The threat to democracy is very real and present right here in the UK

Posted on January 6 2012

I was pleased to see this from Philip Stephens in the FT this morning:

Hungary's prime minister presents a reminder — should anyone on this continent need one — of the familiar trajectory from economic chaos to political authoritarianism. The European Union has had two grand projects since the fall of the Berlin Wall: the single currency and the advance of democracy eastwards. The euro is now in serious trouble. Mr Orban sends a powerful message about the perils facing democracy.

This week saw the introduction of Mr Orban's new constitution. Suffused with ethnic nationalism, it reeks of an ambition for one-party rule. It promises repression of personal freedoms within Hungary and, through an extension of citizenship to Hungarian minorities elsewhere, threatens instability in ethnically-diverse neighbours.

The constitution has to be seen alongside a slew of new basic laws and the gerrymandering of the electoral system. Together, they bestow inordinate power on the ruling Fidesz party. The prime minister can claim to have won the 2010 election fairly. Now he is deploying a two-thirds majority in parliament to deny opponents the same possibility.

At least the realisation of what is going on is growing.
But we need to be aware that the threat is not just in Hungary.
Parliament cannot be dissolved without a two thirds majority here now.
The number of MPs have been cut to concentrate power.
And the Tories are blatantly seeking to gerrymander the electoral system in their favour.
Whilst the City of London runs a state within a state in the UK, aided and abetted by the abuse of the Crown Dependencies and their supposed quasi independence that is simply a mechanism for finance to undermine the rule of law and democracy in the UK.
The threat to democracy is very real - and present right here in the UK.

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7 Responses

  1. Howard Reed says:
    January 6 2012 at 9:23 am

    Another excellent article on the deteriorating situation in Hungary – well done Philip Stephens.

  2. Bill Kruse says:
    January 6 2012 at 10:21 am

    Expect martial law very soon. One could argue, convincingly, that the Euro was deliberately set up to fail so the chaos resulting from its failure would provide an excuse for just that possibility. We appear to be up against people who can think decades if not centuries ahead and on a global scale too.

  3. Fiona says:
    January 6 2012 at 1:25 pm

    I am sorry to say I cannot read the article linked: it seems to be behind a pay wall or something.

    As I said on the other thread, I am not yet convinced that Hungry is closer to the collapse of democracy than this country. Whatever the faults of the nationalism inherent in that countries current leadership there is at least a question as to the reasons put forward for the concerns expressed by Krugman and Scheppele. Hungary is, in part, rejecting the rule by bankers so dear to the hearts of the clearly undemocratic powers that be in the EU. To listen to the EU, IMF and such bodies criticise others on grounds of authoritarianism is odd, to say the least. I think that much of what is said is a fig leaf to cover the challenge to the orthodoxy of neoclassical economists. That is not to say that I like what is happening in Hungary: but I do not believe the moral and political outrage is what it seems

    • Fiona says:
      January 6 2012 at 1:32 pm

      Further to my comment above: now been able to read the article and it does not change my view: it reinforces it. There is conflation of many big issues such as the alleged move to a one-party state and the rejection of economic orthodoxy. The Clinton statment that the main concern is restoration of the independence of the central bank says it all. Economic chaos does pose a threat to democracy: and economic chaos is a direct result of that same orthodoxy. It is part of the neoclassical project to conflate free market economics with democracy itself: it is a lie

    • Richard Murphy says:
      January 6 2012 at 1:37 pm

      And as I note, I think the counter-argument is the fig leaf

      Too much else has changed to think otherwise

      • Fiona says:
        January 6 2012 at 2:42 pm

        The threat of authoritarian responses is not in dispute: and this may well be an example of that. You are not alone in your fear of the consequences, up to and including war. I have been concerned about that for a very long time.

        What is in dispute is the analysis. To me it is the hegemony of the economic elite which is the problem: to find them using an undermining of democracy as a reason to criticise the Hungarian government is the fig leaf I see. They do not believe in democracy unless it is spelled “free market”. Their solution is for Hungary to return to their economic orthodoxy,and the suggestion is that the part of the Hungarian policy which rejects that is the cause of the problem. Nothing could be further from the truth

      • Richard Murphy says:
        January 6 2012 at 3:37 pm

        I accept that point