https://assets.telex.hu/images/20240904/1725468038-temp-kIbPMD_hero-full:xl@2x.jpg This chateau cum park was recently renovated from 3.2 billion forints (1.7 billion came from European taxpayers, 1.5 billion…
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The ruling party is going to re-gerrymander the electoral districts before the end of the year. https://24.hu/belfold/2024/09/05/egyeni-valasztokeruletek-korzethatarok-pc
One more school shooting incident in the US. A moment to ponder whether disarming the American public space is relevant…
By "strangely foreign", I mean that the Danish/Baltic borders separate it (liguistically and culturally) from continental German culture. By "strangely…
Fortunately, Germany has had a stable development toward democracy, after the war. A state of open discussion is in force…
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May 1, 1957
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC6FN4gGaQ4
European banks in Russia:
2023 profit in Russia [tax paid to the Russian government] .
#1 Raiffeisien (Austria): €1800 [€464] ,
#2 UniCredit (Italy): €658 [€154] ;
#3 OTP (Hungary): €338 [€90] million
Other banks: ING, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Intesa SanPaolo
https://hvg.hu/gazdasag/20240429_oroszorszag-adozas-otp-raiffeisen-nyugati-bankok-profit
This is an example how the regime is manipulating the normal people in Hungary.
It is never a positive way to change possible failures.
Always creating fear, uncertainty, dependency, and a feeling of powerlessness against the regime. Not long anymore, and we will have daily appeal in national institutions.
Home: No nameplate? Thirty thousand! – Inspectors going to hospitals not only raid, but also punish | hvg.hu
20 year’s of European Union – Hungary money flow
(2004-2023 fact, 2024 plan)
Net gain for Hungary : 72 billion euros = 96 billion in – 24 billion out.
Details:
(Into) – (Out of) Hungary= net Hungarian gain, in billions of euros
2024 (plan) 6.4328 – 1.7962 = 4.6366
2023: 5.8431 – 1.7678 = 4.0753
2022: 6.6947 – 1.8425 = 4.8522
2021: 6.2339 – 1.7673 = 4.4666
2020: 6.1437 – 1.4756 = 4.6681
2019: 6.2025 – 1.2897 = 4.9128
2018: 6.2981 – 1.2689 = 5.0292
2017: 4.0491 – 0.9698 = 3.0793
2016: 4.5461 – 1.1117 = 3.4344
2015: 5.6291 – 1.0736 = 4.5555
2014: 6.6202 – 0.9958 = 5.6244
2013: 5.9098 – 1.0111 = 4.8987
2012: 4.1771 – 0.9284 = 3.2487
2011: 5.3309 – 0.9374 = 4.3935
As you can see, the local maxima of the net inflows occurred
exactly in election years under the Orban government !
EU support during the Socialist governments:
2010: 3.6500 – 0.9550 = 2.6950
2009: 3.5686 – 0.9089 = 2.6597
2008: 2.0026 – 0.9471 = 1.0555
2007: 2.4276 – 0.8702 = 1.5574
2006: 1.8422 – 0.7825 = 1.0597
2005: 1.3570 – 0.8332 = 0.5238
2004: 0.7134 – 0.5371 = 0.1763
Source:
https://hvg.hu/360/20240430_husz-ev-eu-tagsag-penz-tamogatas-2004
Hungary has received the most EU support per capita.
But the Hungarian population enjoyed the least benefits among the former Communist countries due to mismanagement and outright theft of the incoming money.
Individual consumption, as % of EU average:
2004:
Hungary was #3 out of 11 countries
2022:
Hungary was #10 out of the same 11 countries.
Benefits from the EU support (2022 % – 2004 % of the EU average)
Romania: 48
Lithuania: 35
Poland:33
Bulgaria: 32
Croatia: 29
Latvia: 27
Estonia: 20
Slovakia: 19
Czechia: 14
Slovenia: 8
Hungary: 8
2004:
#1: Slovenia: 79%
#2: Czechia: 69%
#3: Hungary: 63%
#4: Lithuania: 59%
[…]
#10: Romania: 38%
#11: Bulgaria: 37%
2022:
#1: Lithuania: 94%
#2: Slovenia: 87%
#3: Poland: 87%
#4: Romania: 86%
[…]
#10: Hungary: 71%
#11: Bulgaria: 69%
Official emigration from Hungary, 2010-2023:
GDP per capita, 2004-2022:
Individual consumption, 2004-2022:
Poll taken by Median (based on a small sample of 970 people)
April [March] of 2024:
Fidesz 32% [32%]
Uncertain: 29% [28%]
Magyar’s party “Tisza”: 16% [0%]
DK: 6% [10%]
Dog party: 5% [8%]
MiHazank: 4% [6%]
Momentum: 3% [5%]
Jobbik: 1% [2%]
If we believe these data,
Fidesz dissident Magyar garnered his voters completely from the supporters of the opposition parties.
https://hvg.hu/360/20240430_hvg-median-ep-onkormanyzati-valasztas-magyar-peter-tisza-part-fidesz-ellenzek
Here in the USA International Workers Day, which had some of its origins in the USA. Haymarket Affair, violent confrontation between police and labour protesters in Chicago on May 4, 1886, that became a symbol of the international struggle for workers’ rights. It has been associated with May Day (May 1) since that day’s designation as International Workers’ Day by the Second International in 1889.
