Hungarian Politics

[Ed Anger]

 

[Tamas]

The scary thought which is growing in me: how can losing an election stay an option for the FIDESZ leadership after these? They have created all this power "infrastructure", which could be very-very easily used against themselves, if they have to relinquish control. Their oligarchs etc. would be just as vulnerable to these private armies for example, as their enemies are right now.

How should I believe that they are planning to hold a fair election in 2 years, when they have built a monster which could destroy them if ever let go of?

[Tamas]

[Crazy_Ivan80]

The scary thought which is growing in me: how can losing an election stay an option for the FIDESZ leadership after these? They have created all this power "infrastructure", which could be very-very easily used against themselves, if they have to relinquish control. Their oligarchs etc. would be just as vulnerable to these private armies for example, as their enemies are right now.

How should I believe that they are planning to hold a fair election in 2 years, when they have built a monster which could destroy them if ever let go of?

leave the country while you still can.

[Zanza]

The scary thought which is growing in me: how can losing an election stay an option for the FIDESZ leadership after these? They have created all this power "infrastructure", which could be very-very easily used against themselves, if they have to relinquish control. Their oligarchs etc. would be just as vulnerable to these private armies for example, as their enemies are right now.

How should I believe that they are planning to hold a fair election in 2 years, when they have built a monster which could destroy them if ever let go of?

People on Paradox told me that the only problem is EU meddling in your internal affairs.

[Tamas]

yeah, I got two bad-boy points on the forum due to my reaction 

[Threviel]

yeah, I got two bad-boy points on the forum due to my reaction 

Seriously, why the fuck don't you get out before it's too late? Aren't you somewhat educated and shouldn't you be able to get a job in some other EU country?

[Valmy]

Maybe Tamas is a patriot and will not abandon mother Magyarország.

Or maybe he is still hoping to get one of those super hot Hungarian girls.

[Admiral Yi]

yeah, I got two bad-boy points on the forum due to my reaction 

Seriously, why the fuck don't you get out before it's too late? Aren't you somewhat educated and shouldn't you be able to get a job in some other EU country?

I thought you were telling Tamas to get out of the Paradox forum before it's too late.

[Barrister]

The scary thought which is growing in me: how can losing an election stay an option for the FIDESZ leadership after these? They have created all this power "infrastructure", which could be very-very easily used against themselves, if they have to relinquish control. Their oligarchs etc. would be just as vulnerable to these private armies for example, as their enemies are right now.

How should I believe that they are planning to hold a fair election in 2 years, when they have built a monster which could destroy them if ever let go of?

I dunno man - surely they know there's a line they simply can't cross without Europe putting some pretty massive sanctions in place / kicking them out of the EU.  And refusing to relinquish government after losing an election is that line.

[Tamas]

The scary thought which is growing in me: how can losing an election stay an option for the FIDESZ leadership after these? They have created all this power "infrastructure", which could be very-very easily used against themselves, if they have to relinquish control. Their oligarchs etc. would be just as vulnerable to these private armies for example, as their enemies are right now.

How should I believe that they are planning to hold a fair election in 2 years, when they have built a monster which could destroy them if ever let go of?

I dunno man - surely they know there's a line they simply can't cross without Europe putting some pretty massive sanctions in place / kicking them out of the EU.  And refusing to relinquish government after losing an election is that line.

Yes, of course, good point. Then again, they just replied to the EU regarding the laws the economy-related laws they didnt like. Apparently, they didn't fix what the EU didn't like, and changed what was oroginally okay. Asshatery and provocation when EU and IMF money is a matter of life and death since they won't do austerity.

In other words: I am not entirely dismissing the consipration theories which say that Orban is looking for a controlled defaulting of the country, to finish off the economic conquest of the country by his peers, and make a basis for his future autocratic means.

[Tamas]

Laszlo Kover, Chair of Parlaiment, and interim President (also future commander of that Parlai-police the NYT article wrote about) had an interview on their TV station.
The quotes reflect the attitude of these heroic fighters of EU opression:

It has been decided that not himself, but an other college buddy of Orban, Janos Ader, shall become President. Speaking about this, and the opposition's criticism on a party-soldier becoming Prez, he reflected that:
"MSZP [the socialists, main opposition party] would do better not to attend the inaguration of the President. At least their presence would not make the occation ugly" He also added:
"It would be better if they weren't in Parlaiment at all, I already talked about this. It is a moral scandal to have them there."

Sharing his wisdom on some whatever-stuff LMP (the new, hipster-ish leftie party) said:
"How dare a 11-12 people faction act like meaningful consultation starts when things go the way they want them to be? That's life, you should have earned more seats."

On LMP's failed attempt to start off a populist referendum:
"A busybody, agressive, arrogant minority dictates. They look like the worst days of SZDSZ [collapsed liberal party]. Unbelievable."

Further thoughts on the new President, and the recent scandal over his predecessor's plagiarism:

"I wonder what they will bring up against Ader. Maybe he ate someone's snacks in kindergarten, or committed household violence when he beat his sister. or I don't know, what will be the theme for the coming months."
"...just because some nobody, lowlife, pen-wielding terrorists think that they can hurt their political opponents most through him"

[Tamas]

The government unveiled a plan to the EU, which aims to prop up the budget by about 600 billion forints in 2013 (divide by about 290-300 to get the euro value).

Third of it will come from various small cost-cuts, the rest are new taxes. Such as the transaction and communication taxes I already mentioned, and some kind of "insurance tax".

A nice trivia about the cinicism is that a small entry among savings is the elimination of 3 minor taxes. One of which is the 98% tax on public employee severence payments, which they introduce at the start of their reign, and it went back to include all socialist-era dignitaries and their golden parachutes. (they were careful to cut the deadline before anyone from the first FIDESZ government would be affected, though).

In other words, now that nobody significant from the "enemy" remains in office, they will be free to reintroduce golden parachutes for their own people. And they sell this as a development.

[alfred russel]

In other words: I am not entirely dismissing the consipration theories which say that Orban is looking for a controlled defaulting of the country, to finish off the economic conquest of the country by his peers, and make a basis for his future autocratic means.

I'm not that well informed, but my understanding from when Orban took over was that Hungary was basically Greece without the euro (thus not much reason for anyone to bend over backward for them). Ie, a trainwreck was coming regardless of how the government behaved. Unless I was wrong, a controlled defaulting is probably the best the country can do.

[Sheilbh]

Tamas, what's the deal behind this?  What are the assurances?

1.11pm: There's some good news for Hungary, which has been stuck in a dispute with the European Commission over the independence of its central bank for the past five months.

The EC says it is satisfied with assurances from Budapest that its central bank law would be brought back in line with that of the European Union. That paves the way for talks over financial aid to stabilise Hungary's faltering economy.

There's been a war of words up to this point, with the EC questioning "the quality of democracy" in Hungary; and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban this week accusing the EU of setting unfair preconditions for talks.