Today I will look at two recent developments that have further tarnished the Orbán government’s reputation outside the country and have created avoidable diplomatic tensions.
Conflict with Norway
The first is the loss of the EEA and Norway Grants worth 214.6 million euros (77 billion forints), which represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, three non-EU countries that are nonetheless part of the European Single Market, toward reducing social and economic disparities in the European Economic Area (EEA), especially in its less well developed regions.
Those who have followed recent Hungarian politics may remember the assault on the Ökotárs Foundation, which was in charge of the disbursement of the Norwegian Fund. In 2015, officers attached to the National Office of Investigation sealed the foundation’s office and led the director of the foundation to police headquarters. The “investigation” was supposed to prove that Ökotárs, Norway’s choice to distribute its funds, was actually a criminal enterprise under the thumb of George Soros.
What the Orbán government wanted to achieve was a free hand in choosing its own administrator to be in charge of the money allocated to NGOs working on behalf of disadvantaged people, particularly the Roma. Because of the government’s stubbornness, Hungary is the only one of the 15 beneficiary countries with which the Norwegians have not concluded a cooperation agreement. As I said, we are talking here about 214.6 million euros, 10% of which can be distributed by the chosen administrator. The rest is at the disposal of the government for certain projects. But the entire package was at stake.
Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, foreign minister of Norway
Although negotiations continued all through the intervening years, no agreement was ever reached, and by August 4, 2021, the Norwegian government had had enough, announcing that “Hungary is no longer eligible for the Norway Grants 2014-2021.”
But the last word always has to be Orbán’s. Yesterday the prime minister’s office announced that “Hungary doesn’t accept Norway’s diktat. According to the agreement between the two countries, the body that will allocate the grants of the Norwegian Fund must be designated by consensus.” Yes, but in over six years of negotiations Orbán didn’t bring any consensus.
The government spokesman outlined the government’s position, pointing out that “of the seven applicants, Hungary was willing to accept anyone but the Soros-backed organization. Norway, however, insisted on the Soros organization and excluded internationally recognized applicants such as the Hungarian Red Cross. Norway is in breach of its obligations as an EEA member and the government will take legal action…. Hungary states for the record that Norway owes Hungary HUF 77 billion for Hungarian market access.”
Among the NGOs rejected were indeed the Hungarian Red Cross, which has been the recipient of generous state subsidies and only recently distributed care packages provided by Lőrinc Mészáros. The International Children’s Emergency Service also applied; its president is László Kövér. Another favored applicant was the Miskolc-based foundation Women for Success, founded by Katalin Csöbör, a Fidesz member of parliament. The organization’s board of trustees includes Beatrix Kelemen, the former wife of Lőrinc Mészáros. All “independent” foundations, Fidesz style. Viktor Orbán and his regime once again demonstrated that they are not willing to compromise. In order to be the sole decision makers, they were ready to take food away from disadvantaged children. Norway has been thinking about instituting some alternative way of supporting the country and its large group of needy people.
A quarrel with Slovakia
The second topic I consider important is László Kövér’s performance at the unveiling of a memorial erected in Šamorin/Somorja, close to Bratislava. It was created to memorialize the 76th anniversary of the so-called Beneš decrees, which, among other things, entailed the loss of Czechoslovak citizenship for Germans and Hungarians, natives of the country for centuries. It remains a controversial decision even in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Inviting Kövér for such occasions always entails a certain risk for Hungarian diplomacy.
Kövér stressed that “what was committed against the Hungarians in the Highlands between 1945 and 1947 was a sin against God and man.” And, he added, “the Hungarians could not forgive the crimes committed against them, because to this day they have not asked for forgiveness.” But “we have a moral basis to wait with gentle but steadfast patience for a gesture of apology and satisfaction for the crimes committed against Hungarians for the sake of peace for generations to come.”
The Slovak answer wasn’t long in coming. Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok reacted to Kövér’s admonition on Facebook by complaining that “Hungary’s most important public dignitaries routinely open up historical issues running counter to Hungary’s stated desire to build good bilateral relations with Slovakia.” He said that he was “disappointed that we constantly hear messages and lectures from Budapest addressed to us about our common history. And I strongly reject the fact that Hungary’s second highest public dignitary feels the need to come straight to Slovakia to present his own view of history.” Moreover, he noted that Slovakia is not the Highlands, the Hungarian designation for those territories that today comprise Slovakia.
