Jeffrey Goldberg3d ago

Over on r/hungary I am seeing the word “rendszerváltás” (system change) get used a lot now that voting has started in an election that really may oust Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party.“Rendszerváltás” was a word used often in the early 1990s, and it is very hopeful.

It is, in my view, a bit too hopeful. Fidesz has taken control of too many institutions and media that even with clear majority in parliament, I worry that that Peter Magyar and the Tisza party will not be able to govern.

#hungary, #hungary2026, #o1g, #tisza, #magyarpeter

Show threadstf2d ago
@jpgoldberg don't forget the words of the 1st prime minister after '89 Antall József: "tetszettek volna forradalmat csinalni" (you should've made a revolution) when criticized by radicals in his own party being too soft-handed with the old guard. "rendszerváltás" hungarian style, history will repeat itself...
Show threadJeffrey Goldberg2d ago
@stf, I do remember. I also remember when he said he preferred the term “rendszerváltozás” (change IN the system).
Show threadstf
@jpgoldberg i'd say "rendszerváltás" means total replacement of system, while "rendszerváltozás" is more like "change of the system" - indicating less change than a complete replacement. there is no "IN" in either of them.
Apr 12 at 3:59pmWeb
Show threadJeffrey Goldberg2d ago

@stf, I remember many discussions of this at the time. Someone pointed out to me that “változas” is used for “transubstantiation”, and so that spun off to questions of what were accidental properties of the system and what were essential.

All this was a very long time ago, and my memory of those discussions is not at all reliable.