Over 2,000 people demonstrated on Friday afternoon against Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány’s call to cut off state advertising in and subscriptions to Magyar Hírlap over a commentary that referred to the Roma killers of Romanian handball player Marian Cozma as “murderous animals”.
Addressing the gathering outside the Prime Minister’s Office on Kossuth tér, Magyar Hírlap owner Gábor Széles called Gyurcsány incompetent as prime minister and said he will go down in history as having caused more damage than 1950s dictator Mátyás Rákosi. Széles accused Gyurcsány of ruining the economy, the countryside and health care and of pushing Roma into misery.
Farkas Flórián, representing Roma group Lungo Drom, said the newspaper comments were not offensive to Gypsies and that Gyurcsány, by hiding behind Gypsies, had violated freedom of the press and expression by calling for a boycott of Magyar Hírlap.
Editor István Stefka said Gyurcsány intended to shut his newspaper’s mouth. Lawyer Krisztina Morvai, MEP candidate for the far right Jobbik party, called Gyurcsány “an insane Nero” whose action had again united people.
Zsolt Bayer, author of the commentary, said Gypsies have been called by that name for 700 years and this must remain so as “they are our friends”. At the same time those who attack teachers, as well as murderers, robbers and thieves who happen to be Gypsies should also be called by that name, he said.
Government spokesman Dávid Daróczi told reporters elsewhere that the call for a boycott was the right decision, as it was borne out by the tone set by those addressing the rally, and the way they spoke about the state of public affairs.
Gyurcsany is onto something this time. Reverse psichology is the key to economic recovery.
He should just call for a boycott on shopping, and sales would go through the roof.
Does Hungary really need all these casinos, macdonalds, Tescos and shopping malls? I thought something like 75% of the Hungarian GDP was debt, or am I wrong?
Publish a report of what politicians earn, ALL their assets, including all family members, cos they think by writing that 40 million Ft+ house in the wives or children`s name will keep the stolen wealth in the family a mistake.
That most big companies is owned by foreigners is a fact, but Hungary was sold by Hungarians, or did someone put a gun to the heads of the people who got the cash? Doesn`t Ringier Publishing Group own Magyar Hírlap or was it sold to the Russians?
The real big criminals are laughing their heads off, that bloke they charged after 10 years in court and loosing ONE BILLION DOLLARS of Posta Bank money gets a fine of 3+ something million Forints. Duh, and they said that damage to his reputation was also punishment? Budapest has more lawyers than taxi drivers and they haven`t put away anyone big time for corruption, fraud or stealing millions or billions of Forints..
Still it seems just as bad in other former communist countries. I mean the crooks haven`t done anything constructive with their stolen loot, like buy an airline or a 1st division football club.
Before u jump on me
That most big companies is owned by foreigners
should read That most big companies ARE owned by foreigners
….
Bernie,
What about the VII Dist. Mayor? Shocking that it was such a well publicized event.
A corrupt mayor, a corrupt politician. He wasn`t the first or the last. But I mean driving a Jaguar is asking to get caught. I had a flat in the VIIth district I used to rent, and they really screwed up the whole district. Selling off and knocking down whole blocks of houses, and just to turn a quick profit for themselves.
I still live in the VII, and I still can’t believe what they’ve done to it. Walk down Kazincy, and those new buildings they’ve made are horrific. Still to this day I can’t understand what architect and civil engineer looked at the surrounding buildings and thought, “Hey, let me create this rectangular monstrosity, cover it in crap marble, and jam it into a narrow space, it’ll look great in the neighborhood!”
This once I have to agree with Feri. Not only because Magyar Hírlap is hostile and heavily biased, but also because the whole paper isn’t worth two cents and it’s owned by a moronic millionaire who can sink as much money into it as he wants. Then again, the first part is also true for Népszava, so Feri stop giving government hand-outs to that piece of trash and pull the subscriptions.