Opposition shun investiture of Pál Schmitt as head of state.

Pál Schmitt was invested as Hungary’s new president last Friday in front of prime minister Viktor Orbán and some 200 invited dignitaries. Notable absences included his predecessor László Sólyom and representatives of the opposition Socialist Party (MSZP) and green party LMP.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (8) | Views: 631

A traditional fireworks display will be held on the Danube at 9pm on 20 August to round off the capital’s celebrations of Nation Day. This year the theme is solidarity with the victims of the floods that hit in late spring after the wettest May on record. Some 500 children from flood-afflicted areas – the relatively impoverished northeast was particularly badly hit – will be shuttled into the capital.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (9) | Views: 663

The change of government has brought a series of personnel changes at the top of the law and order bodies. The aim according to Fidesz is to restore public security and raise the effectiveness of police operations. 
New national police chief József Hatala has stressed that the latest public security strategy aims to improve the populace’s feeling of security.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (10) | Views: 760

Sexist decision enters grey area.

The government has decided to make it possible for any woman who has worked 40 years to retire no matter what her age. Since very few women have spent this much time in the labour force it is unlikely the decision will have much impact on state pension finances. Yet the rule – trivial though it may seem – represents a risky step in the wrong direction. It sends a bad signal to international investors and financial institutions who want the government to use its bulletproof parliamentary majority to push through changes that will stabilise Hungary’s bloated state welfare system, not increase its burdens.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (9) | Views: 857

Some controversial aspects of media reform axed, but power centralised.

It was a big misunderstanding. That’s what the governing Fidesz party wants us to believe about its media-reform package, which has garnered condemnation from free-press advocates across Europe. The intent is not to restrict press freedom, but to clarify it, Fidesz parliamentary media committee chairman László L. Simon said last Wednesday. Antal Rogán, the bill’s co-sponsor, said the true aim is to set uniform standards for reporting and to protect journalists.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (14) | Views: 476

Not acting like MSZP of great importance to Fidesz.

Negotiations between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán turned into an open conflict after the delegation of the IMF and the European Commission upped and left Hungary the weekend before last.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (17) | Views: 521

Order to post declaration brings back memories of state socialism.

The biggest political calamities are sometimes the consequence of the most obvious political mistakes. This may be the case with the new Declaration of National Cooperation, the 300-word political credo (translated above) that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has ordered displayed in all central government buildings and military institutions.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (25) | Views: 765

Sólyom a man of the Constitution, Schmitt likely not.

It has now become clear that László Sólyom will not be re-elected as president. It is almost certain that Pál Schmitt will succeed him. Sólyom is closely linked to the Constitution of 1989. That raises the question of whether Sólyom is being replaced to remove the last obstacle to rewriting the Constitution of the change of regime.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (26) | Views: 733

Just like election victories, defeats have their own choreography. Is what that is happening now in the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) party what would be expected after such a crushing defeat, or is the MSZP capable of surprising us? In analysing the MSZP congress held earlier this month we will seek to answer three questions: 1. How has the MSZP faced up to the defeat? 2. Is any kind of opposition strategy emerging? 3. What kind of personnel makeup is taking shape?

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (31) | Views: 701

Barely two weeks in office, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's administration has experienced a change of fortunes so rapid that onlookers might get whiplash. On 7 June, the Financial Times said Hungary's new leaders had "badly bungled" their takeover of power, notably after leaders of Orbán's Fidesz party sent the forint into a tailspin with some reckless comments on the economy. Just two days later, former Finance Minister Péter Oszkó - himself the victim of blistering Fidesz attacks while in office - described Orbán's new economic action plan as "a stroke of genius." What happened?

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (30) | Views: 801

Fidesz acts with grace in power, but not afraid to show its strength.

