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Suspension of the Fidesz Party from the European People’s Party - Podcast

https://soundcloud.com/user-535914670/suspension-of-fidesz-party-from-the-european-peoples-party

The podcast I created (posted above) revolves around the topic of Hungary’s center-right reigning party, the Fidesz Party, and their recent suspension from the European People’s Party. This event is discussed in great detail and features a comprehensive interview with an eager and educated, political-science student at the University of New Hampshire. It also includes a video discussing the event by Euronews and a clip of the leader of the EPP, Manfred Weber, discussing the suspension at a press conference in March.

Citations: 

Deutsche Welle. (n.d.). EPP votes to suspend Hungary's Fidesz party | DW | 20.03.2019. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/epp-votes-to-suspend-hungarys-fidesz-party/a-47986404

English), E. (. (2019, March 19). Decision time for EPP on whether to expel Hungary's Orbán and Fidesz. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWOLNDmlUbA

European People's Party. (n.d.). History. Retrieved from https://www.epp.eu/about-us/history/

European People's Party votes to suspend Hungarian President Orban's Fidesz Party. (2019, March 21). Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/20190320-european-peoples-party-votes-suspend-hungarian-president-orbans-fidesz-party 

Heijmans, P. (2019, March 20). EPP suspends Hungary's far-right Fidesz Party. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/epp-suspends-hungary-fidesz-party-190320193105401.html

MorningLightMusic. (2016, February 29). Cinematic and Emotional Background Music For Documentary Videos & Film. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tXOLqnjSg8

The Associated Press. (2019). Hungary’s Orban to attend meeting on party’s possible ouster. AP English Worldstream - English. Associated Press DBA Press Association. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.unh.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nsm&AN=AP2342eb3a3b1446b4a2cb2c9f9da04cf8&site=ehost-live

Reporter, E. (2019, March 20). #Fidesz is suspended, Weber says that exclusion is not off the table. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLFsJ8nwgBo

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Open Letter to Fidesz Party

Dear Fidesz party,

My name is Mackenzie Colcord and I am a student at The University of New Hampshire studying communication and business. I am fortunate enough to be in a high-level class researching politics and populism around the world. Throughout this semester, my focus has been on Hungary and I have gotten a chance to learn an enormous amount about the Fidesz party. I am writing to you today to discuss your current suspension from the European People’s Party and my opinions on the matter. This suspension is something that will forever affect your history, and I believe whole-heartedly that your next move needs to be smart, well-thought-out, and strategic in order to remain in good standing with the European People’s Party as well as all of Europe.

To start out my letter to you I want to emphasize your current standing and reputation. According to Lukas Linek, your party was “…once liberal, is at present nationalist conservative, heading in recent years towards populism.” (Linek, 2008, p. 458)  Since this article was released, things have changed. Your party is not heading in the direction of populism; it is already there. To outsiders, the Fidesz party appears to be going downhill and turning against the human and constitutional rights that it once valued as a liberal party. Also, ever since Orban took power you are viewed by the scholar, Zsolt Enyedi, as a very strict hierarchy that “…has been institutionalized, and up to 2006, leadership elections have not been contested—since 1994 there has only been one candidate. The leaders of constituency-level organizations are appointed by the party leadership, and candidate selection is also dominated by the presidium. (Enyedi, 2006, p. 1111) Orban completely dominates the group with little to no competition and is turning its reputation into a very negative one. Is this suspension a wakeup call for you? Are you aware of the fact that it is basically an authoritarian center-right group? Does no one else run against him because they are afraid of his bully-like tendencies? I have so many questions regarding how your group ended up in this position.

As you know, Joseph Daul, the president of the EPP stated that the “Fidesz will be suspended with immediate effect and until further notice.” He said that 190 members had voted in favor and three against. They believe that you violated the rule of law. He also said that "The suspension entails: no attendance at any party meeting; no voting rights; no right to propose candidates for posts.” It is hard to believe that your party has gotten to this point. In order to be respected and have legitimacy as a registered party, you need to stay in this group. If anything, you should feel honored to be a part of it; not disrespecting its leaders and values.

After researching this event I now know that the reason it has reached this point is because of your anti-immigration campaigns targeting prominent leaders. You promoted a campaign poster depicting Juncker as a proponent of mass immigration into Europe and a puppet manipulated by Hungarian-American billionaire philanthropist George Soros; the man who founded the private Central European University in Budapest. Why are you trying to publicly humiliate members of the European People’s Party when you have already been in hot water with the European Union? I am worried that you are going down a path to complete expulsion.

Ever since winning Hungary’s parliamentary supermajority, your party has never been the same. It seems that this parliamentary victory has led to nothing but an excuse to put out anti-migrant campaigns, restrictions against the independent media, and the giving of harsh consequences to civil society groups who promote any type of aid towards minorities. In a press release, the EPP stated that they “cannot compromise on democracy, rule of law, freedom of press, academic freedom or minorities rights. And anti-EU rhetoric is unacceptable.” Do you really blame them? They have to set a precedent for the rest of the parties in the EPP and hold members accountable when they are disrespected.

