Every year Fidesz holds a “free university” in Tusnádfürdő-Bálványos, Romania. I normally write about the event because Viktor Orbán makes a regular appearance there and what he has to say is usually politically significant.
This Fidesz tradition has now been expanded. Between July 18 and 21 a similar “free university” was held for the first time in Martos (Martovce), a village of about 700 inhabitants, 17 km from Komárom/Komárno, Slovakia. Originally the organizers were hoping that Viktor Orbán would honor the event with his presence, but in the end they had to be satisfied with László Kövér as the keynote speaker.
The organizers received financial help from Fidesz and the Hungarian government in addition to MOL, which was described as the “chief sponsor.” Among the organizations that supported the effort were several Fidesz foundations, the Fidesz youth organization Fidelitas, the Association of the Young Christian Democrats, and János Sellye University in Komárno. The sponsors must have contributed quite a bit of money because the extended weekend event featured rock bands and singers as well as speakers from Serbia and Romania.
The host was Magyar Közösség Pártja (MKP) and Via Nova, its youth organization. Originally MKP was the only Hungarian political party in Slovakia, but it split a number of years ago. Béla Bugár, a moderate, left the party since it was moving farther to the right and established a Slovak-Hungarian party called Most-Híd, the Slovak and Hungarian words for “bridge.” Fidesz doesn’t want to build bridges. It is not their style, and in no time the Hungarian government announced that it doesn’t consider Most-Híd a Hungarian party. Currently, the Hungarian government has no connection with Bugár’s party even though at the last elections it managed to retain its status as a parliamentary party while the Fidesz-supported MKP did not. Fidesz often bets on the wrong horse when it comes to Hungarian minority politics in the neighboring countries.
Via Nova has a new chairman, László Gubík. A few months ago it became known that Jobbik had approached Gubík and urged closer cooperation between Jobbik and Via Nova. Gubík was apparently impressed by István Szávay, a Jobbik member of parliament and formerly head of the Jobbik-dominated student organization at ELTE’s Faculty of Arts. Gubík was photographed standing in front of a Jobbik flag. After the close cooperation between Jobbik and Via Nova was discovered, József Berényi, the chairman of MKP, tried to distance himself and his party from Jobbik, but according to inside information he didn’t manage to convince the leadership of Via Nova to abandon their connection with the extremist Jobbik. One can read more about the “independence” of Via Nova from MKP on an English-language Slovak site.
Despite this scandal, Fidesz didn’t hesitate to work together with Via Nova in the organization of the first “free university” in Slovakia. Apparently, the gathering was not a great success although a lot of “important” people showed up besides Kövér. Among them, András Schiffer (LMP); Katalin Szili, former socialist now independent MP; Hunor Kelemen, chairman of the largest Hungarian party in Romania; and Zsuzsanna Répássy, assistant undersecretary in charge of “national politics.” But these individuals as well as Fidesz must now live with the fact that racist, anti-Semitic, irredentist books were displayed and sold at the festival. Here is a picture of the collection. The picture is genuine; it can also been seen on a Slovak-Hungarian Facebook page.
Pick your favorite!
Among other titles you could buy Henry Ford’s The International Jew, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and Ernő Raffay’s openly anti-Semitic book on the Freemasons (Politizáló szabadkőművesség). Other choice titles on display were Borbála Obrusánszky’s Szkíta-magyar múltunk ragyogása, a book about the fallacy underlying the theory of the Finno-Ugric origins of the Hungarian language, and László Gulyás’s Küzdelem a Kárpát-medencéért (Struggle for the Carpathian Basin) in addition to a bunch of books by Albert Wass and József Nyirő. You can also see Viktor Orbán’s selected speeches.