The new government is here. Viktor Orbán was sworn in for the second time as prime minister (the first cabinet he led governed Hungary from 1998 to 2002) and the government’s eight ministers and 44 state secretaries were appointed. It will take time for the work of the new ministries to really get going, but there have already been important decisions on dual citizenship, the National Day of Unity, the legal status of government representatives, and legislation on local government elections is on track. It is already certain that the number of MPs will halve from 2014 and the parliamentary representation of Hungarian national and ethnic minorities will become possible.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (41) | Views: 1009

Reading into Fidesz’s declarations and rhetoric it is communicating.

While a raft of bills has been submitted to parliament, and debate on proposed legislation of varying weight and importance is underway, the general public can acquaint itself with several new terms. In addition to the concept of revolution at the ballot boxes, the constituent national assembly and the system-founding parliament, the concept of the system of “National Cooperation” has provoked the most interest and is likely to occupy political commentators and analysts for some time.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (43) | Views: 1083

History will judge if there is a revolution in the making.

The new parliament has formed, whose work the prime minister-elect described as “revolutionary”. After the second election round Viktor Orbán told his supporters and rivals that there had been a revolution at the ballots, creating a "system of national cooperation".

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (47) | Views: 919

Fidesz does not like Simor, but may have to live with him.

Prime Minister-designate Viktor Orbán, having demolished all comers in last month’s elections, is still spoiling for a fight. The day after his Fidesz party scooped up 68 per cent of the seats in Parliament, Orbán took aim at Hungarian National Bank (MNB) Governor András Simor, whom Fidesz blames for bad monetary policy and unethical business dealings. “I want to be proud of (the bank) and its managers,” Orbán said on April 26. “It’s not a place for offshore knights.”

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (49) | Views: 1279

Renewal talk is fine, but will the old guard get out of the way?

The apparent renewal of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) was already on the agenda between the two election rounds. The months ahead will be about the party’s renewal, or at least gearing up for it, while the question is how successful it can be in the shadow of the ancien régime still cast over it.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (51) | Views: 1126

Fidesz facing an imbalance within its powerbase.

Fidesz, the party that scored an unassailable majority Hungary’s parliament this month, may discover that it has pitched its tent too wide. What began as a group of 37 anti-communist university students in 1988 is now a party supported by economic liberals, trade unionists, students, pensioners, farmers and religious conservatives. They are united in their loyalty to prime minister-in-waiting Viktor Orbán. Yet these groups’ priorities are so urgent – and their goals so divergent – even the most skillful political architect would find it hard to prevent cracks from appearing in the foundations.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (55) | Views: 1267

Viktor Orbán, the man whom voters booted out of the prime minister’s office in 2002 and rejected again four years later, has surged back with a vengeance. The Socialists who mocked him are crushed and humiliated. The Hungarian Democratic Forum, an erstwhile ally that turned on Orbán in the early 2000s, has been obliterated from the political landscape. And he did it all without taking a single concrete position on any issue of substance.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (65) | Views: 1218

Newcomers show strength; old parties prove weakness.

The collection of recommendation slips that closed on 19 March proved to be a bigger hurdle for the parties than ever before. As a result of this, just three political forces have been able to field candidates in every constituency: Fidesz, Jobbik and the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). Collecting recommendation slips was a much bigger challenge for the Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party and the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), who will each field candidates in roughly half of Hungary’s constituencies.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (73) | Views: 1146

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (79) | Views: 1287

Strange bedfellows are made in Hungarian politics The first round of Hungary’s elections on April 11 will fundamentally change the country’s political landscape. The political dividing line may shift radically: Instead of a left-right split, politicians of all ideological stripes may find themselves making a common stand against right-wing radicals. Hitherto unthinkable cooperation between the governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and the right-wing opposition Fidesz party may start taking shape as soon as the first round is over.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (83) | Views: 1169

On 30 June 2009 the Parliament of the Republic of Slovakia amended the Law on State Language, prompting protests from the Hungarian minority comprising some 10% of Slovakia’s population. The intensity of the dispute arising between new members Hungary and Slovakia on the amendment caught the European Union’s institutions by surprise, which then in turn proved unable to settle the issue. The anti-Hungarian policy that reached its apogee in the form of the amendment of the state language law can alienate the Hungarian minority of half a million people in the young Slovak state and may turn their orientation toward Hungary across an open Schengen border.   

