Romanian Youth Voice

Right-wing extremists on the rise for years in Hungary. What will be the result for Europe?

Right-wing extremists have been on the rise for years in Hungary, and the country's Roma (Gypsy) population lives in increasing terror. The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has preferred to look the other way as vigilante groups have supplanted the rule of law.

Viktor Orbán's national-conservative Fidesz party rose to power behind populist calls for law, order and more police. Bu this order was not to be against the extremist persons…

In recent months, extremists have repeatedly staged marches, primarily in eastern Hungary, against "Gypsy criminality." And police in the villages which have been targeted have shown a preference for standing aside. Is this the “law, order and more police” Viktor Orbán was talking about in the last electoral campaign?

Michael Schafir, a political scientist at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Romania, said that all the efforts of Hungary’s Socialist governments to improve Hungary’s reputation after the “catastrophic heritage” from the 1998-2002 Orban cabinet had been made in vain due to extremist and racist trends over the past year and a half. The Socialists have exacerbated problems due to corruption, a cause which the radical nationalists have taken up to powerful effect, he added.

Slovak political analyst Miroslav Kusy said Hungary’s two main political camps are both responsible for Hungary’s declining reputation. The Socialists maintained irresponsible spending that resulted in high indebtedness, while Fidesz torpedoed all reform efforts of the government.

“Viktor Orban … will have to be far more empathetic and pursue more careful political relations with neighbouring states than he has promised so far. At home, he will have to tackle the extremists because that’s the only way to maintain the stability of central Europe,” Kusy said.

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07.06.2011. 23:53

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