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BUDA ... PEST BRUNE  / FAR RIGHT IN HUNGARY

(2012)

Viktor Orbán wishes to grant a passport to all ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries. Slovakia, the main concerned, reacts strongly. A nationalist escalation that could destabilize the EU as a whole. The stake is to redraw the current state borders to restore the sphere of influence of Budapest which, according to the plans of Orbán, should cover no less than 15 million Hungarians. That is 50% more than the number of inhabitants of present-day Hungary, a return to what was the population of Greater Hungary, a geographical area which would include, around Hungary, Slovakia, Vojvodina - a province of Serbia , as well as part of Transylvania, an area which, not de jure, but de facto, would be jointly managed by Hungary and by the three countries to which these territories belong, Slovakia, Serbia and Romania.

Hungary thus hopes to cultivate relations with its diaspora, which the Treaty of the Trianon, dating from June 4, 1920, placed outside the Magyar borders. A return to Greater Hungary, and a reparation in short for the Diktat imposed and which remains in the memory of all its citizens. This diktat imposed on the defeated Hungary humiliating mutilations, loss of 2/3 of its territory and almost 2/3 of its population (from 20 to 7.6 million). A particularly bitter pill that the Hungarians have never swallowed, breeding ground for virulent nationalism.

Everything is there and everything is still very much alive in people's minds in an increasingly disturbing way. The nationalist taxi driver, the entrances to private buildings or restaurants, shops selling nationalist items, people in the street ... and rock groups like Karpatia only fuel this nationalist fiber among young people during their sulphurous concerts where listeners scream "Sieg Heil" !. And Jobbik is surfing and keeping the wave going ...

The nationalist policy led by Fidesz steals some of its ideas and supporters from Jobbik. To bounce back, the far right has therefore decided to go on the offensive, bringing its favorite theme back to the fore: the Roma. Jobbik has created a rural militia - the Hungarian Guard - It declares that it wants to defend Hungary physically, morally and intellectually. It is at the origin of many misdeeds against the Roma population, as recently in this small Hungarian village of Gyöngyöspata. For three months, from March to May 2011, in the midst of the Hungarian EU presidency, Gyöngyöspata was occupied by fascist militias. Scared, many Roma living in the surroundings flee. The Red Cross then considers the phenomenon sufficiently worrying to charter buses and shelter 277 women and children. Officially, for these militias, it was a question of training militants capable of "making public order" in the face of the Roma of the village accused of delinquency. These nationalist groups hide under the name of "association of civil patrols". A legal mask necessary since the dissolution in July 2009 of the Hungarian guard. The Jobbik having won the municipal elections in Gyöngyöspata, took as 1st measure: forced labor for the Roma.

In Gyöngyöspata, a village of 2,800 souls 80 km from Budapest, the 450 Roma literally live under a regime of terror.

The city is administered by Jobbik. In the mind of the new Mayor Oszkar Juhasz, the unemployed are the Roma.

Its first measure was to put the unemployed into compulsory labor. If they refuse, they will have their social allowances cut off for 3 years. The salary is 200 €, less than the Hungarian minimum wage (350 €). According to the mayor, for whom this village is Jobbik's laboratory of ideas, there are two types of human beings: "those who build and those who destroy, the Roma" ...

At 7 am, in the cold, a foreman of the town hall calls and orders the departure for compulsory work. The town hall brings tools that are deliberately unsuitable, axes, saws that do not cut, useless hammers. “Strangers come to film us from afar, in order to prove that we are not working, that we are lazy, and we are asked to clear brush on the sloping ground in front of our houses. And do you know why ? To facilitate rounds of intimidation and access to fascist militiamen ... They also forbid us to collect kindling to heat ourselves. They ordered us to burn it on the spot ”.

The money for compulsory labor is partly given by the State for 80% and the town hall is fining us to recover the money ... ”The water was cut off. "And without water", threatens the new fascist mayor, "the hygienic conditions not being respected, the children will be taken away from you!" Another intimidation, the house of the representative of the Roma of the village is under the permanent control of a camera from the town hall which films it day and night ... Big Brother is watching you ...

Olaszliszka, another village, another story. This October 15, 2011, despite its ban to exist and therefore to demonstrate, the Guarda, with other fascist militias takes possession of the premises of this small village of Olaszliszka and intimidates its Roma inhabitants barely protected by the police stationed in front of their houses . They commemorate the anniversary of the death of a professor who was killed in 2006 by Roma because he had run over with his car a little Roma girl, whom everyone thought was dead. She was in fact only injured.

Yet since the death of this “ethnic” Hungarian, 7 Roma have been killed and 10 others injured ....

That day, the banners, the fascist uniforms, the speeches follow one another.

A Hitler lookalike is even there, scary! At the end of the ceremony, the police pretend to ask for identity papers, for the form. They will leave, all without exception, without being worried.

In Tiszavasvari, the 1st deputy Csaszar Jozsef proudly explains the new measures taken in this other high place of the Hungarian fascist far right which also wants to be a Jobbik laboratory. For example, the creation of a "gendarmerie" which acts as a militia in this small town of 14,000 inhabitants. Worse, the Roma are parked in Szelek Street outside the city and Roma children, relegated to the 1st floor of the school, are not allowed to use the toilets or eat in the canteen at the same table as the children. "Hungarian".

The Betyarsereg: the rebirth of the brigand army. The Betyárs, translated as "bandits" had made life difficult for the Austrian occupier during the 18th and 19th centuries. Living in the forest, they led attacks on Austrian stagecoaches across the country, or organized sabotage actions. The most famous of the Betyárs, Sándor Rózsa (1813-1878), had a long life as a brigand, he took part in the war of 1848 and died in Austrian jails. The spirit of the Betyars is in full rebirth. Now, it is officially that a new Betyársereg has been launched, under the patronage of László Toroczkai György Budaházy and Zsolt Tyirityán. On their website, we can see them armed with whips in the forest to simulate a Roma hunt ...

The fascist group Karpatia which rallies thousands of Nazillions has been invited by the mayor of Gyöngyöspata for a concert of intimidation. 3000 Nazillions prowling around Roma homes ... Many of these Roma have fled to Canada in recent weeks before it is too late. But rare are those who can afford it ...

Lizzie SADIN

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