Category Archives: Hungary

Hungarian Parliament Passes Early Registration Requirement to Disenfranchise Apathetic Voters

Posted on October 30, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

On Oct. 29 the Hungarian Parliament accomplished long-standing plans of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his conservative-right government: starting in 2014, when a make-or-break election will take place which could cement into power the current regime regardless of voter … Continue reading →

Posted in democracy watch, electoral reform, Hungarian parliament, Hungary, Viktor Orbán, voter registration | 17 Comments

Hungary Extradites Azerbaijani Axe Murderer: The Repercussions

Posted on September 2, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

Updates to Hungary’s Extradition Of Ramil Sahib Safarov Due to unabating interest in the repercussions of Hungary’s exchange of a common criminal for billions of euros – and the unending stream of developments in the story – this post is … Continue reading →

Posted in English-language Hungarian news, Hungarian government, Hungary, Viktor Orbán | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Conflict with Armenia: To Date, The Greatest Diplomatic Success of the Orbán Government

Posted on September 1, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

For a list of updates to this story, see next post. The Hungarian consulate in Yerevan was attacked with tomatoes yesterday and the Hungarian flag was torn off of the building in protest of the extradition of an Azerbaijani citizen … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Hungarian government, Hungary, international politics, Viktor Orbán | Tagged , , , | 37 Comments

The Police Idly Stands By: Neo-Nazi Violence in Hungary, August 2012

Posted on August 30, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

Stone-throwing, harassment, incitement to violence and the beating of an anti-fascist activist. None of these are spectacular acts of violence. All of them did take place in Hungary: all of them were committed by members of Hungary’s ultra-rightist movement in … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-fascism, antisemitism, Hungarian far-right militias, Hungarian government, Hungary, Jobbik | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Csanád Szegedi, Hungarian Far-Right Politician

Posted on August 16, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

Csanád Szegedi is a despicable politician even by Hungarian standards, and when his Jewish origins were leaked to the public, it was mostly my disgust that held me back from writing about his “troubles.” For months before revelations that his … Continue reading →

Posted in business interests, Csanád Szegedi, Előd Novák, European Parliament, European Union, far-right, Hungarian far-right, Hungary, Jobbik | 13 Comments

“We Attacked the Gypsies, And We Are Proud of It”: Extreme Right Demonstration Gets Violent in Devecser, Hungary

Posted on August 8, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

Curiously, there is little to no coverage to be found in the Hungarian media of the racist hate groups’ violent behavior – in the light of day and in front of cameras – in a Hungarian village last weekend. The following story, therefore, is not … Continue reading →

Posted in For a Better Future Civic Guard, Hungarian far-right, Hungarian far-right militias, Hungary, Jobbik | Tagged , , , | 62 Comments

To Prosecute (Or Not) A Nazi Criminal

Posted on July 19, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

In the wake of a horrific crime, the Hungarian public has been living in capital punishment fever. Last Saturday Kata Bándy, a 25-year-old police psychologist was murdered while on her way home in the south-Hungarian town of Pécs. The unsuspecting … Continue reading →

Posted in Hungarian far-right, Hungary, war crimes | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Hungarian Anti-Abortion Rally Commemorates 6 Million Children Lost to Abortion

Posted on May 24, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

Hungary is yet again on a collision course with the EU: a new abortion pill approved by the EU may soon be restricted from availability in Hungary. This at least is what a handful of protesters urged during an anti-abortion … Continue reading →

Posted in Előd Novák, Hungary, Jobbik | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Contrarian Hungarian Updates

Posted on May 3, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

I collected updates to three important stories reported on the Contrarian Hungarian blog in this post. The first details a legal decision that closed the Magyar Sziget incitement to hatred case. The second describes recent developments related to the criminalization … Continue reading →

Posted in criminalization of poverty, homeless in Hungary, Hungarian far-right militias, Hungarian Roma, Hungary, religion law | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Hungary-IMF Talks: Central Bank Law, Check?

Posted on April 23, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

Last week’s most puzzling political development had to be the inexplicable news that Minister of National Economy György Matolcsy submitted a newly-amended central bank law for vote before the parliament. What exactly was inexplicable about it? The newly amended version … Continue reading →

Posted in European Commission, European Union, György Matolcsy, Hungarian government, Hungary, IMF talks, Jose Manuel Barroso, Viktor Orbán | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Scandalous Jobbik “Civil War Tapes” (with transcript of Gyöngyöspata mayor’s remarks)

Posted on April 20, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party has gone to great length to keep up appearances that it intends to participate in the democratic practices of Hungarian politics. It is being rumored that their parliamentary caucus has been split ever since one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Gyöngyöspata, Hungarian far-right militias, Hungarian Roma, Hungary, Jobbik | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

The Hungarian Extreme Right’s New Face

Posted on April 8, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

On Dec. 7, 2011 – well before the rest of the European Union became so preoccupied with the democratic deficit in Hungary’s constitution – Dagens Nyheter, the most popular newspaper in Sweden, ran a feature-length article on Hungary’s far-right party Jobbik. … Continue reading →

Posted in Hungarian far-right, Hungary, Jobbik | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Jobbik Stages Rural Guard Demonstrations to Attract Voters

Posted on March 28, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

The fresh months of the spring are upon us – traditionally these have been the best time for Hungarian far-right party Jobbik to recruit new members. According to Zoltán Balczó, vice-president of the party, Jobbik will focus its political energies … Continue reading →

Posted in For a Better Future Civic Guard, Hungarian far-right, Hungarian Roma, Hungary, Jobbik | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Political Discourse in Hungary (Part 3) – The Economic Theories of László Bogár

Posted on March 22, 2012 by The Contrarian Hungarian

On March 15, many Hungarians found Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s speech overly combative – the Hungarian government’s international allies were without a doubt outraged. “We will not be a colony” was the official title of the speech, reflecting Mr. Orbán’s keen … Continue reading →

Posted in Békemenet (Peace March), Hungary, IMF, László Bogár, Viktor Orbán | Tagged , , | 30 Comments