I read the page-one article “US worried over democracy here” (The Budapest Times, 1-7 February 2013) and I feel that concerns by US officials about the lack of democracy in Hungary today are nothing short of suspicious and disingenuous. It is more likely that their concerns are a fear the Hungarian people are finally rid of the remnants of the pre-2010 socialist, liberal, left-leaning administration, and they did it through a free and democratic election.
Why was the US not concerned about the power in Hungary “concentrated in the hands of a few people” when the left-wing MSZP party was in power? I believe the Socialist government was an unethical bunch that decimated the national wealth without a referendum, and arguably there appears to me to be some evidence that they stole much of it for their own personal gain.
In 2006 the MSZP government, by their own admission, lied to the people to get re-elected, and when the people held peaceful demonstrations to express their frustration with the corrupt government, the police brutally suppressed it by charging into the crowd on horseback and shooting pepper gas and rubber bullets into their eyes.
Why did the US not express concern for the lack of democracy during that time?
Today, in an effort to discredit the current Hungarian government, the members of the MSZP party have even gone abroad to bend the ears of anyone who’s gullible enough to listen to their fabrications.
With all due respect, Hungary does not need any “advice” on democracy because we will continue to solve our internal affairs through democratically held elections, thank you.
Sincerely,
Joseph P. Veres
It is disingenuous on Mr. Veres’ part to attribute all corruption to MSZP, leaving the reader to believe that Fidesz has restored honesty, integrity and competence to governing Hungary. Fidesz has done no such thing. Its asset stripping has equaled, if not surpassed, that of MSZP. While successive Hungarian governments have looted the nation’s wealth only Fidesz is attempting to position itself to maintain permanently its control over the benefits and privileges that flow to the party in power.
Mr. Kadar, the current government under the FIDESZ, KDP and JOBBIK leadership is trying to undo the damage to the economy as well as democracy in Hungary, inflicted either intentionally or unintentionally due to incompetence, by the socialists during the last 23 years. There is now an aura of openness, transparency and a resurgence of ethical behavior in the Parliament, which was sadly missing during the previous socialist administrations.