To outsiders like myself, your leader is viewed as a feisty, nationalist looking for complete control and power. He is viewed to people like me as harsh, to-the-point, and over-bearing. I wonder if, at times, most of your members feel the same too. Just remember that although he made be of the highest power in the group and Hungary, the party is made up of other members as well. If you believe you are Christian-democrat, prove it and stand up to Orban. He is single-handedly destroying the reputation of the Fidesz party and pushing it farther away from Christian-democrat than ever before. In order to be legitimate and remain in good standing, you need to make some changes. It is time to swallow your pride and do what needs to be done in order to stay in the 70 national parties and 40 country group, the European People’s Party. 

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Open Letter to Viktor Orban

Dear Viktor Orban,

My name is Mackenzie Colcord and I am a student at The University of New Hampshire in the United States. I am studying communication at school and have had the chance to learn a lot about Hungary this past semester. I have focused in on the political climate and the events that have occurred throughout your extensive time as prime minister. I am writing to you today in the hopes of opening your eyes on a very familiar topic to you, immigration. Because of your location, Hungary has become a point of transit between East and West as well as refuge from conflict in nearby states. (Behr, 2002, p. 283) I understand the frustrations you must feel because of your geographical location, but just remember, that countries like America are in a similar spot as well. Throughout this piece, I want to provide you with a different perspective as well as offer you with comparisons between the United States and Hungary. I know that you are friends with Donald Trump and value his people, so I hope that you remain open to one of his citizen's very educated opinion.

I know what your stance is on the issue, but I think it is important you hear a view on the issue from an outsider looking in. On September 21, 2015, during a speech before the open of the fall session of the National Assembly you said, “Our borders have come under danger, our lifestyle built upon respect for the law is in danger, Hungary and all of Europe are in danger.” I know that you worry that these refugees are bringing risk and threat. But that is just not the case. I also know that part of your prejudice comes from worries about “…threats from the out-group due to intergroup competition for scarce resources such as employment, social benefits, political power, cultural values or identity.” I get it. I understand your worries. (Bocskor, 2018, p. #1) You worry that these refugees are changing Hungary’s identity. You worry that these refugees are taking your jobs. But you are wrong Orban, so incredibly wrong. Attempting to convince your citizens that diversity and multiculturalism are bad, is one of the biggest mistakes you will make throughout your life as a politician.

Also, when you are discussing immigrants, you are extremely harsh. After my research, I have noticed that you receive a lot of criticism for it. Calling all refugees “Muslim invaders” and stating that migrants trying to reach Hungary is a “poison”, is no way to lead a country. Teach Hungarians openness, kindness, and love. That is key to a happy and peaceful life for all. 

Growing up in America, I have had exposure to all kinds of people, and our identity is far from lost. To me, national identity is not about ethnicity, your beliefs, where you are born, or what the color of your skin is. It has to do with the people that love your country, want to grow old there, and be a functioning part of society. It shouldn’t have anything to do with ethnicity, it should be about what is inside your citizens. The personalities, intelligence, love, and compassion that Hungarians hold should make up the real, ideal identity of your country. That should be what you are longing for; good, wholesome citizens that would leave their whole lives behind just to call themselves a European-Hungarian. And who’s to say that these Serbians don’t hold these qualities as well?

To put this into perspective for you, in 2017, you only accepted 1,290 asylum claims making it roughly 1/3 of the total applications submitted to you. Over 4,000 people submitted applications to leave their lives behind and start fresh in Europe. Why weren’t the rest of them accepted if they were coming legally? These people deserve to have a fulfilling, safe life. Only accepting 31% of applicants is not right and the fact that it decreases every year is truly saddening. In comparison to the United States, in 2017 we took in 33,000 refugees.  Although our country is larger, we make it a point to accept refugees as long as they are coming legally. It truly is shocking what an anti-immigration stance you have, and I hope that in the future you reconsider your harsh stances.

Viktor, if I can ask one thing of you it is to treat those the way that you would want yourself and your family to be treated. If you were born into a dangerous place, wouldn’t you want to migrate to a safer area? It is time for you to turn your country around. You have a bad relationship with both the EU and the EPP. Isn’t it time to change? And just remember that your worries are incorrect. Do not worry about refugees changing Hungary’s identity. Do not worry about jobs. Do not worry about danger. You are off base, Viktor. These people are looking for hope and to start a new life. Do the right thing and give them the opportunities that every person in this world rightfully deserves.

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Hungary Accepting Venezuelans- Event Analysis

Recently, Hungary decided to take in around 300 refugees from crisis-hit Venezuela with Hungarian ancestry. The Hungarian government has been working alongside the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta to make this happen and has been going out of their way to help set these new citizens up to be successful.

Hungary is known as xenophobic and anti-multiculturalism. The nation is typically very hostile towards refugees and holds some of the strictest immigration laws in our world today. The prime minister, Viktor Orban, is the leader of the center-right Fidesz party and consistently in the news for his outspoken views towards Hungary’s immigration crisis. “Xenophobic feelings among the Hungarians peaked during the Fidesz coalition government from 2010, reaching its highest level since the transition to democracy, implying an effect of Fidesz governance bolstering xenophobic feelings.” (Korkut, 2014, p. 2) 

Most Venezuelans with Hungarian backgrounds migrated in two different waves. The first background dates back to post WWII when many of them were involved with the Miklos Horthy regime, an ally of Nazi Germany, and assisted in sending Hungarian Jews to death camps. The other wave revolves around a group of 400 people who fought the Soviet Army in Budapest after the 1956 failed revolution. The Venezuelan government began to crumble a few years ago so many turned to Hungary for help. 

