August 8th, 2012

Hungarians suffer from “illusion of need for regulations,” says Fidesz deputy chairman

Hungary suffers from the illusion that the best way to resolve problems is by introducing new regulations, ruling Fidesz deputy chairman Lajos Kosa told business daily Vilaggazdasag in an interview published on Wednesday.

Kosa said the “illusion of need for regulations” has developed into a gut reaction in Hungary over two hundred years and therefore even the current government has not been able to free itself from it.

He said the general tasks of the state need to be fulfilled in line with standardised regulations but tasks that require specialised local treatment should be handled by local councils. The only exception to this are tasks connected to the registration of residents and their identity, he added. Setting up an administration system based on districts is an agreeable move, Kosa said.

The introduction of a voting system in which registration is a pre-requisite for the right to vote is needed because the old system was unable to keep track of Hungarian citizen voters who were not in the population registry for instance because they had left to work abroad. These people were impossible to contact, Kosa said.

According to current plans, the registration to vote will be open until the start of the election campaign, Kosa added.

He said he had not yet decided whether to run for the post of mayor of Debrecen once again.

MTI (Magyar Távirati Iroda) is the Hungarian news agency.
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  • Neverland

    So, let’s see… regulation is bad, except when Fidesz decide there is a good reason for it. OK, that’s clear.

    “The old system was unable to keep track of Hungarian citizen voters who were not in the population registry for instance because they had left to work abroad.” Eh? If they were not in the population registry then why not simply remove them from the voter list. What’s the difference anyway?

    • Cnut

      It makes absolutely no sense from whichever angle you look at it. I wish their were reporters in Hungary who would actually ask him: what exactly does that mean? Why does that mean everyone should be registered? Why dpon’t these people just reregister on the “population registry? Wouldn’t that be easier?”

  • oneill

    “Hungary suffers from the illusion that the best way to resolve problems is by introducing new regulations…”

    We in Fidesz, however, are introducing a new regulation and accompanying tax to remove this illusion.

  • Vidra

    As far as Fidesz is concerned, regulation is good when it’s done for political reasons rather than practical ones. The vast majority of Hungarians (and EU citizens in general) have identity cards with their residence on them, and will update the card if they permanently move within Hungary.

    Keeping the present system as the basis but encouraging those not at their permanent address (whether because they are at university or working abroad) would be vastly cheaper, but it means less chance of rigging the elections or magically allowing ethnic Hungarians living beyond the borders to vote Fidesz as well.

  • Democrat

    “…were not in the population registry for instance because they had left to work abroad” Who removed these people from the list of Hungarians? Surely not the individuals themselves. Who, in this country, has the right to “remove” people?

    BTW, I disagree with the basic premise. Hungarians don’t seem to need regulations, or certainly have little problem in ignoring them. Hungary as a country cannot be accused of needing regulations. I think we are talking here about the current FIDESZ government which seem obsessed with keeping track of even who responds to their silly surveys. no news of the results of the most recent of course!!

  • wolfi

    ” no news of the results of the most recent of course!”

    I’ve been wondering about this too – actually I don’t know anyone who didn’t throw that letter into the paper-trash …

    So maybe the number of respondents is too small and embarrassing ?

    • Democrat

      I raised the matter with one of the FIDESZ faithful (there are still a few and they have answers for everything) and was told with great confidence that “600,000 had been received back, approx half of last times number” (I don’t think they got 1.2m last time). Apparently the deadline has been extended because of the holiday season.

      And what about the census results? Have they decided which of their pals’ companies is going to do the analysis yet?

  • Farkas László

    I do find it fascinating that Kosa gives our perceived penchant for top down bureaucratisation and regulation a “provenance” of 200 years. That would almost lay it on Maria Theresa’s doorstep (or “tied to her nose” as the saying goes in Hungarian.) Has it been that long? Bad enough that we had our fill and experience with all of that under communism, but to take it back 200 years implies something very deeply ingrained in the culture and mindset.

    Regimes and ideologies changed, leaders changed, but in “graduating” from Habsburgian autocracy, to Horthyism, Communism and post communism, lessons and experiences in how to strike a balance, in how to govern and regulate ourselves have been missed.

    200 years ago, the pace of democratic change, the industrial revolution and attendant mercantilism was destined to make a greater mark on other nations. Our rulers were the Austrians, who put up a stooge class of Hungarian aristocrats to help them dominate an agrarian society. The goal had to be top down control, it was after all a multi-ethnic empire.

    I wouldn’t claim to know exactly how much regulation is “right” as opposed to “excessive”. Those who stand to be directly affected by it can of course be most outspoken, but personally, I distrust anyone who sounds too knowing and self-confident about this issue. We often don’t know where such things lead until they have been tried.

    There is one way to find out and fill in some of the past experience our people missed out on: trial and error, give and take and a democratic process that allows for accountability and orderly change. It only take time- decades of it maybe, but what is that compared to 200 years?

  • wolfi

    Hey FL – nice to see you back here, a voice of reason amongst so many haters …

    Hungary really is in a sad state!

  • Farkas László

    Hello Wolfi and hello all!

