Eastern European Politics

But it spikes their guns quite significantly. When your whole bloc isn't actually 100% behind you and willing to let the world know it... you're on a tightrope running over a smoking fireworks factory.

Now Manfred Weber is telling Fidesz to chill the fuck out and stop the propaganda because it's actively harmful to the EPP. Fidesz replied that it was always their intention to stop after the EP elections - but at this point, who can tell if they are telling the truth?

Also, the EU's anti-corruption committee told Orbán and co. to publicly release the recent corruption report about them and do what the recommendations in said report say. They refused with the excuse that there's no rule or law saying that they have to, so they won't. By the way, the only other European country that didn't release their own report is Belarus, AKA "Europe's last dictatorship".

Orbán was interviewed by Welt am Sonntag about the conflict with the EPP. He quoted Lenin by calling Fidesz' opponents in the EPP "useful idiots" in that they believe they're helping the cause but in actuality they're only helping the enemy. You see, Orbán believes that expelling Fidesz from the EPP would only help the left in that if Fidesz goes, Austria will be the next target, then Italy.

He also stated that after the EP elections, the propaganda campaign will replace Juncker's face with those of Frans Timmermans and the leftist opposition's top candidate.

Fidesz' EPP expulsion process has officially started, with 12 parties from 9 countries supporting the proposal.

The discussion will take place on the 20th.

So, there's epic Polish Twitter war between far-right trolls and k-pop fangirls over official goverment's poll about gay rights.

I am not joking, this is a thing right now. And it's awesome because apparently fangirls ("kpoperki") delivers pretty much one-sided Curb-Stomp Battle just by being funny, self-aware, brilliant and hilarious.

The far-right deliberately angered fangirls over their boy-bands? Oops. Never, ever rile the fangirls up.

It's, like, been a rule since the '60s.

Actually far-right trolls tried to bomb poll against gay rights, there was typical (pretty weak, but substantial) counter-attack from polish liberals and leftists, and then suddenly wild k-pop fandom has appeared and compleely desteroyed polls in favour of LGBTQ+ folks.

Right trolls went balistic with some ugly racist comments and toxic behaviors over kpoperki and then they'd humiliated again just by sheer amount of polish k-pop fangirls (belive me, it was impressive Zerg Rush).

It's like that anime episode when suddenly new overpowered character showed up and compeletlly change status quo :D

So, I don't know a whole lot about these government polls: are they unofficial, testing the waters sorts of things? Or do they have any weight behind them legally? I'd think an online poll wouldn't, but it would not be out of the realm of possibility for that to happen.

Either way, that's glorious!

The K-Brigade completely wrecks the far-Right?

That would make for a terrific headline.

Uhm, "government poll" was kinda misnomer (sorry about that), I meant poll created on Twitter for news outlet in public TV (which right now is something between propaganda tube of leading political party and polish FOX).

BTW poll was deleted long before ending when TV crew realised that resultats are way more progresive than their expectations.

Edited by Misiael on Mar 20th 2019 at 8:56:12 PM

F*ckin' cowards.

Guess the Right only defending Free Speech when it is convenient to them isn't a unique Usonian problem.

Also, can't believe I'm saying this, but way to go, K-Pop! If doing so wouldn't jeopardize my financial well-being for the rest of time, I'd buy all of you a drink!

Edited by HailMuffins on Mar 20th 2019 at 4:45:04 PM

Oh yeah, it's a new norm in Poland public media, sadly.

Which BTW do not represent majority views. On the contrary, last (real independend) researchs showed that Poles slowly become more and more tolerant in case of LGBTQ+ folks. Last year there had been record number of Pride marches in pretty much all major cities of Poland, even in eastern parts.

Actually I participated in last Pride in Lublin, where simultaneously was taking place one of the biggest polish fan convention (I'm sci-fi writer and bisexual man, so for me it was kinda double take). And there was counter-manifestation by far-right. And then after LGBTQ+ parade far-righters (polish nationalists and fascists) started targeting folks. And then they became confused again and start targeted people from fan convention.

And then polish fandom (partially, at least) stood up for LGBTQ+ folks. Which was very heartwarming for me.

Edited by Misiael on Mar 20th 2019 at 4:20:36 PM

EPP is voting today on sanctioning Fidesz.

