On media freedom in the EU, especially Hungary: This is especially true in Hungary, where the media have long been…
January 2, 2024
Happy New Year to all of us !
While Orbán holds Hungary in a state of suspended disbelief, he continues to speak on the country's behalf. Lies unchallenged.
All it takes, is a signature. China take's care of everything, including financing. The recipient state pays. In the end,…
It looks as if China is gaining economic power and influence on politics in Hungary/Balkan, exactly as they have done…
The Great Wall Motors will build a car factory near Pécs on a 6 km^2 territory. https://www.szabadeuropa.hu/a/orban-es-hszi-csin-ping-egyutt-jelenthetik-be-hogy-a-great-wall-motors-epit-autogyarat-pecs-mellett/32922206.html
Congratulations, a “good” start for 2024!
Among the leaders of EU Member States, it was only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who received the Russian President’s exclusive New Year’s greeting.
https://dailynewshungary.com/only-one-eu-pm-received-good-wishes-from-putin/
Wolf, Happy New Year to you!
We know the Viktor awaits a drastic inversion of the balance of power.
He doesen’t bother to speculate about when, but simply focuses on licking all the asses that might be “smiling” his way, if and when the time comes (in his lifetime).
How Hungary fares in the EU is of less concern, he already buried that relationship, but China probably matters more than he would like to admit to the national audience. And that’s where he could get get his balls squeezed, especially if Vladimir demands a more destabilizing stance than Xi sees fit.
Don’t forget, Vlad ows Xi, big time. If Xi decides to turn up business in Mongolia, Vlad can no longer afford to play warlord in Ukraine.
Happy New Year everyone!
I wanted to consult some old post on Eva’s website but it looks like hungariumspectrum.org is down. Any idea if this is temporary or permanent? I believe I remember that the website would be maintained in its current state after Eva’s passing but I could be wrong.
It’s possible that Eva’s subscription has expired.
Happy New Year To You All!!
About Eva’s website, noticed similar a while ago, but happily all [or at least most] is archived by the Wayback Machine.
You can check it at https://web.archive.org/web/20231020002346/https://hungarianspectrum.org/ [and from there Eva’s “Archives” tab].
Eva actually wrote many outstanding essays on Hungarian History and culture for her Hungarian Spectrum blog.
Her executor explained Eva wanted the blog shut down in the event of her death.
She was meticulous and no doubt kept copies stored on her PC of all the posts. It is unclear if she instructed that those archives be deleted. In some cases she worked for more than a week on a post to get it right by her own admission during a response to a comment I once saw.
Really her work was far more than the wandering thoughts of an old historian. I did not agree with her about many things but never ceased to be amazed at her energy for research.
Found this site by accident – lots of really good jokes on the Hungarian lider and his honchos:
https://www.facebook.com/ondreak.jozsef
Really nice pictures – made me laugh like mas …
If you have time enough and are interested in “Central” European politics here’s an article about a Polish journalsit, not a friend of the PISsers:
https://www.newsunzip.com/wiki/tomasz-sygut/
He wrote for the New York Times eg and will be a manger for State TV under Donald Tusk’s government.
PS:
newsunzip is an interesting newssite from India!!!, a bit wiki-like.
But what about Orbanistan? Not much going on it seems …
Is Orban getting lucky again? See https://www.politico.eu/article/charles-michel-to-run-for-eu-election-2024-top-jobs-viktor-orban/
The Fidesz media questions if the anti Orban crowd in Brussels will block Orban. https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2024/01/orban-viktort-csaszarra-tenne-az-europai-tanacs-elnoke
I wonder if you ever saw this documentary (it’s in Danish, but the they mostly speak English).
The portrayed decadence is something else!
https://www.dr.dk/drtv/se/a-storm-foretold-_-det-amerikanske-oproer_389862:
The CoolAid that works wonders for Trump.
What would be a counter?
Looking at reality?
Well, in the US, probably not.
Here’s another documentary:
https://www.dr.dk/drtv/se/a-storm-foretold-_-det-amerikanske-oproer_389862
“The American Uprising”
It is available on line with closed captions via Amazon.com.
Just saw this roo:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/07/michel-sparks-race-to-stop-orban-becoming-european-council-president
Is the EU going crazy?
I assume Michel and Tusk will captain an anti
Orbán caucus in the EP. They could gather much more broad support than Hungarian media want to admit. Tusk, now being a PM and Michel on the inside. Together, they have a very broad reach, being liberal conservatives as the majority in EU.
The “Brussels” label, applied by Fidesz, is much too narrow for the EU reality. But of course, people in HU don’t really want to know that. Why else would Orbán choose to side with non-EU Erdogan?
Preserving the illusion of Orbán fronting a strong anti-EU movement is pure theory, at this point.
Regardless of what European voices have to say about Orbán¨s anti European campaign, the bullshit coming from his his media will dominate in HU.
I used to watch Hir Tv once a week to keep up on the Fidesz propaganda. I can’t take it any more it’s nothing but crazy propaganda disconnected from Reality.
Orban has put the average not university educated Hungarian in a bubble.
Happy new year everybody. Istvan, why do you think having a university education keeps you out of the bubble? I know it is not representative, but I personally know many of these sad cases. And many of the teaching faculties of universities are happy inside the bubble too.
I agree.