    It felt good taking a break! I’ve been posting here for 4 maybe 5 years, and the veterans (whatever viewpoint they have chosen to take abuse and arrows for!) can well appreciate the toll and the wear that can take.

    My best wishes and respect to all and particularly to the many I have interacted with in the past! My regards especially to those who care enough about Hungary and it’s issues to be long term veterans on this webpage. Endurance around here takes fortitude and just might deserve it’s own medal.

    • …justasking

      @Laci,

      ‘My regards especially to those who care enough about Hungary and it’s issues to be long term veterans on this webpage. Endurance around here takes fortitude and just might deserve it’s own medal’

      Ya know, you just might have something here. We could make this into a yearly event (of course hosted in Hungary) like the Tony awards/Golden Globes.

      Have a bunch of different categories, nominate posters on poli.hu…have a dinner, with an ‘award ceremony’ that follows.

      Do you think security might be an issue? :)

  • olga

    Hi Farkas Laszlo

    I am sure I speak for many others when I write how much I missed you and your postings.

    I’ve been around for almost 3 years so I am not sure if I would qualify as a veteran but if I do, whatever abuse comes my way has absolutely no effect on me because I consider the source

    No doubt all those boring years years of attending workshops on how to deal with “special people” has definitely has been a plus as well because it’s not something one learns as an undergrad student. (The term in quotation marks is a euphemism for “f…ing deranged” de persze egy Urino mint en vagyok nem ir ilyen szokat. Excuse the spelling mistakes if applicable and BTW, I learned the word “urino” from you and love how quaint it sounds)

    I also wish to lodge a complaint concerning your last paragraph because it almost sounds like a good-bye so I hope I misunderstood it.

  • goribo

    Granted regulations can serve a purpose, but often regulation is put in place for the benefit of those inside the “system”. The more hurdles that need to be jumped, the more complicated the process, the more opportunities for officials to solicit bribes.

    • Viking

      here, here

      and that is why we have seen a great number of new regulations coming out after Fidesz came to power in 2010, as we saw the previous period 1998-2002

      The readers who followed this site for some years will remember my story on how Fidesz introduced a rule for caering places around year 2000, where only one (1) bottle of each type could be open at any given time

      This was of course a big problem for those places who wanted to great bus-loads of guests with an aperitif
      Suddenly it was a crime to prepare these drinks ahead, no only one bottle could be opened and consumed, before the next one was allowed to be opened…

      Talk of Kafka

  • spectator

    Hungarians suffer from “illusion of need for regulations”??

    Mr.Kósa wrong, of course. The sentence correctly:

    Mr.Orban suffers from “illusion of need for regulations”

    - You see? Immediately sounds right, doesn’t it!

  • Neverland

    Speaking of Fidesz regulations, what’s happening with restricting tobacco sales? I haven’t noticed any changes yet.

    Now, that is a regulation that serves no end other than a political one.

    • Viking

      This year only food-store should be able sell tobaccos, so no bars, etc
      Like everyone else we have circumvented this by selling the tobacco through another licence than what is operating the bar

      Nothing illegal, just a bit more paperwork

      From July 1st 2013 I believe only Fidesz approved specially licensed shops will be able to sell tobacco
      That should be the real change, then today many places sell tobacco, but in the future just a few hundred special shops will be allowed

      In the countryside this will most likely mean that people have to travel many more kilometres to get their cigarettes
      Something that probably will encourage smuggling and illegal sales, more than no-smoking
      And the Police will have to add these crimes to their list of unsolved crimes, so ‘magyar’ can prove how bad the Roma are

  • Neverland

    “Kosa said the “illusion of need for regulations” has developed into a gut reaction in Hungary over two hundred years and therefore even the current government has not been able to free itself from it.”

    This is such a wonderfully contradictory statement that it should be used as a textbook example of political-speak.

    It’s like, we know we are a flawed government, but it’s not our fault. It’s in our genes.

  • Farkas László

    Kedves Olga!

    I follow the promptings of my heart in terms of participation around here. I don’t say goodbye, because I don’t fixate on my personal future, nor do I know how I might feel tomorrow! It would be absurd and inconsistent to publicly say goodbye one moment, only to reappear and post again! I may disappear, but I will never bid farewell. The possibility of future participation has to be kept open.

    The community has been most kind to me; what pressure I felt was not from them but myself. I am my harshest judge, and feel acutely that in an internationally read forum such as this, that whatever one says publicly reflects not only on one personally but one’s people.

    We’ll see what the pace of political and economic events holds for Hungary in the future. Commenting stands to be affected by it!

  • olga

    @ Farkas Laszlo

    Gotta go to work but couldn’t resist one moire posting:

    re ” I am my harshest judge, and feel acutely that in an internationally read forum such as this… ” Now you tell me !! – had I known, I would have checked my grammar and spelling and reread all my postings that repeat the same words instead of using words with identical meanings. Thank Goodness my posting don’t get marked and I don’t end up in a remedial English class

    re: “that whatever one says publicly reflects not only on one personally but one’s people.” EXACTLY and I want to be thought of like you. It’s all about me of course which is not my fault, :) ) it’s simply “the only child syndrome genes” which automatically disappear upon having siblings.

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