Well I don’t know if Kyiv is going to fall tomorrow, but it is obvious there is a lack of…
Orbán Goes Forward to the Past
Updated post. After freezing the retail petrol prices to 480 Ft / l and the mortgages to the level of last October Orbán announced yesterday on his facebook account when arriving from a cabinet seating that he has taken an important step to stop inflation of food prices. He named exactly 6 products that will see frozen prices at the level of last October again: Granulated sugar, fine wheat flour, sunflower cooking oil, pork leg, chicken breast, and 2.8 % cow’s milk. In his 1:09 minutes long video the PM announced ►HU that this would be valid from February 1st. A comment reads “Thank You! The price of wine should also be fixed.”
Bad enough there are no exact numbers for consumption of these 6 products available, KSH, the central statistic office, has only detailed prices up to 2020. So every Hungarian buys every month 2.1 kg poultry (all, not just chicken breast), 1.6 kg pork (all, not just pork knuckles), 4.83 l milk (all fat levels), 1.74 kg fat (all fat, not just sunflower oil) as 2020 ►HU. Privátbankár has a food basket, their hypermarket purchases of January 2022 had a value of 25 333 Forint, that of October 2021 a value of 23 986 Ft. This is 5.6 % more. They have also looked at their own raw data and came with the result that the sugar will be 4 % cheaper through governmental interference, cooking oil 13 %, while the chicken breast was in October 3 % more expensive than in January. Will the shops be forced to make chicken more expensive again? Milk was 10 % or 21 Ft more expensive, on all milk – if everybody would switch to the 2.8 % version – every Hungarian could save 99 Ft every month, when I combine these data with the KSH consumption data. A huge percentage can be saved on flour 26 %, just that the total savings on this product still will not make any significant difference. Pork legs are not part of their basket, so there are no calculations of Privátbankár ►HU.
In 1990 a party had arranged a classic farmers market, where the products were directly sold from producers to the consumers. The initiative took Gyula Zacsek (MDF), against who ran Orbán in 1990 and 1994 in the same district (Zacsek won that constituency both times.) Those days Orbán said about these markets: “I consider it anti-market. They get into people that traders are just parasites, they are not needed because I see that if we turn them off the supply chain, life is going to be cheaper. Mr Zacsek forgets that no market economy in the world can do without traders” as 444 reminded us ►HU. Obviously traders are no longer needed in Orbán’s Hungary.
Péter Márki-Zay reacted as well. He stated “Viktor Orbán’s announcement is a confession that the Hungarian economy is in a tragic state. Such a crappy government has to go that starts dealing with the price of products in the last 12 weeks of its 12-year long 2/3 majority rule. Instead of a responsible economic policy, galloping prices are combated with official prices, which amounts to a confession. After the change of government, we will maximise the VAT on basic food products by 5%” on facebook ►HU.
With this strategy he follows what the Polish government decided to do ►HU. Indeed are VAT reductions the easiest and fastest way to help against the inflation in specific areas, especially since food cannot be produced endlessly. The bad harvest of grain in 2021 would not be under the impression of increasing the basic interest rates!
At the end the price cut on effectively only 5 products will result in even higher bureaucracy. We might remember that Orbán was elected in 2010 also with the promise to reduce bureaucracy, which resulted in even more bureaucracy. The shops will have to do more administration and at the very end will recover both the lower prices and the higher costs through prices of not regulated products. The state will have to send out officers to verify the state controlled prices. Orbán learned how to abuse the state under communists. Will he reintroduce the Országos Anyag- és Árhivatal (National Material and Price Office) or the Országos Tervhivatal (National Plan Office) as from 1947 to 1989? Forward to the past!
Update: During his weekly press conference minister Gulyás stated that the shops will not compensated, only UHT milk of 2.8 % will be limited in price, while chicken carcasses will be limited besides chicken breast as well. Most ridiculous statement was that reducing the VAT would not have resulted in such a saving ►HU.
Voila, the “Council of Judges” (OBT) has already submitted to Orban's "reorganization" by the afternoon. https://obt-jud.hu/sites/default/files/ulesek/Osszefoglalo_2024.11.20.pdf
Putin's spokesman, Peskov: "Freezing the conflict in Ukraine [along the existing frontlines] is UNACCEPTABLE for Russia, it is important for…
According to the 2015 contract, Russia would build the the Paks-2 atomic power plant for 12.5 billion euros, from start…
Current US situation: https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks
Sadly, most Hungarians will not hear MZP’s comment but indeed, if Hungary was performing as well as Orbán has been trying to convince people for years now, inflation should not have such a major impact on not only Hungary’s poorer people but pretty much everyone (with the exception of the rich of course).
