Scared Tourists Stay Away from Hungary

The damage caused by the 15th of March riots cost the state approximately 30 million FT-s. (In comparison, last fall's damages were a couple of billion FT-s.) The mayor of Budapest, Mr. Gábor Demszky - who was the victim of the rioters egg throwing two weeks ago - tried to calm the tourist sector saying that this was 'a reverberation of last fall's riots, not a continuation of it.'

Nevertheless, people in the business are worried that if this year's trend continues many of them will be out of business, as tourists are not coming to the country. The tourist branch wants the government to campaign in favor of the country's image as the classical tourist marketing is not able to downplay the political turbulence. Unfortunately, the recent turbulent events have severely hurt the economy.

Source: www.turizmus.com

Western European Press Reaction to Orbán

The German and Austrian press collectively lashed out at Orbán and Fidesz. Both the conservative and liberal written media voiced its concern over the radical rally held at the 15th of March.

DIE WELT:

For example, the main conservative newspaper in Germany, Die Welt, published an article about the current events entitled, 'In Hungary the opposition is discrediting itself.' They mention that Orbán says that one can chase away the government even in a democracy. But with what means? With the power of the streets? - asks the famous newspaper. Hundreds of demonstrators took this literally and went on to wreck havoc in the evening -Die Welt interpreted, then added: Orbán was playing with fire. This is not only bad for Hungary ( a country that Orbán headed between 1998 to 2002) but also bad for his party and its civic leaders.

SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG:

According to the liberal newspaper, one should ban the interaction between democratic politicians and drunken, extremist hooligans. However, today Viktor Orbán and Fidesz looks upon this 'professional right-wing mob' as a legitimate part of its protesting actions - says the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

DIE PRESSE:

Even the conservative Austrian daily criticizes Orbán heavily saying that Orbán is playing a dangerous game when he inflames the radical and violent youth. According to the article, the cause of Thursday's (15th of March) riots and turmoil on the one hand are the radical, violent Hungarian youth, but on the other, the leader of the conservative opposition who delivers political slogans that support the destruction caused by these extremists. In addition, Die Presse warns its readers that this kind of language is not used by a civilized, modern Central-European politician.

DER STANDARD:

Perhaps the liberal Standard summed up the events of the 15th of March the best when they write that ever since Orbán polarized the country into two camps, the nation is not able to celebrate its national holidays in decent fashion. On Thursday, it was the first time that the celebration of 'the others' was disturbed by continuous shouting and egg throwing, however.

Orbán who let the ghost out of the bottle spoke in front of tens of thousands of his most committed followers waving Árpád flags. As long as he keeps his good connections with the extreme right and its symbols, Hungary will not be a calm place, says Der Standard.

How Many at the Fidesz Rally?

The Hungarian independent news agency, MTI, which is often reliable seems to have made a 'slight' error. MTI have been apparently non-critical when Fidesz made public their estimation of 200 thousand people attending their rally on Saturday, and chose to go with the right-wing party's estimation. According to Mihály Karácsony, a program organizer working at the Hungarian Ministry says that it is physically impossible for 200 thousand people to fit in the territory where the audience was. He measured that from the stage to Astoria there is 600 meters of available space, while the general width of the territory is 30 meters (18000 square meters overall). 3 to 4 people can fit on a square meter. If we consider this data then there could have been no more than maximum 50 thousand people at the political rally.

According to an online news site (privatbankar.hu), 100 thousand people attended the rally. They relied on police estimations. So how many were there at the rally? 200 thousand, 100 thousand, or only 50 thousand? Will this become a political debate similar to a case back in 2002 when Fidesz declared that over 2 million people attended their Kossuth Square rally?

In any case, a commercial news television station owned by a friend of Orbán (leader of Fidesz), Hír TV, reported that the thousands of people gathered at the event have many Hungarian National Flags with them, but few Árpád flags...
[Everyone with eyes could have seen the opposite either on TV or live: almost as much Árpád flags as Hungarian ones.]

Source: NOL (Népszabadság)

After the Storm

All is quiet in Budapest since Saturday night. The police were much more professional now than in the last two times; they were able to put an end to the riots and atrocities by lawful means. Luckily, all parliamentary forces seem to agree on this, even though Fidesz is still bringing up the events of 23rd of October as a counter-example. According to Hungarian media sources, the police troops have undergone extensive training on how to best deal with the rioters and riots in general.

