- Budapest, Budapest fovaros, Hungary
Stephen Pogany
University of Warwick, Law School, Emeritus
The inclusion of Albert Wass, together with Cécile Tormay and József Nyírő, in Hungary’s National School Curriculum is alarming. Apart from the historical distortions, chauvinism and antisemitism that characterise many of these authors’... more
The inclusion of Albert Wass, together with Cécile Tormay and József Nyírő, in Hungary’s National School Curriculum is alarming. Apart from the historical distortions, chauvinism and antisemitism that characterise many of these authors’ works, the literary deficiencies of Wass and Tormay, in particular, are glaring. Péter Esterházy once defined literature as “a quest for the secrets of existence”. By contrast, the novels and stories of Albert Wass are repetitive polemics in which the author endlessly preaches his own particular version of „the truth”. Wass’s intense and unreflective Hungarian nationalism infuses his writing, which provides a heavily distorted version of Hungarian history, including Hungary’s role in World War Two. For Wass, as for Hungary’s ruling Fidesz Party, Hungarians are, variously, perpetual victims, helpless bystanders or courageous folk who are willing to risk their personal safety and well-being to protect those in imminent danger. Inconvenient truths, such as Hungary’s complicity in the Shoah, are denied, suppressed or challenged with “alternative facts” such as the notorious memorial to the “victims of the German occupation”, in Budapest’s Szabadság Square, erected by the Fidesz government in 2014.
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Since Viktor Orbán was reappointed as Hungary's Prime Minister, in 2010, fake news, alternative facts and post-truth have featured prominently in his administration's efforts to consolidate its power. This tendency can be seen, for... more
Since Viktor Orbán was reappointed as Hungary's Prime Minister, in 2010, fake news, alternative facts and post-truth have featured prominently in his administration's efforts to consolidate its power. This tendency can be seen, for example, in official and semi-official
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This chapter offers an analysis of antisemitism in contemporary Hungary, as well as an historical overview of fluctuations in the treatment and perception of Jews in Hungary from the beginning of the 20th century. The chapter argues that... more
This chapter offers an analysis of antisemitism in contemporary Hungary, as well as an historical overview of fluctuations in the treatment and perception of Jews in Hungary from the beginning of the 20th century. The chapter argues that Prime Minister Orbán’s declaration of ’zero tolerance against antiSemitism’ should be treated with a degree of scepticism. In reality, Orbán and his political associates have rejected the general and explicit antisemitism of the past in favour of a form of selective, coded antisemitism that remains politically advantageous to the current regime.
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This article seeks to provide some insight into the multiple human rights challenges facing the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Under Communism, the bulk of the Roma benefited from wide-ranging social and economic rights... more
This article seeks to provide some insight into the multiple human rights challenges facing the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Under Communism, the bulk of the Roma benefited from wide-ranging social and economic rights introduced in the CEE states including rights to work, housing, healthcare and education. Paradoxically, the transition to democracy, economic liberty and a new emphasis on civil and political rights has precipitated a massive crisis for the region’s Roma. Subject to spiralling unemployment and sharply escalating living costs, most Roma have not been able to take advantage of the political, cultural or economic opportunities now available to them. Similarly, the recognition of minority rights in both regional instruments and national legislation, particularly since 1990, has had relatively little impact on the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe. Against a background of heightened racial animosity and persistent assaults on Roma victims, many Roma are afraid to assert their identity. For the mass of impoverished Roma, notions of minority rights are irrelevant. Finally, the article explores the failure of criminal justice systems in Central and Eastern Europe to respond to widespread physical intimidation directed against Roma subjects.
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The Privatization Process in Central Europe. Edited by Roman Frydman, Andrzej Rapaczynski, John Earle, et al. [Budapest, London and New York: Central European University Press. 1993. xiii + 262 pp. ISBN 1-85866-000-9. £10 (pbk)] - The Privatization Process in Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic States...more
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... 122 As noted previously, German-language theatre-goers, in Prague, could also find themselves ... the Holocaust of Jews and Roma or the prolonged, systematic subversion of human rights under state ... of Germans were massacred in a... more
... 122 As noted previously, German-language theatre-goers, in Prague, could also find themselves ... the Holocaust of Jews and Roma or the prolonged, systematic subversion of human rights under state ... of Germans were massacred in a kind of pogrom at Ustí nad Labem (Aussig ...