Of course, this scandal highlights the fact that Fidesz is ready to work with groups that are closely associated with Jobbik in order to gain adherents. One might argue that the Fidesz bigwigs certainly couldn’t have had any knowledge of the kinds of books that would be displayed in Martos, but unfortunately this line of argumentation is weak because the Jobbik-Via Nova connection was already well known in March of this year. The Hungarian media first reported on the preparations for the festival on May 9, 2913. By that time at least Zsuzsanna Répássy, the assistant undersecretary in charge of Hungarian minority issues, must have known about the scandal in Slovakia concerning Via Nova. Yet, Fidesz pushed ahead, cooperating with this Jobbik-tainted youth organization.
Fidesz seems to be giving in to pressure coming from the far right in Romania too. The Tusnádfürdő-Bálványos event will take place this weekend. Originally a moderate right-of-center RMDSZ politician was supposed to be one of the speakers, but the small right-wing Erdélyi Magyar Néppárt (Transylvanian People’s Party) vetoed it. Therefore the politicians of RMDSZ will not attend.
There seems to be a tendency for Fidesz to drift farther and farther to the right in the neighboring countries. This is a self-defeating strategy. Both in Romania and in Slovakia the more moderate Hungarian parties are leading in the polls. And especially in Romania, Fidesz will need those votes come April 2014.
Meanwhile it will be difficult for Fidesz to explain away the display of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion at their first “free university” in Slovakia.
Hungarian Spectrum 
Karl Pfeifer has contributed smart remarks on tolerance. The FIDESZ leadership is caring only for their own interest.
The Orban era will be on record as a big lie.
Too many Hungarians embraced it.
Others embraced the Horthy, Rakosi, Kadar fabrications.
When will we see a massive sociological change?
When will we have Danish, Austrian, Finnish or Dutch culture?
It is refreshing to read the words of Attila Jakab in Galamus:
http://www.galamuscsoport.hu/tartalom/cikk/317690_vezerkultusz
“És mivel Romsics Ignác akadémikus véleményformáló korrajzai sok kívánnivalót hagynak maguk után, különösen ami az egyházak társadalmi helyét és szerepét illeti, (1) érdemes felkutatni, újraolvasni és elgondolkodni azokon a szövegeken, amelyek abban az időszakban megjelentek.”
The Magyarsag has produced idiots, who praised the intellectually challenged Horthy beyond any reasons. It is not different today. Too many shamefully positive comments appear on TV and in print on Orban.
A very interesting post. I found it by browsing the Britblog ‘Harry’s Place’ (HP) where this particular post was advertised as “Cross-posted from Eva S. Balogh at Hungarian Spectrum”.
I assume that “cross-posted” here means reproduced by HP with full credit to Eva.
It’s rather sad then that a post about the vilest Hungarian antisemitic racism in the political mainstream was reprinted on a blog that positively teems with openly anti-Muslim bigots, who go uncensored there and proclaim their bigotry is in fact virtuous.
For just a small sample of rampant anti-Muslim racism in HP’s comment threads, I suggest you scroll down a bit on this post. If less than a tenth of such comments were made about Judaism or Jews all hell would break loose and rightly so. But Harry’s Place are about the last blog I would trust as an anti-racist source of information.
Dear Eva:
I believe Gyuracz Ferenc. I do not believe in the crap that the materials featured on the questionable photo would be right to sell on an event like this, but I believe that the photo was not taken on this particular place or time.
I downloaded most of the photos and the digital number of the photo is out of order. THe photo could of been taken by someone else’s camera remind you at the same event, but I find it unlikely…)
1074770_366677203436029_1787676182_o.jpg (wooden spoons)
1072506_366677243436025_1940084801_o.jpg (palinka sellers)
1075353_366677380102678_1015884387_o.jpg (“wetland” – right before questionable photo)
976046_366677453436004_1199007342_o.jpg (questionable photo)
1072541_366677510102665_962458296_o.jpg (camping – right after questionable photo)
1074514_366677773435972_724101812_o.jpg (yellow building)
1074733_366678110102605_1389577106_o.jpg (komaromi kezmuvesek)
1074681_366678373435912_1640137488_o.jpg (two man)
I am not sure what to say if someone manipulated the picture gallery in order to show a sinister light of the event, but I think it is possible that this is what happened in this case. Just like the misguided Fidesz troopers, the opposition also have members who’s integrity could be questioned.