15th of March Events (Part 2)

According to Hungarian media the demonstrators, or football hooligans if you like, started appearing on the streets after György Budaházy, a wanted criminal, was captured by the police.

5:45 pm: About two dozen people appear in front of the Police headquarters (at Aradi street) where the demonstrators believe Budaházy was taken, shouting: 'we will free him'!

6pm: 200-300 people appear at Andrássy Street. In a sound system placed inside a baby carriage near Astoria the FIDESZ supporters are called up to go to Aradi street to free György Budaházy. In the meantime 1500 people gather at the Museumkert calling for the resignation of Gyurcsány.

6:25pm: Ski masks are handed out to demonstrators by other demonstrators and the Goy Motorists arrive to everyone's delight.

6:38pm: Police start to arrive. There are about 1000 demonstrators already. The majority are wearing masks, gas masks. There are lots of skinheads wearing black clothes, black steel-plated boots. The crowd is provoking the police, who are behind cordons. The demonstrators throw eggs at the police. The rioters are waving Árpád flags, more and more are coming. Andrássy street and nearby streets are closed down from the traffic.

6:47pm: Near the Terror House Museum at Andrássy street the police asked the media representatives to leave the premises because they cannot guarantee their safety. The police started approaching the rioters, who were now throwing beer bottles at the police.

6:51pm: The police call on the demonstrators to leave the premises at once. The demonstrators are throwing stones at the police. The police are using gas spray, and water cannons. The rioters are building cordons and blockades at Vörösmarty Street.

7:00pm: The 1000-2000 people gathered at the National Museum goes over to Andrássy Street.

7:09pm: The police calls on the 'riotous demonstrators' several times to leave the premises and head home in the direction of Hősök Square. Some people leave.

7:29pm: Water canons arrive spraying blue paint on the rioters, who in turn throw building blocks at the police. The number of the demonstrators decrease to about 300.

7:38pm: At Hősök Square the police is successful in dispersing the rioters.

7:44pm: The police head back to Deák Ferenc Square through the now empty Andrássy street.

7:55pm:
Now the rioters appear at Oktogon (another central spot in Budapest). Lots of police arrive to the area. The subway still runs on schedule but misses some stops. The demonstrators speak in loudspeakers saying that everyone should go over to the Kossuth Square.
...

The demonstrators are constantly changing location and erecting barricades. The police seem well prepared, they use teargas and water cannons occasionally. At around 10:20pm 28 people are taken into custody by the police. The rioters broke into shops, smashed cars and windows around the city. Burned barricades, consisting of garbage cans etc.
More to come.

Some pictures of tonight:












Sources: Origo, Nol, Index, Mti

Pictures: Index, Origo

'Chase Away the Government' - Orbán's Speech at the Fidesz Rally

'The people have the right to chase away the government' Viktor Orbán, leader of the main opposition party FIDESZ, said today at his party's rally at around 5pm. Orbán often spoke about the people, or folk and referred to them as the 'new majority' who are disappointed in the government and who are behind him and his party. This new majority has to defeat the Gyurcsány government, or in his words, the 'new aristocracy'. The leader of FIDESZ said that his coalition is that of the winners and not the losers as the government wants everyone to believe [the government never said this-ed.].

'The people have already won two battles: the battle of the municipal elections in the fall and that of the referendum' [that case is in the courts and nothing has been decided about FIDESZ's referendum proposals yet-ed.] Orbán explained that the referendums are needed because in their election campaign the government (comprised of the social-democratic MSZP and the liberal SZDSZ) lied to the people and didn't talk about introducing any reforms and restrictions. Thus, if the reforms are turned down by the people then they can 'chase away' the government. 'Yes, they have that power', repeated Orbán.

'If the government chooses to stay in power regardless of the outcome of these referendums then they can't point to the constitution, nor to democracy any more. They have no other choice then but to run,' said the chairman.
[Orbán in his speech referred to the danger of the government bringing millions of Asians into the country to be settled, which raised tensions even further in the audience.]


Source: Origo, MTI

15th of March Events (Part 1)

Yesterday, the FIDESZ chief of staff, Deutsch-Für Tamás, said that neither his party or KDNP (Christian Democratic Folks party- a party that was formed out of FIDESZ) will take part on the official hoisting of the state flag ceremony, because 'the Gyurcsány government is putting the state flag into prison.'

The Kossuth Square was completely locked off from the public on Thursday night. Metal detectors were installed by the police at the streets leading to the festivity.