But May Day came to the USA last night with a full scale confrontation at UCLA’s campus between supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinians protesting students. It is described in these articles as an attack by the supporters of Israel on supporters of Palestine (See https://ktla.com/news/local-news/pro-palestinian-encampment-at-ucla-gains-ground-as-demonstrations-rage-on/amp/ and see https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/may/01/violence-erupts-ucla-university-campus-clashes-rival-gaza-protest-groups) Fortunately no guns were involved.
Of course Chicago where I live has a large Palestinian community (see https://abc7chicago.com/palestinians-little-palestine-chicago-bridgeview/14168398/)
The Jewish community began leaving parts of Chicago years ago, but within the City there still Orthodox enclaves and there are several Jewish day schools too.
There are informal supporters of Hamas in Chicago and other Palestinian organizations like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. There are also informal supporters of what can be called militant Jewish self-defense and Eretz Yisrael Hashlema (greater Israel) along with Jewish opponents of the ruling coalition in Israel.
Overall an explosive situation is evolving here in Chicago and it could manifest itself this summer at protests when the Democratic Party National convention is held.
US Refugee Admission Report, from 2000 through March 2024
https://www.wrapsnet.org/documents/PRM Refugee Admissions Report as of 31 Mar 2024.xlsx
(there are 2 spaces between of and 31)
About half of the admitted refugees were Muslim in the Biden years.
The category “refugee from Palestine admitted to the US” seems to have been created by the State Department in 2007, appearing first in the FY2008 report.
According to the estimate by Pew research, the Muslim population in the US grew by 50% in 10 years, between 2007 and 2017.
2007: 2.35 million
2017: 3.45 million
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/01/03/new-estimates-show-u-s-muslim-population-continues-to-grow/
or grew by 90% in 13 years.
2020: 4.45 million
More than 3% in IL, NY, NJ, MD.
It is a reality here in Chicago. In Tucson Arizona where I frequently go there is also a growing population of Afghans. The USA is a multicultural society that is our reality.
Actually I moved to a community in Chicago where we still live that has a large Vietnamese refugee population so I could practice my Vietnamese languages skills. I have many close friends in that community.
The Vietnamese community in Hungary currently has about 5,000 or 6,000 people and years ago I met with some members of that community in Budapest. There is also a Vietnamese community in in the town of Simontornya about 140km south of Budapest.
Unlike Chicago most of the Vietnamese people I met in Hungary supported the current communist government of Vietnam.
I love multiculturalism.
But here is a story about free speech.
One of my best friend at a US university some 30 years ago was a Lebanese student. His mother was Jewish, his father was Muslim. He took “Jewish studies” classes. We frequently discussed history, philosophy – he actually looked up to me.
At one point, I told him:
“You know, I read a lot about the beginnings of Islam. My conclusion is that Mohammed was just a bloody dictator in Yathrib” (today Medina), and I wanted to list the events that proved my point.
He interrupted me:
“Please stop. Otherwise I have to kill you – this is my duty as a Muslim”
Little history:
What is now the Syrian coast, Lebanon, Israel, West Bank, Gaza strip belonged to two vilayets of the Ottoman Empire in 1899.
Beyrouth vilayet included today’s Western Syria, Lebanon, northern Israel and northern West Bank [or Samaria]. The total population was 580 thousand people.
Jerusalem vilayet included today’s southern Israel, southern West Bank [or Judea] and Gaza – south of today’s Tel Aviv – Jericho line . The total population of the vilayet was 212 thousand people.
The total population of these two vilayets was 0.8 million people.
Therefore emigrants from this region were usually called “Turks”.
There were no Palestinians. After WWI, the “Palestine” mandate was carved out by the British as the planned homeland for the Jews. (Until 1923, it included today’s Jordan as well.)
The “Palestinian” volunteers fighting against Franco in Spain between 1936 and 1939 were Palestinian Jews.
UN resolution 242 (1967) does not mention Palestinians.
It talks about the “just settlement of the refugee problem”
http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/242
The creation of the “Palestinian people” meaning Palestinian Arabs took place in 1970 at an Arafat trip to Moscow. Jordan gave up its claim to the West Bank in 1988.
Before 1970, the Israeli David was against the Arab Goliath.
This was turned around in the public opinion of the West, gradually, after 1970.
The non-Muslim campus protesters are now convinced that it is a Palestinian David against the Israeli Goliath.
Only in Gaza, this “Palestinian David” had a well-stocked 40,000-strong army with 15,000+ missiles and 400 km+ tunnel system on October 7, 2023.
