Hungarian pseudo scandal expanded

"To strike while the iron is hot," an idiom both in English and in Hungarian, seems to be the Fidesz strategy in creating yet another pseudo scandal. As if the current "surveillance" weren't enough, Magyar Nemzet came out with an unsigned article entitled "Manhunt after three men." The article talks about an alleged surveillance carried out by the Medgyessy government way back in December 2002. The targets were Viktor Orbán, Lajos Simicska, and István Kalmár (former head of the Hungarian Postal Service, Magyar Posta). But, of course, one has to be very careful with Magyar Nemzet as it is well known for its unfounded or misleading reporting.

It seems that the paper got hold of a proposal from an unnamed private detective agency. This proposal, according to the article, came about as a result of "political instigation" (politikai ösztönzésre). Whatever that means; I for one can't make any sense of it. What kind of "political instigation" are we talking about? Magyar Nemzet likes to be oblique. The "political instigator/instigators" whispered something into the ears of the head of the unnamed firm sometime in November 2002, and on December 13 the firm sent a proposal to somebody. Magyar Nemzet doesn't reveal the details. We have no idea where this letter was sent. Was it the prime minister's office where at that point László Keller as undersecretary was in charge of checking on the many very shady financial affairs of the Orbán government? It remains the newspaper's secret.

In this letter the firm promised that they would gather documents about the criminal activities of Simicska, Kalmár, and Orbán. They promised to gather information about Simicska's activities as the head of the Hungarian Internal Revenue Service where allegedly Simicska and his friends managed to get rid of some uncomfortable pieces of information about earlier Fidesz companies and their demise. (By the way, the official investigation at the Internal Revenue Service couldn't come up with anything tangible about the destruction of documents.) As for Kalmár, the author of the letter claimed that he had committed tax fraud. And as for Orbán, the letter claimed that the firm would produce documentation of the former prime minister's "illegal enrichment of himself and his family, for example, through real estate purchases in Paris." They asked 95 million forints plus expenses for their services.

I assume that the Magyar Nemzet actually managed to get hold of a letter, but we don't know more than that. We don't know whether it's real or fake. We don't know the sender or the recipient. And we have no idea whether the unknown addressee ever responded to the detective agency's offer.

The government is investigating while Orbán is not surprised. According to him, the socialist government learned these tricks from the Kádár regime. They simply cannot get rid of the old ways of the dictatorship. "There is nothing new under the sun.... I have known our opponents for a long time. The Hungarian people has had enough time, more than forty odd years to get to know them."

While one could read Magyar Nemzet in the morning, in the afternoon one could have the pleasure of hearing Lajos Kósa talking to György Bolgár in his call-in show. He went a mile a minute without interruption starting with greeting not only Bolgár and the listeners of KlubRádió but also "Comrade Kovács." Who is Comrade Kovács? He is the unknown agent who is listening in on his telephone conversations. (Although later he corrected his earlier statement: not listening now but could listen if this law went into effect.) He talked incessantly and so fast that by the end one hadn't a clue what he was talking about. But I think that was his aim. I loved a short note by a listener who wrote in the internet forum attached to the show: "Does he ever take a breath?" Why are they this nervous?

This morning Népszava published an article from which we learn that Fidesz is awash in debt. In 2006 the party took out a loan for 1.5 billion and last year an additional 400 million. It is hard to fathom how they could pay everything back by 2010 as they swear they will. This is a heck of a lot of money. Especially for a party in opposition which lost the last two elections.

Comments

[Sandor]

The stock in trade of Magyar Nemzet is not so much the "oblique" but the speculation and the innuendo.
Their third favourite device is fortune telling. They "predict" all kinds of nonsense in the tone of panicky urgency, then see if it comes about. If so, (although it seldom ever does) they gloat and increase the shrillness. But if it fails, they are silent, while looking for the next disaster to predict.
As to the Fidesz's indebtedness, it is a glowing testimonial to the inaptitude of the socialists. They fail to notice and exploit the fact that the Fidesz claims to have a perfect, also nationalistic solution to every problem in the world, but, as it happens, they cannot get enough money together to run their party.
If I am permitted a small "friendly" bit of speculation, I would suggest that they are banking on the overwhelming number of Fidesz-dominated local governments well positioned to access the EU money in the next two years. How to get some of that money into Fidesz coffers is a mere technicality. I am certain, the are already working on that one.