At around 9am the PM, Ferenc Gyurcsány, appears on the Square, the few hundred demonstrators outside of the cordon start booing, shouting, whistling. You could hear the whistle when the Hungarian flag is hoisted and when the National Anthem is being sung.

The public figures are protected by the security personnel. Near the end of the ceremony about 1000 people are gathered outside of the cordons verbally abusing the Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsány. A vast number of Árpád flags are seen in the crowd.

At 12pm mayor of Debrecen and a prominent FIDESZ politician told the audience at the official state ceremony in Deberecen, Lajos Kósa said that there needs to be a collaboration, union against the government. The government is bad and is leading Hungary towards a catastrophe. The 2000 people heard the mayor say ' let's get together and shake up the country. We have to stop the country splitting up our people politically , but not with violence, only with passive resistance.

At around 1pm, Budapest's major, Gábor Demszky holds a speech at Batthány's statue, eggs were thrown at him by the thousands of protesters standing outside near the temporary stage, even though bodyguards and security personnel were trying to defend him. After his speech he is interviewed where he says that he doesn't like if people are throwing oranges, eggs, or anything else at him, but he hopes that the demonstrators will not go any farther and will not start throwing rocks at people, and disturb the peace of this city.



Only one person was taken into custody earlier this day for jumping on and smashing cars.

At around 2:30 pm the demonstrators go and have a drink in pubs. Only a few tourists were at the scene besides the demonstrators who are staring curiously.

A little later, Mária Wittner, FIDESZ Parliamentary fraction member holds a speech at a commemoration organized by a right-wing party (Jobbik) quoting from a poem by Vörösmarty (famous Hungarian writer and poet): Hungarians/ Grab your weapons./ We have to save our homeland once again. At the same place, Gábor Vona, leader of Jobbik accuses Gyurcsány of being a Communist murderer.

At 3:10pm after the Jobbik program is over the demonstrators go over to the central Astoria, where the FIDESZ organizers did not seem to let them join their rally. The demonstrators were not resistant and they went away. Nearby, at Ferenciek Square the FIDESZ rally is starting at 4pm.

3:20pm The police are looking for a young man wearing a blue sweatshirt who attacked a policeman earlier today.

3:40pm Alas, the FIDESZ organizers were not that successful as people are pouring in from the Jobbik event and blending in with the FIDESZ sympathizing crowd.

Opinion On the Events of March 15th -First Half

The 'celebrations' have begun. But don't think of this as your typical celebration in Britain, Germany, or in the US. No, this a different celebration brought to us by our lovely football hooligans and other extremist protesters (probably also football hooligans). They went to all the venues and instead of singing the Hungarian National Anthem and enjoy the music and the show they booed, threw eggs, water bottles, and other objects at the speakers, dancers, musicians, politicians, invited guests, literally on everyone. The security personnel were successful in defending the people onstage mainly with umbrellas. During the whole celebration you could here cursing, whistling, protests, football chants, and although there were microphones and speaker systems at all of these bigger venues you could hardly make out what was said onstage. Yes, the 'celebrations' have begun. The ’peaceful’ (this is the expression used by the main opposition party, FIDESZ, referring to these hooligans) crowd came, they saw and they left leaving a trail of destruction, both mental and physical.. They brought ammunition, their now trademark Árpád flags, and took away our national celebration. Shame on them. And also shame on the biggest opposition party, FIDESZ, for being the only parliamentary party in Hungary that does not disapprove of the actions of these 'peaceful demonstrators’.

More Weapons Found

The Police is continuing the search for illegal weapons around the whole country. Yesterday in Budapest they discovered an apartment converted into a Molotov cocktail 'factory'. The tenant and maker of the weapons - a 19 year old young man - has been preparing the Molotov cocktails for a month now and was planning to use them tomorrow on the 15th. He also admitted that he is a member of the Kossuth Square Revolutionists. The young man has been taken into custody.

Unfortunately, this was not the only case yesterday. Weapons were found in other districts of Budapest and also in smaller towns across the country. Probably the most shocking finding revealed a whole weapon arsenal consisting of guns, rifles, pistols, flauberts, and also a rarity: a firearm disguised as a cane. Investigations will continue tonight and even tomorrow in the morning before the official celebrations. Police officials are confident that they will be able to seize other weapons before the state celebrations commence.

Source: NOL, MTI

Weapons Found

The Hungarian police found and seized various weapons at extremist group members' hideout.

