Quote of the Day

"After joining the European Union, the country (Hungary) was de-industrialized and our agriculture was ruined."


One of the comments made by Jobbik President Gábor Vona during his traditional state of the nation address at Sportmax Center in Buda on the weekend. Jobbik is a right-wing nationalist political party in Hungary which has generated a lot of controversy in recent years. They are often labelled by the left-wing in Hungary as extremists and fascists.


Editor's Note: Ironically, many members of the Hungarian left-wing today were former communists or had parents who were communist party members before the democratic changes of 1989. Whether you agree with the politics of the Jobbik party or not, the statement by Gábor Vona is entirely correct. Since joining the European Union in 2004, Hungary's once prosperous industrial and agricultural sectors have all but disappeared. What remains of both sectors today is largely foreign-owned and not in the hands of the Hungarian people as it used to be. The majority of the profits generated by these foreign-owned businesses eventually leave the country.