My first (and long overdue) visit to Budapest has been nothing less than brilliant. This is a fantastic city in a fantastic country, and I can tell all that from only five days here.
In these five days of exploring Budapest high, low and sideways I have not seen any of the following: an LGBTQWERTY/Minor attracted flag, lanyard or sticker indicating that a shop, café or pub is ‘friendly’ towards them; a Black Lives Matter flag or slogan; a Ukrainian flag; a Palestinian flag; and, despite Budapest being the home of modern political Zionism – Theodor Herzl (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) a Hungarian Jew considered Hungary’s foremost writer invented it – a Star of David. There is a very discrete memorial park to the Jews who were killed by the Nazis and the iron shoes on the bank of the Danube.
Hungary seems to be a nation state where the inhabitants are proud of the state of their nation. The actions of the Hungarian government to limit immigration is working. For example, the number of Muslims is known to the last mullah, and they constitute only 0.057% of the total population. Compare that with the UK where Muslims constitute over 5% of the population. The outcome is obvious. While not entirely absent, there is barely a head-scarved woman on the street, and I did not see a single burka or the equally repulsive hijab.
You don’t have to be a raving Islamophobe to know that these things are wrong, and that it also wrong to see areas of our major cities handed over to and under the control of an alien population who follow a religion that is antithetical to our way of life. No such problem here in Budapest.
Budapest is visually stunning. Divided into Buda and Pest by the Danube, both sides of the city are beautiful to look at from the other side of the river. At night the effect is enhanced by the spotlighting on the buildings. The lighting is copious, bright and well directed to the main architectural features. No worries, apparently, about trivial matters such as carbon footprints and global warming, which have hamstrung the United Kingdom. Hungary is out and proud about its capital city.
At most junctions and main squares and in many a back street, the heroes – military and political – of Hungarian history are celebrated with statues. No revisionism here, no worries about whether those who stood up to tyranny were perfect human beings, loved animals or ever made a dubious comment about someone from another culture. These heroes are here to stay. National pride is accompanied by Hungarian flags flying from all the main political and civic buildings. Not over the top as in Washington DC, but just enough to remind you where you are and how lucky you are to be here.
The stunning Hungarian Parliament building, Hungary’s largest building and one of the largest parliament buildings in the world, is breathtaking. You can walk right up and touch it, and you can buy a ticket to visit it. You can also walk right up to the door of the Prime Minister’s office with not a police officer or military person in sight. Compare that with the monstrous concrete blocks outside the Palace of Westminster and the barriers at the end of 10 Downing Street. Consider and then decide which of the UK or Hungary is a country more at peace with itself and the world, and which inspires more confidence?
A unique feature of Budapest is the Scruton cafés dedicated to the memory of the great man himself, Sir Roger Scruton. He came here surreptitiously during the years of communist oppression, undoubtedly at great personal risk, to teach students about freedom and philosophy. He did not come with a bomb or a bullet, or to proclaim that “God is great”. He came with words and kindness and has, literally, left an indelible mark on the city. The cafés are comfortable, adorned with genuine Scruton memorabilia donated by his wife, and they serve excellent food, coffee, tea and wine. People are free to sit, work and discuss, and cultural events are held regularly. I never met the great philosopher, but in 1987 he published my first piece of political journalism in The Salisbury Review. I only ever knew him by correspondence.
At the risk of sounding like a TripAdvisor entry, Budapest is also a great place to eat excellent food and drink good wine – if you choose the small local restaurants which can usually be found off the main tourist drags. These places, like Italian trattorias, have only a few seats but are friendly and relatively cheap. They serve genuine Hungarian food and local wines.
That Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010, has been re-elected three times tells you most of what you need to know about present day Hungary. A man committed to Christian Catholic values and determined that Hungary will be run for the benefit of Hungarians, is a complete contrast to most European leaders apart from Giorgia Meloni in Italy.
Hungary remains in the European Union. Nowhere is perfect. However, they have maintained their own vastly inflated currency, the forint, a thousand of which will net you £2.05. To save having to push your spare cash around in a barrow, most transactions here take place by card.
But the main feature of Hungary, at least through the limited lens offered by Budapest, is a friendly country. People smile at you and each other, officialdom appears limited and, while e-scooters are plenty, I never saw a single one being ridden on the pavement. That alone seems like the hallmark of a modern civilised country.
Roger Watson is a retired academic, editor and writer. He is a columnist with Unity News Network and writes regularly for a range of conservative journals including The Salisbury Review and The European Conservative. He has travelled and worked extensively in the Far East and the Middle East. He lives in Kingston upon Hull, UK.
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Very enjoyable article -thank you. The content chimes with my experience of a visit there in the early noughties before Orban became its leader.
It’s still a mystery though why Hungary remains in the EU, when it’s opposed to everything it stands for but a bigger mystery why the EU still wants Hungary (ever hopeful of a regime change perhaps?)
Yes, I’d like to know the answer (if there’s one) to that puzzle. Leaving and so avoiding the EU’s massive funding impositions might even help to revalue its currency, so using (anti-globalist) cash transactions could become practical again.
Thinking more, it’s (EU) a prison, the warders let Greenland escape but weren’t too bothered as it’s not in Europe anyway – but the UK experience shows that they refuse to let go of inmates and are still actively recruiting others to imprison.
It sounds just like my kind of place, but I’m probably too old and decrepit now to emigrate …
I suspect changes in the near future. Hungary has lost a billion euros of EU funding after Budapest failed to tackle corruption, according to the EU authorities in Brussels. This is the first time in history that Brussels has enforced such a move.
Orban is noted as a political partner to Trump and Putin – the next few months will be very interesting I’m sure.
Back in the good old days, the UK would have been encouraging Hungary (and Ireland plus others, including EFTA semi-prisoners) to leave the clutches of the EU and set up a new free trade bloc with the UK based purely on trade and friendly cooperation in other areas. We all know why the uniparty won’t think this appropriate as it’s not part of the plan.