The Hungarian government refuses to compensate a Hungarian man for a red star fine. Hungarian Justice Minister Tibor Navracsics declared that Hungary disagrees with a European court verdict that ruled that the Hungarian government must compensate János Fratanolo for his ordeal. The government of Hungary fined Fratanolo for wearing the red star in 2006. Fratanolo was the former president of the Hungarian Workers Party, which is a communist political party in Hungary.
He wore the red star in celebration of Hungary joining the European Union in 2006. The European Court of Justice in Strasbourg awarded Fratanolo compensation which caused controversy in Hungary. Navracsics refused to accept the European court's verdict. Both the Soviet red star and the Nazi swastika are symbols of tyranny in Hungary. They are prohibited from being used in public. There is a gross double standard, as the Nazi swastika is a banned symbol in many EU countries, but communist symbolism is tolerated and encouraged.
István
