In stark contrast to the Left’s timidity in the face of actual authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia, the liberal media’s treatment of Hungary has aggressively crossed the line. Paul Krugman of the New York Times sounded the alarm after Hungary’s conservative Fidesz-KDNP alliance won 68 percent of the seats in Parliament in the 2010 elections. He foresaw a post-Soviet “re-establishment of authoritarian rule” in Hungary. The British Guardian fell into line, describing Hungary’s new prime minister, Viktor Orbán, as an “autocratic leader.” The WashingtonPost, not to be outdone, compared Hungary to Belarus and Putin’s Russia. Not long after, and with great satisfaction, Hungarian émigré professor Charles Gati announced in an op-ed in the Times that Hungary is “no longer a Western-style democracy.” Having been drummed out of the West by left-wing editorialists, Hungary became fair game for the next phase of the liberal crusade: U.S. intervention. Slander has turned into absurd policy prescriptions, intent on destroying one of the most electorally effective center-right parties in Europe.
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Writing in the Washington Post last week, former U.S. ambassador to Hungary Mark Palmer, Gati, and another émigré professor, Miklos Haraszti, argue that the state of Hungarian democracy is dire and that Radio Free Europe (RFE) must recommence the type of broadcasts it made into Hungary during the Cold War. The goal this time, however, is not to destabilize a Soviet-imposed Communist regime but to undermine a democratically elected government. This unfortunate op-ed proposes that the U.S. government and American taxpayers get involved in combatting the specter of alleged tyranny in our NATO ally — an ally that has chosen to remain in Afghanistan until the bitter end, unlike several others.
The center-right coalition has received criticism for its 2010 Media Law, which when passed contained certain provisions that many deemed overly restrictive. However, these provisions were later invalidated by Hungary’s Constitutional Court — the very institution that many critics consider to be in Orbán’s pocket. Here is real proof that Hungary’s institutions are working as they should, even in the midst of constitutional change (Hungary’s new constitution took effect on January 1).
Nevertheless, Palmer, Haraszti, and Gati argue that freedom of speech and democracy itself are at risk in Hungary. They cite the removal of CNN from a cable-service bundle offered by one of Hungary’s cable providers, and the non-renewal of the license of a local talk and music station, Klubradio, as (the only) proof that Fidesz and Orbán are clamping down on Hungary’s free and open press.
In actuality, these changes are the result of market competition — and, as the bankruptcy of Hungary’s national airline last month demonstrates, telecommunications is not the only sector affected. Magyar Telekom dropped CNN from its most common service package (although it remains available from other cable operators) because CNN is largely unpopular in Hungary. Klubradio, a Budapest-based station known to be anti-Fidesz, lost a competitive bid organized by Hungary’s independent Media Council after its twelve-year broadcasting license expired. There are, of course, other opposition television and radio stations operating, as well as unrestricted and flourishing online and print media.
Free speech in this case is merely a red herring meant to bring down a government whose traditionalist policies are the real cause for alarm on the left. As Vernon Lowe correctly observes, Hungary’s conservative government has become a whipping boy for the international liberal punditocracy, which sees a fascist tyrant lurking underneath every coffee table with a Bible on top.
Yes, Hungary’s constitution has embraced the country’s heritage of Christianity, defined marriage in a traditional way, and proclaimed that life begins at conception. Hungary’s constitution also introduced a debt cap and reaffirmed Hungary’s 700-year-old forint as the national currency, to the chagrin of Brussels. These provisions reflect values held by most Hungarians and are therefore appropriately secured in their fundamental law. That Hungarians have decided to protect their traditional values unsurprisingly rankles the sensibilities of liberal pundits and bureaucrats in Europe and America, but it is hardly cause for crying “Dictatorship!”
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Dear Mr. Smith,
Let me congratulate on your description of the situation in Hungary. Also I appreciate that you rang the bell on notifying Americans supporting fellows of the ex communist party including Bajnai, Gyurcsany etc...
It is a shame that Columbia University drew a picture of a excommunist Gordon Bajnai as "with no party affiliation", ridiculously blatant misinformation , misleading the public completely.
I agree with you, that we SHOULD NOT helping the MSZP and related numerous attempt to overthrow the current democratic movement and government. I understand that authoritarian administration is highly provocative to many ears not heard this type of leadership before but until the society is free from communist roots, the leadership has no other choice left.
Please let me know if I can be a help for you in this matter.
Very truly yours,
Judit M. Tormassi
President
North American Hungarian Citizen's League.
Not so long ago Viktor Orbán and Fidesz were trying to overthrow the democratically-elected government of Hungary. Now that they ARE the government, they complain about getting a taste of their own medicine. The opposition in Hungary has learnt well from Fidesz!
With foreign policy and influence like this, exactly who does our illustrous Sec'y of State think will be left as a US ally after she's gone? I can't honestly think of any - except maybe a handful who need money and slink up to the US to get it - Pakistan maybe?
Let me help you with some suggestions. These countries will remain US allies for the foreseeable future: Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Korea, Turkey, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania...
Agreed.
Thank you Mr. Smith for your Review. It is authentic and true assessment of the situation.
Read my letter above to the Dean of Columbia University SIPA.
It is regretful that a person called Gordon Bajnai of the ex communist party got access to the States based on false information provided.
