But leads like “Hungary is no longer a democracy” or “Hungary is on the verge of tyranny” capture attention. That’s just how it goes.

Those are the rules of the game. The problem begins when the attention-getting headlines and pull-quotes, especially from otherwise credible sources, lack solid foundation. It happens when the writers and analysts have relied on too limited a number of sources, have not done their own homework to acquire a decent grasp of the fact, or, for other reasons, simply omit certain details because they don’t fit the picture. It’s surprising how often it happens, and it’s one of the frequent themes of this blog. But, we see hopeful signs lately that things may be changing.

The trend line on international media coverage of Hungary shows an overall improvement in the last year. A growing number of people seem to be hearing the other side of the debate, and more balanced, more factual articles about Hungary in the international media are on the rise. Here are a couple of examples.

Recently, the Washington Post ran a solidly factual article from the Associated Press on the ban of hate symbols, an effort by Hungarian lawmakers to balance freedom of speech with the right to dignity for the victims of the 20th century totalitarian regimes. Over the weekend, the Spanish El Mundo had an interview with Prime Minister Orbán that highlighted several of the PM’s key points, that Hungary is a sovereign, independent country that respects European Union rules and norms but seeks equal treatment from the EU.

Later, the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the liberal, Austrian Der Standard also published quite even-handed, factually grounded pieces. The FAZ article, entitled “Orbán’s Small Steps Toward Brussels,” points out that the Orbán Government was quick in responding to European Commission President Barroso’s letter listing concerns over the fourth amendment of the Hungarian Fundamental Law, showing the government’s openness – despite the lack of domestic pressure – to negotiations.

Similarly, Der Standard , in “Orbán Feels Misunderstood,” points out that, contrary to what some diplomatic circles in Brussels may say, no one is entitled to tell a sovereign country what and what not to change in its own constitution and that the Hungarian prime minister feels he is being misheard and falsely accused regarding the amendments. The article depicts an Orbán that is open and willing to talk details. Like FAZ, it notes that Budapest answered immediately the European Commission president’s letter of concerns, and the Hungarian Parliament has already proposed changes in two of the three points raised by Mr. Barroso.

The conservative journalist Gerald Warner goes further in “We Should Fight Hungary’s Corner” in last Sunday’s edition of the Scotsman and clearly sides with the Hungarian government on the ongoing debates regarding Hungary in the EU.

My point here is, once again, facts matter, and we find that when observers are ready to take a hard and honest look at the facts on Hungary, they usually come away with a much more reasoned, moderate take on what’s going on here. This is not the breathless last warnings from the fever swamps, the call to “Give Rise to Revolt” against the “rotting core of Europe,” and, unfortunately, it doesn’t always make for great headlines and soapbox speeches. But, as examples show, once we get to the place where the discussion is based on facts, we are ready to debate and, if necessary, change the developing legislation.

 Source: A Blog About Hungary by Ferenc Kumin

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