euro|topics - Eszter Babarczy

04/12/2008

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Babarczy, Eszter

4 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

Népszabadság - Hungary | 07/07/2007

Eszter Babarczy on Hungary's political landscape

The Hungarian left has completely disintegrated, concludes sociologist Eszter Babarczy. "In Hungary there is no left-wing politics, only left-wing slogans - used by the conservative camp. This is very confusing. All over Europe, left and right-wing party programmes are sliding towards the centre and it's becoming increasingly difficult to define the different target groups... In the Western world party programmes differ only in the 'values' they purport to enshrine and a few symbolic issues such as their positions on abortion, the war in Iraq and the use of religious symbols in public places. Since the fall of communism there has been a tendency to employ symbols in politics in Hungary too, but they're mainly used to conceal what's really going on in politics. Symbols serve to maintain the emotional tension, for example in the debates about the location of the Holy Crown, memorial days or the mutual recriminations related to communism or anti-Semitism. The one question that is never discussed is what kind of a country we want to live in."

Népszabadság - Hungary | 01/08/2006

Eszter Babarczy on corruption in Hungary

Sixteen years after the collapse of communism Hungarians still don't trust state institutions, the government or the country's laws. Sociologist Eszter Babarczy asserts that this lack of trust makes corruption the instrument of choice for achieving goals. She says this reminds her of the 1980s. "A kiss bought me my first fridge back then. The price seemed fair… When everyone knows that in the long term it makes sense to stick to the rules of the game, sooner or later everyone adapts because they can feel the pressure from others. First we need rules which everyone believes are effective. But neither the government nor the different interest groups can make these rules. They can only make sure people understand the long-term consequences of our conduct. Only then can new rules be proposed."

Népszabadság - Hungary | 22/07/2006

Eszter Babarczy on the attitude towards life of young Hungarians

According to young author Eszter Babarczy, the attitude of young Hungarians toward life is clouded by disillusionment. "The democratic opposition movement of the 1980s fought in the name of civilian society, the Helsinki human rights convention and social solidarity. Its legacy was a heap of beautiful illusions. Amidst the euphoria after the fall of communism, historians and political scientists talked of the new liberalism which would infect politicians with the anti-policies of the likes of Vaclav Havel." Babarczy notes that Hungary's civilian society has moved far away from such ideas. "Foundations for domestic purposes, obscure associations and organisations registered as churches and supposedly serving noble causes which quickly develop profit-oriented sub-organisations – the turn of the millennium saw the end of our childish idealism. We are now compensating with unbridled cynicism."

Népszabadság - Hungary | 04/02/2006

Szabo's new film

The young writer Eszter Babarczy went to see Istvan Szabo's new film "Rokonok" ("Relations"). It was the opening film at the Hungarian Film Week in Budapest. Just a few days before the festival started, Szabo's Stasi past was revealed. Babarczy describes the effect of the film's moral message not to cooperate with power structures in the light of these revelations. "The political systems of the recent past have suppressed public debate and robbed society of the opportunity to tell its stories and confront its dilemmas... The Stasi affairs and corruption scandals show how ambivalent and half-hearted the moral standards which have been handed down to us really are."

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