Hungarian News

The Twelve Points

• March 15, 2022
• István
• 2 Comments

1. Freedom of the Press
2. Accountable ministries in Buda and Pest
3. An annual parliamentary session in Pest
4. Civil and religious equality before the law
5. National Guard
6. Joint share of tax burdens
7. The abolition of socage
8. Juries and representation on an equal basis
9. National Bank
10. The army to swear to support the constitution, our soldiers should not be sent abroad, and foreign soldiers should leave our country.
11. The freeing of political prisoners.
12. Union

These were the central demands of the Hungarians 174 years ago. Number 3, 5, 9 and 10 are realised since, 1/3 or in average one realised every 43.5 years. But to be honest the situation is far from being developing so slow. During our history every single one has been fulfilled at least for a while. Our problem is that one by one became a serious problem again the last 12 years.

The freedom of press had been reality. After 2010 this has been demolished. Today all journalists are replaced in the public media by propaganda servants. With a single exception all daily newspapers have been bought-up and either changed in regime outlets or shut down, the only new political weekly that has been founded past 2010 needs despite its conservative orientation to be printed abroad. And even on hardly regulated internet the same happened to many outlets, including the 2 largest portals within the country and only important one in Transylvania.

The ministers in 1848 were responsible to the monarch only, in fact this does not differ so much from today. Just the title of the ruler changed. Today parliament has no factual control despite the basic law claims the opposite. Within 12 years parliament took every single decision of what the government wanted. Without changes, without critical discussion within the governing party. The compromise, political nature of all democracies between the parties in parliament and between the members of parties, is found anywhere except within the opposition. In Hungary the government controls parliament. Another point that has been made important again by Orbán.

Parliament is seating way more often than once a year, but time went by, we live in a way faster and more complicated world. About quality of representation hasn’t been demanded anything within this point, but the 8th.

Equality before the law is another point that has been abolished again. We have today equal laws for individuals (not for religions,) but whether these have to be applied to a person or not forms the inequality today. Who gets punished for fraud or not is determined by the ruler and his prosecutor general. Who gets punished for going a few kilometer per hour too fast or who won’t when causing an accident while at the same moment being proud of using forbidden laser detectors is determined by the ruler. Who may throw his wife over a “blind commodor” and who not is determined by the ruler. Not to forget that religions are regulated by the ruler, who fits into the ideology gets financed to an extent that these churches don’t even know what to do with so much money, while the state agencies are used to destroy those who are not submissive to the ruler. Legal practice wasn’t perfect before 2010, but structural inequality was constructed by Orbán again.

The National Guard has got another name, but this can be considered as being fulfilled completely.

As already in 1848 the elite is paying no or less taxes than the ordinary citizen, this has been reintroduced by Orbán. On minimum wages the individual pays 33.5 % of taxes and contributions, the employer additionally taxes this minimum wage with 13 %, all together 46.5 %. The ruling elite only pays 15 % income tax – if at all. The authorities determine who is a “trusted” tax-payer. These are exempt from audits by the tax office, one could say it is a license for tax fraud. Everything introduced by FIDESZ since 2010.

The abolition of socage is another problematic point of the Orbán regime. It is not the traditional way of farmers serving the interests of a landlord, but the newly created one of the poor serving the interests of the local regime representative. The poor are not only forced to go in groups with a single broom through the streets, but also to work in local mayor’s properties to make their privileged lives a bit more comfortable. Orbán introduced a “work-based society.” Where job creation measures may have a place in situations with shortage of jobs they are counterproductive in times of labour shortage. Yes, those in these measures are often not educated for the jobs, but this demands an education-based society. But this would mean a less pleasant life for the little kings of FIDESZ in the villages.

The differences between the ruling elite and the population regarding the law have been mentioned already. Although many judges are still refusing political influence they have no chance against retroactive laws overturning their judgements. Or against the constitutional court allowing the ruler everything, just as discussed yesterday. Packing the court has resulted that Orbán and his lackeys may do everything they want. Of course the representation is highly different as well. The electoral district of Tolna has 58 774 voters, while Pest 5 has 97 586 voters. Of course both districts have a single deputy each. The former is also in 2022 a pretty safe haven for FIDESZ, the latter might get won by Unity for Hungary, since FIDESZ is not strong there. Even dividing FIDESZ loving Tolna into 2 equal large districts instead of 3 as since 2014, these districts would remain smaller than Pest 5 already is. Preventing those Hungarians living in democratic countries to vote and pushing voting those who never have lived in Hungary is another very important way to make voting less equal. Orbán’s unequal voting law does not discriminate on property, but on political suspicions.

We have a national bank.

Is the 10th point fulfilled or not? Difficult. I tend to say yes. Swearing onto the constitution definitely is, while sending them abroad or foreign troops into Hungary is not. But we live in a very different world today. Not a monarch in a neighbouring country is our king, who might send troops in fights wherever he wants. The ruler does not call foreign troops to fight against the people, at least not now, this might be another step of escalation Orbán would still need to consider. But we are member of international organisations that ensure common defence and we are member of the UNO deploying peace keeping missions, where Hungary takes place in as well. Since our army is sent out only if a national decision has been taken and foreign soldiers are here for common defence (if allowed, but this is a very different question) the core of the point is met and hardly anybody in Hungary would want to change today’s situation.

Release of political prisoners seems to be a solved point. There are no prisoners who dared to ask for voting on another party than FIDESZ. The law allows free speech, allows demonstrations, allows free press. But! If you dare to be critical of the ruler you might get state agencies to raid you. Your finances might be blocked. Right now a regime critical priest running a charity is endangered to go to prison, because of exactly out of this situation he was unable to pay the taxes for this charity. An independent MP has got convicted for taking place in demonstrations and is currently working for his work penalty. If he wouldn’t show up he would be put in prison. Punishing those with different opinions is no longer based on this opinion, but on charges that are constructed around other things, sometimes by special laws made to damage these very persons, as for example to get the mentioned priest silent. And punishment is done very different. A pensioner got punished with an amount of more than 3 months pension for using his car’s horn. He was fined with 250 000 Ft (just above 900 €,) while “other not specified minor violations” as far as not endangering pedestrians might cost between 10 000 and 20 000 Ft (36 and 73 €.) In this case the pensioner has brought himself in danger according to corona rules by sitting alone in his private car the state declared. Generally horning is hardly punished, although legally in inhabited places it is allowed only when the danger of accident occurs, it is in villages often used instead of doorbells. But horning against Orbán is very different of course. Political punishment is daily business of the regime, so the point is definitely as actual as 174 years ago.

Union. Meant was the union with Transylvania, archived in the compromise of 1867, lost when WWI was lost and not at least thanks to the call of PM István Tisza to conquer some lands for Hungary. BTW one of the favourite historical PMs of Orbán, he even erected a monument in front of the parliament building to honour him. In today’s era this kind of union is neither a realistic claim nor should we wish so. It would not be a demand for reorganising internal administration borders of an empire as it was in 1848, but international borders. The union which would bring the people in Hungary and in Transylvania closer to each other today is the European Union. This is the most beloved enemy of the ruler, Orbán a few weeks ago threatened the EU and us with leaving the union if his conditions are not met. The union of the year 2022 is at least as important as the union of 1848, especially since the union is endangered in 2022, while we should fight for a closer union.

8 of these 12 points might be 174 years old, but are highly current on March 15th, 2022. I hope that next year on the 175-year-anniversary of the revolution we will see a Hungary where these 12 points can be regarded as an important part of history and only as problems of the past.