Hungary’s Orbán Seeks to Silence Dissident Song

With its governance under fire from within and without, Hungary's Orbán administration is showing itself increasingly intolerant to criticism in any form including song and satire. While Viktor Orbán's media restrictions have gained international notoriety, muzzling the press apparently has not satiated his appetite for censorship. Here are two recent musical targets of the administration of the man his opposition calls "the Viktator," according to the Global Post.

Merry Christmas, Hungarian Democracy

Satirizing Orbán's single-draft, fast-tracked new constitution and other notable marks of his administration, two reporters from the online media site Index took to the halls of Parliament, producing a music video called, "Merry Christmas, Hungarian Democracy," (in Hungarian, with English subtitles.)

In the video, one reporter questions the other's willingness to sink into a dream that the changes made by the Orbán administration are wonderful. He says, "Democracy is abolished, the government is going bankrupt, IMF's gone, so why are you singing?"

The other reporter answers, "Listen, a little joke would lighten the load."

Gergo Planko, Index's political correspondent, told The World that the government banned him and his compatriot from entering Parliament until they provide a guarantee they will never insult its dignity again.

Bazmeg

Laszlo Pityinger is the voice behind the rap Bazmeg, a profane critique of the political elite and everyone else with an official position in Hungary, he told The World. The singer, who uses the stage name Dopeman, hit a raw nerve when he included words from the national anthem in a song whose titleroughly translates as " f--- y--." The word (a variant of bazdmeg) is the most common swear heard in Hungary, according to Urban Dictionary.

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union took up Pityinger's cause after police called him in for questioning in connection with a suspected misdemeanor crime. That crime? Degrading a national symbol. The HCLU said on its website that police sought to question Pityinger as a witness rather than a suspect to deprive him of his constitutional rights. As a suspect, Pityinger has a right to remain silent, but that right doesn't extend to witnesses. Pityinger nevertheless declined to answer police questions. The HCLU contends that Pityinger did not direct any offensive or degrading expression at the anthem and thus no crime was committed; but it also doubts the viability of using prosecution to protect the country's reputation from derogatory comments about its symbols.

Under its new constitution, Hungary is required to defend artistic freedom but only that of the Hungarian Academy, not individual artists.