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (116) | Views: 1478

Advanced talks on running jointly in the coming parliamentary elections are underway between the respective leaderships of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ). Although MDF chairwoman Ibolya Dávid asked the public to be patient in her statement made last Wednesday on the question of the alliance, the move would fit in with the MDF’s strategy of piecing together smaller and larger voter groups.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (96) | Views: 1194

Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán gave a speech at where he dedicated a national flag in Nagytétény, District XXII on 23 October. The following week former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány spoke on the 20th anniversary of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). There were surprising similarities between the speeches. Both used raised voices to warn of imagined and real risks posed by the rival party. While striking such a tone is not unusual for Orbán, it was atypical of Gyurcsány, who retired from politics half a year ago. 

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (114) | Views: 1464

Give credit to the governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)’s PR people. Twenty years ago, they helped transform Gyula Horn, the former communist who helped the Soviets defeat Hungary in the 1956 Revolution, into the man who the greatest number of Hungarians wanted to be prime minister in 1994.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (97) | Views: 1235

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (89) | Views: 1261

Before making any comment on the results of the Csorna and Józsefváros (District VIII) by-elections, we should note that far-reaching conclusions cannot be drawn from the results of one local election. If, however, we look at the two together and also take into consideration opinion poll trends since 2006, the results of the referendum and the European Parliament elections, and the results of several by-elections, then we can nevertheless reach some conclusions.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (113) | Views: 1502

The debate on pensions came to a head last Monday, as both Fidesz and the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) began collecting signatures, with fairly similar questions, accusing each other of threatening the social security of pensioners. Meanwhile the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) was keen to ensure that its difficulties cooperating with the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) was not the only news reported about the party.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (92) | Views: 1144

At the beginning of the year everyone seeks to predict the possible changes in politics and public life in the year to come.  This is made easier by considering the experiences of 2009 in four key areas. In terms of the economy the main issue was the crisis, which had left Hungary on the edge of bankruptcy and having just been bailed out by the IMF, the EU and the World Bank.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (88) | Views: 1133

The leadership of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) unanimously decided to recommend Lajos Bokros as the party’s prime ministerial candidate on 26 November. The appearance of the former finance minister on the MDF’s list illustrates the journey that the MDF has travelled, although the party says that it is in exactly the same place as when it was under the stewardship of József Antall in 1990.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (103) | Views: 1483

Two-thirds of Hungarians say that they are worse off today than before the change of regime and are dissatisfied with the current functioning of democracy. According to the vast majority of Hungarians, the outlook is bleak and the country’s economic situation is dismal; and if they had to choose between a steady economy and a well-functioning democracy, then they would choose the former by an overwhelming quotient of 72-20.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (102) | Views: 1392

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (103) | Views: 1493

Corruption is whatever we are not included in, the saying goes. Its origins are unclear, but it accurately describes the hypocrisy of most Hungarians. While everybody reasonably points the finger at corrupt officials, public companies and private firms profiting from corruption, in everyday life there are many people who themselves break the law. As a result, a prime ministerial pronouncement and a dusted-off proposal to establish a new anti-corruption office stands little chance of resolving these problems.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (101) | Views: 1454

A recently published essay proposes that Fidesz, a party with a large following but which is not sufficiently responsive to “quality”, and the Hungarian Democratic Party (MDF), a party that represents political “quality” but with an insignificant number of voters, should finally join forces. Members of the public did not really react to the proposal, or if they did, they immediately realised that there is no chance of collaboration, given the poor relationship between the two parties, even if the thought behind the collaboration was well-intentioned and would serve to keep out extremist parties, as is the case in western Europe.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (97) | Views: 1482

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (86) | Views: 1219

The leader of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) announced last Tuesday that it would dissolve the coalition that has led Budapest since 1994, with the rolling Budapest Public Transport (BKV) contract scandals a key factor in the disintegration.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (96) | Views: 1455

