Communication and information enthusiast.
My personal blog:Remainder of Budapest
Latest posts by Marietta Le
Student protester in Hungary: ‘I don’t want to go to jail for something I haven’t done’
"...now I get scared sometimes. I don’t want to go to jail for something I haven’t done. That’s not really my plan for the new year."
Students rally for academic freedom on the eve of the final call for Central European University to stay in Hungary
Students of threatened academic institutions occupied the square in front of the Parliament to defend academic freedom in Hungary.
Hungary Fast Tracks Legislation to Boot Out Central European University
On April 4, the Hungarian government adopted an amendment to new legislation on higher education that might bring an end to the Central European University.
Journalists of Closed Hungarian Newspaper Népszabadság Score ‘Symbolic Posthumous Victory’ in Court
A Hungarian court has ruled that last October's sudden closure of the country's leading opposition daily, Népszabadság, was illegal.
Hungarian Think Tank Finds Suspicious Device in Office, Raising Fears of State Surveillance
Ekint had searched their office after the head of the prime minister's office claimed Hungarian-American businessman George Soros is manipulating the country's politics through organizations funded by him.
Hungarian Woman Fined for Facebook Post About State Spending
The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union has started a crowdsourcing campaign to support Maria Somogyi as part of its work to end the abuse of libel laws.
Hungarian Activists Raise a Boatload of Cash to Counter a Government Campaign
In less than seven days, Hungarian journalist-activist Katalin Erdélyi and her team raised over 100,000 dollars to fight the government's new anti-immigrant campaign.
After 25 Years, Have Hungarians Finally Realized They Live in a Democracy?
The notion that Hungary is becoming an 'illiberal state' is nothing new. Twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Hungarians are standing up to demand a real democracy.
Hungarian Far-Right Group Protests Against Fashion Designer
A group of far-right extremists occupied the exhibition opening of a Hungarian fashion designer on Friday, Kettős Mérce blog reported [hu]. The designer in question Koby's new fashion line was first withdrawn [hu] from a Hungarian sports brand shop in January 2014, after nationalist criticism rose against the t-shirt designs featuring some of...
Blaming the Blind Dog: Hungarian Politician's Domestic Violence Case
József Balogh, a Hungarian ruling party politician, has allegedly beaten his partner so badly that she had to be treated at a hospital. He claimed she had tripped over the family's blind dog, while she said the politician had hit her. Marietta Le reviews the memes and serious discussions that this incident has produced.
Trying to Get Through: Hungarians Send Video Messages to Prime Minister
Young Hungarians are shocked by the government's stubborn refusal to acknowledge their protests and their demands for a more democratic decision-making. To get their message across, four young people launched a new blog on March 22, asking fellow citizens to send short video messages to the Prime Minister with their thoughts on his governance.
Hungarian Constitution is “Not a Toy”
According to a report [hu] on Facebook page “The Constitution is Not a Toy,” some 100 protesters have occupied the Hungarian governing party's headquarters; a pro-government crowd, however, has also showed up at the scene. The protesters voiced their opposition to the planned new amendment of the Hungarian constitution, a...
What is “Hungarian Music”?
Hungarian musicians signed an online petition [hu] against the restrictive definition of “Hungarian music” included in Hungary's media law, which considers only Hungarian-language productions as “Hungarian music.” The petitioners argued that the definition is not only excluding many artists from being part of the Hungarian music and culture, but is discriminatory when it comes to...
Hungarian Journalist Kidnapped, Then Released in Aleppo
Bálint Szlankó, a Hungarian foreign correspondent, was kidnapped – and later released – in Aleppo, Syria. He wrote this [en] on his Facebook page on Jan. 23: Just been through a 12-hour kidnapping ordeal in Aleppo. Yesterday morning me, a Mexican and a Basque journalist were abducted by unknown gunmen...
Interview with Szabolcs Panyi, Editor of Global Voices in Hungarian
Szabolcs Panyi, 26, is the author and editor of a popular Hungarian blog, Véleményvezér ("Opinion Leader”). He joined Global Voices in Hungarian in September 2011, and since March 2012 he has been the site's co-editor.
Hungarian Protesters Occupy Bridge, Three Students Arrested
Student protest rallies continue in Hungary. On Wednesday night, the protesters occupied a Budapest bridge, and three of them ended up getting arrested.
Hungarian Students Call for Nationwide Strike
Hungarian high school and college students, who are demanding that the government set university admission quotas to a reasonable level and help those from lower income households to access higher education, are calling for a nationwide strike on Wednesday.
Hungarian Blogger Leaks Secret Video on Illegal Voter Database
Gery Greyhound published a documentary [hu] on his Tumblr blog, about the ‘making of’ an illegal voter database in Pécs in 2009, when the city held a mid-term mayoral election. A similar leak took place in 2010, when a voice recording of Fidesz party director Gábor Kubatov was published online, revealing that the party had a registry of...
Students Rally All Over Hungary to Save Tuition-Free Education
In Hungary, the once free-for-all education system has always been a subject of heated debates. This week, the debates have grown into student protests that are taking place all over the country.
Anti-Fascism Unites Hungary
Thousands of Hungarians stood united at a rally in Budapest on Sunday. Politicians from the ruling and opposition parties were there, too. The public debate on the far right gaining more and more support in Hungary has been re-opened - and, to some extent, it has united the Hungarian nation.
Hundreds Rally Against Anti-Semitism in Hungary
On Nov. 27, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Parliament in Budapest (photos) to protest a Hungarian far-right MP's call “for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security.” Some of the protesters wore yellow Stars of David. The rally took place despite the removal...
