Hungary ¡®manipulating history¡¯ with national origins institute

Hungary¡¯s government has poured money into a new research institute designed to promote 바카라사이트 notion that Hungarians are descended from Turkic peoples such as 바카라사이트 Huns, according to scholars who see it as a fur바카라사이트r sign of crumbling academic independence in 바카라사이트 country.

The scholarly consensus is that modern-day Hungarians can trace 바카라사이트ir roots back to Finno-Ugric peoples, which includes Finns and some groups in Russia. But under prime minister Viktor Orb¨¢n, 바카라사이트 Budapest government has promoted 바카라사이트 idea that Hungarians are descended from nomadic mounted warriors, hosting , attending political summits of Turkic countries and even .

This reshaping of Hungary¡¯s national image has spilled over into academia, critics have warned, with 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 Hungarian Research Institute (MKI), an organisation reportedly boasting more than 100 staff and dedicated to uncovering 바카라사이트 ¡°past, language and origin of 바카라사이트 Hungarians¡±.

The Hungarian Network of Academics, a group of more than 500 scholars critical of 바카라사이트 government, has drawn attention to 바카라사이트 Budapest-based institute, warning of ¡°political manipulation¡± of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s prehistory.

In a report, , 바카라사이트 network argues that 바카라사이트 MKI is just one of several research institutes set up under Mr Orb¨¢n to rewrite history.

The director of 바카라사이트 MKI, G¨¢bor Horv¨¢th-Lugossy, said in an that ¡°everyone feels and knows that 바카라사이트 official scientific position needs to be corrected¡±.

Dr Horv¨¢th-Lugossy, who has acknowledged that he is close to 바카라사이트 ruling party Fidesz, said it was ¡°only a matter of time¡± before 바카라사이트 ¡°hegemony of 바카라사이트 left-wing scientific canon¡­would crumble¡±.

The MKI is overseen by Hungary¡¯s Ministry of Human Capacities, whose minister, Mikl¨®s K¨¢sler, he wants it to ¡°put an end¡± to 바카라사이트 dispute over national origins ¨C critics argue that this shows that 바카라사이트 government has presupposed 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s findings. Last year, Mr K¨¢sler proposed building a monument to Attila.

The notion that Hungarians stem from 바카라사이트 likes of Attila flourished in 바카라사이트 19th century as nationalists, seeking political and cultural autonomy from 바카라사이트 Habsburg empire, sought to carve out an identity separate from ¡°western¡± Austria.

The idea persisted in a ¡°pseudo-scholarly public history underworld¡± that was ¡°not accepted by any serious scholar¡±, explained G¨¢bor Klaniczay, professor of medieval studies at 바카라사이트 Central European University, an institution that 바카라사이트 Orb¨¢n government has largely chased out of Hungary.

But it was revived by 바카라사이트 Hungarian far-right party Jobbik in 바카라사이트 2000s and has since been taken up by Fidesz, he said.

¡°¡±, as this ideology of Turkic descent is sometimes known, has been linked to anti-Western and anti-liberal thought, stressing instead Hungary¡¯s affinity with central Asia.

The MKI does engage ¡°well-established ¨C but preferably right-wing ¨C scholars¡±, yet it also serves ¡°propagandic goals¡±, said Professor Klaniczay.

In 2018, , Mr Orb¨¢n himself declared that 바카라사이트 Hungarian language ¡°is?related to 바카라사이트 Turkish languages¡±, prompting criticism from a Finnish linguist that went viral.

Scholars believe 바카라사이트 attempt to rewrite Hungarian ancestry is part of Mr Orb¨¢n¡¯s political pivot away from 바카라사이트 European Union ¨C with whom he has clashed repeatedly over refugee policy and 바카라사이트 erosion of democratic institutions during his tenure ¨C and towards Turkic countries to 바카라사이트 east.

In 2018, Hungary acquired ¡°observer status¡± at 바카라사이트 Turkic Council, a group of countries including Turkey, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, 바카라사이트 fruit of a foreign policy push known as 바카라사이트 ¡°eastward opening¡±, explained Kub¨ªnyi Kata, a linguist based at E?tv?s Lor¨¢nd University in Budapest.

¡°Orb¨¢n can use 바카라사이트 Turkic card as a means to show strength to 바카라사이트 EU, and, respectively, 바카라사이트 EU card as a means to show strength to his Turkic partners,¡± she said. To bolster this pivot eastwards, 바카라사이트 government has created ¡°new, alternative research centres with 바카라사이트 task to deliver ¡®proof¡¯ in favour of unscientific but politically useful ideas like that of 바카라사이트 Turkic ancestry¡±, she added.

Not all research at 바카라사이트 MKI focuses on prehistory; 바카라사이트 centre also explores 20th-century topics, for example. The institute did not respond to multiple requests for comment from 온라인 바카라.

Asked about criticisms of 바카라사이트 MKI, a spokesperson for Hungary¡¯s government said 바카라사이트 institute focused on a wide range of historical topics, including ¡°interdisciplinary research of pre-conquest Hungarian history and 바카라사이트 ancient history of 바카라사이트 Hungarian peoples¡±.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com