Illegal immigrants and/or refugees arriving in Europe
2023 266,952
2022 159,410
2021 123,318
2020 95,774
2019 123,663
2018 141,472
2017 185,139
2016 373,652
2015 1,032,408
2023:
Italy: 157,314
Spain: 54,653
Greece: 48,563
Cyprus: 6,042
Malta: 380
Of course, without the Ukrainian refugees.
Those numbers are really something to ponder.
“Osmosis” of human migration to Europe registered!
What we, in the affluent parts of the world fail to recognize, is a force of nature at work, beyond political control.
What the Orbánites and other subscribers of popular “replacement” theories fail to recognize, is their obvious, inevitable expendability.
Not long from now, the continental “voids” of Russia and China will observe the same influx of humanity from areas of
higher humane pressure, consistent with the laws of nature.
Illegal immigrant what can that be? A refugee who has not asked if he is allowed to flee? This is the language used by Fidesz and AfD etc.!
At about 1:58 EST in Washington DC today former President Trump held a Press Conference at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. This followed a U.S. appeals court hearing in which Trump’s lawyers said he should be immune from prosecution for trying to overturn the 2020 election.
The hearing was broadcast live on the radio and the questions from the appeals court justices seemed very hostile to Trump’s argument. Trump’s statement to the media was packed with lies in my opinion and he refused to take any questions from the media on his statement.
In particular Trump stated if the criminal charges against him succeed in damaging his candidacy, the result would be “bedlam in the country.”
Many reporters who heard that comment took it as a new call for insurrection and one yelled out at Trump who was very near him asking whether he would tell his supporters not to be violent in the event he is not granted immunity and convicted. Trump ignored the question and walked out of the room. (See video https://www.c-span.org/video/?532772-1/president-trump-speaks-reporters-washington-dc)
That Trump ignored the questions was a good summary by you.
The former President appears confident that the grooming of his faithful forces was successfully tested by the post-election chaos.
Could he perhaps be entertaining Charles Manson-style “Helter Skelter” fantasies of chaos prophecy and salvation through violent obedience, using modern media instead of LSD?
He is obviously a complicated and badly damaged case, but from a different corner of social life than the “classic”, American criminal cult leader. But he seems as randomly selecting and testing subjects as the archetypes.
2023 “state of the health in Hungary” by the European Commission
“Hungary spent less than half the EU average
per capita in 2021, ranking the sixth lowest
among EU countries. Although out-of-pocket
payments for healthcare decreased in 2021,
at 25 % they were considerably higher than
the EU average (15 %), as a result of only
partial cost coverage for several health goods
and services. Nearly half of all household
out-of-pocket spending goes towards
pharmaceuticals.”
Click on the “PDF” button on:
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/hungary-country-health-profile-2023_8d398062-en
https://www.szabadeuropa.hu/a/eu_orszagprofil_egeszsegugy/32765839.html
14 members of the Council of Judges were elected on January 8.
I expect them to obey the regime instructions more than the previous Council.
More details:
https://www.szabadeuropa.hu/a/a-birok-megvalasztottak-az-orszagos-biroi-tanacs-uj-tagjait/32766711.html
Debt of the Hungarian central government in trillions (10^12) of forints
2013.11.30: 22.45331
2018.11.30: 29.00502
2023.11.30: 49.91841
tappanch if search “Debt of the Hungarian central government 2010” then I get completely different figures. I’m not doubting your figures, I just can’t find any support.
I doubt accurate, balanced and publically reviewed by independent economists, figures exist and are made public by the Hun state. How can they?
There must be substantial double book keeping, owing to the adverse sources of financing.
Source: Excel table on
https://akk.hu/statisztika/allamadossag-finanszirozas/kozponti-koltsegvetes-adossaga
it’s not too early to have a discussion of where Hungary is going in relation to Europe.
Well supposedly Orban is going to meet with Zelensky (see https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3812250-kuleba-yermak-to-meet-with-hungarian-foreign-minister-in-uzhhorod.html). Orban will supposedly approve of EU military aid under the provision that any debt issued by the EU excludes Hungary from any involvement in repaying the debt.
I want to better understand all of that before I speculate on “where Hungary is going in relation to Europe.”
I am fearful Orban will not be confronted by European Commission on the potential criminal indictments of Hungarian opposition politicians for using foreign linked funds I.e. Soros dollars.
But that is unclear too right now. So I am watching developments .
It’s logical to assume that Hungary will try to establish a tollbooth position between the EU and Ukraine.
About confrontation by the Commission, it probably won’t be necessary, now that Orbán again proved himself open for sale of cooperation. That way of being on the take can’t improve his position in the EU, although he probably sells the compromises as successes at home.
2024 is a big election year in Europe too and I think the extreme right wingers like Fidesz (for whom even the conservative EPP is left wing) are hoping to get more votes – even a majority? – in all or at least many EU countries.
On the other hand I expect that they will get around 25% (AfD worst case) and I hope I’m right, so we’ll have more centrist governments.
Here’s a detailed analysis:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/14/europe-marches-right-keir-starmer-carry-centre-left-torch
Centrist government is a difficult exercise in parliaments that are traditionally left- or right-majority oriiented, but it effectively puts the extremes out of direct influence.
But if you see a 25% right-nationalist representation, almost any government will have include them to some degree.