European elections: Hungarian immune system is weak

Left-wing publicist Tamás Mészáros comments in the left-liberal weekly 168 Óra on the results of the European elections in Hungary: "People weren't surprised by the dramatic but nevertheless predictable defeat of the governing socialists, nor by the rise of the extreme right which has been in the offing for some time now, nor by the clear success of the conservative opposition party Fidesz. What was far more surprising was the number of votes the extreme right Jobbik party was able to gather [almost 15%], and the accompanying massive advance of the far right in Hungary. Or to put it differently: the alarming extent to which racist, anti-Semitic Hungarianism has gained a foothold. Another surprise was the catastrophic results of the Free Democrats [just under 2%], which pretty much signals the demise of liberalism in Hungary. ... These two facts have shaken Hungarian democracy to the core. ... The immune system of Hungarian society is disgracefully weak. As the European elections show, those in the centre are even ready to join hands with the extreme right."

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