As far as selling these kind of crap anywhere… it is sad that anyone would agree that being Hungarian means that you have to sign up to hate and mediocracy but we cannot control the taste and intelligence level of others.
Some1, By now my head is spinning. I assume that Csehszlovák Kém found the picture on Facebook and knowing that Via Nova had something to do Jobbik, he assumed what we all assumed: the picture is genuine. Well, in that case he was taken and so all of us who assumed the same. If it was a fake Cséfalvy or what’s his name should be ashamed of himself.
I’m sorry but you are wrong. The filename isn’t determined by the user, it is defined by the Facebook servers on upload. The first and last group of digits aren’t relevant, only the middle one does have some significance. Example :
Those middle numbers are in sequence, which means the photos have been uploaded in sequence. That’s all that can be said here.
As an insider – image manipulation as is – I kindly advice you, anyone for that matter, never take a digital image as a conclusive proof of anything.
You can not actually come up with something, what I can not alter for it’s opposite, so, take it easy, please.
Regarding the image above: I have a strong objection about the innocent stork, Kele, – István Fekete has nothing to do with this nazi bullshit, I am sure about it, since he was a true human being and a truly talented writer of counless nature-related books, fond memories from my childhood, let alone establishing the view of nature, ever since.
Gert
For just a small sample of rampant anti-Muslim racism in HP’s comment threads, I suggest you scroll down a bit on this post. If less than a tenth of such comments were made about Judaism or Jews all hell would break loose and rightly so. But Harry’s Place are about the last blog I would trust as an anti-racist source of information.
Gert is angry with HP because some of his comments have been deleted. He is promoting his own shop on his blog: “A chemical enthusiast serving the chem and pyro community with chemicals, professionally, competitively and courteously.” .
At Harry’s Place like in other British online media all kind of people are posting. We are not opening here a discussion on Harry’s Place (HP), I am a reader and contributor of HP and can assure the readers of Hungarian Sprectrum, no racist articles are published there.
I’m afraid this is irrelevant as the picture is a simple close-up of books on a table. But I agree, the stork is innocent.
I really had to laugh at “Gyurácz Ferenc”‘s comments …
Surely everybody here knows this old lawyer’s joke:
– My client doesn’t own a dog
– the dog wasn’t there when the thing happened
– The dog’s bite wasn’t really serious
– the other dog provoked my client’s dog …
Now translate this into:
– That picture is a fake
– that picture was taken somewhere else
– the books are not Nazi books
– selling these books does not mean the seller agrees with the content
– the content comes under freedom of expression
– I really hate those communists/liberals/Jews – whatever …
The last line of course is only said/written on places like politics.hu where all the loonies now are active – it’s funny in away, though of course it’s really sad that still there are so many haters in Hungary (or probably somewhere else …)
Dear Eva, the easiest thing to be offended if you get criticized. Sorry to say that again, but you haven’t done any research in the topic, simpy you stole my whole post and subject, you simply rewrite my story!!!! I asked you to mention the sourse of the original story, but problem is generally how you deal with this blog-writing: in lot’s of cases you just simple rewrite other blogger’s stories under your name. THAT IS NOT CORRECT, dear Eva. Your feedback is not an intelligent answer, I am very sorry. Have a nice evening, CSK.
I have finished this useless and unprofitable debate.
Of course you nazi bastard the books even not exist 😀 Shame on you, Gyurácz!!!!
Karl Pfeifer:
What a puerile response.
Let me be clear: I couldn’t give a rat’s arse whether the racists at HP delete my comments or not.