The German general election with its 70.8% turnout on 27 September was another milestone of the strengthening of the right wing across Europe. It continued the long decline of the left in the form of social democracy that took on critical dimensions in the summer European Parliament elections.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (105) | Views: 1416

The Hungarian political party system was uncharacteristically stable in the post-millennial years. It was the era of the 2+1+1 set-up of Fidesz against the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)-Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) coaltion with the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) in opposition to the MSZP-SZDSZ, and at the same time declared a traitor by Fidesz.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (92) | Views: 1455

Slovak-Hungarian relations have greatly deteriorated between neighboring Hungary and Slovakia, both member countries of NATO and the EU.  The source of the deepening tension has been the passage, on June 30, 2009, of additional restrictive amendments to the Meciar era Slovak State Law 270 of 1995. These restrictive amendments were passed even after the Hungarian minority in Slovakia and Hungary herself expressed their concerns.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (121) | Views: 2038

Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán has been giving programmatic speeches and writing programmatic articles during the summer heatwave. His thoughts on the arrival of the right-wing period and the development of the central party system can be interpreted as a political message and not simply as a situation analysis.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (137) | Views: 2092

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (75) | Views: 1247

The ovation given to the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) prime ministerial candidate Attila Mesterházy’s speech on Saturday, 20 February brought back memories of Ferenc Gyurcsány’s triumphant debut as prime ministerial candidate that instantly won over MSZP supporters at the party congress in September 2004.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (82) | Views: 1170

The Politics Can Be Different party (LMP) seeks to change Hungarian politics based on the non-governmental experience of the founders. The agenda of the party and its political activity so far indicate the possibilities of the organisation, but also point to the decisions that the LMP will be forced to make.

Comments (1) | Add as favourites (126) | Views: 1819

The disastrous start of the second Gyurcsány government led to huge losses in the 2006 local government elections for the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) who were at that time in a governing coalition. When junior partner SZDSZ was practically wiped out outside  of Budapest, the local election result prompted Gábor Kuncze’s resignation as party chairman.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (121) | Views: 1715

Viktor Orbán as a natural born politician used his traditional state-of-the-nation speech to unite Fidesz’s existing voting camp. The MDF’s Lajos Bokros, on the other hand, playing the role of an outside expert keeping the politicians in order, put himself forward as leader of the anti-Orbán camp.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (75) | Views: 1026

The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) is reported to be planning an offensive in August to recover from its deep slump in popularity. Currently it is not clear what this effort will achieve: some leaders of the party even think that it could win the coming elections, but looking at the facts this appears unlikely. The aim instead is to face up to the situation and develop a longer term strategy which could be implemented during its likely years in opposition (far-reaching changes within a party never occur when it is in government).

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (111) | Views: 1690

The power struggle within the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) has partly been decided, as indicated by the comment made by party chairwoman Ildikó Lendvai last Wednesday that the Socialists are not considering early elections. While Gyula Horn and Ferenc Gyurcsány frequently tried – and succeeded – to force their debating partners into a corner by issuing public remarks, based on Lendvai’s approach to the position of party leader, we can conclude that she was stating something that had already been agreed within the party.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (125) | Views: 1710

The European Parliament election results have been interpreted in various ways over the last two weeks. Some have diagnosed a shake up of the entire party system; others have spoken of an irreversible shift to the right; while still others have pointed to the radicalisation of Hungarian domestic politics.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (134) | Views: 1836

The outcome of the European Parliament election is causing serious headaches for the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ). The liberals need to elect new officials after party chairman Gábor Fodor stood down and a number of senior figures announced their resignations from the SZDSZ executive board. The question among the Socialists is whether a power struggle will open up.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (126) | Views: 1895

The European Parliament elections in Hungary were primarily about domestic politics rather than EU issues. Since the results were announced, the parties and the media have focused almost exclusively on the impact on domestic politics.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (128) | Views: 1876

The centre-right Fidesz won the European Parliamentary elections in Hungary on the 7th June; the turnout was 36 per cent. The governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) came second with 17 per cent of the votes, while the third place was taken by the extreme right Jobbik with 14 per cent. In addition, the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) will send one MEP to Strasbourg with its 5.3 per cent. For the first time since the regime-change, the left-liberal Free Democrat Alliance (SZDSZ) failed to pass the 5 per cent threshold, scoring barely over 2.1 per cent.  

