strange how "everyone hates" these activities, but orban's popularity is skyhigh. maybe this "everyone" is just an outspoken minority, consisting of the usual suspects (the liberals and socialists), who get more attention and support in the media than they deserve.

@Paul: Maybe, but you can also be sure that if the
same changes had been proposed by the previous
government, Fidesz would be screaming in exactly the
same way as the opposition is now (and the
"international community" probably just a little
less than they are now).

@Erik: "and the international community" Could you be a little more specific about the 'international community?' Who exactly are they and why would they 'scream less?'

@Pávaszem
"Who exactly are they and why would they 'scream less?'"
The Judeo-Masons, and you should kill them, because they are not perfect.

The international community in this case includes the European Union, most European governments, and their populations.

The Hungarian government is not going to receive support from the major European powers for Orban's attempt to undermine the political neutrality and independence of the central bank and public media.

During Orban's last tenure as Prime Minister, he couldn't even maintain good relations with American conservatives like George Bush.

Orban's policies are not in the European mainstream.

The "international community" should mind its own failing business and leave us alone.

Jobbos you don't seem to get that this law will have a negative impact on Jobbik's ability to criticize the ruling party.

You just have a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that the international community doesn't like it.

Pete H,

Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the international community?

Erik,

Why didn't you answer Pávaszem's question about why the "International Community" would be screaming less if the previous government had come up with this media law? I imagine that you don't really believe that Fidesz is being persecuted, even though they have said many things that make democratically-minded people fear for their freedoms. If you do, I wonder why you would think that the "International Community" would even care enough to gang up on poor Viktor Király. Hungary needs the rest of the world far more than the rest of the world needs Hungary.

Fidesz would be screaming in exactly the
same way as the opposition is now (and the
"international community" probably just a little
less than they are now).
Erik at July 27, 2010 3:45 PM
---
I agree with that Fidesz would make it into a big number, but I also think that they would get support from the majority in the European Parliament, given the fact that the party group Fidesz belongs to, EPP, is one of the biggest and they tend to stick together
Maybe different voices inside the "international community", but definitely as loud, or not even louder as today
Viktor/Fidesz gets a bit preferential treatment right now by the EU, given the fact of the EPP
That can though change in the future

If Fidesz and Orbán go too far, then the EPP might no longer be nice to them ...

Remember what happened to the Austrians with Waldheim - the ÖVP got ostracised then ...

To have the whole EU against them is not a very good perspective.

PS: I think it was also made very clear to Orbàn that a coalition or any kind of agreement with Jobbik was out of the question ...

Remember what happened to the Austrians with Waldheim - the ÖVP got ostracised then ...

wolfi at August 1, 2010 12:59 PM

..........

Aha!The joys of EU style democracy when the socialists and dhimmis dominated the EP.

Joseph,

If you support Orban, please justify his attempts to take control of the Hungarian Central bank and place Fidesz loyalists in supposedly independent institutions.

Presumably you think it is justifiable. Explain why.

"Explain why."

Explain wgy not?

Joseph,

If you support Orban, please justify his attempts to take control of the Hungarian Central bank and place Fidesz loyalists in supposedly independent institutions.

Presumably you think it is justifiable. Explain why.

American in Budapest at August 1, 2010 6:00 PM

......
Actually AiB I don't support Mr.Orban.As for him taking control of the central bank,I think all central banks should be controlled by the govts of all nations.That way they wouldn't have to borrow the money would they?The Jewish controlled Federal Reserve of AmeriKa springs to my mind.Wall street shylocks

Joseph,

Central banks create money. To the extent they borrow hard currency reserves, central government control would not make any difference since central governments usually run deficits and borrow as well.

In countries where the government controls the central bank, rampant inflation is the norm. That is the rationale for insulating the central bank from insulating the central banks.

PS: Most of Wall Street is Gentile, not Jew.

I vote for my Government to manage the nations accounts not a foreign IMF body of Rothschild’s Zionists and crypto-Jews, which destroy sovereignty and enslave nations by stripping them of people and their resources.

"stripping them of people" ?

Does Law want a wall to keep people from leaving Humgary - I remember something like that in Eastern Europe ...

Hi Law,

Are you ready to pay the higher taxes necessary to reduce the country's deficit?

"Are you ready to pay the higher taxes necessary to reduce the country's deficit?"

Hungarians who actually do some work around here pay too much taxes. It's time to tax offshore scams, multies, real estate speculators and other parasites.