To put Orban’s anti-immigration acts into perspective, in the first nine months of 2018 alone, only 94 people were granted asylum in Hungary; and now he is allowing 300+ Venezuelans in. In comparison to democratic countries like Germany, that is extremely low and shows that he is pushing his view of illiberal democracy onto Hungary. But despite how distant these Venezuelans’ Hungarian heritage may be, they are shockingly welcomed back to Hungary with open arms. I personally believe that it has a lot to do with their ethnicity and upbringing.

Very few were of these people allowed into the country were born in Hungary or even speak the language. Some were even given permission to settle if they were related to a person with a Hungarian background only by marriage. On top of that, these Venezuelans received a free flight from Caracas to Budapest, free housing for a year, cultural and language courses, and will receive a monthly stipend until employed. I find irony in Orban providing them with documents enabling them to work. Isn’t that one of the main reasons that he doesn’t want immigration in Hungary; that he thinks they will take his Hungarian-born citizens’ jobs? When comparing this to the treatment Middle Eastern and African refugees receive, this is extremely lenient and loose. And as you can see, their Hungarian ancestry truly is so distant.

This topic pushes me to reflect on the discussions we had as a class surrounding the film “Border Politics” and how leaders like Orban exploit fears around topics like immigration in order to extend their own personal political power. Throughout my research, this is the first instance I have seen where immigration was discussed in Hungary alongside a welcoming tone.

But in retrospect, seeing this different side of Orban has also led me to self-reflect on the concept of mediatization and how the media has framed my view of Orban. I would have never imagined Orban being this welcoming towards a group of immigrants before stumbling upon this article. It pushed me to remember to evaluate these immigration crisis stories on a case-by-case basis, keep all political cultures in mind when researching, and stray away from pieces that are biased. I believe that this decision revolves around their ethnicity completely but as a consistent researcher, I have to remember to remain unbiased. 

After researching so much negativity revolving around Viktor Orban this year, it is refreshing to learn about an event where he is providing aid to those that need him most and long to be a part of such a successful society. I hope that if this integration of Venezuelans is successful, that Orban will start being more lenient to those of other cultures as well. 

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

This editorial cartoon revolves around the recent changes within the EPP; the biggest party in the European Parliament.  Hungary’s reigning party, the Fidesz party, was kicked out of it completely until further notice. At the beginning of March, Mr. Gulyás, the minister of the prime minister’s office, stated that “what unites Fidesz and the EPP is greater than that which divides them. He noted that Fidesz joined a Christian-Democratic party family, and - although there have been disappointments - in Europe today membership of the EPP still offers the opportunity for the most effective representation of Christian democracy.”  But by the end of March, this statement was no longer valid.

Although Fidesz wanted to remain a member of the EPP family, the two could not see eye to eye. What put the EPP and its members over the edge was Orban’s tax-payer-financed anti-EU campaign that targeted prominent members of the EPP. He published posters poking fun of the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Hungarian billionaire philanthropist, George Soros, for their immigration views. 

In my cartoon, I put a faded version of the actual anti-EU poster hung up in Hungary in the background. In front of it, I put a man representing the EPP kicking out a man representing the Fidesz party. The EPP is portrayed as the victor whereas the Fidesz party is the loser. In the corner of the graphic, you can see a quote by the EPP defending Juncker and Soros and explaining that they could not let this one slide. The quote ends with the EPP stating that the Fidesz party needs to stray away from populist leaders and start becoming more Christian-democratic. And lastly, you can see Europe in one corner and the Fidesz flag in the other symbolizing the distance between the two. While all of Europe is united, the Hungarian flag is on the opposite side, alone, and aloof.

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Podcast Script

(Music Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cEQfNZ_F1w)

Mackenzie: Hi guys, it’s Mackenzie Colcord here from the University of New Hampshire. The topic I wanted to discuss today revolves around Hungary’s prime minister, the Fidesz party, and the European People’s Party. The European People’s Party suspended Hungary’s presiding party, the Fidesz party, from the main European center-right party until further notice. This statement was released by the EPP’s president, Joseph Daul, and was a major shock for the nation of Hungary and Europe. 

(Pause)

Mackenzie: A few weeks ago, thirteen of the EPP’s 49 members called for the removal of the Fidesz party and it looks like those countries won the rest over. The EEP came to a 190-3 vote in favor of the measure. These thirteen nations clearly succeeded at convincing the rest that Hungary has strayed way too far from Christian democrat to stay in the EPP. 

(Pause)

Mackenzie: So today I decided to interview a peer that is a political science major here at UNH. She has spent time interning at the capital in DC, is very passionate about politics, and is a conservative. I want to get an outside perspective on this matter from someone of a different political party than myself and see how the event is viewed by someone who hasn’t been studying or following Viktor Orban this entire semester.

