony in celebrating the short-lived victory of liberal freedoms, by censoring the very people they pretended to idolize?

Communist states did stuff like that all the time during the Soviet Empire.  I remember the East German being arrested for quoting Rosa Luxemburg in Luxemburg square...he had a sign saying "freedom is the freedom to dissent" or something similar.

The difference is communist states had much better (and usable) repression apparatus and the ultimate threat of Soviet intervention if people got too uppity.

In countries like Hungary (or Poland under PiS) that are part of the EU, with people having access to the internet and being able to travel freely abroad, such attempts are a temporary annoyance that look rather farcical in retrospect.

[Jacob]

The planned new constitution will be presented to the EU today.

But they still try the old trick: they left out the less EU-friendly parts from the translation (like giving voting rights for the Hungarians living accross the border, or lifelong prison sentences), and they completely left out the preamble with those ridicoulous archaic shits in it.

Does that really work? Will no one they're presenting it to get their own translation done?

[Tamas]

The planned new constitution will be presented to the EU today.

But they still try the old trick: they left out the less EU-friendly parts from the translation (like giving voting rights for the Hungarians living accross the border, or lifelong prison sentences), and they completely left out the preamble with those ridicoulous archaic shits in it.

Does that really work? Will no one they're presenting it to get their own translation done?

Thats what makes it exceptionally stupid

[Tamas]

A fresh modification-proposal to the new constitution would have the Constitutional Court work based on not just the constitution, but also on the so called "cornerstone laws" ie. the laws needing 2/3rd majority.

In other words, the new way is: 2/3rd laws = articles of the constitution

There is one immedaite reason we know why this is needed: a new religion law is in works which will stop the equailty between churches, and favourize the historical religions in regards to state funds, and would make the creation of new religions (which was of course a great, great tax evasion tool, so its not just negative) much much harder.

But needless to say a lof of the country's life is / will be handled by 2/3rd laws, basically rendering the Const. Court entirely meaningless and devoid of any power.

[Liep]

I will be going to Budapest in about two weeks.. will I be: safe?