Ivan Korčok, Slovak foreign minister
That was followed by a diplomatic note, calling on the Hungarian side to follow normal and standard diplomatic procedures and to inform the Slovak side in advance of the purpose of the visit. Although the pro-Fidesz Körkép (Panorama) called Korčok a chauvinist, I don’t think that his request that Budapest follow international diplomatic practice is too much to ask. I also think that the constant references to past grievances are counterproductive for both countries. For every Hungarian complaint there can always be a Slovak one. Korčok is right that one should concentrate on the present and the future instead of on either the greatness or the injustices of the past.
As for Korčok, he is Slovakia’s foremost diplomat, spending years as Slovakia’s representative at the European Union and as ambassador to Germany and Washington. He is a firm believer in a strong European Union and NATO and is a committed supporter of transatlantic relations. I doubt that he would be a chauvinist. He is certainly right about the bad habit of having Hungarian dignitaries show up in Slovakia, airing the country’s historical grievances.
Kövér, by the way, is not the first to make an inopportune appearance in a neighboring country. László Sólyom, president of Hungary between 2005 and 2010, was in the habit of spending Hungarian national holidays in Slovakia and Romania, allegedly as a private citizen, until the Slovak authorities in 2009 finally forbade him to cross the border into Slovakia on August 21, the date on which, in 1968, Warsaw Pact troops, including Hungarians, invaded Czechoslovakia. So Sólyom instead gave a press conference on the Komárom-Komárno bridge, remaining on the Hungarian side, precipitating quite a diplomatic brouhaha.
Ferenc Dávid, who is an adviser on economic matters for the Demokratikus Koalíció, called Kövér “an embittered, muddled-minded man who endangers good relations with Slovakia.” Kövér causes enough trouble at home, but abroad he is potentially lethal.
August 5, 2021
Blog posts by Eva S. Balogh also appear in Hungarian at https://ujnepszabadsag.com/
I hope that many in Hungary will learn about the absurd antics of this regime discussed in post tonight. The stupid behavior and/or comments about Norway and Slovakia from this regime suggest how deep the moral rot is as most nations in western Europe learned long ago not to engage in similar outbursts. Orban and his stooges must think Budapest is the capitol of a vast empire. In fact, Hungary needs good neighbors, not new enemies. Orban is simply a moron if he thinks otherwise. If only Hungary could learn from the Dutch i.e. the Netherlands was also once a mighty empire, but as a small nation-with out colonies- it is far more prosperous and above all, free.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Buda castle hill district…
As always, I love your wondrous cartoons, which are far more perceptive than myself! (and more fun)
If only the government would put as much energy into protecting children from hunger as it puts into protecting them from rainbows.
Perhaps you are interested in this article, 4 matters show that FIDESZ definitely doesn’t care about children:
https://444.hu/2021/06/21/negy-ugy-ami-megmutatja-hogy-a-fidesz-igazabol-nem-torodik-a-gyerekekkel
The regime is used that all Hungary has to be submissive to them. Now they expect that Norway, Slovakia, and the rest of the world needs to be submissive as well. If not it is still a great source for their propaganda machine, since everybody rejecting their omnipotence fantasies is declared to be “anti-Hungarian.”
The good news:
These activities show everybody what a sh*thole current Orbanistan represents.
Of course for the honest Hungarians this is like a slap to the face – you can’t imagine how angry my wife is!
But it seems good relations with anybody are not in the Fidesz program – wait:
Good relations with all other fascists are necessary for them!
Aunt Norway: Hi, little Viktor, I brought a cake for your mother. She told me she wants to give it to the poor neighbour’s kids.
Little Viktor (hungrily): GIMME THE CAKE!
Aunt Norway: Sorry, no, I’ll come back later.
Little Viktor: Boo-hoo! YOU OWE ME THE CAKE!
Is that Finnish Retorik or something like that? I have not yet understood what you want to tell.
“Ökotárs Foundation, which was in charge of the disbursement of the Norwegian Fund.”
If just one country, Norway, can manage to set up an office which deals with dispersing huge funds to Hungary, then why on earth can`t the EU do the same, and have an independent office based in Budapest (and for that matter, to make it fair, have an office in every EU member country), to oversee the even huger sums which they dole out to Hungary?