(Transition from intro)

Mackenzie: Thanks for being here today Brooke and helping me gain more insight into this topic.

Brooke: No problem, Mackenzie!

Mackenzie: Have you heard of the Fidesz party in Hungary, Viktor Orban, or know any of the events that have taken place to lead to the EPP suspending them?

Brooke: I have a brief understanding, but I don’t know any of the specifics that led to their suspension.  

Mackenzie: Yeah, so I believe this happened because of Orban just not fitting in the mold of a Christian-democrat. Just a little background on him is that he uses an authoritarian style of leadership, has anti-European Union views, changed their constitution, took over the media in Hungary, as well as believes in anti-migration policies. (pause) One of the biggest reasons this suspension is thought to have happened was because of posters he posted around Hungary showing Jean-Claude Juncker (the president of the European Commission) and George Soros (a Hungarian-born Jewish billionaire) laughing above a caption accusing them of masterminding uncontrolled immigration into Hungary. 

Brooke: Well I feel like he probably thinks he can do that because he feels somewhat protected by the EU and geographically, Hungary is not in a good spot, so he feels like he doesn’t have to follow the same rules, but he doesn’t really have a choice. If it was Ireland this wouldn’t be a problem, but Hungary is right in the middle of it. I think he probably just wants his own power within his nation and not to conform to the EPP or EU, but his citizens probably want them to be a part. So, he has basically become a dictator. And when it comes to the propaganda, I know that other nations have done similar things, but he probably just took it too far to the point of brainwashing his citizens.

Mackenzie: Yeah definitely. I don’t think the Fidesz party would have to deal with even remotely the same problems if they weren’t prominent in such a landlocked country, especially near places like Serbia, for example. They definitely have to deal with many more problems than other countries. (pause) So, do you think it is fair that this suspension calls for no Fidesz party meetings, no voting, and no proposing of new party candidates? Is that too harsh?

Brooke: I think it is harsh because if it is a democratic society both parties should have a say. It sounds like it is similar to Trump’s government shutdown. Obviously, what he is doing is wrong and their needs to be some consequences, but he could have some supporters and by suspending the party, that can kind of sway voters and citizens to believe what the other party is saying because they don’t have a choice.

Mackenzie: Yeah, I definitely see where you’re coming from. The Fidesz group stated that they think this suspension was “nothing more than a politically motivated half-measure”. Do you think that could be true? 

Brooke: I think it definitely could be true. It could be a political way of getting voters to cross the aisle. When he is putting out the propaganda, that definitely sways opinions but at the same time, with his party being suspended, it affects voter turnout and can eventually lead to forcing him and the whole party out of office.

Mackenzie: Yeah this definitely is something that could sway voters. But, the advocacy director for Europe and Central Asia at the Human Rights Watch stated “In reality, Viktor Orban has stopped adhering to EPP democratic principles for years. It's time for the EPP to clarify its stance on EU values and exclude Fidesz." This type of behavior has just been going on for so long at this point. Also, it could just be a matter of the EPP standing up for themselves rather than trying to set a political agenda. I see both sides on the matter.

Brooke: Well, I know that a lot of nations in Europe are struggling; especially landlocked countries. They are struggling with being their own sovereign state within another union because of soft borders, trade, and resources. Some nations are fine with that, but others are trying to be independent but aren’t understanding the consequences that come with that. Also, when it comes to being in the EU and wanting to be independent, that is slightly outdated. But honestly, Orban might feel that he has no choice but to be a dictator within his own nation in order to get a wide following behind him.

Mackenzie: Yeah agreed, that is the mindset of many populist leaders.  I remember learning in class that it is key in populist leaders that they basically start a political revolution and Orban definitely did that in Hungary and especially after his reelection. He really thrives on the concept that Hungary is undergoing a ‘crisis’ specifically with migration and that the elite is corrupt and his views are much wiser than the rest. In a different time in Hungary’s history, I don’t think Orban would have been this successful at gaining following. (pause) Could you see something like this happening in America one day; with either the democratic or republican party being suspended or banned for being so anti-democratic? Or do you think our political system is too strong to let a party or leader get that powerful?

Brooke: I think that that the nation itself is very partisan right now and that is what has led to the sharp divide within the republicans and democrats. I don’t think it would get to that point but what we need is a more moderate president. I think our political system is too strong to get to that point of authoritarianism. I also think that him taking over the media is excessive but at the same time, the way that our news has developed has become very bias. I see the motives behind what he is doing, but he is also trying to brainwash his citizens, and being very undemocratic.

Mackenzie: Yeah, I agree. I think the way our system is set up it would never even get to that point. But thank you so much for talking with me today and helping me get some outside perspectives on the topic!