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (137) | Views: 1876

The government announced during the IMF EU visit that it expects a 6.7% decline in GDP, rather than the 5.5-6% previously anticipated. However, according to the EU and IMF representatives the world economy may start to gradually grow in the second half of 2009, with the progression speeding up in 2010, although all predictions are extremely tentative at present.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (147) | Views: 1813

The most striking change following the appointment of a new prime minister and the formation of a new government has been at the foreign ministry, one sign of which is the announcement that Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai has invited his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico to Budapest.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (146) | Views: 1862

The likely winner of the European Parliament elections, Fidesz, has launched its campaign. The party’s message on the billboards that have gone up is incredibly simple: “enough” and “vote”.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (151) | Views: 1744

From time to time the debate flares up in Hungarian public life as to whether the opposition party preparing to come into power has an economic policy programme or not. The party’s rivals argue that it does not have a programme, while unsurprisingly Fidesz itself argues that it does. But what can conclude if we look at Fidesz from outside, as neither a political opponent, nor a dedicated supporter? Can an unbiased analysis confirm the claims of Fidesz’s rivals that it cannot be trusted with leading the country (i.e. early elections cannot be held) because it has no idea what to do once in power?

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (155) | Views: 1797

In many respects the programme released by the interim government of experts lead by Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai contains little new. Firstly, the Bajnai government is expressly continuing the spending cut plans of the last period of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) government. Secondly, the crisis management plan follows the path of earlier programmes put forth by his predecessor Ferenc Gyurcsány.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (145) | Views: 1942

Following the turmoil of recent weeks a consolidation process is getting underway in Hungarian political life. Everyone is aware that radical changes are likely in one year at most. Nevertheless, it is worth taking a look at the situation at the beginning of the post-Gyurcsány period.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (169) | Views: 1923

The struggle to find a new prime minister has overshadowed the question of what the future holds for Ferenc Gyurcsány, who unexpectedly resigned/was pressured to resign as prime minister and party chairman. Many people seem to have written off Gyurcsány in a split second, including those who in recent months did nothing other than try to prove that he was maniacally clinging onto power.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (173) | Views: 1846

Although it is not always easy to predict which way the wind is blowing in politics, the old adage rings particularly true these days. When this analysis was written last Wednesday evening, the process of forming a government seemed to be stalling, but none of those concerned seemed willing to draw the final conclusions yet.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (185) | Views: 1861

Hungarians are taking great  offense with Romania as the authorities – of a fellow EU and NATO member state, no less – revoked the landing permit of President László Sólyom. As a result, the president of Hungary travelled by car to the Nyergestető 15 March celebrations in Transylvania.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (160) | Views: 2014

By choosing former finance minister Lajos Bokros to head its list of candidates for MEP posts, the leadership of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) is hoping that the Bokros brand and his reputation as a reformer will allow the party to become an important player in crisis management and reform politics.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (151) | Views: 1956

Observers of domestic politics will have witnessed a strange duality in the behaviour of the largest opposition party, Fidesz in recent weeks. While hoping for a clear victory in the coming European Parliament elections, it has been reluctant to put forward a concrete response or programme to tackle the worsening economic and political crisis, the party’s chairman Viktor Orbán has been unusually active abroad and in connection with European questions.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (158) | Views: 1991

A few days ago the Reform Alliance made up of representatives of employer associations and academics made public its long awaited crisis management and reform programme, while Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány was continuing to try to drum up support for his own proposals.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (160) | Views: 1922

