Hungarian News

Only the Warmongers Demonstrate for Peace

• February 25, 2022
• István
• 28 Comments

Putin’s war (to quote Olaf Scholz) has divided Hungary even deeper. At least regarding propaganda and facts. The Orbán regime has hard times to condemn the Russian aggression. Szijjártó knew to talk about Putin’s war without even mentioning Russia or Putin, Orbán condemned Putin’s war only on behalf of our allies, but neither on personal title, nor in the name of Hungary.

The propaganda machine reports quite neutral about Putin’s war. It is happening, but I found no comments, no opinions, and no background information about international law for example. There are Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Done. Yes, there has been the one or other item what this means to Hungary, but at the end it went not further than the statement that Hungary wasn’t or won’t be attacked. But of course the regime media fired fully against the democratic forces in the country. They, especially Péter Márki-Zay, would have said that we have to send troops and weapons into Ukraine. As proof they used a snippet from the Partizán 60’ interview I covered ►EN the morning after it has been published. Yes, he ventilated his sympathies for Ukraine, he said – 10 days before Putin sent his troops – that he would like to see Ukraine joining NATO, but he did never call Hungarian troops to fight against Russia now, nor did he call NATO to get involved. But he called for loyalty with NATO and he would not resist fulfilling Hungary’s obligations in case of a NATO decision, but as well that a NATO decision would be needed. A decent statement, it should be so obvious that it should be regarded as not noteworthy. But not with a propaganda machine aiming on misinformation only. Already yesterday I mentioned that I got an email from the corona information centre – everybody needed an email address to get vaccination – that the opposition wants to get involved into the war. This seems the main story of a regime in trouble.

For Orbán it is definitely hard to explain, why he is so a good friend of Putin, why Putin would be so different from Khrushchev or Brezhnev. Or what would be the difference between the Russian invasions in 1956 and 2022! So greedy Orbán fast went back to one of his always-used fairy tales: Only his personal ties to Putin would make our gas soooo cheap. It is hard to believe whether this remains enough to explain away the devotion Orbán’s. Russia is not really the favourite country of Hungarians and its already bad reputation might suffer a lot now. Orbán’s hate of the West could seriously loose ground.

Yesterday’s regime news on M1 at 10 p.m. has covered demonstrations for peace all over the world. Just one they “forgot” to mention: The one in Budapest under the motto “Siding with Ukraine, Against Putin” MZP called for yesterday morning. The liars from Magyar Nemzet covered it, they wrote: “Ukraine was almost nor mentioned at all.” I am sure the several 1000s who participated would witness differently. Ukraine and Putin, war and peace were mentioned way more often than the words election or vote. Among the demonstrators not only few Ukrainians, singing their national anthem together before the beginning. The masses needed to be organised in the beginning, because some stood still far away. “Ruszkik, haza [Russians, home]!”, “Putyin, menj haza [go home]!” or “Stop Putin! Stop War!” were shouted repeatedly, as well as “Ukraine, Ukraine!” and “Europe, Europe!”

On the stage Zsolt Osváth, a publicist, talked about the news of the last months that no war would happen, he believed it and wanted to believe it. The worse was his surprise when he awoke with war in the country next to us. So he really wanted to stand out for peace, the only thing he could do.

Ágnes Vadai (DK) said that now we see what the words of Putin are worth. Big Ukraine towns in flames, smoke comes out of houses from rockets that went into, families with small children are fleeing into shelters or cellars. This is the true face of Vladimir Putin. And this is the power Viktor Orbán since 10 years is rubbing. Orbán had as being the friend of Putin to be the friend of war as well. We don’t want this kind of friends for ourselves! If you sleep with a bear you never know when he will have you for breakfast. We remember our past, we remember 1956. And we won’t forget the man who said 30 years ago “Ruszkik, haza!” The crowd started shouting “Putyin haza” at this moment. Vadai said “We Hungarians are not like this, we are members of EU and NATO!” She spoke about the fact that Hungarians in referendums have chosen to join NATO and EU as well. That we have chosen for peace and not for the aggressor. For Europe and not for the use of arms. The Orbán government should be aware of that and represent Hungarians by doing so. The PM should clearly stay out to condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. And the foreign minister should come home from Bahrain and talk to the Russian foreign minister, from whom he got the Russian medal of friendship. And to end Paks 2. This is what a “national” government would do.

Máté Kanász-Nagy (LMP) sided with Ukraine and called the day would find access to history books as the black day of Putin. He reminded the attacks from the propaganda outlets and members of governments and he would have liked to hear a clear statement condemning the war instead of long talking about doing business with Putin as Orbán did. We should listen to the Polish government that very clearly talked about the situation. The Poles refused to do business with an aggressor. It is impossible having trust in contracts closed with someone who believes in using tanks and pursuit planes. Hungary mustn’t make itself dependent on an aggressive, war-starting dictator.

