Damned Hungarians! They Should Do Something About Their Fascist Government— Just Like We Should

I was only 8 when the Hungarians rose up against the Soviet occupiers in 1956. I recall it as a valiant two weeks, ultimately crushed by Russian tanks with thousands killed and nearly a quarter million feeling the country. Not understanding at the time that the Hungarians have always been a deeply fascist people, to this day I recollect Hungarians being heroes, the way Ukrainians are today. It made such an impression that when I drove to Hungary from Austria a dozen years later, 2 of my passengers were so outraged that they got out of the van and went their own way. Today I wouldn’t care if Hungary was absorbed into Russia as an oblast. That’s exactly what they deserve.

Yesterday, Hungary’s parliament “voted through a controversial constitutional amendment that campaigners described as a ‘significant escalation’ in the government’s efforts to crack down on dissent and chip away at human rights. Backed by the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his rightwing populist party, Fidesz, the amendment passed on Monday along party lines, with 140 votes for and 21 against. It codifies the government’s recent ban on Pride events, paving the way for authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders and potentially fine them. The amendment, which the government says prioritises the protection of children’s physical, mental and moral development, also enshrines the recognition of only two sexes, providing a constitutional basis for denying the gender identities of some in Hungary.”

Amid Orbán’s repeated claims of foreign interference in the country’s politics, the amendment also allows the government to temporarily suspend Hungarian citizenship in the case of dual nationals deemed to pose a threat to the country’s security or sovereignty.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group, described the amendment as a means of “legislating fear” in the EU country. “These laws represent a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to suppress dissent, weaken human rights protection and consolidate its grip on power,” it said in a statement.

The opposition Momentum party highlighted similarities with restrictions in Russia. Much like Vladimir Putin, Orbán has sought to portray himself as a champion of traditional family values, ushering in policies that include blocking same-sex couples from adopting children and barring any mention of LGBTQ+ issues in school education programs.

…“This government isn’t just dismantling democracy brick by brick, it’s now going at it with a bulldozer,” Ákos Hadházy, an independent lawmaker who campaigns alongside Momentum, said at a recent rally, according to Bloomberg. “We are here because we need to act fast to get ahead and stop it.”

Orbán and his government have said their aim is to protect children from what they describe as “sexual propaganda”, but analysts have pointed to forthcoming elections to argue that the country’s LGBTQ+ minority is being scapegoated by a government intent on mobilising its conservative base.

Orbán, who has long faced criticism for weakening democratic institutions and gradually undermining the rule of law, is facing an unprecedented challenge from a former member of the Fidesz party’s elite, Péter Magyar, before next year’s elections.

As news of the Pride ban broke last month, 22 European embassies in Hungary, including those of the UK, France and Germany, issued a joint statement saying they were deeply concerned that the legislation would result in “restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression.”

The EU’s equality commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, also weighed in, writing on social media: “Everyone should be able to be who they are, live & love freely. The right to gather peacefully is a fundamental right to be championed across the European Union. We stand with the LGBTQI community— in Hungary & in all member states.”

The organisers of Budapest Pride, which regularly attracts tens of thousands of people, said they were determined to go ahead with this year’s march on 28 June. “This is not child protection, this is fascism,” they said last month.

The amendment, the 15th to Hungary’s constitution since it was unilaterally authored and approved by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition in 2011, also seeks to reinforce Orbán over what he claims are foreign efforts to influence Hungary’s politics.

In a recent speech laced with conspiracy theories, Orbán pledged to “eliminate the entire shadow army” of foreign-funded “politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-NGOs and political activists.”

Rights groups described the amendment as a step in this direction for Orbán, a self-described “illiberal” leader, because it allows for the suspension of Hungarian citizenship for up to 10 years for dual nationals deemed to pose a threat to public order or security. The suspensions would only apply to Hungarians who hold citizenship of another country that is not a member of the EU or European Economic Area.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International and the Háttér Society have urged the European Commission to launch a procedure against Hungary’s government, arguing that the recent changes breach EU law.

The groups highlighted the “gravity and urgency of the consequences of the adopted changes” in a recent statement, noting that they would “force LGBTQ+ people completely out of the public eye.” The nationwide ban is believed to be the first of its kind in the EU’s recent history.

The groups also said the amendment went further than violating the rights of LGBTQ+ people and those who supported them, describing it as a tool to further instil fear among those who voice dissent in the country. “The changes have overarching consequences that affect fundamental rights well beyond the issue of Pride,” they said.

The U.S. imports around $8.7 billion annually from Hungary, primarily engines, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, precision instruments used in medical, optical  and scientific applications, electronic components, telecommunications equipment, electrical appliances, turbines and other industrial machinery. Approximately 500,000 to 600,000 U.S. tourists visited Hungary annually pre-COVID (2019). In 2023, international tourists (including Americans) spent something like $6.4 billion in Hungary, around $200-$320 million of that coming from Americans. Indirectly, U.S. tourism supports 150,000 tourism-related jobs  in Hungary.

Hungary’s increasingly fed-up EU partners have a much bigger impact on their economy. They import cars and components for brands like Audi, Mercedes and BMW, as well as electrical machinery and equipment including wiring, circuit boards, consumer electronics components, industrial machines, boilers, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, industrial plastics and rubber products for a value of around $113 billion annually, primarily from Germany, Italy, Romania, and Slovakia. 98% of Hungary’s foreign tourists are from EU countries and they spend close to $6 billion there a year. Also... Biden made a big mistake not kicking theem out of NATO. Too late now.

Those two Americans who got out of my van in 1969… I thought they were idiots. They weren’t; they may have known more about Hungary than I did.