The vast majority of the Muslims believe that it is the religious duty of the 2000+ million Muslims of the world to destroy the state of the 7 million Israeli Jews.
Thanks for the data.
A Gimnasium history teacher’s words come to mind.
He had written a book on “Organized Crime And The International Political Black Market In The Wake Of Nazism”, in 1950, which never found a publisher, but he supplied mimeographed copies to those who were interested. His words were: “Always keep in mind, that the core of Nazi intelligentsia paid the Vatican in gold, for amnesty, and continue their careers in the middlle east and south America. Those who had bargaining power, went to Russia and the USA”..
I prefer the historical narrative of the so called New Historians of Israel. This discussion https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Historians is adequate for simplistic purposes of explaining my differences with Tappanch .
If the bill that just passed the US House of Representatives becomes law here if a University allows a course to be built around the work of the New Israeli historian all federal funding to that university could be revoked because it would be legally antisemitic.
Here is a discussion of that Bill that passed the US House https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2024-05-02/ty-article/.premium/u-s-house-passes-controversial-bill-cracking-down-on-alleged-campus-antisemitism/0000018f-35f9-d444-ab9f-f5ffb1200000
Here is another discussion of that legislation https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/02/campus-antisemitism-anti-zionism-civil-rights/
The debate on this new proposed law is massive in the USA.
Yes-No votes:
Republicans: 187-21
Their “No” camps includes
Boebert, Gaetz, Massie, Greene (GA)
Nice group, isn’t it?
Democrats: 133-70
“No” camp includes Tlaib, Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman, Jayapal;
Another nice group….
but also includes the Jewish Balint and Nadler
https://nadler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=395152
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/118-2024/h172
My preference:
I accept a historical narrative only if it is supported by historical evidence – I do not care whether it is expounded by a “new” or an “old” historian.
I saw Ilan Pappe talking on al Jazeera a few days ago – he sounded like a disgusting, lying person – even if he has a degree in history.
I have met him here in Chicago several years ago at North Park University Theological Seminary. I don’t agree with your assessment. I would say given the archival work Pappe had done and published your assessment is tainted I think,
That was before this happened https://www.ampalestine.org/advocate/action-alert/north-park-university-closing-center-middle-eastern-studies . The influence of the Israel lobby is huge to be honest in the USA.
Wolf may find this Washington Post article of interest https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/02/orban-cpac-china-heritage/
Hungary first!
Reporters without borders published its index on media freedom and Hungary is the first EU country – from the bottom up …
https://rsf.org/en/index
It gets worse and worse …
Continuing the discussion with Tappanch. As part of my U.S. Army Reserve duty I went to Israel to work with the IDF on the storage of 155 mm shells for Israel’s late 1970’s self-propelled howitzer, called the “Sholef” (Gun-slinger), based on the M109 with a Merkava chassis. The main advantage of the “Sholef” was its self-loading ability, which reduced the number of crewmen from 7 to 4.
The IDF officers in charge of munitions storage also visited Rock Island Arsenal where I was a reserve Captain until my retirement. They were professional and knowledgeable about targeting.
But I am sure the younger officers who are now ranking officers have some reservations about using 155s in dense packed Gaza. But theirs is not to reason why but to effectively execute orders. IDF Lt General Neri Horowitz now a high ranking officer was a young officer back then. He was mentioned a Haaretz story not long ago.
I did the same thing during the US invasion of Panama in 1989 firing into densely packed area of Panama City to destroy a command center. Some innocents were killed and to this day I have some reservations about that given the strategic situation of the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) was hopeless and we could have just waited them out.
Orban on his radio show today did his very best to instill fear of an EU/NATO war with Russia. His full radio interview can be watched here in Hungarian https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iwxY3eEFbmI&embeds_referring_euri=https://magyarnemzet.hu/&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ&feature=emb_imp_woyt.
Re: anti-Israel demonstration at Columbia University.
Arrested in Hamilton Hall on April 30: 44 people,
Therefore 1.+2. = not affiliated with Columbia: 43%
Source:
Campus Updates for May 2, 2024 (6:30 p.m. ET)”https://communications.news.columbia.edu/news/campus-updates#!#:~:text=Campus Updates for May2, 2024″
Re: anti-Israeli demonstrations in university campuses.
% Jewish among the undergraduate students :
(Bold faced: Ivy league)
Brandeis U (MA): 35%
Barnard College (NYC): 28%
George Washington U (DC): 27%
Brown U (RI): 24%
Columbia U (NYC): 23%
Rutgers U (NJ): 18%
Emory U (GA): 18%
Cornell U (NY): 16%
U Penn (PA): 16%
U Michigan: 15%
Northwestern U (IL): 14%
Yale U (CT): 12%
Harvard U (MA): 10%
Princeton U (NJ): 10%
Dartmouth College (NH): 9%
Stanford U (CA): 8%
U California, LA: 8%
The New School (NYC): 7%
U Texas, Austin (TX): 7%
MIT (MA): 6%
U Minnesota: 5%
Yes and some of those Jewish students have been involved themselves in demonstrations. Also the protesting students at Columbia are refusing now to give interviews to the media because of the possibility Columbia will use video statements against them in possible hearings.