Source: Este

Grand Assembly Held at Kossuth Square by Extremist Demonstrators

They call themselves the Kossuth Square Revolutionists and on Sunday, March 11th they held their first grand assembly. The speakers warned the assembled people about the expected provocation by the police and Israeli 'street fighters' ordered to Hungary by the government come March 15th. The 'revolutionists' came together to show the people that they belong on the streets on the 15th of March to think about the events of 1848 and to demand the resignation of the Gyurcsány government. All of the speakers, including a pastor mentioned that Israelis have been ordered to Budapest to not only save the synagogues and other institutions from the Hungarian rioters, but to also to get into combat with them. Some speakers openly admitted their antisemitism. The occasion was guarded by about 100 policemen.


Source of photo and article:
http://www.mti.hu/cikk/193664/

Gyurcsány: 15th of March Should Not Bring Fear and Anguish

At MSZP's Women's Day celebration in Budapest, PM Ferenc Gyurcsány said: ' I wish that the holiday ahead of us will not bring fear and anguish, turbulence, but instead quietude, not the much repeated personal truths, but instead the capability to understand each other's truths. The way one celebrates shows what kind of everyday one can offer.' According to Gyurcsány, you don't need any courage to throw your weight about, but you need courage to understand the other person and be self-critical [referring to the leader of the opposition, Viktor Orbán].

Interview with Ferenc Gyurcsány in 'Die Welt'

'He who wants to conquer a mountain must first suffer' said the Hungarian PM in his interview with the German daily, Die Welt.

Translation of the whole German article below:

Die Welt:
You have been elected by your party (MSZP) as chairman winning 89% of the votes - does this mean that you are backed to continue the reforms?

Gyurcsány:
It is a big support for me. This means that there is no alternative to the reforms. There are lots of debates inside the party, but at the end of the day they say OK let's continue, let's do it.

Die Welt:
In his New Year's speech the Head of State [László Sólyom] said that as a result of last fall's riots the country is split into two camps (a Gyurcsány and an Orbán camp). What do you plan to do against this division?

Gyurcsány:
I have recently written an article in the Hungarian daily, 'Nepszabadsag', where I write about the importance of understanding and appreciating the other side. I have been criticized for this by my supporters. I think we could defeat this schism or division by building a bridge. The pillars of this bridge ought to be be self-criticism, and the understanding of one another. I myself am building these pillars, but I don't see the other side joining in. Nevertheless, I will continue building these pillars; I won't give up.

Die Welt:
Lots of people believe that with the financial burdens brought by these reforms they have to endure even more. Shouldn't you slow down?

Gyurcsány:
In the past eight years the income's purchase value in Hungary has grown by about 50%. This year the purchase value and consumption will plummet somewhat. Naturally, that is painful in a country where the average pension is around 200 Euro, and the average income after taxes is 500 Euro. But there is no alternative because of the budget. All of the concessions that we made were against the advice of the experts: not lowering the pensions and raising family-support accordingly with the inflation rate. In addition, the budget for improving higher-education increased. Next year there will not be any more reduction on earnings. More is not possible.

Die Welt:
You are planning a health care reform in April, if the Parliament votes in favor. How expensive would that be for Hungarians?

Gyurcsány:
On the part of health care reform we have already decided. Capacities will be rebuilt and we have already came up with the solution on how medical services can be improved upon. These services were free until now. When someone had a stomach ache, he or she could go to 20 doctors or check ups and nobody could ask why or how. We thought that this had to be regulated. So now one has to pay a little more then one Euro [1,20] for a visit to the doctor. This is not a comfortable reform, but there are no further decisions affecting the patients directly. The building of a security system has to have a positive outcome for the patients.

WELT:

You argued that you had to implement drastic reforms because nothing was done about it for several years. The Socialists have a joint guilt in the explosion of the deficit, as your predecessor, Péter Medgyessi was heavily involved. Was your 'Lie-speech' aiming at him?

Gyurcsány:
First of all, the 'Lie-speech' was a Truth-speech. What I simply said was that we haven't told the truth since the 1990s. But not the about the details, the budget- but rather about the essence of the Whole. We created the illusion that progress, or headway can be made without any effort. Viktor Orbán [the leader of FIDESZ, ex-PM], Péter Medgyessy [ex-Socialist PM] and Ferenc Gyurcsány, we all haven't made any reforms between 1998 and 2006. We explained that there is no need of reform. What I said in my speech was that this cannot continue. It was a passionate private monologue to my fellow party members, and it naturally sounds very different when interpretted one-sidedly in public.

