July 3rd, 2012

Hungary’s failings on media freedom warrant EU action

Excerpt Via Human Rights Watch 

The Hungarian government’s failure to address concerns about media freedom warrants action by the European Union (EU) under the EU treaty, Human Rights Watch said in a letter sent yesterday to Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who is in charge of media issues.

Hungary’s clampdown on media freedom, through several problematic media laws, has given rise to mounting EU and Council of Europe concern. In February, Kroes urged Hungary to seek advice from the Council of Europe on media reform, which Hungary failed to do. The Council of Europe prepared an analysis nonetheless, highlighting a range of problems that should be addressed for Hungary to comply with European Convention standards. Ignoring the Council of Europe’s advice, the Hungarian government submitted to parliament for vote on May 25, 2012, amendments to its media laws that not only largely failed to address concerns but also introduced additional restrictions on media freedom.

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  • sheesh

    bad, bad Liberal postcommunist anti-Hungarian double-standard-wielding no-goodnik HRW. How dare they question the visionary politics of our great God-fearing leader, who is leading our nation to a bright future, which Europe will coweringly follow in a few years?

  • Leto. مؤدّب

    The bank tax is already being followed in Europe by quite a few countries. The financial transaction tax has become a topic of discussion in Europe (and chances are it will be applied elsewhere, too)
    Like the measures announced yesterday (yeah, no news about them here yet) showed, this financial transaction tax is to be used to help economic growth, more exactly to decrease tax burden on employing people.

    • http://www.allhungary.hu Erik D’Amato

      “no news about them here yet” – This isn’t a business website. But it is telling that you would view tax changes in terms of politics.

      • Leto. مؤدّب

        Surely I do. Why don’t you? Stabilizing the economy (decreasing unemployment and starting growth) is the key to winning the next elections.

    • sheesh
    • Cnut

      Care to name a country which will apply a transaction tax similar to Hungary’s?

      Care to name a country which will apply a bank tax similiar to Hungary’s?

      • Leto. مؤدّب

        1/ I wrote “chances are it will be applied elsewhere”

        2/ Yeah, I care. Only for you, only now.

        Poland: -http://www.wbj.pl/article-58438-rostowski-new-bank-tax-this-year.html

        Austria: -http://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/economist/608400/RZB_Bankensteuer-bringt-hoehere-Kosten-fuer-Kunden?from=gl.home_wirtschaft

        Slovakia: -http://hvg.hu/gazdasag/20120629_szlovak_bankado_eu#

        This similar bank tax will be actually higher in Slovakia from next year than in Hungary.

        Search for other countries yourself.

  • Leto. مؤدّب

    “Hungary’s clampdown on media freedom”

    That’s just a boring and meaningless left-lib mantra, no substance and proof whatsoever…

    • http://www.allhungary.hu Erik D’Amato

      If the left was doing to the media what Fidesz has done you’d be squealing like a stuck pig.

      • Leto. مؤدّب

        What did Fidesz do exactly to the media that you’re squealing like a stuck pig? Please be specific.

        • http://www.allhungary.hu Erik D’Amato

          What, you want me to reprint the entire Media Law here? Anyway, I am not squealing like a pig about it – and never have – because it was all talk, just like everything Fidesz “does.” Well, except the stealing – *that* is something they are quite serious about, just like their MSZP/SZDSZ comrades.

          • Leto. مؤدّب

            No, I don’t want you to reprint the entire Media Law. I want you to back up your post with specific and verifiable things and cases. Is this too much to ask for?

          • Cnut

            So, Leto, you would have no problem with the media law if MSZP had introduced it and the people appointed were MSZP friendly?

          • Cnut

            Leto, you ask for a “thing”. The thing is the ridiculous Media Law.

            Another thing, for example would be all the shenanigans regarding the radio licenses.

          • Leto. مؤدّب

            Instead of throwing these ridiculous and truly boring clichés in for some (lame) effect, you both (Erik and Cnut) should better try to back up these posts of yours with specific, factual and verifiable things about “Hungary’s clampdown on media freedom” (with special regard to the Media Law you whine about)

          • Bowen

            @ Cnut: I’m afraid you don’t quite understand how Leto’s mind works. Let me explain, in detailed point form.

            1) Blindly, and unthinkingly support everything that Orban Viktor (and, ergo, Fidesz) do.
            2) Blindly, and unthinkingly reject everything that people other than Orban Viktor do.
            3) Er …
            4) That’s it.

          • Leto. مؤدّب

            Let me explain, in detailed point form, how these “left-lib” “arguments” go.

            1) You claim the fascists clamped down on media freedom in Hungary and you squeal like a stuck pig.
            2/ One asks what that means specifically, factually and verifiably.
            3/ You say “it’s the Media Law” and you squeal like a stuck pig.
            4/ One asks what’s your specific, factual and verifiable problem.
            5/ You squeal (like a stuck pig)

            The process goes on and it’s a general one.

          • Bowen

            Leto, you remind me of the guy in the Monty Python film, Life of Brian.

            “What have the Romans ever done for us?”

            Except your question seems to be: “What has Fidesz ever done to the media?”

            Funny. You should have your own TV show.

          • Leto. مؤدّب

            @Erik:

            How unsurprising you left here without telling anything specific, verifiable and substantial. :D

  • Zsolt

    I checked this Human Rights watch they have a wonderful study about:
    Violence and Discrimination against Black Lesbians and Transgender Men in South Africa

    So this is some ultra-liberal, idiotic organisation. :D

    • Igazi Magyar

      Or, you could say that this proves that this is an ant-Communist organization, since South Africa is run by the ANC, which gets support from the South African Communist Party (SACP).

  • Igazi Magyar

    I just read their report on Cuba at
    ~http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-cuba

    It starts with this:
    “Cuba remains the only country in Latin America that represses virtually all forms of political dissent.”

    So, obviously, this is a right-wing, anti-Communist organization…..

    …or maybe they are standing up for free speech. Or maybe they have a mix of biases, but certainly it is unfair to say that they have some particular grudge against Hungary. If you want to criticize their report, at least try to make a convincing argument that isn’t purely based on name-calling.

    I’m not even defending the report. I’m just tired of the people whose only defense of the current Hungarian government is to call all critics anti-Hungarian pro-Communists.

    • Zsolt

      They are an organisation paid by their masters, guess who they are. Oh and they are left-liberal organisation, yes they criticize communist regimes, oh and this is attack against Hungary,and probably some rather hostile foreign power is behind it.

      • Igazi Magyar

        Thanks for the great example of an ad hominem attack, which is the exact problem I was addressing in my previous post. Criticizing the person who makes a report does nothing to show whether the report is worthwhile. Murderers, anarchists, Communists and paid lackeys can make valid points. Human Rights Watch has a reputation of being critical off all governments that they feel are trampling on certain rights.

        Defenders of the Hungarian government always attach dark motives behind anyone critical of them. This is tedious.

        • Zsolt

          Human Watch does the same. “In Hungary there is no freedom of speech”
          Then I can say that the Human Right watch is a biased ultra-liberal institution.
          And the whole thing is a boring nonsense the left-liberals are still over-represented in the Media.

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