Some protesting students at Columbia are not US nationals and could face deportation if they are no longer full time students.
“ Therefore 1.+2. = not affiliated with Columbia: 43%” no therefore the number arrested reflect that percentage not those demonstrating on campus still. The students who continue to protest face extensive suspension or even eventual expulsion. Their allies particularly Palestinian American activists are carrying out civil disobedience actions.
There are also some Jewish peace activists who are none students carrying out CD, along with Black Bloc anarchists, members of the Democratic socialists of America too.
The external ties of student protestors are well known. The Wall Street Journal had this story today which is true as far as it goes. See “Activist Groups Trained Students for Months Before Campus Protests.”
Supporters of the Israeli State are also externally supporting counter protesters on campuses which is not illegal either not shocking.
It is very possible enough of the Democratic Party will fragment leading up to the Democratic Convention in Chicago this summer to effectively get Trump elected.
Please forget US relations to the Israel/Palestine relations for a moment, It’s global, and has been so, since the late 60’s,.
Professional propagandists managed to turn the humble Jewish/Zionist minority-agenda (of the 1880’s) into a world war of sorts.
Look at the numbers!
I have to say Israel was not asked by the USA to contribute combat forces post 9-11 to the collation to eliminate terrorism.
Because it would have fed into the analysis of jihadists that the US was supporting a global Zionist Western plot to take full control over the Middle East.
On the global stage except for covert Mossad activities Israel is not a useful ally in our global wars which have backfired constantly.
There were attacks on pro-Palestinian demonstrators here in Chicago at the University of Chicago yesterday. See https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/05/03/uchicago-encampment-cannot-continue-school-president-says-as-he-prepares-to-intervene/
Overall the attacks and responses by Palestinian supporters were contained by police keeping pro-Israeli supporters back from the supporters of the Palestinians.
None of this looks good for Chicago’s hosting of the Democratic National Convention this summer.
If there is any comparisin between Europe and the US, it appears that supporters of Palestinians outnumber Jews to a point of absurdity.
Where was the current (oversized) print of Kufias made? Who prepared that market?
Probably (my assessment), the same people who make untold millions on “merch” for major sports and concert events are behind it. .
Huge crowd in Debrecen listening to Magyar’s speech !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_OoCPgvsj0
He does not want to support Ukraine with weapons, but emphasized that Putin started the war, Putin is pro-war, not him.
He is already saying the same things as the regime.
It seems to be Viktor the second.
Re: @István (Chicago)
“The influence of the Israel lobby is huge to be honest in the USA.”
While the Jewish influence is declining (and split to boot),
the Muslim influence is increasing.
Qatar is not only the host of the Hamas leadership (and a US airbase), but a long-time supporter of other Islamist groups, in addition to the Iranian and Turkish dictatorships.
Qatar is also a country where 80% of the population are non-citizens and some are kept in slave-like situation.
Qatar also maintains effective propaganda channels like al Jazeera, which keeps an almost continuous bold subtitle on its screen since October 8, 2023: “Genocide in Gaza”
Donations to US universities from Arab countries (1986-2022)
#1 Qatar: $5.2 billion,
#2 Saudi Arabia: $3.0,
#3 Arab Emirates: $1.3,
#4 Kuwait: $0.9 billion.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/arab-funding-of-american-universities-donors-recipients-and-impact-2023
Today’s news:
The wartime Israeli government was able to close down al Jazeera in Israel today, after 7 months of warfare.
To achieve this, the Israeli parliament had to pass a law in three readings, the prime minister had to get the permission of the anti-Netanyahu attorney general and get the vote of the coalition government too.
The closure is for 45 days only, and the channel has the right to appeal to the very independent Israeli Supreme Court.
Hamas was still able to fire 10 missiles from Rafah at the Kerem Shalom border crossing today, where the majority of trucks with food and other items cross into the Gaza strip – causing 3 serious and 7 less serious injuries.
# of trucks carrying food entering Gaza by month (UN data):
month; 2024; 2023; 2022; 2021
Jan; 2959; 2589; 2060; 2224
Feb; 1999; 1905; 2161; 2265
Mar; 3799; 2519; 2983; 2490
No UN data for April yet.
My calculation from Israeli data for April:
(May 1 – April 1)
food:
4970 trucks, 109090 tons, 21.95 tons/truck.
If the Gazan population is 2.3 million, this means 1.58 kg/person/day.
other trucks / April:
shelter equipment: 1121,
medical equipment: 207,
mixed goods: 220 trucks;
water: 209 trucks (most water enters from Israel via the reopened pipelines, not by trucks),
fuel: 47,
cooking gas: 104 tankers.