TEU!
This short story about Tucker Carlson’s visit to Hungary https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/tucker-carlson-has-seen-the-future-and-it-is-fascist.html is worth reading.
This is Tucker Carlson’s response via interview with Orban https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s01ZL5TnBNY is it worth watching? Well I would say for knowledgeable Hungarians who are fluent in English yes, for Americans who can’t find Hungary on a map its really pretty dangerous. By the way how many people in Hungary have seen Orban driving himself in his own car around Budapest without any armed guards? Tucker says it happens regularly.
Driving around Budapest. Hahaha. Orbán must have told him that lie. I also loved the story about all those westerners who are escaping from the West to Eastern Europe.
“those westerners who are escaping from the West to Eastern Europe”
Unfortunately there is truth in it.
I’ve already read articles about racist right wingers who are leaving the Netherlands, France, Italy and Belgium and moving to Hungary because here they don’t have to deal with diversity in the streets. Plus they can buy for peanuts a cottage on the countryside and live like kings. Often paid with unemployment benefits or health insurance money from their own states.
Yes, these kind of creatures exist, but there’s not too many of them.
PS re speeding:
That’s an old hobby of Fideszniks (remember Lazer Johnny?), especially if they drive cars with Slovak licence plates here – but a sticker of greater Hungary …
Yes, these “refugees” exist. Once an old lady from my village asked me to translate, since there were Germans who saw the “for sale” sign on her house, she only spoke Hungarian and her guests not a single word Hungarian. She had a nice, quite well kept, old fashioned village house, and wanted to buy an apartment in Pécs, where her children live. Her guests were upset about the price the old lady asked, they would come from so difficult circumstances, from an unfree country, were prosecuted by the dictatorship in Germany, and had heard that Hungarians would help them to start a new life away from all these terrible foreigners. They offered 3 instead of the asked 7 500 000 Ft, payable in 60 instalments. Of course the old lady didn’t accept that, especially since she needed the money to buy something else. Her guests left shouting ugly things about the bad Hungarians, stepped into their old Mercedes with a “Merkel muss weg” sticker and drove away as if the devil would chase them. Just to be clear: Here in the village we have quite a number of house owners from Western Europe, most of them own since a… Read more »
The coward driving around without his private army, but visiting a kindergarten with a bullet-proof vest only…?
“By the way how many people in Hungary have seen Orban driving himself in his own car around Budapest without any armed guards?”
I live close to the Cinege street and have seen his caravan of black vans far too many times speeding by on the Kútvölgyi street.
One disgusting member of his clan though whom I often see driving by himself in his black Mercedes jeep with German (!!) number plate is his son in law %stv%n T%b%rcz who lives in the nearby Zalai street. Several times I saw this scumbag speeding by while he was looking at his smartphone.
The last words after the “interview” were remarkable. No need for a PM who divides the country, enlarges crime…. Did Carlson know that these were the only true words during these 20 minutes?
I never watched this Fox stuff before. But does Carlson always looks at someone he is interviewing that tells so obviously “what nonsense is that ugly guy talking about?”
That Tucker has an incredible arrogance to him, so yes that is his normal act. He has a look about him that makes you just want to smack him in the face, total preppy jerk.
He even looks stupid. As for his outfit during his visit to Orbán, but he had loafers on without socks.
The American reaction to this jaunt by Carlson is tremendous. At last the mask is really off and a lot of people don’t like what they see.
Istvan, thanks for this clear damnation of the fascist tendencies in Fidesz and the GOP!
I think however that Europeans in general are too democratic to believe in these lunacies.
It’s no coincidence that the extreme right wing is only in power in some of the former “communist” countries. In Eastern Germany “Alle Faschisten Deutschlands” still gets around 25% of the votes, in Western Germany it’s 10% – you have a certain number of idiots everywhere …
In 2 months after the elections we’ll know more about Germany eg.
Generally the “Christian” homophobic misogynic xenophobe haters are slowly fading away, at least in Europe.
I am sure Eva is getting endless emails about the Tucker visit, I sure am. Asking is this true, or that true. Amazingly I have been actually been able to find in the Spectrum archives many refutations to things Tucker Carlson is now claiming about amazing Hungary.
