Category Archives: social background HU

The Orbán government’s vision of academe: A huge engineering school

Posted on November 9, 2014 by ellenpolus

Before I embark on the Orbán government’s latest strategy for Hungarian higher education, let me briefly introduce the past and present cast of characters tasked with overseeing universities. The first major change in Hungarian education under the Orbán regime was to nationalize … Continue reading →

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Hungarians protest against corruption, want tax chief sacked

Posted on November 9, 2014 by ellenpolus

(Reuters) – Thousands of Hungarians demonstrated against alleged corruption at the country’s tax authority and for wider democratic freedoms in Budapest on Sunday in the latest protest to rock the country’s politics. A woman carries a placard with the likeness … Continue reading →

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Ágnes Heller: Where there is no rule of law, there is corruption

Posted on October 26, 2014 by ellenpolus

Internationally reknowned philosopher Ágnes Heller told ATV’s Olga Kálmán on Friday that “where there is no rule of law, there is corruption. The two depend on each other”.  Citing former SZDSZ politician Bálint Magyar’s book “Magyar Polip” (Hungarian Octopus) she … Continue reading →

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Hungary at the Turning Point

Posted on October 9, 2014 by ellenpolus

How Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his populist-right party is slowly destroying his country’s democracy. BUDAPEST, Hungary—It’s a few days before the May 25 European Parliament elections, and the streets of Budapest are awash with colorful campaign posters urging Hungarians to … Continue reading →

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When the European Moral Vacuum Meets the Hungarian Autocratic Regime

Posted on October 1, 2014 by ellenpolus

Recently, democrats all over the world have felt compelled to somehow deal with Hungary’s shift towards autocracy. The situation is highly interesting, even from a theoretical viewpoint, since the country is a Member State of the European Union as well … Continue reading →

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U.S., International Community Cannot Ignore Hungary’s Crumbling Democracy

Posted on September 26, 2014 by ellenpolus

At the heart of the Carpathian Basin pulses the resilience and hope of the Hungarian people. A civilization molded from a history fraught with compounding obstacles, the pain of the past still burns deep in the national consciousness as the … Continue reading →

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Hungary’s Crackdown on the Press

Posted on September 10, 2014 by ellenpolus

BUDAPEST — The European Union faces a challenging conundrum. While Hungary has embarked on building Europe’s most controlled media system, the European Commission just agreed in August to provide the country with nearly 22 billion euros of economic assistance. Hungary … Continue reading →

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