I was specifically referring to an abundance of deeply anti-Muslim comments made by HP commenters on a daily basis, that are allowed to stand, unchallenged. Would you like me to add some more examples? I’ve got plenty. Obviously you don’t care about that: what does that say about you, Karl?
My shop has nothing to do with this either, you twit.
In fact the middle number is generated by Facebook as an id for a particular picture, so of course it is relevant, but the first set of numbers are generated by Facebook also. WHich one is the odd one out?
1074770,
1072506,
1075353,
976046,
1072541,
1074514,
1074733,
1074681,
I just want to make it clear that I do not support the offering of this books at any political event where the intention of selling them is pure propaganda. I do support the selling of any books in a “balanced” environment (example: book store with broad selection of various books). I do not think it is the job of the publishers to educate the public, but it is the job of a given government to establish education, programs and resources that will promote a morally sound society.
Gert is angry because some of his comments on HP are deleted, He wrote:. “Bloggers like me,.. have had comments deleted or have been banned in the past or present.”
You promote your shop on your blog, This is the reason you linked to your blog.
I promise this is my last post regarding the photo. As I was looking further into this, I realized that the photo was actually taken by a supporter of Fidesz or even more to the right. I am only saying this that the photo is put in the series, not as something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of! Big difference. So, I understand that it is by Csefalvay Gusztav, who actually part of a very cool linguistic group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/137735046350332/). THere are a few interesting conversation going on there in Hungarian. (Some are very political, some are not.) At any case if Csefalvay would happen to read this, I would like to ask him if he did in fact took this photo at this event.
Pfeifer:
You haven’t got the foggiest idea about how Internet marketing works. Commenting with a blog that links to a shop isn’t productive (for that shop, possibly counter productive. I happen not to care much about that, either way. The link is there because it provides spider food.
Here’s another of these comments at the Brown Sauce that you probably don’t object to:
“Adrian Morgan:
Islam is a steaming pile of bullshit. An intolerant, totalitarian, unchanging, intransigent, international cult of authoritarianism, misogyny, repression and bloodlust.”
The point is that many of the commenters that will applaud Eva’s piece don’t object to Adrian’s and other’s Islamophobia, they often unashamedly indulge in it too.
Do you?
More rampant racism on HP’s comment threads…
@Some1 : 9 can be very close to 10 in my book… You can check other larger FB one-day event galleries (30 pics or more, concerts for instance) : it isn’t odd that a handful of pics show a different pattern than the rest of the gallery, either starting with 9 or 10 or 11. The difference could be related to many things, for instance the use of a main or alternate server for encoding or storing the image at a given point in time.
May I ask you Gert to continue your debate with Karl Pfeifer on the blog where you found these comments? I would appreciate it.
Eva:
The blog where I found these comments is the same blog that links to this very post. You seem curiously indifferent to that. Another case of a blogger concerned only with racism when one’s own group is affected by it? Correct me if I’m wrong on that.
@Gert: The level of this trash is very high in countries like my own (France). And not only on the web. Nevertheless, we’re not talking about the web in general. We’re talking about Hungary, and in this case a live event attended by the President of the National Assembly.
The populist radical right in Europe is roughly divided today along an East/West cleavage when it comes to their scapegoats: Muslims in the West, Jews in the East. Only fools do not realize this is only for show, and that they’re the same even if their targets are different. Don’t fall into the trap.
Gert subject matter of this blog is rampant antisemitism in Hungary. So lets stick to subject matter. You must be out of your mind, to blame me or Eva for an alleged posting on HP.
I need not to publish my antiracist credentials because a chemical shopowner wants to have them.
Hmmm. Your grievance did not stop you from claiming on your FB group that an “international scandal is brewing over the anti-semite books”. As a proof you quoted (copy and pasted) this blog post with a link … You better not preach about blogging practices.
Next time please try to settle it in private emails.
wolfi: You can laugh at whatever you want, but I spoke of facts only. I was in Martos in 19-20 July, and these books were not sold and seen then. This is reality. All other are speculation and worse.