A retired Lt General who is on a blog with me asked me what I thought about Orban’s claims of being in totally in support of NATO. That took way too much energy to respond to, and I had to get into Putin’s seizure of the Crimea and how Orban formally opposed it, yet sees some of the Russian puppet states and Putin as possible allies in promoting autonomy for Magyarul beszélők in Zakarpattia Oblast which I think is totally a delusional strategy on Orban’s part. Putin give a good damn about Hungarian rights really. Glad Tucker is leaving Hungary soon, it’s exhausting really.
Notice in the interview how both Carlson and Orban played the Jobbik card. Notice Carlson said not a word about the attacks from Fidesz on Soros during the discussion.
I sent the photo below to the Lt General by way of explanation of the links between Fidesz and the legacy of the Arrow Cross, he is extremely antifascist by the way of discussing how complex all of this is. It is the prior Fidesz Mayor of Esztergom, Etelka Romanek, in the woods near town praying at a memorial for Hungary’s WWII dead. Supposedly this is site where Hungarian infantry were not allowed to surrender and where shot down by the Russians. But a little research indicated that those shot were very possibly Arrow Cross diehards fighting to the end against the Russians, which is a little different than it was presented by the Fidesz media. According to what I have seen from the Red Army records this shooting took place in March, 1945, after the Wehrmacht Panzer armies launched an offensive—the final German attack of the Second World War—from the north and south of Lake Balaton known as Operation Spring Awakening. This offensive was aimed at breaking through the Soviet front established in south-central Transdanubia to reach the Danube River located some 60 kilometers (in the north) to 120 kilometers (in the south) away. It failed and it appears… Read more »
Oh, yes, the Jobbik card. He is trying and I hope that Mazsihisz is not going to fall for it. But I also noticed that he is very, very unhappy about Bibi being gone.
Thank you Professor Balogh and Istvan (Chicago) regarding political theater and commemoration offascist soldiers. This outrage -as you both know- is becoming more common in eastern Europe i.e. Ukraine, Baltic countries etc.
The Israelis were surely able to get a lot of things done for Orban as they have extremely good connections on both sides of aisle. The Democrats were as pro-Netanyahu (they had no choice but to support him even as Natenyahu thrashed the Dems) as are the GOP so Netanyahu was a top contact to lose.
However as Trump is plotting his comeback Orban isn’t too worried. With Tucker Carlson and similar other Trumpists on his side, Orban’s US connections are enough to neutralize any US “threats” (while the anti-US propaganda continues unabated) especially as Biden has revealed himself to be quite a weakling re Hungary.
You have opinions, but few facts about the USA i.e.
Biden is a “weakling”. That is not a fact, especially as Biden helped pass the most comprehensive social package in USA history and the infrastructure bill is likely to pass. And he defeated Trump. Some weakling!
Misi bacsi, “strong” in the way Marty uses the word is abusing power for own purposes, “weak” is a well-functioning, noiseless government. Or you can say these words are used according to what Marty pushes in his comments or not. Both definitions fit equally.
There is no foreign policy in Hungary. There is only domestic politics. As long as Orban gets reelected this kind of foreign policy works splendidly. Voters in general like this aggressive posturing, they reward the leader for it (“Russia is finally standing up from its knees”, Erdogan etc.). Average joes like it, because they get it. They don’t get boring meetings about the rule-based international order or whatever. Orban’s approach isn’t nice but Orban is laser-focused on “reelection” (pretty probable anyway in an autocracy), and – more importantly – understands the fundamentals of a “sociaty of the spectacle”. Orban viscerally understands like a real director/author (ie. of his own show) does that conflict IS the only thing that gets viewers’ attention. Without conflict, using approaches like the pathetic “let’s be friends”, “let’s reach across aisle”, “let’s compromise” type lefty stupidity etc. there is NO attention, voters don’t care, they get bored, and switch channels. Conflicts are key in politics especially as it divides the viewers, the conflicts force them to take sides. Moreover, voters do like this posturing, they vicariously want to be “tough” (as toughness, power, influence are what these average joes crave in real life but of course… Read more »
I wish you would stop this “average joe” talk. There is no average joe. There are more or less educated people, but each is an individual with individual reasons to behave the way they do.
It could be “median voter”.
In Hungary somebody with limited formal education, blue collar job, rural (outside Budapest) place of living and upbringing, middle aged.