(pause)

Mackenzie: Before I wrap this podcast up, I found a clip of Manfred Weber (the leader of the EPP) giving his official statement on the matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLFsJ8nwgBo (2:21)

Mackenzie: This suspension is huge for the EPP and after all of the problems that Hungary has also had with the EU, there is a chance that it will affect their relationship even more as well. This is the type of event that will forever be a part of Hungary’s history and the lack of trust between the EPP, as well as the EU, and Hungary is more present than ever. Orban's chief of staff said that Fidesz would quit the EPP rather than see its membership suspended, saying it was a question of national "dignity". But honestly, that just doesn’t seem like a smart move to me. Either they need to change their ways and values or fight this suspension. I wish they would change but I just don’t see that in their future. And if they do fight it, I have a feeling they’re going to lose their battle very quickly.

(Music outro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cEQfNZ_F1w)

Mackenzie: Thanks for listening!

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Goodbye Fidesz, Hello Democracy!

My podcast will revolve around a very new and crucial story circulating the news involving Hungary’s prime minister, the Fidesz party, and the European People’s Party. The European People’s Party suspended Hungary’s presiding party, the Fidesz party, from the main European center-right party until further notice. This statement was released by the EPP’s president, Joseph Daul, and was a major shock for the nation of Hungary and Europe.

Listeners will learn from me that this suspension calls for no Fidesz party meetings, no voting, and no proposing of new party candidates. This is a huge step back for the party and a huge step forward for liberal, free democracy. The stakes are extremely high not only for Hungary and its government but also for the EPP. This was a controversial decision but one that sets an example for all countries and shows what values and rules are held highest in Europe.

I plan to explain the event as well as quote key people involved in the matter such as Joseph Daul, Viktor Orban, and Manfred Weber, the lead candidate for the EPP’s May elections. I also plan to showcase what this means for Hungary as well as the challenges that they will now face.

When it comes to the specifics of my podcast, I plan to open and close using music to grab listeners attention. I also plan to play clips of news sources discussing the matter as well as quotes made regarding the topic. I plan to personally narrate and summarize the event and have at least one interviewee on the podcast who isn’t familiar with this topic to explain to listeners if they agree or disagree with that decision. I will give them background on the Hungarian government and explain what the EPP decided to do in order for them to fully grasp the situation. I am interested to hear what someone uneducated on the topic has to say since I am so well-versed on all the hurt that Orban causes and believe I have become slightly biased on the topic. I am excited about doing this topic and with this decision only being announced a few days ago, I believe it is the perfect time to open up a public discussion on the matter.

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Editorial Cartoon

In my editorial cartoon, I displayed Viktor in the corner of the graphic with a migrant climbing a dangerous wall on the other side. At the top of the wall, you can see a siren symbolizing the risk and police presence at the top. You can also see a hand reaching from the other side that has the Hungarian flag on it representing the common Hungarian person. The two hands are almost touching but not quite with Orban watching their every move. Not all citizens agree with Viktor’s views and I believe they would lend a helping hand to those trying to reach a better life if they could. I know that I would.

The person climbing the wall represents an asylum seeker. These people have been turned away time and time again in the hostile country of Hungary. Hungary is a part of the European Union which gave migrants the ability to easily travel onwards to other countries within the passport-free Schengen zone. It makes travel easy for those moving around Europe but also led to Hungary receiving almost 43,000 people in 2015 whereas it was only 2,000 in 2012. Viktor Orban, does not support this migration and even pushed for the prosecution and incarcerating of human rights workers and volunteers for providing services and support to migrants. 

This lack of welcomed migration has led to a very non-diverse country and lack of multiculturalism. In 2011, the country was documented to be 85.6% Hungarian, 3.2% Roma, 1.9% German, 2.6% other, and 14.1% unspecified. The Net migration rate is even more concerning. It is 1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population.  They are isolating themselves from specific types of people and all the benefits that multiculturalism has to offer to a country.

Because of these high numbers of migrants and his disapproval of Serbian people, he built a 4-foot-high fence along the 110-mile border shared with Serbia to keep out migrants and prevent them from bettering themselves. This fence has tight border security and can be considered a very dangerous place- hence the siren. I don’t agree with his logic and wanted to showcase that through the cartoon. I wanted to focus on the struggles that these asylum seekers are facing by just wanting to start a new life. Orban needs to listen to all people and all of his citizens; not just do what he wants.

Picture of Orban Credit: https://www.dw.com/en/hungarys-viktor-orban-calls-for-right-wing-union-in-europe/a-44865138

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Event Analysis for Migrant Crisis In Hungary

The European migrant crisis is a disaster you might be familiar with. Hungary was put right in the middle of the chaos. In September of 2015, Hungary closed down the main migrant crossing path, known as the Balkan Migration Trail. This trail connects Serbia to Hungary. This crossing path was the stepping stone to Europe for many living in impoverished countries with little to no opportunities. This trail led these migrants to a new life and helped fill them with hope. 

On this historic September day, the Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orban, ordered police officers to be stationed there armed and ready for any migrants that may cross their path. The goal was to blockade the pathway while helicopters circled overhead. This pushed fear onto the migrants and was a warning for them to turn around and back off. 