Please let me know if I can be a help in this matter otherwise you see it pretty well.
Very truly yours,
Judit M. Tormassi
President
North American Hungarian Citizens' League
Great article. I like to add that the organized criticism of Hungary started after PM Orban was critical of the banking industry. All the negative articles on Hungary is fueled by the internatinal banking industry? As for a 1956-er the important factor is that Hungary has democratic free elections. Those who do not like the outcome of ane election have the freedom to vote differently in the next election. That is how democracy works, same as in the USA. Yes, there is a small percentage of the Hungarian population who are missing the 'good old times', but they have the FREEDOM to say so.
That is rather ironics. I am going to suggest that Hungary might want to put out a "help wanted" sign in the USA for traditional Christian background European-Americans. Since it's fairly clear that Obama and his rainbow groups will start the cultural revolution in 2013 to 2014 it might be time for well educated and thrifty Christian European-Americans to think about emmigration.
The left's reaction to center-right politics in Hungary stands in sharp contrast to its reaction to the people of Honduras upholding their Constitutional traditions to avoid an actual Chavez-style dictatorship.
There, the avoidance of dictatorship, by following the Constitution, was deemed a "coup" and a blow to the democratic traditions of the country. The Hondurans were supposed to sit back and allow a Chavez acolyte to take over, and ignore their Constitution. That would have been "just".
No matter where on the globe we look, leftists -- polite phraseology for militant socialists and "watered-down" Communists -- are on the side of tyranny. And so an actual conservative gets elected in Europe -- not just a weak-kneed socialist, but an actual conservative -- and the left cries "tyranny".
They've spent decades coddling and apologizing for all the world's most rancid tin-pot tyrants, including aiding and abetting Pol Pot to fill his killing fields, and they cry tyranny when a European opponent wins election.
Yeah, it must be tyranny if an actual conservative wins an election in a continent dominated by leftists.
What the hard left desires is a world-wide socialist caliphate, and they'll stop at nothing to obtain it.
What continent dominated by leftists?!? If you knew anything at all about politics in Europe then you would know that centre-right parties are currently governing most EU Member States: Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia. The only countries with centre-left governments are small ones: Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Slovenia.
It appears that CNN must be the mouthpiece for liberal causes hence the charges from the left. The left's silence on the Muslim Brotherhood takeover of Egypt tells me all I need to know. The silence on the 20K missiles lost in Libya (an illegal undeclared war to begin with) tells me all I need to know. The silence in defending ALL free speech in America -- especially those they disagree with -- tells me all I need to know about the totalitarian regime attempting to takeover America. We're on the brink, will we let them win?
Perhaps you could enlighten all of us that don't follow Hungarian news as to the significance of Jobbik. In doing so, you might explain the connection of Jobbik to the current gov't and to the current assault by the media. Bear in mind that just because many media outlets might refer to Jobbik as fascist or neo-nazi is particularly not helpful. Just from my perspective, most people don't understand those terms and misuse them just to slander conservatives. It's like calling one a racist just because they voted for McCain.
I really would like some honest context for Jobbik.
By all means, go find yourself some honest context for Jobbik--start with a perusal of their own promotional material. Do people misuse terms like racist and Nazi and neofascist? You bet. Now go do some internet research on Jobbik and read the articles Smith was writing against (and note the role of Jobbik in those articles' argument). After doing so, I hope you take stock of Smith's credibility and of those Hungarian insiders who defend him on this thread. I also hope you reconsider your instinct that, regardless of political context (Hungary is not the US), accusations of extremism are necessarily hyperbole.
Why don't you do it yourself--start with Jobbik's self descriptions, then reassess your regard for Smith, and NRO accordingly. Do people use words like racist, Nazi, and neofascist carelessly? You bet. But after studying up on this, I hope you reconsider your instinct to deem any accusation of extremism, regardless of context (the US is not Hungary) hyperbole.
I am not going to do it myself. I don't have the time or inclination to research Hungarian politics. My point was that you brought up Jobbik in a one line criticism. You provided no context for why anyone should treat your comment seriously. You could have the most profound point and no one would know. Yet, you take the time (more time than your original post) to respond to me to call me an instinctual knee-jerkist (my interpretation) and you still provide no context. In true instinctual knee-jerkist fashion, I take it to mean that you have no ground to stand on and that your are just a knee-jerkist against the current Hungarian gov't.
If you are approaching the topic with such little background information, and such little inclination to learn more, then you are not the target audience for my comment. I am ok with you thinking I have no ground to stand on.
The media attacks are aimed at Fidesz not Jobbik, Fidesz controls the government not Jobbik.
By embracing Hungary’s Christian heritage Fidesz appears to have repudiated any racist tendencies, which I assume that you are alluding to, that Jobbik might have. St. Steven, the first King of Hungary, in a letter to his son commands him and future Kings of Hungary to show tolerance and mercy to all people not only of his own kind. External Link
"The media attacks are aimed at Fidesz not Jobbik." No they're not, read Krugman's article that Smith links to in the beginning--and don't write again if you haven't done your homework.
"The media attacks are aimed at Fidesz not Jobbik." Did you read any of the articles Smith is attacking, like Krugman's? Those authors included Jobbik, Smith avoided the topic--like a coward.
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