When Orban first became prime minister in 1998, aged 35, he stripped his office and replaced the fittings with items used by his pre-war predecessors, scavenged from elsewhere in the building, former spokesman Gabor Borokai told Reuters. The aim was to re-connect with one of the brief periods in Hungarys history when it was proud and independent, a key theme in his popularity, which appears undented by external criticism. Over the past four years, the United States and European Union have accused Orban of eroding Hungarys democratic checks and balances and of harming free speech. Jewish groups have accused him of not doing enough to tackle anti-Semitism. The International Monetary Fund, for a time, said he was risking financial stability. Some of the biggest foreign investors accuse him of waging a witch-hunt against them. The Hungarian government rejects all those allegations. Orban, like other emerging market leaders who unsettle the outside world yet are popular at home - such as Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, or, in earlier days, South African President Jacob Zuma - connects with the national psyche. Orban knows that many Hungarians believe their country is not like the rest of Europe, and suspect the world has an axe to grind against them. Theres a feeling that the Hungarians are misunderstood. Its part of their history, said one EU diplomat. He knows how to play on the vibe here.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 21:53:43 +0000
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