Consequently, the police and soldiers stationed at the pathway directed all foot traffic of migrants to the Horgos 2 border that was approximately a kilometer away. That path was blocked as well. This left the migrants feeling lost, confused, helpless, and alone. When Orban was asked how the officials should respond to those trying to cross into Hungary, he said to be humane but “uncompromising” in implementing the new law. By the end of the day, all officials had the power to arrest anyone trying to cross the path illegally putting Hungary in a very negative light around the globe. The irony in this is that even if the refugees are trying to enter legally, the chances of them being granted asylum is slim to none. Asylum seekers coming to Hungary through a country where they were not persecuted will not have their claims for protection assessed. They will automatically be denied protection. This is at odds with the right to seek asylum. In other words, the law represents keeping legal refugees out and the border represents keeping illegal refugees out. These asylum seekers are not welcome regardless of whether or not they are entering legally.

After reading Betz’s article about xenophobia, identity politics, and exclusionary politics in Europe, I learned that this type of discrimination is becoming common in nations all around Europe. I read that “...the radical right has increasingly shifted its focus to questions of national and cultural identity, and as a result, their politics has become identity  politics.” This is exactly the type of nationalist and xenophobic politics that Orban is pushing on Hungary.

In 2015, over 190,000 migrants fleeing violence and poverty from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa entered Hungary from Serbia putting the ex-Communist country on the frontline of one of Europe’s worst refugee crisis. Hungarian leaders justified these actions to stop the spiking number of migrants by stating that keeping numbers down would protect their own people. Orban even said himself during his political campaign that “If you come to Hungary, you cannot take Hungarians’ jobs.” He has never been a fan of immigration or multiculturalism and made that clear from the start. 

By April 28th, 2017, the Hungarian government announced it now had two iron fences giving off electric shocks. These fences each cover a hundred kilometers wall along the Serbian border in hopes of pushing migrants away.  While that is clearly inhumane, Orban went even farther with his actions.

Hungary was under great scrutiny by UN agencies and NGOs for their rough treatment of asylum seekers which pushed them to tighten their asylum policies. There were records of migrants being detained and held in shipping containers and depriving them of food and medical services at certain camps. Even when migrants enter legally, they are treated poorly. This treatment does not line up with their justification of just wanting to keep numbers down to protect their own people.

This leads me back to the concept we discussed in class from Mudde and Kaltwasser’s book, Populism, about the demand side of populist politics. There are many citizens who side with this xenophobic ideology. With Orban’s “latent” attitude, he is able to develop these rules and put them into place with a significant amount of support behind him. Because of Hungary’s specific circumstance of being landlocked, Orban was able to spread the perception that their citizens are under a great threat to their society.

He is a harsh ruler and one that reminds me of Donald Trump immensely when it comes to immigration; especially for his interest in building a wall to keep them out. He is a known populist leader which led me to further explore if the way Orban acted was common for those who practice populism. We learned in class that populists can capture the narrative, capture an issue, and transform an existing part in its image. I believe that is exactly what Orban did.

Orban had people behind him supporting his actions even though he was hurting a particular type of person. These people were different than his view of the “common people”, therefore he did not like them and did not support their efforts to thrive in Hungary. Orban captured an issue and blew it up in a way that had never been done before in Hungary. He used a particular language to appeal to the people and had a specific political agenda in place to keep the migrants away.

According to Laclau, “Populism is a politics that comes to life under extraordinary situations. A second condition is the political articulation of unfulfilled social demands into what Laclau refers to as an “equivalential chain”. For the process of populist identification to be effective, he argues, those isolated demands that had been left unmet by the political system because existing institutional arrangements proved incapable to address them.” (Carlos de la Torre, 2018, p. 36) This resonates with me and the way that Orban acted from the minute he took office. He made a problem an even bigger one and tried to fulfill a social demand that not everyone agreed with or found necessary. He made it seem as though the prior government was not fulfilling the needs of the country and people and that he was doing what was best for the “common people”. He made history but, in my opinion, in a negative way.

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Special Issue - Media & Government Corruption

Just like America, Hungary has a constitution that protects citizen’s freedom of speech and the press. Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has violated this. After being elected for his third term, he took control of the media undermining these laws in place and pushed their ratings to partly-free and a semi-consolidated democracy. The combination of having a fairly underdeveloped media industry and a powerful government with high levels of intervention has led to a corrupt media market. It is now dominated by outlets that are strictly pro-government rather than outlets that remain neutral. Criticism by media outlets towards Orbán is something that he no longer tolerates. 

Ten large and prominent media companies owned by Orbán’s business and political allies “donated” their outlets to the government. These companies included news channels, radio stations, tabloids, newspapers, etc. This formed alliance known as the Central European Press and Media Foundation has led to corruption, bias, incorrect information, and false news being released to the common people. Orbán claimed he did this because of “national strategic importance” that serves “the public interest of saving print media”. But ironically, the mainstream news only reports on things that put Orbán in a positive light and strictly showcases Fidesz party’s political agenda such as the large-scale anti-immigration campaign in 2016.

The government also controls the media through selective advertising contracts and radio broadcasting frequencies. The remaining online outlets that feature investigative reporting on the government are under great stress, scrutiny, risk, and danger because of their anti-government publications. In November of 2018, it was released by one of the last independently owned Hungarian news websites, Atlatszo, that more than 500 Hungarian news outlets take a pro-government stance whereas only 31 did in 2015. 

