NEW YORK TIMES: ..What is happening in Felcsut is part of the changes that have washed over Hungary since Mr. Orban and his Fidesz party swept to power in 2010. His government has rewritten the constitution and passed hundreds of laws, including a tax code that makes business investment in sports tax-deductible. It has also come to dominate all branches of government and boosted a rising class of oligarchs. Mr. Orban is expected to consolidate his power in parliamentary elections this Sunday.
While the European Union has been alarmed by the rise of autocratic leaders in neighboring countries, Mr. Orban’s critics see him as a strongman within the bloc. After recently fast-tracking a nuclear energyagreement with Russia, Mr. Orban, a one-time anti-Communist activist, is pulling close to Vladimir V. Putin.
Here in Felcsut, the new stadium has meant good jobs for many villagers. But some have benefited more than others. The mayor, Lorinc Meszaros, who is a friend of the prime minister, has gone from being a pipe fitter to one of Hungary’s richest men. His construction company is one of the main firms building the stadium and has flourished on state contracts. Mr. Meszaros declined to comment…
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EDITOR: With family and investments in Hungary and horrified over its transition from democracy to kleptocracy (the rule of the rich), NewsLanc also publishes The Budapest Beacon, one of the few accesses to accurate news in Englilsh still available to the Hungarian public and others. Especially important, when researchers from throughout the world seek information about Hungary (few can read Hungarian), the Buapest Post provides them with a reliable access to translated Hungarian news articles and commentary.