The financial crisis has hit Hungary at a time when the local government system is in a weakened state due to structural problems. These now pose a significant fiscal risk. Since the development of the system there has been an almost constant need for reform, but until now national politics has not dared to touch the local governments that function as a patronage mill. Suggestions for local government reform have been made recently, but political inability to act and a lack of credibility render implementation of even the most fundamental measures doubtful.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (168) | Views: 2016

In May 2006 the newly formed coalition retreated to Balatonőszöd for weeks, and in the course of lengthy closed-door talks decided on the austerity package and reform steps.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (165) | Views: 2047

The now notorious remarks made by Miskolc police chief Albert Pásztor the weekend before last that all the theft crimes in Miskolc in December and January were carried out by Roma offenders has temporarily placed a spotlight on the Roma question. However, just over a week later it is already clear that the political sphere has merely approached the case in terms of political correctness, rather than getting to the roots of the problem.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (189) | Views: 2402

The parliamentary parties prepared intensively for the extraordinary parliamentary session, at least in terms of political communication. Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány negotiated with a succession of partners about the reforms, but only promised concrete proposals later this month, some of which could come into force in the middle of the year.  Fidesz’s motion to dissolve Parliament was no more and no less than an attempt to rival the Socialists’ communications offensive on reforms.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (163) | Views: 2083

The monetary council of the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) reduced its base rate by 50 points again at its meeting on 19 January. The weakness of the forint exchange rate raises the question of at what pace the MNB intends to carry out further rate cuts.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (192) | Views: 2113

International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s visit to Budapest last Tuesday was preceded by fears and expectations. Some money market analysts even suggested that cancellation of the IMF credit line was a realistic possibility on the basis that since October 2008 the government has “only” taken restrictive measures, and not reform steps, and the fact that the budget’s reserve fund is almost empty due to the wage agreement with public servants.  

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (157) | Views: 2197

The passing of the budget was a new milestone in politics. It brought to a close the legitimacy crisis suffered by the government since Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány’s Balatonőszöd lies speech was leaked in 2006. The debate about whether the minority government is capable of acting has ceased temporarily, or at least taken another form; from now until spring 2010 we can expect a lengthy campaign linked to the issue of the financial crisis.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (156) | Views: 2267

Public sector workers took to the streets on Saturday, 29 November in protest against the austerity measures announced by the government to buffer Hungary from current global economic crisis. Their main demand was that the agreement made between the government and the public sector workers’ strike committee in 2007 be upheld. Their demands are understandable from the point of view of the trade unions, but not necessarily realistic in the given economic situation. Throughout Europe at the moment the question is not the level of wage increases, but whether more people should work for less money, or fewer people for more.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (162) | Views: 2362

With the main figures of the budget passed by Parliament, the prime minister is celebrating a political victory and the main opposition party Fidesz is speaking about its defeat.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (162) | Views: 2439

There is a heated diplomatic battle of words between Hungary and Slovakia. Although the latest debate was sparked by police action at a football match in Slovakia, the tension between the two countries has in fact been constant since 2006, when the extremist Slovak National Party joinedthe governing coalition in Bratislava.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (163) | Views: 2579

It was treated almost as a sensation in both the Hungarian and Slovak media that the prime ministers of the two neighbouring countries were willing to have a private meeting at all. That fact in itself is an indication that there are deep divisions between the Slovak and Hungarian states that could not be solved by a high-level meeting. “We have moved one step forward, but there is still a long way to go,” Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány said following the summit. However, to anyone observing the tense atmosphere of the joint press conference given by Gyurcsány and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico, these words sounded almost like a naive hope.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (168) | Views: 2498

A hundred years ago Turkey was dubbed the sick man of Europe. Now this ignominious title seems to belong to Hungary. The country that revolted against Communism in 1956 and  was regarded as western and enlightened within the USSR, and which for some time was a regional frontrunner after it underwent regime change, has lost its leading role, even in its own eyes.