The most prominent press organizations are the Magyar Hirlap (conservative daily), the Nepszava (left-of-centre daily), Blikk (tabloid daily), Magyar Idok (pro-government daily), Lokal (pro-government daily freesheet, Heti Vilaggazdasag (political and business weekly), and the Budapest Times (English-language). Intern and news agencies consist of MTI (state-owned), Hungary Around the Clock (English-language news site), Ripost (pro-government tabloid news website), and the Origo, Index, 24.hu, 444.hu, and Atlatszo which are all news websites. 

This violation of human rights has gained negative attention from the European Union and pushed Hungary to 73rd place in the 2018 ranking of press freedom by Reporters Without Borders. The high level of government intervention has completely hindered the professional career of journalism and its legitimacy.

After further analyzing the European Union Court of Human Rights and its values, I found Article 10 to be especially ironic. The Court expressed its respect and acceptance for freedom of expression as a foundation for a free and democratic society. It states in Article 10 (2), “it is applicable not only to “information” or “ideas” that are favorably received or regarded as inoffensive or as a matter of indifference, but also to those that offend, shock or disturb the State or any sector of the population. Such are the demands of that pluralism, tolerance, broadmindedness without which there is no “democratic society”.” (Paraschos, 1998) When comparing this to Orbán and his values, beliefs, and views, the two do not fit together. He wants to dictate the media, what is said about him, and does not value the freedom of expression. When the media spoke against him, he did not accept that or understand that it makes for a free democratic society. He instead decided to run the outlets himself.

In September of 2018, the European Union’s parliament voted to penalize Hungary for not following the EU’s rules on democracy, corruption, civil rights, and most importantly, media freedom. An EU parliamentary report said that the media had been concentrated in the hands of pro-Orbán oligarchs, state-funded advertising went largely to outlets loyal to the government, and other journalists were often banned from parliament proving the high level of corruption within Hungary. The highest punishment Hungary would receive for these violations would be the suspension of their voting rights. 

This deeply angered Orbán. He denied these accusations and claimed that the government had zero intentions of trying to control the media. He publicly stated that he believed this was blackmail on the EU’s part, “petty revenge”, and a complete insult to Hungary and its government. 

This media control not only affects the media companies but also every single citizen. It provides people with incorrect information and an extremely biased version of events. Although it was reported by the Medián Public Opinion and Market Research Ltd., that less than 10 percent of the population has an intense interest in politics, it still is morally wrong. Freedom of speech and press is being hindered and journalism is becoming a dangerous and reputation-ruining career. Something needs to change before Orbán becomes even more powerful than he already is.

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Media Landscape of Hungary

When it comes to the media in Hungary, it is very fascinating and different than many other countries around the globe. The powerful, ruling Fidesz party and the media have a very strained relationship. After Orban was elected in 2010, he tried to tighten the government’s control over the media and freedom of speech in Hungary. This drew criticism from media freedom organizations and many non-supporters of the Fidesz party. On an international scale, it drew concern from the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Reporters without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), among others. The European Commission recommended amendments to the law, but Orban did not agree with their thoughts. 

In 2018, nearly all pro-Fidesz media groups formed a conglomerate called the Central European Press and Media Foundation. Ten powerful and successful outlets joined the foundation leading to hundreds of publications, websites, and broadcast outlets pushing Fidesz to become even more powerful and in control of Hungary. 

Pro-Fidesz outlets dominate the media and do all that they can to smear political opponents. This corruption can lead to biased news and a misrepresentation of what is truly going on in Hungary’s political climate. This has pushed many media outlets to want to expose and investigate government corruption. Daniel Renyi, a journalist at 444.hu, said that "Public media has been totally conquered by the government since 2010. Now they have four channels to communicate the rhetoric of the government. It's just full-time government propaganda”. This type of media domination is unacceptable and proves the corruption that the government in Hungary possesses. 

Hungary’s freedom press ranking is 73. Their media market is relatively under-developed, and they struggle with financial viability. Some of the most prominent press organizations are the Magyar Hirlap (conservative daily), the Nepszava (left-of-center daily), Blikk (tabloid daily), Magyar Idok (pro-government daily), Lokal (pro-government daily freesheet, Heti Vilaggazdasag (political and business weekly), and the Budapest Times (English-language). Intern and news agencies consist of MTI (state-owned), Hungary Around the Clock (English-language news site), Ripost (pro-government tabloid news website), and the Origo, Index, 24.hu, 444.hu, and Atlatszo which are all news websites.

Hungary’s most trusted medium is television. Television is the market-leading medium in terms of audience, with the dominance of commercial outlets, while the Internet is the number one medium on the advertising side. Popular television stations consist of Magyar Televizio (MTV) (public), RTL Klub (private), TV2 (private), Echo TV (private, right-wing news channel), and ATV (private, left-leaning, owned by the evangelical-pentecostal Faith Church) whereas popular radio stations are the Hungarian Radio  (public, networks include Kossuth, Petofi, and Bartok), Retro Radio (private, national), InfoRadio (private, news), and Slager FM (private).

