EU threatens Hungary over refusal to implement austerity policies and 'authoritarian' new constituti

[Judi Lynn]

EU threatens Hungary over refusal to implement austerity policies and 'authoritarian' new constitution
By Damien Gayle
Last updated at 7:40 PM on 11th January 2012

• Constitution asserts political control over central bank
  
• Rights groups warn of slide towards authoritarianism
  
• EU demands austerity measures before new bailout
  
• European Commission threatens legal action

The European Union has stepped up pressure on Hungary over the country's refusal to implement austerity policies and threatened legal action over its new constitution.

The warnings escalated the standoff between Budapest and the EU, as Hungary negotiates fresh financial aid from Europe and the International Monetary Fund.

Over the past months, the country's credit rating has been cut to junk by all three major rating agencies, unemployment is 10.6 percent and the country may be facing a recession.

More:
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-2085317/EU-threatens-Hungary-refusal-implement-austerity-policies-authoritarian-new-constitution.html

[Confusious]

1. I'm starting to get the feeling

this whole EU thing might not work out.

Too (to?) many cooks and all.

[BootinUp]

2. Hungary is slipping to the dark side

Krugman has had a guest blogger covering the details. If you are interested go to Krugmans blog and search for Hungary

[pampango]

8. Hopefully the EU can stop that. "Hungary's government lurches further to the right"

The right-wing populist government of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, of the Fidesz Party, has been taking measures that many fear will not only move this country of 10 million people further to the right, but will also give the state authoritarian powers that will let it ride roughshod over all opposition.

Fidesz won a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Hungarian parliament in 2010. The previously governing Socialist Party had suffered a massive loss of public prestige after it came out that former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsanyi had lied to the public about the country's economic situation. The 2010 election also saw the rise of an extreme right-wing party, Jobbik, which has worked to legitimize various reactionary ideological trends that have a long history in Hungary, including anti-Semitism and anti Ziganism (prejudice against Roma, or Gypsies), as well as belligerent nationalism.

Prime Minister Orban and the Fidesz party have taken advantage of the supermajority they gained in the April 2010 election to ram through drastic modifications of the constitution.

They have withdrawn government recognition from a number of religious communities, including Muslims, Buddhists and Methodists. They have managed to criminalize the Communist Party (Hungarian Communist Workers Party) and its slogans and symbols, officially and legally equating it with fascism, and making possible the prosecution of former members of the socialist regime. They have reduced the power of labor unions, and worked to bring the press and cultural institutions under their political control so as to promote their right-wing, nationalist-populist ideology.

Orban's Fidesz Party government has suffered a massive loss of public support, and large-scale demonstrations against its policies are beginning to take place. However, it remains to be seen if it will respond to this by backing down from some of its right-wing positions, or if it will now move to play the fascist card in an even more forceful way, taking advantage of the disunity of the left.

http://peoplesworld.org/hungary-s-government-lurches-further-to-the-right/

Also: Who Can Save the Left in Hungary?
Hungary's 'Viktator' faces tide of protest at home and abroad
The Unconstitutional Constitution

One would hope that one goal of the EU is to prevent the rise of right wing regimes within Europe.

[Scootaloo]

3. Wait wait wait...

The EU wants to force - force- "austerity measures" on Hungary, an activity which, every time, in every instance, in every country, has led to an enormous explosion in wealth disparity, spiraling poverty, and greater privation for the nation undergoing "austerity"

But they're worried that by ushering in a new constitution that gives government say over banking, Hungary is "losing it democratic footing"?

In other words, the only acceptable "democracy" is fiat imposition of economic destruction for the benefit of more powerful nations and their banking elite.

There aren't enough gallows for those people.

[Matilda]

4. I agree with your take on this.

I must admit right away that I really have no understanding of high finance, but to my simplistic mind, it seems that in a recession the prime object should be to get the economy moving by creating jobs for people to work on public infrastructure - building roads, schools, whatever might be needed. More people would then be earning money to spend, which then helps businesses providing services. I honestly don't see how reining in spending and just waiting for something to happen ever does any good.

