Olen yhä flunssassa, itse asiassa flunssa vain pahenee. Sen takia on melko ok sinänsä, että ensi viikolle suunniteltu keskustelutilaisuus jää suunnitteluasteelle. Kuvaavaa Unkarin poliittiselle tilanteelle on se, että tämä tilaisuus päätettiin strategisista syistä jättää toteuttamaatta. Siksi postaan sen tänne.

And for those finding this in English, just to let you know, that this roundtable discussion was finally rejected at the planning stage. It says something about the Hungarian political situation. And I believe my points are still valid. Nevermind. R.I.P.

TENTATIVE PLAN

Emilia Palonen

 

Analyzing election-time Hungarian politics - a roundtable discussion

 

Collegium Budapest, 27 March 2006

– and a date before the second round

 

At the occasion of the Hungarian parliamentary elections we propose to hold two roundtable talks analyzing the contemporary politics. The perspective is qualitative, but also the panel aim to reflect on the issues beyond the mere descriptions of what is happening – or who did what. The participants seek to compare the different campaigns, evaluate strategies and recognize logics which are taking place in the election-time politics. The event aims to offer a better understanding of the character of the contemporary party political map and of the general interest on party politics.

 

This offers a chance to go beyond the usual opinion polls, quantitative analysis of the voting behavior, and political cleavages. 

 

The aim is to open a space for a new generation of Hungarian political scientists to discuss together with young foreign scholars of Hungarian politics.

 

Furthermore, with this event we want to avoid a representation of politics where there would always necessarily be a party affiliation. The researchers are not putting on hats of 'Fidesz political scientists', or 'Socialist political scientist' or SZDSZ or MDF sympathizing political scientist. Neutrality and critique can be combined and brought fore without these labels.

 

In these important ways, the roundtable discussion will be filling in a gap in the traditional commentating on Hungarian politics. It also does not seek to influence the election results, but to provide intelligent scholarly analysis of it.

 

Tentative list of young scholars on the panel, with presentations of 5-10 minutes:

 

Attila Gyulai, Political Capital

; Umut Korkut, Collegium Budapest; Gábor Pál, ELTE; Emilia Palonen, Collegium Budapest;Maximilian Spinner, CEU; Zoltán Gábor Szücs, ELTE