I’m sitting on a Finnair flight wondering if Finland has changed, giving up its great values.
Reading an article of Helsinki Times (21 March 2013) written by David J. Cord, I recall the nice days and years I spent in Helsinki and the victories of Finland I witnessed. I was there when the Finnish Markka lost its value and I was not able to exchange it to German Marks because there was no exchange rate.
Do you remember that day? That was the time Finland was fighting for its economical survival and independence, and Finland has won. I was there when Finland voted for EU membership. There was a slight majority at the end supporting the membership, but both sides had the right before and after to sound their view. Those were the days when Finland was fighting for its democracy and Finland won. I was there in Helsinki, when the wartime newspapers were reprinted and sold in shops.
All the “old news” of the heroic Winter War were there beside the Xylitol bubble gums ready to inform the new generations about what their fathers achieved. Those were the times Finland was fighting for its history, to have a right to a true history, and Finland won.
Hungary changed its political system in 1990 as the first among the so-called “socialist countries”. The engine of that brave political move was the hunger for freedom and independence planted into the Hungarian souls – just look at our history full of revolutions. The rest of the process was Mr. Viktor Orban and the FIDESZ, as well the KDNP (Christian Democratic party). The "independent” Hungary was still occupied by Soviet troops in 1990, and the communist constitution (from 1949) was not replaced, it was only modified. For 20 years Hungary, which became an EU member in 2004, has been using the same temporary constitution. Before the 2010 parliamentary elections it was clear that the FIDESZ-KDNP coalition would have won, the question was only if they would get the right to write a new constitution. Hungary decided on a free election to give that job to FIDESZ-KDNP and their small allies, like LUNGODROM, a Roma movement. They got a two-third majority. Polls showed that the country welcomed and supported the new constitution, but it got criticism from the EU. Please understand, the basis of the Hungarian law was changed in 2011. Was the first version not perfect? The corrections were already made in 2012 to please the EU, and those corrections included the part about the National Bank that the HT article cites. The constitution now protects what Hungarian people believe to be the values in our life. But it also applies all the EU laws and rights. How does it sound if someone repeats a critique on already modified paragraphs? How does it sound if someone wants to stop FIDESZ-KDNP to do their job triggered by and according to the general request of the voters? How does it sound if someone questions the right of Hungarians to define family based on Christian teachings? How does it sound, written in a Finnish newspaper, while Finns are famous for being able to be neutral and objective?
These are the days, my Finnish friends, when we fight for both our economical and political independence. Do you need to spend Finnish taxpayers' money to help out Greece, Spain or Cyprus?
Yes you do. Do you need to do the same for Hungary? No you don’t. Please note, that 3 years ago Hungary was in the same bad economic shape as the three Mediterranean states listed. With the FIDESZ-KDNP government, Hungary is decreasing its state dept, and has made serious steps to balance its state budget. We do that while we modernise our law system, leaving the communist constitution behind, and we fight our battle with our own resources, just as Finland did during the Winter War. Do we have the right to win?
Viktor Toth