They are not stupid at all, but their limited knowledge, their limited ambitions, their way of life, values, habits makes them more “conservative” (anti-liberal) than the educated, urban voters. They are easier to control and easier to manipulate. In any case in general their values are more conservative.
There are “average Marties” only. Completely invented figures that are completely uninformed and happy with Orbán’s lies and the same average Marties are the same time intensively screening the opposition media to find articles about vegane lifestyle to know that this is what they don’t want.
Istvan- thank you. As important, you are correct about M.
My experience is that more and more “subaverage joes” are getting angry at the way the Hungarian society is going down the drain.
There are a few Fidesz honchos getting richer and richer but the infrastructure continues to crumble, healtcare, education, roads are subpar. Just driving through an average village and looking at the kind of ruins people live in …
Of course there are a few very nice new houses – you don’t have to think twice who these belong to.
Everybody realises this, especially people who have been abroad – just going over the border to Austria is a shock …
I just came across the book by Princeton University Press written by Gábor Ágoston, which is a huge feat. Apparently he’s an associate professor at Georgetown with completely Hungarian credentials, which is a very impressive achievement.
Today’s news from the M-desk:
Most Hungarians (especially women, who of course are educated strictly for being housewives) live in abysmal ignorance about any and all legal matters of social importance and they want things to stay that way – Which is why most of them compulsively vote for the strong-man.
Of course, it goes without saying, in a society like that – all hopes for a functioning democratic system is out of the question.
On the bright side: There are rare examples of countrymen, who in spite of the extreme barriers between Hungary and the outside world, actually achieve something “out there” – A round of applause for them.
Hey!
My wife would be very angry at this!
She has always fought for democracy and considers O1G an ***expletive deleted***. And don’t even ask her about other Fideszniks – she started working in the Hungarian önkormanyzat more than 50 years ago and sees an obvious continuity between Kadar and O1G.
OT re *ucker Carslon:
Found an interesting article on the creature’s visit to the Serbian border on the BBC.
Wouldn’t have thought that Nick Thorpe would write this scathing stuff …
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58104200
It starts like this:
US guest of honour and Fox News host Tucker Carlson was granted a lightning visit by military helicopter to Hungary’s 175km (109-mile) high-tech, high-cost razor-wire border fence with Serbia this week.
He liked what he saw.
…
According to government figures, building and patrolling the fence has cost more than $1.5bn (£1.1bn) so far.
“Viktor Orbán fears election interference from “international left”” this is a radical right-wing view. Even if some believe this is conservative and yes in Hungary there are many Orbans but also in Canada and USA. 😀 Even those who claim to want a democratic Hungary. Self-reflection for Hungarians means pride and fatherland, with only few exceptions. 😀 Even if something changes superficially in Hungary, nothing changes even if the EU blocks the funds and Hungary goes bankrupt. No Dr. Professor education no development https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article232982877/Viktor-Orban-Befuerchte-Wahleinmischung-von-internationaler-Linke.html
And another gem for those who can read German:
https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/umstrittenes-lgbtq-gesetz-ungarn-geht-gegen-den-verkauf-anstoessiger-buecher-vor-a-23f16b88-ae0d-4ff0-8a49-19bb7ad99a73
verpflichtet Buchläden, bestimmte Bücher nicht mehr offen auszulegen und in einem Umkreis von 200 Metern um Schulen und Kirchen überhaupt nicht mehr anzubieten.
That means that these horrible books may not be sold at all in a bookstore nearer than 200 meters to a church or school???
It’s so crazy …
What about porn?
I had a happy morning watching young US super heavy freestyle wrestler win a gold medal over one of best wrestlers in the world Georgia’s triple world champion Geno Petriashvili in the final seconds of a match. Then I saw the Orban/Carlson interview spoiling my euphoria. See https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/wrestling-steveson-bags-super-heavyweight-gold-with-last-second-win-2021-08-06/
Orbán’s English. Carlson said something about Orbán’s thick accent but his message is very clear. The accent is one thing, but his meager vocabulary makes all his sentences sound primitive.
wolfi I can´t replay on your comment i don´t know why. Porno are Hungarian Dr. Profesors the highest education in Hungary which are published here or such like Andras or like József Papp who believe to be different like the Orbans who run around here without a class without logic without rethoric but with a lot of arrogance. They have learned nothing else and that is as Akos wrote.