2014年经济学人 匈牙利的抗议 反对欧尔班

Protests in Hungary

Opposing Orban

More anti-government protests, but little change from the prime minister

HUNGARIANS are taking to the streets. More than 10,000 gathered outside the parliament in Budapest on November 17th to protest against alleged¹ corruption² and the centralisation of power. Similar protests took place in other cities, including Miskolc in the east and Szeged and Pecs in the south. Several hundred Hungarians even gathered in London's Trafalgar Square. The habit is catching³: this week also saw big protests in neighbouring Slovakia and in the Czech Republic.

Hungary's protesters were encouraged partly by America's rising criticism of their government. Six Hungarian officials have been banned from entering the United States on suspicion of corruption, a rare rebuff to a NATO ally. American officials refuse to name them, on privacy grounds. However Ildiko Vida, head of the tax authority, told Magyar Nemzet, a pro-government newspaper, that she was one. She strongly denies any wrongdoing.

Hungarian officials have asked for more information from the Americans. They reject claims that the country is sliding into authoritarianism⁴. The protests are proof that Hungary remains⁵ a democracy, where people are free to express their opinion as long as they abide⁶ by the law, says Antal Rogan, parliamentary leader of the ruling right-wing Fidesz party.

This week's protests followed a bigger one on October 28th, when as many as 100,000 people filled central Budapest to demand the cancellation⁷ of an internet tax that they saw as an attack on free speech. The crowds were mostly young, educated and middle class, the sort of people that Fidesz needs to attract. And they forced a rare U-turn by the government, when Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, said the internet tax would be dropped in its current form. Instead he would launch a “national consultation” to consider ways in which to tax online profits.

The latest protesters have a harder task because their demands, including the resignation of the government, are unrealistic. This year Fidesz has won national, local and European elections. As the Organisation⁸ for Security and Co-operation in Europe noted⁹, the victories were due in part to the government's tinkering with election rules in its favour. Yet the fractured liberal and left-wing opposition¹⁰ means that the alternative lacks appeal.

Demographic change is also working against the opposition. The Hungarian embassy in London says that around 100,000 Hungarian citizens live in Britain, but the true figure could be higher. Many expatriate Magyars are young, multilingual, educated and entrepreneurial. A good number have left Hungary because they see no future under Fidesz rule.

Mr Orban has long made clear his disdain¹¹ for liberal norms, never more so than in his speech in Baile Tusnad, Romania, on July 26th when he said that Hungary would remain a democracy, but become an “illiberal state”. The European Union has proved unwilling¹² or unable to rein¹³ him in. Instead, as the entry-ban row shows, the pressure is mostly coming from America. President Barack Obama recently bracketed Hungary with Egypt and Azerbaijan as countries in which civil society felt intimidated¹⁴. Concerns are growing inside Fidesz about the wisdom of taking on the world's superpower.

Younger members of Fidesz are critical of the government's policies, says Akos Balogh, of Mandiner.hu, an influential¹⁵ conservative blog. Hungary is losing friends and allies, he adds. It will struggle on the European and world stage if it acts with the arrogance¹⁶ that Fidesz shows at home.

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

7 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

8 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

12 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

13 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

14 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

16 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。