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... Page 8. JAN. ... defined intervention as "dictatorial interference in the domestic or foreign affairs of another state which impairs that state's independence".37 It is clear that the Ottoman Government was... more
... Page 8. JAN. ... defined intervention as "dictatorial interference in the domestic or foreign affairs of another state which impairs that state's independence".37 It is clear that the Ottoman Government was unenthusiastic about the deploy-ment of European troops in Syria. ...
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Acknowledgements Introduction 1. The Hairy Thing that Bites, or why Gypsies shun Gadje 2. The Devouring 3. Maybe Tomorrow there Won't even be Bread 4. The Czardas 5. Nomads 6. Aniko 7. The Lambada 8. The Roma Cafe Bibliography Index
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... by the Roma, reflect serious errors in the Communist regimes' approach to solving the gypsy 'problem'. However, they also stem from blatant discrimination and culturally uninformed treatment by educational systems and... more
... by the Roma, reflect serious errors in the Communist regimes' approach to solving the gypsy 'problem'. However, they also stem from blatant discrimination and culturally uninformed treatment by educational systems and public services, in the post-Communist era, as well as the ...
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Research Interests: Psychology and Moderation
The ousting of communist regimes across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), in 1989–1990, is frequently portrayed as the triumph of popular democracy, human rights and market economics.1 However, for the bulk of an estimated six million... more
The ousting of communist regimes across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), in 1989–1990, is frequently portrayed as the triumph of popular democracy, human rights and market economics.1 However, for the bulk of an estimated six million Roma, or Gypsies, constituting by far the largest ethnic minority in the region, the post-communist era has brought neither improved living standards nor the genuine enjoyment of democracy or basic freedoms. On the contrary, Roma poverty has worsened dramatically during the transition from communism. As a recent World Bank report notes: “[w]hile Roma have historically been among the poorest people in Europe, the extent of the collapse of their living conditions in the former socialist countries is unprecedented.”2 At the same time, the incidence of anti-Roma assaults (and of Roma stereotyping by opportunistic politicians and by elements in the media) has risen sharply, particularly in the early to mid 1990s.3 According to a
Research Interests: Law, Political Science, Communism, Democracy, Constitutionalism, and 4 moreSpringer, K, Jz, and Resizing
'Above all, being a democrat means not being afraid; not being afraid of people with different opinions, different mother tongues, or people from different races…not being afraid of all those imaginary fears which are only made real... more
'Above all, being a democrat means not being afraid; not being afraid of people with different opinions, different mother tongues, or people from different races…not being afraid of all those imaginary fears which are only made real by our fear of them.' István Bibó, The Misery of the Small States of Eastern Europe (1946) Drawing on the work of the twentieth century Hungarian political scientist, István Bibó, this article offers a critical examination of Hungary's new Constitution, or Fundamental Law, which entered into force in January 2012. Hungary's Fundamental Law and various associated legal texts have been heavily criticized by the European Union (EU) Parliament, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe's Venice Commission, the US State Department, major human rights NGOs and foreign as well as Hungarian scholars. This article argues that the constitutional regime that operated in Hungary from the end of communist rule until January 2012 represented a broadly satisfactory framework for the consolidation of liberal democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human and minority rights. By contrast, the Fundamental Law, related legal instruments and various policies of the present government have diluted or threatened essential democratic freedoms and have resulted in the removal of many of the checks and balances that previously operated within the Hungarian constitutional system. These regressive measures suggest that elements of what István Bibó described as the 'deformed' political culture of pre-World War II Hungary have reasserted themselves.
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... clear that Communist-era policies were directly responsible for the massive over-representation of Roma ... The transformation of often negative images of national and ethnic minorities is one of the ... or religious identity, in... more
... clear that Communist-era policies were directly responsible for the massive over-representation of Roma ... The transformation of often negative images of national and ethnic minorities is one of the ... or religious identity, in particular in the fields of education, culture and the media. ...
