Hungarian Conservative

‘Karácsony’s meagre talents were known to anyone who paid any attention to politics in the past decades, so all of his failures should not have come as a surprise. But why did people vote for him in the first place? What’s his secret? Well, probably his deceiving manner and childish good looks. Although he is obviously a fraud, he is always smiling, always saying nice things. His rhetoric and appearance clearly appeal to the modern liberal voter in the big city: he likes to make emotional speeches about democracy, the Republic, and human rights.’

The Mayor deemed the Transport Minister’s fare community proposal, the acceptance of county and country passes in the capital, and the preservation of the Budapest pass as steps in a positive direction on Tuesday, as conveyed through a post on his Facebook page.

Gergely Karácsony’s 99 Movement received over 650 million HUF in funding, mostly after they went inactive with the Budapest Mayor dropping out of the primary race for prime minister. The organisation claims that the bulk of its revenue came from ‘microdonations’ collected in cash in drop-boxes at live events. However, even opposition media admit that this is more than unrealistic given the large sum, and the fact that much of it came in foreign currencies.

The ‘survival programme’ was approved with 18 votes in favour and 12 abstentions. As a result, the city will take out a 16.6 billion forint loan for project development in 2023. The loan is going to match the support provided in EU funding, central budget allocations and loans granted by the European Investment Bank.

‘The phenomenon of the conservative revolution was partly a consequence of the collapse of the German state (formed in the 19th century by Bismarckian ‘state-building) after the First World War, and was born out of its internal and external crisis, its defeat in the war. In the broader context of ideological and political history, however, the conservative revolution, albeit a cataclysmic one, cannot be seen as the consequence of a single political event.’

Mayoral candidate of Fidesz–⁠KDNP Alexandra Szentkirályi unveiled her seven-point plan for the city at a campaign event on 17 April. Outlined in her plan are measures to tackle corruption, streamline bureaucracy, improve transportation, and enhance cleanliness and orderliness in the city.

Whether Budapest will remain a stronghold of the left is at stake in the municipal elections to be held on 9 June 2024. Mayor of Budapest is practically the highest political office directly elected by citizens in Hungary, but the outcome of the June election is exciting not only because of that but also because the capital has been the scene of daily party political battles ever since the last election in 2019.

During a press conference held at the newly opened MOL Bubi station at the Kopaszi Dam, Budapest Mayor Karácsony Gergely shared that the Bubi 3.0 public bike-sharing system, launching in January 2026, will include electrically assisted bikes. Furthermore, the current fleet will at least be doubled, and the number of stations and service areas will increase.

Budapest’s recognized initiatives as part of the programme included the car-free weekend organized with the involvement of the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK), as well as the European Car-Free Day held on weekdays, during which Mayor Gergely Karácsony presented plans for the human-friendly and green renewal of the lower embankment of Pest. The programme also included events aimed at showcasing best practices in pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly developments, jointly organized with the city of Vienna, targeting both the general public and professionals.

At a press conference titled Park City or Rákosdubai, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony stated that in April they will launch a month-long online voting process where every Budapest resident over the age of 14 with a registered address can express their views on the investment plans for Rákosrendező.

The Budapest electoral committee of Fidesz has nominated Alexandra Szentkirályi as the Fidesz-KDNP candidate for chief mayor of the capital city. From 2014 to 2019, Szentkirályi gained recognition as the youngest-ever deputy mayor, following which she assumed the role of government spokesperson.

In the latest revelation from the undercover footage shot of Action for Democracy operatives, a progressive activist shared how he would bombard heads of major news outlets and low-level journalists alike with requests to cover the Hungarian election according to their narrative. One of the journalists for the American news agency Associated Press has admitted to having received such requests through emails.

‘There is an evident deficit in competence between the right-wing and left-wing organizations in this country. Part of it has to do with competent, otherwise not ideological people gravitating toward the side more likely to win. In cases like the so-called “alternative referendum” initiative that deficit is put on glaring display.’

The Sovereignty Protection Office has recently launched an investigation into footage that has been circulating like wildfire on social media platform X, which shows that Hungarian-born American billionaire George Soros did indeed interfere in the 2022 parliamentary elections in Hungary.

The Budapest pass will remain valid throughout the entire capital, and starting from 1 March BKK will accept monthly passes for Pest County and national passes on its routes.

The minister noted a ruling by Hungary’s Supreme Court, declaring that Budapest could not be even partially exempt from its obligation to pay its taxes. Varga said if the Budapest city council failed to meet its obligations, the government ‘will follow the given legal provisions along the clear decisions taken by the judiciary’.

In June 1952, a three-member girl scout troop was formed in Passaic, near Garfield. Less than two years later, on January 2, 1954, after many others had joined, the Executive Committee of the Hungarian Scout Association approved the operation of the girl troop by admitting it to the association, under number 38 and named Cicelle Rozgonyi.

The Transport Minister proposed an increase of all salaries by at least a quarter of the present ones over the course of three years, and additionally, all MÁV and Volán employees would receive a uniform monthly wage hike of 70,000 forints this year.

While the new liberal government in Poland has brought the country to the brink of a constitutional crisis within a month, Hungarian MP Márton Tompos from the leftist Momentum party is apparently looking to emulate the Polish Prime Minister, and is threatening with similar retaliation in the low chance of a leftist takeover in Hungary.

In the year 2023, a political mechanism was broken in Hungary: even downturns and runaway inflation could not dramatically alter the balance of political power.

Music is an inalienable part of celebrations, and it is no different at Christmas. But what do Hungarians listen to and sing on this special holiday? We have collected the top classics for you in our article.

The press release by the US DOS claimed that the newly established Sovereignty Protection Office of Hungary is a tool ‘that can be used to intimidate and punish those with views not shared by the ruling party’ and therefore it is ‘inconsistent with our shared values of democracy’. In response, PM Orbán stated that the US government should stop lecturing Hungary.

The statement denouncing the law on the protection of national sovereignty alleges that it potentially restricts press freedom, by threatening the operation of and intimidating the ‘independent’ media.

The Hungarian-language version of the Brussels-based news site has since changed the title of their article. However, the cached version of their horrible faux pas is still available through a simple Google search.

Tibor Bolla, the CEO of the Budapest Transport Company revealed that the vehicles of the light fleet are adorned with more than five kilometres of LED lights, incorporating 140,000 LED bulbs.

According to the Commissioner for Human Rights, both the draft legislative package submitted to parliament and the government’s parallel proposal, which seeks to integrate the new office into the Fundamental Law, are ‘so ambiguous that the proposed office could be used as a weapon against anyone considered an adversary.

The Sovereignty Protection Office will operate independently from all Hungarian constitutional bodies. Its primary objective will involve identifying and probing actions related to disinformation and attempts to influence the decision-making processes of the state and society on behalf of foreign nations, bodies, or organizations. Additionally, it will scrutinize entities whose activities, funded from abroad, aim to sway elections or manipulate the preferences of voters.

As Budapest commemorates its 150th birthday this year, a grand celebration awaits all who join in the festivities.

‘Living in a republic means striving to treat each other well,’ the mayor said, adding this was the kind of homeland the heroes of 1956 had wanted. He said the symbol of the revolution, the Hungarian flag with a hole, sent the message that unity was only possible if no one was being told, in the name of any ideology, how they ought to love their homeland.

‘I strongly believe that we have to shake people up to make them feel Hungarian…That is why the stakes are as high in Hungary as they are here in America.’