Hungarian State TV Staffers Fired After Hunger Strike

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian media officials say two employees who have been on hunger strike for over two weeks in protest at alleged political meddling with journalists' work in state-funded media have been fired.

MTVA, the state Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund, said Tuesday that Balazs Nagy Navarro and Aranka Szavuly were dismissed because their fast — in which they have only been ingesting liquids since Dec. 10 — is illegal and a "provocation" of their employer.

Nagy Navarro told the AP that the dismissals were "shameful and trample on legal security." He said six people were currently taking part in the hunger strike, including another state media employee and three activists.

Several media trade unions and opposition parties repudiated the dismissals.

Comments

[Saruhbear]

08:55 AM on 12/30/2011

If people didn't care about what you had to say, why would you expect them to care more about your health? It's ridiculous. Hunger strikes are juvenile and manipulative, I agree with the Hungarian media on this one.

[beardown]

04:18 AM on 12/29/2011

Why would anyone care if someone is so stupid they stop eating?!

[landskroon]

01:43 AM on 12/29/2011

Well the Hungarian Government was elected in a democratic procedure and, this is the result. They have become the "democratic" pariah in Europe. The Hungarians now have a "super-nationalistic" governent that makes people ready for a new revolt, like they did in 1956.

[askskia]

03:20 AM on 12/28/2011

Now they have an even better reason for not eating...no job!

[Gottlieb]

11:09 PM on 12/27/2011

Hungary is losing institutions of a democratic society. Media is just another example.

Here are more.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,805112,00.html

[Emily Wheyton]

12:18 AM on 12/28/2011

So true. Things in Hungary are getting very dark and the fascism that has been this country's greatest flaw is on the rise once again. Scary.

[Gottlieb]

06:14 PM on 12/28/2011

The Germans are also finally admitting they have their own homegrown neo-Nazi problem but then they are now singing their national anthem with all the verses. Central Europe still hasn't completely transitioned and adopted Western European style democratic institutions and thought from the old authoritarian Communist model. The scary thing to me is Bush referred to this area as the "New Europe" and disparaged the "Old Europe" of liberal Social Democratic governments. The Hungarians are going to be stuck next year with their new constitution and they now have buyers remorse for electing the current government. The EU is distracted by the Euro Crisis and is letting Hungary backslide which is what the German government did in the old East Germany and the neo-Nazis have filled the vacuum. Far right political parties are gaining too much power in most European countries these days, I think Hungary is the canary in the coal mine.

[Aldo Rodriguez]

10:23 PM on 12/27/2011

So regardless whatever happens after the strike, one could say they were still...(wait for it)...
Hungry in Hungary? (sorry)

[Saruhbear]

08:57 AM on 12/30/2011

-insert drum and cymbal strike here-
I see what you did there! ;)

[Aldo Rodriguez]

04:39 PM on 12/30/2011

Sorry, couldn't resist ;-)
Happy New Year!

[clownprince]

08:55 PM on 12/27/2011

When it was all over, these two must have been Hungary!