A year ago, in “Hungary, March 2013, Part II: Emerging Neofascism,” we discussed the problem of neofascism in Hungary — represented by bigotry and extreme nationalism —and the efforts of the Hungarian Free Market Foundation to counter this plague.
The problem continues to draw international media attention. Three examples follow.
First, on May 18, 2013, the Boston Globe published an editorial, “European fascism: A movement grows in Hungary.” The piece noted that the Jobbik party “scapegoats Jews and ethnic Roma,” and that the governing Fidesz party has failed adequately to address the bigotry.
Second, on March 8, 2014, Global News (of Global Television Network in Canada) carried an article, “16×9: Csanad Szegedi and the rise of Europe’s far right.” This includes the investigative newsmagazine’s story, “Right Wing Resurgence.” Szegedi was a leader in the Jobbik party who discovered his Jewish heritage and reversed the course of his life:
Today, the former (admitted) anti-Semite regrets his past and warns people about the new face of fascism stalking Europe: ‘Today what is most dangerous is well-groomed anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism. Jobbik is dangerous for this ….
Finally, on March 9, 2014, NPR’s Code Switch blog published a piece, “Increased Hostility Against Jews And Roma In Hungary.” It opens:
Ahead of next month’s parliamentary election in Hungary, a report published in February found the Roma minority in that Central European country face an unprecedented amount of violence and discrimination. While prejudice against Roma, pejoratively known as Gypsies, is widespread throughout Europe, the report says Hungary is more anti-immigrant and hostile toward minorities than elsewhere.
Activities of the Foundation
The Foundation, a member of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation’s global network of free-market think tanks, continues its fight against neofascism, demonstrating skill, courage, intelligence, and good will.
Conference in Delhi, India
Zoltán Kész, the co-founder and director of the Foundation, spoke at the Asia Center for Enterprise (ACE) February 2013 event in Delhi. ACE is a free-market training program launched by Atlas and the Centre for Civil Society (CCS).
Mr. Kész made his presentation in ACE’s Liberty Entrepreneur of the Year competition, which he won. He addressed bigotry in Hungary, the Foundation’s efforts, and the hope for the future. See the short video.
Conference In Budapest, Hungary
The Foundation helped organize a conference on neofascism in Hungary, “Liberty vs. Radicalism.” This was held in Budapest on September 14, 2013. The speakers included Mr. Kész and Dr. Tom G. Palmer, Executive Vice President for International Programs at Atlas.
One of the speakers, Ratko Nikolić, the co-founder and president of a Serbian libertarian student organization, published a report on the conference. While the speakers expressed “grave concerns for the future of liberty in Hungary,” they also “emphasized the increasing importance and growth of the network of pro-liberty think tanks and student organizations ….”
Atlas Freedom Forum and Liberty Dinner
It was good to see Zoltán Kész again at the Atlas Freedom Forum and Liberty Dinner held in New York City in November 2013. It was also a pleasure to meet his colleague, the co-founder of the Foundation, Zoltán Somogyi.
Mr. Kész spoke at the event’s Atlas Club Briefing. He emphasized the particular danger of neofascism in Hungary in view of Hungary’s collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. He also discussed the Foundation’s fight against bigotry. The programs include education; a campaign to “Ridicule the Radical”; assessment of the costs of bigotry to the Hungarian economy; and publicization of the principle of tolerance, using soccer stadiums as a forum.
Dr. Palmer described Atlas’s support the fight against neofascism in both Hungary and Greece. He noted that the Foundation helped lay the intellectual framework for the promotion of freedom in Hungary by translating Frédéric Bastiat’s The Law and What is Seen and What is Not Seen into Hungarian. Dr. Palmer introduced Alexander Skouras, Program Associate for International Relations at Atlas, who discussed neofascism in Greece. Mr. Kész has spoken in Greece.
Recent Publications by Mr. Kész
Mr. Kész has recently published two articles in the Daily Caller. In his December 9, 2013 piece, “Honoring anti-semitic governor of Hungary is a disgrace,” he wrote:
On November 3rd, much to the shock of many Hungarians, the far-right Jobbik party unveiled a statue of Miklos Horthy, the Hungarian Governor who ruled after the first World War and allied Hungary with Nazi Germany during the second World War. ….
It is tough to swallow that in one of the most beautiful cities of the European Union [Budapest], which is extremely intolerant of racism, a man, whose political role was controversial and who ruled over Hungary when hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews were shipped off to concentration camps and shot into the Danube, is being honored.
In Mr. Kész’s January 30, 2014 article, “Hungary’s trend of controversial public monuments continues with statue whitewashing its Holocaust history,” he wrote about another new monument planned for the same square, “commemorating the beginning of the German occupation … on March 19, 1944.” He explained that “[t]he monument will have the imperial eagle of Germany coming down on Archangel Gabriel who symbolizes Hungary.”
Mr. Kész discussed the significance of the monument:
The message of the memorial is quite simple. We, Hungarians, are not responsible for what happened after March 19. It was not us, but the Germans who brought ill-faith to this peaceful people, followed by communist rule after World War Two, and we just suffered from two oppressive ideologies for more than four decades. The truth is, and this is what is hard to face, that it was the efficiency of the Hungarian state and its institutions that made it possible to carry out such a large-scale mass deportation and execution of Jews in less than a month.
Mr. Kész concluded that it is necessary for Hungarians to accept the truth of the past in order to learn from the mistakes. In late February, the government of Hungary announced that it would postpone the erection of the memorial.
Presentation in Wichita, Kansas
Mr. Kész is currently visiting Canada and the U.S. to share his observations on Hungary and raise funds for the Foundation. He spoke in Wichita, Kansas on February 21st. In the video of the presentation, Mr. Kész discusses the government’s destructive economic policies, the problem of bigotry, and the Foundation’s work.
Help Fight Neofascism
The Foundation has created a fundraising brochure, “Help Us End Racism in Hungary.” This includes statements of the visions of Messrs. Kész and Somogyi and Dr. Palmer’s and my recommendations of the Foundation.
Donations may be made through Atlas. If donating online, please write “Hungarian Free Market Foundation Anti-Fascism Campaign” in the box under “Please designate my gift to specific Atlas program.” If donating by mail, please include a note reflecting this designation. Atlas’s address and additional donation information are here.
My recommendation in the brochure concludes,
I have contributed to the Foundation, and encourage others to join me. The Foundation’s work is important to the future of Hungary and the region, and its success will stand as an example for the rest of the world.
As Dr. Palmer wrote, “I shudder to think of what will happen if they fail.”
