Hungary commentary: Orbán’s ill wind could blow his house down
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent remarks, welcoming an “Eastern Wind” that can blow in a mix of economic dynamism and authoritarian politics from places like China and Kazakhstan are but the latest in series of worrying moves by the increasingly anachronistic leader of the Fidesz (“Young Democrats”) party. Given Europe’s economic woes, Orbán is not alone in his admiration for Chinese economic strength, but the worrying noises of approval he has shown for its politically repressive corollary has set him apart.
“I hope we don’t have to introduce a new political system to replace democracy,” he stated darkly at a July 28 business event.
This veiled threat comes on the back of the much-criticized “reform” program Orbán’s government embarked on since landing a two-thirds, super-majority in 2010 parliamentary elections. Fidesz has replaced the Constitution and passed massive swathes of hastily prepared legislation affecting everything from the health service to the pension system as well as clamping down on trade union activities and repressing critical local media outlets.
Read the full story at The Prague Post.
(Photo: European Parliament/flickr.com)