March 10, 2012
Hungary Vulnerable to Corruption, Transparency International Says Transparency International, an anti-corruption organization, criticized the Hungarian government for failing to deliver on promises to fight corruption. The organization said this week overall corruption levels had remained unchanged since its last analysis of Hungary conducted in 2007. Political party financing, business corruption and the lack of anti-corruption agencies still remain main risks for graft, it said. The expected headway hasn’t been made, although corruption hasn’t gotten much worse either, it said. The government of the Fidesz party came to power in 2010, winning a two-thirds majority of seats in Hungary’s parliament after a campaign pledging a radical change of how the country’s run. “What’s disappointing is that there was so much hope within society for a radical change, but the government has failed to deliver on their promise,” Peter Hack, lead researcher for the project, told a news conference. The government wasn’t immediately available to comment on the report. It has earlier said it stands by its commitment to ending high-level corruption. Several investigations have been launched into alleged foul play involving senior politicians from earlier governments. (via WSJ)

Hungary Vulnerable to Corruption, Transparency International Says

Transparency International, an anti-corruption organization, criticized the Hungarian government for failing to deliver on promises to fight corruption. The organization said this week overall corruption levels had remained unchanged since its last analysis of Hungary conducted in 2007.

Political party financing, business corruption and the lack of anti-corruption agencies still remain main risks for graft, it said. The expected headway hasn’t been made, although corruption hasn’t gotten much worse either, it said.

The government of the Fidesz party came to power in 2010, winning a two-thirds majority of seats in Hungary’s parliament after a campaign pledging a radical change of how the country’s run.

“What’s disappointing is that there was so much hope within society for a radical change, but the government has failed to deliver on their promise,” Peter Hack, lead researcher for the project, told a news conference.

The government wasn’t immediately available to comment on the report. It has earlier said it stands by its commitment to ending high-level corruption. Several investigations have been launched into alleged foul play involving senior politicians from earlier governments. (via WSJ)

7:35am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxHlMtqo
(Notes: 5)
  
Filed under: Hungary Corruption Politics Transparency International Fidesz 
January 3, 2012
Budapest, Hungary A man holds up a sign during a protest. The demonstrators are protesting against the government and new Basic Law which replaced the country’s Constitution on January 1, in a show of angst at what they say is the ruling Fidesz party’s heavy-handed policies (via Reuters.com)

Budapest, Hungary

A man holds up a sign during a protest. The demonstrators are protesting against the government and new Basic Law which replaced the country’s Constitution on January 1, in a show of angst at what they say is the ruling Fidesz party’s heavy-handed policies (via Reuters.com)

10:25pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxEDYcCW
(Notes: 20)
  
Filed under: Hungary Budapest Protest Demonstration Fidesz Basic Law Photography 
January 3, 2012
Hungary set for protests over constitution Thousands of people were expected to protest in Budapest on Monday night after the government made sweeping changes to the Hungarian constitution that opposition figures say are an attack on democracy. The demonstration near the city’s opera house comes amid rising anger with the ruling Fidesz party, which critics – including the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton – fear is eroding individual liberties and media freedom while undermining the independence of the judiciary and other state institutions. Across town, outside the headquarters of the state broadcaster MTV, journalists have been on hunger strike since 9 December, protesting at what they say is gross interference in their work by pro-government editors. They were outraged after a former chief justice was airbrushed out of a state television broadcast, evoking the dark days of media manipulation during the Soviet era. There were also protests in December when Klubradio, a popular liberal radio station critical of the government, announced it would have to shut down in 2012 after its frequency was given to a new company. The decision was taken by the controversial Media Council, whose members are all nominated by Fidesz. Last week MPs from the Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party were arrested when they chained themselves to the parliament gate in a protest at the government’s unilateral law changes. With two-thirds of all MPs in the Hungarian parliament, Fidesz is able to pass dramatic legislation unhindered by the opposition. In 18 months in office, the government has passed hundreds of new laws. On Friday, it ignored warnings from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union to approve new central bank regulations which give the government the power to appoint bank deputies. (via guardian.co.uk)

Hungary set for protests over constitution

Thousands of people were expected to protest in Budapest on Monday night after the government made sweeping changes to the Hungarian constitution that opposition figures say are an attack on democracy.

The demonstration near the city’s opera house comes amid rising anger with the ruling Fidesz party, which critics – including the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton – fear is eroding individual liberties and media freedom while undermining the independence of the judiciary and other state institutions.

Across town, outside the headquarters of the state broadcaster MTV, journalists have been on hunger strike since 9 December, protesting at what they say is gross interference in their work by pro-government editors. They were outraged after a former chief justice was airbrushed out of a state television broadcast, evoking the dark days of media manipulation during the Soviet era.

There were also protests in December when Klubradio, a popular liberal radio station critical of the government, announced it would have to shut down in 2012 after its frequency was given to a new company. The decision was taken by the controversial Media Council, whose members are all nominated by Fidesz.

Last week MPs from the Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party were arrested when they chained themselves to the parliament gate in a protest at the government’s unilateral law changes.

With two-thirds of all MPs in the Hungarian parliament, Fidesz is able to pass dramatic legislation unhindered by the opposition. In 18 months in office, the government has passed hundreds of new laws. On Friday, it ignored warnings from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union to approve new central bank regulations which give the government the power to appoint bank deputies. (via guardian.co.uk)

7:13pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZuyxWxECzzOD
(Notes: 10)
  
Filed under: Hungary Budapest Protest Demonstration Hungarian Constitution Fidesz Fidesz Party Politics Politics Can Be Different Party Viktor Orbán 
Liked posts on Tumblr: More liked posts »