You ask why they are so nervous.
In my opinion they are more and more nervous, because they are overplaying their hand. In their present position of advantage they have no idea what to do. They are simply not prepared for this position. They feel, best is to hammer the iron while it's hot, but they have no policies to offer, therefore, resort to artificial means of attention-getting. Such is this red herring of being spied on. Now for the second time are trying to use this to discredit the government. It failed the first time and it shall fail again this time.
An other one is the dickering with the preamble of the constitution. An idiotic and divisive notion all together. A third one is the anti-Semitic hide-and- seek they are constantly playing.

What is really missing from the opposition is the minimum substance necessary for a party to be viable. This is an other sore testimonial to the inaptitude of the government, that is unable to gain any advantage from this.

And yet, they are nervous, because they don't have a plan and they feel in their guts that their unexpected good fortunes may be spoiled by any silly mistake, of which they have made many and are apt to make again.

[Odin's lost eye]

Thank you for expanding on this subject. This enhances my feeling that what Fidesz are upto is trying to prevent any form of official auditing of the local authorityy accounts whilst they help themselves to the Euro Billions.
I was unaware of the shortage of cash within their party. During the local elections Fides (localy) had a 'give-away' spree. Pens, bottle openers, lighters, beer etc. which their members were showering on any one who wanted them. As a 'true blue, dyed in the wool' Tory (Conservative) and a "Queen's man" (a person who should have been their ally) I was horrified by these blatent attempt, as I saw it, to bribe the voters.
As our hostess Dr Balogh says
**** .. "This morning Népszava published an article from which we learn that Fidesz is awash in debt. In 2006 the party took out a loan for 1.5 billion and last year an additional 400 million. It is hard to fathom how they could pay everything back by 2010 as they swear they will. This is a heck of a lot of money. Especially for a party in opposition which lost the last two elections. ...****
If this is true then they have 1 1/2 years to repay this enormous debt circa 1.9 billions (which is more than the GDP of some 3rd world countries). I do not know what their card carring membership is, but if it was the entire population of Hungary it would cost every one about 190 Ft. (I am not going to give them a wooden 'fillar').
@ Sandor
**** .."You ask why they are so nervous" .. **** a Western political pundit or pollster could answer that in one. It is 39% (or there abouts) 'Don't Knows'. So although they have a majority in local government they are by no means home and dried as far as the 2010 elections are concerned. With so much debt, Fides should be very very nervous.
As a further warning I would add that the Labour party had about a 4% (I think) lead in the 1970 U.K. election which it lost OVERNIGHT a day ot two before the poll, as the result of a speach given by Sir Edward Heath (Conservative). In an election NOTHING is certain. We used to have a joke in the U.K. about someone who broke into the Kremlin and stole next years election results.
On a more constructive note. In the U.K. there are a little known group of people called 'District Auditors' which are part of the Audit Commission. Every local authority has one. District Auditors have to live in different part of the country to the one which they audit.
The Audit Commission is a independant part of the civil service. Through the District Auditors, the Commission provide annual audits of local authority accounts which have to be published. The District Auditor can be 'called in' by either the Local Councilors or by complaints of 'wrong doing' made by local persons.
To my mind every Hungarian Polgameister should have one hanging over his head like the 'Sword of Damocles'! One of the punishments they can inflict is to 'Surcharge' the individuals concerned for any 'losses' incurred. This would hit the Polgameister in the pocket as he/she would have to pay them!

[Eva S. Balogh]

Sandor: "If I am permitted a small "friendly" bit of speculation, I would suggest that they are banking on the overwhelming number of Fidesz-dominated local governments well positioned to access the EU money in the next two years."

I ventured to suggest something like that already two days ago. It seems to me that the MSZP and government also have the same suspicion by now. The party spokesman who normally doesn't mince words pretty well said the same openly yesterday. One thing is sure: Fidesz politicians became hysterical over the government's office of national security office protection.

What you say about Magyar Nemzet is correct. I only tried to be polite, but basically I don't consider journalism what these guys are doing.

[Eva S. Balogh]

Odin's lost eye: "I was unaware of the shortage of cash within their party."

Fairly recent news. There are real problems with financing of Hungarian political parties: basically not enough money. Occasionally the five parties get together to discuss the question and nothing happens.

I found a fantastic caricature about the lack of money in Fidesz coffers and early elections. Tonight I will post it, so you can all enjoy it.