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and brochures in which he found much local detail that is transposed into his writings (p. 179). For although several researchers have used the annotations, no-one has, as far as I know, made such use of the ephemera. Landscape and... more
and brochures in which he found much local detail that is transposed into his writings (p. 179). For although several researchers have used the annotations, no-one has, as far as I know, made such use of the ephemera. Landscape and Subjectivity is not an easy read unless one is familiar with the complex and idiosyncratic work of all three authors, and some readers may dispute the claim that they ‘sometimes actually seem to expressly pursue the eviction of women from [their] purview’ given that ‘their work is frequently centred on male–male friendships’ (p. 14, 188). But if one has the time to do some introductory reading, is not an ardent Conservative, and enjoys unravelling literary or visual puzzles and textual interrelationships, then one will profit greatly from this carefully researched and impressively crafted study.
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... Document, For copies of Journal Articles, please contact the Publisher or your local public or university library and refer to ... Description/Abstract, Using two different perspectives, this collection of essays addresses the central... more
... Document, For copies of Journal Articles, please contact the Publisher or your local public or university library and refer to ... Description/Abstract, Using two different perspectives, this collection of essays addresses the central legal question of whether the manufacture ... Publisher, St. ...
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'Above all, being a democrat means not being afraid; not being afraid of people with different opinions, different mother tongues, or people from different races…not being afraid of all those imaginary fears which are only made real... more
'Above all, being a democrat means not being afraid; not being afraid of people with different opinions, different mother tongues, or people from different races…not being afraid of all those imaginary fears which are only made real by our fear of them.'Istvan Bibo, The Misery of the Small States of Eastern Europe (1946)Drawing on the work of the twentieth century Hungarian political scientist, Istvan Bibo, this article offers a critical examination of Hungary's new Constitution, or Fundamental Law, which entered into force in January 2012. Hungary's Fundamental Law and various associated legal texts have been heavily criticized by the European Union (EU) Parliament, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe's Venice Commission, the US State Department, major human rights NGOs and foreign as well as Hungarian scholars. This article argues that the constitutional regime that operated in Hungary from the end of communist rule until January 2012 represented a broadly satisfactory framework for the consolidation of liberal democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human and minority rights. By contrast, the Fundamental Law, related legal instruments and various policies of the present government have diluted or threatened essential democratic freedoms and have resulted in the removal of many of the checks and balances that previously operated within the Hungarian constitutional system. These regressive measures suggest that elements of what Istvan Bibo described as the 'deformed' political culture of pre-World War II Hungary have reasserted themselves.
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Acknowledgements Introduction 1. The Hairy Thing that Bites, or why Gypsies shun Gadje 2. The Devouring 3. Maybe Tomorrow there Won't even be Bread 4. The Czardas 5. Nomads 6. Aniko 7. The Lambada 8. The Roma Cafe Bibliography Index
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Page 1. EUROPE CHANCE Righting wrongs in Eastern Europe FILE COPY DO NOT REMOVE 'ISTVAN TOGANY Page 2. One of the most difficult and controversial aspects of the transformation process in East Central Europe ...
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... by the Roma, reflect serious errors in the Communist regimes' approach to solving the gypsy 'problem'. However, they also stem from blatant discrimination and culturally uninformed treatment by educational systems and... more
... by the Roma, reflect serious errors in the Communist regimes' approach to solving the gypsy 'problem'. However, they also stem from blatant discrimination and culturally uninformed treatment by educational systems and public services, in the post-Communist era, as well as the ...
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In trying to make sense of developments in constitutional law and politics in Hungary – which has been governed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party since 2010 – Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass offers a... more
In trying to make sense of developments in constitutional law and politics in Hungary – which has been governed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party since 2010 – Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass offers a surprisingly reliable guide. In Hungary, as in the realm in which Alice found herself, an apparently familiar world reveals itself to be bizarre, confounding and disturbing. Believing impossible things and accepting that words have new and improbable meanings are essential skills for anyone wishing to thrive in Orbán’s Hungary – as in the world through Alice’s looking glass.
With appropriate references to Lewis Carroll’s invaluable book, this chapter examines some of the most important developments in Hungarian public law and politics since 2010. In the view of the overwhelming majority of legal experts, political scientists and others, legislation and other measures introduced by Fidesz have had a wholly negative impact on democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Hungary.
With appropriate references to Lewis Carroll’s invaluable book, this chapter examines some of the most important developments in Hungarian public law and politics since 2010. In the view of the overwhelming majority of legal experts, political scientists and others, legislation and other measures introduced by Fidesz have had a wholly negative impact on democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Hungary.