What a bogus debate. The fact is that mobile and permanent book stalls of this kind, selling this kind of repugnant material, are all over the place. I have seen them on the fringes of Fidesz events, at the centre of Jobbik events and even at family-centred cultural events. The books are widely on sale everywhere. Statues of some of these writers are also springing up all over Hungary. Indeed, I believe that one or two of these writers even feature in the new Fidesz-designed national curriculum? Denial is pointless. Decisions should at least be stood by and justified, rather than denied. This is like the denial that there were anti-Semitic banners at the peace marches, despite the large number of eyewitnesses to this fact. What IS possible is that extremism has become so normal recently that people don’t even notice its symbols, its books, its uniforms, its contemptuously-coded-language (e.g. ‘cosmopolitan’) – for these have all seeped, almost unnocticed, into ‘normal’ society and discourse.
@Gyurácz Ferenc: I believe you didn’t see the books. Yet there is evidence they were there at some point. Maybe the stand – apparently a simple table in the open – didn’t last long. Maybe it was part-time.
I browsed a couple hundred pictures taken at the event, and couldn’t find another view of this booth, even in the background – yet it is also the case (a single picture) for other stands, such as the one selling pink and blue party wigs close to the entrance. Obviously people were more interested in photographing concerts, politicians, nature and friends than anything else.
However, what strikes me is the total absence of reaction from the organizers, sponsors or the press now that the picture of the books is ‘out’. It’s still early, but my guess is it will remain so next week. As if such things had become so very commonplace.
Well, thank you you believe me. Reaction of organizers? I think, it’s absolutely unnecessary. Anti-Hungarian propaganda has little to do with the truth. So organizers could only pull up short. Otherwise the challenged books can be bought all over the world. This is only a pretense for anti-Hungarianism.
Pfeifer:
All you seem to have is straw men.
If you believe these comments made on a blog you clearly adore are racist, why not say so? Your silence on this matter is deafening.
The same is true for Eva.
I smell a rat.
I have no idea what is your problem. Do you expect Eva to go after every blog that quotes her, read every entry and if she finds something that is unacceptable by her moral standards, bring it on this blog and discuss it? THis blog is about Hungarian issues, Hungarian Jews, Hungarian Roma, Hungarian homosexuals, Hungarian students, and about other people who settle in Hungary or show some interest toward Hungary. Iam not sure what is zionism in general have to do with this blog. I recommend that you take up your issues with that particular blog with the editor. Do you expect Eva to go over and post something? I am just not sure what you want.
Some1:
Can you read?
Where do I make any of the claims you imply? Did you read my first comment here? Clearly not.
As regards Zionism, where was that mentioned other than by you, huh?
When an (excellent) post about rising antisemitism in Hungary is crossposted on a prominent British blog that is teeming with anti-Muslim commenters and the author of the post is kindly made aware of this, I reasonably expect *some* reaction form that author, even if only an acknowledgement of that reality.
If this blog represents the spectrum of Hungary, then G-d help her…
Anti-Fidesz to be precise, not anti-Hungarian. You don’t see these books in other political rallies. Fidesz supporters seem to be the market.
Hey Gert, Can you read the references you provided? Do you follow the links you are posting? I guess not, but then why are you expect us to read it? (hey, I did, bit not you I guess).
Let me help you Gert, as you may do not know how to click on your own links:
“And these are the people who denounce anyone who isn’t fully enamoured with Zionism’s occupation and Apartheid as a ‘Jew hater’… ”
After your lack of understanding of your own posts, and with your attitude, no kidding no-one takes you serious. Sorry that I looked up the link you provided. It will never happen again.
@Gert It was a nice try to provoke professor Balogh. Not too intelligent, but you did you best.
Now you can stop it. I have the feeling that this blog will be next on your resume where you were be booted from …
So now, American and Russian antisemitic pamphlets have something to do with being ‘Hungarian’? It wasn’t a vast array of books but a selection. Someone thought these works were in line with the values of the attendants. Do you agree with that person?