It's time to tax offshore scams, multies, real estate speculators and other parasites.
Common Sense at August 2, 2010 5:32 PM
---
Stan, now you are losing it again
"offshore scams" are illegal, so how do you tax a criminal activity as regular tax collection?
You do not, but the court/tax office decides how much tax you have not paid and the interest on that
.
I you want to hit on "real estate speculators" (what are that, every Hungarian who have sold a property the last 20 years that they got cheap?), should you not criminalize the original sellers that sold to these "real estate speculators"?
With out those 'collaborators' there would be no "real estate speculators"
In Sweden there is a tax rule saying if you sell inside 2 years, you pay a higher tax in "stamp tax". I believe we do have something similar in Hungary, I think it is even 5 years
But, if it is a business estate, the you of course just sell the shares of the company owning the real estate, which is much more advantage from a tax point of view, so you want to tax that more, or even make it illegal?
As usual, you just scream some catchy slogans, with no thought of how and what should be implemented and how, but that is just the guy, who probably would do better just speaking with his parrot

"With out those 'collaborators' there would be no real estate speculators"

Collaborators? Are you talking about banks that force people into selling their homes because they cannot keep up with the ever increasing mortgage payments? Pensioners who worked all their lives to pay off their houses, then having to sell them to make up for the ever decreasing pensions?
Decent, working or retired Hungarians cannot afford to be part of the real estate business.
The situation is ripe for scumbag foreigners, like AiB to take advantage of it. Buy cheap from the needy, the more misery the better. Tax these bastards. When they buy below market value, have them pay the difference in taxes, fees, penalties or whatever you want to call it.

Common Sense,

You're a crock of shit.

I have bought two apartments so far. One from a young professional Hungarian family moving to Buda ...

Second seller was a rich Hungarian living in the UK who owned several liquor stores.

What amazes me about you is your total lack of integrity. You just make up stuff about people without the slightest sense of conscience. You, Bob, and Vanderlo are the Holy Trinity of Mean Spiritedness on this message board.

And let's get over the mythology of the poor, elderly Hungarian couple being thrown out of their apartment. Most elderly Hungarians don't have a mortgage and are able to get by.

The sellers in Budapest who have been crushed are the Irish investors. Many of them are taking 30% haircuts on their purchase price to unload their prices.

That's the reality.

Pensioners who worked all their lives to pay off their houses, then having to sell them to make up for the ever decreasing pensions?
Common Sense at August 2, 2010 6:09 PM
---
In the West you can use that statement, but not in the old Soviet-Bloc, then people did not own their flats before, just rented them from the State
From 1990 the people renting has been able to buy their flats for very cheap money, and be able to sell for many times more
But, buying the flats also meant that they took over the responsibility to maintain the house their flat was inside and that has been a bit hard for some, then undoubtedly maintenance was on 3rd World Standard in the Soviet-Bloc historically
.
And it was just 10, maximum 15 years ago what we would call normal banking started, where you could get long-term loans for your flat/house. Before that, it was a total different situation, mostly because credit was not needed then it was not so much a question of money to get a flat, more connections
.
You being the starch Kadar-supporter you are, we all understand how you long for that time when 'Uncle Wanja' fixed you a good flat
If we should regard the 'Capitalist Way' - the person with most money get the flat or the Kadar way is a tough question...
I suppose the answer is if you know 'Uncle Wanja' or your banker best
-
What could though have the effect you are stating, would be a House Tax. My house would be taxed between 1-5 MHUF per year depending on which version would be implemented

@American,

Look, you know, that we know, you're nothing more then a bottom feeder...nothing more...nothing less..

A rose by any other name...

The funny thing about people like you... Karma always tends to kick in...eventually...and you are so arrogant...you never see it coming.

Government influence and control of the press and it's corps has been the norm not only in our history, but throughout Europe's as well. Over time different degrees of freedom (from govt influence)have emerged in different places. Hungary's disadvantage is that despite it long running status as a 1000 year nation, it had to reinvent itself as recently as 1989.

Orbán is testing the limits of govt influence, because the whole post 1989 system is still evolving, as is the experience of the people. He is betting that the people won't care enough to stop him (or that they might be distracted with other concerns) from securing an advantage that after all some may argue, is very old school and quite in line with tradition.

Another interesting point to ponder is what Orbán would want with a managed and pliable press. To promote acceptance of his program, or to cover up and prevent the exposure of mistakes made by his people? Is the shade of Eva Perón trying to whisper to him? Argentina to Pannonia! But then following her counsel would require a man to have "cojones"!