Comments (1) | Add as favourites (186) | Views: 2805

In recent years the Slovak economy has been characterised by double-figure economic growth, 30% state debt as a proportion of GDP, a budget deficit barely exceeding 2%, a halved unemployment rate and euro introduction in 2009. Since the millennium Slovakia’s name has become almost synonymous with “economic miracle”.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (171) | Views: 2455

The most important issues in Hungarian politics at the moment are still management of the crisis, the HUF 375 billion (EUR 1.44 billion) spending cut announced by the government and the USD 25 billion (EUR 19.51 billion) loan granted by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Union. The position of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány as “crisis manager” is likely to strengthen in the short-term. The opposition is still trying to find its feet in this new scenario.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (186) | Views: 2390

Street protests only rose to prominence after the opposition party Fidesz rallied the faithful, but now apolitical citizen marches, more common elsewhere, are gaining clout

Comments (1) | Add as favourites (181) | Views: 2707

The finance minister has submitted the budget bill to the House, basing his predictions on a bold 3% growth in GDP for 2009. Its former coalition partner the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) – now sitting in the opposition benches, but the closest thing that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) has to an ally – set out in a draft law how the maximum expenditure of the budget should be calculated between 2009 and 2011.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (271) | Views: 2517

Delegates of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) only had one nominee to choose from when they convened this past weekend, as has been the case on every occasion since 1999. Current chairwoman Ibolya Dávid was in the position to reinforce her position as party chairwoman for the sixth time (after press deadline).

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (178) | Views: 2586

Parliament began its autumn work by voting on its own fate. The motion submitted by the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) on dissolving parliament in itself altered the political situation very little. There have, however, been some genuine changes which are worth considering one by one.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (183) | Views: 2700

In the past weeks “expert government” has become a buzzword. Both the prime minister and the liberal Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) have outlined possible scenarios: the disbanding of parliament and early elections; the creation of a new government (which the SZDSZ wants to be a caretaker government); a parliamentary majority supporting the programme of the governing Socialists (which would mean the revival of the Socialist-liberal coalition).

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (195) | Views: 2673

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány wrote his programme, and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) gave it the thumbs down. It is surprising that a lot of people have been taken aback by this given that the main strategic aim of the liberal party is to stop being seen as the “perpetual ally” of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). 

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (188) | Views: 2741

The Olaszliszka tragedy in 2006 was a clear signal that tensions between the Roma and non-Roma population are a problem requiring immediate attention. A Hungarian school teacher was beaten to death in front of his children in the village in north-east Hungary after his car bumped into a girl who had run out onto the road. The local girl was not seriously injured. A murder trial began in July and all eight Roma suspects deny taking part in the lynching. The case is now a rallying cause for the extreme right.

Comments (1) | Add as favourites (199) | Views: 3035

The 2009 budget could be the first to have programme-based budgetary planning. In 2007 the State Audit Office addressed the need to change the system of budgetary planning in its April thesis. The State Reform Committee also prepared a draft on the introduction of the new methods. The government earlier explained that the 2009 budget will be prepared on a new basis, whereby it is not the money received the previous year that decides how much individual areas get, but how much actually needs to be spent on them.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (203) | Views: 2925

Last month the Transylvanian town of Tusnádfürdő hosted the 19th five-day Bálványos summer free university and student camp. The event is of symbolic importance for those with conservative values and an interest in politics and public life. Its ideological position results from its history: the first such free university was organised jointly by the Hungarian Democratic Youth Organisation (MADISZ) and the Alliance of Young Democrats (Fidesz). 

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (197) | Views: 2797

It is hardly surprising that Ibolya Dávid, chairwoman of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) is criticising the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) for spending more time talking about tax cuts when it was a junior member of the governing coalition, rather than actually taking action.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (202) | Views: 2897

Not only did the former health minister, István Mikola, recently visit the Kiskunhalas hospital operated by Hospinvest Kft, a company virtually anathematised by his party, he also spoke there about private capital entering healthcare in a restricted and controlled way on the service (i.e. not insurer) side. All this provoked an outcry on the right, despite the fact that Mikola was simply sticking to what he himself proposed to parliament as a member of the Orbán government in 2001.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (210) | Views: 3235