I can assure you that in several EU countries where they can be bought legally as well, their presence at a political rally sponsored by a mainstream party would be noticed and there would be a reaction, if only to assert that they could ‘clean their own house’.
Respecting people’s right to publish and read such texts is one thing, encouraging their sales another one entirely. If Fidelitas doesn’t get this, then Fidesz’s “shield theory” is an empty shell.
Nice bit of ‘appeal to authority fallacy’ there, bro!
Going by his continued silence on the issue of deeply racist comments made on a blog that links to his post, ‘perfesser’ might be a more apt title. Clearly some forms of racism matter much more than others to the prof and the imbecile Karl. Try spelling ‘universalism’.
And why would I be booted from here, Mutty? Because you don’t like what I say? Show me a comment policy [of this blog] that I’ve broken here or else just shut up about that.
For a blog with high aspirations it sure does attract its fair share of dimwits like you.
This is the end of Gert. No one will call anybody an imbecile on this blog. And no one will tell somebody here “to shut up.”
It’s unfair since he’s got the boot but I do it anyway …
So Gertie, since you are in fact got kicked out, it seems it wasn’t an argumentum ad auctoritatem after all.
Have a nice day!
“Someone thought these works were in line with the values of the attendants. Do you agree with that person?” Dear MarcelDé, this question and co. have no relevance for me, ’cause – don’t forget, please – I didn’t see the problematic books in Martos. As I see, these books were not there.
Mr Gyuracz Ferenc,
It is my understanding that you are member of ‘Karpatok Gyurujeben’ Facebook group.
Coincidentally, the person who published the only photograph that is circulating about the anti-semite books that were supposedly sold at this event, Csefalvay Gusztav is also member of the same group. Csefalvay’s photographs can be found on the ‘felvideki szlovak – magyar ertelmezo szotar’ s Facebook page.
felvideki szlovak – magyar ertelmezo szotar Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/137735046350332/ Look at the July 21, 4:24 PM entry by Csefalvay Gusztav Click on the photo stream, and the Martfeszt album will open up, with all the above mentioned photos, including the photo of the bookstand that according to you was not there.
Alternatively, you can also visit all the pictures on one page here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.209399115850591&type=1
Would you be kind to contact Csefalvay and ask him if he indeed took those photos at the event or if he was including this photo because of some alternative motives?
I think this would solve the issue once and for all. I believe that Csefalvay is very much on the same page with you when it comes to Hungarian issues, so we should all take his word whatever it will be. If he says the books were sold there, you are wrong, if he says they were not, you should know that one of your peers manipulating the truth for some strange reason.
Please, do get back to us to let us know.
Dear Some1, as I said above, I was In Martos camp on 19-20 July. So I can take comments on these two days. Then one couldn’t see these problematic books there. It’s sure. On the other hand, organizers delicately took care the whole event remain far from far-right. It’s sure, too. This is enough for me.
hehe, you are a funny guy gyuracz. you act like a blind people. for sure you should know the fidesz double-speech taktics which is very simple: speak as a nice conservatíve in the meantime spread the far-right wing literature from the store. it is very classic way in every fidesz action in Hungary, this time they want to do the same in Slovakia as well. And of course you can lie here everything, according to csefalvy’s album these books were there in Martos szabadegyetem, and honestly i do not care wheter you could buy in one day or during the whole action.
Well seems so, that you do not understand internet-culture and its basic rules. Yes i quoted it, because regarding to this topic we have the same interest, and you could see the original link and blog with my comment and an average reader can recognize that is not my blog and post. But not in hungarianspectrum’s case: the original post was my personal research and my story and Eva did not mention it, that is not her research she just simple rewrote my article. Do you think, that was correct? I do not think so, you have a quite interesting idea about blogging or quoting… regards, csk