Something I noticed many times while visiting Hungary is that some chicken or pork parts available at butchers or in supermarket are not even deemed sellable in Western European countries. I understand many Hungarians love them but also that some parts are the only meat some can afford.
Oliver Varhelyi (EU Commission) openly negotiates about the dividing up of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
https://444.hu/2022/01/13/harminc-ep-kepviselo-keri-von-der-leyent-hogy-vizsgaljak-ki-varhelyi-oliver-szerepet-milorad-dodik-szeparatista-tevekenysegeben
telex is carrying a nice picture of Minister of Justice Varga Judit pointing to some pork legs (one of the products for which the price is frozen), which she published on her own facebook page. However, you can also see the luxury Cartier watch she is wearing, valued at 1.5 million HUF!
https://telex.hu/zacc/2022/01/13/varga-judit-masfel-millios-ora-hatosagi-aras-sertescomb-cartier
Off topic. The internet site Carnegie Europe is run by an person who for many years followed Eva’s blog regularly, but never posted to my knowledge named Judy Dempsey, Judy Dempsey asked a group of experts on NATO, and European security issues this question: Can Diplomacy Rescue European Security? Her assessment of the answers she got seems to be “Faced with Russia’s military threat against Ukraine and demands for NATO to stop further expansion, the West wants a dialogue with Moscow. Diplomatic efforts that are not underpinned by hard power may not be enough to avert a war.” The post can be seen here https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/86187 .
My reading of Orban is he is assuming Putin might be able to invade Ukraine piece by piece and take the parts he wants on his time own schedule. Of course Orban would like to see this done without cost to Hungary. This is reflected in all Fidesz controlled media that have made Putin’s comments about Russian fears of NATO on its border legitimate. Really not one word has come from Fidesz defending the right of Ukraine to join NATO if the population wants it to do so, and we all know Hungary’s position formally seems to be no NATO membership for Ukraine without more autonomy for Hungarian speakers living in the Zakarpattia Oblast. But the US military is raising the stakes with threats of supporting a protracted war against any Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The US Department of Defense and Department of State has made it known we will not commit our NATO forces to defend the territory of Ukraine. The basic formal strategy is imposition of harsh economic actions against Russia if they do military invade the remaining territory of Ukraine along with a hope that Germany will radically reduce its energy purchases from Russia. That is just a hope to be honest. But the US Department of Defense had made it known our military in Europe will support a guerrilla war against Russian occupation forces in the case of an invasion by Putin which was discussed in a New York Times article several weeks ago.
Those of us who are retired US Army officers are aware that Army Special Forces are planning what shortly for what is called the Robin Sage training exercise, a two-week “unconventional warfare” drill is the final test of candidates’ Special Forces Qualification Course training. The drill will take place Jan. 22 to Feb. 4 on privately owned land across 25 counties in North Carolina and three counties in South Carolina and this event was made public specifically so the Russian were aware of it because the U.S. Army’s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School made it public in a news release. fighting against stating it would have “realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters” in a fictional, unstable country known as Pineland. The special forces soldiers in training would be “placed in an environment of political instability characterized by armed conflict, forcing Soldiers to analyze and solve problems to meet the challenges.” To make the training more realistic, service members from units across Fort Bragg will act as opposition forces and civilian volunteers will be role-players.
Now most of retired Army officers that are familiar with the Robin Sage training exercise assume the CIA’s paramilitary forces called the Special Activities Division (SAD) will likely be involved as will US Navy Seals and that “Pineland” is a euphemism for the Ukraine. US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, apparently in a call with the Russian military according to the NY Times made it clear Russian invaders will die not just during an invasion of Ukraine, but for a protracted period of time. There have now for over a year been training for Ukraine civilians to carry out protracted warfare against the Russians.
So how this all adds up if Russia invades that there will be a protracted war against Russian invaders supported at least covertly by NATO to some extent. Then Hungary could be forced to choose to covertly support a protracted war against Putin’s forces or betray NATO and face the consequences. I am pretty sure Orban is hoping Putin does not put him in such a spot.
This is such an unbelievably idiotic idea – hungary will (again …) be the laughing stock of the whole world.
If someone would write a story or make a movie on this people would answer with ridicule.
I’m wondering who did this selection of foodstuff you really need?
Of course no butter – it’s at least 50% more expensive than in Germany, so most people use margarine.
No cheese nor sausages and don’t even think about fruits and vegetables – they are much too healthy for a typical Hungarian family to be eaten in larger amounts.
But they should have added Mgyar narancs to this list!
The whole story generally brings back that famous film “A Tanu” – again O1G follows Rakosi’s ideas – vorwärts immer, rückwärts nimmer!
My wife already said we can count ourselves lucky because we bought several packages of flour, a box of sunflower oil (only the Venusz brand is good enough for her) and our freezer contains a lot of meat – in Covid times it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
PS:
2.8% milk is watered down so much, we call ourselves lucky that our Lidl sells a very good 3.6% milk!
