THE HUNGARIAN BLUEPRINT – CHRISTOFASICT SURVEILLANCE STATE: – If Americans want to find out what their country will look like in the near future, look no further than Hungary. Victor Orban, the strongman darling of the right in the US and Europe, has systematically gutted the constitution since 2011. He controls the media, the judiciary, education, elections, and so much more. The fact that Hungary is part of the European Union, boggles the mind.
The only difference I can see, is that America has a much longer history of democracy and free speech, therefore the people will be more difficult to control. That’s unfortunately why Trump just might decide to go full metal jacket. There are just too many checks and balances. From the Supreme Court, to Congress and the Constitution. The only way for Trump to skip all of these inconvenient little details, is to go big or go home. J6 has shown us that he is willing to burn it all down.
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PROTECTION OR PROJECTION: – Hungary has banned public events by LGBTQ+ communities, a decision that legal scholars and critics call another step toward authoritarianism by the populist government.
The amendment to the constitution was proposed by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition led by populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The amendment declares that children’s rights to moral, physical and spiritual development supersede any right other than the right to life, including that to peacefully assemble.
Hungary’s contentious ‘child protection’ legislation prohibits the ‘depiction or promotion’ of homosexuality to minors aged under 18.
The amendment codifies a law fast-tracked through parliament in March that bans public events held by LGBTQ+ communities, including the popular Pride event in Budapest that draws thousands annually.
That law also allows authorities to use facial recognition tools to identify people who attend prohibited events – such as Budapest Pride – and can come with fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (£420).
Hungary’s government has campaigned against LGBTQ+ communities in recent years, and argues its ‘child protection’ policies, which forbid the availability to minors of any material that mentions homosexuality, are needed to protect children from what it calls ‘woke ideology’ and ‘gender madness.’
The new amendment also states that the constitution recognizes two sexes, male and female, an expansion of an earlier amendment that prohibits same-sex adoption by stating that a mother is a woman and a father is a man.
The amendment is the 15th to Hungary’s constitution since Orbán’s party unilaterally authored and approved it in 2011.
SURVEILLANCE STATE: Ádám Remport, a lawyer with the HCLU, said that while Hungary has used facial recognition tools since 2015 to assist police in criminal investigations and finding missing persons, the recent law allows the technology to be used in a much broader and problematic manner.
That includes for monitoring and deterring political protests.
‘One of the most fundamental problems is its invasiveness, just the sheer scale of the intrusion that happens when you apply mass surveillance to a crowd,’ Remport said.
‘More salient in this case is the effect on the freedom of assembly, specifically the chilling effect that arises when people are scared to go out and show their political or ideological beliefs for fear of being persecuted,’ he added.
SHADOW ARMY OF INSECTS: The amendment passed Monday also allows for Hungarians who hold dual citizenship in a non-European Economic Area country to have their citizenship suspended for up to 10 years if they are deemed to pose a threat to public order, public security or national security.
Hungary has taken steps in recent months to protect its national sovereignty from what it claims are foreign efforts to influence its politics or even topple Orbán’s government.
The self-described ‘illiberal’ leader has accelerated his longstanding efforts to crack down on critics such as media outlets and groups devoted to civil rights and anti-corruption, which he says have undermined Hungary’s sovereignty by receiving financial assistance from international donors.
In a speech laden with conspiracy theories in March, Orbán compared people who work for such groups to insects, and pledged to ‘eliminate the entire shadow army’ of foreign-funded ‘politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-NGOs and political activists. – BBC –
FASCISTS OF A FEATHER: – Hungary will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and refuse to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu after the organisation issued a warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban has received Netanyahu in Budapest after inviting the embattled leader for a state visit last November – a day after the ICC circulated an arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Set up in 2002, the ICC, based in The Hague, seeks to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s gravest crimes when countries are unwilling or unable to do so themselves.
As a signatory of the Rome Statute, which established the court, Hungary is theoretically obliged to arrest and hand over the Israeli Prime Minister.
But Orban has previously said the ICC’s decision to issue a warrant was ‘brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable’.
Hungary made the dramatic announcement today shortly after Netanyahu touched down in Budapest – his first trip to Europe since the start of the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
At a press conference earlier today, Orban said: ‘This is no longer an impartial court, a rule-of-law court, but rather a political court.
‘This has become the clearest in light of its decisions on Israel.’
THANK YOU VICTOR: Netanyahu welcomed the decision today, telling Orban at a press conference: ‘You have just taken a bold and principled position on the ICC and I thank you Viktor… It’s important for all democracies. It’s important to stand up to this corrupt organisation.’
In February, following American sanctions on the court’s prosecutor Karim Khan, he said: ‘It’s time for Hungary to review what we’re doing in an international organisation that is under US sanctions.’
Several major nations, including the US, China, India, Russia and Israel do not recognise the court, hampering its ability to investigate their nationals.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former Defence Minister, after assessing there were ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe that they ‘intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity’.
The Israeli invasion of Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities, and devastated the territory.
Israel has rejected all the accusations.
Other leaders targeted by the ICC in the past include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The ICC also issued warrants for three Hamas leaders who have since been killed in the conflict.
HUMAN WRONGS: Human rights groups had called on Hungary to arrest Netanyahu upon entry, and suggested anything less would show ‘contempt for international law’.
Erika Guevara-Rosas the head of Global Research, Advocacy and Policy at Amnesty International, said: ‘Prime Minister Netanyahu is an alleged war criminal, who is accused of using starvation as a method of warfare, intentionally attacking civilians and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
‘As a member state of the ICC, Hungary must arrest him if he travels to the country and hand him over to the Court.
‘Any trip he takes to an ICC member state that does not end in his arrest would embolden Israel to commit further crimes against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
‘Netanyahu’s reported visit should be seen as a cynical effort to undermine the ICC and its work, and is an insult to the victims of these crimes who are looking to the Court for justice.
‘Hungary’s invitation shows contempt for international law and confirms that alleged war criminals wanted by the ICC are welcome on the streets of a European Union member state.’
Earlier today, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels that the visit was a ‘bad day for international criminal law’.
Last year Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backed the ICC following the warrant.
His official spokesman said: ‘The UK will always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law.’
Purcell, of the ICJP, added earlier today: ‘For the international rules-based order to hold, the UK, like other member states, must be unequivocal: individuals charged with war crimes must be arrested the moment they set foot on British soil, including the Israeli Prime Minister.’ – BBC –
Apr 16, 2025 1:50:16 pm
