Comments on: The Hungarian Shock: The Transition from Democracy?

By: Online Reading | The Rise of the Far Right in Hungary

Online Reading | The Rise of the Far Right in Hungary — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 02:12:30 +0000

[…] http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/02/the-hungarian-shock-the-transition-from-democracy/ […]

By: Should Hungary be Excluded from the European Union? « Jeffrey C. Goldfarb's Deliberately Considered

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:27:31 +0000

[…] in this country. A member state of the European Union may be transitioning from democracy, as Andras Bozoki warned here months ago, but there has been almost no reporting about the developments in the serious press in […]

By: Letter from Paris: Thinking about the Middle East, North Africa and Central Europe « Jeffrey C. Goldfarb's Deliberately Considered

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:04:15 +0000

[…] in Poland and among its neighbors, and there is always a threat, as has been observed here in Andras Bozoki’s report on the situation in Hungary, that a transition to democracy may be followed by a transition from […]

By: Mykolas Gudelis

Mykolas Gudelis — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:07:08 +0000

I am very glad that such articles find their way to broader audiences. Today there is a prevalent consensus among many Western scholars and political experts not to “speak ill” of the former Soviet and USSR countries who are members of EU. Their “magic bullet”, or a basis for uncritical view of political tendencies in these countries is somewhat vague but very effective usage of the word “stability”. They refer to those countries as “stable” economies, “stable” political regimes, “stable” democratic consensus, which then leads to one “stable” resolution – “consolidated democracy.” The fact is that democracy has never been consolidated in any of the former Soviet Block countries leave alone former USSR members (including “Baltic Tigers” of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania) EU membership functions as a “filter” to sift away any critical notions one might have about current proto-democratic regimes in those countries. Mr. Bozoki is talking about anti democratic tendencies and these tendencies today are becoming stronger not only in Hungary. Changing election laws, close government ties with big businesses, decisions that are made public only “post factum” and ongoing attempts to suppress any inclincations of civil society to participate in political mechanism of decision making beyond elections – this is happening today not only in Hungary but other former Communist countries. One only need to take a closer look. The danger is that these tendencies are becoming more and more prevalent while at the same time less and less visible under the veil of democratic institutions and the veil of EU membership.

By: Piotr

Piotr — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:16:30 +0000

On October 23 Hungarians have their National Holiday. Last year there were crowds, palinka, hot wine, folk songs, and of course, Orban, who spoke about finishing the Revolution of 1956, but, more up to the point, he said that what had been happening was a “revolution by the ballot”. It made me wonder about the other re[f]olution by the ballot, that of 1989. We thought we could have a cookie and eat it too. The fact that the change of the regime was enacted according to purest Kelsenian standards, was something, we thought, that deserves praise in itself. A thin consensus was enough. We did not need to agree on the shared values and purposes, on the meaning of the past and future, since what mattered was a stable constitutional system and happy individuals en route to embourgoisment. So, in the midst of our excitement about the peaceful transition, didn’t we forget about something?

Is Orban an usurper of the re[f]olutionary tradition, or rather the agent of the Cunning Reason of History? All he does, after all, is according to purest Kelsenian standards. Even the horrific media law can be said “just” to condense the most repressive elements of EU countries’ legislations, that otherwise exist.

Back in the early 1990s, some people saw it coming. In Hungary, Janos Kis wrote that from the perspective of liberal constitutionalism, there was no revolution at all, but a regime change, and the viability of the new regime depended on the ability of the democrats to endow it with sufficient legitimacy. In Poland, Aleksander Smolar also doubted whether the thin, “velvet” consensus (“grey is beautiful!”) can last as a founding of the republic. Orban, apparently, was the one who learned the lesson.

What if people, in Budapest as in Cairo, like revolutionary festivities, like to be on the streets, like to feel themselves part of a political project, like to know that their country is on the move?
So the question is whether all the good-willing democrats still remember how to act in concert, produce political meaning. EU, NATO, capitalism – we are already there. What else do we have in our pockets?

By: Sarga Holger

Sarga Holger — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:21:06 +0000

Fidesz is reorganzining the Hungarian society on the basis of autocratic cronyism, with the scent of the medieval times. The new constitution will undermine the modern secular state.
The country, unfortunately, is ruled by a vain an cunning village bully.

By: Marie-Claire

Marie-Claire — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:17:06 +0000

Do you not think that the government action is necessary to reorganize the country and let it continue on a clear base,far from the last years of neglecting hungarians wellness,of cheating and filling the pockets of many members and friends of the previous socialist government ? You may not ignore the scandals and the corruption which have put the country infrastructure and the people in very bad conditions.And it is still going on (in which pockets is going the money to help Ajka people ..etc).
There is still a lot to do to start again on healthy bases and this will always be criticised.
I do not have time for a complete analysis of your article but just a few points.
Why do you say that Orban gives the nationality to the etnic hungarians just for elections purposes ? First this is purely wishfull thinking.But are you not hungarian? Do you not have close members of your family living in Serbia,or Ukrain or still outside Schengen area …?
Why do you hope that next elections will be democratic ones ? Do you consider that the last ones were not? Unbelievable !
..etc etc
In conclusion,your article started as a review of hungarian evolution but reveals at the end to be very much tendencious and negative which is very regrettable in a time where all efforts are needed to launch the new Hungary within the EU.

By: Elzbieta

Elzbieta — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:19:03 +0000

Egypt and Hungary — as I see it — democracy in it’s carnival and lent moments…