3 dead Israeli soldiers at Kerem Shalom.
Breaking news:
“US administration has paused ammunition shipments to Israel”
This development here in Chicago of arrests at Chicago’s Art Institute over pro Palestinian demonstrations sort of stunned me. (See https://abc7chicago.com/amp/art-institute-of-chicago-protest-pro-palestinian-held-in-downtown-university-campus-encampment-continues/14766246/)
My father was a graduate of the Art Institute going there after service in the US Navy Seabees in World War II. But arresting 68 Art students at the school along with students from Columbia College where the Art students take their academics was stunning.
The crossing point hit by Hamas missiles also had an IDF military complex located there. Hamas hit the complex which is where the IDF soldiers were killed.
According to Israeli media no Palestinians were reported to have been killed from what I saw or maybe even wounded. It’s likely the IDF had no antimissile defenses at the IDF base so it was an easy target.
Ukrainian – Russian front line:
Russian troops pushed the front line 15 km northwest from the recently captured Avdiivka.
Further north, they reached the hilltop town of Chasiv Yar.
Having broken through at Ocheretyne, the Russian troops are only 15 km from Pokrovsk. The capture of this hub would mean the collapse of the Ukrainian defense in the SE sector of the front line.
Hungarian economy
March 2024 vs March 2023
Export: -15%
Import: -20%
So the trade balance is much better …
https://www.portfolio.hu/gazdasag/20240506/csunya-ami-a-magyar-gazdasagban-tortenik-684419
On top of the arrests at Chicago’s prestigious Art Institute yesterday we had this development in Chicago https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/05/05/chicago-cinco-de-mayo-parade-canceled-due-to-gang-violence-police-say/ .
The parade is very heavily policed and for the inter gang warfare to be so significant that it was shut down is a very bad development for potential violence in low income communities this summer. No one was shot, but gun fire between rival street gangs with ties to Mexican drug cartels appeared to have taken place.
Average (not median) net monthly salaries in Hungary, 2023.
Highest: Budapest $1286
Lowest: Szabolcs county $754
https://www.ksh.hu/docs/hun/xftp/megy/234/index.html
At USD/HUF = 360
Official KSH numbers
In 2023, you could live in Budapest [in NE Hungary]
very well: from $1535 /month [$921]
well: from $900 /month [$663]
on the average: from $650 / month [$497]
https://www.ksh.hu/stadat_files/jov/hu/jov0046.html
Orban’s parliamentary committee has decided that the opposition representatives of the European Parliament committed numerous “anti-Hungarian” votes there.
The committee reminded them that a 1921 law of the Horthy era orders a strict jail sentence of up to 10 years for such acts.
page 9
https://www.parlament.hu/irom42/08307/08307.pdf
https://24.hu/belfold/2024/05/07/fidesz-ep-ellenzek-szuverenitasvedelem/
The Budapest Technical University BME is one of the two remaining big universities that has not been fideszized (= privatized to friends for free).
The university gets 40% of the money at current prices compared with 20 years ago. (Orban wants to force their privatization too. Orban’s friends can fire any professors or students they do not like, once BME and ELTE are privatized)
https://24.hu/belfold/2024/05/06/muegyetem-mukodes-forrashiany-veszely/
———————-
From. Himmler’s note to Hitler in May 1940:
Title: “Reflections on the Treatment of Peoples of Alien Races in the East”
[…]
“For the non-German population of the East there
must be no higher school than the four-grade elementary school.
The sole goal of this school is to be —
simply arithmetic up to 500 at the most;
writing of one’s name;
the doctrine that it is a divine law to obey the Germans
and to be honest, industrious, and good.
I don’t think that reading is necessary.
Apart from this school there are to be no schools at all in the
East.”
Source:
a secret memorandum handed to Hitler by Himmler on 25 May 1940,
in Trials of War Criminals Before the Nurenberg Military Tribunals Under Control Council Law
No. 10. Vol. 13: United States of America v. Ernst von Weizsaecker, et al.
(Case 11: ‘Ministries Case’). US Government Printing Office, District of Columbia: 1952. pp. 147-150.
Fidesz amendment to “protect children” (sic[k] !)
If the bill is adopted, priests no longer have to report child abuse to the authorities, if their religion orders them to keep secret.
page 1, 10. §
https://www.parlament.hu/irom42/08217/08217-0013.pdf
oh my God, disgusting, why are they protecting paedophiles?!
There is an unusually high number of people who recently changed their official address to vote in the June 9 local elections.
https://nepszava.hu/3234494_jelentosen-megugrott-az-atjelentkezok-szama-eddig-15-645-en-jeleztek-nem-a-lakcimuk-szerinti-telepulesen-akarnak-szavazni
Registered voters with permanent address (lakóhely) abroad
Country: 2024.03.11 vs 2024.05.07
Romania: 298,113 vs 288,558, change: -9,555
Serbia: 83,425 vs 82,524, change: -901
Ukraine [+ Austria + Slovakia]: 33,359 vs 32,721, change: -638
All other countries: 34,575 vs 34.869, change: +294
This means that 11 thousand Hungarian citizens have moved their permanent address from Romania, Serbia and Ukraine within less than two months, so they can vote in the Hungarian local elections.