Dual punishment is on the table: suspension of membership (CDU is asking for it) and probationary oversight by a council of "three elders" (or something like that, don't quite know how to translate). Suspension means no participation in EPP events, no voting and no recommending candidates to positions. Fidesz already announced ahead of time that they'll quit the EPP immediately if they're suspended, citing the need to stand up for their principles.

Vote results are expected this evening.

Vote is in, 190 yay, 3 nay. Fidesz' EPP membership is suspended for the duration of the investigation, effective immediately.

Meanwhile, here in Switzerland when a delegation from the Hungarian parliament visited ours, the left-wing block (Green Party and Socialist Party) left the chamber out of protest.

If I ever live in Switzerland, they got my vote already.

I heard that too.

Meanwhile, govt media is pushing simultaneous narratives that Fidesz hasn't been suspended and that Fidesz voluntarily and unilaterally suspended exercising its rights. At the same time. On the same news channel. Even the damn newscasters are confused about what they're supposed to say!

Parallel reality, ladies and gentlemen.

Some minor news.

Police have determined that there actually was electoral fraud in one of Budapest's districts last year (specifically, Fidesz got 341 recommendations with identical personal data but different signatures), but closed the case as "no evidence to find the culprit".

Hungary signed a military defense cooperation agreement with the US instead of Russia, which is surprising but not unwelcome. Couple of weeks ago, it was in the news that the govt is funding a modernization program for the military. And about time, too: all the heavy hardware left over from the Warsaw Pact days is so badly deteriorated that a few months ago, the air force failed to sell their MiGs after multiple tenders because literally no one was interested in buying them, even with the planes' full armament being thrown into the deal. Likely due to the fact that none of these birds have been in the air since the air force bought a handful of Gripens shortly after the turn of the millennium. All the tanks are rotting away in the scrapyard too, with even the BTRs being pulled out only to bulldoze snow during nastier winters, resulting in the Hungarian military being incapable of doing pretty much anything other than running NATO convoy escorts in Afghanistan with borrowed Humvees.

All major opposition parties in Hungary are condemning the newly introduced Slovakian law that bans the public singing of foreign national anthems without an official delegation from said country being present, tailored at an ethnic Hungarian football team whose fans have a tradition of singing the Hungarian anthem prior to every match. The law in question was pushed by Slovakian nationalists (one of whom explicitly justified it by saying "it feels bad to hear 9000 people sing the Hungarian anthem"), with violators being fined for up to 7000 euros. While Hungarian ethnic minority MPs have also voted for the law, they insist it was a misunderstanding because the earlier version they were familiar with had no ban. At least one threatened to quit a coalition with a Slovak party over this and the Slovakian PM has declared he will veto the law. Jobbik has glued a copy of the anthem's lyrics to the gate of the Slovakian embassy.

Edited by amitakartok on Apr 4th 2019 at 6:49:20 PM

Wait, we still have Mi Gs? O.o

On a serious note tho, not surprised the planes and all are in a dilapidated condition.

As for the law in Slovakia, keep in mind this comes right at the heel of their new liberal and female president being elected.

Wait, you guys use BT Rs as snow plows?! That sounds like equal parts awesome and inefficient.

Ayepp, apparently And sometimes even that isn't enough. There was this one time when March 15 (keep in mind that by March 15 in Hungary, usually the weather is less snow and more cold but sun/wind/rain) saw a huuuge snowstorm lasting for days and the Austrian army had to come dig us out.

On the anniversary of the day we rebelled against them.

Edited by akanesarumara on Apr 4th 2019 at 7:35:25 PM

And that is equal parts heartwarming and hilarious.

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Apr 4th 2019 at 4:49:07 PM

Indeed it is, and there were loads of memes about it on the Hungarian internet at the time.

On another note, everyone is gearing up for the EP elections. Orbán will present the Fidesz programme/platform today. Gonna be curious to see if they intend to go in EPP colours or not, given the suspension.

Edited by akanesarumara on Apr 4th 2019 at 8:39:37 PM

They've been saying that the results of the elections will determine whether they'll stay in the EPP or quit and go join Salvini's faction.

Yeah I guess, but aren't they supposed to say which conglomeration they will be a part of during the campaign? Since this vote isn't supposed to be for the Fidesz or other parties, but for the EP?