Die Welt:
Your plan now is to remain strong and wait one year before the elections when the positive effects of the reforms kick in so that you may be reelected. Do you think the Hungarians are this forgetful?

Gyurcsany:
No, but they will realize that their investment has payed off. If you want to conquer a mountain you must first suffer; you can only see the outcome in the end. If you slip off when you are half way up then everything was for nothing. If we will be successful in 2010 that will not mean people forgot about their investment, they will just evaluate it differently.

Die Welt:
Have you thought in the last few months about resigning?

Gyurcsány:
No, never. Not even for a second.

Die Welt:
You have said that you are envious of Austria and Germany for their grand coalition. Is this your goal in Hungary?

Gyurcsány:
We need a lot of time for such a government model to develop in Hungary. In Germany and Austria it is not common for Ms. Merkel and Mr. Beck, or Mr. Gusenbauer and Mr. Schüssel to call each other treasonous. There is a flaw in Hungary where both parties cannot accept that the other is trying everything in its power to achieve the best for the country. This attitude is asymmetric though: in 2002 when [the national conservative] FIDESZ lost the elections the situation was not like it is today. Then the outgoing PM and Chairman of FIDESZ [Viktor Orbán] said that it cannot be that the 'Fatherland is in opposition'! Thus, he put an equal-sign between his party and the country and at the same time asserted that we stand outside of the nation.

Die Welt:
Some political scientists believe that the high tension could only cease if both you and Mr. Orbán would pull out of politics. If he would act accordingly, would you also?

Gyurcsány:
I would have done just that last weekend had the party decided that way. This is the interpretation of Mr. Orbán who has to understand that he is not the Master of life and death, heaven and earth. And if he would decide to step down, who do you think would lead the political right? Political puppets who would act out his orders.

You can read the original German language article here:
http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article745984/Wer_einen_Berg_erobern_will_muss_zuerst_leiden.html

Ferenc Gyurcsány (PM) interview in 'The Times'

Gyurcsány PM and now the Chairman of the Socialist Party (MSZP) said in an interview last week that from Poland to the Balkans there is uncertainty as to whether these countries should follow a progressive modernisation policy, or the isolation of radical nationalism.

To the question whether Hungary has experienced a resurgence of Anti-Semitism since last Autumn Gyurcsány replied with a resounding yes. The waving of Árpád flags (Hungarian National Socialist flags) by the demonstrators at FIDESZ's (the largest opposition party) rallies and at every other demonstration indicates this, as do the Anti-Semitic pamphlets that are being handed out in places such as the University of Law in Budapest. According to Gyurcsány, the problem is that Fidesz and the party's leader, Viktor Orbán, doesn't want to distance himself away from this crowd. Last year at the Kossuth square 50 Jewish politician names were read out loud on stage by the demonstrators' leaders, and after the verbal bashing of these people, a Fidesz politician went on stage and bashed the government. Clearly, Fidesz wants the support of these few thousand people, the far right, commented Gyurcsány.

Later in the interview, the Hungarian PM went on to say that he accepted the chairmanship of his party (the Socialist Party) because the party has to be modernized, not because he wants to over-centralize power.

To the question why he became a hate figure for the nationalist right, the PM answered that in many ways he is the archetypal enemy of the right as before the political transition he was a member of the Communist youth movement, and after 1990 he became a successful businessman. The opposition (Fidesz) concluded that they lost the elections in 2002 and 2006 mainly because of him (Gyurcsány was campaign manager for the previous Socialist PM in 2002).

Concerning the reforms Gyurcsány and his cabinet have been carrying out for months now, Gyurcsány said that these must be carried through. The PM knows that it is painful at this stage for the Hungarians but he hopes that in the end the people will understand the importance of these reforms and the positive impact of them. 'If that is not the way they think at the next elections they can show us the door' Gyurcsány concluded.

The PM was critical about the opposition leaving the Parliament every time he opens his mouth there. The PM said that 'this does not only relate to me as prime minister but to the institutions of the republic itself. I pretend not to notice that they are absent and I do my job.'

You can read the full article at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1458820.ece

Hungary Current Events

Welcome to the Hungary Current Events blog. Here we will be dealing with, as the title suggests, current political events in Hungary. This is a nasty time in Hungarian politics. Will the young and fragile democracy (similar to Weimar Germany in the 1920s) remain intact or will something terrible happen come March 15th and after? It is important for everyone to know what is being said and done in Hungary, so posting will start ASAP.