Sources:
https://www.valasztas.hu/documents/d/guest/regisztraltak-kulfoldi-lakohely-cim-szerinti-bontasban
https://www.valasztas.hu/kulhoni-magyar-allampolgarok-valasztasi-regisztracioja
An interesting article on the EU’s history:
https://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/european-integration/perhaps-there-would-be-no-war-today-7470/
“But we shouldn’t make the mistake of writing off Hungarian democracy. Hungary is still a democracy and the fate that befell Jarosław Kaczynski in Poland will also befall Viktor Orbán.”
Former president of Iran, Ahmadi-nejad is visiting Hungary at the invitation of Orban’s Janissar-training university NKE.(“National Public Service University”)
https://hu.euronews.com/2024/05/07/nke-budapesti-eloadas-ahmadinezsad-holokauszttagadas-izrael-antiszemitizmus
The Orban government has purchased real estate abroad for at least a hundred million dollars in the last 12 years.
Some purchases are kept secret.
A partial list:
https://rtl.hu/belfold/2024/05/07/fu-alatt-30-milliard-forintert-vasarolt-be-kulfoldi-ingatlanokbol-az-orban-kormany
The “$0.35 million” for the large new embassy with garden, at a prime location in Washington DC, is an obvious typo (or lie) by the government agency MNV.
The price was more like $6.6 million + $15.6 million renovation (= 4398 HUF/281.44 in 2016), i.e. $22.2 million.
https://privatbankar.hu/cikkek/makro/brutalis-osszegeket-koltott-az-orban-kormany-a-washingtoni-magyar-nagykovetsegre-.html
Other buildings in the DC area:
https://washington.mfa.gov.hu/eng/page/washington-dc
Poll (sample size = 1250, taken between May 3 and 6)
1% of the US students participated in pro-Israel protests,
7% of the US students participated in anti-Israel protests,
10% would block students who support Israel from entering campus,
13% find the middle East conflict “most” important,
17% would be OK with the destruction of Israel,
(23% like the slogan “from the river to the sea”, of which 70% know that the river is the Jordan, 23%*70%= 16.1%)
19% is OK with the destruction of university property during protests,
—————
10% favor pro-Israel protests
41% favor anti-Israel protests
46% think her/his college should boycott, divest and sanction any investment or partnerships with companies and groups based in Israel.
————-
36% of the supporters of Israel would NOT make friends with anyone who has marched against Israel.
58% of the supporters of anti-Israel protests would NOT make friends with anyone who has marched for Israel.
—————–
https://www.generationlab.org/_files/ugd/b2ee84_ccf258b35be84db5849fa7366da82042.pdf
As a private citizen, Orban has sued a dozen media outlets that quoted the chairman of the Austrian grocery chain SPAR about attempts to take over their Hungarian branch.
Two Hungarian court decisions so far:
Independent Klubradio.hu does not have the right to quote the Austrian chairman, while the pro-Orban Economx.hu can do it.
https://media1.hu/2024/05/07/orban-viktor-birosagi-pert-vesztett-economx-meszaros-lorinc/
From Peter Magyar:
Two days ago, the Hungarian secret services started to jam the internet and the cell services at the locations outside Budapest where Magyar holds demonstrations.
This happened in Hajdunánás and Újfehértó.
https://www.facebook.com/peter.magyar.102
Seven European countries sent ambassadors to Putin’s fifth inauguration on May 7:
Hungary, Slovakia,
France, Belgium,
Greece, Malta, Portugal.
Belgium didn’t participate.
You are right, Mr Detrekoy.
Radio Free Europe writes that while representatives of Belgium planned to attend, but they did not participate “in the end”.
Cyprus was present, Portugal was not.
See the map:
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-inauguration-western-boycott-russia/32936441.html
On the RFE-RL website:
“RFE/RL has been declared an “undesirable organization” by the Russian government.”
“If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.”
Wow. This is the kind of puty [путь] waiting for Hungarians under Orban.
A precise representation of European dependants on Russian oil/gas supply.
The Fernch hypocrisy exposed.
Well done!
Foreign reserves in billions of US dollars, April 2024:
Hungary: $50
China: $3201
https://statisztika.mnb.hu/timeseries/en0403_tartalek.xls
https://tradingeconomics.com/china/foreign-exchange-reserves
The Hungarian authorities block transparency: the online access to data about companies is suddenly terminated.
https://24.hu/fn/gazdasag/2024/05/08/europai-unio-tamogatas-800-millio-forint-fejleszt-ingyenes-cegbetekinto-rendszer-lekapcsolatak-igazsagugyi-miniszterium/
Over the weekend Fidesz started advertising for the local and EU elections, hundreds of billboards are on our streets. Lots of money and hours of work for this.