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (209) | Views: 3044

The spring saw numerous unparalleled events in Hungarian politics: a successful referendum against the government , a coalition split and the formation of a minority government. By comparison, it is of relatively minor significance that the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) announced that it is exchanging the old light bulbs at its headquarters for energy-saving versions, or is questioning the winter road salting programme. Its media team keeps churning out press releases daily, stubbornly plugging away, trying to grab attention and votes away with consistent swings at its political foes. At a rather steadfast 5% in the polls the MDF has managed to keep its level of support around the threshold for getting into parliament, even if it has not been able to gain Hungarians’ attention and trust.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (215) | Views: 3247

Due to its highly explosive political nature, those who for noble motives wish to participate in the debate are well advised to stay away from minority questions and to stick matter-of-factly to the economic core of the issue: all citizens capable of work should use this ability to earn money and at least comply with the minimum requirements of the defining culture.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (203) | Views: 2877

Through its willingness to engage in talks with the SZDSZ, but at the same time rejecting its conditions, Fidesz is playing into the hands of the liberal party.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (215) | Views: 3079

Even following the election of a new party chairman on 7 June, there is still uncertainty concerning the SZDSZ’s fate and future policies. As newly elected leader of the party, Gábor Fodor has most frequently been asked whether he supports early elections. That in itself shows that the party’s political room for manoeuvre has narrowed and at the same time broadened following its split from the coalition with the Socialists.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (212) | Views: 2938

Leaked comments said to have been made by Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán behind closed doors reinforce the development of the opposition party’s strategy, rather than being at odds with it. The remarks have been referred to by many as being Orbán’s “Balatonőszöd” speech. However, the current events bear little resemblance to the debates of two years ago, and the impact of the two speeches being leaked is also likely to be entirely different.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (217) | Views: 2989

There are increasing signs that political pressure on the Socialist minority government, aimed at forcing early elections will increase in the near future. It remains the case that the general election can only be brought forward with the support of at least part of the parliamentary majority made up of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) MPs. The political environment, however, for several reasons is more unfavourable for the government than earlier. 

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (209) | Views: 2907

President László Sólyom, has re-nominated Attila Péterfalvi and Sándor Fülöp for the posts of data protection ombudsman and ombudsman for future generations, although parliament rejected both earlier in the year. After naming other candidates whom parliament also rejected, Sólyom has now returned to Péterfalvi and Fülöp. 

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (203) | Views: 3003

Tax reform is typically a decisive question in political debates. In Hungary there are two factors which are making the spring-summer period of drafting the autumn tax laws more tense than usual. Firstly, there is growing pressure on political players to launch tax reform in order to stop the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy from deteriorating even further. The second point is that progress is being hindered by the current political situation.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (210) | Views: 3062

One day after the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) officially declared that it was leaving the coalition, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány announced a cabinet reshuffle and new government structure. The shake-up is about much more than merely having to fill the posts left vacant by the departure of the liberals.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (211) | Views: 3006

In the past year main opposition party Fidesz has increased its support and set itself up as a force capable of governing. However, now that gaining power before 2010 has become a realistic possibility for Fidesz due to the post-referendum government crisis, the party’s politicians have become more cautious.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (209) | Views: 3077

Since 2007 Hungary has seen a number of strikes, prompting many to believe trade unions are gaining in strength. In the National Interest Reconciliation Council (OÉT), employers have even proposed amending strike legislation. Yet in reality the significance of the unions is merely exaggerated by the political environment. Given the current instability of the government, every protest and strike carries greater weight. As a result of the general dissatisfaction with the government, the trade unions also appear to enjoy greater support.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (232) | Views: 3315

A minority government is one potential response to the current political crisis. This solution, however, offers MSZP only limited relief, since such an administration will not find it easy to push its policies through and will be constantly forced to negotiate with the opposition. Below we review what room for manoeuvre the Socialist government will have without a parliamentary majority.

Comment on this article | Add as favourites (225) | Views: 3316