December 07, 2009, 10:49 CET
Sólyom calls embassies' statement on corruption in Hungary "offensive"
Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom on Saturday said nine embassies in Hungary that issued a joint statement in mid-November to call attention to the lack of transparency that they say negatively impacts Hungary's investment climate expressed their problem in an offensive way.
"It is not that we would deny that there are problems, but the way they have expressed the problem is offensive to the country," Solyom told Hungarian reporters in Kyoto, during an official visit to Japan. Hungary is not so terrible -- neither in terms of corruption nor the transparency of the tax system -- that such a statement would have been necessary, he added.
The statement, issued with the support of the embassies of the US, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK, Germany, Norway and Switzerland, said foreign investors may be deterred by reports of "non-transparent behaviour" in areas of public utilities, broadcasting and elements of Hungary's transport infrastructure.
"I am not saying that there is nothing to correct, but it is our basic goal and the basic condition of moving forward that we will overcome corruption in Hungary," the president said.
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Whereas the disgusting isolationist xenophobes of Jobbik, are, erm... completely in agreement with the nine Heads of Mission!
Jobbik: the original anti-corruption party
"It would appear that the Embassies’ joint statement is entirely in agreement with what has been a central plank of Jobbik’s programme since the party’s inception. And though we applaud the Embassies coming round to Jobbik’s way of thinking, it is very unfortunate that they did not see fit to issue such a statement some years ago: before the widespread and well-known corruption endemic to the Hungarian government and the current parliamentary parties, virtually bankrupted the entire nation."
While I tend to find Solyom usually saying reasonable things, I'm not on side here. The items cited are but a few of a much larger cache of corrupt incidents, many that never see the light of day or get brushed away not long after. Whatever happened to the K&H Securities scandal, or the petrol station scandal, or the various MPs and their friends who could acquire state property at below market prices?
And this doesn't even address the other, unfair practices like next month's property tax that only affects 20% of the population; and I suspect that those with connections have already had their prpoerties divided up so as to fall outside the catchment.
FDI unwittingly arrive here thinking that there's going to be transparency (akin to the West). If lucky, they learn what locals have known all along or have developed 'tricks' to work round (such as making all of one's employees contractors). Western companies, especially held to the likes of Sarbannes Oxley cannot compete (and ironically, neither can Matav/TCom who recently had their nuts roasted after they foolishly listed themselves on the NASDAQ and then were caught fiddling payments).
In this particular case, an opportunity was missed to use the West to help move the clean up along; and even the playing field more.
Whereas the disgusting isolationist xenophobes of Jobbik, are, erm... completely in agreement with the nine Heads of Mission!
bobscountrybunker at December 7, 2009 5:50 PM
----
And we will all remember that the Jobbik leadership was happy that the Hungarian Government and Society was criticized by the International Community.
As we notice that their MEPs repeatedly have asked for international investigations into the 2006 riots.
So obviously Jobbik has no conceptual problem that foreigners tell the Hungarians how they should run their business, in difference to the Hungarian President.
@ Bob
Wait a second - the article said "foreign investors may be deterred by reports of "non-transparent behaviour" in areas of public utilities, broadcasting and elements of Hungary's transport infrastructure."
If JOBBIK advocates Magyarorszag for Magyars, then
deterring foreign investors is "the silver lining" - right?
As in " every cloud has a silver lining" ?