Although Péter Magyar can be a better option as a Hungarian Prime Minister for Kyiv, Hungarian minorities do not expect fundamental shifts in human rights if he wins.
I, too, look forward to the election results (and The Counteroffensive livestream) later today. True, a hoped for Tisza victory would not suddenly alter everything.
But it would offer hope for change for the many who sorely seek it: the Hungarian people (including long suffering minorities) who have endured 16 years of Orban rule; the peoples of the EU (and Ukraine) who have seen Orban's government frustrate the exercise of European democracy & security; other nations around the world (including the US and Germany) who struggle with authoritarian movements and need, I think, the inspiration of Hungary's people "voting their way out of it". May it be so.
I like your sense of cautious hope, it’s true that even a single election can carry a lot of symbolic weight beyond immediate policy changes. A shift away from Viktor Orbán’s long rule could signal that democratic change is still possible, not just in Hungary but around the world.
Do you think the bigger impact would be inside Hungary itself, or in how it influences politics across Europe and the rest of the world ?
I appreciate that the Hungarian Roma are sufficient in population to maintain their ethnicity but if they continue to do that they will never integrate with the majority population. We were all nomads at one time and existed as family groups, tribes and nations. This has allowed us all to see each other as equals. The Native Americans have the same problem which they partly solve by running tourist locations on their Reservations. The Roma should consider integration with the majority population. I appreciate it would be difficult but I remember a time in Britain when interracial marriage was considered impossible. Those days are long gone.
That’s an interesting point! Do you think integration should happen mainly through social change, like attitudes and education, or more through policy and government support?
I, too, look forward to the election results (and The Counteroffensive livestream) later today. True, a hoped for Tisza victory would not suddenly alter everything.
But it would offer hope for change for the many who sorely seek it: the Hungarian people (including long suffering minorities) who have endured 16 years of Orban rule; the peoples of the EU (and Ukraine) who have seen Orban's government frustrate the exercise of European democracy & security; other nations around the world (including the US and Germany) who struggle with authoritarian movements and need, I think, the inspiration of Hungary's people "voting their way out of it". May it be so.
I like your sense of cautious hope, it’s true that even a single election can carry a lot of symbolic weight beyond immediate policy changes. A shift away from Viktor Orbán’s long rule could signal that democratic change is still possible, not just in Hungary but around the world.
Do you think the bigger impact would be inside Hungary itself, or in how it influences politics across Europe and the rest of the world ?
Outstanding update. The whole world is awaiting Hungary's election results !
Thank you for your comment!
In your opinion, will the international attention actually influence Hungary’s direction, or is this mostly about internal dynamics?
I appreciate that the Hungarian Roma are sufficient in population to maintain their ethnicity but if they continue to do that they will never integrate with the majority population. We were all nomads at one time and existed as family groups, tribes and nations. This has allowed us all to see each other as equals. The Native Americans have the same problem which they partly solve by running tourist locations on their Reservations. The Roma should consider integration with the majority population. I appreciate it would be difficult but I remember a time in Britain when interracial marriage was considered impossible. Those days are long gone.
That’s an interesting point! Do you think integration should happen mainly through social change, like attitudes and education, or more through policy and government support?