I’d rather eat the veggies raw 😭

Finomfőzelék!

‘Birds are all robots and the government engineered Covid so they could change the batteries in them whilst we were all locked down at home’ defo takes the cake for me

announcing ILÚVATAR, my multi-billion dollar company which will specialize in the dismantling of all other idiotically tolkien-named entities, that they shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite

Because the reality is that there isn’t now, and there shouldn’t be, a civil service process that can stop the elected government making ill-advised or actively dangerous appointments. One reason why I am a longtime supporter of electoral reform is that I think “the government of the day has to get its appointees through at least one coalition partner” is a good and democratic brake on what the executive wants to do.

like this from @stephenkb.bsky.social. frustrating that the conversation has turned to who-saw-what-when, which distracts from Starmer's error of judgement

Some thoughts about Hungary, round two. Tisza - 141, Fidesz - 52, Our Homeland - 6.

It appears I have a substack now. What do we think?

An Iran-linked group has claimed responsibility for *all* the recent series of arson attacks against British synagogues and Jewish groups – including the ambulance attack.

The story should be bigger full stop. But how is this aspect of it barely mentioned? It seems *bizarre*.

🚨

this is from last September

I am planning on appointing someone who has publicly resigned twice in scandal. They resign a third time in even bigger scandal. The fallout should, however, not include me, the person who made the big call in the first place.

Totally untenable.

Good morning Ben

Other student protesters were arrested and kept in jail overnight only to be released without charge, had their homes searched and parents spoken to by the police. Never on suspicion of any actual wrongdoing, this is just the sort of tactic they used to ‘dissuade’ ppl from entering the public sphere

They even called social services on her family to try and take her younger siblings into care afaik. Truly the dregs of humanity.

I’m in this 🫣

Me pointing and laughing at a Scruton cafe in Budapest

I know this is me still mourning a long dead world but it does feel remarkable that, not that long ago, British papers on the right would have run editorials and columns arguing that Hungary showed that only a solid, reliable centre-right party could defeat dangerous populists, but now? [crickets]

I believe that many at Fidesz knew that denying reality wasn’t going to keep them in power for ever, they just didn’t care as long as the could enrich themselves along the way. Ultimately, this kleptocratic attitude is what the people of Hungary said no to.
8/8

This compounded with the state capture of key institutions (all hemorrhaging money at industrial scale, ofc) has led to a world where everything is officially hunky-dory whilst people’s lived experience points to the exact opposite.
This was never a sustainable long-term strategy for Fidesz
7/n

People have had to endure propaganda campaign after propaganda campaign being delivered by increasingly wealthy figures with political connections, all the while seeing their money go less and less far each year. There is an overwhelming feeling that hard work just doesn’t pay under NER.
6/n

There are too many examples to list here, but one of the most consequential results of this has been the total takeover of the media landscape. The amount of propaganda coming from the state broadcasters and the household media ecosystem Fidesz has built out over the years has been staggering.
5/n

How Viktor Orbán’s oligarchs reaped billions in public contracts FT investigation finds 13 associates of Hungary’s premier won large share of state works after he took power

But more importantly, it includes a vast array of companies that win overpriced government contracts through unfair procurement practices that have come to dominate entire sectors of the economy. This article from the FT is good primer on the phenomenon www.ft.com/content/70c2...

4/n

When I say brazen, I mean Brazen. Fidesz even gave this phenomenon a name, the System of National Cooperation (NER). This includes the Lajos Batthany Institute, which has recently been talked about for paying outrageous salaries to far-right figures in the UK and lobbyists in the US
3/n

First and foremost, this has been a reaction to the brazen funnelling of billions of euros of state funds into the pockets of oligarchs, ideologically aligned institutions and friends, family and even just acquaintances of politicians / people in *any* position of influence.
2/n

Ok some thoughts about Hungary. I think an underreported aspect of the outgoing Hungarian government is the sheer scale of corruption.
I know it’s tempting to see this result as the beginning of a wave of European ideological realignment, but that doesn’t quite ring true imo.
1/n

Celebratory dance in Hungary

Now he’s directly comparing today to 1848 and 1956

The vibes are looking impeccable ngl

We did it Joe

Yes and badly. Tisza has all but won a 2/3 majority

Viktor Orbán has apparently conceded the election. Two-thirds majority now increasingly likely for Tisza