Hungary steps out
Jan 3rd 2012, 15:45 by A.L.B. | BUDAPEST
THE symbolism was telling. Inside Budapest's Opera House, Hungary’s great andgood were knocking back sparkling wine at a gala event to celebrate theinauguration of the country’s new constitution, which came into effect on January 1st. Outside,on Andrássy Avenue, tens of thousands of protestors demanded its withdrawal.
Brushing off the demonstrations, President Pal Schmitt hailedHungary’s new "basic law" as a brave new dawn. It may well be, butprobably not the kind that Hungary’s rulers are hopingfor. As the blog Contrarian Hungarian reports, protestors are increasinglytaking control of the streets. The Andrássy Avenue march wasjust the latest in a series of public actions against the government's growingautocratic tendencies and its relentless centralisation of power.
Monday’s protests were significant as well as symbolic. This was the firsttime that opposition parties—the Socialists, the Democratic Coalition and the green-liberal LMP—had joinedforces with street activists. Peter Konya, leader of the Hungarian SolidarityMovement, welcomed what he called “the long absentco-operation between civil groups and parties of the democratic opposition”.
Gabor Ivanyi, a Methodist pastor, told the crowd that “There is notruth where laws are passed forcefully, without consultations, where peoplelive in fear and where people are not equal.” Mr Ivanyi is one of13 former dissidents and liberal politicians to have signed a letter callingfor the European Union to intervene and protect Hungarian democracy.
Government officials deny that Hungarian democracy is in danger.How, they ask, can this be so when an enormous crowd is free to demonstrateoutside the very building where they are celebrating? In 2010 the right-wingFidesz party won a two-thirds parliamentary majority in a free and fairelection, they argue, and the government is simply fulfilling its mandate of radicalchange and renewal.
But as the government brushes off requests from the EU, the IMF, theEuropean Central Bank and the United States to reconsider key legislation thatmay be in breach of its international treaty obligations, such arguments soundincreasingly unconvincing.