Of course, no info about the Fidesz politics, just nice pictures of the candidates.
I wonder if and when and how many billboards of the opposition will be allowed …
The crazy, the senile and the tapeworm-eaten brain …
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pork-tapeworms-brain-parasite-infection-rfk-jr-rcna151310
What a choice we have in November !
Xi in Budapest:
From today, Hungary is allowed to export cherries and bull sperm to China.
In return, Hungary will be indebted to China to the neck. (Chinese railroads from Chinese loans, “nuclear cooperation”, etc).
https://www.portfolio.hu/gazdasag/20240509/bejelentettek-jon-az-uj-kinai-vasuti-beruhazas-685323
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5FzdcsNUh8
Free Tibet !
Free Uyghuria !
Free Daghestan!
Free Bashkiria !
Free Siberia !
Free Artzakh !
Free Kurdistan !
Free Beluchistan !
Free Catalunya !
Free Scotland !
I found this Telex article today to be very interesting https://telex.hu/gazdasag/2024/05/10/magyar-kinai-energia-megallapodasok-a-nuklearis-a-hangzatosabb-de-az-olajvezetek-a-fontosabb.
It is obvious that the Russians are having their problems with the Paks project and Orban is searching for deals.
This passage from the article presents the problem with such a deal: “At the same time, it could not be a coincidence that Paks II’s name was not mentioned during the announcements (between China and Hungary) in Budapest, because for the time being, no one could, or perhaps could not, want to say more about the “comprehensive cooperation”. Indeed, China really has its own knowledge, it is a different matter that it is not necessarily exportable today. More precisely, it cannot be exported to the West. After all, there really is a Chinese-designed pressurized water nuclear reactor, the Hualong 1, but so far China has only been able to sell it to Pakistan.”
Telex also reports (in English even …) that during the visit only China’s and Orbanistan’s flags may be shown.
There are red-capped Chinese everywhere to take down every other flag, whether it’s Tibet or the EU:
And Telex also shows here a nice collection of the Fidesz billboards from the last 10 (or 20?) years:
https://telex.hu/english/2024/05/10/for-ten-years-the-hungarian-government-has-used-billboards-to-proclaim-that-a-city-constantly-wants-to-harm-hungary
Soros, Soros überall(es) …
And so many Hungarians believe in all that Fidesz crap still???
Huge geomagnetic storm will reach the Earth tomorrow.
Peak: from 9 to noon (European Summer Time) = 3 to 6 EDT
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/3-day-forecast
Correction:
G4: from 8 to 11 Summer Time.
Russians are attacking in 3 directions.
Two of the attacks are against Kharkiv.
The Russian border is just 20 km.
The third direction is in the SE. They broke the Ukrainian lines NW from Avdiivka.
https://liveuamap.com/
@tappanch on December 18, 2023 22:44
“Incredibly, the EU leaders did not have a plan B for December 14 in the case of an Orban veto !”
[…]
“The Ukrainians are running low in ammunition and in men in the front line.”
[…]
“Putin wants to increase the size of the occupied territories significantly,
occupy Zaporozhie town and perhaps Dnipro(petrovsk) and Kharkiv as well.
His further aim is to grab Odessa and make rump Ukraine landlocked.”
UN reports about Gazan casualties
2024.05.06: > 41.7% children, > 27.3% women
2024.05.08: = 32% children, = 20% women
https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-reported-impact-day-213
https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-reported-impact-day-215
Guide to the perplexed:
The June 9 elections – published by an opposition think tank.
The following 4 categories vote differently:
#1
Budapest
(Fidesz is in minority, it does not want to lose too big, so it introduced proportional vote a few months ago, but only for Budapest) – 5 types of ballots
#2
cities with county rights – 3 types of ballots
#3 and #4
smaller towns and villages (assumed Fidesz plurality, no proportional representation – plurality will have absolute power – 4 types of ballots (one of the ballots depends on the size of the village or town)
https://politicalcapital.hu/pc-admin/source/bejegyzesek/PoliticalCapital_ElectoralSystem_EP-Local_Guide_20240424.pdf
Remunerations of the members of European Parliament.
Paid from the EU budget:
An MEP’s
#1 monthly salary is € 10 075.18 gross and € 7 853.89 net,
after deduction of EU taxes and insurance contributions (figures as of 01/07/2023);
plus
#2 general expenditure allowance (€4 950 per month);
plus
#3 daily allowance, a flat-rate sum covering accommodation, meals and related expenses each day that an MEP is at the European Parliament on official business (€350 per day);
plus
#4 travel expenses to and from the European Parliament;
plus
#5 official travel;
plus
#6 individual travel;
plus
#7 medical expenses;
plus
#8 end-of term allowance (one month’s salary per year they were in office for up to two years maximum);
#9 old age or invalidity pension.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/faq/8/salaries-and-pensions
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/faq/9/allowances
Remunerations of the members of European Parliament.