The whole concept of the EU scares me a bit - it's too close to 1984. A tiny elite at the top deciding the fate of millions.

[truedelphi]

5. If you want to up your understanding of the economic situation, the

easiest thing is to watch the fine documentary "Shock Doctrine" which examines the nations already hit with the Shock Doctrine austerity. (It follows the theories espoused by Naomi Klein.) Once a nation is trying to impose "austerity" on its people, in order to implement emergency procedures that give the Top Bankers free reign. well, all you need to do is to look at what happened to Chile and to Russia after the World Bankers played their games on them.

In Chile, you see the overthrow of Allende, and the "disappearance" of the progressives, the intellectuals, the union leaders. The complete bull dozing over of the poor in their shanty towns. (Tens of thousand sof people who lost their housing, primitive and poor as it was.)

In Russia, once the USSR lost its footing, the Russian people lost out to the Mafia-style economic system imposed on them. (And some say that Kissinger and Cheney had a great deal to do with that fiasco.)

In any case, what you refer to as your "simplistic" thinking is basically common sense. Any nation that allows its central bank to actually be controlled by those Bankers from other nations with their own agendas is in dire straits. And that includes the USA.

[Scootaloo]

6. It's cliché, but the book is better

I don't believe the documentary covers the story of the attempt to create an artificial crisis in Canada in order to get "Austerity" measures passed there, for example, which is found in the book.

That, more than anything, is an eye-opener. It's not just that the bankers are a pack of scavengers, falling on the weaker nations. They're actively trying to poison nations, to get their fast cash.

[Matilda]

12. Thank you both for your recommendations.

(And sorry this is so late - I'm at the wrong end of the earth!)

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. There's far more to the constitutional changes than central banking

Critics say the law curbs constitutional court powers, threatens media pluralism and ends judicial independence, while accompanying cardinal laws will limit central bank independence, tilt future elections in Fidesz's favour and perpetuate its tax policy, effectively tying the hands of future governments.

Moreover, with mandates of between nine and 12 years, key posts such as the public prosecutor, constitutional judges and the head of the state audit office - many of whom are Fidesz appointees - can remain in office even if there is a change of government.

Any future government "will find itself faced with a massive institutional system loyal to Fidesz", law expert Peter Hack told AFP. "All formerly independent institutions are now under the direct or indirect influence of Fidesz."

The constitution also references God, defines marriage as a union between man and woman and life as beginning at conception, sparking criticism from international organisations and EU members.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8397336

[Scootaloo]

11. Ahh, okay

Still, it's awkward to criticize that as undemocratic, while at the same time complaining the country won't hand unmoderated control of its economy over to you.

[TigerToMany]

7. EU is doing the right thing

In my opinion this the EU has done the right thing. I heard that Hungary's new constitution is especially anti-gay, and anti-semitic.

When it comes to authoritarianism rising and rearing its ugly head, we need outside sources to come in and reign in countries that violate the fundamental human rights of human beings. Withholding foreign aid and other economic pressures can be quite effective in spuring political and human rights change.

[pampango]

10. Paul Krugman: Hungary Update

Over the past month or so my Princeton colleague Kim Lane Scheppele has posted several times on this blog, reporting on the anti-democratic moves of the Hungarian government. When she started, there was near-silence from the news media on the story; but that has now ended, with extensive coverage in many newspapers.

And now the European Union is on the case:

BUDAPEST — Faced with what critics say is an alarming drift away from democracy by one of its members, the European Union gave the Hungarian government a final warning Wednesday that it would face the start of formal legal action by next Tuesday unless it modified a series of measures that threaten the balance of power in the country.

This is really an existential challenge to the EU, which is meant to be an alliance of democracies. We’ll soon see how effective it can be at maintaining that status.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/hungary-update/