Ágnes Kunhalmi (MSZP) started with the words “we stay with Ukraine” in Ukrainian language and called the foreign minister to give back the medal of friendship. She took German North Stream 2 decision as example of good government. Where overdone nationalism turns to we have seen today through Putin. Hungary and all Europe should learn out of the consequences of history falsification Putin did calling Ukraine essentially Russian territory. For Europe and for peace.

László Józan, Hungarian actor born in Transcarpathia, followed. He spoke about in which environment he grew up. With many nationalities, many languages, peaceful in mutual respect. He had all trust in a free and peaceful world. He is afraid about family and friends, he feels with all those in the fighting areas and expressed his solidarity with everybody living in Ukraine.

László György Lukács (Jobbik) spoke how 180 km away his 3 children go to bed, where only the dad is missing, because of talking in Budapest about peace. But 1000 away there are families with 3 children as well, children that can’t be brought to bed in a peaceful situation without knowing what might bring tomorrow. Where the dad is missing, because he has to face the invaders Putin sent. Hungary must stay on the side of peace. We have to help the Hungarians behind the border to Ukraine and the refugees of war.

Anna Donáth (Momentum) called the years 1997 and 2003 as the years the Hungarians have voted to be members of NATO and EU. Her generation grew up in peace and never thought that a war would take place close by. There is no way in searching friends among murderous dictators as Orbán did. With a strong and unified reaction Europe has to protect the Hungarians in Transcarpathia as well as every Ukraine woman, man, and child who wants peace.

Gergely Karácsony (P) talked about a 1000 years dream of Hungarians. Living in a free and peaceful Europe. We have paid with our blood for this dream in 1848 and 1956. And in 1989 a young man (Orbán) a few 100 meters from here called “Ruszkik, haza!” He spoke out that the crowd is not demonstrating against the Russian people, but against Putin. Orbán betrayed the 1000 years dream. He stands with Ukraine, yesterday he put out the Ukraine flag in front of the city hall and the lightning of the Fisher’s Bastion will follow. “Our place is where peace is, where people co-operate, where we want to be since 1000 years: In Europe.” We mustn’t forget that Ukraine has been attacked by Russian tanks, because they want to be part of Europe as well. He told that the city is preparing to help refugees.

Last speaker was Péter Márki-Zay. Since 1945 the 1st time a war between sovereign European countries broke out. Since generations we did not believe in war. He told how happy is his situation only to know from the telling of his grandparents how it is when houses collapses after bombing, how it is to lose someone, to find him back at soldier graves. As easy the word war is spoken out, the difficult is to understand its meaning. The most important is peace! He acknowledged that some have spoken about changing the government on April 3rd for having a government that sides with Ukraine and not with the aggressor. Yes, on April 3rd we will vote out Viktor Orbán, but this evening we have a way more important task, he said. This evening we don’t have left or right, this evening is about humans, about Hungarians, Ukrainians, and Russians. He said that it was not accidental that the EU got the Nobel Peace Price. The EU is the example how to solve conflicts in peace. Since we did not have war in Europe, while the 100 years before Germans and French fought against each other in 3 wars. Only EU and NATO guarantee the independence of Hungary, the warrants of peace, while 200 km from the Hungarian border bombs are dropping and while Putin wants to erect a new Soviet Union. So often we stood on the wrong side, so often we caused sorrows to the nation and its people. We won’t wait any longer and we ask Viktor Orbán to end the swing politics. We don’t ask, we demand to end the swing politics. Finally Viktor Orbán has condemned the Russian aggression, finally Viktor Orbán has admitted that we should act together with our allies in NATO and our partners in EU. Further he demanded that Viktor Orbán should agree in a common reaction with the EU (the demonstration took place before the EU meeting ended, so I can mention here and now he did) and that he should suspend Paks 2 and end the presence of the Russian spy bank in Budapest. Next symbolically demand was that Szijjártó should hand back the medal of friendship to Lavrov. Thereafter MZP prayed on the stage for peace, before the demonstration ended ►HU.

After the anthems of Ukraine and Hungary were sung those with flags of Ukraine and the EU were asked to bring them to the FIDESZ party offices nearby. These have been blocked by police, so the delivery became difficult ►HU.

So the regime is hardly talking about Putin’s war, except when it is about attacks on Péter Márki-Zay. The only demonstration for peace held in Hungary was held by the “warmongers” from the democratic parties. FIDESZ decided not to join for a common demonstration and did not call for an own event either. That Unity for Hungary has chosen to side with Ukraine makes the difference and delivered again reasons to be attacked by the regime. Also in Hungary things escalate. While things in Ukraine are incomparable more severe of course the unequal struggle in Hungary went into another stage as well.