Greetings.
The manipulation of the eligible voter numbers has started.
Eligible voters with Hungarian address on January 11, as published on 2022-01-11
7,775,435
Eligible voters with Hungarian address on January 11, as published on 2022-01-13
7 795 109
So they found an extra 20 thousand voters overnight ….
increase of the number of voters from 2022-01-11 to 2022-01-13
Pest county: number of voters has increased increased by 0.29%
Hungary total: 0.24%
Budapest: 0.20%
Eligible voters (official data)
2017.08.10———> 2021.11.30
2017.08.10———> 2022.01.11
with Hungarian address
7,960,767 ———> 7,787,123, change: – 173,644 or – 2.18%
7,960,767 ———> 7,775,435, change: – 185,332 or – 2.33%
without Hungarian address
291,409 ———> 415,819, change + 124,410 or +42.69%
291,409 ———> 424,984, change + 133,575 or +45.84%
without / with
3.66% ———> 5.34%
3.66% ———> 5.47%
Breakdown of the voters with no Hungarian address:
Romania:
127961 —-> 181389 (43.91% —-> 43.62%)
127961 —-> 183971 (43.91% —-> 43.29%)
only the voter’s e-mail address is known:
104187 —–> 131105 (35.75% —–> 31.53%)
104187 —–> 134003 (35.75% —–> 31.53%)
Serbia:
32568 —-> 63833 (11.18% —-> 15.35%)
32568 —-> 66327 (11.18% —-> 15.61%)
Ukraine + Slovakia:
15827 —–> 22811 ( 5.43% —–> 5.49%)
15827 —–> 22912 ( 5.43% —–> 5.39%)
all others combined:
( 3.73% —–> 4.01%)
( 3.73% —–> 4.18%)
Suma sumarum:
0.20% Increase in total voters
2.33% Increase in voters with Hu address (standard voter)
45.9% increase in voters without Hu address (90% of whom voted Fid)
Capisi ?
No, you did not get it.
Statement #1
2022.01.11 vs 2017.08.10
voters with Hungarian address, a decline of 2.33%
voters with no Hungarian address, an increase of 45.84%
total eligible voters, a decline of 0.63%
Statement #2
2022.01.11 vs 2022.01.11
voters with Hungarian address, an increase of 0.24%
Pest 2nd electoral district: +0.37%
Pest 5th electoral district: +0.30%
Pest 11th electoral district: +0.30%
They increased the voter numbers for 01.11
The new numbers appear on the new page
https://vtr.valasztas.hu/ogy2022/valasztasi-informaciok/valasztopolgarok-szama
This page cannot be saved easily.
Glad to see you comment on hungarian.news tappanch, your comments are always very informative (although I sometimes have a hard time interpreting data. 🤨🙂 but I usually make something of it.)
off-topic: if you want to help ensure free and fair elections you can register as a vote counter here:
https://www.20k.hu/about-us
Orban slogan:
Mo előre megy, nem hátra. (Hungary goes forward, not backward.)
Modified slogan (copyright by tappanch)
Mo tönkre megy, farhátra,
Lenin in 1922:
„Россия идет вперед, а не назад,
хотя, повторяю, очень медленно и с перерывами.”
https://444.hu/2022/01/06/lenintol-nyulhatta-rakosi-azt-az-orszag-elore-megy-nem-hatra-fordulatot-ami-az-orban-kormany-legujabb-kampanyszlogenje
Attention, opposition leaders or election watchers !
The official election website started to provide a second series of numbers for the number of eligible voters with Hungarian address.
(basically the regime magically found 20 thousand .extra voters on January 11, 2022)
A: https://www.valasztas.hu/valasztopolgarok-szama-valasztastipusonkent (updated daily)
B: https://www.valasztas.hu/telepulesek-lakossag-es-valasztopolgarszama (detailed, updated on Tuesdays, since December 2021)
C: https://vtr.valasztas.hu/ogy2022/valasztasi-informaciok/valasztopolgarok-szama (daily, since 2022-01-11)
2022-01-11
A= 7 775 435 = 7775192+243 = B
C= 7 795 109
C-A = 19674
2022-01-18
A= 7 773 485 = 7773234+251 = B
C= 7 792 420
C-A = 18935
The first national “sports” radio started to broadcast from Orban’s home village of Felcsut yesterday.
Of course, it also broadcasts primitive government propaganda.
https://444.hu/2022/01/18/nemi-nyokogessel-vettek-korbe-a-fideszes-kampanyuzenetet-az-uj-sportradio-pont-annyira-elvezhetetlen-mint-az-egesz-kormanypropaganda