Side jobs:
“MEPs in the centre, and on the right and far-right side of the political spectrum (RE, EPP, ECR, ID) are likelier to have paid side gigs and make more money on average than those on the left.
Non-aligned (NA) members have such high average side income largely due to a singular MEP: the Lithuanian Viktor Uspaskich earns around three million euros a year on the side.”
non-aligned without Uspaskich: 52K euro/year,
right-wing MEPs: 34K to 37K,
Social Democrats: 23K,
Greens: 11K
Left: 3K
“This squares with their voting records. MEPs to the right overwhelmingly voted against an amendment (AM 22) that would have banned them from engaging in paid lobbying activities for entities registered on the EU Transparency Register. So, those benefiting the most from the current lax rules are also most reluctant to change them.”
Average side income by country
#1: Lithuania (Mr Uspaskich): 3 million euros,
#2: Malta: 70K,
#3: Greece: 61K,
#4: Hungary: 49K,
#5: Slovakia: 47K,
[…]
#24: Croatia: 6K,
#25: Netherlands: 5K,
#26: Sweden: 4K,
#27: Cyprus: 0.
Source:
May 6, 2024
https://transparency.eu/what-jobs-are-meps-doing-on-the-side-a-first-look-into-their-new-income-declarations/
Trocsanyi was #3 in the European Parliament with 172K euro outside income.
https://www.politico.eu/article/how-meps-make-millions-on-the-side-legal-advice-speeches-and-covid-cures/
Corruption in the EU beurocracy is big.
All the biggest business interests crowd the EU offices with lobbyists, who offer money for votes..
The thing that saves common EP members from persecution, is the strict line between EU legislation and national legislation.
Orban: “we have the best national security system in Europe”
“we hope that Chinese tourists will flood Hungary”
https://youtu.be/4v8hSCfhq5o
But haven’t they been “flooding” Hungary for, at least 10 years?
I recall an overnight stay at a Mosonmagyaróvári motel 10 years ago, where the proprietor excused very humbly, for the “Chinese overload” and the disturbance it caused.
In spite of the opposition of both the faculty and the students, the “University of Theater and Movie Arts” (SzFE) was forcibly fideszized in November 2020.
One of the multiple choice questions at the entrance exam in 2024:
“Which of the adages comes from Viktor Orban?”
The right answer is:
“A country without borders is like an egg without shell”
https://hvg.hu/elet/20240513_molnar-aron-szfe-felveteli-orban-viktor-idezet
May 9:
“Track-laying works on the Hungarian side of the Budapest-Belgrade railway have resumed.”
[…]
“It is welcome news after the work was halted by the Chinese-Hungarian construction team in September 2023. One of the key requirements for the project is to enable trains to travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour safely. To achieve this, the line must comply with the EU-standardized safety system, known as the European Train Control System.”
[…]
“The construction project, valued at around $2.8 billion, is 85 percent financed by a fixed-rate Chinese loan, with the remaining funding provided by the Hungarian State.”
https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2024-05-09/Budapest-Belgrade-railway-back-on-track-and-ahead-of-schedule-1trlJhPfmr6/p.html
For those who can read German, an interesting detailed article on Péter Magyar, his positions and what to expect from him.
https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000219372/peter-magyar-messias-rattenfaenger-oder-hoffnungstraeger?
He already announce that his Tisza Party (which might get 20% of the votes at the EU election) wants to join the conservative EPP which Fidesz left before they could be thrown out.
It translated automatically into English when I opened it. Their analysis seems similar to Jan’s initial reaction to Péter Magyar that she posted. I doubt Magyar will get beyond 20% of the vote.
At least my resident family Fidesz supporters in Esztergom could care in the least about corruption claims he might make, they are not a surprise, Their attitude is simple-amíg megkapom az enyémet, addig rendben van. Cynicism rules I think.
So they are on the side of Hernádi – i e corruption and profit from it?
Our neighbours are complaining all the time – the city government and even the police here are totally worthless.
Yes as is most of the Catholic bureaucracy resident in Esztergom I think . Some of my younger cousins from Esztergom became Momentum supporters, but generally those more progressive members of my extended family moved to Budapest (called by the Fidesz hardcore nem igazi Magyarország) One actually told me Budapest was really Jew town and it doesn’t reflect the values of Hungary.
Reading about Szijarto’s ideas about “peace” makes one think that he lives in a different universe.
On the other hand German chancellor Scholz just met his Nordic counterparts and their positions are clear!
There will only be peace if Russians empire stops killing people!
Hungary’s image as an admirer and helper of Putin is obvious now – I wonder when Orbanistan will/has to leave the EU just like Fidesz left the conservative EPP.
Of course the Fidesz ***expletive deleted*** hope for the right wing parties (dare I say fascists?) to win the elections – but even if they get 20 or 25% nobody will cooperate with them,