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Sándor, Iván
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3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Iván Sándor on ideological weaknesses of Hungarian parties
Writer Iván Sándor takes stock of the ideological state of Hungarian political parties in the liberal weekly Élet és Irodalom: "Similarly to other European left-wing parties, the biggest problem of the ruling Hungarian Socialist Party is that ... they have failed to adopt an ideological canon compatible with the realities of the market economy. They lack both room to manoeuver and a social basis. ... By contrast the reasons for the collapse of the liberal Free Democrats lie in our past, when liberal thinking was nothing but a mental, ethical value represented by only a small number of intellectuals. ... The opposition Fidesz has overcome the lack of identity with skilful acrobatics. The party has assimilated the populist tradition that contributed to strengthening the extreme right yesterday as well as today. As the next governing party, Fidesz' paradox lies in that on the one hand it wants to lead the country into the 'future', while avoiding on the other any mention of the dark chapters of 20th century Hungarian history that still contaminate political life today."
» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Hungary
Direct democracy as an aid to populism?
A few weeks ago Hungarian writer Péter Nádas warned in an essay that Hungary's democracy was under serious threat. Author Iván Sándor analyses the background for this claim: "The governing parties are observing the rules of the constitution and of democracy, but the main opposition party [the right-wing conservative Fidesz party] is not. It's doing politics through ritual performance and barely bothering to distance itself from the right-wing radicals. Calls for the introduction of direct democracy are becoming increasingly frequent, not for the purpose of lawfully monitoring the government or as an opposition initiative based on the right of assembly, but for the legitimisation of populist demands through the masses."
» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Hungary
The Future of Europe and the Novel
Writer Ivan Sandor claims in an essay that Europe's revival goes hand in hand with the revival of the novel as a literary form. "In its long history, Europe has never made as much progress as in 2004, when a new union was formed with the accession of the ten new member states. Since then, EU institutions have become less adequate for dealing with their tasks and the interests of member states clash more frequently. But these are the natural consequences of historical events. If people want to get a better picture of the new situation in Europe, they shouldn't let themselves be distracted by political mumbo-jumbo, the confusion of EU institutions and digital simulations of reality. They should concentrate on analysing the situation of mankind." In Sandor's view, reading novels is the best way to do this.
» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Culture, » Europe
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