Hungary

Yearbook

    Austerity Policy in Hungary
  • Recently Hungary appears much more often in the western media than ever before, usually, in critical articles that mention the Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and refer to the activity of the government and laws adopted by the parliament. The reason for this is the drastic change in Hungary’s policy and...
    The Hungarian Disaster
  • I hate writing this article. Since I oppose the alarming authoritarian developments in my country and am pleading for the restoration of civil liberties, I might appear to be what I definitely am not: someone who thinks that the 21st-century European variant of liberal democracy is a political order...
    Losing the “Left” in Hungary?
  • The European elections demonstrated and further contributed to a deep disillusionment on the left in Hungary. The equilibrium between the two main parties in Hungary was shaken for the first time. The Socialists lost dramatically, their coalition-partner Free Democrats did not gain any seats. The...

Focus

    European elections in 2019 in Hungary
  • The list of nine registered Hungarian parties participating on 26 May 2019 in the EUP elections and their main campaign slogans, but also a political comment on the current political landscape in Hungary.
    Cooperation between Socialists and European Left in Hungary
  • The Hungarian member of the Party of the European Left, the Workers‘ Party 2006 is not running for EP elections this time. Instead they call to vote for the Socialist party (S&D) which is projected to gain 11% and 3 seats. Read here the cooperation agreement on the election campaign between the two parties with a focus on energy strategy.
    East of the West
  • This analysis has been presented at the International Workshop of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation “On the situation of the left in Europe after the EU elections: New challenges”. July 21-23, 2014, in Berlin
    Hungary
  • Short Summary of the 2014 EP Elections 1. Many citizens believe that on April 6 at the parliamentary elections they have fulfilled their obligations. Therefore, many people have accrued to the question why the EU Parliament and the national election were not held at the same time. If it is held in...
    Landslide victory for FIDESZ in the Parliamentary elections
  • At the parliamentary elections held in Hungary on 6 April 2014 the ruling rigth-wing populist Fidesz party won a landslide victory over its opponents and retained its 2/3 majority. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policy has been justified by a strong nationalist course in order to catch the wind from the sails of Jobbik.

Blog

    Szikra Movement Denounces Orbán Clampdown
  • Activists of Szikra ("Spark"), a Hungarian green-left movement, are calling for support and solidarity with their struggle against the judicial hate campaign unleashed against them by the Hungarian government and its far-right allies.
    Strong 'No' to Hungarian Anti-LGBTIQ+ Law From MEPs
  • On 8th July, the European Parliament condemned Hungary's recent anti-LGBTIQ+ legislation and denounced the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law in the country. In a resolution, adopted with 459 in favour 147 against, and 58 abstentions, MEPs described the law as being in clear breach of fundamental rights.
    Municipal Elections in Hungary
  • Significant political changes in Hungary: In the larger cities, the fragmented opposition parties and civil organizations were able to increase their support due to the collaboration of different opposition factions. As a result of the disproportionate electoral system, in some places opposition was able to obtain a significant majority.
    Left Condemns Orbán’s Academia Power Grab
  • As thousands continue to protest against Viktor Orbán’s plans to curb Hungary’s academic freedom by seizing control of the country’s leading scientific research body, the Left in the European Parliament is throwing its full solidarity behind the campaign against this latest power grab.
    Chairman of the Hungarian Workers’ Party 2006 Attila Vajnai Facing Jail
  • Attila Vajnai was found guilty and sentenced by the Budapest 6th District Police to pay a fine of 50 thousand forints (about EUR 160). He was accused of  having taken photos at the demonstration organized by others during Turkish Head of State Erdogan`s visit to Budapest. On the photo those people...
    Anti-Government Demonstrations in Hungary
  • Representatives of the ruling FIDESZ party presented a bill to the Hungarian parliament on the amendment of the labour code increasing the number of working after-hours that can be ordered by employers to 400 a year in such a way that the wage for it is to be paid not immediately but only within...
    Revenge against the Opposition will begin
  • The parliamentary elections in Hungary were characterized by a pervasive overlap between state and ruling party resources, undermining the contestants’ ability to compete on an equal basis, OSCE/ODIHR observers said.
    Solidarity action and antifascist demonstration held in Budapest
  • Hungarian civil groups headed by the Hungarian United Left called for a demonstration for 8 October in the heart of the previous Jewish ghetto of Budapest in order to protest against the presently very powerful autocracy of the right-wing ruling power of FIDESZ and KDNP and the brutal police violence committed against Attila Vajnai.
    Anti-fascist Arrested in Hungary
  • Attila Vajnai, Chairman of the Hungarian Workers’ Party 2006/ Munkáspárt 2006, has been brutally tackled by the Hungarian police. There was a man in Budapest selling Hitler souvenirs and Attila called the police to prosecute the seller. Instead of acting against the seller, they tackled Attila: torn his clothes, broke his glasses and injured him.
    The Destruction of Reason
  • The Hungarian Academy of Sciences wants to dissolve the Georg Lukács Archives in Budapest. On a campaign against ‘Leftists’ and ‘Liberals’.
    Racist state propaganda, migration policy and authoritarianism
  • On 2 October, a national referendum was held on the EU’s refugee quota system and Hungarian migration policy, in a climate dominated by racist state propaganda. While an overwhelming majority of voters rejected the EU's migrant quotas (98%), turnout was too low (43%) to render the poll valid. The government is still calling the referendum a success and wants to amend the Constitution accordingly.
    The Fidesz Recipe
  • Fidesz is not a ground-up movement or the product of a specific political theory or philosophy. Instead, Fidesz is a precision-engineered religion – a power-center controlled by the government and the head of the church.
    Refugee crisis and Hungary
  • Before the current refugee crisis Hungary’s immigration policy focused on the fight against illegal migration, but an explicit overall migration strategy was blatantly lacking.
    Hungary’s municipal elections in 2014
  • The ruling right wing Fidesz party won a resounding victory in nationwide municipal elections on Sunday 12th October 2014, cementing prime minister Viktor Orban’s position as Hungary’s most dominant political force since the system change. Fidesz won the mayoralties in all but one of the 10 largest...
    Findings of “Social Watch” in Hungary
  • The Party of the European Left organized a mapping of the social situation in various countries of member parties. In April it was Hungary – one of the so called post-communist countries. The author, living in Prague, took the opportunity to compare the Hungarian reality with the situation in the Czech Republic.