Digest in English

SZEMA issued a communiqué after a speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on September 12 concerning private loans taken out in foreign currencies. Orbán called for an enquiry into why consumer safeguards were not introduced when it became permissible for banks to extend such loans. The communiqué notes that the repayments on such loans have risen by an average of 30 per cent during the period of the Orbán government, thanks to exchange-rate changes caused mainly by the government's dilatory economic policies. Falls in the forint exchange rate continue to follow such speeches. He and his government bear the main responsibility for the crisis over such loans. SZEMA calls on Orbán to admit responsibility and call new elections, as the public's financial situation has been deteriorating, not improving.

Attention was drawn to an afternoon meeting hosted by the One Million for Democracy Association, entitled Dialogue for democracy — with a glass of beer, held on Saturday 17 September in Budapest's Városliget, to mark the UN International Day of Democracy (15 September). SZEMA president Klára Ungvár was among the speakers.

The sexual politics of the democratic states, i. e. the right to sexual equality is the theme of the next SZEMA public meeting, to be held at Nyított Műhely (Budapest XII., Ráth György u. 4) on 23 September at 7 p.m. The invited speakers are Judit Wirth (lawyer), Vilmos Szilágyi (psychologist) and Györgyi Tóth (youth trainer and human rights trainer). The moderator will be Klára Ungvár.

The Blog articles are entitled "There is no greater thief than the state" (János Szüdi), "Is Orbán following in Rákosi's footsteps or simply an agent of the OTP (National Savings Bank)?", and "But the water rules" (János Szüdi).