Hungary relies on social media and technology on a similar level to America. A whopping 4.7 million people in Hungary report using a smartphone. That accounts for 85% of Hungarian adult Internet users. Smartphones are one of the most widely used devices in Hungary and are a huge part of their everyday lifestyle. When it comes to the internet, 8.6 million Hungarians use it. Now that citizens can access it right from their smartphones, this has led to a huge increase in usage. It is common and something that Hungarians take part in and depend on every single day.

When it comes to social media, about 83% of Hungarian internet users between the ages of 16 and 74 used social networks such as Facebook and Twitter last year which is the highest rate in the European Union. To get even more specific, the rate of social network usage amounted to 97% of Hungarian internet users between the ages of 16 and 24, and 55% for people between 65 and 74. But the most popular outlet is Facebook with 5.3 million users and counting. The most popular activities on social media sites are reading the news (66%), chatting (60%), voting /liking (59%), posting images (37%) and commenting (33%). 

One of the most influential, and controversial, top social media influencers is Prime Minister Viktor Orban. When it comes to migration, sports, food, religion, and culture, his opinion and posts are highly valued. His social media consists of meetings, conferences, business trips, and hobbies. Although he only had 312 posts on Facebook in 2018, he still held the 26th spot on the Hungarian influencers’ sports, food, religion and culture ranking and had 673,000 followers on Instagram. 

Viktor Orban and the Fidesz party have personally affected the media landscape of Hungary immensely. Orban publicly stated that "I am convinced that an essential part of national sovereignty is having the majority of a media system in national hands." His populist nature along with his power-hungry tendencies have led to a nation with unfair and unjust media and reporting. The citizens deserve to know the truth, but with Orban’s tight grip on the information that is going out to the public, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

Political Landscape Brief of Hungary

This 10-million-person landlocked country bordering Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, Ukraine, and Romania traces its origins back to an alliance of tribes from southern Russia and the Black Sea coast.  After ruling as a medieval kingdom for centuries, it became an independent country after the First World War and was ruled as a communist country. In 1989, Hungary made the change to democracy because of economic reasons, political tension, and changing relations within the Warsaw Pact countries. Communism was no longer an option for them.

Hungary is currently classified as a medium-sized member state of the European Union and has a unique political past. It is a parliamentary representative democratic republic but has gone through many political changes to reach that point. Their current government has a Prime Minister, Victor Orban, who is the head of the government and leading the Fidesz, right-wing, conservative political party. He was elected in April 2010 and immediately acted as a populist leader.

The political party, Fidesz, has a style of government that places singular government responsibilities in accord with the prime minister at its center. It can be considered “hegemony-aspirant” politics. (Korkut, 2012, p. 48)  It was founded in 1988 as an anti-communist party that promoted the development of a market economy and European integration. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018, p. 1) It capitalizes on Hungary’s economy and is extremely controversial in Hungary.

Obran introduced several laws that increased government control over the media, judiciary, and the central bank as soon as he was elected. These new laws did not sit well with the European Union. They ended up giving Orban an ultimatum and warned that legal action would be taken against him and the new laws unless he altered them. He also created a new term for the political community, the “System of National Cooperation” or NER (Nemzeti Együttműködés Rendszere) and would use phrases such “bring the people back to power” to prove his commitment to the common people. NER was a declaration that had to be displayed in all public offices describing the importance that people must rise above party lines and unite for the sake of the nation. (Feledy, 2017, p. 1)  Although Orban won in a two-thirds majority in the parliamentary elections, he was immediately considered controversial and shook up the country.

Hungary also has a President, Janos Ader, who was elected in 2012 in a parliamentary vote that was boycotted by the opposing Socialist Party. Ader is now the head of state and his Presidential role is mainly ceremonial in comparison to Orbans.  Ironically, his ideals closely aligned with those of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and he went along with Orban’s goal of Hungary acting as an "illiberal state”.

When it comes to human rights and the rule of law in Hungary, they are not respected by the government. They treat journalists and critics very poorly and qualify as anti-migrant, anti-muslim, and xenophobic. Those who seek asylum are typically detained at the border and face violence. On top of that, authorities target civil society organizations and universities who receive funding from abroad keeping the number of people getting an education low.

Hungary’s status has also declined from Free to Partly Free because of their control over the opposition, the media, religious groups, academia, NGOs, the courts, asylum seekers, and the private sector since 2010. It is not a welcoming country to immigrants or minorities and is one of the reasons that Hungary has a bad reputation when it comes to civil rights.

Throughout time, many domestic protests have taken place and have received much international scrutiny for their continued rollback on human rights and non-compliance with EU law. On top of that, over a quarter of the population remains at remains at risk for poverty and social exclusion and 16% were severely materially deprived. A large percentage of Hungary’s people are struggling yet Orban is not making it a priority to help these people.

All in all, Hungary is a country that has been through a lot of changes over the past hundred years. There is a clear political divide in the country that has led to many problems and corruption within not only the government but the society as well. Their leader’s morals do not line up with what is accepted in the world today and have been questioned from the start. Populism has officially taken over their country and in my opinion- not for the better.

[mackenziecolcord-blog]

“It’s not my idea. It’s not an élite-launched political movement. It’s going on in the minds of the people, because they don’t like what we’re living in now—that kind of liberal non-democracy system.”

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán